While the changes affect the dps (specifically aoe) , it’s essential to highlight that SP’s damage output isn’t the principal reason they are currently leading in M+. It’s more about how the dungeons and affixes in DF S1 and S2 align with the SP’s versatile utility toolkit. SP’s capabilities range from MD for Bursting/Magic Debuffs, Mind Control, Fade for Entanglement, PI for boosting party DPS, VE for off-healing in high damage scenarios, to Cleanse Disease in UR/BH.
The recent AOE nerf feels somewhat excessive, hence my request for an additional charge to Shadow Crash. Nerfs to VT, SWP, and Psylink notwithstanding, the issue of DOT application remains. Shadow Crash in particular can be problematic, especially when e.g. Lashers spawn frequently or if a player encounters obstacles like ceilings, pillars, or moving mobs.
The prowess of other classes such as DHs and Rogues in keys has been notable, and they have consistently outperformed decent sps. I believe that simply reducing damage is not the correct solution. It’s my hope that these are just not well thought out emergency tunings for SP and that the SP damage changes will be revised as swiftly as they were nerfed.
On the flip side, having always had to main another Caster DPS (Mage/Lock/Moonkin) due to the negative community perception of SPs in M+, I’m somewhat pleased that SPs are now highly sought after in M+.
However, the focus seems to have shifted too far from SP’s damage capabilities to its utility. As others have mentioned, it’s primarily the utility skills like mass dispel, PI, mind soothe, and dominate mind that have made the priest so potent in M+. The decision to nerf the AOE damage seems misplaced when the issue wasn’t necessarily with SP’s damage output. The solution could involve granting other classes more utility and adjusting ours accordingly. If my role is primarily to support, I might as well play an augment.
Classes like the Assassination Rogue, despite their current shortcomings, haven’t received any changes yet. We expect updates to come in due time, but this situation underlines a broader issue about accepting and utilizing the tweaks made to classes.
In essence, I’m truly grateful for Blizzard’s efforts to strengthen our utility role, but it’s a disservice to construe Shadow Priest as merely a utility bot. The SP’s role in M+ isn’t exclusively about damage, and nerfing this aspect isn’t a holistic solution. Let’s aim for a balance that appreciates the SP’s versatile toolkit while addressing the current limitations of other classes.
tldr: I don’t appreciate the update and will drop my sub.