Greetings,
I would like to raise a serious discussion regarding the current state of Mistweaver Monk, and to propose that its two fundamentally divergent playstyles — traditional ranged Mistweaving and melee-oriented Fistweaving — be divided into distinct specializations, similar to the division between Holy and Discipline for priests.
At present, Mistweaver attempts to encompass both a classic ranged healing paradigm, focused on Soothing Mist, Vivify, and Renewing Mist, as well as a hybrid melee healing paradigm that incorporates Rising Sun Kick, Tiger Palm, and damage-to-heal mechanics. While the intention of offering flexibility is understandable, this design has produced persistent and profound conflicts:
Contradictory Talent and Design Pathways
The talent tree is inherently split between empowering traditional Mistweaving (ranged, high-throughput healing) and empowering Fistweaving (melee, DPS-oriented hybrid healing). These are mutually exclusive philosophies, and the attempt to support them both within a single tree dilutes their depth, preventing either from being fully fleshed out or properly designed to its potential.
Inconsistent Gear and Stat Priorities
Traditional Mistweaving and Fistweaving have divergent secondary stat preferences and gearing strategies. Attempting to balance their itemization within one specialization has led to compromises that leave both playstyles feeling suboptimal or awkward in many scenarios.
Divergent Encounter Roles
Mistweaver in ranged form traditionally supports spread groups with targeted healing, while Fistweaver functions as a melee-centric cleave healer who benefits from proximity to the boss. Encounter design cannot reliably accommodate both identities at once, which has historically resulted in one style being favored while the other is marginalized depending on encounter design.
Precedent and Design Philosophy
Discipline and Holy Priest serve as the perfect parallel: both are healing specializations, but with profoundly different approaches to healing. Separating them allowed Blizzard to properly develop, balance, and support each style with its own tools, tuning, and play identity. Mistweaver should be granted the same treatment to achieve true viability and to finally allow both the traditional ranged Mistweaver and the melee Fistweaver to shine.
Conclusion
The hybrid design of Mistweaver is holding both healing playstyles back. As long as these conflicting styles share a single specialization, neither can receive the depth of design, the precision of tuning, nor the gameplay identity they deserve. Splitting them would provide an opportunity to fully realize and balance both visions, enriching the class and expanding meaningful player choice.
I encourage the development team and the broader community to consider this proposal. I believe it would result in a healthier, clearer, and ultimately more enjoyable gameplay experience for all players.