WoW Patch 2.4 in a Nutshell!

You can swim to Sunwell Isle. But before you do, consider creating a blood elf priest to do so. First, blood elves obviously will be the closest to Sunwell Isle. Second, a priest will allow you to periodically heal yourself for that long swim you've got ahead of you. Throw on a HOT (healing over time spell) to reduce the chances that you'll drown on the way over there.

Thousands of players have already done this, so be prepared for some aquatic companions. Lastly, note that it could take some time for you to copy your character(s) to the Public Test Realm (PTR), so have some patience!

Dropped Attunements

Hyjal and Black Temple no longer require attunements! Moreover, two significant bosses, that is, two pre-Sunwell bosses will be �€œback doored�€�, meaning that groups can essentially side step the other bosses in these instances to take out these two WoW bosses.

This is a somewhat predicable move by Blizzard, but there are some oddities to note. One thing that ought to be acknowledged is that while Blizzard does have a history of doing this, that hasn't always been the case. Take Molten Core; Molten Core will be harder to become attuned for, that is to gain access to, than a higher-level instance (e.g. Black Temple)

More Portals

Shattrah will now be home to another portal; this one will take you to the Caverns of Time. This was a highly sought-after improvement, due mostly to the inane amount of time it would take high-level players to travel from Shattrah to Caverns of Time.

Horde: moved back several virtual feet

The Horde were apparently given an unnecessary advantage in AV in patch 2.3. The advantage was this: it took Horde approximately several seconds less time than Alliance to get to various targets on the map. This includes towers and NPC's.

The solution: move the Horde back just a couple of �€œvirtual�€� feet. In fact it's such a small number you may not notice it visually when faced with it.

WSG: Killer Flags

There a couple of major changes for flag holders in Warsong Gultch (WSG). If a player holds the flag for MORE than 10 minutes, then it'll start to damage and eventually kill that player. Additionally, flag holders will become visible on the battleground map after a predetermined duration.

The implications for these changes are pretty apparent: it appears that Blizzard wants to reduce and/or eliminate the likelihood of games which are dragged on and on because of a couple of individuals holding onto the flag for inane amounts of time. This should be seen as mostly a positive change to WSG and hopefully it'll reclaim some of WSG's lost popularity.

Of course there are additional changes you ought to familiarize yourself with; highlights include what appears to be a Shaman nerf as well as changes to one key Warlock ability! Paladins will also enjoy some revamped gear for their retribution talent tree.

WoW patch 2.4 will bring controversy and, with any luck, more fun. It will be released (hopefully) within several weeks.