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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsPatch 4.3: Tier 13 set bonuses revealed
by Matthew Rossi 
Sep 24th 2011 at 9:30PM
We've seen a lot of previews for the upcoming tier 13 armor sets that will come with Patch 4.3, but until now, we have had no concrete information on what the set bonuses will be. Well, thanks to Zarhym, now we do. While keeping in mind that the PTR hasn't even dropped yet (soon, according to the blues) we can take a look at the set bonuses and contemplate.
The set bonuses in some cases seem linked to the armor design (the mage one has a "Steal Time" mechanic that synchronizes with the name of the set), while others seem less flavor and more functional.
The set bonuses in some cases seem linked to the armor design (the mage one has a "Steal Time" mechanic that synchronizes with the name of the set), while others seem less flavor and more functional.
For starters, as a DPS warrior, I'm astonishingly underwhelmed by these set bonuses. The protection ones are awesome -- jaw-droppingly good. Revenge giving a damage shield? If there's no internal cooldown on this ability, it will make Revenge one of the best abilities in tanking. The raid Shield Wall four-piece seems shared with similar abilities across all tanking classes, and it makes me wonder just how much AOE damage we're going to be looking at in the Deathwing fight. But the DPS bonuses make me sad. Inner Rage? Reducing HS rage? That's terrible. And the four-piece seems ridiculously weak. Do we really want a set bonus that will only add damage for warriors in Execute range?
Here's the complete list of set bonuses so you can check them out for yourself. The mage ones in particular look interesting and thematic. I like the ret bonuses a lot and find the hunter set bonuses might be clues to the set's look.
Zarhym - Patch 4.3: Tier 13 set bonuses
While we've been previewing the visuals of tier 13 on the front page at http://www.worldofwarcraft.com, we thought you might be interested in the magics that lay imbued betwixt their stitches and plating. Behold -- the tier 13 set bonuses!
Please keep in mind that the below data is pre-PTR and could change prior to the release of patch 4.3.
Death Knight
Druid
Hunter
Mage
Paladin
Priest
Rogue
Shaman
Warlock
Warrior
Please keep in mind that the below data is pre-PTR and could change prior to the release of patch 4.3.
Death Knight
- Blood, 2P -- When an attack drops your health below 35%, one of your Blood Runes will immediately activate and convert into a Death Rune for the next 20 sec. This effect cannot occur more than once every 45 sec.
- Blood, 4P -- Your Vampiric Blood ability also affects all party and raid members for 50% of the effect it has on you.
- DPS, 2P -- Sudden Doom has a 30% chance and Rime has a 60% chance to grant 2 charges when triggered instead of 1.
- DPS, 4P -- Runic Empowerment has a 25% chance and Runic Corruption has a 40% chance to also grant 710 mastery rating for 12 sec when activated.
Druid
- Balance, 2P -- Insect Swarm increases all damage done by your Starfire, Starsurge, and Wrath spells against that target by 3%.
- Balance, 4P -- Starsurge generates 100% extra Lunar or Solar energy while Eclipse is not active.
- Feral, 2P -- While Berserk is active, Savage Defense absorbs are 100% larger, and your Blood in the Water talent now causes Ferocious Bite to refresh the duration of your Rip on targets with 60% or less health.
- Feral, 4P -- Frenzied Regeneration also affects all raid and party members, and your Stampede talent now grants two charges after using Feral Charge (Cat).
- Restoration, 2P -- After using Innervate, the mana cost of your healing spells is reduced by 25% for 15 sec.
- Restoration, 4P -- Your Rejuvenation and Regrowth spells have a 10% chance to Timeslip and have double the normal duration.
Hunter
- 2P -- Steady Shot and Cobra Shot generate double the amount of focus.
- 4P -- Your Arcane Shot ability has a chance to grant 25% haste to you and your pet for 10 sec.
Mage
- 2P -- Your damaging spells have a 30% chance to grant Stolen Time, increasing your haste rating by 50 for 30 sec and stacking up to 10 times. When Arcane Power, Combustion, or Icy Veins expires, all stacks of Stolen Time are lost.
- 4P -- Each stack of Stolen Time also reduces the cooldown of Arcane Power by 3 sec, Combustion by 4 sec, and Icy Veins by 6 sec.
Paladin
- Holy, 2P -- After using Divine Favor, the mana cost of your healing spells is reduced by 25% for 15 sec.
- Holy, 4P -- Increases the healing done by your Holy Radiance spell by 20%.
- Protection, 2P -- Your Judgement ability now also grants a physical absorb shield equal to 30% of the damage it dealt.
- Protection, 4P -- Reduces the cooldown of Divine Guardian by 60 sec and increases the radius of its effect by 70 yards.
- Retribution, 2P -- Your Judgement ability has a 50% chance to generate 1 Holy Power.
- Retribution, 4P -- While Zealotry is active your abilities deal 12% more damage.
Priest
- Healer, 2P -- After using Power Infusion or Lightwell, the mana cost of your healing spells is reduced by 25% for [10|15] sec. (10 sec for Discipline, 15 for non-Discipline.)
- Healer, 4P -- Your Power Word: Shield has a 10% chance to absorb 100% additional damage, and the cooldown of your Holy Word abilities is reduced by 20%.
- Shadow, 2P -- Shadow Word: Death deals an additional 55% damage, and you no longer take damage from your own Shadow Word: Death when the target fails to die.
- Shadow, 4P -- Your Shadowfiend and Shadowy Apparitions have a 100% chance to grant you 3 Shadow Orbs each time they deal damage.
Rogue
- 2P -- After triggering Tricks of the Trade, your abilities cost 20% less energy for 6 sec.
- 4P -- Increases the duration of Shadow Dance by 2 sec, Adrenaline Rush by 3 sec, and Vendetta by 9 sec.
Shaman
- Elemental, 2P -- Elemental Mastery also grants you 400 mastery rating 15 sec.
- Elemental, 4P -- Each time Elemental Overload triggers, you gain 200 haste rating for 4 sec, stacking up to 3 times.
- Enhancement, 2P -- While you have any stacks of Maelstrom Weapon, your Lightning Bolt, Chain Lightning, and healing spells deal 20% more healing or damage.
- Enhancement, 4P -- Your Feral Spirits have a 45% chance to grant you a charge of Maelstrom Weapon each time they deal damage.
- Restoration, 2P -- After using Mana Tide Totem, the cost of your healing spells are reduced by 25% for 15 sec.
- Restoration, 4P -- Increases the duration of Spiritwalker's Grace by 5 sec, and you gain 30% haste while Spiritwalker's grace is active.
Warlock
- 2P -- The duration of your Doomguard and Infernal summons is increased by [15|45] sec and the cooldown of of those spells is reduced by 4 min. (45 for Demonology, 15 for non-Demonology.)
- 4P -- Soulburn grants a 10% increase to your spell power for 10 sec.
Warrior
- Protection, 2P -- Your Revenge ability now also grants a physical absorption shield equal to 20% of the damage done by Revenge.
- Protection, 4P -- Your Shield Wall ability now grants 50% of its effect to all party and raid members.
- DPS, 2P -- Heroic Strike costs 10 less rage while Inner Rage is active.
- DPS, 4P -- Your Execute critical strikes have a 20% chance to refresh the duration of Colossus Smash.
Brace yourselves for what could be some of most exciting updates to the game recently with patch 4.3. Look at what's ahead: new item storage options, cross-realm raiding, cosmetic armor skinning and your chance to battle the mighty Deathwing -- from astride his back! 
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 8)
paulmewis Sep 24th 2011 10:09PM
Hunter 2pc - arcane shots everywhere...
tibbelkrunk Sep 25th 2011 12:50AM
Hunter 4pc - Improved Steady Shot is screwed
tibbelkrunk Sep 25th 2011 12:51AM
Woops, I mean 2pc
mike Sep 25th 2011 1:44AM
Improved SS isn't screwed! We only use 2 SS for the haste buff. It's making it better, if anything! It makes things interesting for MM though, needing to dump more focus
SR Sep 25th 2011 6:33AM
It just means that we'll be using AS as our focus dump (again) and hardcasting the super-fast Aimed Shots when the T4 piece procs. Right now, the nature of our T12 4-piece pretty much makes AS as a focus dump obsolete, because there's still a noticeable lag for me to trigger the bonus and actually spending focus. (In other words, even if I want to switch to hardcasting AIS right after the proc in an AS focus dump rotation, it still gets consumed by the previous Arcane Shot, diminishing the value of the tier bonus by quite a bit)
Since the T13 bonus is a flat haste buff, however, it's much easier to consciously switch to an Aimed Shot focus dump, compared to our current T12 bonus.
Not to mention, we'll be making so much focus, it's not going to be funny. Since MM has the fastest SS cast time of all the specs, we'll be... enjoying the synergy that comes with increased Focus dump and the buff that comes with it.
llcjay2003 Sep 25th 2011 2:53PM
I like this buff for SS. It allows using AS to put up HM (MFD) easily when switching targets without having to waste a GCD on it.
Matheus314 Sep 29th 2011 8:34AM
I see the 2 piece bonus as a gift for the focus starved SV hunters, and the 4 piece as an awesome DPS increase for the low haste BM hunters.
nymrohd Sep 24th 2011 10:10PM
Some are underwhelming while a few are clearly OP>
Lock 2p for Demo, Spriest 4p, Blood 4p, Resto 2p and possible Hunter 2p
I really have no idea how the MM rotation will work under that, improved steady forces double steady casts but the extra focus plus the 4p will probably remove hard casted aimed shot from top rotation outside the first 10% in favor of multiple arcane shots to dump all the extra focus; only the procs will give even more focus. I wouldn't find it weird if we just go for 4SS,4AS,1CS as a base cycle
Zaet Sep 24th 2011 10:19PM
As a SP i always have a steady supply of shadow orbs. however SP 4 p is not op, as MB has a CD and u can jsut shoot MS as it will ruin ur dots on the target, this is kind of suck as a los of shadow orbs will be wasted.
rhorle Sep 24th 2011 10:50PM
The lock 4 piece is also OP for affliction. Soulburn: Seed of Corruption regens a soul shard if it explodes. That means affliction gets +10% every 45 seconds while the other two specs only get 3 +10% per fight.
Luotian Sep 24th 2011 11:24PM
I'm sort of wary of the 4p hunter one. I play MM and LOVE my current rotation. I will be less than pleased if I have to change it from a stupid armor tier set. Mind you, that would involve me actually HAVING the armor. Which, you know, hasn't happened yet.
Natsumi Sep 25th 2011 12:08AM
@rhorle
Unless there are adds in the fight, then it's every 45 seconds for them too as Drain Soul restores 3 shards when its target dies.
Boobah Sep 25th 2011 12:17AM
@Zaet
But while your Shadowfiend is out, is it likely more damage to spam Mind Spikes in between Mind Blasts, since A) Mind Spike buffs Blast and B) also gets buffed by the orbs? Yeah, it'd mean giving up on your dots for the duration of the Shadowfiend, but three-orb Spikes hit pretty hard, too.
Shuckles Sep 25th 2011 1:06AM
I wouldn't consider Resto Shaman 2piece any more OP than any of the other two piece healer bonuses. They're all around 3m CDs. The only difference is, is that the Druid and Shaman 2piece bonuses revolve around their respective mana returning abilities, but all four involve decreasing mana costs of spells.
Ice Sep 25th 2011 11:19AM
Warlock 2p wont be *that* great on actual raiding. On paper it looks awesome, sure.. It should be that way in the game already tho.
-4 minute cooldown means the CD will be 6 minutes. Currently in firelands even pre-nerf almost no fight lasts more than 6 minutes, specially after nerfs they dont. Ragnaros maybe does but thats about it. So double doomguard is out of the window, maybe it was intended tho.
On progression fights specially this wont be that helpful on the CD reduction. When progressing you might wipe on 1 minute, 2 minutes or 3 minute on the fight.. that means it will pretty much be the same as its now.. "every 4th fight maybe I can use it" but with 2pt few more times added to that.
As for the 4pt, thats not fun or intresting. I know they want to make us use the spell because its on our "most un-used" list but this isnt really the way. Speccing affli and using seed of corruption soulburn singletarget to get refund on shard doesnt even make sense. At least its controlled bonus not random tho, thats bonus. 10 seconds feels short however.
Bellajtok Sep 24th 2011 10:11PM
I am satisfied with the Druid sets. Balance looks good and encourages us to use insect swarm more often, though we really didn't need it. Resto looks a bit odd- I'm not sure how I feel about the Innervate one, since that is on a 3 minute cooldown- it's use is obviously for mana-tight situations though. And the 4pc just obviously requires a HoT timer visible. It'd be nice if I could get that without an addon, but whatev.
What worries me is that as I look at these, a lot of them seem more like a trinket effect. But again, this is subject to change, they're still pretty good, yadda yadda.
Bellajtok Sep 25th 2011 1:51AM
Huh. Looking over the PTR announcement, I realize one of the items to be debuting is "UI improvements." Could we be getting useful built-in HoT timers? I would be so very happy.
Scorfula Sep 25th 2011 2:34PM
I haven't been in a mana tight situation since I got out of leveling greens and into dungeon blues, in raid gear I'm laughing. I think most mana problems stem from not knowing a fight, there's a lot of panic healing involved when the fight is seemingly unpredictable and unfamiliar.
Resto druids have crazy good mana regen, even at the start of the current tier I never really struggled what with Revitalize, Replenishment and Innervate, not to mention our Shaman's Mana Tide and priest's Hymn of Hope. Do we really need more mana conservation?
The 4pc I like, but I think it's likely to just translate into more overhealing. Even though raid damage is more predicatble and less spikey now that in previous expansions a lot of my HoT healing is still overheal. On a fight like Ragnaros I routinely hit 30-40% overheal already.
I don't think they're awful bonuses. I'm just not excited about them.
BigFire Sep 24th 2011 10:13PM
Shadow Priest 2 & 4 piece appears to be over powering.
Gendou Sep 24th 2011 10:22PM
I thought the same thing, but two thoughts occur to me:
First thought: the biggest complaint by Shadow Priests has been the random nature of Shadow Orb procs. 4pc gives us some measure of control over when we get Shadow Orbs, which is a big change from the current system.
Second, and more important thought: If Shadow Word: Pain no longer damages us, does that mean that it also will no longer return mana to us? If so, the 2pc T13 could actually be a rather dangerous downgrade on longer fights.