What is different
Steamwheedle Mercs keeps the 1.12 game and changes what makes it tedious or lopsided: every class got new talents and spells, gear and professions were extended, and a long list of quality of life changes takes out the grind. This page lists what changed. The in-game talent tooltips and the Talent Calculator always show the exact current numbers.
Warrior
Protection got real tools for holding threat, and Fury a stronger Bloodthirst.
- Protection
- Defensive Stance threat, a reworked Shield Slam, Improved Shield Block reflect, a Concussion Blow debuff, One-Handed Weapon Specialization gives threat, and shorter Shield Wall and Last Stand cooldowns.
- Fury
- Bloodthirst deals 100% of your attack power.
Paladin
Consecration, Judgement and the seals are cheap and available early. Retribution and Protection gained new spells.
- General
- Blessings last one hour. Consecration is learned at level 15. Judgement no longer consumes your Seal and costs a fraction of the mana. Seals, Judgement, Exorcism, Holy Wrath, Hammer of Wrath and Crusader Strike cost much less mana. The Tome of Nobility (Summon Warhorse) is available at level 10.
- Protection
- Righteous Fury triples threat on every school and Improved Righteous Fury lowers the damage you take. Holy Shield costs half the mana, lasts 20 seconds with 40 charges, does double damage and restores 5% of your mana when you block. Denounce is a level 10 taunt with a 45 yard range. Reckoning has no attack cap.
- Retribution
- Crusader Strike, learned from level 1, hits with Holy damage that scales with spell power. Sacred Might (level 50) adds 25% of your melee attack power as Holy spell damage. Hammer of Wrath is instant. Exorcism and Holy Wrath hit any enemy and always crit Undead and Demons. Improved Seal of the Crusader also boosts Crusader Strike. Seal of Command procs for 70% weapon damage, Vengeance and Improved Judgement restore mana. Conviction, Vengeance and Improved Blessing of Might were trimmed in the balance pass.
Hunter
No dead zone, traps in combat, pets that scale with you and three specializations that each play differently.
- General
- No dead zone for ranged attacks. Traps can be set in combat and scale with your ranged attack power. Shots and abilities cost far less mana. Pet happiness gives a damage bonus and Mend Pet is instant.
- Beast Mastery
- Your pet inherits part of your ranged attack power and critical strike chance, Bestial Wrath works for hunters, Growl redirects threat to the pet, Multi-Shot cleaves through the pet, Spirit Bond restores mana and focus, and passive pets ignore proximity aggro.
- Marksmanship
- Stronger Mortal Shots and Lethal Shots, a reworked Aimed Shot and Arcane Shot, Barrage mana, and the Lone Wolf talent for hunters who play without a pet.
- Survival
- Raptor Strike and Mongoose Bite were reworked to add weapon damage, Clever Traps, Savage Strikes and Predator's Edge were tuned, and Surefooted, Killer Instinct, Lightning Reflexes and Survivalist changed.
Rogue
Assassination became a finisher and poison specialization. Combat and Subtlety are as in vanilla.
- Assassination
- Envenom (50% of your attack power per combo point), Venomous Wounds, Let It Flow and Kingsbane. Combo points persist across targets and out of combat. Boss poison immunity was replaced by Nature resistance. The rogue poisons last one hour.
Priest
Shadow has Shadowform, Vampiric Embrace for the whole raid and spreading damage over time.
- General
- Power Word: Fortitude and Inner Fire last one hour.
- Discipline
- Improved Power Word: Shield gives 7, 14 and 21%.
- Shadow
- Shadow spells cost less mana. Vampiric Embrace heals the whole raid for 30% of your Shadow spell damage, Shadowform doubles the crit damage bonus of Shadow spells, Shadow Word: Pain, Mind Flay and Devouring Plague can crit, Darkness restores mana on critical Shadow spells and Spirit Tap works for every priest that shares kill credit. Mind Flay hits every enemy with your Shadow Word: Pain.
Shaman
A totem bar, longer buffs and cheaper spells, and a talent change in each tree.
- General
- Call of the Elements drops a chosen totem of each element in one global cooldown (.totem 1-4 name, .totem recall). Totems last 10 minutes and friendly totem buffs reach 50 yards. Weapon imbues and Lightning Shield last one hour. Two-handed axes and maces are known from level 1. Ghost Wolf gives +60% speed.
- Elemental
- Elemental Mastery raises Elemental Focus to a 65% chance of a free spell. Lightning Mastery makes Lightning Bolt apply Electric Momentum, which lowers Nature resistance for 15 seconds.
- Enhancement
- Windfury Weapon and Totem proc 25%, the totem grants two extra attacks and weapon procs restore mana. Stormstrike has a 5 second cooldown and an 80% Nature debuff.
Mage
Arcane Blast and Arcane Barrage for Arcane, Hot Streak for Fire and Ice Lance for Frost.
- Arcane
- Arcane Blast and Arcane Barrage, Arcane Charge, Missile Surge, Mana Adept and Arcane Addict (Evocation with a 30 second cooldown).
- Fire
- Hot Streak! gives instant Pyroblasts, Fire and Frost spells cost much less mana and Fire Focus raises Fire damage.
- Frost
- Ice Lance, Fingers of Frost, a Shatter synergy and a reworked Winter's Chill.
Warlock
Damage over time that can crit, a Drain Life that is worth casting and a stronger demon for each tree.
- General
- Damage over time spells can crit and have spell power coefficients. Spells cost less mana. Pets are stronger.
- Affliction
- Drain Life was reworked. Corruption, Curse of Agony, Drain Life and Siphon Life were rebalanced, and Malefic Grasp was tuned.
- Demonology
- Grand Master Demonologist summons a twin demon, which has a chance to spawn temporary imps that fight for you. Demonic Embrace gives its Stamina to your demons as well and has no Spirit penalty.
- Destruction
- Ruin restores mana on a crit and Improved Immolate and Searing Focus were tuned. Shadow Flame Covenant makes Soul Fire free and keeps your Fire damage bonuses when the damage becomes Shadow.
Druid
Moonkin and cat form got new tools, bears got threat, and shapeshifting is cheap.
- General
- Shapeshifting costs half the mana, Travel Form gives +60% speed, Mark of the Wild and Thorns last one hour, and potions, bandages and the Hearthstone work while shapeshifted.
- Balance
- Nature's Grace makes your next spell instant and restores mana on a crit. Wrath and Moonfire can make your next Starfire or Wrath instant, Rejuvenation and Insect Swarm work in Moonkin Form, and Wrath, Starfire, Moonfire and Faerie Fire cost much less mana.
- Feral (cat)
- In cat form weapon damage turns into attack power, attacks are 10% faster and energy comes quicker. Rake, Rip and Pounce scale with attack power and can crit, Tiger's Fury is free and Shred works from any side. Combo points persist across targets and out of combat.
- Feral (bear)
- Bear and Dire Bear Form give more rage from damage taken. Swipe hits 12 targets for double threat, Faerie Fire (Feral) keeps your swing timer, Barkskin works in form, and Survival Instincts is a new bear form spell.