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New TCG wallpaper featuring Human Paladin
You guys already know how I feel about Paladins, but if all Pallys looked this badass, I might have to change my opinion. This is Graccus, the anti-hero Paladin featured in the latest TCG wallpaper released officially by Blizzard.See, most Paladins are just shiny golden boys, wandering around the land trying to do good and "win for the Light" or whatever. But this Graccus guy looks like he's seen a lot of dark in his day, and he's spent way too long slaying undead rather than prancing around on his little Pally pony. This guy doesn't bubble, he breaks out the Righteous Fury. This is the kind of Paladin I might really like -- he's not holier-than-thou, he's just a holy warrior willing to get his hands dirty.
Patch 2.3 and you: Paladin special edition
By popular demand, here is the all-Paladin edition of our ongoing series "Patch 2.3 and you." Some of these changes were in our previous Palockter Omnibus, which seems to have angered my pally brethren; and some of them are new (thanks to Aurondil for the tips). On with the show: We're pretty much focused on Retribution with 2.3, but some more general changes are being made like lowering the mana cost for Exorcism, Holy Wrath, and Hammer of Wrath. Another Ret change (just to keep the momentum going) will be an increase to the duration of Vengeance to 30 seconds. (Drysc) You're amazing, that's absolutely correct [referring to Crusader Strike cooldown being lowered to 6 seconds] (Drysc) Well along with a few other Ret changes we're putting the benefits of Improved Seal of the Crusader right into the base spell, and the talent will instead give the benefit of Sanctified Crusader. That of course means Sanctified Crusader needs something else, and it's being renamed Sanctified Seals, which will increase your change to critically hit will all spells and melee by 1/2/3% and reduces the chance your Seals can be dispelled by 33/66/100% (Drysc) Pursuit of Justice (Retribution) is now 3 ranks and increases movement speed by 5/10/15% and also reduces the chance you'll be hit by spells by 1/2/3%. Vindication (Retribution) frequency and duration increased and now reduces all attributes by 5/10/15%, not just Strength and Agility. (Salthem) And there you have it. Your very own Paladin edition of P2.3AY. And you're right, there were certainly enough changes to merit it. Well, Retnoobs (I kid), are you satisfied with these changes, or do you think you'll still be underpowered and unloved?
Patch 2.3 and you: Palockter omnibus [UPDATE: Bigger quivers]
While you may not be getting quite so many changes as some other classes out there, your changes beat theirs in...sheer unexpectedness? I dunno. Here's what's slated for patch 2.3 for light-swingers, gunslingers, and masters of the dark: [Hunter] We are planning to change Wyvern Sting so that it will be instant cast. (Drysc) [Hunter] Arcane Shot (ranks 6+) will dispel 1 magic effect in addition to the normal damage. (Drysc) [Warlock] There is a change for Ritual of Souls which will significantly reduce the time to cast and complete it. (Nethaera) [Paladin] We're pretty much focused on Retribution with 2.3, but some more general changes are being made like lowering the mana cost for Exorcism, Holy Wrath, and Hammer of Wrath. Another Ret change (just to keep the momentum going) will be an increase to the duration of Vengeance to 30 seconds. (Drysc) [Paladin] You're amazing, that's absolutely correct [referring to Crusader Strike cooldown being lowered to 6 seconds] (Drysc) That's a lot to digest. That Arcane Shot is pretty crazy, huh? Kalgan says it'll work like "an offensive dispel", similar to Purge. I suppose that should get some more people using it again, at least in PvP. Will the rest of us have any buffs left, or will a fight with a hunter suddenly be like Garr? Either way, change is good. Bring it on.Update: Since posting this, Drysc has announced another pleasant change: How about 20 and 24 slot ammo pouches and quivers?
Everything we know about 2.2, 2.3, and the next expansion
EU Forum MVP Schwick has posted a very nice and very thorough listing of everything we know about patch 2.2, 2.3, and the next expansion. As far as I know, there's nothing really new here, but it's a terrifically indepth listing of every rumor, hint, and suspicion that we've heard so far.Some of the exciting ideas still coming are new emotes, a tanking Pally revamp, a new stealth animation for Rogues, and totem timers for Shamans (currently, I use Totemus, and that suits me just fine). Also on the to-do list includes VOIP, guild banks and housing, and speculations for the next expansion include Northrend (I've got my money on this one, because the Scourge have it coming), "Beyond Outland," and the Emerald Dream.I'm sure we'll learn more eventually (expect big things at Blizzcon, I foresee), but until then, this roundup is as comprehensive as it gets. Thanks to Schwick for compiling this all together for us.
Build Shop: Paladin 21/31/0
Hello, talent-loving faithful! Ready for some more build dissection? This evening we turn to a hybrid class that's getting a bit of a nerf for one of its roles in the upcoming patch, but some buffs to its other major role. Yep, it's time to poke and prod Paladin talents. The Holy talent Illumination, as I'm sure all Paladins reading this know, is receiving probably the single biggest nerf anything is getting in patch 2.1 (aside from Alchemy). On the other hand, the Protection tree is getting a few buffs, including a new Improved Holy Shield talent, elimination of the deadzone on Captain America's Avenger's Shield, and a buff to Ardent Defender.The arithmetically astute among you may note that the build above, 21/31/0, is incomplete. It only has 52 points in it, out of the 61 points available at level 70. This is because the submitter of this build, Mithral of Kael'Thas, isn't quite sure how exactly he wants to finish it off. The reason I picked this build is because, like Mithral, I "actually like the idea of a Hybrid class." His goal is to somehow make a Pally build that is decent at both of the class's primary roles, healing and tanking. This, he says, could also take advantage of Pally itemization, since "most Pally gear comes with +Spell damage AND +healing in one piece." I have my doubts about this point -- I definitely maintain very separate healing and DPS gear on my Priest. Just because it says "damage and healing" doesn't mean it's going to hold a candle to a dedicated healing piece.
Tankadin gear updates
I've always though the biggest problem with Paladin tanking was gear (well, ever since I realized Paladins can tank, that is). Plate seems to come, for the most part, in three kinds: physical DPS gear, with strength, agility, and crit rating; tanking gear, with +defense, stamina, etc.; and caster gear, with Intellect, mana per 5, spell damage, and so forth. None of these three types is ideal for Paladin tanking -- if you take tank plate, you miss out on spell damage, and if you take caster plate, you miss out on stamina, +defense, and avoidance stats. The devs have heard this concern, and are planning to address it in 2.1.0. Ommra delivers: As previously promised I passed this on to the developers. I took the liberty of summarising the thread; basically saying that what you are after is gear with +Stamina, +Defense and +Spell damage, and that you are not very keen on +Intelligence and MP5 (Youngblood emphasised the need for more HP and damage mitigation instead). The devs have read this and thought it sounded fair enough. Paladin tanking gear is going to be more geared towards tanking/hp so this concern should be addressed in the next content patch. So, again, thank you for compiling this and helping me passing your concerns on to the devs.Looks pretty good to me. Paladins, what do you guys think? Have I got your gear situation totally wrong? This is good news, right?[via PaladinSucks]
Goodbye Divine Shield, Hello Mass Dispel
People are still kind of reacting to the expansion Priest spells and talents release from yesterday. Some priests are thrilled that they can now heal (albeit weakly) in shadowform, other priests think they got screwed over big (especially considering how Eyonix had hyped the talents). Other players are wondering if even rogues will get pets soon, while still more players just want the priests to stop whining.But one talent that has raised a lot of hackles is the new Mass Dispel, available from the priest trainer at level 70. At first, players were kind of confused about the purpose of the spell-- an aoe dispel is nice, but is it really worth it? But pretty quickly, it became clear exactly why Mass Dispel is so huge: it dispells "normally undispellable" buffs. Like, Kalgan points out, the Paladin's Divine Shield. If you said "whoah" after reading that, you're either Keanu Reeves... or you've played a Paladin. Divine Shield is essential to the pally class-- Blizzard has even said it's a core ability that they've designed the class around. Everyone else may dislike the bubblehearth, but that's what Paladins can do that no other class can. Until now.Our fave Pally resource, Paladinsucks, offers up not just one but two posts on the subject. They call it, without question, "the worst Paladin nerf ever concieved." Now, Kalgan points out that MD has a relatively high cost to priests, has a casting time that a pally could counter with a stun, and is (so far) the only talent in the whole game that can counter DS. But Paladinsucks has a better point-- Paladins are known, for better or worse, for that little 12 seconds of immunity, and now that Shield has been shattered. Of course these talents are still subject to change, so things aren't set in stone. But the days of bubblehearthing as we know them may be over.
PVP Revamped, 25 Man Max, New Hybrid Buffs in BC
1up is reporting, courtesy of Lead Designer Tom Chilton, that Illidan's Black Citadel will be the most challenging instance in Burning Crusade at release-- and it will have a 25-player limit. Eyonix has confirmed, so if you were planning to take 39 of your friends to a brand new raid in Burning Crusade, better disappoint a few of them.Other bombshells: The PVP system will be completely revamped-- no more ladder system. Instead, you'll earn Honor Points, which can be spent for different rewards, including new gear. "Arena PVP," in which players can get a charter to form teams for 2v2, 3v3, or 5v5. Also, a "season-based concept" for arenas. Your guess is as good as ours on that one. Chilton says that putting Shamans and Pallys in both factions will let them "differentiate them more." Shaman will get Bloodlust, a level 70 party haste buff. Pallys will get a castable AOE taunt buff-- cast it on a player that's getting attacked to bring mobs to the Pally. Instances will have different difficulty modes at different times-- an instance played at 62 will be easier and give different rewards than the same instance at 70. Wow. A new PVP system alone will be great news to a lot of players (and terrible news to others who have spent hours gaining ranks in the current system). Arena PVP sounds really interesting, and should help more and more premade groups get together. And speaking of being a Shaman looking for an endgame role, the new buffs sound wild.
