Patch 4.0.6 PTR: Positive changes for warlocks
by Josh Myers 
Jan 11th 2011 at 3:00PM
After the first round of patch 4.0.6 patch notes went up last week, warlocks were left feeling disheartened. While a slight utility buff was given in allowing Shadow and Flame to proc the 5% spell crit debuff through Incinerate casts, the majority of announced changes were nerfs. Zarhym, Blizzard community manager and everyone's favorite floating skull, took a journey to the warlock forums last night to announce a few changes to the posted patch notes. Please note that none of the changes he's mentioned are actually on the PTR for testing yet.
Good thread. While you're compiling feedback about the 4.0.6 warlock changes posted thus far, I want to make mention that the Glyph of Soul Swap change is being reverted for now. We don't feel that particular change is necessary as of yet, but will continue to evaluate Soul Swap's performance.
This change is a reversion of a previous nerf to Glyph of Soul Swap. Glyphed Soul Swap will now be working the same on the PTR as it is on live realms.
Also, another change not yet listed in the notes is to the default range of Curse of Exhaustion. With the movement speed reduction at 30% in 4.0.6, down from 50%, the range is being increased to 40 yards, up from 30.
The Curse of Exhaustion nerf was a heavy one, and this change is intended to ease the pain a small bit. It's still not as powerful as the live version, though. That is the point of nerfs, after all!
A number of crowd control effect durations are being reduced in PvP for patch 4.0.6. Those changes are not yet notated. The Unstable Affliction change relates to these changes and just happened to be listed first.
In general, dispelling warlock DoTs is a little more punishing than we intended in the current PvP model. That said, there are yet still more changes not listed which are worth mentioning here:
1. The reduction on the Unstable Affliction silence effect is 4 seconds, up from 3 as currently listed.
2. We do think it's a little too easy to counter warlocks (and Shadow priests) with a Resto shaman's Cleansing Waters talent (as was pointed out earlier in this thread), which is being nerfed in 4.0.6 as well.
In general, dispelling warlock DoTs is a little more punishing than we intended in the current PvP model. That said, there are yet still more changes not listed which are worth mentioning here:
1. The reduction on the Unstable Affliction silence effect is 4 seconds, up from 3 as currently listed.
2. We do think it's a little too easy to counter warlocks (and Shadow priests) with a Resto shaman's Cleansing Waters talent (as was pointed out earlier in this thread), which is being nerfed in 4.0.6 as well.
Unstable Affliction is being changed to a happy medium between the live version of the spell (5-second silence) and the initial PTR version (3-second silence) -- still a nerf from live, but a less harsh one. Additionally, the restoration shaman talent Cleansing Waters will no longer be proccing twice from dispelling a magic effect and a curse effect off the recipient. Restoration shaman are one of warlocks' main counters right now, so this is a positive change for warlocks.
The PvE warlock 4-piece set bonus (Fel Spark) now increases the damage done by the next 2 Fel Flame spells by 300%, rather than increasing the critical effect chance of one by 100%.
The PvP warlock 4-piece set bonus has been redesigned. It now reduces the cooldown of Death Coil by 30 seconds.
The PvP warlock 4-piece set bonus has been redesigned. It now reduces the cooldown of Death Coil by 30 seconds.
The last two announced changes to the class were changes to set bonuses. As most warlocks know, Fel Flame rarely has a use in PvE. Hopefully, this change will provide the boost needed to have Fel Flame be a DPS boost. The current PvP four-piece bonus is a 5% cast time reduction buff to the primary nukes Shadow Bolt and Incinerate, while the PTR version provides a really positive change to one of the most useful survival cooldowns. For affliction warlocks who already favor Drain Life as a castable filler, this change is awesome. For destruction and demonology, I'm less certain.
Finally, there's an interesting change to Tremor Totem that any warlock who is well acquainted with their Fear button should be aware of. Check out Joe Perez's coverage of upcoming shaman changes for more information!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Furlover Jan 11th 2011 3:06PM
4set PvE bonus is still awful. Fel Flame.... qq :S
Maccabeus Jan 11th 2011 3:20PM
No mention of the nasty haste nerf in the form of re-working ISF?
gboyd Jan 11th 2011 3:40PM
I've heard people talk about the ISF nerf, but I can't seem to find what it actually is. Anyone care to spill the details?
Maccabeus Jan 11th 2011 3:52PM
# Improved Soul Fire is now a Tier 3 talent, up from Tier 2. No longer increases your spell haste and now increases your Fire and Shadow damage done by 4/8% for 15 sec after you deal damage with Soul Fire. This effect has a 6 sec cooldown.
EaterOfBirds Jan 12th 2011 1:16PM
a nerf it may be, but it isnt for the purpose of nerfing, i imagine the trees will be tweaked to make up for the loss if its too much. ISF was a bit of a pain in the ass even as destro, and affli having to take it was downright farcical.
Maccabeus Jan 12th 2011 2:38PM
I suppose so. I guess I shall reserve final judgment for when the hard numbers come out. I'm of the opinion, though, that the faster I can cast the better, especially on the movement heavy fights that Cata seems loaded with.
Zoots Jan 11th 2011 3:27PM
Improved Soul Fire now increases Fire and Shadow damage done by 4/8%, rather than 7/15% spell haste. In addition, this talent has been moved to tier-3 Destruction, switching places with Aftermath.
Source: http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/1827663058?page=7#140
This is a 15% haste lost to Demo and Afflic with no compensation, and Destro 15% Haste > DPS than 8% Fire Shadow. As much as I hate ISF and how clunky it is, this was a big nerf, hardly postive. Lost of Warlocks are pretty miffed right now.
SINisterWyvern Jan 11th 2011 6:37PM
I'm not using isf and pull great numbers as it is. I was looking forward to this change so I wasn't forced into the spec. I've already pulled 15k on some heroic bosses. I have no need of this silly fire spell in my shadow dots.
Spellotape Jan 12th 2011 7:22AM
@SINisterWyvern
People who play well can still pull good numbers without ISF now, but people who play well and *do* cast it perform a lot better.
Maccabeus Jan 11th 2011 3:29PM
Its basically a reworked version of [url=http://db.mmo-champion.com/s/18096/pyroclasm/]Pyroclasm[/url] , except its much more random.
Four Jan 11th 2011 3:31PM
I think I saw something about the 4 piece bonud being something like a smaller cd on deathcoil. (30s?)
Four
Four Jan 11th 2011 3:33PM
Ugh *bonus* and pvp set...
4
sephirah Jan 11th 2011 3:33PM
After the Fel Armor nerf in the current build, the title of this article should be changed into huger negative change for warlocks... :(
Micheal Jan 11th 2011 8:00PM
"How Blizzard is slowly turning Warlocks into mages" is what it should read.
step 1: give them something just like focus magic, but to be special and unique, make it haste!
step 2: make them gain mana through their main self buff instead of health regen. That'll show them, stupid warlocks.
step 3 (future): change their talents around to increase maximum mana, mana regen, etc. Justify this by saying "we're just looking to buff your Fel Armor".
step 4: Warlocks get castrated.
e-girl Jan 12th 2011 5:51AM
^^^^^You missed the part:
Give mages the evil looking gear that Warlocks should be wearing, and make the warlock tier gear to gay by comparison.
Zoots Jan 11th 2011 3:33PM
From MMO Champion
Fel Armor no longer regenerates the caster's life and increases his/her maximum mana by 10% instead.
Seriously... what the heck? Talk about a kneecap to our survivability.
Zenga Jan 11th 2011 3:36PM
You cant just focus on the positive and ignore the negative, losing the health regen of fel armor is a big neerf, +10% max mana instead is close to useless in both pve and pvp. Its a filler because they lacked a better idea to replace the regen.
Even if they neerfed regen by 75% it would be better than this. Hope they realise this before it hits live.
ian Jan 11th 2011 3:39PM
3 WEEKS without a warlock column, it's about Gul'dan Time!!!
Xayíde Jan 12th 2011 11:22AM
And you're satisfied with this?
I'm sorry to be grumpy but not only are pretty big changes missing from this article (ISF redesign, Fel armor change, ...) but also most of its conclusions can be drawn by simply reading the patch notes...
ian Jan 12th 2011 12:48PM
NO I'm not satisfied with this. I'm going to put on my tinfoil hat here and say Blizzard is slowing getting rid of the warlock class. I think Wow Insider is doing the same thing.