PTR updated to build 9464
by Eliah Hecht 
Jan 15th 2009 at 5:00PM
A new build, number 9464, went up on the PTR last night for the perpetually predicted, not quite here yet patch 3.0.8. The changes aren't huge; for the few list, you can check out MMO Champion. But there are a few that interest me.
Scrapbot repairs equipment, as we discussed previously.
Vampiric Blood, which got a huge buff in early 3.0.8 builds, has been taken down a little bit, although still better than it is now. In the latest build, it temporarily gives the DK 15% of his maximum health, and increases the amount of health generated through spells and effects by 35%, for 20 sec. Previously in 3.0.8, it was 20% max health and 50% increased healing. In live, it's just 50% increased healing.
I'd like to see more Blood tanks; Frost and Unholy remain dominant in that field. Vampiric Blood is the parallel talent to Unbreakable Armor in Frost and Bone Shield in Unholy (which is getting cut to 20% in 3.0.8). The earlier 3.0.8 version was maybe a bit stronger than those two. This new one sounds a bit weaker, but it merits further examination and testing.
Ambush now grants 2 combo points instead of one. Will this make it more worthwhile for dagger rogues soloing? Even when I was Mutilate-specced, I typically opened with Cheap Shot, although I haven't played Mut since the positional requirement was removed, so that may not be the case any more. This change may be more for Shadow Dance purposes than anything else.
So as you can see, the patch keeps on developing. Here's hoping it hits soon, so I can finally open clams while mounted; that's something I've been really wanting for a long time.
Filed under: Rogue, Patches, Death Knight
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Teresa Jan 15th 2009 5:15PM
I dont bother with stealth while soloing on my rogue. Much more faster an fun to run in a group of mobs, screaming and mashing sinister strike.
Kakistocracy Jan 15th 2009 5:17PM
Ah, but now that you can open clams while stealthy, there really is no reason not to be.
Lemons Jan 15th 2009 6:20PM
That kind of playstyle is exactly why I'm never going to spec combat...ever.
M Jan 16th 2009 7:55AM
Yeah Lemons.. because that's the only class and spec you can do that with. *sigh*
You can be a melee hunter, a melee caster, a rogue who doesn't use stealth, etc., etc., etc. There are dozens of ways to play your character either incorrectly or in a way that is not optimal.
Treason of Farstriders Jan 15th 2009 5:21PM
I'm MTing naxx as a blood tank...(full clearing, weekly) and I've only seen sucessful blood tanks...dunno what everyone is talking about the dominance of frost/unholy.
I'd honestly prefer they leave the VB talents as in rather then nerf it into its current form as seen on the ptr. It is the core of Blood Knight tanking and is not a panic button, but a button you push whenever the cooldown is up and you're injured (pref with a macro to make it more obvious to the healers "now is time to heal")
Robert M Jan 15th 2009 5:37PM
@Riz, I'll sign the petition to save the huntards when you stop acting likes it's some great accomplishment to be the first person to comment.
Now about the post. I really hope they get blood right, I really like the tree though I'm not a fan the 51 point talent. I'd like to be able to try tanking with it, but just haven't given it a go and am hoping hte patch hits soon for that reason. The only thing that seems weird to me about the 3 equivalents (if we can agree to call them that is the double duty that unbreakable armor does by increasing str, and therefore increasing parry by more than the 5%. Does it seem a little imbalanced compared to the other 2?
Blood could be the ultimate utility tank if Blizz does get it right. With blood aura, hysteria, abominations might, and mark of blood. A tanking blood DK is going to bring some sick scaling utility since all of those buffs function off percentages.
Treason of Farstriders Jan 15th 2009 5:29PM
Blood already has this.
I'm just afraid there going to f-up a core part of the tanking talents by changing vampiric blood from something you push all the time to make healing you easy, to another f-ing panic button.
Robert M Jan 15th 2009 5:40PM
You're right about the mini last stand part of vampiric blood. It's fine as it is. The best case scenario is that you let your healers know when you are about to lose the buff in your health and they drop a well timed heal that doesn't benefit from the healing buff since they are trying to give you back the health you lost from the buff. There seems to be a misstep in the mechanic that punishes you/your healer when the effect is over, unless I'm missing something
Cyanea Jan 15th 2009 5:27PM
"Ambush now grants 2 combo points instead of one."
...I had to blink a couple of times and rub my eyes.
:D
Worcester Jan 15th 2009 5:35PM
Mine already grants 2 combo points most of the time, thanks to talents. This will be a nice benefit, though.
I'm actually finding it harder to spend combo points these days. I've actually started using Evis again to use up the 3 or sometimes 4 points I have at the end of a fight.
Lemons Jan 15th 2009 6:18PM
SHWEET! This change has been needed forever! thank you GC!
so 2 cp, 3 cp with hat and 4 cp with initiative? That is awesome. I hope the change makes it to live realms!
Doxa Jan 15th 2009 5:30PM
Oh good. More buffs for DKs. Nevermind the fact that they are more aptly positioned already to tank the three hardest raid bosses.
Blizzard has been more than generous to DKs up until this point.
zewr Jan 15th 2009 5:38PM
The "buff" to VB is a nerf.
On live it is already better than what it is going to be with the patch.
Kassel Jan 15th 2009 6:27PM
Awesome.
As a muti/combat/imp. Ambush hybrid (for grinding) I tend to run towards something, stealth, ambush then mutilate once (or twice) before eviscerating it. Getting more combo points out of this means I may well only need cheap shot for emergencies and PvP.
Ty Jan 15th 2009 5:57PM
omg he said first! who cares? Its funny how one word pisses people off so much, especially when the word is "first"
QQ more
Tilt Jan 15th 2009 6:18PM
You're neglecting to mention, unless it's been changed again, that Lethality (at 5/5 it's +%30 crit damage to combo moves) will no longer include Ambush.
From MMO-Champ: Lethality now only increase the damage of of all combo moves that do not require stealth.
So Ambush is getting a 30% damage nerf, essentially. This is a PvP nerf that affects PvE quite a bit. Instead of Cold Blooding a 9k Ambush it'll be like why even bother lol.
Cyanea Jan 16th 2009 12:21AM
How...really?
I'm honestly curious. I'm Sub. Never went Assasination.
But looking at the amount of damage I can do with an opening Ambush crit, why would I ever want to open with Ambush? Unless of course I want a big bunch of dead Rogue cause the tank can't pull anything off me.
zappo Jan 16th 2009 9:47AM
Cyanea - Rogues have tricks of the trade now...
Remen Jan 15th 2009 6:22PM
Wow Ezmode,
You are a serious dick. Uncalled for. I'm tired of the first thing too but seriously you went way over board. The first thing isn't going any where and insulting Riz for using it to that degree is incredibly childish. This forum isn't barrens chat.
Carda Jan 15th 2009 6:41PM
While I'm still working on getting my defense capped, I am Blood spec and plan to stay that way once I can start seriously tanking heroics and raids. Like many Death Knights, I'm seriously irked at all the people who assume that Frost is the only tanking spec you can have.
I have noticed that in one of the blue posts on MMO-Champion Blizz has said that there's a 5-second cooldown on Howling Blast again. Not sure if it's in this PTR patch, but apparently even with the other nerfs a zero-cooldown Howling Blast was still putting out huge damage comparatively.