BACK From RWF! Warlock Nerfs & Raid/Mythic + Discussion

The speaker begins by acknowledging a two-week absence due to being at the "race to world first" event. They express excitement about the recent race, describing it as one of the most intense and engaging they've ever witnessed, particularly highlighting the final boss, Midnight Falls, as Blizzard's hardest creation to date. They mention casting the final kill with colleagues and briefly touch upon the Archon app as a sponsor, a tool for logging, recording, and analyzing gameplay. The core of the video focuses on the recent hotfixes and changes to the Warlock class, particularly Demonology. The speaker notes a "roller coaster" of buffs and nerfs, with frequent bug fixes and tuning adjustments. **Key Warlock Changes and Hotfixes:** * **Early March (around March 24th-26th):** * A 4% damage nerf was applied to Demonology. * Crucially, a bug with "Wicked Reaping" was fixed, which had been inflating Demonology's damage. This bug fix, combined with the initial nerf, significantly reduced Demonology's effectiveness, pushing it below the Diabolist build in AoE and making it less competitive in single-target. No compensation buffs were provided for this substantial bug fix. * An issue where the Inquisitor talent would target enemies not in combat was fixed, preventing unintended pulls in Mythic+. * **March 31st Hotfixes:** * A significant buff was introduced by fixing an issue where the chance to generate a Demonic Core from a fading Wild Imp was much lower than intended (2% in practice instead of 10%). This buff increased core generation, leading to more Hand of Gul'dans and summoned imps, and also improved the flow of the Apex Predator talent. This was a substantial buff for both Diabolist and Soul Harvester builds. * Fixes for the Jailer's attack behavior were also mentioned. * **April 3rd Hotfixes:** * The issue where Eye Explosion would not activate from Chaos Bolt was fixed, making the Diabolist Destro build viable again after a period of it being non-functional. * An issue with Mayhem and Improved Havoc was resolved, ensuring Improved Havoc correctly granted the full 10-second duration of Mayhem and copied spells accordingly. While Mayhem still hops between targets, the functionality is now as intended. * **Recent Hotfixes (Tonight/April 3rd/4th):** * These hotfixes brought further adjustments, with the speaker noting a potential 4% nerf to Demonology, though exact numbers were not yet confirmed. * A fix addressed an issue where "Demonic Knowledge" could activate more than intended. * More significantly, a long-standing bug where "Demonic Brutality" increased critical strike damage by 260% instead of the intended 230% was fixed. This is described as a substantial nerf to Demonology, even with potential early-game simulations not yet fully reflecting the impact. The speaker notes that Demonology has experienced a continuous cycle of buffs, nerfs, and bug fixes. **Warlock Performance in M+ and Raids:** * **Mythic+:** * Demonology has seen a considerable rise in Mythic+ relevancy, moving from the lower-middle to upper-middle pack. * The bug fix for imp-generated Demonic Cores significantly boosted its performance. * In high-level key compositions, Demonology is seen as a strong "fringe" DPS spec, often alongside Augmentation, Brewmaster, Druid, and Death Knight. The recent changes to Demonic Brutality might impact its standing. The current meta appears to favor Brewmaster, Druid, Augmentation, Demon Hunter, and Unholy DK, with Hunters also seeing play. * **Raiding:** * Demonology has fluctuated in raid rankings. Notably, both Echo and Liquid played two Demonology Warlocks on Mythic Lurcar's Midnight Falls. * **General Raid Trends:** * **Imperator Veridius:** Demonology is performing well, with many players opting for the Diabolist build, often incorporating Stabilized Portals and Ring of Tiers. The speaker discusses the synergy between Tyrant, Abyssal Dominion, and Rain of Tyranny for maximizing damage. * **Vilefiend Salvador:** Primarily Demonology, with Diabolist builds using Stabilized Portals or Fire Dog. The speaker suggests purple builds might be better depending on orb cleave opportunities. * **Vigilant Guardian:** A mix of Demonology and Destruction. While Soul Harvester (Demonology) is slightly ahead in single-target, Diabolist Destro is also viable, especially if the guild's coordination for Havoc cleave on adds is lacking. The speaker leans towards Demonology here due to the quick death of adds. * **King's Valor:** Mostly Demonology, with some Destruction. The speaker notes that if consistent spell uptime is desired, Demonology is strong. * **Vorgath, the Risen:** Initially affliction-heavy, the speaker now recommends Demonology for its ability to cleave ads and bosses effectively, especially in raids with heavy AoE compositions. Destruction is also viable for boss damage and Havoc cleave. * **Fyrakk the Blazing:** Destruction is prominent here, particularly with Havoc, Improved Havoc, and Cataclysm for ad clearing. Demonology is also present and considered simple and effective for cleaving. * **Council of Dreams:** A lot of Destruction, with some Demonology. * **Larodar, Keeper of the Grove:** A lot of Destruction. * **Chronos, the Time Weaver:** Initially Demonology, it shifted to Destruction. The speaker highlights the effectiveness of Havoc and Improved Havoc. * **Nymue, Weaver of the Aspects:** A lot of Demonology, with some Destruction. Demonology is considered exceptionally good due to its strong minute-long cooldowns that align well with phases and the boss's mechanics. * **Smolderon:** Demonology and Destruction are both strong. * **Cinderfall:** Primarily Demonology. * **Blizzard's Race to World First:** Both THD Tranco and Echo had two Warlocks each playing Demonology on Mythic Midnight Falls, indicating its strength on that particular encounter. The speaker concludes by mentioning upcoming videos on their season plans and character updates, promising more content. They also briefly speculate on the timing of the next patch (12.1) and BlizzCon, suggesting a potential early August release for the patch based on the roadmap.