With the release of Season 3, Destruction is getting yet another set bonus that revolves largely around a specific talent. In season 2 we picked up
引导恶魔之火 in order to make full use of our set bonuses. In season 3 we also get a set bonus that revolves around a talent we haven't yet used a whole lot in PvE, this is
次元裂隙.
Gameplay
As this is not a talent we have been playing a whole lot before, this means the playstyle changes slightly. That being said,
次元裂隙 doesn't actually interact with a whole lot of our kit, meaning we pretty much just get a new damage source, that can be used on the move. In season 2 you had to consider when to use
引导恶魔之火 to proc the damage increase from the set bonus, but in season 3 we just get a whole lot more
次元裂隙 casts, and these have a chance to proc a flame rift that deals more damage.
Strength
Looking at raiding, this set bonus is fairly strong, for a few reasons. We get more damage on the move, as
次元裂隙 is an instant cast. We can sit on a stack of this at all times, and then use it right when we have to move. Previously we only had
燃烧 to cast on the move and if you didn't you would just have to accept the downtime in dps. You could also consider saving up multiple stacks of
次元裂隙, to then deal more on-demand dps onto a priority target. Although with how the 2-set works, you could risk losing out on
次元裂隙 casts so this may not be worth it in all situations.
For dungeons and Mythic+, this set bonus is not what you were hoping for. In Mythic+ Destruction has largely been playing a setup that included a lot of
火焰之雨 casts, proccing
毁灭仪式 and
毁灭化身. This setup benefits greatly from
混乱具象, which is the alternative talent in the same note as
次元裂隙. This means, in order to pick up
次元裂隙 you would be losing out on
混乱具象. Some Warlocks have even been discussing if this would end up being worth it, as the only
次元裂隙 that deals any AoE damage is the fire portal from our 4-set.
It's going to be interesting to see what version of this set bonus goes live because, in its current state, it looks like a set bonus that only really benefits single target and light cleave. And if this set bonus doesn't change, what that will mean for the Mythic+ talent setup for Destruction. If this version goes live, it's very unlikely Destruction will be a good contender for a Mythic+ spot.