The new Patch

[Crusader]

I had a chance to play for two hours or so yesterday evening, giving me a first glimpse at the patch. First off, all the new talents look cool, but so darn much has changed that I feel I'm playing a new game. My impressions.

Warrior:
My pvp char is a warrior. I specced arms again and tried some AV. It felt as if my damage output had doubled and I hacked and sliced throug enemies with impunity. it all felt a lot smoother as well and I felt warriors had received a massive buff. until I ran into a paladin. He easily outhealed me and when he did some dps I was shocked at how much damage he did with his puny onehander. PvP also seems to feel a lot more fluent and faster paced.

Shaman:
My shaman is level 68 and has crappy gear. I specced Enhancement again. I got some wolves, which seem pretty cool. Each has a bit more hp then myself. Add those two to the elemental totems and I can have a small army at my beck and call. Handy. I also got a 3 point talent that gives 1 AP for every 1 int. since I'm dualwielding, I have the odd sensation that strength just became obsolete. Also, I can throw around instant chain lightnings now and then. crazy stuff, but it builds on the hybrid feeling I think. They wanted enhancement shamans to cast more spells and I think that succeeded nicely. I also got my first inscription on that char, in return for a earthstorm diamond transmute. 40% attack power boost to windfury procs. wow. Although I do have to use firebrand on my offhand now for that damage boost to lava shock or sumsuch. I wonder what that new skill, combined with free chain lightnings, will do for my dps and my mana bar.

Druid:
My old epic'd main is a resto druid, so naturally I specced full resto again. I have this odd sensation that I am now a total GOD of healing. I restore mana with my hots, got another hot to play with (as if I didn't have enough) and a talent that reduces the cooldown between hots. Damn this feels good. Still suck balls at killing anything bigger than a mouse though. But with all my hots active I must heal tons and tons of damage. Maybe I can do an instance today and see how it goes.

Mage:
I looked at the talent trees of my 61 mage and decided that needed a more detailed look tomorrow before I started clicking.

Soooo, what are you guys' thoughts so far?

[Mordekhuul]

My initial thought is that I'm overwhelmed by how much game there is for me to play now. Achievements are really an amazing addition for many of us.

I've only been prot spec'd on my paladin so far since the patch, but am really enjoying it. So far, aside from a sickeningly fast Gruul kill and a hyjal clear, I've done some ZG, solo'd some of the lower level dungeons that I didn't have achievements for, and of course spent time fixing mods and glyphing up.

Everyone's DPS is so high right now. We basically went from the kind of DPS you'd expect from a guild that has killed Illidan only twice to the DPS a guild deeper in Sunwell would be expected to have, opening up the possibility of killing some bosses in there if we get motivated enough.

Looking forward to killing Illidan later this week. Blowing through BT should be hilarious. Oh, and I really, really feel bad for Akama. That fight was already easier than some of the trash pulls in BT, before the HP nerf, DPS boost, and damage done nerf...

[Pantalaimon]

Soooo, what are you guys' thoughts so far?

I'm... really bored. :whistling:

Here's hoping wrath requires, oh you know, CC or focus fire or like... healing. Although by the time wrath comes out, I swear the general public will have forgotten what CC or Focus fire are, what with any tank being able to hold about 20 mobs and no threat issues.

[Mordekhuul]

I'm... really bored. :whistling:

Here's hoping wrath requires, oh you know, CC or focus fire or like... healing. Although by the time wrath comes out, I swear the general public will have forgotten what CC or Focus fire are, what with any tank being able to hold about 20 mobs and no threat issues.

Prot paladins forgot what CC meant ages ago. The other tanks are just catching up =)

[Bob the Beholder]

Arcane Barrage PvP is very meh. Certainly powerful, sure, but it's so very boring.

And the warrior I'm levelling is suddenly doing double DPS, killing things off before charge cools down. Although, like every warrior out there, I imagine, I immediately scrounged up a second two hander and went, "HOOOOOLY CRAAAAAAAP it's fury time!" Even though I knew that as some level 67 nublet there's no way I'd have the hit rating for Titan's Grip to be as good as Arms. All the same, I spent a quarter of a level slinging an Arkadian Claymore and a Honed Voidaxe, and even though it was something like 80 DPS under what I was getting Arms specced, it was cool, so I didn't care.

[Concillian]

And the warrior I'm levelling is suddenly doing double DPS, killing things off before charge cools down. Although, like every warrior out there, I imagine, I immediately scrounged up a second two hander and went, "HOOOOOLY CRAAAAAAAP it's fury time!" Even though I knew that as some level 67 nublet there's no way I'd have the hit rating for Titan's Grip to be as good as Arms. All the same, I spent a quarter of a level slinging an Arkadian Claymore and a Honed Voidaxe, and even though it was something like 80 DPS under what I was getting Arms specced, it was cool, so I didn't care.

I got that stuff out of my system on the PTR. Then on the PTR I went arms and slam spam. Like 300 DPS more than Titan's Grip (though that's when it was -15% hit, not -12%.

Post patch I tried a full Sudden Death spec (I had tried a 2H one on PTR, but on Live I tried a DW). It's okay, but I'm probably gonna go back to either arms for slam spam or Prot for learning to be zen in PvP. I say zen because there are a million options for a prot warrior in terms of spending rage and what stance to be in while PvPing. If you just smash buttons you make huge mistakes. It really requires a very calm mind and quick precise decisions. It has the potential to be a very strong PvP build, but requires strong play. This is why it's interesting to me.

Unfortunately, I haven't had a lot of time to play with things. I got add-ons setup, and specs in order, but I need to go practice them to get used to the new play.

I was pretty disheartened with warrior PvP on the PTR, but I think that's mainly because the people who play on the PTR are generally much higher quality players than those typically seen on the live servers.

[NuurAbSaal]

I'll keep it short.

If you have been a protection warrior for as long as me, the patch simply killed you. And sent you to heaven. Doing 20% of the damage in Dungeons and being able to quickly solo 70 elite giants without losing more than maybe 10% hp is just amazing. /snif

I love the patch!

Little addendum about achievements: While I think they are a great idea and nice addition, the sheer amount of them you can do is shifting the focus of players in my guild around a lot. I foresee some potential trouble there. I, for example, just HAD to try more for Old Crafty in Orgrimmar, instead of healing some Heroics on my Priest. 200 casts and no luck, and the worst about it all was the silly Retribution pally that got him with the first cast. First. Cast.

Ebul.

take care
Tarabulus

[Quark]

While I think they are a great idea and nice addition, the sheer amount of them you can do is shifting the focus of players in my guild around a lot. I foresee some potential trouble there.

They're FOTM right now. Give it some time while people fill them out. Did a Kara run last night, and weren't particularly overgeared for it beyond one or two chars. The DPS was insane and I was lucky to get in a third Mutilate on trash mobs. It's also really, really hard to practice the full DPS Mutilate cycle (mixing in Hunger For Blood, Mutilate, Rupture, Envenom) when bosses die before your 2nd refresh of Hunger For Blood expires.

[Crusader]

I did a kara with my resto druid yesterday. A pug. We cleared it 100% in 3 hours. Did the last 3 bosses with 8 people. Didn't wipe once. Insanity!

[Mavfin]

If you have been a protection warrior for as long as me, the patch simply killed you. And sent you to heaven.

^^This^^

I rolled my warrior as prot in January of 05, and I'm having simply *way* too much fun tanking now.

[shoju]

I'm glad to see warriors excited about the prot tree. I was AoE-ing on my mage the other day at the karabor training grounds, and there was a t4 geared warrior AoEing as well. It was impressive to watch him work the new abilities.