In the latest update for World of Warcraft, Patch 11.1 brings significant changes to Brann’s tanking specialization, primarily aimed at addressing issues of overperformance. Players will notice reductions in Brann’s damage output and health, an increase in the damage he takes, and several tweaks to his abilities. These modifications were necessary as Brann was clearing high-tier Delves too efficiently, especially with a healer’s support.
Season 2 of World of Warcraft: The War Within has commenced on March 4, introducing new content such as a dungeon, a raid, and several Delves with varied themes. This season also saw the introduction of a tanking specialization for Brann Bronzebeard, who acts as your Delve companion.
However, after just one week into the season, it became clear that Brann was excelling a bit too well in this new role. In a post by community manager Kaivax, the team at World of Warcraft outlined that substantial nerfs were on the way. Brann’s health has been reduced by 20%, his susceptibility to damage has skyrocketed by 60%, and numerous abilities saw reductions in effectiveness.
The need for these changes arose because tank Brann was outperforming in various scenarios, particularly when utilized alongside a healer. Within the initial days, some healers reported they could breeze through Tier 11 Delves with ease when teamed up with Brann. World of Warcraft aims to enable healers to solo these challenges with Brann’s support, but the previous tuning made this setup overpower most other playstyle combinations.
These adjustments haven’t been without controversy. Many players voice that tank Brann wasn’t too powerful to begin with, arguing that his health would often deplete quickly when engaging multiple enemy groups. Others fear that the nerfs make the healer-Delve runs tedious, as Brann might now take considerably longer to dispatch foes. There is a notion among the community that Blizzard may have overstepped with these changes.
On a positive note, World of Warcraft has committed to making further balance tweaks if this nerf proves to be too harsh. For the time being, players should gear up for a more challenging experience entering Delves with Brann in The War Within’s second season.
Regarding the specifics, it was noted over the first days of Season 2 that Brann’s Tank specialization was overwhelmingly effective in Delves. While supporting a healer-centric playstyle is encouraged, the balance was skewed, resulting in gameplay that heavily favored backing up Brann with steady healing. In pursuit of balance among Brann’s specializations and consistent Delve difficulty across playstyles, adjustments were necessary.
Here’s what’s on the tuning list tailored for Tank Brann with the ongoing maintenance in each region:
Delves
- Brann Bronzebeard:
- Electro-Charged Gadgets’ damage boost is now a 30% increase per stack (previously 25%).
- This buff no longer stacks with healing over time or passive off-heals for DPS and Tank specializations.
- The buff has a 5-second internal cooldown for healer specializations, not affecting non-passive beneficial spells.
- The maximum stacks for this buff have been reduced from 20 to 12.
- Tank Brann’s Boomstick Blitz damage reduced by 35%.
- Reduced damage if Boomstick Blitz targets more than eight enemies.
- Electro-Charged Pistol’s damage similarly cut by 35%.
- Pistol Shot sees a 15% reduction.
- Brann now suffers 60% increased damage.
- A 20% decrease in maximum health for Brann.
- Bronzebeard’s Brown Bear melee damage is down by 80%.
- Brown Bear’s stomp, second and third attack damages are also significantly reduced.
- Pinged Augment Chip now offers a max health increase of 4% to 10% based on rank.
- Chip causes Brann to lose all threat if bot-hit occurs, accompanied by a noticeable icon display.
- Fixed an issue where Brown Bear’s health and dodge chance benefitted excessively.
As always, the goal is creating balance that broadens playstyle opportunities. World of Warcraft will keep a close eye on how these changes play out in Delves and will adjust accordingly. Player feedback is highly valued and welcomed!
