Yeah, after reading and reviewing the patch notes, mages are seemingly getting massively, and I mean massively nerfed, not only getting their gameplay gutted.
Here’s hoping it changes by the end of alpha/beta testing, because it will make solo delving a huge PITA:
- Slow gone. Fire/Arcane snare is becoming a huge hassle, again.
- Longer barrier CD (20% increase) for a measly 5% buff.
- Accumulative Shielding gone. No CD reduction barrier.
- Ice Floes gone, no more casting while moving, at all.
- Displacement and it’s heal, gone.
- Mass Barrier gone. Pet + Images + Mass Barrier for solo play nuked.
- Blast Wave gone. No more knockback gameplay. This one is a huge change for me in PvP, reducing a lot of the spec’s fun after we finally got it back.
- Cryo Freeze gone. No more Ice Block/Cold healing. The new Alter Time 50% heal when below 25% could be their answer to it, but it does not compare, since we don’t control the timing, despite being potentially more frequent, and no CD has been listed for the effect.
- Diverted energy gone. No more healing from barrier damage absorption.
- The big one: Mirror Image duration nerfed from 40s to 15s. This spell is vital to reduce threat while keeping us in combat for the whole duration. It’s the main thing that makes going DPS on Brann (and Valeera i guess) viable for bosses on T11 delves, since we get to burst uninterrupted.
Changing mains to DH in Legion/BfA and hunter in SL were some of my greatest regrets, I am not looking forward to doing it again.
I am also at a loss on what to do.