Hello!
I, as many, was a bit puzzled with the Archon hero talent tree. While the talents as a whole are performing well, outperforming in most content the other option (Oracle for Holy and Voidweaver for Shadow), it seems that the gameplay doesn’t reflect the concept that the tree was supposed to be based on.
From the World of Warcraft hero talent’s presentation,
Archons are highly devout and deeply connected to the Light and Shadow. Archons can be blessed from higher beings to enter into an ascended state, becoming an ultimate version of themselves.
However, the talent tree is actually quite mundane: the tree revoles around massively buffing Halo, and making your Halo casts thrice over 15 seconds while dealing damage and heals both on the way out and the way in.
I guess that technically there is some degree of ultimate version of themselves in buffing power word: Fortitude and Power Infusion, but it’s really reaching.
Again, I stress that I’m not saying that the tree is weak or not fun, just that it’s not what people were expecting from the concept that we initially saw.
While I’m no game designer, I tried tinkering with a hero talent tree that could do something in the niche that was let vacant, and design a talent tree that revolves around Holy and Shadow priest turning toward their opposite element.
The core idea of the spec is that as a Holy Priest you turn into void form when exiting Holy Form, and viceversa for Shadow Priest. Since Holy has no reason to be in Void Form, and the same is true for Shadow and Holy Form, I added interactions that incentivize healers dealing damage and shadows provide some off-healing
For choice nodes, I tried to add a node that affected gameplay in a different way, since moving away from Halo meant there was little value to gain from the choice between Energy Compression and Sustained Potency, and offered a choice between overall efficiency by increasing the payoff of Surge procs with a ramping gameplay that is supposed to reward long engagements and being able to stay alive without losing stacks.
Anyway, it’s just something I did for fun, overall I don’t mind current Archon but I’d like to see something like this if we get more hero talents in future expansions.
Tier 1: Opposition
Shadow : Void Eruption instantly grants you 2 stacks of Surge of Insanity. When Void Form expires, you gain Holy Form for 10 seconds. In Holy Form, negate damage done by your target for 30% of the damage dealt by your non-periodic spells, and increase your healing from all sources by 20%.
Holy : Apotheosis instantly grants you Surge of Light and again after 5 seconds. When Holy Form expires, you gain Void Form for 10 seconds. In Void Form, 30% of healing done by your single target spells and 15% of the healing done by your area of effect spells is dealt as Shadow damage to a nearby enemy, and your damage from all sources is increased by 20%.
Tier 2.1: Perfect Forms
Shadow : your damage dealt is increased by 20% while Void Form is active. Flash of Light and Power Word: Shield are 20% more effective in Holy Form
Holy : your healing is increased by 10% while Holy Form is active. Smite, Holy Word: Chastise and the direct damage from Holy Fire reverberate for 50% extra damage as Shadow damage during Void form.
Tier 2.2 Power Surge
Shadow : Consuming Surge of Insanity grants you Surge of Lucidity, making your next Flash of Light instant cast, and castable while channeling Mind Flay or Insanity: Mind Flay. Flash of Light cast this way will automatically heal the lowest health ally if no ally is targeted.
Holy : Consuming Surge of Light grants you Surge of Exaltation for 4 seconds, making your next Smite also cast Flash Heal on the lowest health ally and also cost no mana.
Tier 2.3 Manifested Power
Shadow: Divine Star makes your target take 5% increased damage from you for 10 seconds. Halo makes your target take 10% increased damage from you for 10 seconds.
Holy: Divine Star makes your target take 5% increased healing from you for 10 seconds. Halo makes your target take 10% increased healing from you for 10 seconds.
Tier 3.1 Choice A: Shock Pulse
Shadow and Holy : Halo damage reduces enemy movement speed by 15% for 5 seconds. Divine star damage reduces enemy movement speed by 8% for 5 seconds.
Tier 3.1 Choice B Incessant Screams
Shadow and Holy: Unchanged
Tier 3.2 Choice A: Word of Supremacy
Shadow and Holy: Unchanged
Tier 3.2 Choice B: Heightened Alteration
Shadow and Holy: Unchanged
Tier 3.1: Empowered Surges
Shadow: Increases the damage done by Mind Flay: Insanity by 60%. Increases the healing done by Flash Heals affected by Surge of Light or Surge of Lucidity by 30%. Consuming Surge of Lucidity grants one charge of Mind Blast.
Holy: Increases the healing done by Flash Heals affected by Surge of Light by 30%. Smite cast by Surge of Exaltation deals 60% extra damage. Consuming Surge of Exaltation restores 1% of missing mana
Tier 4.1: Echoes of Divinity
Shadow and Holy: Halo and Divine Star damage and healing increase by 30% and recharge 100% faster during Void Form or Holy Form.
Tier 4.2: Concentrated Infusion
Shadow and Holy: Unchanged: Your power infusion grants you 10% additional haste.
Tier 4.3 Choice A: Energy Cycle
Shadow: Unchanged: Consuming Surge of Insanity has a 100% to conjure a shadowy apparition.
Holy: Consuming Surge of Light reduces the cooldown of your Holy Words by 3 seconds.
Tier 4.3 Choice B: The net of heaven is cast wide
Shadow: Consuming Surge of Insanity gives 0,5% leech, up to 12%. Consuming Surge of Lucidity gives 0,5% increased healing, up to 12%. At max stacks, your overhealing from leech is shared with the lowest health ally in 40 yards.
Holy: Consuming Surge of Light gives 0,5% reduced mana costs, up to 12%. Consuming Surge of Exaltation gives you 0,5% increased Holy damage, up to 12%. At max stacks, 6% of your healing done is dealt as Holy damage to a nearby enemy.
Tier 5: Divine Synthesis
Shadow: When entering Void Form, automatically cast Halo at 100% effectiveness. When entering Holy Form, automatically cast Divine Star to the ally at the lowest health ally in range.
Holy: When entering Holy Form, automatically cast Halo at 100% effectiveness. When entering Void Form, automatically cast Divine Star to the closest nearby enemy in range.