PTR 3.3: New Build (10623), Raid Testing Schedule Updated

These updates are coming fast and 3.3’s testing phase is just flying by, isn’t it? The latest round of changes isn’t terribly extensive, which makes me think that, barring any last minute problems, that the development team has most of the classes right where they want them for the time being. I imagine it’s not worth introducing a mass of major tweaks with the game-changing 4.0 on the horizon. Nonetheless, if anybody is affected in this build, it’s certainly the Warlocks. Let’s take a look:

General

• Quel’Delar Quest Chain: The Battered Hilt, the item needed to start this quest line, can now be purchased from all glyph vendors on the public test realms.

PvP
Battlegrounds

• The achievements to get exalted with the Warsong Gulch, Arathi Basin, and Alterac Valley factions have been removed from their respective “Master of” meta-achievements. Special titles will be offered to those who reach exalted with these factions.

Wintergrasp

• You must now have the following ranks to build or pilot siege vehicles:

Rank 1: Build/pilot Catapults.
Rank 2: Build/pilot Demolishers.
Rank 3: Build/pilot Siege Engines.

Mage

• Deep Freeze: This spell now deals a large amount of damage to targets permanently immune to stuns.

Warlock!

Warlock
Affliction

• Shadow Mastery: This talent now also increases the damage done by the felhunter’s Shadow Bite ability by 3/6/9/12/15%.

Demonology

• Molten Core: Redesigned. This talent now increases the duration of Immolate by 3/6/9 seconds and provides a 4/8/12% chance to gain the Molten Core effect when Corruption deals damage. The Molten Core effect empowers the next 3 Incinerate or Soul Fire spells cast within 15 seconds (Incinerate: increases damage done by 6/12/18% and reduces cast time by 10/20/30%; Soul Fire: increases damage done by 6/12/18% and increases critical strike chance by 5/10/15%). Molten Core now has a new spell effect.

Destruction

• Conflagrate: Redesigned. This talent now consumes an Immolate or Shadowflame effect on the enemy target to instantly deal damage equal to 9 seconds of Immolate or 8 seconds of Shadowflame, and causes additional damage over 3 seconds equal to 3 seconds of Immolate or 2 seconds of Shadowflame. In addition, the periodic damage of Conflagrate is capable of critically striking the afflicted target.

Reputation

• Gaining reputation with the Ashen Verdict in Icecrown Citadel will grant players access to upgradeable rings from Ormus the Penitent. Players can switch between the type of ring (melee/caster/tank/healer) at any point in the upgrade path for 200g.

Items

• Hatchlings: Leaping, Darting, Razormaw, and Ravasaur Hatchlings no longer drop from their associated rare creatures. Instead, there are now rare nests that spawn which contain these hatchlings. For example, the Leaping Hatchling can now be found in Takk’s Nest rather than as a drop from Takk the Leaper.

In addition to the Warlock changes listed above, it appears that previous modifications made to Pandemic have also been reverted.

I’m also really liking the idea of the Ashen Verdict rings. Shades of Karazhan maybe? It was always a treat to upgrade those things, as an extra measure of progression (and they weren’t bad items to boot). I’m looking forward to that again!

In addition to the updated patch notes, Blizzard also released the upcoming Icecrown Citadel raid testing schedule, which will take place over the next two days on both US and EU realms. Here’s the rundown:

“We are scheduling raid tests in Icecrown Citadel for October 21-22.

The schedule is as follows:

US PTRs
October 21 at 7PM EDT / 4PM PDT - Festergut
October 22 at 7PM EDT / 4PM PDT - Icecrown Gunship Battle

EU PTRs
October 21 at 19:30 CEST - Rotface
October 22 at 19:30 CEST - Icecrown Gunship Battle

Only normal difficulties will be tested, although 10 and 25 player raids will be available.

The Icecrown Citadel raid test schedule will be very flexible, and can change at a moment’s notice due to build status, bugs, and server issues. Remember that this is the test server, so things can, do, and will break from time to time. Check this forum for the latest Icecrown Citadel raid testing schedule information in the weeks to come.”

Due to more phasing bugs and some personal schedule conflicts, I wasn’t able to get in on the Lord Marrowgar action last week. Hopefully things will be different this time around, because I’m really looking forward to testing out the Gunship Battle! That aside, it looks like we’re skipping the rest of the first set of encounters, as well as the Frostwhisper Halls area, for now, and going straight the the Plagueworks!

As always, feel free to chime in on the latest changes! Anyone else going to make the effort to test new boss encounters this week?