Ipromise,wewillgetbacktoagearoverview...we'vegotfourweeksatminumumtocoverit.Butifthepatch(EchoesofDoom)goeslivethisweek,Ifigureitwillprobablybemildlyhelpfultoknowwhat'sgoingtochangeforwarriors.Onethingtopointoutrightnowisthatthewaystrengthconvertstoshieldblockvaluehasbeengreatlybeefedup.Howgreatly?Currently,theformulaisX=[(Shield[[blockvalue]])+(Strength/20)].Inpatch3.0.2,insteadofitbeingdividedby20,itwillbedividedby2.Here'sanexampleofwhatyourcharacterwindowwillreveal.
SinceI'mnotatBlizzconthisyeareither(itlooksfunandall,butIhateflyingandI'mnotterriblybigoncrowdsandwhoamIkiddingI'dhavewrestledSaurfangforaticket)IfiguredIshouldprobablywritemycolumnthisweek.Aftermullingovervarioussubjectmatter(Life'snotfair,HowallBlizzconattendeesshouldbenerfed,andastrongcontenderinWaaaaaaahhhaaaaaaaaaaIwantedtogotoBlizzconwaaaaaa)Ithenrealizedthatwithpatch3.0.2literallybreathingdownournecks,itwasprobablytimeforageneraloverviewofwhatyoucanexpectforthemonthorsoafterithits,butbeforeWrathitselflaunches.
Soloingnolongerhugepaininthebutt
It'snotjustthewayyoutankthatwillbechanging.Prettymucheveryspellandeffectyouusenowtogeneratethreatwillbechangingfromathreataddedabilitytoonethatdealsmoredamageinstead.Youwillbeabletosoloandgrindinfullprotgearanddorespectable,sometimesevenincredibledamagewithacharge/thunderclap/shockwave/shieldslamcombo.Youwon'tout-DPStheDPSwarriorswhiledoingit,butyou'llhavetheabilitytopullgroups,keepthemstunnedandslowed,andletthemkillthemselvesonyourdamageshieldwhilesmashingatthemvery,veryhardwithyourshield.Heck,Ihaven'tevenmentionedInciteyet.
Inordertogetthe51pointtalentShockwave,you'regoingtobedowntotenpointslefttospend.Frankly,that'sahardtenpointchoice.DoyougetfullDeflection?Downtofive.DoyouthengooverandgrabCrueltyfortheextra5%crit,ortheaforementionedArmoredtotheTeethforthethreatboost?Sinceyou'llprobablyhaveIncitejackingupyourHS,TCandCleavecriticalratesby15%,youmightwanttowaitonfullCrueltyforawhileandjustgo5arms/5fury,gettingfullAttTand2/5cruelty.ThisisespeciallytrueifyoualsotakeToughness,becausethat10%additionalarmoryougetfromthetalentbecomesdirectthreatforyourTCandHeroicStrikesandRevenges.Inaddition,ImprovedRevengeactuallyaddsdamagetoyourRevengesnow,makingitamuchbettertalentthanbefore.(Notthatitwasbad,butmostbossesareimmunetostuns,meaningthatthedamageincreaseaddsoverallviabilitytothetalent.)
AsIpreviouslysaid,protectionseesonebadchange(lessdefenseontankinggear)butpleasedon'ttakethattomeanthatthenewAnticipationisbad.5%dodgethatlowinthetreeisn'tbadatall:Imightpersonallypreferthatitgetthe3talentpoint/6%treatmentothertalentshaverecieved,butI'dhavetoadmitthat'snotterriblylikelyandthetalentisastrongone.
Ingeneral,protectionseesmajorimprovements.Defianceisgone,thethreatboostjustfoldedintoDefensiveStancebutthisjustfreesuppointswhichyou'regoingtoneedtogeteverything(andIfranklythinkIncite's15%critboosttobothHSandTCmakesittheeffectivereplacementtoDefiance)andtheexpertisefromthetalenthasbeenfoldedintoVitality.YouweregoingtotakeVitalityanyway.Warriortankingviabilitywillbefine,inmyopinionsignificantlyimproved,withmorethreatfromdamage(which,asGhostcrawlerhaspointedout,scalesbetterwithgearimprovementsthanstaticthreat)andfarmoremulti-mobviability.WarriorswillneedtolearntodependlessonShieldBlocktoprocRevenge,yes,butwiththechangestotheCrushingBlowmechanic(itrequiresamob4levelshigherthanyoutocrushyou,not3asiscurrentlythecaseinlive)you'renotgoingtotakecrusheswhiletankingboss-levelmobs,andspecificbosses(like,say,Illidan)won'tuseabilitiesthatrequireablock(like,say,Shear)meaningthatSBisfreetobecomeapanicbuttonability.Revengewillrequiremorewatching,butit'llhitmuchharderwhenitdoeshappen,andyoudon'tneedtoworryabout103%combinedavoidancetobeuncrushable.Thisalsomeansthattheoccasionalcriticalhitifyou'renotquiteat490defenseisn'tashugeaproblemasitusedtobesinceyouwon'tbegettingtwodifferentkindsofhugespikemeleedamage,butIstillrecommendmakingsurecritisarepushedoffthetable:yourhealerswillthankyou.
TankyGoodness
Severalchangesaregoingtohityourprotectionspecwarrior.Firstup,youwillnolongerhaveAnticipationtoincreaseyourdefense:it'sallfromgearnow.Secondly,withthechangetoblockvaluefromstrength,alotofyourtankinggearthatdidn'thavestrengthonitnowwill.Unfortunately,inmanycasestheitemizationthataddedstrengthtoyourtankinggeartoincreaseitsthreatgeneration(insomecasesyou'llseeaneasy200to300moreblockvalueonthesamegearpretopostpatch,andthat'snotevencountingalltheotherwaysstrengthisgoingtoaddtoyourthreatgen)comesoutofexistingstats,andinsomecasesthatmeansdefenserating.
Ifyouliketoridethedefensegoalof490defenserightnow,andespeciallyifyou'reusingAnticipation(newPatch3.0.2/Wrathversionlink)togetyouthere,youmayseriouslyhavetoreconsideryourgearing.Formyself,Ijustflippedaroundafewpiecesformyhighestdefenseoptions,butInoticedthedrop:asetthatusedtonetmeaneasy500defensewithouteventryingrequiredmetouseadefenseratingcloaktomakeupthedifferenceto490.
That'sthebadnewsfortheprotectiontree.Nowforthegoodnews:therestofthetreeisstonecoldawesome.No,really.It'ssogood.Youwillnotbeabletogetallthegoodstuffinprotandspendpointselsewhereat70,that'showgooditis.Whenyouspecprot,youwillbeaskingyourselfShouldIspendthepointstogetuptoDamageShieldnoworheadoverintofuryforArmoredtotheTeeth?You'llprobablytakeboth.Warriorswhocanpush800orsoblockvalueonlivewillgainaneasy200to300SBVassoonasthepatchhits.Itwillbesimpletogearfor800blockvalue,youwon'treallyhavetotryveryhard.Andwhenyoudo,youwillbedealing180damageeverytimeyoublockorarehitwhiletanking.Meanwhile,ArmoredtotheTeethisgoingtoincreasethedamageonyournow-globalThunderClap(thestrengthonyourgearwillalsoaddtothis,asTCnowscaleswithAPandyou'llhavemorewithallthatstrength...mywarriorinfulltankinggearisseeingAParound1300unbuffedinT5/T6levelgear)meaningthatonceyoucangetthemobshittingyou,notonlywilltheyhityoulessoftenthankstoTC'sslowingeffect,they'lldamagethemselveseverytimetheydooreverytimeyoublockthem.
Honestly,thedifficultyhereisnotinfindinggoodprotectiontalentsyoucanspecinto,it'sinpickingwhichonestotalktoyouaboutnow.Someofthesetalents(likeGagOrder)onlygetreallygoodonceyouhaveabilitiesyouwon'tgetuntillaterlevels,butit'shardtodislikeanextra10%damageonShieldSlam.Warbringerallbyitselfwillchangethewayyouplay.CombinedwiththenewTCandDamageShield,aslongasyouhavearelativelygoodclearzonetofightin,protectionspecwarriorswillbeflingingthemselvesintopacksandimmediatelyputtingthatragegainedtousegrabbingthreat.Healerpullsaggrotryingtokeepyouupwhenyoudothis,yousay?It'llbeharderwithVigilancegivingyour10%ofhisthreat.
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