Updated Demon Hunter Class Guides for 10.2 Rework - Talent Positions, New Talents

With Patch 10.2 already live and Season 3 starting this week, it is a good moment to highlight some changes done to Demon Hunters. Both Havoc and Vengeance received substantial change with Patch 10.2 and both currently are among the most promising specs in the new season.

The Havoc Demon Hunter Rework in Patch 10.2

The Havoc Demon Hunter underwent significant changes in Patch 10.2, to the point where it could be considered a rework. Some talents, such as Felfire Heart and Fodder to the Flame, were completely removed from the spec tree. Elysian Decree was moved into the class tree, making it a competitive option against Collective Anguish. Many talents received adjustments or new talents were introduced, such as the reworked Fel Barrage, which now drains resources for up to 8 seconds.

The most significant changes to Havoc Demon Hunter's playstyle are related to the reduction in fury generation caused by the rework of Isolated Prey, which no longer generates fury on Fel Rush. Additionally, Demonic Appetite became a baseline ability, but with a nerf to 20 fury per soul. Metamorphosis had its cooldown and duration reduced, dropping from 3 minutes to 2 minutes, and from 24 seconds to 20 seconds, respectively. These adjustments, combined with the nerfs to Demonic Appetite and Demonic, have led to a significant decrease in the uptime of Metamorphosis, despite the increased frequency of casting the cooldown.

Another notable change to the playstyle is the introduction of Inertia as a choice node against Momentum. Currently, Inertia appears to be stronger and will reduce the frequency of using Fel Rush in the rotation. It's worth mentioning that the new talent A Fire Inside, which is used in all builds with Inertia, causes Fel Rush to be cast for damage more frequently due to the increased number of Immolation Aura casts.

• Havoc Demon Hunter Guide

The Vengeance Demon Hunter Rework in Patch 10.2

The Vengeance Demon Hunter has also undergone numerous changes in Patch 10.2. Many talent positions have been reworked, and talent costs have been reduced, allowing for access to more talents. The baseline abilities have received buffs, including Sigil of Flame, Fracture, Soul Cleave, and Spirit Bomb, resulting in approximately a 15% increase in baseline DPS compared to the previous tier.

The cooldowns for Metamorphosis (talented) and Fel Devastation have been reduced, providing us with significantly more uptime on one of our major cooldowns. The durations of Sigil of Flame and Fiery Brand have been extended by 2 seconds, and Fiery Brand now ticks every second instead of every 2 seconds. These changes allow the spreading of Burning Alive to be more rapid. The effect of Charred Flesh has been added to Sigil of Flame and Fiery Brand. Additionally, the hidden cap on Burning Alive and Charred Flesh has been removed, allowing for a greater number of spread targets and longer spell extensions.

In addition to the above, the introduction of the new talent Illuminated Sigils, along with buffs to our other Sigil talents, provides us with the opportunity to build upon this foundation. Overall, we have seen substantial increases in baseline damage for both single target and AoE, a minor increase in survivability for single target and a significant increase in utility for Mythic+ dungeons with flexible talent choices for different situations.

Compared to Patch 10.1.7, we are seeing a 15% DPS gain, nearly 70% uptime on Sigil of Flame with the new parry in Mythic+, a 33% increase in uptime on Metamorphosis, and the potential for double the uptime on Fiery Brand with up to three times as many spread targets.

Updates like these keep the game fresh and engaging for all players. With the new raid tier Demon Hunter aims to conquer the top of tier lists across the patch.