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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsThe hunter's axe which is like a wand
by David Bowers 
Nov 29th 2007 at 5:05PM
There's a new arena axe out there just for hunters, the [Vengeful Gladiator's Waraxe]. It only costs 1000 Arena points, and it doesn't require any particular personal Arena rating to get. It's the kind of weapon Warriors might sigh for in vain, but it comes relatively cheaply to hunters now. Perhaps someone who got in close to a hunter with this once or twice has been surprised by how hard it can hit.Some people are saying it's totally unfair for hunters to get such a relatively cheap weapon, but Nethaera steps in to point out how a big fancy melee weapon is very different for a hunter than it would be for a melee fighting class: "This is intended and is considered to be more of a stat item much like a wand." And she's right -- any hunter who relied on this weapon for damage would likely be at a disadvantage, unless their regular ranged weapon was really very bad.
Even for hunters making difficult choices about how to spend their first Arena points in Season 3, this weapon isn't necessarily the first on your shopping list. For many, the Season 3 armor isn't that much more expensive, and could constitute a much greater stat improvement than this axe can give. Still, it's pretty fancy lookin -- definitely something to plan on getting when the time is right.
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 3)
brett Nov 29th 2007 6:12PM
I want 62 stamina on my libram please. While a special like 33 resilience for 8 seconds after flash of light is kinda spiffy it really doesn't compare. At all. Period.
This axe either needs to be 1) more expensive, significantly. 2) nerfed siginificantly. 3) require rating.
Spenda Nov 29th 2007 6:30PM
You get your all your bonuses from your shield and main hand. Hunters don't get much in the way of stat increases from their ranged weapon.
brett Nov 29th 2007 6:33PM
@19
Shields take rating to buy.
Spenda Nov 29th 2007 6:38PM
The price of a shield + main hand is the same as the price of the Hunter's ranged weapon (which does require a rating) though. The point is that hunter's use their melee weapon solely for stats, and all the other classes get to get their stat items without rating. Why should hunters need a rating, and to pay more for something other classes don't have to?
Also keep in mind that Blizzard is trying to increase the viability of hunters in arena, and this is probably part of the solution.
brett Nov 29th 2007 6:42PM
I'm a holy paladin, but resto shamans, elemental shamans also have this problem.
1) spelldamage or healing mace 3150
2) spelldamage or healing shield 1875
3) Libram/Idol whatnot 1000
Total outlay: 6025
Hunters:
1) Bow 3750
2) Axe 1000
Total outlay: 4750
Try again.
Marcus Nov 29th 2007 7:00PM
3750 * 2 was still more than what you'd have to pay, but I bet in season 4 there'll be a cheaper healing weapon
brett Nov 29th 2007 7:32PM
While I would *love* to belive that they are reducting the cost of the healing weapons. I haven't even heard the slightest whisper about it. Frankly taking shields off the rating requirement might be all the correction that particular situation needs.
Arnold Nov 29th 2007 6:37PM
Having seen how Hunters do in the Arenas, I agree that they need a bit of lovin'.
However, comparing it to a wand is just plain silly. Druids need relics, Pallys need librams etc. Stat boosters, you might say. And personally, being a feral druid, all that my weapon does for me is a stat booster. I don't get to smear mongoose onto my weapon and have it proc for me...
Ian Nov 29th 2007 6:38PM
Going to be getting this for my hunter pretty soon. Looks great with all of the Hunter S1 Gear.
Marcus Nov 29th 2007 6:58PM
Let me clarify something. I'm not comparing items to items. I'm comparing costs of gearing up classes. Hunters need both melee and ranged weapons to pvp. There's just no other way to put that. Having to spend 3750 on 1/2 melee weapons then another 3750 for a ranged weapon is ridiculous. No other class "has" to spend that much getting their arena weapons. This is why Blizzard introduced the Waraxe. Had they created 3 ranged weapons just for Hunters that cost 1000 and had no personal rating requirement there would be a massive QQ-fest by non-Hunter pvpers.
brett Nov 29th 2007 8:24PM
So since the axe is "just for stats" half it's dps. I mean if all you are ever going to do is wingclip anyways...
amasen Nov 29th 2007 6:57PM
The problem with all the counter arguments against this are that this is just a stat stick because the hunter weapon offers very little stats. However the hunter weapon actually adds a TON of stats.
Consider the Glad xbow vs. the vengeful glad xbow
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=33006
vs
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=28294
That's an increase of 10.8 dps (29 max dmg more). This is of course modified by RAP and scales very well.
The hunter axe is also modified by hunter stats (but to a lesser degree) and scales.
Vs. Caster itemization
The wand literally adds nothing to the DPS casters output, and none of the casters stats modify the dmg output of the wand.
No, hunters should not get this incredible weapon at almost no cost or effort. The DMG output of this weapon needs to be drastically reduced if it is to be nothing more than a stat stick (like 50 dps less). Otherwise it needs a rating req, and needs to cost the same amount of points as the regular axe.
Voidrunner Nov 30th 2007 8:03PM
The thing is, having hunters get an exceptionally cheap melee weapon is unfair to melee classes. The thing to do is provide a cheap ranged weapon ideal to melee classes but not hunters, and have it cost 1000 arena points.
Starbeast Jun 9th 2008 6:20AM
And how exactly is that supposed to make things better?
lottness Nov 29th 2007 9:07PM
Well it dont surpise me, personally i cant believe blizz has hunters wearing mail anways. So this axe doesnt surprise me. Thank god the whole rogues wearing mail never got off the ground.
Mats Nov 29th 2007 11:03PM
Ok, lets look at it as a wand.
Whats the best wand you could get before BT? A green wand from a solo quest on the Netherwing questgrind. Now, its the Badge wand.
And that badge wand is not getting replaced.. ever.
The wand system is not thought out at all. Stats are throw about at little or no cost, while the main attributes is the damage and speed.
The Netherwing quest wand was the best wand, due to high stamina and spelldamage, the damage was crap, and speed as well, yet now they claim that Wands are "stat items".
Give me a break, from the blizzard perspective, DPS is the main value of a wand, as thats where all the points go when they make it.
Keya Nov 30th 2007 3:10AM
It's just a pity it's not a staff - i would have loved to wield a staff and not an axe. Reminder to got old times :D
Xtazey Nov 30th 2007 3:36AM
I love it when some stupid mage blinks right next to me and thinks I can't do any melee damage. BAM Raptor Strike crits "DKFrostMageDK" for 3,5k.
Goo Nov 30th 2007 8:29AM
So...if weapons should be cheaper because seldom use in melee...what about blades, maces, staffs and swords for casters and healers? Sry...I'm not agreeing with giving certain classes even more advantage compared to others.
How can u compare a 2h Axe with a wand? Compare it with a staff instead.
Zechleton Nov 30th 2007 8:52AM
"Post-2.3 you can try to stand on top of a Hunter, like people have been doing since pvp started, but the you won't be there long if the Hunter is popping 2k raptor strikes with the Waraxe."
And this is fair, of course. When my warrior gets kited by a frost mage or a Hunter can i stand back and shoot at them for 2k? No. I shoot them for about 500 with a crit. I agree with what an earlier poster said: i'm fine with them having a "stat weapon slot" but does it really need 132 dps?