Edit: Apparently, Boubouille was mistaken. I can’t imagine that this was an April Fool’s Day joke as it isn’t funny, so I think we have to assume it was a case of unfortunate misinformation.

Boubouille of MMO Champion is reporting that the 4-piece set bonus that grants an additional 15% speed bonus while in Travel, Cat, and Bear Forms has been restored to the [Gladiator's Refuge] (Arena epics) and added to the [Kodohide Battlegear] set (reputation-purchasable set). If true, this is great news for Restoration-based PvP and probably points to a much greater decrease in 2v2/3v3 performance by Druids than Blizzard was anticipating or intending.

Perhaps less fortunately, the Balance Wyrmhide sets have had their set bonus reverted to the speed increase, as well. I say “less fortunately” because many Boomkin were excited for the recent change to a more offensively-based set bonus. Sorry, guys!

Related Posts

• PTR Report: 4-Piece Set Bonus Changes
• Vaneras: Druid PvP Viability Under Review
• Season 3 Change of MP5 to Spirit Reversed

Hurricane by Triggerman

As previously predicted, the range on Cyclone has been reduced from 30 yards to 20 on both the TTR (Tournament Testing Realm) and PTR (source). With Nature’s Reach, the range drops from 36 to 24, so it’s an additional nerf to the benefit afforded by this talent. As of today, Patch 2.4 will include the following nerfs to Restoration-based PvP:

1. Drinking nerf
2. Nerf to end bloom of Lifebloom (the same heal that occasionally occurs when our HoTs are purged); this forces Restoration Druids to spec down to 5/5 Empowered Rejuvenation if they want to compensate for the reduction, locking them out of other talents from Balance and Feral considered to be synergistic and essential
3. Reduction of Natural Perfection from 15% damage reduction to only 12% (it is worth noting, however, that NP was buffed so that it benefits from the dispel resistance provided by Subtlety)
4. Removal of 4-piece set bonus from the Restoration set (+15% speed bonus in forms)
5. Cyclone reduced from 30 yards to 20; Nature’s Reach reduced from 36 yards to 24

Sadly, this change is pretty much the nail in the coffin for Restoration-based PvP and will severely handicap already struggling Balance Druids in Arenas. I guess Blizzard is still working toward their goal of having no more than 60 Druids at 2200+ rating. So much for making incremental changes to see how they affect things.

Related Posts

• PTR Report: 4-Piece Set Bonus Changes
• 15% Speed Bonus (Not) Restored
• 2v2 and 3v3 Points Increased, Cyclone Buffed (Sorta)

According to Lead Developer Kalgan, Blizzard determines the necessity of PvP-based nerfs based on class representation in Arenas and their overall population relative to that of other classes:

One of the things we look at is class representation in arenas (although normalized for class popularity). In this particular chart, a value of 100% means the class is represented as we’d expect, a value over 100% means the class is represented that much more often than we’d expect, a value below 100% means they’re represented less than we’d want (obviously this chart doesn’t include a spec breakdown in any way).

	2v2	3v3	5v5
Druid	276.0%	184.0%	80.5%
Hunter	43.0%	50.2%	43.0%
Mage	8.7%	96.0%	96.0%
Paladin	19.7%	29.5%	147.4%
Priest	113.3%	164.8%	185.4%
Shaman	37.8%	50.4%	138.6%
Rogue	144.2%	175.1%	61.8%
Warlock	149.2%	93.2%	111.9%
Warrior	130.4%	90.7%	79.3%

Edit: one other detail regarding the chart, this one is set at 2200+ rating.

He later responds to a request for the chart relevant to the 1850 rating with the following:

	2v2	3v3	5v5
Druid	184.0%	138.0%	92.0%
Hunter	50.2%	50.2%	50.2%
Mage	61.1%	87.3%	87.3%
Paladin	68.8%	88.4%	137.6%
Priest	133.9%	133.9%	154.5%
Shaman	75.6%	88.2%	138.6%
Rogue	154.5%	154.5%	82.4%
Warlock	121.2%	102.5%	102.5%
Warrior	90.7%	85.0%	85.0%

Continue reading ‘Kalgan: Druids 176% Overrepresented in 2v2′…

Related Posts

• Arena Class Breakdown Statistics
• In the Shadow of the Nerf Bat
• Peesontrees’ Resto Arena Guide

Well, it’s happened, and the haters are out in force yet again.  Their comments range from the triumphant to the deranged and to a thread are spiteful and petty.  It’s a common activity any time a class gets a nerf but seems especially popular when it happens to one of the three auxiliary healing classes: the Druid, Paladin, or Shaman.  It could be my predilection for playing these (I have two of the three aforementioned classes at 70, after all) that makes it all so apparent to my mind, but no matter the objective truth of it, the trend bothers me especially when the nerfs in question are so… well, you’ll see.

So what really is going on?

Continue reading ‘Cheetaz R 4 Run’…

Related Posts

• PTR Report: 4-Piece Set Bonus Changes
• Arena 2 Class Set
• PTR: Cyclone Range Reduced to 20 Yards

Update at 2008-02-15 2:01 CST: Community Manager Nethaera has posted concerning the set bonus change for both Feral and Restoration:

The Restoration 4-piece Gladiator set bonus has been changed in the next PTR build. It is now the old Stormrage set-bonus, which is -0.2 seconds off Regrowth. In addition, the speed bonus to Cheetah will remain on the Feral 4-piece Gladiator set bonus.

Oh well, at least I can remember using Regrowth in Arenas.

World of Raids is reporting as yet unannounced changes to all three Druid 4-piece set bonuses from Arena Gear from its current value:

4: Increases your movement speed by 15% while in Bear, Cat, or Travel Form. Only active outdoors.

to three distinct set bonuses for the Balance, Feral, and Restoration sets. The new 4-piece bonuses being reported from the PTR are:

• Balance: Your Wrath casts have a chance to reduce the cast time on your next Starfire by 1.5 sec.
• Feral: Increases your movement speed by 15% while in Bear Form or Cat Form. Only active outdoors. The Feral 4-piece set bonus will remain as listed above.
• Restoration: The casting time on your Healing Touch spell is reduced by 0.25 sec.

The change to the Restoration set bonus is devastating. As Runycat stated on an earlier post, “I can’t remember the last time I ever cast Healing Touch in an Arena match.” I cast them all the time in Arenas … but only in conjunction with Nature’s Swiftness! This one single change could topple Druids in 2v2 Arenas, while nothing is being done to help improve their standings in 5v5. The Feral change is plainly a nerf and an unnecessary one at that; admittedly, I am not very familiar with Feral Arena PvP, but I don’t think they use Travel Form very often. The Balance change (either one) is the only one I would consider positive, especially the occassional reduction on cast time for Starfire. That might actually be a nice PvE bonus (so too might the HT bonus, at least for Dreamstate healers).

Related Posts

• Arena 2 Class Set
• Cheetaz R 4 Run
• 15% Speed Bonus (Not) Restored