Augmentation is a unique spec. We all agree to that much. Its job was to boost group throughput as much as possible.
But, alas, it was made to be too ridiculous and had to be tuned down. Now it has been made completely irrelevant.
Here is the thing, it needs a redesign. A tank one. I know what you’re thinking when you read that. Ridiculous!
But I assure you, with the right setup it can succeed. It can be retooled as a tank class but its own damage made lower than the rest of the tanks. Since it boosts group throughput, its job is to grab aggro, hold it, and as it plays to boost up player abilities.
Some ability I have reworked and some abilities I have had to completely make up. I’m not good with names but I had chat GPT whip up some names.
| Ability | Description |
|---|---|
| Ebon Carapace (new) | Shields the Evoker for 6s, absorbing 35% of all incoming damage. Any absorbed amount explodes outward, dealing 20% of damage absorbed to enemies within 8 yds. 20s CD. |
| Upheaval (reworked) | Now taunts all enemies it hits and knocks them slightly upward. Damage reduced but threat increased by 400%. |
| Eruption (reworked) | Applies Cracked Earth to enemies (a stacking debuff that increases their damage taken from the Evoker by 3% per stack, up to 5). Generates high AoE threat. |
| Prescience (reworked) | Now applies to self only in tank spec. Increases dodge and parry by 10% and stores 10% of damage taken over 5s, then heals for that amount over the next 5s. |
| Bestow Fortitude (reworked from Bestow Weyrnstone) | Redirects 15% of all damage from an ally to the Evoker for 8 seconds. Usable every 30s. Generates massive threat. |
| Chrono Ward (new) | Place a ward on the ground for 10s. Allies standing inside take 20% less AoE damage. 1-min cooldown. |
Core Rotation
Single-Target Tanking
- Pull with Upheaval (generates aggro, knocks up)
- Eruption to apply Cracked Earth for increased personal damage
- Ebon Might on a high-damage DPS to boost their output and threat-generation via you
- Prescience on self before expected damage spikes
- Pyre (now generates bonus threat in tank spec) to fill
- Ebon Carapace when anticipating a hit or to convert mitigation into retaliation damage
- Bestow Fortitude if a teammate is being targeted by unavoidable mechanics
Multi-Target Tanking (3+ Mobs)
- Upheaval (aoe taunt + knock)
- Eruption on pack center to stack Cracked Earth
- Pyre spam to maintain AoE threat
- Chrono Ward if party will take AoE burst damage
- Ebon Carapace for reflect burst
- Reapply Prescience on self
- Rotate Ebon Might between DPS for group throughput (kept for theme even if it doesn’t buff tanking)
Defensive Cooldowns
| Cooldown | Effect |
|---|---|
| Ebon Carapace | Active mitigation + retaliatory threat |
| Prescience | Minor DR + self-healing over time |
| Chrono Ward | AoE reduction for the group |
| Obsidian Scales (unchanged) | Baseline 30% DR |
| Renewing Blaze (unchanged) | Reactive healing after spike damage |
Utility and Group Buffs
| Ability | Group Benefit |
|---|---|
| Ebon Might | Still boosts party’s primary stat briefly |
| Chrono Ward | Helps mitigate large AoE damage in dungeons |
| Bestow Fortitude | Saves squishies from lethal mechanics by transferring damage |
| Time Spiral | Allows raid-wide defensive CD flexibility (still strong for healer rotations) |
Balance Positioning
- Damage Output: ~15% lower than top tanks
- Threat Generation: High (via forced redirection, explosions, and AoE tools)
- Survivability: Moderate to high, especially vs. burst and magic
- Group Value: High in coordinated or magic-heavy groups
- Weaknesses: Requires ability management, less self-healing than a DK/Bear
Now that you have reviewed it, what are your thoughts? I would love to hear them. I think the idea of augmentation is awesome and well suited to an active tank. At least in this format we could see some being used.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts and hope we can get traction for blizzard to have a serious discussion on how to best make this spec more relevant going forward.