PTR 4.1 – neue Patchnotes und eine ganze Menge Heroic Nerfs – außerdem: BoA Items sind nun wirklich BoA

Wenn man sich die heutigen Patchnotes anschaut, dann fallen neben den normalen Klassenänderungen (die man nicht mit angepaßten Tooltips verwechseln sollte, was beim Lesen von MMO Champ schnell passieren kann) vor allem viele Änderungen bei den Heroic Dungeons auf. Außerdem, und das ist denke ich eine gute Änderung, gerade für Tanks, fällt auf, dass nun jeder Interrupt, der keinen Schaden macht, immer trifft. Denn momentan ist kaum ein Tank hitcapped und auch für DDler kann es sein, dass man nicht voll am Cap sitzt. Das gilt insbesondere aus meiner praktischen Erfahrung beim DW DK, der zwar Meleehit via Talent bekommt und somit seine physischen Angriffe relativ leicht ans Hitcap bringt, für den es aber an sich uninteressant ist, das Spellhitcap zu erreichen. Vor allem, aber wie gesagt, ist es ein Boost für die Tanks, die man nun voll zum Interrupten einsetzen kann. Positiver Nebeneffekt: gerade bei den vielen Kämpfen, wo sich alles ums Interrupten dreht, kann man die Tanks nun dafür abstellen ist die erhöhte Flexibilität beim Setup- Davon dürften vor allem 10er Raids profitieren.

Bei den Heroic Nerfs werden vor allem die Punkte beschnitten, die bis dato am ehesten zu Wipes führten. Beispielsweise die Sphären der Blood Wizards in den Deadmines, die großen Trogs im Umbriss Encounter, die Gilgoblins im Throne of the Tides oder auch die Air Nova der Gust Soldiers waren teilweise etwas überraschend stark, teilweise einfach nur nervig. Im Endeffekt mag man zwar wie im letzten Addon darüber meckern, aber fairerweise: die Instanzen können schon jetzt wieder bis auf wenige Ausnahmen durchgebombt werden, zur Not wird ein Add zufällig CCed, nur wenige Packs sind wirklich gefährlich. Insofern wird hier eher der Schwierigkeitsgrad nivelliert als insgesamt abgesenkt. Ob ich das gut finde? Keine Ahnung, ich spiele momentan kaum noch Heroics, zumal ich auch keinen aktiven Twink habe. Aber ich denke, ich kann die Entscheidungen hier nachvollziehen.

Die letzte Änderung betrifft die Bind on Account Items. Bis dato war die Übertragbarkeit ja etwas eingeschränkt, etwa durch den Server oder wenn man mehrere Wow Accounts hatte. Das wird nun gefixt – man kann die Items an jeden Char auf jedem Account schicken, sofern diese auf demselben Battle.net Acc sind. Find ich sehr gut, wenn auch überzählig. Aber ich weiß genau, dass auf diversen Realms noch Schultern und Brustplatten rumfliegen, von diversen Level Waffen ganz zu schweigen. Da kann ich mir das Farmen von noch mehr Justice Points demnächst sparen.

Alles in allem haben wir mit 4.1 einen typischen Blizzard Patch: viele kleine Verbesserungen, leider aber ohne den großen Knaller. Immerhin, ich freue mich auf den verbesserten Frost DK, denn momentan ist das meine DPS Spec – einfach weil die Utility der Spec momentan in den Progress Encountern mehr bringt als Unholy. Alleine der kostenlose Kick ist wirklich Gold wert.

Die offiziellen Patchnotes zum PTR:

Achievements
PvP

• The following Battleground achievements have been permanently removed from the game, as they do not function correctly with the achievement tracking system:
  • Guild Gankin‘ in Gilneas
  • Guild Gulch
  • The Peak of Perfection
  • The Perfect Guild Storm
  • Storming the Beach

Achievements Bug Fixes

• The guild achievements for earning exalted reputation with factions (Ambassador, Diplomacy, and United Nations) have been fixed to now correctly count cumulative guild members with exalted factions. Previously, these achievements would only count exalted factions on one guild member.
• The guild rated Battleground title achievements should now properly be awarded.

Items
Account Bound Items

• Many „Account Bound“ heirlooms are now labeled as „Battle.net Account Bound“, meaning that they can also be traded or mailed to characters that are on different World of Warcraft accounts under the same Battle.net account.
• Mail sent to characters on the same Battle.net account now arrives instantaneously, as it does for the same World of Warcraft account.
• Mailing account-bound items to characters of the opposite faction on the same Battle.net account will now correctly translate faction-specific items to their appropriate equivalent.

Raids & Dungeons
Blackrock Caverns

• Aura of Arcane Haste now has a clearer visual on the bearer of the aura.
• Bound Flames in the Karsh Steelbender encounter no longer create Lava Pools when they are killed.
• The Short Throw ability used by Twilight Sadists has had its range reduced to 10 yards.

Deadmines

• Ragezone cast by Defias Blood Wizards now only increases damage dealt, no longer increasing damage taken.

Grim Batol

• Bleeding Wound damge from General Umbriss has been lowered by 20%.
• Malignant Trogg now moves more slowly.
• Encumbered damage bonus from Forgemaster Throngus has been reduced by 50%.
• Invoked Flaming Spirits should prefer non-tank targets to fixate on.
• The Twilight Flame Patch from the Twilight Drake has been removed.
• The cooldown portion of the Twisted Arcane buff cast by Azureborne Seers has been removed.

The Stonecore

• Ground Slam now has a pre-cast visual on the ground in front of Ozruk. In addition, Ground Slam’s damage and radius have been reduced.
• High Priestess Azil’s Seismic Shard now has a more obvious warning visual.

Throne of Tides

• Gilgoblin Hunters‘ Poisoned Spear direct and periodic damage has been reduced.
• Gilgoblin Aquamages‘ Tsunami damage has been reduced.
• Visual effects during the Lady Naz’jar encounter have been improved for clarity.
• Blight Beasts summoned during the Ozumat encounter now deal less damage with Aura of Dread.

Vortex Pinnacle

• The Air Nova ability triggered when a Gust Soldier is killed has had its knockback effect reduced.
• Altairus now spawns closer to the center of his platform, away from the edge.
• Temple Adepts and Ministers of Air now wait 2 seconds before starting a spell cast when they are first engaged.

Wailing Caverns

• The maze section has been removed, and nearby creatures and bosses have been adjusted to compensate.

Guilds

• Guild Challenges are now available for testing.
  • These challenges can be found in the Info pane of the guild UI.
  • Guild Challenges fall into three categories: Guild Dungeon Run, Guild Raid, and Guild Rated Battleground.
  • Each challenge can be completed a set number of times per week. Guild groups participating in level-appropriate Heroic or normal difficulty dungeons and raids, or Rated Battlegrounds, will automatically qualify for challenge credit.
  • Each time a Guild Challenge is completed, the guild will be awarded experience and gold deposited directly into the Guild Vault, as well as the opportunity to earn all-new achievements. A popup or “toast” will be displayed to confirm a Guild Challenge has been completed (similar to achievement alerts).
  • Guild experience earned via Guild Challenges will be awarded above the daily cap. The experience cap will move forward relative to the amount of experience obtained through completing Guild Challenges (similar to rested experience for characters).
  • Guilds already at the level cap will be awarded substantially more gold in place of guild experience.
  • Gold rewards require the qualified guild members of the group to be honored with their guild, and the guild must be level 5.

Professions
Alchemy

• Flask of Steelskin now grants 450 Stamina, up from 300. The Mixology bonus for alchemists remains at 120 stamina.

Player vs. Player

• The rate at which Honor Points are earned has been doubled.

Arenas

• Arena matchmaking can now extend beyond a team’s Battlegroup.
• Battleground raid leaders can now move players from other realms among raid subgroups.

Classes: General

• All non-damaging interrupts off the global cooldown will now always hit the target. This includes Pummel, Shield Bash, Kick, Mind Freeze, Rebuke, Skull Bash, Counterspell, Wind Shear, Solar Beam, Silencing Shot, and related player pet abilities.

Death Knight (Forums / Cataclysm Talent Calculator / Skills/Talents)
Unholy

• Desecration no longer triggers when an applicable strike hits a snare-immune target. This is primarily to avoid unnecessary spell effect clutter during boss encounters.

Druid (Forums / Cataclysm Talent Calculator / Skills/Talents)

• Cyclone duration has been reduced to 5 seconds, down from 6.
• Lacerate bonus threat has been removed and replaced with increased initial damage done.
• Savage Defense has been redesigned slightly. Instead of a single charge absorption, it now places an absorption effect on the druid absorbing up to 35% of the druid’s attack power (modified by mastery, if applicable) in damage and lasting 10 seconds. There are no longer any charges on the effect.
• Swipe (Bear) cooldown has been reduced to 3 seconds, down from 6, and is now trainable at level 18 (training cost has been reduced). In addition, the bonus threat from this ability has been removed and replaced with increased damage done.
• Thrash bonus threat has been removed and replaced with increased damage done.

Restoration

• Nature’s Swiftness now also increases the healing done by th eaffected nature spell by 50%.

Hunter (Forums / Cataclysm Talent Calculator / Skills/Talents)
Pets

• Summoned pets now start with 100 focus, up from 0.

Hunter Bug Fixes

• Hunters will automatically acquire a new target if the current target dies in the middle of a cast.
• Aimed Shot and Steady Shot should no longer start casting Auto Shot on a new target when the „Stop Auto Attack“ option is enabled.
• Auto Shot now automatically turns off until reactivated once Freezing Trap is cast on an enemy player.
• Scatter Shot’s disorient effect should no longer sometimes be broken by the hunter’s Auto Shot.

Mage (Forums / Cataclysm Talent Calculator / Skills/Talents)
Arcane

• Arcane Blast damage has been increased by 13%. cast time has been reduced to 2.0 seconds, down from 2.35 seconds.
• Arcane Explosion damage has been increased by 30% 13%.

Frost

• Fingers of Frost bonus damage applied to Ice Lance has been increased to 25%, up from 15%.

Paladin (Forums / Cataclysm Talent Calculator / Skills/Talents)
Protection

• Sacred Duty can now be activated by Avenger’s Shield in addition to Judgements. The effect now lasts 10 seconds, down from 15.

Priest (Forums / Cataclysm Talent Calculator / Skills/Talents)
Holy

• Holy Word: Sanctuary healing done has been increased by 35%. In addition, it has a new spell effect.

Shaman (Forums / Cataclysm Talent Calculator / Skills/Talents)
Restoration

• Cleansing Waters now has a 6-second internal cooldown.

Warlock (Forums / Cataclysm Talent Calculator / Skills/Talents)
Affliction

• Unstable Affliction damage done when it is dispelled has been doubled, but this damage can no longer be critical.

Glyphs

• Glyph of Soul Swap now increases the cooldown of Soul Swap by 15 seconds, up from 10 seconds.

Warrior (Forums / Cataclysm Talent Calculator / Skills/Talents)

• Heroic Leap is no longer on the global cooldown, similar to other warrior movement abilities.

Protection

Gag Order now applies to Pummel and only affects Heroic Throw, giving these abilities a 100% chance to silence the target for 3 seconds. In addition, Gag Order lowers the cooldown of Heroic Throw by 30 seconds.