Rumors are circulating around that Patch 3.1 is going to hit in early April. Changes are coming hard and fast and keeping up with them can be a challenge. This goes double when the additions keep coming with each PTR build. Someone should tell those Ulduar raid testers that parsing WoWhead’s PTR database is where the difficulty is really at.
So… Glyphs! They’re papery mystic thingies that customize our abilities. Some are more useful than others. Let’s take a look at some of the new ones (the ones that aren’t just getting a makeover) for warrior tanks… shall we?
Major Glyphs
Glyph of Enraged Regeneration -This glyph raises the effective healing of the ability by 10%, not a shabby number consider that 10% on a tank can easily be 3000+ health at this point.
Glyph of Shield Wall – This glyph reduces the cooldown of Shield wall to 2 minutes, but also reduces it’s effective damage reduction to 40%. Let me tell you, despite the apparent trade off, this glyph is one of the strongest of the bunch, especially if paired with Improved Disciplines.
Glyph of Shockwave -I’m underwhelmed by the thought of 3 seconds off of my Shockwave timer of 20 seconds. Not only does it seem like a piddling amount, but it seems to me that it would make mess up the cooldown rotation on Thunderclap as well with the global cooldown.
Glyph of Spell Reflection – Spell reflection is a pretty awesome ability on a short cooldown. Certain fights (I’m thinking Malygos particularly), it really shines. But like Improved Spell Reflection, it’s so selectively useful that it is hard to see it as part of anything but a sideshow.
Glyph of Vigilance – The thing that I like about this glyph is it makes a unique warrior ability even better. I love Vigilance for its utility (I like to jest that I have hotkeys to swap the “Badge of Shame” between the most reckless DPS in the middle of a fight), and this seems like it would simply make that ability even better.
Minor Glyphs
None. Not even a single new minor glyph as yet. What the Fuck Blizzard. There are a grand total of six minor glyphs and now TWENTY-SEVEN majors. I mean come on. My minors are pretty good, but an extra five yards on my charge ability is only distinguished by the fact that I so rarely need to use mocking blow. Maybe some of those lackluster Major Glyphs should have been minors? I’m looking at Glyph of Intervene especially.
Gee, where might I possibly fit these new Glyphs?
A good question, that is thankfully rather straightforwardly answered by looking at the role (or two in the case of dual specs) you are aiming to play. While the somewhat staid combo of Glyph of Blocking/Heroic Strike/Revenge is a pretty good high threat standby, I would expect to see more warriors with the likes of Glyph of Shield Wall/Last Stand/Spell Reflect for when they want to tank Sartharion or laugh at Scions during the second phase of Malygos. Let’s be honest, if you already have taken the points for Improved Disciplines or Improved Spell Reflect, these glyphs take that choice in whatever context you made it and make it better. I see these new glyphs as being a particular blessing for warriors who are going with two protection specs, as it will help them to use that capacity for greater specialization to the utmost.
Still, bear in mind that the PTR is a crazy place right now people, so things can change pretty rapidly. I can’t help but think that the current itineration of Glyph of Heroic Strike (100% crit? Crazy!) is destined for a nerf. But, you know, that’s just me.
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