The War Within October 29 Hotfixes: Class Tuning and Raid Nerfs
Blizzard's October 29, 2024 War Within hotfixes buffed Balance Druid and Blood DK, raised Mistweaver healing, and eased Heroic Queen Ansurek.
By:
John Langan
Key Takeaways
On October 29, 2024, Blizzard deployed a large batch of The War Within Season 1 hotfixes covering class tuning, a Mythic+ reward, and Heroic raid nerfs. This is an archived recap — the live game today is Midnight (patch 12.0.5), so the numbers below reflect Season 1 as it stood in late October 2024, not current balance.
- Balance Druid picked up flat damage gains: Starfall +6%, Starsurge +8% (not in PvP), Starfire +5%, and Wrath +10%.
- Blood Death Knight got a clear buff inside the Gift of the San'layn window: Blood Boil +15%, Heart Strike +20%, Blood Plague +10%, and Death Strike +20%.
- Mistweaver Monk healing rose 6% across the board, with Yu'lon's Whisper up 400% and Rushing Wind Kick up 150%.
- Beast Mastery Hunter was rebalanced, not buffed: Barbed Shot was cut 25% while Stomp rose 50% and Multi-Shot doubled.
- Heroic Queen Ansurek was eased: Web Blades dropped from 4 targets to 3, plus Grasping Silk and Gloom Blast damage reductions.
- Mythic+ gained the Forgotten Folio recipe drop, and Challenger's Peril added 90 seconds to the keystone timer.
The full breakdown runs through class tuning, the Mythic+ and raid changes, and a round of PvP adjustments.
Class Tuning
Death Knight — Blood
Blizzard raised Blood Death Knight's throughput inside its Gift of the San'layn burst window. Blood Boil damage went up 15%, Heart Strike 20%, Blood Plague 10%, and Death Strike 20%. The San'layn package itself was tuned too: Vampiric Strike proc chance rose to 35% (from 25%), Essence of the Blood Queen lasted 25 seconds (from 20), and Gift of the San'layn boosted that essence by 200% (from 150%).
Druid — Balance and Restoration
Balance Druid received a straightforward damage pass. The four headline spells were each increased by a flat amount:
| Spell | Damage change |
|---|---|
| Starfall | +6% |
| Starsurge | +8% (does not apply to PvP) |
| Starfire | +5% |
| Wrath | +10% |
Alongside the table, Celestial Alignment and Incarnation: Chosen of Elune were set to reset at the end of raid encounters, and Shooting Stars and Crashing Stars gained 20%. For Restoration, Dream of Cenarius was strengthened so Wrath and Shred transferred 100% of their damage into healing (up from 50%), with Starfire and Swipe transferring 50% (up from 33%).
Hunter — Beast Mastery and Marksmanship
Beast Mastery was rebalanced rather than buffed: Barbed Shot damage was reduced 25%, while Stomp rose 50% and Multi-Shot doubled. Marksmanship saw a spread of changes too — Dark Ranger's Black Arrow fell 10%, while Bleak Powder and Shadow Surge each gained 25% and Sentinel's Symphonic Arsenal went up 15%.
Monk — Mistweaver
Mistweaver healing rose 6% across all outputs. Two abilities got outsized gains: Yu'lon's Whisper healing increased 400% and Rushing Wind Kick damage 150%. The Awakened Jadefire (Chi-Ji) line was also retuned, with Jade Bond's mastery-driven healing and Jadefire Teachings both adjusted, keeping the Crane build competitive without letting it run away.
Mythic+ and Raid Adjustments
Two Mythic+ entries shipped in this build. The Forgotten Folio was added as a rare drop on completing a Mythic+ dungeon, granting dungeon-sourced crafting recipes. The Challenger's Peril affix was set to add an extra 90 seconds to the keystone timer, softening its per-death penalty over a full run.
In Nerub-ar Palace, Heroic Queen Ansurek was eased. Web Blades targeted 3 players instead of 4 on Heroic, the first Silken Tomb cast was removed from the final cycle, Grasping Silk periodic damage fell 25%, and Gloom Blast damage dropped 15%. These were Heroic-difficulty changes only; Mythic Ansurek had been tuned earlier in the month.
If you are clearing current Midnight raid content rather than this Season 1 snapshot, you can browse our WoW raid carries for the live tier instead.
PvP Tuning
The build also carried PvP-specific adjustments across several classes, including Druid, Hunter, Monk, Paladin, Priest, Shaman, and Warrior. These were targeted balance tweaks to abilities flagged as over- or under-performing in rated play, separate from the PvE numbers above. Players chasing rating in the current Midnight season can compare our WoW PvP boosts for the live cycle.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did the October 29 War Within hotfixes go live?
Blizzard deployed them on October 29, 2024, during The War Within Season 1. They are historical; the current patch is Midnight 12.0.5, so the values here no longer apply.
Did Balance Druid actually get buffed?
Yes. Starfall rose 6%, Starsurge 8% (outside PvP), Starfire 5%, and Wrath 10%, alongside Shooting Stars and Crashing Stars at +20%. It was one of the cleaner damage passes in the build.
Was Barbed Shot buffed or nerfed?
Nerfed. Beast Mastery's Barbed Shot was cut 25%. The spec's AoE was redistributed into Stomp (+50%) and Multi-Shot (+100%), so it was a rebalance rather than a straight buff.
What changed for Heroic Queen Ansurek?
Heroic Web Blades targeted 3 players instead of 4, the first Silken Tomb cast was removed in the final cycle, Grasping Silk periodic damage fell 25%, and Gloom Blast damage dropped 15%. Mythic difficulty was untouched in this build.
Did Mistweaver Monk healing get stronger?
Yes. All Mistweaver healing rose 6%, with Yu'lon's Whisper up 400% and Rushing Wind Kick up 150%, plus Awakened Jadefire tuning on Jade Bond and Jadefire Teachings.
What is the Forgotten Folio?
It is an item with a small chance to drop on completing a Mythic+ dungeon, containing dungeon-sourced The War Within crafting recipes. It was added in this October 29 build.
Do these October 29 numbers still apply in Midnight?
No. Class tuning, the Season 1 Mythic+ pool, and Nerub-ar Palace are all part of the previous expansion. For live balance, check the current Midnight patch notes.
Last reviewed 2026-06-22 against The War Within Season 1 (patch 11.0.2). Maintained by WowCarry's WoW team.