alt="Tauren Priest" />

In an ideal world, all classes would be
equal. Never would one do more DPS, be a better healing, or have a
skill that outshone the rest. This way, players could choose a class
based on what they actually wanted to play, not because it was
“better”. All classes created equal does have a nice ring to it.

This is one of the major goals that
Blizzard seems to be pushing towards in the newest World of Warcraft
expansion; Warlords of Draenor. The first sign we got was the total
reworking of racial abilities. No more picking a race just because it
makes your class that much better.

The changes don't stop there. In the
latest Alpha patch notes, Blizzard reveals another stunning change
that is just one more step in the quest to bring classes back on
equal ground. Combat resurrection is being totally reworked and it
will surely change the face of raiding forever.

Resurrection – A Look Back

Before we talk about the changes to
combat resurrection and what it could mean for you, I think it is
important to take a look back at the history of resurrection in
raids. Back in the days of 40 man raids and Molten Core, it was
pretty normal to have at least one player who was an out of combat
resurrector, on top of any available combat resurrections. This
person (usually a shaman), would be tasked with standing back during
the fight, stepping in only when they needed to resurrect another
player.

Of course, this practice ended when
Blizzard made it utterly impossible for any player to remain out of
combat during a raid boss. However, it shows us just how important
Resurrection is to a raid. While the days of OOC resurrection are
just a memory, combat resurrections have come even more important
than ever.

After OOC resurrection was removed, it
became essential to the game to have classes that could use combat
resurrection. These resurrections could be cast at any time and after
waiting for the spell cool down, could be cast multiple times during
the course of a raid. A powerful tool indeed and one that made
classes with this skill pretty desirable in raids.

In Mists of Pandaria, the limits have
become even more stringent. One single combat resurrection was given
for any boss encounter for 10-player raids, 3 for 25-player and 3 for
Flexible Raids, regardless of size. This of course made stacking
classes with these abilities a little less appealing and brought us
closer to a game where all classes were equally important.

alt="Molten Core" />

Combat Resurrection in Warlords of
Draenor

Blizzard plans to reform combat
resurrection once again in Warlords, to combat the new expanded
Flexible Raid technology. Here are the changes players can expect to
see to combat resurrection when the expansion hits:

  • During a boss encounter, all combat
    resurrection spells now share a single raid-wide pool of charges
    that’s visible on the action bar button.
  • Upon engaging a boss, all combat
    resurrection spells will have their cool downs reset and begin with 1
    charge. Charges will accumulate at a rate of 1 per (90/RaidSize)
    minutes.


  1. Example 1: A 10-player raid will
    accumulate 1 charge every 9 minutes (90/10 = 9).
  2. Example 2: A 20-player raid will
    accumulate 1 charge every 4.5 minutes (90/20 = 4.5).


  • A charge will only be deducted when a
    combat resurrection is successful (when the target accepts the
    resurrection).
  • Raid frames now show a debuff
    indicating that a dead player has a pending combat resurrection
    available.
  • Outside of raid boss encounters, combat
    resurrection spells retain their normal cool down behavior.

Aftershock

After looking over these new
limitations and reformations, it is easy to feel a bit jilted.
Especially if you remember the days when combat resurrections were
handed out left and right. However, if you sit and think about it, it
may really be for the best.

Combat resurrections have always made
classes with them more desirable. They are a powerful tool, so
limiting them only seems right. Not only to make boss fights more
challenging, but to make sure classes with combat resurrection
weren't selected primarily over other classes.

The new Flexible Raid technology being
introduced in Warlords has thrown things out of whack again. Letting
things as they stand, with a constant three combat resurrections,
would encourage players to only have the smallest possible raid.
Setting a hard break point would keep group sizes just under those
break points. In both situations, players would find themselves
trying to adhere to certain raid sizes and compositions to maximize
combat resurrections.

alt="Death Spirit" />

You could also argue that perhaps we
could go back to the days where combat resurrections were unlimited,
as long as their respective cool downs were up. But this would only
encourage players to fill their raid spots with these particular
classes. Not to mention, this makes fights seem less challenging, and
the importance of staying alive less intense.

Using this new limitation system will
make the threat of death an imposing thing, while still allowing for
a few mistakes a long the way. Also, unlike the Mists of Pandaria
system currently in place, resurrection charges can accumulate during
the boss fight if it continues long enough. The most important part
of this new system is that it still makes stacking a certain class,
because of its ability to resurrect other players, seem silly.

This new system will also take the
guess work out of things and allow for the number of combat
resurrections your raid has will be tracked and will be visible on
the screen. A problem that has plagued players since the early days
of WoW. Players will also be able to tell who the resurrection has
been handed out to, taking the guesswork out of this process and if
you resurrection someone who has gone AFK or can't accept the
resurrection, it doesn't count against your total combat resurrection
charges.

In my opinion, this system is pretty
close to perfect. It easily allows players to use and view the combat
resurrections they currently have and have used, while not forcing a
raid to be a certain size or stack certain classes. While some may
find these limitations restraining, I find them to be a great recipe
for a challenging boss fight.

How do you feel about the new
resurrection system in Warlords of Draenor? Is is too restrictive?
Will it ensure that players won't choose certain classes over
others? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section
below!


To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our World of Warcraft Game Page.

Last Updated: Mar 29, 2016

About The Author

Amunet, also fondly known as Memtron, is an organic life form best known for its ongoing obsession with Blizzard Entertainment's numerous properties. To that end, Amu has authored hundreds (thousands?) of the most popular World of Warcraft guides, editorials, and Top 10 lists on the planet. When not gaming and writing, Amu is busy chasing after her three children in a perpetual loop of ongoing disaster.

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