Associate editor Tyler Colp said back in March that he was convinced Blizzard was about to bring a ranged support class to World of Warcraft. As it turns out, he was partly right: Today Blizzard unveiled the new Augmentation specialization for the Dracthyr Evoker class, a damage dealer role coming to the game this summer that uses "the essence of the Black and Bronze dragonflights to amplify the abilities of nearby allies."
"The playstyle for this new specialization involves empowering your allies with a variety of beneficial effects," Blizzard explained in the Augmentation Evoker preview. "Some can be cast directly on your allies, while others are tied to using your damage-dealing abilities effectively. Augmentation Evokers deliver their damage in a wholly unique way. They act as force multipliers, increasing their group's capabilities (and damage output) significantly."
Some Augmentation abilities will buff either your entire party or individual members, and many will use "smart or proximity-based automatic targeting" so Augmentation Evokers can support their pals while staying focused on the fight. You'll also be able to target specific members of your party for buffs, if you prefer.
Black dragonflight magic is focused on raw power boosts and "forceful outbursts of earthen might," Blizzard said, while bronze dragonflight magic "is all about bending time, changing fate, and shifting timelines to tremendous effect." Here are a few examples:
Ebon Might
- 1.5 second cast, 30 second cooldown.
- Increase your 4 nearest allies’ primary stat by a percentage of your own, and cause your Eruption to deal more damage for 10 sec. Some of your other spells extend the duration of these effects.
Eruption
- 2 second cast. Costs 3 Essence. Replaces Disintegrate.
- Cause a violent eruption beneath an enemy’s feet, dealing Volcanic damage split between them and nearby enemies. Increases the duration of your active Ebon Might effects.
Upheaval
- 2.5 second empower, 40 second cooldown.
- Gather earthen power beneath your enemy’s feet and send them hurtling upwards, dealing Volcanic damage to them and nearby enemies. Empowering expands the area of effect. Increases the duration of your active Ebon Might effects.
Breath of Eons
- 1.5 minute cooldown. Replaces Deep Breath.
- Fly to the targeted location, exposing Temporal Wounds on enemies in your path for 10 sec. Temporal Wounds accumulate a portion of damage dealt by your allies, and then critically strike the enemy for that amount at the end of the duration. Increases the duration of your active Ebon Might effects.
Augmentation Evokers will also have access to an all-new spec tree that will enable them to increase their black or bronze magic specializations and discover new ways to support their comrades.
So it's not an all-new class, but adding a whole new specialization to an existing class is a big deal in its own right, and Blizzard said the Augmentation Evoker spec "offers a unique opportunity to delve into a playstyle never seen before in World of Warcraft."
The Augmentation Evoker specialization is slated to go live in World of Warcraft this summer as part of the Fractures in Time content update, which will also include a new Dawn of the Infinite mega-dungeon, a new Time Rifts public event, and the Kalimdor Grand Prix dragonriding event.
