Hello guys, how’s it going? My name is Librarian Husky. The next update for the War Within expansion patch 1105 currently doesn’t have a release date, though it is rumored to arrive sometime in October, probably around October 20th. While this update will primarily focus on War Within’s 20th anniversary with Timewalking festivities, a brand-new raid, new dungeons, and events to partake in, it will also implement numerous class changes, some of which may shake up the meta for endgame content.

Class Changes and Preparation for Patch 1105

If you want to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to endgame content or simply want to be the first to experience some of the newest and best class changes as soon as the update arrives, I’ve got a list of classes for you to start preparing before the 1105 update. I’ve spent a considerable amount of time on the PTR exploring these changes, and right now, four classes are easily sharing the spotlight because they are receiving some of the best improvements.

Spotlight Classes for 20th Anniversary Update

These improvements have many players in those class communities very excited for the 1105 update. So here are the four classes you should start getting ready for before the 20th anniversary.

Hunter Class and Dark Ranger Hero Spec Overhaul

You should definitely put Hunter at the top of your list because Dark Rangers, the hero spec in particular, is finally getting the remake it deserves. This iconic hero spec has been around forever, but it never quite hit the mark with the player community. In patch 1105, it’s receiving the biggest improvements by far, featuring thematic additions like summoning Shadow Crows to attack targets and gaining Banshee Wings when major cooldowns are activated.

Dark Ranger Changes and Talent Synergies

One of the most exciting changes is that Black Arrow is now more interactive, replacing Kill Shot in specific instances. There’s also a lot more talent synergy for both Marksman and Beast Mastery, allowing for an empowered Kill Shot to be part of the regular rotation. All three specs will receive the ability of Death Blow, which replaces the improved Kill Shot talent, enabling Hunters to use Kill Shot outside of the usual execute range.

Hunter Specializations and Talent Refresh

Marksmanship, Beast Mastery, and even Survival will have new ways to utilize Kill Shot, adding more variety to their playstyles. Both Marksman and Beast Mastery are getting a talent refresh, many of which synergize with Kill Shot, making these specs feel more dynamic and powerful in patch 1105.

Talent Cleanup and Gameplay Standardization

We’re seeing some cleanup in the redundancy of talents, along with standardizing gameplay for certain classes. For example, procs like Precise Shots for Beast Mastery will no longer cannibalize each other as much. This means a smoother experience, with fewer overlapping abilities competing for attention, making the gameplay more streamlined.

Beast Mastery and Cobra Shot Integration

For Beast Mastery Hunters, there are new ways to incorporate Cobra Shot into the rotation. It won’t be a mandated part of the core rotation, but you’ll have the option to use Cobra Shot for free via Auto Attacks. These shots can build up damage and empower your pet, offering flexibility in how you use this ability without disrupting the overall rotation.

Survival Hunter and AOE Improvements

Survival Hunters, who saw popularity during early Alpha and Beta phases, are getting much-needed rotational improvements. A major change includes a powerful version of Butchery, which should significantly increase AOE potential. This could bring Survival Hunters back into the spotlight, reclaiming the popularity they once held in testing phases but lost in live realms.

Other Class Comparisons

Other classes like Arcane Mages, Elemental and Enhancement Shamans, and Frost Death Knights have managed to maintain their popularity from Alpha and Beta phases into live realms. Hopefully, these new improvements will help Survival Hunters regain a similar level of success.

Survival Hunter and Upcoming Patch 11.05

We may see Survival back on top or at least in a more favorable position going forward after the release of the 11.05 update. The next class we’re looking forward to is the Shaman, particularly if you’re a fan of Elemental or Enhancement, as both are getting a significant number of changes.

Shaman Class Changes and Ascendance Forms

Elemental and Enhancement Shamans are not only receiving gameplay updates but also fantastic new additions like the new Ascendance forms. These forms look incredible, with three different versions based on community feedback: the original version, a crazy hair option, and a more armored version. Players will be able to switch between these versions using glyphs purchased from the Shaman Order Hall.

Elemental Shaman Adjustments

Elemental Shamans had an interesting development phase during the War Within expansion, where they focused heavily on Lava and Elemental Blast damage, largely ignoring Lightning Bolt. When the game went live, this shifted, and Lightning damage became more prominent. With the upcoming changes, Shamans are set to find a balance between both elemental forces.

Elemental Shaman: Balancing Lava Burst and Lightning Bolt

Elemental Shamans have been adjusting their playstyle, where Lava Burst was sometimes overused. The goal now is to find a middle ground between fire and lightning elements, combining them more effectively. Even talents that were primarily fire-based, like Ascendance, are being updated to buff Mastery, which benefits both elements. This encourages players to use Ascendance, regardless of whether they prefer a lightning or fire-focused build.

Talent Synergy and Flexibility in Builds

Core fire talents are now gaining value for lightning-focused builds, and lightning talents are offering more benefits to fire builds. This allows players to mix and match both elements to create a more diverse and customizable setup. There’s no need to fully commit to one thematic path, as players can now blend both fire and lightning to optimize their playstyle.

Enhancement Shaman Adjustments

Enhancement Shamans aren’t receiving as many core changes, but they are getting some important rotational adjustments and talent tree refinements. These changes help them optimize talent points, along with new talents that create synergies, such as Flame Shock transforming into Nature Shock with cleave potential. Additionally, Ghost Wolves can now either be summoned actively or passively depending on talent choices, adding flexibility to the rotation.

Enhancement Shaman and Stormbringer Changes

Enhancement Shamans are seeing some exciting changes, particularly with Stormbringer, a popular talent choice. Previously, it felt a bit lacking, but now it’s receiving more attention. The rework focuses on enhancing Shaman’s ability to harness RNG-based mechanics, like the Hot Hand talent. Instead of relying on random melee auto-attacks to trigger a 5% chance, Shamans can now have more control over when they activate a “Hot Hand” window, allowing for a more consistent playstyle.

Ghost Wolves and Control Over RNG

Enhancement Shamans can now summon up to nine Ghost Wolves at a time, making their combat potential skyrocket. These changes to RNG mechanics allow Shamans to have more control, providing them with the consistency they sometimes lack. The new talents and playstyle give them the tools to handle situations with much more reliability, making them a formidable force in battle.

Rogue Class Updates and Long-Awaited Changes

Another class receiving updates is the Rogue, which, after months of stagnation during the Alpha and Beta phases, is finally getting some much-needed attention. Although the core gameplay for Rogues isn’t changing drastically, some improvements are expected, particularly for the Outlaw specialization, which will continue to fire off pistols at enemies with its signature chaotic style.

Rogue Specializations and Talent Adjustments

Assassination Rogues will continue to focus on bleeds and poisons, while Subtlety Rogues remain reliant on cooldown planning and massive burst damage. However, the developers are cleaning up some aspects and introducing more synergy between talents in the class and spec talent trees. This provides more opportunities for talents to work together and creates a smoother gameplay experience.

Supercharge Mechanic and Finisher Empowerment

One of the more confusing mechanics, Weaponmaster, is being adjusted and renamed to “Supercharge.” This new ability allows basic class abilities like Shiv, Symbols of Death, and Roll the Bones to empower your next finisher. It doesn’t only boost damage but also enhances effects like Slice and Dice duration or extending Ruptures, making it easier for newer players to understand while offering great depth for veterans.

New Talents for Assassination Rogues

Assassination Rogues are receiving a handful of new talents as well. Talents such as Indiscriminate Carnage, Improved Garrote, and Master Assassin, which rely on single-target damage, will have more synergy and provide more utility. This update aims to balance both burst and sustained damage, offering more strategic play for this specialization.

Subtlety Rogue Talent Adjustments

Talents like Double Vanish are becoming less effective, but Subterfuge is being improved to extend the duration of stealth-based abilities. This change provides a longer cleave bleed window for Carnage and improves Garrote, allowing it to deal additional damage and spread to multiple targets. Master Assassin is also receiving an update, granting a longer critical strike window during burst openers, making it more impactful.

Outlaw Rogue and Crackshot Enhancements

Outlaw Rogues are keeping their beloved Crackshot talent, which focuses on firing pistols and resetting abilities. Now, when you Vanish, it reduces the cooldown of Between the Eyes, allowing you to fire your gun more frequently. This creates a simple yet effective playstyle where you shoot, Vanish, reload, and repeat, making Outlaw Rogues more fluid and straightforward in combat.

New Subtlety Rogue Talent: Death Perception

Subtlety Rogues are getting a new talent called Death Perception, which increases the number of charges for Symbols of Death. If you love cooldowns, this talent provides even more, giving you greater flexibility in using your abilities. This change adds depth to how Subtlety Rogues manage cooldowns, offering opportunities to enhance overall damage output during critical moments.

Subtlety Rogue Cooldown Optimization

With the upcoming changes, Subtlety Rogues will experience more burst during their windows while having virtually no downtime. Cooldowns can be shifted around more freely, making the spec smoother to play. Flagellation‘s cooldown has been reduced from 1.5 minutes to just 1 minute, providing better synergy with other cooldowns, further enhancing the fluidity of Subtlety Rogue gameplay.

Mage Class Continuous Improvements

Mage has consistently been Blizzard’s favorite throughout the War Within alpha, beta, and live realms. During the expansion’s development, Mage received numerous improvements and talents, making it one of the top-performing classes. Arcane Mage, in particular, stands as one of the top-tier ranged DPS options for this expansion, with Frost and Fire following closely behind. The class continues to see buffs and enhancements, maintaining its competitive edge.

Frost and Fire Mages: Playstyle Adjustments

Frost and Fire Mages are receiving new talents and synergies to improve their non-traditional playstyles. Spell-slinging playstyles, such as Frostfire, are being bolstered with new abilities and talent adjustments, helping these specs remain viable and competitive. These updates aim to elevate their damage potential and keep them relevant in the meta.

Spell-Slinging Playstyles for Mages

Spell-slinging playstyles, such as Arcane and Frost, were incredibly fun to play during early alpha and beta stages. These styles are being pushed to the forefront, and there’s hope that they will gain even more attention. Sun Fury remains a powerful option, likely to continue dominating moving forward. However, despite Arcane Mages being a strong choice, they face certain challenges due to limited talent variety.

Arcane Mage Talent Variety Issues

Arcane Mages are very competitive but are often confined to a single playstyle with only minor talent variations. Many talents remain underused, and part of the focus in future updates is to refresh these dead talents, making them more viable. This should provide Arcane Mages with more compelling options to diversify their gameplay and reduce reliance on a single build.

Nether Precision Bug and Upcoming Fixes

A bug known as Nether Precision, which increases the damage of the next two Arcane Blasts or Arcane Barrages by 20%, has allowed Mages to consume this buff with multiple abilities at once. Normally, only one of these spells can benefit from Nether Precision, but if timed correctly, both Arcane Blast and Arcane Barrage can exploit this bug. Upcoming changes aim to address and fix this, but many Mages are intrigued by the potential.

Nether Precision Bug and Talent Conversion

The current Nether Precision bug allows both Arcane Blast and Arcane Barrage to double dip into its 20% additional damage, giving Arcane Mages a powerful, albeit unintended, mechanic. While this has been enjoyed by players, it’s being addressed with a new talent called Aether Vision. This talent makes consuming Nether Precision with Arcane Blast increase the damage of the next Arcane Barrage by 10%, while also generating Arcane Charges for the Mage, stacking up to two times.

Integrating Bug Mechanics into Core Gameplay

By converting the Nether Precision bug into a core mechanic, Blizzard is finding creative ways to enhance Arcane Mage gameplay. The new talent will allow players to generate more resources and deal additional damage, introducing more depth to the rotation. Players on the PTR are discovering new synergies that could emerge from this talent, potentially opening up new talent build customization options.

Mage Talent Customization and Tuning

These talent changes give Mages more breathing room to experiment with their builds, as long as everything is tuned appropriately. Proper tuning will be key to balancing these new mechanics. Overall, Mages have seen continuous improvements throughout the expansion, and if you’re not playing or preparing a Mage for patch 11.05, you might be missing out on one of the best-performing classes in the game.

Thank you for diving into our guide! Discover our exceptional WoW Retail boosting services and elevate your gaming experience with our top-tier boosts.