Afflicted is a new affix that was just added in World of Warcraft Dragonflight season two to spice up the Mythic+ pool. Replacing one of three removed affixes and a seasonal affix, Afflicted was supposed to give season two Mythic+ dungeons a new spin. Unfortunately, it turned out to be ruining Mythic+ dungeons and players know exactly why.
Frustrated after miserably failing to time Mythic+ keys, players gathered on June 25 to rant about the Afflicted. While some see Afflicted as one of the reasons why healers are quitting and think the DPS classes are way too focused on the DPS charts, others say you should always take responsibility in Mythic+ dungeons and “cover your ass.”
“It’s so funny, because if people are doing their job, it is one of the easiest affixes ever. It’s literally free you just mouseover the afflicted and press a button. I would say the hardest part is actually finding the darn thing sometimes,” one player commented.
The Afflicted affix spawns friendly creatures that either need to be healed up to 100 percent HP or dispelled. In a perfect scenario, a healer would dispel some of these creatures and heal others. But, life happens, players stand in swirlies and, more often than not, healers simply can’t deal with these apparitions by themselves. Instead, hybrid classes like Priests and Shamans should be equipped with dispelling tools, especially in high-end Mythic+ dungeons.
In most cases, at least in my experience, the DPS just don’t care and I’m left to fend for myself, praying my cooldowns will align, I won’t go OOM, and we won’t wipe on the first pack of the dungeon. Essentially, the DPS and the tank rarely take responsibility for this affix, even though most WoW classes have an answer to Afflicted.
When you pair this with other problems healers have been facing in Dragonflight season two, such as never-ending button spamming just to top everyone off and an overwhelming number of mechanics, it’s no wonder Mythic+ dungeons have been lacking healers. Hopefully, you will, after reading this article, step up, help your fellow healer out, and time that Mythic+ dungeon for some sweet loot and rating.
