Patch 5.4 patch notes
Virtual Realms feature revealed
The Proving Grounds are coming
The latest patch 5.4 newsShadow Priests finally get love in the Wrath beta
by Alex Ziebart 
Sep 2nd 2008 at 2:30PM
While it won't fix all things, it's definitely a start, and a good one: Mind Flay's coefficient will be raised by roughly 30% "to start," and it will gain the ability to crit. Yes, that's right. The coefficient will be de-gutted, and it will benefit from crit. After months of nothing, this is like a ray of sunshine from the heavens. Koraa also mentions that they'll be looking at the rest of the Shadow tree, but states that most people agree the tree itself is fine, the issue is the Shadow spells themselves, which I will more or less agree with. While some new spells would be nice, the class is plenty functional with what they have assuming the numbers will be tuned properly, and our gear matches up with that.
Hopefully we'll be seeing the new and improved Mind Flay in the next beta build, but it may take a little longer than that since it will be a complete rebuild of the spell. As soon as it's in, I'll be back here raving about it, I promise.
Filed under: Priest, Analysis / Opinion, Wrath of the Lich King
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)
Dillon Sep 2nd 2008 4:34PM
Interesting point.
It will bring up the whole "Resilience and DoTs" mechanic for review again. As it stands now, wouldn't this spell get hit twice?
Once for regular DoT damage (mitigated by resil)
Once for crit chance and damage (also mitigated by resil)
Definitely messing with pandora's box, but one that probably should be opened.
Ikarus Sep 2nd 2008 7:25PM
@ Dillon
In one sense, i suppose you could say it's getting hit twice. But, on the other hand, a DoT having any chance to crit is still a buff over what locks and shadow priests have now. I mean, if you as a lock have, lets say 20% crit chance and a lay a critable DoT on someone with enough resil to negate 15% chance to crit, you still come out with a 5% chance to cirit you never had before
RK Sep 2nd 2008 4:07PM
Sweet! I just switched to shadow for the isle quests and was reminded by how much the spriest suffered from issues.
Good to know there are some changes around the bend...
Manatank Sep 2nd 2008 4:02PM
I'm glad Blizzard held to their promise to address the DPS issues of SP. I'm also glad it makes all the qq last week as stupid as it seemed.
Midaki Sep 2nd 2008 4:22PM
I knew it! When they released the last set of nerfs, I said, "This is because they're about to announce some awesome new thing for us." An awesome new Mind Flay, the core of the Shadow Priest arsenal.
Now I just feel bad about all the bitching I did before that. I liked being a mana battery, but it would be nice to be kept around just for being powerful, rather than just a gimmick.
Keep those changes coming, Blizz!
YòuOTSS Sep 2nd 2008 4:25PM
This will be especially nice if they make our talent that increases the crit chance of MB and SW:D affect flay too...Maybe then I might spec into it...I'm very relieved, and hope this is, in fact, just the beginning of a lot of good changes. I'd love to hang around the top of DPS charts easier almost as much as I loved being the raid's energizer mana bunny.
Seamus Sep 2nd 2008 4:38PM
There's a leveling spec, a PvP spec and a raiding spec for each class. If you want to be a great raider, the price you have to pay is that you will struggle with quests. Protection warriors are a great example of this; holy priests as well. In my mind, this is only fair. You have to make hard choices.
Not so with Shadow priests: they got to have two out of the three in the Burning Crusade. I'm not angry at them per se. I just feel like every class needs to be forced to make that choice. You can't have it all. (Unless you're a warlock.)
Rav Sep 2nd 2008 5:03PM
From your PoV, Mages, Hunters, Rogues and Warlocks should be forced to spec one way, then raid on another spec and PvP in yet another spec regardless of how they wish to play their character.
I think every spec should be viable in every aspect of the "end-game". Yes, even prot warriors pvping.
Alex Ziebart Sep 2nd 2008 6:21PM
You mean how Warriors, Shaman, Druids, Hunters, and Paladins all spec one way to raid?
Fallacious statement is fallacious.
If a class doesn't have more than one raid-viable trees then that's a failing of the design team, and not a feature of the class. The classes with only one raid-viable talent tree are in the minority by a longshot.
Alkahn Sep 2nd 2008 6:43PM
My prot warrior w/ good DPS gear grinds non-elementals better than my T6-equiv geared shadow priest.
No I'm not kidding.
ginka Sep 2nd 2008 6:58PM
I reject the notion on its face that speccing for one activity should make you suffer in others. This is a game, and games are fun. Hard choices are for real life. If you haven't had to make any in your real life, good for you. When I boot up WoW, I leave my hard choices behind me.
kaura Sep 2nd 2008 5:53PM
As a leveling spriest, I feel quite happy about this change.
As an occasional tanker, I'm a little more ambivalent. Spriest aggro grabbing has been a problem for me in the past- less so than, say, huntards (FEIGN DEATH DAMMIT), but more so than any other DPSer.
eroch Sep 2nd 2008 6:28PM
I'm not sure that 'if' dot's start critting that the whole 'double whammy' from resilience towards dots will be a big issue. You do realize that dots will be critting more than a rogue and you don't even have to do anything to the person. It is still extra damage compared to before on top of all the new +dmg stuff in the locks aff tree. 20% more dmg at least on top of a 1.5 sec shadow bolt (haunt). Locks are OP right now (i would say, 'shhh dont tell'. but most people dont see it anyway) and I can't wait to start pwning everyone again. And if dot's start critting!??! I will delete all 20 of my other characters for my 1 lock, resilience (QQ more noob) or not.
gigantor1960 Sep 2nd 2008 6:31PM
As a long time Shadow Priest that has been raiding Holy due to the lack of Shadow scalability past Kara I rejoice. I may actually take my Shadow Priest out of mothballs and raid Shadow...at least to 80.
I also have a 70 lock that I planned to make my main and while it would be nice to have dots crit I am not going to complain too much as we are pretty powerful, especially compared to the current SPriest. OK I lied. Dots need to crit as well.
I only hope for more changes to make my Priest more raid viable as they have made some well know changes to our niche mana battery status.
Shadowisp Sep 2nd 2008 6:40PM
About bloody time we heard something.
Still disagree with the comment on the Shadow Tree, it needs a lot more work, and that Misery nerf is a crying shame.
kinger Sep 3rd 2008 1:00PM
A great change, and one I'm excited to try out. My only complaint (and yes, I have to have one) is that we still don't truly have a real form of threat drop. If Blizzard is going to give VT to survival hunters, retpallies, and frost mages, then the least they can do is give us (and ret pallies) a true aggrodump along the lines of Invisibility or Soulshatter.
Please?