World of Warcraft Cataclysm 19 Twink Changes

This article will be discussing the recent changes of Cataclysm on the World of Warcraft 19 twink bracket. I will be discussing the significant changes in spells and abilities for each individual class. Throughout the thread I will also discuss subjects such as who has gotten better and worse at Flag Carrying/Healing etc.

If you are looking for the basic differences in classes and are trying to choose a class click the link below

Choosing a 19 Twink

If you are looking for the basic strategies and things you should know while playing in the 19 twink bracket click the link below

19 Twink Basic Strategies

Major Class Changes

• Flag Carrying is also done by Paladins
• Druids lost Natures Grasp
• Warlocks have Felguard with stun
• Rogues can Ambush for 1k
• Shamans have earth shield
• Shamans can ghost wolf indoors
• Hunters can have numerous pets (only 1 summoned)

Other Changes

• Most Items with Spell Power have had it removed and replaced with more Intellect or Stamina

Paladins have had a huge upgrade as they are actually a very viable Flag Carrying and overall Healing class now. Most Paladin’s will be speccing into the Holy talent tree for the vast number of heals that they have received with the Cataclysm talents and spells. They received 2 new instant heals along with a talent that adds an extra heal every single time the paladin casts a heal. The Paladins will become good flag carriers from these abilities along with the fact that druids have received somewhat of a nerf on their Flag Carrying abilities.

Rogues have also experienced a huge upgrade with their new ability of Shadowstep. With Cataclysm’s new changes most 19 rogues have switched to daggers as their weapons for a Shadowstep -> Ambush attack combination. These attacks have made rogues arguably the most powerful class on the battleground, though they are receiving a nerf to the damage that these new attacks will cause.

Warlocks received a solid upgrade with their ability to now have a Felguard. The Felguard is going to be the most powerful pet in the Warlock’s arsenal with the ability to stun and charge an enemy. Most other aspects of play for the warlock have stayed the same, with a few upgrades in the talent tree of demonology, which is where most warlocks are speccing in order to gain the Felguard.

With the new Cataclysm updates for 19 twinks most priests have decided to spec into the Discipline talent tree to acquire the spell Penance. Penance is a channeled spell that is going to be the most useful heal in the Priest’s arsenal, while having a cool-down that is not too terribly long. Along with this new spell there are also a few useful talents in the discipline tree that will help with the Priests healing abilities.

While other classes have received large upgrades to either damage or healing, Shamans received an upgrade that causes them to choose which they are going to do, not allowing them to be talented at both. Some Shamans are speccing into enhancement for the Duel-Wield and Lava lash while this is looking to be a somewhat promising build. Most Shamans however are speccing into restoration for healing because the new spell earth shield. Earth Shield is a buff that you can put on a friendly target that has 9 charges, these charges heal the unit when attacked.

Hunters did not receive any great upgrades, which is much appreciated by everyone else in the 19 twink bracket, as they were the class that most dominated before this patch. Most Hunters are speccing into survival for Explosive Shot which is a powerful shot that deals fire damage over 2 sec and also for a 15% increase to Agility.

Warriors have recieved a significant change and upgrade as they can now duel weild if they spec into the Fury talent tree. In this tree they receive Bloodthirst which hits very high and also slightly heals the warrior. The other option for a Warrior is to go into the arms tree and receive increase damage with 2H weps and also Mortal Strike which is an attack that also decreases healing done to target by 50%.

Druids got a few new beneficial upgrades, but they seem to push the druid to more of a healing role in battlegrounds, though they are still arguably the best flag carrier. The new spells are swiftmend which causes the next heal to be an instant cast, and a 15% increase to all healing spells. These new spells and benefits will cause the druid to be a much more effective healer, while increasing its flag carrying ability because of the instant heal and increased healing. While they receive these nice benefits, they also lost natures grasp which was an extremely useful tool in keeping melee off.