There are a lot of changes coming to World of Warcraft: Shadowlands. While class changes are expected in any new MMO expansion, the new level squish and Covenant systems in Shadowlands may bring about the most class changes WoW has seen in recent memory. Thankfully, most of the changes coming to World of Warcraft's monk are positive.
Currently, there are three variety of monks in World of Warcraft: Brewmaster, Mistweaver, and Windwalker. Each one will have their own set of changes, but there are some general class changes happening to all monks in Shadowlands as well. One of these changes includes Provoke and Roll being swapped. Provoke is now learned at level 9 (instead of 14) and Roll is learned at level 14 (instead of 9). It's a minor tweak, especially given how quickly World of Warcraft players can gain levels thanks to the new level squish.
While the radius of Leg Sweep has been increased to 6 yards from 5, Spinning Crane Kick has been capped at six targets. However, all monks in World of Warcraft: Shadowlands can now use several abilities: Expel Harm, Touch of Death, and Fortifying Brew. These abilities are designed to provide buffs or health restoration to players while also dealing damage. Some minor cooldown changes have also been implemented, but overall, the class changes to monk in World of Warcraft: Shadowlands are positive. These changes can be buffed even more, depending on which Covenant players choose.
What Covenant Is Best For Monks In WoW Shadowlands
In terms of Shadowlands' endgame, a major factor to consider is which Covenant to join. Each Covenant in World of Warcraft: Shadowlands comes with its own signature abilities, as well as class-specific abilities and benefits. Based on the Covenant class abilities for monks, the Kyrian Covenant may be the best option for monks in Shadowlands - since the Weapons of Order ability resets the cooldown for a powerful rotational ability.
The ability changes depending on what kind of monk players are using, with cooldown resets happening to Essence Font for Mistweaver Monks, Keg Smash to Brewmaster Monks, and Rising Sun Kick for Windwalker Monks. However, each Shadownlands Covenant offers monk-specific class benefits, so it's really up to players' preferences. Overall, these changes are positive for World of Warcraft's monks and shouldn't altar the way they're played in Shadowlands by too much.
Now that Shadowlands is about to release on Mac and PC, players will get to see how monks fare in the newest content. For those already familiar with monks, these general changes should be well-welcomed. More specific changes will also be implemented to the game, depending on what kind of monk players are using in World of Warcraft: Shadowlands.