RSS feed2008-09-06 01:38:20
The vast majority of warriors agree that the Arms tree is lackluster. Arms has always paled somewhat in comparison to fury (as fury does now to prot...), but the mere existence of Mortal Strike (and recently, imp intercept and mace stun) has always kept arms viable for PVPers (and disgruntled raiders, thanks to blood frenzy). Now that fury has what was arms' defining ability, the general weakness, bloat, and lack of focus of the arms tree is apparent and has everyone asking: "Why would I ever spec arms in WOTLK?"
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GENERAL ABILITIES
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First, I'll address some general concerns with baseline arms abilities. This will be quite short because, well, arms just doesn't have many abilities (it fills little more than half a page in the spellbook). I'm sure this is at least partly why it seems so hard to design good arms talents.
Charge: The 1 second stun on charge does more harm than good in any situation, since it diminishes all useful stuns. Putting Charge on its own DR or changing it to a root would solve the problem.
Battle Stance: Needs a damage bonus to be competitive with berserker stance and some reworking to not leave a warrior too vulnerable in PVP. I suggest that at least pummel become available in battle stance, and, secondarily, adding a CC duration reduction in this stance (which would also serve to make charge/imp charge useful in PVP).
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ARMS TALENTS
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Now, the arms tree. I won't bother reviewing any talents that I feel are good and just focus on the ones that I feel need work.
Improved Heroic Strike: Decent, but only reducing the rage cost of an ability mainly used to dump excess rage seems lacking. This can be improved to add more bonus damage.
Improved Charge: Highly undesirable talent to anyone but levelers and deep protection warriors in its current state.
Iron Will: Fine, but the charm reduction might as well not exist. Adding duration reduction to a common CC such as immobilize effects would improve this talent substantially.
Improved Thunderclap: Could be reduced to a 2-point talent (damage seems high atm, but the real point of this talent is to get the 20% slowing effect).
Anger Management: Very poor for an 11 point talent. Burst rage gains (ie - bloodrage or imp zerker rage) are much more useful than a small persistent gain, especially when this talent only yields 20 rage/minute. Please put a fun, active talent in its place.
Deep Wounds: One of many passive damage increases that could use streamlining, especially at this tier of arms.
Taste for Blood: Fine, but perhaps this can be lowered to a 2-point talent? I don't expect Arms warriors will spec into this for PVP unless something is done to address battle stance issues.
Two-Handed Weapon Specialization: Feels bloated at 5 points for 5%. I feel this should be brought in line with the Ret Paladin/DK talents (2-hand Arms warriors aren't exactly doing an extreme amount of dps atm).
Justified Killing: Extremely undesirable talent for any arms warrior and too deep in the tree for a prot warrior. I feel this should be merged with the Deflection talent.
Sword Specialization: Easily the worst weapon spec. 5% proc chance seems awfully low in the post-spamstring/nerfed windury age. Buffing the proc rate to 10% (and perhaps lowering the damage of the second attack if this seems too much) doesn't seem out of line when compared to the Death Knight talent (Blood-Caked Blade).
Trauma/Blood Frenzy: More boring, passive/generic damage increases. Not only is BF not unique to warriors anymore, but it is also much harder to fit into an arms build than it is for a combat rogue (due to aforementioned bloat of the tree). These would be taken purely out of obligation to a raid -- one that can't find a rogue -- and might as well be merged.
Improved Mortal Strike: Poor talent for the point investment if it doesn't have a secondary effect. Perhaps a % chance to proc Victory Rush on MS hits? This would seem to be in line with what you wanted to do with the talent before enraged assault got changed.
Unrelenting Assault: Decent, but I feel a secondary effect should be added to lend arms something unique. Perhaps adding a chance for Overpower to light up on absorbed attacks (damage shields are notoriously crippling to a warrior's damage; and swapping to battle stance to overpower with a priest around isn't without an opportunity cost) and parried attacks (100% chance with the glyph?).
Endless Rage: Still as unexciting as ever, but I don't think you'll start changing your mind about it now. ;)
Wrecking Crew: Is there any justification anymore for this nerfed enrage effect to not stack with Deathwish? (And I mean for reasons other than wanting to encourage warriors to go deep arms!)
Bladestorm: Still a poor talent. This talent will never work for its apparent purpose -- no matter how many whirlwinds are added -- if you have to relinquish control of your character. It's not an anti-CC ability (which warriors desperately need), but effectively a self-CC. I strongly recommend that this talent be swapped back with a reworked heroic leap. My suggestion is that Heroic Leap (on a longish CD) break immobilize effects and knockback and daze enemy targets. This would give warriors some much needed independence from a dispel/freedom bot and provide both defensive and offensive group utility.
------------------------------
GENERAL ABILITIES
------------------------------
First, I'll address some general concerns with baseline arms abilities. This will be quite short because, well, arms just doesn't have many abilities (it fills little more than half a page in the spellbook). I'm sure this is at least partly why it seems so hard to design good arms talents.
Charge: The 1 second stun on charge does more harm than good in any situation, since it diminishes all useful stuns. Putting Charge on its own DR or changing it to a root would solve the problem.
Battle Stance: Needs a damage bonus to be competitive with berserker stance and some reworking to not leave a warrior too vulnerable in PVP. I suggest that at least pummel become available in battle stance, and, secondarily, adding a CC duration reduction in this stance (which would also serve to make charge/imp charge useful in PVP).
-----------------------
ARMS TALENTS
-----------------------
Now, the arms tree. I won't bother reviewing any talents that I feel are good and just focus on the ones that I feel need work.
Improved Heroic Strike: Decent, but only reducing the rage cost of an ability mainly used to dump excess rage seems lacking. This can be improved to add more bonus damage.
Improved Charge: Highly undesirable talent to anyone but levelers and deep protection warriors in its current state.
Iron Will: Fine, but the charm reduction might as well not exist. Adding duration reduction to a common CC such as immobilize effects would improve this talent substantially.
Improved Thunderclap: Could be reduced to a 2-point talent (damage seems high atm, but the real point of this talent is to get the 20% slowing effect).
Anger Management: Very poor for an 11 point talent. Burst rage gains (ie - bloodrage or imp zerker rage) are much more useful than a small persistent gain, especially when this talent only yields 20 rage/minute. Please put a fun, active talent in its place.
Deep Wounds: One of many passive damage increases that could use streamlining, especially at this tier of arms.
Taste for Blood: Fine, but perhaps this can be lowered to a 2-point talent? I don't expect Arms warriors will spec into this for PVP unless something is done to address battle stance issues.
Two-Handed Weapon Specialization: Feels bloated at 5 points for 5%. I feel this should be brought in line with the Ret Paladin/DK talents (2-hand Arms warriors aren't exactly doing an extreme amount of dps atm).
Justified Killing: Extremely undesirable talent for any arms warrior and too deep in the tree for a prot warrior. I feel this should be merged with the Deflection talent.
Sword Specialization: Easily the worst weapon spec. 5% proc chance seems awfully low in the post-spamstring/nerfed windury age. Buffing the proc rate to 10% (and perhaps lowering the damage of the second attack if this seems too much) doesn't seem out of line when compared to the Death Knight talent (Blood-Caked Blade).
Trauma/Blood Frenzy: More boring, passive/generic damage increases. Not only is BF not unique to warriors anymore, but it is also much harder to fit into an arms build than it is for a combat rogue (due to aforementioned bloat of the tree). These would be taken purely out of obligation to a raid -- one that can't find a rogue -- and might as well be merged.
Improved Mortal Strike: Poor talent for the point investment if it doesn't have a secondary effect. Perhaps a % chance to proc Victory Rush on MS hits? This would seem to be in line with what you wanted to do with the talent before enraged assault got changed.
Unrelenting Assault: Decent, but I feel a secondary effect should be added to lend arms something unique. Perhaps adding a chance for Overpower to light up on absorbed attacks (damage shields are notoriously crippling to a warrior's damage; and swapping to battle stance to overpower with a priest around isn't without an opportunity cost) and parried attacks (100% chance with the glyph?).
Endless Rage: Still as unexciting as ever, but I don't think you'll start changing your mind about it now. ;)
Wrecking Crew: Is there any justification anymore for this nerfed enrage effect to not stack with Deathwish? (And I mean for reasons other than wanting to encourage warriors to go deep arms!)
Bladestorm: Still a poor talent. This talent will never work for its apparent purpose -- no matter how many whirlwinds are added -- if you have to relinquish control of your character. It's not an anti-CC ability (which warriors desperately need), but effectively a self-CC. I strongly recommend that this talent be swapped back with a reworked heroic leap. My suggestion is that Heroic Leap (on a longish CD) break immobilize effects and knockback and daze enemy targets. This would give warriors some much needed independence from a dispel/freedom bot and provide both defensive and offensive group utility.
[ Post edited by Arkadintwo ]
Arkadintwo
