Talents, version 5.1

Well, Bliz released another update to the talent calculator (finally), so it's time for another warlock analysis. No real changes to the base class abilities, but a lot of changes to Spec abilities and some talent changes.


Starting off with the talent changes:

Dark Regeneration is much improved, it's now an instant 50% heal with a 20 second 25% bonus to healing. Harvest Life got an upgrade, as it now replaces Drain Life and heals 4% health per tic instead of 2%.

Howl of Terror now has its duration reduced by 1 second for each damaging attack you take.

Sacrificial Pact is now a X HP shield, and Dark Bargain is damage immunity (that then does 50% of damage absorbed over 20 seconds), instead of the opposite.

Blood Fear is now its own fear, instead of modifying Fear, but otherwise unchanged. Burning Rush is now a 50% move speed boost at the cost of 5% health per second, lasts until canceled, that should be fun. Spell Drain is gone, replaced by Unbound Will, which is a PvP trinket on a 20 second cooldown, that costs 25% health. I'm sure I won't be seeing that one next build.

Illidan's Guile is gone, replaced by Mannoroth's Fury, which increases non-talent AoE radius by 200%.


Spec changes are interesting, but first a couple important class changes that I overlooked:

Soul Fire is now auto-crit, and damage is increased by crit strike chance. Demonic Tactics is a level 1 passive that "causes your imp, succubus, and voidwalker to behave more intelligently," whatever that means. Dark Soul is the sequel to Demon Soul (I love you blizzard), and is the spec-specific Demon Soul we had all been hoping for. Exact mechanics are being "experimented" with, but comes in Haste, Crit, and Mastery versions with a weak passive boost and strong active boost that negates the passive.


Now the spec changes, clearly Destruction was this build's favorite.

Affliction: No changes?

Demonology: Bane of Doom does not specify a damage period, possibly getting rid of the silly 15 second wait. More bonuses to Metamorph, such as shadow bolt becoming demonic slash, an instant attack.

Destruction: Auto Wand? What the hell is this? World's strangest passive aside, Destro has another new passive, Chaotic Energy, mana regenerates substantially faster, soul fire and fel flame cost more mana but deal 12% more damage. Ember Tap consumes burning embers to heal HP, because Burning Embers now inflict damage over time to the warlock. Aftermath now makes Rain of Fire an instant cast instead of channel, and stuns targets struck twice. Fire and Brimstone, if it's off the global cooldown, puts Destruction ahead of Demonology in AoE ability. "Your next Immolate, Incinerate, Conflagarate, or Curse will hit all targets in 15 yards and deal 44% normal damage." Destructive Influence causes demon attacks to reduce Soul Fire cast time per hit, instead of a chance to instant cast, which is much appreciated.


Destruction looks like a ton of fun, I might try leveling with it to see if I can learn how to play it on the way to 90, get myself a functional offspec instead of "lol i press button and AoE low dungeons to death."