In Patch 0.7.5 we are introducing the new Mage skill, Flame Ward!

Flame Ward is intended to be a reactive option that gives Mages survivability when they need it most. The goal is to remove Fire Shield and Ice Ward due to neither of them typically seeing active use in combat. We will be taking some of their functionality and making it available through Flame Ward, class passives, specialization tree nodes, and unique items.



Flame Ward 23 Mana Grants a burst of 300 Ward. Then for 3 seconds, hits deal 30% less damage to you and have a 20% chance to cause a retaliatory burst of flames. 10 second cooldown.

Full-sized skill art



We are aware that there are some concerns regarding the survivability of Mages - Sorcerers in particular. Our original intention had been to implement Flame Ward and remove Fire Shield and Ice Ward in the same patch. We are currently reviewing this decision, and we will probably perform this transition more gradually than we had originally anticipated.

While we recognize that some builds rely on Fire Shield and Ice Ward to bolster their defenses, we would prefer that this wasn’t necessary - and we do not believe that Mages benefit from such passive effects requiring skill slots & skill specializations to acquire. We will be adjusting class passives when removing these skills to ensure Mages are in a good place.