# Forum > News > OC News > Articles and Interviews >  Cataclysm Class Changes

## Glynbeard

Hey guys! I touched briefly on this topic a couple days ago in 'The Buzz in WoW #5', but now that almost all the classes have been talked about I think it would be appropriate to display them here for discussion.


If you're completely lost or would like to know a little more about what I'm talking about check out this post by Blizzard employee Bashiok:




> Beginning Wednesday, April 7 we will begin releasing class previews containing an overview of some of the changes currently being planned for each of the 10 World of Warcraft classes. The type of information you can expect from these posts are a list of the new spells from 80-85, the new passive mastery bonuses for all talent trees, a brief outline of some of the talent changes we're currently planning, and in some cases new low level spells for select classes.
> 
> These changes will by no means be comprehensive, and are subject to change between now and the launch of the expansion. It's also important to understand that some classes are currently further along in the development process than others, and as a result the amount of information will vary from class to class. Please do not let this frustrate you should your class be amongst those which are on the "lighter" side of things, as all classes will receive the same level of design attention before the expansion is released. Additionally we'll be providing more information for all classes, especially as we move into the beta phase.


As noted in the quote, some classes haven't had their changes released to the public yet and won't be appearing in this post (sorry Paladins-You'll have to wait until the 16th of April).

At the end of this article I'll be posting my opinions on these changes and it would be nice to hear from the community as well. I will also be putting a link to the actual Blizzard post at the bottom of each class page.

So let's get to it! Each page is dedicated to a different class and will include an official post by Blizzard. Enjoy  :Smile: 


[BREAK=Shaman]


*Information Released:* April 7th

Below is a quote from Blizzard employee Nethaera regarding the Shaman class changes:




> In World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, we'll be making lots of changes and additions to class talents and abilities across the board. In this preview, you'll get an early look at some of the changes in store for the shaman class, including a rundown of some of the new spells, abilities, and talents, and an overview of how the new Mastery system will work with the different talent specs.
> 
> *New Shaman Spells*
> 
> *Primal Strike (available at level 3):* Primal Strike is a new weapon-based attack that every shaman will learn very early in the game. Our goal with this ability is to make leveling as Enhancement rather than as Elemental more viable, since many key Enhancement talents become available at fairly high levels.
> 
> *Healing Wave (level 4):* While the shaman already has an ability called Healing Wave, we're adding another spell to the class's direct-healing arsenal and giving it a familiar name. The current Healing Wave will be renamed Greater Healing Wave, and the intent is for the 'new" Healing Wave to be the shaman's go-to heal. Lesser Healing Wave and Greater Healing Wave will be used on a more situational basis.
> 
> *Unleash Weapon (level 81):* Unleashes the power of your weapon enchants for additional effects (see below). A dual-wielding Enhancement shaman will activate the effects of both of their weapon enchants. Instant cast. 30-yard range. 15-second cooldown. Undispellable.
> ...


[Source]

[BREAK=Priest]


*Information Released:* April 7th

Below is a quote from Blizzard employee Zarhym regarding the Priest class changes:





> In World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, we'll be making lots of changes and additions to class talents and abilities across the board. In this preview, you'll get an early look at some of the changes in store for the priest class, including a rundown of some of the new spells, abilities, and talents, as well as an overview of how the new Mastery system will work with the different talent specs.
> 
> *New Priest Spells*
> 
> *Heal (available at level 16):* While priests already have a spell called Heal, the existing version becomes obsolete at higher levels, which is something we intend to change in Cataclysm. Introduced at a low level, the "new" Heal spell will functionally work much like a down-ranked Greater Heal did in the past, adding more granularity to your direct-healing arsenal. If you need to heal someone a moderate amount and efficiency is an issue (making Flash Heal the incorrect spell for the job), then Heal is what you want to use. Heal is intended to be the priest's go-to direct-healing spell unless they need something bigger (Greater Heal) or faster (Flash Heal). We will be following a similar philosophy with all the healing classes.
> 
> *Mind Spike (level 81):* Deals Shadowfrost damage and puts a debuff on the target that improves subsequent Mind Spike damage. The intent of Mind Spike is to fill a niche missing in Shadow DPS, though it may be occasionally useful for healers as well. Mind Spike provides a quick nuke to use in situations where the priest doesn't have time to set up the normal rotation, such as when adds are dying too fast or you have to swap targets a lot. Spamming Mind Spike will do about as much damage as casting Mind Flay on a target afflicted with Shadow Word: Pain. The idea behind the debuff is that when you cast Mind Spike, we expect you to cast a lot of them; we don't intend you to fit it into an already full Shadow rotation. It also provides Shadow with a spell to cast when locked out of the Shadow school. (School lockouts will no longer affect both schools for multi-school spells.) 1.5-second cast. 30-yard range. No cooldown.
> 
> *Inner Will (level 83):* Increases movement speed by 12% and reduces the mana cost of instant-cast spells by 10%. This buff will be exclusive with Inner Fire, meaning you can't have both up at once. Inner Fire provides a spell power and Armor buff; Inner Will should be useful on a more situational basis.
> ...


[Source]

[BREAK=Warlock]


*Information Released:* April 7th

Below is a quote from Blizzard employee Zarhym regarding the Warlock class changes:





> In World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, warlocks will receive changes to their class talents and abilities. Outlined below are some of these changes. Keep in mind that this is an early preview and that these modifications are still under development, so you may see further adjustments to the listed changes as we get closer to launch. That said, here is a first look at these new warlock spells and abilities!
> 
> *New Warlock Spells*
> 
> *Fel Flame (level 81):* Quick-hitting spell dealing Shadowfire damage. This is similar to the mage ability Frostfire Bolt, in that the lower of the two resistances (in this case shadow and fire) on your target will be used for calculating its damage. Additionally, Fel Flame refreshes the duration of Immolate and Unstable Affliction. Our goal for Fel Flame is to provide a spell that's good for mobility and for use by Destruction and Demonology specs. Also, did we mention it uses green fire? Yep. Instant cast.
> 
> *Dark Intent (level 83):* Increases the target's chance for a critical effect with periodic damage or healing spells by 3%. When the target lands a crit, you get a buff to your damage for 10 seconds. This effect stacks up to three times.
> 
> *Demon Soul (level 85):* Fuses the warlock's soul with his or her demon. This provides warlocks with a self-burst cooldown to use. The specific effects granted by Demon Soul depend on the demon chosen. Demon Soul lasts for a certain number of charges or until it expires (around 20 seconds), depending on the demon used. 2-minute cooldown.
> ...



[Source]

[BREAK=Warrior]


*Information Released:* April 8th

Below is a quote from Blizzard employee Bornakk regarding the Warrior class changes:





> World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will bring with it several changes to class talents and abilities. Here you will get a glimpse into some of the changes we have in store for the warrior. The information you're about to read is not complete, and is only meant to act as a preview for some of the exciting new things to come.
> 
> New Warrior Abilities
> *
> Inner Rage (Level 81):* Whenever the character reaches a full 100 Rage, he or she will gain a buff that causes attacks to consume 50% more Rage and do 15% more damage for a short amount of time. This is a passive ability so it won't need to be activated by the player. The goal for this ability is to provide a benefit for hitting max Rage instead of it feeling like a penalty. However, we also don't want warriors to feel like they're supposed to pool Rage and do nothing until they hit 100, so we'll be closely monitoring how this plays out during the beta testing, and making adjustments as needed.
> 
> *Gushing Wound (Level 83):* This ability will apply a bleed effect to the target. If the target moves, the bleed gains an extra stack and refreshes its duration, up to a maximum of three stacks. The ability is currently planned to have no cooldown, cost 10 Rage, and have a 9-second duration. Gushing Wound is designed to be weaker than Rend with one stack, but better with three stacks, which will be reached when fighting a moving target.
> *
> Heroic Leap (Level 85):* This ability makes the character leap at their target and apply the Thunder Clap ability to all enemies in the area when they land. Heroic Leap will be usable in Battle Stance and shares a cooldown with Charge, but the Juggernaut and Warbringer talents will allow Heroic Leap to be used in any stance and possibly while in combat. The cooldown for this ability might be longer than the Charge ability, but it will also apply a stun effect so you can make sure the target will still be there when you land.
> ...


[Source]

[BREAK=Death Knight]


*Information Released:* April 8th

Below is a quote from Blizzard employee Zarhym regarding the Death Knight class changes:





> World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will bring with it several changes to class talents and abilities. In this preview, you'll get a glimpse at some of the new abilities, spells, and talents in store for the death knight class, along with an early look at some improvements we plan to make to the rune resource system.
> 
> *New Death Knight Abilities*
> 
> *Outbreak (level 81):* Outbreak infects the target with both Frost Fever and Blood Plague at no rune cost. This ability allows death knights to apply diseases quickly when they are switching targets or when their diseases have been dispelled.
> 
> *Necrotic Strike (level 83):* Necrotic Strike is a new attack that deals weapon damage and applies a debuff that absorbs an amount of healing based on the damage done. For context, imagine that the death knight can choose between doing 8,000 damage outright with a certain ability, or dealing 6,000 damage and absorbing 4,000 points in incoming heals with Necrotic Strike -- the burst is smaller, but a larger overall amount of healing would be required to bring the target back to full health.
> 
> This ability is meant to bring back some of the old flavor from when death knights could dispel heal-over-time (HoT) effects. It also gives the class a bit more PvP utility without simply replicating a Mortal Strike-style effect.
> ...


*Note:* To view more information on Death Knights and tanking in Cataclysm, follow this link.

[Source]

[BREAK=Rogue]


*Information Released:* April 8th

Below is a quote from Blizzard employee Bashiok regarding the Rogue class changes:




> In World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, we'll be making several changes to class talents and abilities across the board. Here, you'll get a glimpse at what's in store for the rogue class, including a look the new high-level abilities and an overview of how the new Mastery system will work with the rogue's different talent specs.
> 
> *New Rogue Abilities*
> 
> *Redirect (available at level 81):* Rogues will be getting a new ability to help them deal with changing targets. Redirect will transfer any active combo points to the rogue's current target, helping to ensure combo points aren't wasted when swapping targets or when targets die. In addition, self-buff abilities like Slice and Dice will no longer require a target, so rogues can spend extra combo points on those types of abilities (more on this below). Redirect will have a 1-minute cooldown and no other costs.
> 
> *Combat Readiness (level 83):* Combat Readiness is a new ability that we intend rogues to trigger defensively. While this ability is active, whenever the rogue is struck by a melee or ranged attack, he or she will gain a stacking buff called Combat Insight that results in a 10% reduction in damage taken. Combat Insight will stack up to 5 times and the timer will be refreshed whenever a new stack is applied. Our goal is to make rogues better equipped to go toe-to-toe with other melee classes when Evasion or stuns are not in play. This ability lasts 6 seconds and has a 2-minute cooldown.
> 
> *Smoke Bomb (level 85):* The rogue drops a Smoke Bomb, creating a cloud that interferes with enemy targeting. Enemies who are outside the cloud will find themselves unable to target units inside the cloud with single-target abilities. Enemies can move inside the cloud to attack, or they can use area-of-effect (AoE) abilities at any time to attack opponents in a cloud. In PvP, this will open up new dimensions of tactical positional gameplay, as the ability offers a variety of offensive and defensive uses. In PvE, Smoke Cloud can serve to shield your group from hostile ranged attacks, while also drawing enemies closer without the need to rely on conventional line-of-sight obstructions. Smoke Cloud lasts 10 seconds and has a 3-minute cooldown.
> ...


[Source]

[BREAK=Hunter]


*Information Released:* April 9th

Below is a quote from Blizzard employee Nethaera regarding the Hunter class changes:




> With the upcoming World of Warcraft: Cataclysm many game elements will be changing, and each class will be receiving a number of tweaks. Here, we will explore the changes that are being made to the gun-wielding, pet-training hunter. The information you’re about to read is certainly not complete, and is only meant to act as a preview of some of the exciting new things to come. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the new hunter abilities!
> 
> *New Hunter Abilities*
> *
> Cobra Shot (level 81):* A new shot that deals Nature damage instead of Physical damage. This ability will share a cooldown with Steady Shot. This will give hunters an alternative to Steady Shot on heavily-armored targets, and we will have talent incentives in the Beast Mastery tree to make this a signature shot.
> 
> *Trap Launcher (level 83):* When used, the next trap can be shot to a location within 40 yards. This provides the current Freezing Arrow treatment to all traps and, as a result, we will be removing the current ability Freezing Arrow. 1-minute cooldown. No global cooldown.
> 
> *Camouflage (level 85):* The hunter enters an obscured state that prevents him or her from taking ranged damage. The character would still be subject to melee or area-of-effect attacks, and dealing or taking damage will break the Camouflage effect. The hunter can move and set traps when under Camouflage, and will receive a damage bonus when attacking while under Camouflage (which will then break the effect).
> ...


[Source]

[BREAK=Druid]


*Information Released:* April 9th

Below is a quote from Blizzard employee Bashiok regarding the Druid class changes:




> In World of Warcraft: Cataclysm we’ll be making several changes to class talents and abilities. Here you will get a glimpse into some of the changes we have in store for the druid. The information you’re about to read is certainly not complete, and is only meant to act as a preview of some of the exciting new things to come. Let’s kick things off by checking out some of the new druid spells and abilities!
> 
> *New Druid Abilities*
> 
> *Thrash (Level 81):* Thrash deals damage and causes all targets within 10 yards to bleed every 2 seconds for 6 seconds. The intent here is to give bears another button to hit while tanking. Talents will affect the bleed, such as causing Swipe to deal more damage to bleeding targets. 5-second cooldown. 25 Rage.
> 
> *Stampeding Roar (Level 83):* The druid roars, increasing the movement of all allies within 10 yards by 40% for 8 seconds. Stampeding Roar can be used in cat or bear form, but bears might have a talent to drop the cooldown. The goal of this ability is to give both bears and cats a little more situational group utility. 3-minute cooldown. No cost.
> 
> *Wild Mushroom (Level 85):* Grows a magical mushroom at the target location. After 4 seconds the mushroom becomes invisible. Enemies who cross the mushroom detonate it, causing it to deal area-of-effect damage, though its damage component will remain very effective against single targets. The druid can also choose to detonate the mushroom ahead of time. This is primarily a tool for the Balance druid, and there will be talents that play off of it. No cooldown. 40-yard range. Instant cast.
> ...


[Source]

[BREAK=Mage]


*Information Released:* April 9th

Below is a quote from Blizzard employee Bashiok regarding the Mage class changes:




> In World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, we’ll be making lots of changes and additions to class talents and abilities across the board. In this preview, you’ll get an early look at what's in store for the mage class, including a rundown of some of the new spells, abilities, and talents, and an overview of how the new Mastery system will work with the different talent specs.
> 
> *New Mage Spells*
> 
> *Flame Orb (available at level 81):* Inspired by Prince Taldaram’s abilities in Ahn'kahet and Icecrown Citadel, this spell allows the mage to cast a flaming orb that travels in front in a straight line, sending beams that cause fire damage to passing targets. Once it’s cast, the mage is free to begin casting other spells as the Flame Orb travels. While the spell will be useful to any spec, Fire mages will have talents that improve it, possibly causing the Flame Orb to explode when it reaches its destination.
> 
> *Time Warp (level 83):* Grants a passive Haste effect much like Bloodlust or Heroism to party or raid members. It also temporarily increases the mage's own movement speed. Time Warp will be exclusive with Bloodlust and Heroism, meaning you can’t benefit from both if you’ve got the Exhaustion debuff, though the movement-speed increase will still work even when under the effects of Exhaustion.
> 
> *Wall of Fog (level 85):* Creates a line of frost in front of the mage, 30 yards from end to end. Enemies who cross the line are snared and take damage. The mana cost will be designed to make Wall of Fog efficient against groups, not individuals. This spell is intended to give mages a way to help control the battlefield, whether the mage is damaging incoming enemies (Blizzard can be channeled on top of Wall of Fog) or protecting a flag in a Battleground. 10-second duration. 30-second cooldown.
> ...


[Source]

[BREAK=My Opinion]


I used to be a very avid WoW player, but about 6 months ago I just lost complete interest in the game and over the course of a week or two quit it cold turkey. Since then I haven't felt any *real* urge to play, that is, until now.

Since the release of these class changes I have started feeling that growing anticipation deep inside my stomach wanting to experiment with some of the new abilities here. 

I'm a mage and rogue player so those are the two I looked at *right away* and tbh I really was not completely disappointed in some of the things I saw. 




> *Smoke Bomb (level 85):* The rogue drops a Smoke Bomb, creating a cloud that interferes with enemy targeting. Enemies who are outside the cloud will find themselves unable to target units inside the cloud with single-target abilities. Enemies can move inside the cloud to attack, or they can use area-of-effect (AoE) abilities at any time to attack opponents in a cloud. In PvP, this will open up new dimensions of tactical positional gameplay, as the ability offers a variety of offensive and defensive uses. In PvE, Smoke Cloud can serve to shield your group from hostile ranged attacks, while also drawing enemies closer without the need to rely on conventional line-of-sight obstructions. Smoke Cloud lasts 10 seconds and has a 3-minute cooldown.


For instance, the rogues new ability '_smoke bomb_' come on that's going to be amazing! I can't even begin to comprehend how that new spell alone will effect Arena PvP.




> We are also providing rogues with a new low-level ability, Recuperate, to convert combo points into a small heal-over-time (HoT).


No more bandage training at low levels? I always expected them to give the rogues some sort of HoT, this will be especially useful for quick leveling.




> In PvP, we want to reduce the rogue's dependency on binary cooldowns and "stun-locks," and give them more passive survivability in return. One major change is that we'll put Cheap Shot on the same diminishing return as other stuns. The increase to Armor and Stamina on cloth, leather, and mail gear will help with this goal as well.


No more stun locks! Increased survivability! Good for my main spec Combat in PvP I hope. Hope being the key word in that sentence...

Other small changes like being able to apply poison to throwing weapons or ambushing with any weapon will bring forth some interesting new battle tactics and combat rotations.

You'll notice, however, that there is a steady pattern in almost all of the changes-and that is dumbing them all down. Making it easier to play the class isn't always a great thing, I liked that to be successful as a rogue in PvP you had to practice and learn how you play best. I really hope that doesn't change to much in Cataclysm.

The other class I'll comment on is the mage. 




> *Flame Orb (available at level 81):* Inspired by Prince Taldaram’s abilities in Ahn'kahet and Icecrown Citadel, this spell allows the mage to cast a flaming orb that travels in front in a straight line, sending beams that cause fire damage to passing targets. Once it’s cast, the mage is free to begin casting other spells as the Flame Orb travels. While the spell will be useful to any spec, Fire mages will have talents that improve it, possibly causing the Flame Orb to explode when it reaches its destination. 
> 
> *Wall of Fog (level 85):* Creates a line of frost in front of the mage, 30 yards from end to end. Enemies who cross the line are snared and take damage. The mana cost will be designed to make Wall of Fog efficient against groups, not individuals. This spell is intended to give mages a way to help control the battlefield, whether the mage is damaging incoming enemies (Blizzard can be channeled on top of Wall of Fog) or protecting a flag in a Battleground. 10-second duration. 30-second cooldown.


First off, the two new spells they've mentioned sound pretty cool (even though the style of the attack in almost exactly the same: shoot it in a straight line in front of you). I think that the '_Wall of Fog_' will again come in handy in unique PvP situations and it will be interesting to see how it will impact arena.




> We are planning to remove spells that don't have a clear purpose. Amplify Magic, Dampen Magic, Fire Ward, and Frost Ward are being removed from the game, and we may remove more.
> 
> The ability to conjure food and water will not become available until higher levels (likely around level 40), as we're making changes to ensure mages generally won’t run out of mana at lower levels. Once mages learn how to conjure food and water, the conjured item will restore both health and mana.


Also, no food/water till level 40 is going to be kind of weird. They say we won't run out of mana very often before then! I'll prove 'em wrong though, you just wait! xD

I also don't understand how Fire Ward and Frost Ward don't have a clear purpose? Oh well, dumbing down the class a bit again.




> Scorch will provide a damage bonus to the mage's fire spells. Our goal is for Scorch to be part of the mage's rotation and a useful damage-dealing ability, even if someone else is supplying the group with the spell Critical Strike debuff. Scorch will provide the mage with more specific benefits, which can also be improved through talents.


I was always a big user of scorch when I was fire spec'd, but it looks like I won't be the only one anymore. 




> The Burnout talent will allow mages to cast spells using health when they run out of mana.


My favorite quote right there. We will now be using our health to cast spells instead of mana! This is crazy!

Anyways, there are some other interesting talent changes and spells coming out too (Hunter camouflage?) but I won't comment on those as I have no experience really playing as them (at least not recently). So I'll leave my thoughts at that.

[BREAK=Conclusion]

Well guys, that is that and I hope you enjoyed the short read. Sorry for it being a day late, next time I'll get er up as quick as possible  :Big Grin: .

If you have opinions on these changes (which I know you guys will), please post them in the comments section for some discussion. I would really like to hear what the community thinks and sorry if my opinions might be a little crazy but ya, I haven't played in almost 6 months now haha.

Thanks again for reading guys and until next time,

Glynbeard
MMOwned News Team

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## P1raten

Very nice, glynbeard.

Thanks for this.  :Smile:

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## Glynbeard

Damn that was quick haha. No problem, I decided to finish them up from your request  :Big Grin:

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## stoneharry

Flame Orb + Wall of Fog just sounds epic.  :Smile:  This and the rogues smoke bomb will make PvP very interesting.

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## Ground Zero

Smoke Bomb. :3 Can't wait, nice article Glyn.  :Wink:

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## Confucius

haha some of these things sound awesome but some i really don't like, no more tree form?!

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## Flarian

love it glyn, i posted death Knight and Rogue changes in General a day or two ago but very nice compilation, i like it *thumbs up*

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## XFiFiX

Nice column man! :]

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## Eddie12390

> haha some of these things sound awesome but some i really don't like, no more tree form?!


From reading the article a second time what I seem to understand is that there will still be tree form but with major modifications.

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## nialnees

I hope the new focus system isnt a big nerf for hunters... Now im able to burn mana fast and after cata ill have to wait for focus to recharge  :Frown:  (Im not sure because huntard isnt my main character and im no expert in hunters)

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## Energizer Bunny

Some one help me find my Battle.net acc for my 60 rogue =( i wanna get to 80 now =(

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## Glynbeard

It's interesting reading through the posts by players on the forums. Some of them are plain outraged at these changes haha.

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## alj03

Hmm new DK system sounds cool.

Thanks for the info.

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## DrLecter

What about pallies?
It isn't fair, they've had enough and now they want their share.
Can't you see" They wanna live, but you just take more than you give.
So on so forth lalalala singing.

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## Confucius

> From reading the article a second time what I seem to understand is that there will still be tree form but with major modifications.


Yes but tree form will just be a wimpy spell that gives you it for a few seconds, instead of having the permanent tree, this means no more dancing trees! D:

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## phreec

*Druids being able to dispel magic. They can't be poly'd and neither can their partners now ;(*

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## burton992

This seems alot more promising than wotlk, i dont play wow anymore and doubt i will ever play like i used to again. But i must say blizzard are heading the right track with some of these chances shaman and death knight changes are awesome, its about time dks got proper tanking support (having 3 tank trees was always a bad idea). And shaman healing is going to be alot more fun.

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## UDontKnowWhoIAm

"Grows a magical mushroom at the target location. After 4 seconds the mushroom becomes invisible. Enemies who cross the mushroom detonate it, causing it to deal area-of-effect damage, though its damage component will remain very effective against single targets." IMO that's stealed from LoL aka League of Legends. :P (Teemo)

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## vandath7

Yeah that tree form change wont hit even in beta because of the druid fans qq on forums. 

And i hope for some serious changes at paladins this week  :Smile:  hopefully to increase the difficult of the class to requise more than 5 buttons.

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## mmodame

oh boy priests get back a lower ranked lower mana heal, and gain the ability a pull a nub who pulled aggro (and the cleaving mob...) next to me? color me underwhelmed

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## Ammunition

I'm sure they have more tweaking to do. I like half the changes and the other half are iffy.

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