Blizzard’s “Soon (TM)” ideology generally refers to the time span of patches and new features. However, surrounding that ideology is a semantic field of uncertainty and possibility. For that reason, I generally try not to write columns about patch notes and not-yet-implemented features.

But this week is different.

In case the title led you to expect a “woe is WoW, we’re all doomed” column allow me to disappoint (or hopefully excite) you right now. 3.2 will be one of the biggest patches in terms of PvP since arenas first went live. If the current list of changes goes through to live realms (I refer you to the first paragraph) World of Warcraft PvP will be almost unrecognisable from its current incarnation.

After seemingly years of melee domination, it seems that we may finally witness World of Castercraft. Of course, the most successful teams will probably continue to combine the two. I haven’t seen anything to break the stranglehold of rogue/mage/priest in the patch notes, for example. Never the less, mortal strike for casters – even 20% - is going to be huge. Many would argue that it was unnecessary for mages, and I’m inclined to agree, but shadow priests definitely needed something to help them and this could be it.

But as a retired affliction warlock, the most exciting thing about priests getting mortal strike is the return of “shadowplay.” Not only will this comp’s huge damage potential go practically untouched by the resilience changes but it will be even harder to heal through thanks to the new healing debuff. Throw in a random healer (probably a druid) and maybe we finally have a true RMP-killer. Maybe.

Talking of healers and the word “finally”, 3.2 looks like the patch that shamans have been hoping for since… well, the beginning of time. Shaman is one of the few classes I haven’t played at max level but even my little level 44 alt used up a little of her rest after I read some of the patch notes. The buff to key totem’s health seems like a particularly huge change. Will it be worth sending a pet off to kill a totem it can no longer one-shot and risk missing an important interrupt?

The increasing of the shaman’s health is one that seems so obvious as to be stupid. How many non-shaman players were honestly aware of the issue before they read about it being raised? Since this is the internet, I’ll just go ahead and assume you all knew and that I’m stupid. Anyway, the point is that shaman’s healing in itself has never been that huge of a problem, especially since the introduction of riptide. Now that they can take more of a beating, they might finally be out of the bottom 3 classes on the SK100.

Honestly, I would struggle to fit a comment for all the major changes into a single column without going hugely over my word count. Suffice to say, the changes on the PTR have the potential to be as game changing as a pre-expansion patch. Remember how paladins went from a joke in 2.9 to an entirely different joke (i.e. “lol a palad…oh, I’m dead”) overnight thanks to 3.0? Patch 3.2 can easily change half the classes in a similar fashion.

I’m still sceptical about many of the changes, though, I have to admit. Even as a mage myself, I really can’t see the need for mortal strike. The class surely needs something to remove its reliance on rogues but this isn’t it. Besides, do you remember the outcry when shamans nearly got mortal strike on their flametongue weapon? Blizzard has stated time and time again that they want to avoid making the classes too similar but giving yet another class – sorry, two classes – a healing debuff boggles the mind.

In general though, I am looking forward to 3.2. Granted, I feel a bit like I wasted my time levelling my warrior but any game thrives on calculated change and necessary variation. We’ve been seeing the same comps succeed for far too long but the next patch, if the important notes stay the same, could all that. Maybe.