Legion Class Preview: Monk

Monks were introduced in Mists of Pandaria, and their story is woven directly into the expansion’s rich and vibrant lore. Monks bring a unique martial arts style to any fight, and harness an exotic form of magical energy that’s unfamiliar to those who practice other arcane arts. They seek spiritual balance in life and in combat, and as dangerous as Monks can be on the battlefield, they’re rarely looking to pick a fight without just cause. They view the world through a different lens, finding power through serenity and inner peace—then expressing it through artful combat techniques and powers that mend life. Perhaps most surprisingly, Monks are also adept at producing powerful brews they consume to aid them in battle.

Core Combat Changes

• Defensive
  • Ironskin Brew
    • Instant, 20 sec recharge, 3 charges
    • Increases your Stagger amount by an additional 60% for 6 sec.
    • Shares charges with Purifying Brew.
  • Purifying Brew
    • Instant, 20 sec recharge, 3 charges
    • Instantly purifies all of your staggered damage.
    • Shares charges with Ironskin Brew.
  • Gift of the Ox
    • Passive
    • When you take damage, you have a chance to summon a Healing Sphere visible only to you. Moving through this Healing Sphere will heal you for 25% of your maximum health.
    • This chance is increased the lower health you are.
  • Mastery: Elusive Brawler
    • Each time you are hit by a melee attack, you gain 20% (with Mastery from typical gear) Dodge, until your next successful Dodge. This can stack.
    • Also increases your attack power by 20% (with Mastery from typical gear).

• Offensive
  • Keg Smash
    • 40 Energy, 15 yd range, Instant, 8 sec cooldown
    • Smash a keg of brew on the target, dealing strong damage to all enemies within 8 yds and reducing their movement speed by 50% for 15 sec.
    • Reduces the remaining cooldown on your Brews by 4 sec.
  • Tiger Palm
    • 25 Energy, Melee Range, Instant
    • Attack with the palm of your hand, dealing minor damage.
    • Reduces the remaining cooldown on your Brews by 1 sec.
  • Blackout Strike
    • Melee Range, Instant, 3 sec cooldown
    • Thwack the enemy with your weapon, dealing moderate Physical damage.
    • Shares cooldown with Breath of Fire.
  • Breath of Fire
    • Instant, 3 sec cooldown
    • Targets in front of the caster take minor Fire damage. If affected by Keg Smash, they will also burn for minor Fire damage over 8 sec.
    • Shares cooldown with Blackout Strike.

Select Talent Changes

• Elusive Dance
  • Passive
  • Purifying Brew also grants up to 15% Dodge for 6 sec, based on the level of Stagger damage purified.

Core Combat Changes

• Mastery: Gust of Mists
  • Your targeted heals also cause a gust of healing mists, instantly healing the target for a minor amount (increasing with Mastery from gear).
• Soothing Mist
  • Passive
  • Your Effuse, Enveloping Mist, and Vivify also trigger Soothing Mist.
  • After casting these spells, you continue to channel healing mists into the target, healing them for a minor amount every 0.5 sec, until you take any other action.
  • Developer Comments
    • Need efficient healing? Cast any heal and let Soothing Mist continue to provide free healing as long as you feel comfortable!
    • Need high-throughput healing? Cast any heal and move onto the next target in need of healing, without spending time on Soothing Mist.
    • For Mistweavers, it’s OK to have open global cooldowns between heals—Soothing Mist fills these gaps.
• Effuse
  • 1.8% Mana, 40 yd range, 1.5 sec cast
  • A fast and efficient spell, healing the target for a minor amount.
• Enveloping Mist
  • 6.0% Mana, 40 yd range, 2 sec cast
  • Wrap the target in healing mists, healing them for a huge amount over 6 sec, and increasing healing received from your spells by 30%.
• Renewing Mist
  • 3.5% Mana, Instant, 6 sec cooldown
  • You surround the target with healing mists, restoring a huge amount of health over 20 sec.
  • If Renewing Mist causes any overhealing, it will travel to the most injured ally within 20 yds.
  • When Renewing Mist heals, it has a 4% chance to increase the healing of your next Vivify by 50%.
• Essence Font
  • 8.0% Mana, 40 yd range, Channeled
  • Unleash a rapid twirl of healing bolts at up to 6 allies within 25 yds, every 1 sec for 3 sec.
  • Each bolt heals the target for a moderate amount, plus an additional moderate amount over 8 sec.
• Vivify
  • 5.0% Mana, 40 yd range, 1.5 sec cast
  • Cause a surge of invigorating mists around the target, healing them and their 2 nearest injured allies for a moderate amount.

Select Talent Changes

• Mistwalk
  • 40 yd range, Instant, 20 sec recharge, 2 charges
  • Instantly dash to an ally, and heal them for a large amount.

Core Combat Changes

• Mastery: Combo Strikes
  • Your abilities deal 25% (with Mastery from typical gear) more damage when they are not a repeat of the previous ability.
• Tiger Palm
  • 50 Energy, Melee Range, Instant
  • Attack with the palm of your hand, dealing minor damage and generating 2 Chi.
  • Tiger Palm has an 8% chance to make your next Blackout Kick cost no Chi.
• Blackout Kick
  • 1 Chi, Melee Range, Instant
  • Kick with a blast of Chi energy, dealing moderate Physical damage.
• Rising Sun Kick
  • 2 Chi, Melee Range, Instant, 8 sec cooldown
  • You kick upwards, dealing strong damage, and reducing the effectiveness of healing on the target for 10 sec.
• Fists of Fury
  • 3 Chi, Melee Range, Channeled, 20 sec cooldown
  • Pummel all targets in front of you, dealing massive damage over 4 sec. Deals reduced damage to secondary targets.
  • Can be channeled while moving.
• Spinning Crane Kick
  • 1 Chi, Channeled
  • You spin while kicking in the air, dealing moderate damage over 1.5 sec to enemies within 8 yds.
• Storm, Earth, and Fire
  • Split into 3 elemental spirits, suited to attacking 3 or more enemies. Each spirit deals 50% of normal damage and healing.
  • The Monk directly controls the Storm spirit, while Earth and Fire spirits mimic the Monk’s attacks on different nearby enemies.
  • Lasts until toggled off, or either Earth or Fire are destroyed.
  • Developer Comment: Now a simple toggle—no targeting necessary! Spirits will automatically seek out nearby enemies to attack while you attack your target.

Select Talent Changes

• Hit Combo
  • Passive
  • Each successive attack that triggers Combo Strikes in a row grants 1% increased damage, stacking up to 10 times.