Upcoming Updates for Mages and Hunters in World of Warcraft Classic

Season of Discovery has allowed developers to revamp World of Warcraft Classic, with the latest update bringing significant buffs to Mages and Hunters, and to a lesser extent, Paladins, Warlocks, and Warriors. While retail had success with Dragonflight, Classic players have embraced both Hardcore Mode and Season of Discovery as new additions to the game.

Hardcore Mode stays true to the original "Vanilla" experience, while Season of Discovery offers a fresh way to explore Classic content. The first phase of Season of Discovery was launched on November 30, 2023, followed by the second phase on February 8, 2024.

The second phase of testing early runes for World of Warcraft classes in Season of Discovery has solidified each specialization's role and ranking. The patch notes for the upcoming update were shared on the official World of Warcraft forums. Set to release on March 5, 2024, the update aims to enhance classes that have lagged behind in the second phase. Mages will receive significant buffs to both damage and healing builds, while Hunters can expect improvements in Chimera Shot, Explosive Shot, and Carve damage.

a raid team fighting ragnaros in molten core with the wow classic sod logo on it - Certain Warriors in World of Warcraft Classic can also rejoice, as Devastate will once again become a viable playstyle, with its baseline now being 150% Weapon Damage, as opposed to 100%

Certain Warriors in World of Warcraft Classic can now rejoice, as Devastate will once again be a viable playstyle with its baseline damage increased to 150% Weapon Damage from 100%. Paladins have also received a buff to Seal of Martyrdom damage, but many players feel that the class still needs attention from developers. Unfortunately, Feral Druids will not see any changes to their specialization in the upcoming update.

The second phase of Season of Discovery in World of Warcraft has concluded with the Gnomeregan raid, providing Blizzard with valuable feedback on what works and what doesn't. The third phase is expected to launch in a few months, raising the level cap in Season of Discovery to 50. Despite the power level differences among specializations, players will need to be patient with class tuning as Season of Discovery establishes its identity separate from Retail and Classic versions.

World of Warcraft Classic Season of Discovery Patch Notes – March 5, 2024:

Hunter

Chimera Shot now deals 120% of weapon damage, up from 100%. Additionally, Chimera Shot's Serpent Sting damage has been boosted to 48% of the Serpent Sting damage, previously at 40%.

Explosive Shot now does 15% more base damage before Attack Power is factored in.

Carve damage increased to 65% of weapon damage (was 50%).

Mage

Frostfire Bolt now deals 50% more base damage and receives a 16% increase in damage from bonus spell damage, just like Fireball.

Spellfrost Bolt also sees a 50% increase in base damage and a 14% increase in damage from bonus spell damage, mirroring the changes to Frostbolt.

Spell power coefficients for Regeneration, Mass Regeneration, and Chronostatic Preservation have been boosted by 88%.

This adjustment was made by the developers to address the issue of Mage healers often wearing gear that focuses on "damage and healing" rather than solely on "healing."

Chronostatic Preservation mana cost decreased by 44%.

Resolved some tooltip issues with Chronostatic Preservation.

Paladin

Seal of Martyrdom damage increased to 50% weapon damage per swing (was 40%). Seal of Martyrdom Judgement increased to 85% weapon damage (was 70%).

Seal of Martyrdom Seal and Judgement effects now benefit from talents and effects that modify Seal of Righteousness, particularly Improved Seal of Righteousness.

Warlock

Grimoire of Synergy now increases damage done by the Warlock and their pet by 25% when it is active (was 5%).

Warrior

Devastate damage increased to 150% of weapon DPS (was 100%), before being increased by number of Sunder Armor stacks.

Editor's P/S:

The latest update to World of Warcraft Classic's Season of Discovery has brought about significant changes to the game's classes, with Mages and Hunters receiving major buffs to their damage and healing capabilities. While these changes are likely to shake up the meta and provide players with new ways to experience the game, it is important to note that certain classes, such as Paladins and Feral Druids, may still require additional attention from the developers to bring them on par with their counterparts.

Overall, the Season of Discovery has been a welcome addition to World of Warcraft Classic, offering players a fresh way to experience the game's content. With the third phase of the season expected to launch in the coming months, it will be interesting to see how the developers continue to refine the game's balance and introduce new features to keep players engaged.