The Shadowlands Pre-Patch changes to
Control de inquina and its synergies (
Voz retumbante and
Reforzar) broke Protection Warrior’s positive Rage feedback loop, which had been the mechanic that kept the class competitive (and dominant) throughout BFA. This substantially reduced the class’ power at extremely high-level Mythic+ (e.g. 25+). You can no longer consistently have immensely powerful defensive cooldowns ready for each large pull in a Mythic+. Additionally,
Atronar’s damage was significantly reduced,
Revanchafree uses were reduced from
every Dodge/Parry to only 3 procs per minute, and the loss of Corruption really cut into the class’ ability to deal damage. Losing DPS hurts the class at the highest levels, and it also makes it less effective at quickly pushing +15’s.
“Why is Protection Warrior less popular?” “Because it was nerfed!