There’s a new meta on the horizon for Mythic Plus when it comes to ranged DPS. You may not have heard, but some changes are currently being tested on the Public Test Realm for Season 4. Whether you follow these updates or not, you might be curious about which specialization will be considered S-tier and which will fall into lower tiers. Although we don’t use an F-tier in our rankings, it’s worth noting that playing a specific ranged DPS could be beneficial in the upcoming season. The answer is yes, and we will start our discussion with the Affliction Warlock.

Affliction Warlock Analysis

The Affliction Warlock remains largely unchanged; however, it still boasts the highest AoE burst capabilities in the game, which is significant, although hard to measure due to various factors. As we head into the next season, Affliction Warlocks will likely see more options in item levels and a broader selection of trinkets—similar to other classes—given that all dungeons and raids will be available and purchasable with in-game currency. This season, we all will have more options in terms of gearing, as certain trinkets might not always be optimal.

Performance in High-End Keys

In the context of the meta, which often refers to high-end keys, the performance of Affliction Warlocks can be described as mediocre or below average. The main issue lies in its single-target capabilities. The current talent design does not support effective single-target damage in keys, while maintaining one of its strongest assets, which is significant burst in AoE scenarios. Despite having better burst and AoE potential than its Destruction and Demonology counterparts, Affliction suffers from poor scaling and a loss in single-target effectiveness during prolonged encounters.

Final Thoughts on Affliction Warlock

In short, for quick fights, Affliction Warlock is likely to excel, but in longer battles, it may lag behind. This is critical to consider for anyone looking to optimize their performance in upcoming Mythic Plus seasons.

Current State of Range DPS

One of the least impactful range DPS currently in the meta is because there’s no real change coming unless we see buffs. As of now, we have received no news on any buffs or tuning for any class, which they are likely going to be on the horizon, although I don’t know if they’re going to address Affliction. If they thought Affliction was in a bad spot and needed buffs, they probably would have done so by now, something in Season 3 which hasn’t happened yet. Predicting this is a little difficult, but we’re just going on the data right now.

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Augmentation Remains S-Tier

Probably to nobody’s surprise, augmentation is still going to be S-tier. It’s very hard to see augmentation not being S-tier with its current kit, which is just really, really good. Sure, it bumps everybody’s damage up, but most importantly, it provides tankiness and options in terms of crowd control, dispels, and more. This is the biggest thing that augmentation can bring into a group.

For example, specs like Devastation could probably bring more throughput in the majority of keys than augmentation, but it doesn’t bring the same level of tankiness, utility, and more. We’ll get to Devastation in a second. Of course, you’ll get your legendary back, which even if they nerf augmentation and the Evoker in general, you still get the oomph from the legendary, which is a little more than what everybody else gets.

Frost Mage in Season 4

The tier set remains the same for Frost Mage in Season 4. It is performing well, doing a lot of damage and proving to be particularly effective, but it still competes directly with Fire Mage, which excels at delivering priority damage and performing uncapped AoE attacks. Frost Mage is currently around B-tier, possibly nudging towards A-tier, although I would be surprised if it surpassed Fire Mage. Frost Mage’s main issue is that its unique capabilities, like slowing targets, are not as distinctive anymore, as many other classes offer similar utilities.

Marksmanship Hunter’s Current State

Marksmanship Hunter, like Frost Mage, is in a similar state of competency. On the PTR, Marksmanship has been showing some impressive numbers. Despite traditionally lagging behind, especially compared to specs like Affliction Warlock, it has seen improvements in recent weeks. The tier set for Season 4 remains unchanged, which is advantageous for AoE and burst scenarios. However, its single-target capabilities are just average. The resurgence in Marksmanship’s performance could also be attributed to the same reasons as Beast Master, given the comparable equipment and capabilities.

Emergence of Devastation Spec

One unexpected performer has been the Devastation spec. Regardless of personal opinions about the spec, the data from the PTR shows that Devastation is delivering exceptional damage, significantly outperforming even Balance Druid in some logs. This is surprising, as Balance Druid’s performance on the PTR has been uncharacteristically weak. If Augmentation receives nerfs, we might see a rise in the prevalence of Devastation specs, though it’s unlikely to dominate completely due to balancing factors likely to be implemented.

Devastation Spec Considerations

Although it’s unlikely to happen, if you are a DPS Evoker running keys with less than ideal DPS combinations, switching to Devastation could significantly increase your throughput. However, you would be sacrificing a lot of utility. As long as Augmentation retains its utility kit with defensives, Devastation is unlikely to replace it, at least not for S-tier status, but it remains a strong contender for A-tier. We will see how this evolves because as an Augmentation, you will still receive your legendary in Season 4, which adds a substantial amount of power that other casters, particularly melee classes, do not have.

Elemental Shaman’s Season 4 Outlook

Turning our attention to Elemental Shaman, the choice for the current tier set has been a topic of discussion. For Season 4, Elemental Shaman will continue with the Lava Burst playstyle, which, while perhaps unexciting, has shown to be fairly consistent. Elemental excels in delivering a lot of priority damage, especially when funneling Lava Burst into a single target and using cleave for additional damage.

However, Elemental Shaman does not bring anything uniquely beneficial to a group compared to other classes, particularly when considering both melee and ranged DPS options. Enhancement Shaman is likely to be more desirable than Elemental if a Shaman DPS is needed in a group. In most cases, a Restoration Shaman would be even more preferable. Thus, while Elemental can perform well, it lacks distinctive features that make it stand out in the current competitive environment.

Elemental Shaman’s Competitive Standing

The current tier set keeps Elemental Shaman at approximately B-tier, which would be acceptable. However, based on the data from the PTR, the damage output does not elevate it to an A-tier spec; therefore, it remains a B-tier spec. If this changes, it would be great for Elemental Shamans, but so far, I am not impressed with their performance.

Shadow Priest’s Dominant Performance

Shadow Priest is currently showing exceptional performance on the PTR, rivalling even Destruction Warlock in terms of power. Despite likely upcoming nerfs, I do not foresee Shadow Priest dropping from S-tier. The class retains access to invaluable Priest utilities such as Mass Dispel, Mind Soothe, and Power Infusion, which are crucial in high-level play. Additionally, with Shadow Priest melting down the meters, its position remains secure. For Season 4, Shadow Priests will receive the Season 2 tier set, moving away from the execute phase to focus on Mind Blast procs. This change could potentially enhance their overall effectiveness, further cementing their S-tier status.

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