Review of Protection Warrior Season 3 Tier Set Bonus

Since the initial Season 3 Tier Set bonus reveal, Protection Warriors have received some additional changes to their bonus coming in Patch 10.2. In this guide, we will discuss these changes and determine whether they are an overall buff or nerf for Protection Warriors.

Protection Warrior Season 3 Tier Set Revisited

The Protection Warrior Tier Set bonus from Amirdrassil and Dragonflight Season 3 revolves around consuming bleeds by casting Shield Slam. Initially, this bonus was focused on single-target damage, but it has undergone significant changes that have made it much stronger across various types of content.

Let's take a look at the old and new tier set bonuses:

What's Changed?

The 2-piece bonus has had its damage reduced by 60%, but it has been transformed into a personal damage reduction buff instead of a single-target damage reduction debuff. This change makes the bonus much more effective in AoE situations and against environmental damage effects, providing a significant defensive improvement.

The 4-piece bonus has also been improved, increasing the overall damage reduction from 10% to 14-16% based on the number of bleeds removed. Additionally, the cooldown reduction effect on Thunderous Roar has been significantly boosted, resulting in more frequent casts of this offensive cooldown and a potential 5-10% total damage increase in Mythic+.

Nerfing Protection Warrior Single-Target Damage Sounds Bad, But It's Fine

Although nerfing the weakest tank in the game may seem like a bold move, it is the right one in this case. The previous iteration of this tier set bonus allowed highly-optimized Warriors to consistently deal excessive single-target damage, which could lead to issues with threat management in raids and imbalance in the game. By redistributing the damage reduction and improving the offensive cooldown reduction effect, the tier set bonus now provides a better balance for all types of content.

Things That Make You Go Hmmmm....

While the tier set bonus changes are mostly positive, there are a few peculiarities worth noting. Firstly, there is a noticeable difference in proc rates among different Rage spenders, with Ignore Pain having a significantly higher proc chance compared to other skills. Secondly, the crit chance of the procs is heavily suppressed, making critical hits rare. Lastly, consuming Fervid Bite procs immediately while Thunderous Roar is active can result in a loss of single-target damage. These peculiarities may require further examination by Blizzard and the player community to determine if they are intended or unintended interactions.

In the Blood

In conclusion, the changes to the Protection Warrior Season 3 Tier Set bonus have significantly improved its effectiveness in various types of content. While there has been a reduction in single-target burst damage, the buffs and redistributions have made the bonus stronger overall. If Protection Warrior single-target damage still feels lacking, it should be addressed directly rather than relying solely on an overpowered tier set bonus. With these changes, Protection Warriors are poised to have a great time in Season 3 and enjoy powerful and fun gameplay. Speaking of Season 3, we rolled out pre-order offers for the upcoming update and a new Amirdrassil raid, you can check them out here to get a headstart when the update comes out. We'll see you in the next blog post!