Brewmaster Monk Review of Shado-Pan Hero Talents - Spec & Target Scaling Issues

Posted 2024/04/05 at 7:55 PM by Sinzhu

12 new Hero Talent Trees

Hero Talents are an extension of the Talent system designed to explore class fantasy with a third talent tree, separate from your class and specialization. With the release of Alpha, Blizzard has previewed most Hero Talents Trees coming in the next expansion, The War Within.
The War Within Hero Talents Overview

Our Guide Writers have provided initial first impressions on the Hero Talent Trees revealed so far. Check out all of our released Hero Talent reviews in our new Editorial Section.

Wowhead Editorials

Shado-Pan Brewmaster Monk ReviewShado-PanMaster of HarmonyShado-Pan

As a Shado-Pan, learn from your forebears and stand proud against your foes in defense of your friends and family. Bide your time and charge up your power before unleashing an overwhelming flurry of blows to overwhelm your opponents.

Hero Talent BreakdownbonusAfter the WildfirePrimordial Arcanic PulsarFlurry StrikesMystic TouchFlurry ChargesFlurry ChargesareFlurry StrikesPower Word: FortitudeShado-Pan Row 1Flurry StrikesFlurry StrikesMystic TouchFlurry ChargeFlurry ChargeBreath of FireSpinning Crane KickChi WavenotSpinning Crane KickChi WaveSpinning Crane KickFlurry ChargesTiger PalmArmorBlackout KickTiger PalmRising Sun KickKeg Smash40% or less of your overall damage in single-target.Shado-Pan Row 2VivifyVivacious VivificationVivifyTiger PalmSpinning Crane KickFlurry StrikesFlurry ChargesyouChi WaveChi BurstExpel HarmExpel HarmExpel Harm

First, you always receive a small, baseline heal, currently modified by talents such as Vigorous Expulsion, Profound Rebuttal, and Strength of Spirit.

Next, your Gift of the Ox spheres are consumed to further increase this heal (which are also uniquely buffed by Strength of Spirit, but not the other Expel Harm talents).

Upon receiving this total healing, 10% of its raw value will be dealt to an enemy as damage.

Expel HarmGift of the OxCelestial FortuneStrength of SpiritFlurry StrikesKeg SmashFlurry ChargeKeg SmashAnvil and StaveBounce BackShado-Pan Row 3Flurry StrikesFlurry StrikesFlurry ChargesKeg SmashTiger PalmSpinning Crane KickCrackling Jade LightningTiger PalmCounterstrikeFace PalmBlackout ComboBonedust BrewWeapons of OrderFlurry StrikesFlurry ChargesWeapons of OrdernotPress the AdvantageWeapons of OrderBlackout KickCharred PassionsFlurry StrikesBlackout KickFlurry ChargesShado-Pan Capstone - Wisdom of the WallFlurry ChargesFlurry StrikesaFlurry Strikesone

30% additional critical strike damage. Brewmasters may favor Critical Strike as a stat, but this effect is still sadly a random damage increase.

Mastery: Elusive Brawler's effect increased by 25%. Whether this is a flat bonus of +25% to your current Mastery percentage is uncertain. It could also just be a multiplier to your current Mastery (which may or may not include the 8% Mastery a Brewmaster has by default).

Versatility increases Dodge and Critical Strike percent by 25% of its current percentage. This is arguably the most desirable effect purely due to its consistency (though your dodging is still somewhat random, of course).

Flurry Strikes deal additional Shadow damage to all non-cc'd enemies within 6 yards. Due to how slowly you generate your Flurry Charges, this will result in barely any triggers, on top of being limited by how quickly you can spend 400 Energy during this 20-second window to activate .

Flurry ChargesShado-Pan Brewmaster Overall AnalysisFrustratingly RandomStaggerPurifying BrewFlurry ChargeFlurry Strikesat a precise timeBlackout ComboFlurry StrikesWisdom of the WallWeapons of OrderseverelyCrackling Jade LightningVivifyFlurry StrikesBroken Target Scaling

For context, recall that Keg Smash has an Energy cost of 40 and Tiger Palm/Spinning Crane Kick each have a cost of 25.

In general, you may spend up to 80-90 Energy per Keg Smash cooldown without starving yourself of it.

This translates to converting your Flurry Charges into Flurry Strikes every 35 seconds on average.

Dealing more damage to generate more Flurry Charges (especially through ).

Generating more stacks of /.

Achieving near-full uptime on .

Possibly triggering .

Triggering more procs.

even faster Flurry ChargeFlurry StrikesA Windwalker Tree with Brewmasters Bolted OnKeg SmashWeapons of OrderVivifyChi WaveChi BurstExpel HarmKeg SmashBlackout KickTiger PalmRising Sun KickMastery: Elusive BrawlerFinal Thoughtsdesires expressed earlierFlurry StrikesOverwhelming FlurryPride of PandariaHigh ImpactVeteran's EyeMartial PrecisionProtect and ServeLead from the FrontOne versus ManyWhirling SteelPredictive TrainingAgainst All OddsEfficient TrainingVigilant WatchWisdom of the Wall

Comment by Skullhawk13Please don't make us go back to putting tiger's palm on our bars T.TComment by sgudithvery insightful! thank you!Comment by BloodmythPlease don't make us go back to putting tiger's palm on our bars T.TComment by peach774I honestly really hate this tree - it doesn't feel thematic for brewmaster and it isn't in anyway exciting. I was really hoping they would go for something more interesting, but unfortunately they went with something boring.Comment by TeacoonI feel like this would've made more sense for Windwalker...Comment by RegaderitaI feel like this would've made more sense for Windwalker...Comment by sumpfkingplease dont make weapon of order mandatory i dont want to play with tiger palm i dont have space on my bars anymore lmaoComment by NeomagamI appreciate the very analytical look at this hero spec. But I think you failed to mention a key fact that this tree is just not very fun. Overwhelming Flurry will bring all the frustrating parts of Primordial Arcanic Pulsar without the huge payoff. Given the way monks tend to consume energy, I doubt there will be a wide skill gap between players who trigger Flurry at a specific point and those that do not.

Also, to me, the Shado-Pan tree should be one of the more awesome trees just from theme, but this really fails to deliver. Even if Flurry Strikes does a ton of damage, it's not going to hold a candle to the awesomeness of Riders of the Apocalypse or Deathbringer.Comment by BleedmodeCant wait to play WOO and blackout combo again for 18 months. They took a step in the right direction with press the advantage to prune some rotational bloat, now we are going back to this boring playstyle.