JudgementofWisdomnowonlygrants1%ofmaximummanaandprocfrequencyhasbeencutby50%.Thisisprobablythemosthurtfulchangetotheclassacrosstheboardasitalsoaffectsourraidutility.Wasitoverpoweredinitsoldform?Idon'tknow,butitcertainlykeptourraidmanaafloatalthoughBlizzard'snumbersindicatethatitkeepsmanaafloatalittletoomuch.Paladinsnotonlycriedatthischange.Littlekittensdied,too.
Otherchangesincludedsomebugfixes,suchasBlessingofSanctuaryandGreaterBlessingofSanctuarynolongerbeingabletobeonthesametargetatthesametime.Crusadenolongerappliesitsdamagebonustwicetocriticalstrikes-hopefullythatchangegoessomewaytowardsreducingRetribution'scrazyburst.Rank1ofDivinePurposewillnowcorrectlydetermineitschanceofremovingstuns.SinceIhave2/2DivinePurpose-andlikelyeveryself-respectingPvPRetadin,aswell-weprobablynevernoticedtherewasaproblemwiththis.
č˝ForthosePaladinlovers(andevenloathers),Patch3.0.3bringsaboutsomeprettyinterestingchangestotheclass.Wegotalotmorechangesthanotherclasses,butthenagainwe'vebeengettingalotofattentionlately,haven'twe?
First,thebadnews.WeknewmostofthenerfssincetheyshowedupintheBetaawhileback.Well,mostofthosenerfsmadeitlivetoPatch3.0.3,solet'sgetthisoverwithquicklysowecanmoveontothegoodnews.Yes,there'sactuallygoodnewsforPaladinsthispatch.Sealsallgetnerfedtovaryingdegrees,thegeneralideabeingthattheynolongerdealasmuchdamageeitherasaSealorasaJudgement.Don'taskmeforthemath,youcancheckoutBoubouille'sdetailednotesonMMOChampionforthedetails.AllSealshavebeennerfed,period.Ouch.
Whilewe'reonthesubject,theannouncedRetributionnerfsarenowlive.HammerofWrathisbacktobeingcastableonlyagainsttargetsat20%healthorbelow.Onanimportantnote,EchoesofDoommadeitinstant-castandindependentofourswingtimers,makingitextremelyusefulforbothPvEandPvP.Itwasatadtoostrongbeingusableat35%,butIcan'tdenythatitwasfunwhileitlasted.
Repentancewashotfixedawhilebacktolastonly6secondsinPvP,whichisaprettyridiculouschangetobehonestconsideringit'snotaspammableabilityanditbreaksondamage.Buthey,whatever.ThenerftoJudgementsoftheWiseisnowalsoonthepatchnotes,andshouldreflectproperlyinthetooltips.ThisonlymeansthatRetributionPaladinswillrunoutofmanaatsomepoint,althoughbetweenJudgingWisdom,SpiritualAttunement,andmaybeapotionhereandthere,wereallyshouldbefine.SpeciallywhenDivinePleabecomesavailableatLevel71.Thisisn'tsuchapainfulchangeinPvEassomeplayersmakeitouttobe,butitwillbequiteglaringinPvP.Whichwasthepoint,Ithink.
Sometalentswerereworked,whichreallyqualifiesasgoodnewsforme,sowecanstartlookingmorepositivenow.TheArtofWarwasrebalancedtonolongerincreasecriticalstrikedamagebyupto20%.Instead,itincreasesalldamagedonebyJudgements,CrusaderStrike,andDivineStormbyupto10%.ThisisanexcellentchangebecauseitscalesbetterforallRetadinsregardlessofgear(i.e.,crit%)andprovidesbetterDPSthroughputandlessburst.Tofurtherreduceburst,RighteousVengeancewasreworkedtoapplyacrowdcontrol-friendlyDoTinsteadofdealingmorecriticalstrikedamage.
Onthethemeofgoodnews,BlessingofMightRank8wasincreasedto306from305.It'snotajoke,butit'sanimportantchange(whichreallycould'vebeenhotfixedalongwithrecentnerfs...)thatpreventsthecheaper,reagent-less,shorterdurationBattleShoutfromoverwritingthebuff.Takethat,Warriors!EyeforanEyewaschangedsothatitnolongerbreakscrowdcontroleffects.PerfectforthoseinstanceswhenyoucastRepentanceonthatMage-for6seconds,natch-rightbeforehisArcaneBarragecritsyoufor76,245,036.
Wecanskipovertooltipchanges.It'snotlikeweevernoticedthedifference,anyway...so,straightontoProtection,whereAvenger'sShield'sbouncedistancewasreducedto10yards,downfrom15.Mostmobspulledwiththisabilityareusuallywithin10yardsofeachother,anyway,andusingitwhilewe'retankingusuallymeansallthosemobsarepiledrightontopofus!Isupposethissavesusfromerrantpulls.InPvP...well,itmightbemorefuntouseGlyphofAvenger'sShield,isn'tit?
Thatwasneitherherenorthere,wasit?Ok,well,thesefewchangesareunquestionablebuffs.RighteousDefense'scooldownhasbeenreducedto8seconds,downfrom15.ThisisgoodconsideringallothertanksnowgotrangedandAoEtaunts,too.Westilldon'thaveasingletargettaunt,buthey,atleastwecantauntmore.Andok,nowyoucanpickupShieldoftheTemplar.Iputitdownbeforebecauseyoucouldonlyuseabout2/3ofthetalentconsideringwecan'tlearnShieldofRighteousnessyet,butnowthatitreducesalldamageby3%,too,it'snowallsortsofsexy.
Ifitwasn'tclearbeforethatBlizzardwantsustoJudgeevenwhilehealing,thebufftoEnlightenedJudgementstomatchtherangeofourhealingspellsshouldbethewritingonthewall.Aslongaswe'rewithinrangetohealthemeleeguys,we'reinrangetoslapbossesandmobsaroundwithaJudgementortwo.Doit.
Lastly,somemoregoodnews,speciallyforyoulazybumsoutthere...thequestsforthePaladinChargerswillnolongerberequiredtolearnthespellatLevel61aslongasyouhaveJourneymanRidingandtheWarhorsespelllearned.Consideringthatthecosttodothesequestsareprettynegligiblethesedays,anyself-respectingPaladinshoulddothequestsanyway,particularlytheincrediblyeasyBloodElfversion.
FinallywehaveHoly,whichgotthesweetstuffwementionedawhileback.Foronething,InfusionofLightnowthankfullyaffectsFlashofLight,too.Wecanactuallyhealwhilemoving!Andit'snotHolyShock!Gasp!JudgementsofthePurewasalsobuffedtogranta15%hasteincreaseforoneminute,whichactually,trulymakeitworthactivatingtheGCDtocastJudgementsnow.A.625secondcastRank11HolyLightafterJudging,anInfusionofLightproc,andLight'sGraceisprettydamnslick.Stacksomemorehaste,thatnumbergetsevenslicker.