Warrior Class Changes in Dragonflight
A new WoW expansion is getting closer and closer to its release on November 28. Each build makes it easier to speak about various class changes and suggest firm predictions on Dragonflight meta. This text will cover crucial Arms, Prot and Fury Warrior changes.
Warrior Class Tree
The revamp of the talent system in the new expansion leads to the emergence of two separate trees for class and specialization. One tree contains basic class talents which are accessible in every spec. And another one — those that belong only to a particular specialization.
Players have 31 points to spend in the class tree and 30 points in a spec one. These restrictions will make players choose a limited number of skills and traits by holding more or less to the right, middle, or left branches. One more feature to remember is that talents placed in octagons must always be chosen out of two options.
Since the very preview of the Warrior Talent tree, it seemed that this class won’t receive many major updates. Some skills got more or less changed in terms of numbers and additional effects. For example, the Shockwave deals 20% of Attack power as damage instead of 8.2% and generates 10 Rage. Besides, it became accessible to all specs, lying at the end of the right branch of the class tree. Or the Thunderous Roar, a former Dragon Roar, which differs from a predecessor more seriously. The Dragon Roar granted a critical strike, ignored the enemy’s armor and made you deal more damage to them. While the Thunderous Roar makes your enemies bleed. However, the Thunderous Words trait right below it undoubtedly compensates for the lost part of the Roar’s effect.
A few new talents in Warrior’s tree are also worth mentioning. Even if some of them are not entirely new, like a Kyrian Covenant ability called the Spear of Bastion. It works the same way, but with two minor differences: the cooldown is increased from 1 minute to 1,5, and the amount of Rage generated is reduced from 25 to 20. But it’s important to remember: some ways to upgrade this spell are also implemented into the generic class tree. Like the Piercing Verdict Conduit or the former Runecarving Power Elysian Might. By the way, the effects of these traits were also slightly nerfed.
Warrior changes led the Defensive Stance to appear as a first-tier generic talent at the beginning of the tree. It used to be a fourth-tier Protection only trait. And right in front of it, you can see the Battle Stance (if you’re in Arms spec) or the Berserker Stance (if you’re in Fury spec). These spells have finally returned after their removal in Legion and Warlords of Draenor, respectively. New effects of the Stances can be seen on the screens below.
Protection Changes
Talent changes in Dragonflight make it possible for Prot Warriors to simultaneously take the Anger Management and the Ravager. Previously it was impossible because they were at one talent tier. Besides, the Ravager can be empowered with a particularly new Dance of Death trait. It allows you to prolong your deadly AoE, increase its damage, and also provide the next cast of this ability with the same buff. The condition triggering the effect is simple: killing the enemy.
Speaking of AoE, Warriors received an important update for the Unstoppable Force in Dragonflight. Yet this passive is not in the Protection tree, it’s available only to this spec. That’s logical because it’ll be truly beneficial only to it. The latest builds have improved its effect so that the Avatar increases the damage of the Shockwave too. Unfortunately, it doesn’t reduce its CD. But the Unstoppable Force is in an octagon with the Immovable Object — another last talent of the left branch of the class tree that can be very useful for Prot Warriors.
But most importantly, Protection Warrior’s talent trees receive many talents to improve their tanking. Especially in terms of making the Shield Block even more effective than it was. For example, there’s the Champion’s Bulwark at the end of the left branch. It’s connected with the new Shield Charge spell, increasing its damage and making it buff you with a few effects. One of them is the Shield Block. For free. That’ll be a good combination with a little Enduring Defences trait that increases the duration of the Block and the familiar Heavy Repercussions passive.
Arms Changes
The Test of Might used to be an Azerite Trait in BfA, and now it can be found among the traits and skills in the Arms Warrior spec tree. The original Test worked similarly, granting you Strength depending on the amount of Rage spent during the Colossus Smash or the Warbreaker effects. The only difference is that the current Test buffs strength by 1% for each 10 Rage. However, the passive is placed into an octagon, making you choose between it and the In For The Kill trait, which remains to be a good buff of the Haste cast by the same attacking spells.
A former Conduit called Fueled by Violence has been changed into a Warrior talent in Dragonflight. It’s at the upper part of the middle branch, and as in Shadowlands, it gives you a healing effect for the damage of your Mastery: Deep Wounds. An interesting thing is that Protection players will also get this former Conduit. But they’ll have to choose between that trait and another one, while Arms players are almost guaranteed to save their precious healing effect in any build.
Both Fury and Arms specs get their versions of the former Legion’s Artifact trait called Juggernaut. During the Legion, it was a trait of the specifically Fury Artifact Warswords of the Valarjar. But being a part of the Arms spec, the Juggernaut makes the Execute stick into the rotation even better.
Fury Changes
Dragonflight talent changes have offered Fury Warrior a bunch of generic class traits which may be even more important than the spec ones. For instance, the Frothing Berserker — although this one is important for every spec, as its effect changes depending on your current one. Anyway, a chance to refund 20% of those 80 Rage you spend on the Rampage ability is always cool. (And it will perfectly combine with the Unbridled Ferocity at the bottom of the middle branch.)
Then comes the Sidearm from the middle of the right branch, which gives you a chance to make an additional AoE from your auto-attacks. And, of course, the Titan’s Torment. This special Fury trait at the bottom of the left class branch makes your Avatar start triggering the Odyn’s Fury. The last one is a slightly changed Warrior ability from the Fury spec, based on a former Legion’s Artifact spell. A perfect chance to return it, especially considering the fact that the Titan’s Torment is also available only to Fury. Because other specs have different skills at the same place of a class tree.
Finally, it’s worth paying attention to the Annihilator at the end of the left spec branch. Apart from making your attacks deal extra damage, it turns them into a Rage generator, giving you 2 Rage for a hit. It may lead to the emergence of entirely original Fury Warrior builds in the nearest future.
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