WoW Midnight: Class Tier Sets in Season 1

In Midnight Season 1, each class has its own tier set with a unique name and design that reflects the theme of the expansion – a mixture of the forces of the Abyss and familiar Warcraft motifs. These sets provide powerful bonuses for 2 and 4 items, enhancing the key abilities of characters (damage, healing, or survivability). 

Below, we, the ChaosBoost team, will take a detailed look at all the currently known tier sets for each class and share our expert opinion on how these bonuses will affect gameplay.

Death Knight

Death Knight – Relentless Rider’s Lament: The Death Knight set in Midnight is designed in the style of ice armor, “hardened” by the power of the Abyss and runic magic. Its bonuses significantly enhance all Death Knight specializations.

• For Blood Death Knights, the 2-piece bonus increases the damage of Blood Boil by 15% and grants more Runic Power, while the 4-piece bonus enhances Death Strike and has a chance to immediately grant an additional charge of Blood Boil. These effects increase the tank’s AoE threat and self-healing.
• Frost Death Knights receive an increase in burst damage: Empower Rune Weapon increases the damage of the next Obliterate or Frostscythe by 20%, and the 4-piece bonus speeds up the cooldown of Empower Rune Weapon by 20% and grants an additional charge of Pillar of Frost. In other words, Frost DKs will have more access to powerful cooldowns and increased burst damage, which we believe will significantly strengthen their dominance in short fights.
• Unholy Death Knight sets focus on diseases: the damage of Virulent Plague and the new effect Dread Plague is increased by 25%, and the 4-piece bonus strengthens Putrefy by 20% and makes the next Scourge Strike free of resources. This will allow Unholy Knights to maintain diseases on targets longer and strike more often with Scourge Strike without spending runes, increasing their sustained damage.

Relentless Rider’s Lament reinforces the Death Knight’s fantasy as the relentless horseman of the apocalypse, giving each spec a powerful boost to its signature playstyle.

Demon Hunter

Demon Hunter – Devouring Reaver’s Sheathe: Demon Hunters in Midnight have received a particularly interesting set. Its design is inspired by the “chaotic essence of Voidstorm” – a combination of the chaos of the Maw and the magic of the Void. The main innovation is Devourer, a new specialization for demon hunters (mid-range combat with Void magic).

• For Devourer, the 2-piece bonus increases the damage of the Void Ray ability by 10%, and the 4-piece bonus increases the damage of Collapsing Star by 10% as well, and additionally generates 10 Fury when used. These changes clearly increase the damage of the new spec, allowing you to use devastating abilities from the Void’s arsenal more often.
• Havoc Demon Hunters receive more traditional improvements: according to the beta, 2 items increase Blade Dance damage (~15%), and 4 items provide an additional Haste bonus during Metamorphosis (about +6% speed). This means that Havoc DHs will become even more deadly in Metamorphosis mode – in our experience, the speed increase will significantly boost their DPS in protracted battles.
• For Vengeance (tank), the exact bonuses have not yet been confirmed, but increased survivability is expected: the set will likely improve the duration of Demon Spikes and provide additional healing from soul absorption.

In any case, we at ChaosBoost note that the Devouring Reaver’s Sheathe set makes the demon hunter even more versatile. The appearance of the new Devourer specialization with unique void abilities is particularly impressive – in our opinion, this will open up a whole new playstyle for DH players, and the set bonuses will help this spec take its place in the meta. Havoc will retain its role as a powerful melee DPS, receiving a small but welcome damage increase, while Vengeance will become even more reliable at holding boss damage.

Druid

Druid – Sprouts of the Luminous Bloom: The Midnight druidic tier set reflects the balance of nature and corruption – a combination of Emerald Dream and Voidstorm corruption in the visual style of armor. In terms of gameplay, the bonuses are focused on strengthening each form of the druid.

• Balance Druid with 2 items gains a significant increase in star spell damage: Shooting Stars damage outside of Eclipse is increased by 50%, plus they generate 3 more Astral Energy. The 4-piece bonus further increases the damage of Starfall and Starsurge by 5%, and when used, has a 40% chance to cause an additional Falling Star explosion on the target. In other words, Boomkin will deal Starfall damage to enemies more often, especially outside of Eclipse – in our opinion, this will increase the stability of its DPS and simplify gameplay on the fly.
• Feral Druid improves its bleeds and auto attacks: the bonus for 2 pieces of the set gives +5% critical strike chance for 4 seconds after Omen of Clarity triggers (i.e., after each Clearcasting), and 4 pieces increase Rake damage by 20% and cause Clearcasting to additionally buff Shred or Swipe (+20% damage). These improvements significantly increase sustained damage in cat form-according to our estimates, Feral will deal much more consistent damage thanks to frequent critical hits and enhanced bleeding targets.
• Guardian Druid, according to preliminary information, will receive set bonuses for survivability: it is expected that the effectiveness of Ironfur will be increased (for example, duration or damage absorption power) and the tank’s rage generation will be improved. There may also be a special effect related to the spirit of Ursoc, increasing the bear’s survivability under certain conditions. The exact numbers have not been announced yet, but we expect the set to make the bear druid even more “thick-skinned” and stable as a tank.
• Restoration Druid gains in the area of mass healing: the 2-piece bonus increases the healing of Wild Growth by 25%, and the 4-piece bonus reduces its cooldown by 2 seconds and reduces its mana cost by 10%. In fact, this significantly increases the effectiveness of Wild Growth, one of the druid’s main raid heals. Our team believes that Restoration Druids with this set will become even more valuable when healing group damage: more frequent Wild Growth means constant strong AoE healing.

Sprouts of the Luminous Bloom perfectly highlights the versatility of the druid. In our opinion, in the first season of Midnight, druids of all roles will see an increase in power – healers will shine in raids, “owls” will receive a powerful surge of star power, and cats and bears will strengthen their niches.

Evoker

Evoker – Livery of the Black Talon: a set has been created for Evokers that combines a dragon appearance with the shimmer of the Abyss. This class set is one of the most anticipated in Season 1, as Evoker is the newest class in WoW. The set bonuses are divided between the three Evoker specs.

• Augmentation Evoker (ally enhancement) will receive a significant boost to its group support: 2 items increase the damage of the Eruption ability by 15% and extend the duration of Ebon Might by 0.5 seconds, while 4 items increase the damage of empower abilities (chargeable spells) by 20% and speed up their cooldown by 20% while Ebon Might is active. Simply put, Ebon Might (the main Augmentation buff) will last longer and make the evoker’s abilities even more powerful – in our opinion, this will cement the Evoker’s role as a powerful support in the group, who buffs allies even more while his effect is active.
• Devastation Evoker (DPS specialization) will strengthen its AoE rotation with the new set: 2 pieces increase Azure Sweep damage by 50% (and by 100% on the main target), and 4 pieces allow Eternity Surge to grant an additional charge of Azure Sweep and reduce Azure Sweep’s cooldown by 2 seconds. This means that Devastation Evokers will be able to use the powerful circular strike Azure Sweep more often and deal much more damage to the main target-obviously, in combination with Eternity Surge, this will result in powerful explosive damage to a crowd of enemies.
• Preservation Evoker (healer) will heal even more effectively: the bonus from 2 items increases the healing of Verdant Embrace by 20% and reduces its cooldown by 2 seconds, while the 4-item bonus causes Verdant Embrace to additionally place Emerald Blossom on the target (i.e., instantly grow a flower that heals allies around it) with 100% effectiveness. This is a very powerful improvement: Verdant Embrace already instantly heals the target, and now it will also spread AoE healing to the group.

The ChaosBoost team believes that Evoker will become even more sought after with this set – Augmentation will strengthen its position as an indispensable raid buff, Preservation will become a master of instant group healing, and Devastation will receive a serious boost to mass damage. Livery of the Black Talon clearly makes Evokers one of the main winners of the first season of Midnight in terms of bonus influence.

Hunter

Hunter – Primal Sentry’s Camouflage: the classic hunter received a set styled after “primal sentry camouflage” – apparently a reference to the hidden guardians of ancient times, endowed with the power of the primal elements. The bonuses of this set are aimed at strengthening beasts, accuracy, and survivability – in accordance with the three specializations.

• Beast Mastery Hunter with 2 pieces of the set increases the damage of Bestial Wrath by 25%, and 4 pieces allow you to summon an additional Dire Beast for 8 seconds with each Bestial Wrath. This means that each large cooldown of Bestial Wrath will not only become stronger, but will also summon another pet into battle. In our opinion, such “mini-bloodlusts” will significantly increase the damage of the BM hunter at key moments of the battle and reinforce the thematic feeling of a “beast zoo.”
• Marksmanship Hunters will receive a focus on precise shots: the bonus for 2 items increases the damage of the Precise Shots effect by 20%, and 4 items give a chance when spending Precise Shots to fire a volley of arrows at the target, dealing damage to all nearby enemies. In other words, every time a marksman spends Precise Shots charges (which occur after Aimed Shot), they can fire at the area around the target for free – a great help in AoE situations. We believe this will make Marksmanship hunters even stronger in Mythic+ and mass battles, allowing them to deal more scattered damage without losing single-target damage.
• Survival Hunter (that rare spec) strengthens its signature ability-bombs-with the new set. 2 items increase Wildfire Bomb damage by 10%, and 4 items cause Wildfire Bomb to additionally activate the Strike as One effect with 100% effectiveness. Strike as One is a talent that increases damage when you and your pet hit the same target; apparently, the bomb will now immediately activate this buff at full power. As a result, Survival will deal more explosive area damage while simultaneously empowering itself and its pet for subsequent attacks. We at ChaosBoost see this as an attempt by the developers to give Survival more burst power, and although Survival Hunter is still a niche class, in skilled hands with this set, it will be able to deal very impressive burst damage to a group of mobs.

Overall, Primal Sentry’s Camouflage makes all hunters more dangerous: beast tamers will summon even more pets, archers will become true artillerymen, and survivalists will become a force to be reckoned with in close combat with a rain of firebombs.

Mage

Mage – Voidbreaker’s Accordance: Mages in Midnight will obtain the Voidbreaker’s Accordance set, and the name speaks for itself – their set is imbued with the mysterious energy of the void, which enhances all three schools of magic.

• Arcane Mage will receive a significant bonus to critical damage: 2 items give +1% to critical strike chance for each Arcane Charge, which accumulates when casting Arcane spells, and 4 items increase the critical damage of all Arcane spells by 10%. This means that the more charges the Arcane Mage accumulates, the higher their chance of critting, and a full set will also increase the critical hits themselves. In practice, by the end of the battle with 4 stacks of Arcane Charge, the mage will have a permanent +4% critical strike chance, which is quite good, and the increased critical strike damage will help deliver powerful bursts of Arcane Blast and Arcane Barrage.
• Fire Mage focuses on its strongest spells: 2 pieces of the set increase the damage of Pyroblast and Flamestrike by 8%, and 4 pieces reduce the cooldown of Fire Blast by 0.5 seconds each time Pyroblast or Flamestrike is cast. These changes are clearly aimed at strengthening the rotation through Fire Blast and instant Hot Streak procs. In our opinion, the set will allow fire mages to cast critical Pyroblast more often in a row, especially in AoE situations where Flamestrike will also reduce the cooldown of Fire Blast. This will create more dynamic gameplay – in fact, the mage will be able to cast Fire Blast more often, maintaining a constant stream of fires.
• Frost Mages will receive a slight buff to their basic spells and key passive effect: the 2-item bonus increases the damage of Frostbolt, Flurry, and Blizzard by 8% (all basic frost skills). And the 4-item bonus improves Fingers of Frost, giving this effect +10% to Shatter damage. Simply put, when Fingers of Frost triggers and the next Ice Lance crits on a frozen target (Shatter), that crit will be 10% stronger. Our team believes that although the increase seems modest, Frost Mage is already known for its stability and control, and the set will make its damage slightly more significant – especially in situations where Fingers of Frost is often used.

Voidbreaker’s Accordance is a versatile and reliable set. All three mage specs receive clear and valuable bonuses without complicated conditions: Arcane – crit and crit again, Fire – more quick casts, Frost – stronger base damage. This approach will definitely appeal to many players: according to ChaosBoost’s assessment, mages will remain a sought-after class in Season 1, and their tier set will give them additional firepower without changing their usual playstyle.

Monk

Monk – Way of Ra-den’s Chosen: The name of the monk set refers to Ra-den, the guardian titan, and its style combines the philosophy of Pandaria with the power of the Storms. In Midnight, monks will be able to strengthen their attack, defense, and healing, depending on their path.

• Brewmaster Monk (tank) will receive damage reduction improvements according to preliminary data: the 2-piece bonus is expected to reduce damage taken or increase the effectiveness of Purifying Brew, while the 4-piece bonus will extend Shuffle or enhance the absorption of Celestial Brew. Although the exact numbers have not been announced, the logic is clear: the set should make the Brewmaster more survivable by strengthening his stance and clearing armor. It can be assumed that each sip of Purifying Brew will be slightly better at removing stagger stacks, and Celestial Brew will save more often at peak damage.
• Mistweaver Monk (healer) will gain an enhancement to his healing mists: the bonus for 2 pieces of the set increases the healing of Renewing Mist by 20%, and 4 pieces cause the use of Thunder Focus Tea to additionally apply Renewing Mist to a random ally for 20 seconds. This is a very powerful aid, as monks drink Thunder Focus Tea regularly to boost their spells, and now it will also spread the refreshing mist for free. In essence, a monk following the path of mist will be able to cover more raid members with the effect of Renewing Mist, increasing the overall heal over time. We expect Mistweaver to become even more effective in raids with this set, supporting more targets with a constant stream of healing.
• Windwalker Monk (DPS) will receive a significant boost to their most spectacular attacks: 2 items increase the damage of Strike of the Windlord and Whirling Dragon Punch by 30%, and 4 items reduce their cooldowns by 5 seconds each. Strike of the Windlord is a powerful strike with a talent, and Whirling Dragon Punch is a signature spinning strike available when two abilities are recharged. Both skills are usually used in burst combos, so the set will allow them to be used more often and with much greater effect. According to ChaosBoost experts, this will make Windwalker one of the strongest DPS classes in short bursts of combat: every ~20 seconds, the monk will be able to unleash a real burst of damage, crushing enemies with a powerful wind strike and dragon whirlwind.

Overall, Way of Ra-den’s Chosen fits perfectly with the monk’s philosophy of inner balance and deadly efficiency. Tank monks will become stronger in spirit (and body), healer monks will become wiser in dispensing healing, and combat monks will become even more deadly in their swift attacks.

Paladin

Paladin – Luminant Verdict’s Vestments: The paladin’s sparkling “Vestments of Luminant Verdict” perfectly reflect his connection to the Light. The set will strengthen every paladin role – the Light will be bestowed upon both enemies and allies.

• Holy Paladin will receive a noticeable improvement to his core ability, Holy Shock: the 2-piece bonus increases the healing and damage of Holy Shock by 10%, and the 4-piece bonus grants the effect of Light’s Favor with each Holy Shock, increasing the healing of the next Divine Light (a large castable heal) by 25% per stack. Essentially, each time a Holy Paladin shocks with Light, they will “charge” their next big heal, encouraging them to alternate between quick Holy Shocks and powerful health floods. Our healers at ChaosBoost note that this will make the Holy Paladin style even more aggressive and effective: frequent Holy Shock followed by enhanced Divine Light will allow you to keep the group at a high health level even in difficult battles.
• Protection Paladin (tank) has not been left out either – his set is aimed at increasing both damage and survivability. Two items increase the damage of Avenger’s Shield by 15% and allow this skill to generate 1 more Holy Power. Thanks to this, the Protection Paladin will be able to use his defensive abilities (Shield of the Righteous or Word of Glory) more often, as he will receive more Holy Power. 4 items give the paladin an effect that reduces damage taken by 5% for 10 seconds with each attack block, stacking up to 2 times. This means that for successful shield blocks, the paladin is rewarded with additional resilience-with constant blocking, you can achieve a 10% reduction in incoming damage, which is quite significant. We believe that this set will make the Protection Paladin one of the most reliable tanks in the starting raid: it deals decent damage with its shield and receives a noticeable passive damage mitigation.
• Retribution Paladin (DD) gains more power in their finishing blows with this set: the 2-piece bonus increases the damage of Templar’s Verdict and Divine Storm by 10%, and the 4-piece bonus increases the paladin’s Haste by 4% for 10 seconds for every 3 Holy Power spent. (The effect stacks up to 3 times, for a maximum of +12% speed). In practice, Retribution Paladins will receive a direct boost to all of their main attacks and an accelerating speed buff if they use Holy Power wisely. According to ChaosBoost’s assessment, Retribution with this boost will deal significantly more damage in protracted battles, where it will be able to accumulate several stacks of Haste. This will be especially helpful for retards in scenarios with multiple targets: by repeatedly using Divine Storm, the paladin will accelerate and unleash storms on enemies even more often.

Luminant Verdict’s Vestments makes the paladin even brighter on the battlefield – his healing flashes are stronger, his shield is stronger, and his sword hits harder. We are confident that paladins will remain one of the favorites of the group in Season 1 thanks to such a versatile and powerful tier set.

Priest

Priest – Blind Oath’s Burden: The name of the priest set translates as “The Burden of a Blind Oath,” and the design does indeed include a helmet that covers the eyes, a reference to fanatical blind faith. The set balances between Light and Darkness, enhancing all three specs.

• Discipline Priest (tap-heal) will receive more stable support for Atonement on the target: 2 items give an effect that increases healing through Atonement by 5% for 10 seconds after each Smite or Penance. And 4 items give Penance a 25% chance to reset the cooldown of Smite. As a result, the discipline priest will be able to cast Smite more often, almost continuously maintaining the buff that makes his subsequent attack-healing stronger. In our opinion, Discipline will become a little easier and more effective to use: the set reduces the windows when Atonement is not enhanced and allows you to minimize downtime between Smites thanks to frequent resets.
• Holy Priest (pure heal) focuses on its main raid cooldown, Divine Hymn. The 2-piece bonus causes Heal and Flash Heal to increase the effect of the next Divine Hymn by 2% (stacking up to 5 times, for a maximum of +10%). This motivates the Holy Priest to quickly heal someone with a quick or large heal before using the hymn, accumulating the buff. The 4-item bonus gives all allies under Renew a small absorbent shield for 10 seconds after Divine Hymn is cast. Thus, with each hymn, the Holy Priest not only heals the team en masse, but also places shields on targets already being healed by Renew – additional protection that never hurts in a raid. In practice, this will make the hymn an even more powerful tool for saving the group. We believe that although the Holy Priest’s bonuses are situational, skilled players will get the most out of them: a properly prepared Divine Hymn will heal significantly more, and the shields can prevent the finishing off of allies who have just been knocked back.
• Shadow Priest (DPS) will receive a boost to his insanity: 2 items increase Mind Blast damage by 10% and give him +2 Insanity additionally. And 4 items – each time Devouring Plague is cast, increase the critical strike chance by 2% for 10 seconds, stacking up to 5 times. This means that by casting 5 Devouring Plague in a row (maintaining them on multiple targets, for example), the shadow priest can get +10% critical strike permanently while refreshing this disease. Combined with the talent Mastery: Shadow Weaving (which increases damage to targets affected by DoTs), these bonuses encourage the priest to maintain the maximum number of Devouring Plague and Shadow Word: Pain on different enemies. According to ChaosBoost, the Shadow Priest with the new set will become even stronger in battles with multiple targets – the increased critical strike chance for multiple Devouring Plague will allow him to ramp up his damage exponentially in long fights. And the bonus to Mind Blast will nicely enhance the solo target rotation.

Blind Oath’s Burden makes all priest specs more effective in their roles: Discipline priests can more easily dispense group healing through damage, Holy priests can more powerfully save the raid with their climactic hymn, and Shadow priests can plunge their enemies deeper into madness and suffering.

Rogue

Rogue – Motley of the Grim Jest: A colorful costume of a grim jester – a very fitting name for the Midnight rogue set. Outwardly, it is styled after an assassin’s masquerade, and in terms of effects, it significantly increases the lethality of all rogue specializations.

• Assassination Rogue will further hone the skills of poisoning and bleeding. The 2-piece bonus increases Rupture damage by 10% and also causes Rupture to generate 2 more energy per tick. This means that by maintaining Garrote (Rupture) on a target, the assassin will regain some energy – useful for long fights. The 4-piece bonus enhances poisons: using Garrote increases the damage of all poisons on the target by 10% for 12 seconds. Essentially, every time the Assassin sneaks up and uses Garrote, they improve the subsequent damage from lethal poison and other poisons on the enemy. Considering that the Assassination rotation already revolves around maintaining Rupture and poison effects, these bonuses fit in perfectly – in our opinion, Assassination rogues will deal significantly more damage to a single target, especially if they alternate Garrote correctly and refresh the poison in time.
• Outlaw Rogue will deal even more explosive damage during their adrenaline rushes. The 2-piece set bonus increases the damage of the finishing moves Dispatch and Between the Eyes by 10%. Both of these skills are important finishers in the thug’s rotation (especially Between the Eyes, which guarantees critical hits). The 4-piece bonus causes Adrenaline Rush to additionally increase the rogue’s critical damage by 10% for the duration of this effect. This means that while Adrenaline is active, all attacks deal more damage if they crit. Combined with the set, Outlaw Rogues will deliver even more serious series of strikes in their burst windows: the Between the Eyes skill hits harder (and it gives an increased crit chance), and the critical strikes themselves have become more powerful. We predict that thugs with this set will become a force to be reckoned with in short fights, crushing enemies with a rapid series of critical final blows.
• Subtlety Rogue (sub-rogue) – master of shadows – will strengthen their control over the fight through key abilities. Two items increase Shadowstrike damage by 10% and extend the duration of Symbols of Death by 2 seconds. Shadowstrike is the main strike from stealth, and Symbols of Death is an important buff that increases damage and restores energy. Thanks to the set, the sub-rogue will be able to stay under Symbols of Death longer, getting more benefit from each use of this skill. 4 items increase the signature AoE finisher Secret Technique by 15% and cause it to generate 1 combo point for each target hit. This is a very interesting bonus: if Secret Technique hits, say, 3 enemies, the rogue regains 3 combo points at once, almost like using several Shadowstrikes. Thus, Subtlety will have a smoother cycle in battles with multiple opponents – a powerful burst of shadows will quickly restore resources for the next series of moves.

According to ChaosBoost’s assessment, the sub-rogue will become significantly more effective in mass skirmishes than before, while retaining its high burst in single-target situations thanks to the extended Symbols of Death. Conclusion: Motley of the Grim Jest turns every rogue into an even more deadly killer, while remaining true to their style – whether they are a poisonous assassin, a daring duelist, or a mysterious shadow striker, they will all receive improvements that complement their classic tactics.

Shaman

Shaman – Mantle of the Primal Core: Shamans will gain the Mantle of the Primal Core in Midnight, adorned with elemental crystals – rumored to even have animated spinning elemental cores on the shoulders. This set is designed to strengthen the shaman’s connection to all the elements, and its bonuses are very powerful in every specialization.

• Elemental Shaman (caster) will receive a significant increase in speed and burst: 2 items give +15% Haste for 10 seconds after using Stormkeeper. Stormkeeper is one of the elemental’s main cooldowns, charging his lightning bolts, and now, in addition to double lightning bolts, the shaman will accelerate himself. And 4 items give Stormkeeper a second charge (meaning you can stack two uses in a row) and increase the damage of Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning by 25%. This 4-piece bonus is one of the strongest among the classes: the extra charge of Stormkeeper effectively doubles the shaman’s explosive damage potential once per minute. In our opinion, an Elemental Shaman with a full set will be able to instantly destroy large groups of mobs with their enhanced chain lightning, and deliver powerful lightning bolts to a single target under a speed buff. In PvE, such capabilities are extremely valuable, so Elemental Shamans are sure to secure their place at the top of AoE DPS.
• Enhancement Shaman (melee DPS) focuses on their primary weapon-a melee weapon that unleashes the elements on the enemy. The bonus from 2 items increases the damage of Stormstrike and Lava Lash by 15%. These are two key Enhancement Shaman attacks (physical with wind energy and fire with lava charge), and their buff will directly increase outgoing DPS. The 4-piece bonus causes Crash Lightning (an area-of-effect ability) to additionally increase the shaman’s Mastery by 2% for 10 seconds, with the effect stacking twice. Mastery: Enhanced Elements increases Enhancement’s chance to hit with additional elemental strikes, so the set encourages Enhancement to use Crash Lightning more often, even on a single target, to raise their Mastery to +4%. As a result, Enhancement will deal even more damage in quick combo attacks, especially if all elements are involved. We expect that Enhancement Shamans with this set in good hands will be able to deal very high damage both in solo targets and in cleaves, thanks to the passive increase in their Mastery and a serious boost to each Stormstrike.
• Restoration Shaman (healer) with the new set will become a true master of emergency healing. Two items reduce the cooldown of Unleash Life by 3 seconds and double (by +100%) the instant healing from it. Unleash Life is an ability that instantly heals the target a little and enhances the next heal, and for the Restoration Shaman, it was quite situational. But with double the effect and more frequent use, Unleash Life will be a great tool to quickly lift an ally out of danger. 4 items cause Unleash Life to additionally affect one more of your spells at 100% effectiveness. Usually, Unleash Life only buffs one subsequent spell (for example, Healing Wave or Chain Heal), but now it will enhance two subsequent healing spells at once! This is just great for strong cooldowns like Healing Rain or Spirit Link Totem, which can be buffed without sacrificing direct healing. According to ChaosBoost’s assessment, Restoration Shaman will become an extremely valuable healer in difficult battles: his ability to react quickly to damage will increase significantly – one Unleash Life now provides two powerful heals in a row. And considering his totems and other shaman abilities, this boost makes the restoration shaman a very versatile healer.

In summary, Mantle of the Primal Core takes shamans to a new level of harmony with the elements: elementalists unleash thunderstorms on the battlefield, enchi cover the enemy with a hail of lightning and fire, and healers summon the power of life to protect their allies. We expect shamans to show their best side in Season 1, and their set will greatly contribute to this.

Warlock

Warlock – Reign of the Abyssal Immolator: the name of the warlock’s set speaks of “the reign of the burning abyss.” Indeed, this set seems to be woven from the filth and fire of the Void, complemented by demonic attributes – it looks very impressive and ominous. The set bonuses will enhance all aspects of the warlock’s dark magic.

• Affliction Warlock will receive higher damage from their long-lasting effects: the bonus from 2 items increases the damage of Agony by 15% and speeds up its periodic damage tick if several DoT effects are active on the target. This means that when spreading damage across multiple enemies, Agony will stack faster, stacking more quickly and dealing more DPS. The 4-piece bonus enhances Unstable Affliction: its critical damage is increased by 20%, and each critical hit from Unstable Affliction extends the duration of Agony on the target by 3 seconds. This is a very interesting interaction – Unstable Affliction usually lasts for 16 seconds, and its critical hits will allow you to maintain Agony longer without refreshing it. As a result, in our opinion, the Affliction Warlock will become even more formidable in battles with multiple targets: he will be able to spread Agony across a crowd of mobs and maintain it for a very long time while Unstable Affliction rains down critical hits. And even against a single target, the increase is significant: Agony is now stronger, and if Unstable crits, it will prolong the enemy’s torment.
• Demonology Warlock (lord of demons) will strengthen his armada of minions. Two pieces of the set increase the damage of Call Dreadstalkers by 10% and give two charges of Demonic Core when summoning Abyssal Hunters. Demonic Core is required for instant Demonbolt, so the warlock will use them more often after each summoning of the hounds. 4 pieces – when summoning Demonic Tyrant, they extend the life of all your active demons by 2 seconds and increase their damage by 10% for the duration of the tyrant. This greatly enhances the demon-sorcerer: the tyrant already boosted minions, and now it also extends their life, allowing them to stay on the battlefield longer, and on top of that, it gives a fixed damage buff. Our experts believe that Demonology with this set will be able to summon a truly unstoppable horde of demons – long battles will only strengthen it, as demons will hardly disappear between Tyrants.
• Destruction Warlock will focus on explosive damage to two targets. The bonus from 2 items increases the damage of Chaos Bolt by 8% and causes Chaos Bolt, if it critically hits, to generate an additional 5 soul shards (but only triggers once per cast). In a normal rotation, Destruction Warlocks often deal critical Chaos Bolts thanks to Ritual of Ruin, and now each such critical hit will practically replenish the spent shards – meaning the warlock will be able to fire Chaos Bolts in succession more often. The bonus from 4 items extends the duration of Havoc by 3 seconds and causes the next 3 Incinerates during Havoc to hit secondary targets as well (i.e., they will splash like mini-Havocs). Havoc is a key Destruction skill that copies spells to a second target, usually lasting 10 seconds, but will now last 13 seconds. Plus, three Incinerates after Chaos Bolt under Havoc will also hit two targets. This means that the Destruction Warlock will become the true king of damage to two targets: prolonged Havoc and enhanced Incinerates will allow you to maintain high splash damage. In battles where there are constantly 2-3 enemies, the Destro will deal colossal damage.

We at ChaosBoost especially note this bonus as one of the most dangerous – Blizzard may even nerf it in PvP, because 13 seconds of Havoc with triple Incinerate can almost instantly incinerate a couple of careless enemies. All in all, Reign of the Abyssal Immolator gives warlocks everything they’ve ever dreamed of: Affliction – super-effective multiple dots, Demonology – an unstoppable demonic army, Destruction – deadly slashing damage to multiple targets. With these bonuses, warlocks can be expected to rank high in damage and become sought-after members of groups for Season 1 content.

Warrior

Warrior – Rage of the Night Ender: The Season 1 warrior set bears the formidable name “Rage of the Night Ender” and looks the part – it is massive armor that combines valor and the dark power of the void. It even glows as if lit by candles, symbolizing “light shedding at the end of the night” – an interesting design detail noted by fans. The set bonuses increase the warrior’s attack power and stamina.

• Arms Warrior with 2 items increases the damage of Mortal Strike and Colossus Smash by 10%. Mortal Strike is the main strike of the arms warrior, and Colossus Smash is the main debuff on the target, increasing incoming damage. Thus, the Arms Warrior will hit significantly harder in the main rotation, and his Colossus Smash will become even more painful to break through enemy armor. The 4-piece bonus gives a 15% chance when using Mortal Strike to reset the Overpower cooldown and increase the damage of the next Overpower by 25% for 5 seconds. As a result, Arms Warrior will get more Overpower procs, which instantly enhance the next Mortal Strike, and will be able to alternate them more often. This smooths out the armorer’s rotation and increases his damage without additional actions – in our opinion, Arms will become even more stable in delivering high DPS, especially when several Overpower procs in a row.
• Fury Warrior is already known for its frenzied attack speed, and with this set, it will become even more ferocious. Two pieces of the set increase the damage of Bloodthirst by 10% and allow it to generate 5 more Rage. Bloodthirst is a key Fury strike that, according to lore, quenches the warrior’s thirst for blood. Now it will hit harder and better saturate the warrior with rage. 4 pieces of the set: Critical hits with Raging Blow extend Enrage by 1 sec. and increase critical damage by 5% for 8 sec. So, when a fury strikes with Raging Blow during Enrage (and he does this often) and if the strike crits, the warrior stays in Enrage longer (receiving a bonus to attack speed and damage), and all of his crits in the next 8 seconds deal more damage. Raging Blow is usually used several times in a row, so you can extend Enrage almost constantly with good luck. According to ChaosBoost, Fury Warrior with the new set will receive a fantastic sustain bonus: he will be able to maintain the Enrage state for almost forever, which means constantly increased damage and speed, plus an accumulating buff to critical damage. As a result, Fury can deal extremely high damage in protracted battles without losing momentum.
• Protection Warrior (tank) – a favorite of many tanks in Midnight – will become even more durable with the tier set. Two items increase the duration of Shield Block by 1 second and the effectiveness of the block by 5% (i.e., they reduce the damage taken even more). Shield Block is the basis of protection for a prot warrior, and an extra second of block means fewer windows for dangerous damage. And a 5% block increase directly reduces the damage taken – a small thing, but nice. 4 items give Shield Slam a 25% chance to reset the cooldown of Revenge and grant 5 points of rage. This means that almost every fourth shield slam will allow you to immediately strike again with Revenge (or save it for later) and give you free resources for defensive abilities (Ignore Pain, for example). Protection Warrior was already known for its aggressive style with frequent Shield Slam and Revenge, and this set will make it even more active: in fact, now the prot warrior will stop less often – the shield strikes, revenge cuts, and enemies stumble against impenetrable defenses. We believe that Protection Warriors will remain top-tier this season, and their set is conducive to that.

In our expert opinion, Rage of the Night Ender lives up to its name – it ignites the warrior with fury on the battlefield, allowing him to crush enemies with double the force and withstand their counterattacks.

Conclusion from ChaosBoost

The first season of WoW: Midnight brought an impressive array of class sets, and our ChaosBoost team has studied their features in detail. We can confidently say that each tier set enhances the strengths of the class – be it damage, healing, or defense – while also introducing fresh mechanics. For example, the new effects for the Demon Hunter’s Devourer specialization open up a whole new gameplay experience, and Warlocks, with their extended Havoc or accelerated Agony, will clearly set the tone in battle.

Our expert conclusion: the balance of power in Season 1 Midnight will largely depend on the successful use of these sets. Some classes already look like clear favorites – for example, Warlocks and Shamans have received set bonuses that dramatically increase their AoE potential, while Paladins and Warriors have gained reliability and versatility, which is valuable in any content. But the rest are not far behind: almost every class has received a “piece of the pie” that will make playing it more interesting and productive. Of course, the meta may still change – Blizzard will closely monitor the impact of the bonuses and adjust the numbers if necessary. We at ChaosBoost believe that these tier sets will breathe new life into familiar specializations, give players an incentive to master Midnight raids, and collect coveted sets. 

Our advice: study your class bonuses, adapt your rotation to them, and don’t be afraid to experiment with builds-sometimes set bonuses reveal unexpected talent combinations. And if you need help quickly obtaining a full set, the ChaosBoost team is always ready to support you on your way to the top of PvE and PvP content. Good luck in conquering Midnight – may the epics and fun of your class’s new possibilities be with you!