World of Warcraft: Forever has outlined its planned Hunter, Mage and Paladin updates in the second entry of its three-part class highlights series. The overview focuses on new combat tools, hybrid-build support and several quality-of-life changes, including improved Hunter shots, Mage spell interactions and expanded Paladin tanking options.
Hunters: smoother shots, pets and reactive Survival tools
All Hunter specializations are set to receive a shorter-cast Aimed Shot that no longer interferes with the Auto Shot timer. Marksmanship also gains Sniper Shot, a longer cast with heavier damage, while early-tree talents Careful Aim and Lone Wolf respectively convert Intellect into attack power and increase damage when no pet is active.
Beast Mastery Hunters will be able to tame Fox pets, and Hunter armor will increase pet stats as well as the Hunter’s own. Survival gains several close-range and reactive options: Strider Kick is an instant attack dealing 100% weapon damage, while Exposed Prey can enable Mongoose Bite without requiring a dodge. Survival Hunters will also be able to place traps during combat rather than only before an engagement.
Mages: Frostfire hybrids and Arcane mana decisions
Frost Mages gain Ice Lance as a fast follow-up when Fingers of Frost activates. The update also makes Frostfire Bolt count as both Fire and Frost damage, allowing talents from either tree to support the spell and opening more room for Fire-Frost hybrid builds.
For Arcane, casting Arcane Blast will increase the damage of the Mage’s other spells while making subsequent Arcane Blasts more expensive. The effect stacks up to four times, creating a tradeoff between rising damage and mana costs.
October update: the Fire talent originally called Hot Streak is now Heating Up. Non-periodic critical strikes with Fireball, Frostfire Bolt, Fire Blast and Scorch reduce the next Pyroblast's cast time by 25%, stacking up to three times. The October 7 deep dive confirms that it is not dependent on consecutive critical strikes.
Paladins: taunts for Protection and longer blessings
Protection Paladins will receive Seal of Fury. While active, it adds damage to attacks and grants a small shield; using Judgment under the seal deals damage and taunts the target. Every Paladin will also learn Consecration at level 20, with the spell dealing Holy damage to the first four nearby enemies.
Protection’s additional tools include Swift Judgment, which immediately refreshes Judgment’s cooldown, and Templar’s Bulwark, which grants a shield equal to the Paladin’s maximum health for eight seconds.
Holy gains Light’s Vigil, which changes the next Holy Shock cast on an ally so it heals every member of that ally’s party and immediately refreshes Holy Shock’s cooldown. Blessings, including Greater Blessings, are also planned to last one hour rather than five minutes.
Retribution gains Twist of Light, a talent designed around seal twisting. After replacing Seal of Righteousness, Fury, Command or Justice with another Seal, the next melee swing retains an echo of the replaced seal. Holy Strike adds another instant Holy-damage attack for the specialization.
The video is the second of three planned class overviews; the next installment is set to cover Priests, Warlocks and Druids.