Frost has received new target caps on a total of three abilities. This is both big nerfs (
Guadaña de Escarcha) but also big buffs (
Aliento de Sindragosa).
Guadaña de Escarcha is now capped at 5 targets, a significant nerf to the ability on multiple levels.
- Damage doesn't scale past 5 targets.
- Cuchilla de hielo application isn't done as effectively (Previously spread to all targets with Cuchilla de hielo equipped on your mainhand).
- Fewer hits means fewer crit opportunities. Setelo CD reduction now doesn't scale past 5 targets.
The damage reduction is in itself very significant. With a 2H equipped, the total damage of a
Máquina de matar buffed
Guadaña de Escarcha on 5 targets is only ~25% more than a single target
Asolar Máquina de matar Critical Strike. With Dual Wield, the damage difference is 55% in
Guadaña de Escarcha's favor. This will definitely open up for other talent combinations. Neither
Avalancha nor
Pulso congelado has an AoE cap.
Cuchilla de hielo application can be done with
Avance glacial instead, pushing this talent forward in the new meta!
Aliento de Sindragosa and
Explosión aullante now follow the sqrt-formula
The total damage output of an ability that scales with the sqrt-formula is the following:
damage ~ 1 + (n - 1) / sqrt(n)
Where n is the number of targets. The abilities deal the same amount of damage to a single target, but scale differently on subsequent targets. This used to be linear.
In our case,
Explosión aullante will be somewhat better at 3 or fewer targets, equal at 4 and worse beyond.
Aliento de Sindragosa will be significantly better at low target counts. It's only at 11 targets that it'll deal less damage than the BFA version. The overall output at 2 targets is
30% higher compared to BFA. It looks to me like
Aliento de Sindragosa will be the king of cleave in Shadowlands!