Here’s every new Essence power in World of Warcraft’s Rise of Azshara update (2024)

Blizzard is implementing a new Azerite system in World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth patch 8.2, Rise of Azshara. The new Heart of Azeroth system mimics the Artifact system from Legion.

This Essence system is the newest addition to the Azerite Armor system, which players have complained about since launch. With Essence, players can now choose new passive perks and active abilities for their Heart of Azeroth.

Each Essence has a major and minor function. Major functions are usually active abilities, while minor effects are all passive. Players can slot three Essences into the Heart of Azeroth at once.

Here’s a complete list of all the Essences on the Rise of Azshara Test Realm.

Universal Essences

Blizzard Entertainment

Players can use these Essences regardless of the specialization or role they’re playing.

Azeroth’s Undying Gift

Major: Reduces all incoming damage by 40% for two seconds, then 20% for two seconds (instant, 45 second cooldown)

Minor: When you fall below 35% health, you’ll gain a lot of armor for four seconds, then less armor for four seconds. This can only occur every two minutes.

The Crucible of Flame

Major: Attack your enemy with a flame attack. This deals damage to an enemy or heals an ally for the same amount. Each cast of the heal or attack increases the damage or healing of the next cast. This resets after three casts. (Instant, 30 second cooldown, two charges maximum)

Minor: Your attacks have a chance to buff you with Ancient Flame for 10 seconds. This increases your Critical Strike, your Leech, and places a damage or healing over time effect on your target for 10% of the damage or healing. Using the Major version of Crucible of Flame gives you a guaranteed five seconds of Ancient Flame.

Engine of Ceaseless Prophet

Major: Create a small area of Azerite energy for 10 seconds. While standing in the field, you gain a Haste, Mastery, and Critical Strike buff every 0.5 seconds. You also take less damage. Double previous Engine buffs while in the area. (Instant, two minute cooldown)

Minor: Every two seconds, gain Haste, Mastery, or Critical Strike. When you reach ten stacks of an Engine buff, you’ll double your stacks. After the Engine doubles, you’ll lose all stacks.

Worldvein Boon

Major: Cause three shards of Azerite to erupt from the ground nearby. Heal while standing near a shard. (Instant, two minute cooldown)

Minor: Every few seconds, a shard of Azerite erupts from the earth. Standing next to it will grant you your main stat.

Tank Essences

Blizzard Entertainment

Players can only use these Essences when in a tanking specialization.

Aegis of the Deep

Major: Reduce the damage you take for 10 seconds, and heal when damaged. (Instant, 1.5 minute cooldown)

Minor: Gain Versatility for each nearby enemy, up to a cap. you also heal every four seconds for each stack of the buff. If you’re below 35 percent health, you’ll have double the Versatility.

Anima of Life and Death

Major: Sacrifice 10% of your maximum health to deal fire damage to all nearby enemies. For each enemy hit, you’ll heal for 10% of your maximum life, up to 50%. (Instant, two minute cooldown)

Minor: Your maximum health increases every four seconds, stacking up to 15 times. If you fall below 35% health, you’ll lose the effect.

Nullification of Dynamo

Major: Gain a shield, absorbing magic damage for 10 seconds. Instantly remove all negative effects. (Instant, 2.3 minute cooldown)

Minor: Gain a small shield every 15 seconds, absorbing a small amount of magic damage. When the shield expires, it explodes and deals damage based on the amount of damage taken.

Touch of the Everlasting

Major: The next time you die, you instead regenerate 10% of your maximum health and take 85% reduced damage for 10 seconds. (can only happen once every 7.5 minutes)

Minor: Your Versatility is permanently increased. You’ll lose half of that Versatility if you die. It’s restored 7.5 minutes later.

Sphere of Suppression

Major: Reduce the movement speed of all nearby enemies by 70% and reduce their damage done to you by 10%. Increase your movement speed by 50%.

Minor: You’ll debuff enemies who melee you, causing them to attack 8% slower. When debuffing an enemy, you gain Haste and attack speed.

Healer Essences

Blizzard Entertainment

Players can only use these Essences when in a healing specialization.

Artifice of Time

Major: Place a shield around a target. For six seconds, the shield absorbs all incoming damage and healing. When the shield expires, all damage and healing absorbed will apply itself to the target with 20% reduced damage. The target also takes 20% reduced damage. (Instant, four minute cooldown)

Minor: Your heals have a high chance of buffing your target with Haste and Speed.

The Ever-Rising Tide

Major: For 10 seconds, gain a stacking buff that increases healing and haste for 10 seconds. While the buff is active, you cannot regenerate mana. (Instant, 30 second cooldown)

Minor: Each heal has a chance to refund mana or buff your Intelligence. The chance for mana increases based on your missing mana. There is a 20% chance you’ll gain both.

Life-Binder’s Invocation

Major: Buff allies within 30 yards with 40 Seeds of Eonar. Seeds heal the target over time and when they take damage. If a seed expires unused, it refunds two seconds on the cooldown. (2.1 second cast, three minute cooldown)

Minor: Each heal has a chance to plant a Seed of Eonar in your target. The seed heals the target over time and when they take damage.

Vitality Conduit

Major: Place a Vitality Conduit near an ally. Twice a second for six seconds, the target absorbs health from the highest health ally within 30 yards and heal for a large amount. (Instant, one minute cooldown)

Minor: Heals have a chance to create a burst of healing on five targets within ten yards. If no other allies are in range, you’ll heal double.

The Well of Existence

Major: Your overheals store themselves in the Well of Existence. Release all overhealing stored into a target ally. You’ll increase your healing by 20%. The Well will not release more healing than needed to completely heal the target. (Instant, 15 second cooldown)

Minor: 30% of your overheals go into the Well of Existence. When you heal a target under 60% health, the Well also heals them. When the Well is low on heals, it absorbs overhealing and multiplies it by two.

Damage Essences

Blizzard Entertainment

Players can only use these Essences when in a damage specialization.

Blood of the Enemy

Major: Deal Shadow damage to all nearby targets. Buff your critical strike chance against targets you hit for 15 seconds, and increase Critical Strike damage by 35%.

Minor: Getting a critical strike with a spell buffs you with Blood of the Enemy. Each stack grants Critical Strike. When you reach 25 stacks, you gain a large Haste buff for 12 seconds. There is a 25% chance that this only consumes 15 stacks.

Essence of the Focusing Iris

Major: Deal damage to all targets in front of you for 2.5 seconds. Castable while moving (1.1 second cast, 1.5 minute cooldown)

Minor: Every two seconds, your Haste increases by 29, stacking up to 10 times. At 10 stacks, you have a chance to blast the target with a bolt of damage.

Guardian of Azeroth

Major: Summon a Guardian of Azeroth for 20 seconds. Each time the Guardian attacks, gain 4% Haste. This effect stacks five times and ends when the Guardian despawns. (Instant, five minute cooldown)

Minor: Your attacks have a chance to impale an enemy with a spike of Azerite, dealing damage. When you impale a target, you’ll increase all damage you deal.

Purification Protocol

Major: Deal damage in an area for six seconds. Has a low chance to instantly kill any enemy it hits. If you kill an enemy with the beam, you’ll increase your damage by 10%.

Minor: Your spells and attacks also deal damage in an area, and heal you over time.

The Unbound Force

Major: Strike your target with damage over time. Your damage will triple if you critically strike. The attack has a 25% increased chance to critically strike. Each critical strike causes another attack to occur. This effect caps at five.

Minor: Each critical strike buffs you with Reckless Force. This stacks up to seven times. Every 10 seconds, your next spell or ability will deal additional damage to your target based on your stacks of Reckless Force.

Specialization Specific

These Essences have different effects depending on the specialization players are using. These all affect different specializations differently. For a complete breakdown of how Memory of Lucid Dreams and Vision of Perfection work, check out WoWHead’s post.

Memory of Lucid Dreams

Major: Increases your specialization specific resource rate by 100% and increases your Leech. (Instant, three minute cooldown)

Minor: Your spells and abilities have a chance to refund 50% of your resource and heal you. When this effect occurs, you also buff your Versatility.

Vision of Perfection

Major: Your attacks have a chance to activate your specialization specific cooldown for 50% of its base duration. When this effect occurs, it reduces the cooldown of your cooldown by 10 seconds.

Minor: Reduces the cooldown of your specialization specific cooldown and increases your Versatility. When you activate your cooldown, you also heal for 5% of your maximum health.

For details on current balance stats, which are subject to change, check out WoWHead’s post.