The majority of Arms Warriors are currently not playing Bladestorm on Tindral and the top damage Log on Tindral does not run bladestorm. This alone should trigger an alarm. A Boss with a demand for burst aoe on 20 Targets yet one of the most iconic burst aoe cooldowns (8 target cap) is not being utilized. Arms Warrior should be among the best Classes for Tindral yet its not even on the Map.
If we cant buff the damage of Bladestorm since it would make Arms too strong in M+ (if that would even be the case) then perhaps the Capstones need to be looked at. Dance of Death and Unhinged went essentially completly unused the enitre expansion and Bonegrinder saw little use leaving only Hurricane. 3 of the 5 Capstones are not being used. Compare this to Retribution where 1 Capstone sees very little play.
Buffing Unhinged would perhaps be the key to make Bladestorm more playable or depending on the tier set/boss make it the best option for the most damage.
It turns Bladestorm into a very versatile channeled ability that does some cleave Damage and a big chunk of single target damage that also makes the Warrior unstoppable. Similar to Demolish in the new Colossus Hero Talent tree. Nevermind. Exactly like Demolish in the new Colossus Hero Talent tree.
I could already play Demolish right now if i wanted to so its really hard to get excited about. Whats the point of this ability compared to Unhinged? The lower cooldown? The fancy new animation? The higher Damage it will do?
All could be achieved right now with slight changes or reworks to the unused capstones in the Arms warrior tree.
The Duplication of this Ability either makes the other pointless (most likely Bladestorm) or puts one of arms biggest issues into a hilariously bright limelight. The Rage economy is exactly pointless outside of execute phase. Tons of rage just being thrown out due to the inability to spend it. Add 1 channeled ability it gets worse, add 2 it seems unlikely it will be good or more importantly fun. Demolish and Bladestorm in 1 Colossus Smash Window probally means at least 150 rage just out the window. Assuming its stil good enough to play would mean you probally have one of channeled abilities ready each CS and both your channeled abilities ready every other CS. Sounds really fun.
The Duplication doesnt have to be an issue (other than it being boring, thats 100% an issue and will remain an issue unless reworked).
However lets say Demolish takes Bladestorms place in most scenarios. What choices remain in the Arms Tree? Nothing interesting is left since more than half of our capstones are taken up by bladestorm.
I hope the Team takes another look at both Talent Trees. Colossus and Arms.
Since the Blademaster Hero Talent Tree is no longer an option how about you add some of that fantasy to the Arms tree. Allow one of the Capstones to disconnect the warrior from the bladestorm leaving a mirror image to cast it or sending out mirror images to cast other abilities (like demolish) while channeling bladestorm yourself.
As Tindral is not a fight about doing root damage, it does not suprise me that bladestorm is not brought. The roots mainly die from the dive-bombers and the passive cleave that is brought in - maybe you bring a big AoE burst class (Devs, Afflics, so on) to handle them if your DH and rogue donât do it fast enough by just ST rotation.
The reason Fury Warriors bring meatcleaver (our AoE enabler) is simply because not bringing it is just a 1-2% difference on ST. So some AoE value out of it is âworth itâ. Main take away is: Root damage is pad damage. So donât be suprised to see Arms (that must actually invest to go AoE) not take AoE talents that gimp ST.
That aside, your point that the capstones should get a touch-up is more than fair. After they got gimped in PvP (where they were supposed to shine) they are barely in use.
Rage echonomy for arms is in a very âyou love it or hate itâ spot. I canât speak from experience, but on Skyhold that is a daily discussion. With most seemingly leaning towards the âit needs a reworkâ point of view.
Let us see what happens as warrior get some love for War Within
I see where you are coming from with Tindral. My point is just that Arms Warrior should be included with the other Aoe Burst Classes like the ones you mentioned. Reason being that Arms cant compete with even Fury on sustained Multi Target and also cant compete with other Burst Aoe Classes even though thats what Bladestorm is there for.
Even the Arms Warriors just padding Damage on Roots cant overtake the ones just doing their Single Target rotation with a few changes.
Arms got more sustained AoE damage than fury, it is only that Fury got a lower oppertunity cost. But, I wont disagree on other classes making warrior look like poopoo-tier in comparisment
With War Withinâs focus on bladestorm in the Slayer tree, maybe, perhaps - hopefully - we will see bladestorm actually do damage again, not being primarily a STR% modifier for other hitters.
If Archi (the guy who writes the Warrior WoWhead guides) is correct about this and didnât have a missunderstanding⊠well then through his source he have it on good authority that arms will see a rework kind of deal.
His quote:
I also have it on very good authority that Arms is getting reworks anyway, so the fact that these trees appear designed in mind with changes we havenât seen⊠well it checks out
I pray it is not another âgood newsâ situation, where he was told buffs were coming for Fury tierset in S1, and it did come - only to be⊠extremely lackluster. So, when he was told it was a rework, it could be another situation where the there is indeed a rework like thing coming - BUT it only moved some talents around, not affecting gameplay in any real manner.
Always a risk, when the guy himself aint the primary source Still, something is very likely coming in one shape or another.
So you are allowed to be hopeful, if not for a full rework - I find it likely the devs will give it a good try to iron out the worst of arms gameplay hickups
Still, something is very likely coming in one shape or another.