Big nerfs for Balance Druids and Fire mages - Patch 9.1 Class changes and Moudi´s opinion

Balance Druids

  • New Moon (Talent)
    Has 20 sec recharge (was 25 sec).
  • Solstice (talent)
    Cause Shooting Stars to fall 200% more often (was 300%)

    Moudi´s comment
    This is the main tier 7 talent pick before 9.1. A passive ability which increases the proc chance of your Shooting Stars by 300%. 1/3 decreased proc change is a big chunk of a nerf.

  • Stellar Drift (talent)

    Starfall dmg increased by 25% and allows you to cast while moving while Starfall is active, but has 15 second cooldown.

    Moudi´s comment
    Stellar Drift was a strong AoE talent. Before 9.1 it increased the duration of Starfall by 2 sec and it´s dmg by 15% and that you can cast while moving when it is active. 
    This redesign is a HUGE nerf. Only 8 second Starfall with a 15 sec cooldown. The cooldown is the big killer here.
  • Runcarving Power: Oneth´s Clear Vision
    The free Starfall ignores the Stellar Drift (talent) Starfall cooldown.

    Moudi´s comment
    Well this will bring back some of the uptime on Starfall. But that makes you choose a legendary for this purpose.
  • Runcarving Power: Balance of All Things
    Now grants 24% increased critical strike chance (was 40%)
    Decreases by 3% ever 1 sec (was 8% every 1 sec)

    Moudi´s comment
    This is the default legendary players use before 9.1 and this nerf leads to a HUGE nerf to the crit chance, especially of the Night Fae ability Convoke the Spirits (Call upon the Night Fae for an eruption of energy, channeling a rapid flurry of 16 Druid spells and abilities over 4 sec. For Balance druid it is Starsurge and Starfall).     This could lead to legendary swapping and maybe even covenant changes. Interesting to see the outcome.

Fire Mage

  • Flamestrike
    Damage reduced by 10%.
  • Flame Patch (talent)
    Damage reduced by 10%.
  • Kindling (talent)
    Cooldown reduction for Combustion reduced to 1 sec (was 1.5 sec)
  • Conduit: Infernal Cascade
    Fire dmg bonus reduced by 20%

    Moudi´s comment
    Fire mages are the supreme spec in both raid and mythic plus. Mainly for the massive uncapped AoE dmg.
    This is a HUGE nerf to the dmg output, but in my opinion, they should have uncapped other classes and spec abilities OR capped fire AoE dmg instead. Since fire mages will still have uncapped AoE dmg, they will most likely still be the option for mythic plus dungeons. Big pulls with fire mages will still do really good.
    But like I said, this is still a HUGE nerf and opens up the door for the other 2 specs. We will see in the future how this will look with more data.

Priest

Discipline Priest

Spirit Shell (Talent)
Cooldown increased to 90 seconds (was 60 seconds)

Moudi´s comment
The cooldown is increased by 50% and seems like a nerf.
However, it all comes down to the package of all the other abilities. If the cooldown lies perfect with other ability cooldowns it is totally fine. But if the cooldown lies in between other power abilities then we might see a change in talent choice.

Holy Priest

Symbol of Hope
Redesigned
Bolster the morale of party or raid members within 40 yards. They each recover 60 seconds of cooldown on a major defensive ability, and they regain 12% of their missing mana over 5 seconds.

Moudi´s comment
Before 9.1, this ability was a healing boost helper. All healers in the party/raid, restoring 2% of their missing mana immediately and ever 1 sec for 5 sec.
The redesign will instead boost the entire raid/party instead with defense ability CD reduction AND mana regain for all players using mana. An amazing and great boost for Holy priests.  

Shadow Priest

Dissonant Echoes (Conduit)
Now grants 20% increased Void Bolt damage (was 35%).

Moudi´s comment
No special comment.

Rogue

Cloaked in Shadows (Conduit)
The shield is now 50% larger, lasts for 4 seconds (previously had no duration) and no longer decays while the Rogue is out of stealth.

Moudi´s comment
I don´t PvP in Shadowlands.

Warlock

Dark Pact’s (Talent)
Additional absorb shield has been increased by 216%.

Moudi´s comment
Wow, that’s a huge chunk of absorb increase. Always good when defensive abilities are boosted.

Affliction Warlock

Malefic Rapture
Damage reduced by 18%.

Agony
Damage increased by 20%.

Shadow Embrace
Now lasts 16 seconds (was 12 seconds) and can now only be applied to 1 target at a time.

Focused Malignancy (Conduit)
Effectiveness reduced by 53%.

Sacrolash’s Dark Strike (Runecarving Power)
Redesigned
Corruption damage is increased by 25% (was 15%), and each time Corruption deals damage, it extends the duration of all your Curses active on the target by 2 seconds (was Corrupted targets movement speed slowed by 50%).

Moudi´s comment
A significant nerf for Affliction which seems to be due to Blizzard want warlocks to play other specs.
The redesign of the legendary power is PvP. I don’t PvP in Shadowlands.

Destruction Warlock

Chaos Bolt
Dmg increased by 10%.

Moudi´s comment
A boost but is this enough to bring destro back to the table?

 

14 Apr 2021