Transmog yourself into an Avenger!
6 blue posts to read before Diablo 3's launch
Cross-realm zones coming soon
All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsFan of Knives CD probably gone, Feral AoE coming
by Eliah Hecht 
Nov 19th 2008 at 2:00PM
I'm currently working on leveling my priest right now (78 at the moment), so I haven't played with this ability first-hand, but Rogues get a fun tool to look forward to at level 80: Fan of Knives. This significantly helps address one of Rogues' long-time weakness: AoE damage. Sure, we're great on a single target, but it's very difficult to build up CP and use them effectively on poly-mob pulls, and Blade Flurry only goes so far. Hence FoK, which is well-timed given how much AoE there seems to be in Wrath. It also gives you something to do when you need to be at range, which happens from time to time.
But FoK has a ten-second cooldown, which certainly limits how much you can use it - for now. Ghostcrawler recently popped his crabby head into the Rogue forums to announce that "We think we are going to remove the cooldown of Fan of Knives altogether." Yay! I would assume this is going to be coming in the next patch, which they keep saying is coming before 3.1, the Ulduar patch. Patch 3.0.4 Rogues, now with ten times the knife-fanning action!
And as if that wasn't enough nice news from GC, he also said "in case it gets asked, Feral druids we haven't forgotten about your AE either." Hmmm, I say. I have also faced this issue on my druid in cat form - I don't really want to go Bear to Swipe, because then I run a high risk of pulling off the tank, but cat form has literally nothing that hits more than one target. I wonder what they're going to give us. Any predictions?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Hmmm... Nov 19th 2008 2:10PM
I guess the question becomes, does every single class need AOE?
rogue Nov 19th 2008 2:24PM
We don't "need" AOE. But it will help in certain situations.
Like annoying mobs that spawn little helpers with 1 hit point and having to select them individually. Now we have something to get pesky things like snake traps out of the way.
My domination of hunters will improve. yay!
Ikarus Nov 19th 2008 2:25PM
This. Is it really necessary that every class be able to do everything? To much homogenization imo.
Shoomy Nov 19th 2008 2:44PM
Agreed.
So much for choosing a class for different abilities....
Lemons Nov 19th 2008 2:49PM
Seems blizzard is thinking yes. Heck, not just every class, but every little spec as well. I mean cat form? Jeez they're like the rogues' red headed little brother.
I can haz AE pls?
Like whatever a rogue gets they must immediately copy.
Vinicius O. E. Nov 19th 2008 2:52PM
If WoW get enough expansions maybe one day, when the level cap is raised to 100 (!!!), all classes will be able to tank, dps, heal, cc, aoe, etc...
/facepalm
Daymon Nov 19th 2008 4:40PM
@ rogue
If you don't need it, then why getting it? less is more applies. Be the best at your single target dps roll instead of trying to imitate another classes rolls, is sad how blizzard is hearing every QQer to make them happy.
This game is becoming a fast food svc, "i want my rogue w extra agi and pickels, and no mayo pls". Getting rid of variety FTL
Gareth Nov 20th 2008 4:51AM
Absolutely not is my opinion too, AoE as fun as it is at times also trivialises the content in too many places.
For me the game seems to be going from a mortal kombat 2 style gameplay where every move was planned and thought ahead to a mortal kombat 3 style game where you frantically hammer away at the buttons.
I'd really like to see after Northrend Blizzard taking a new approach to class design and remove a lot of the goodies that they put in.
Maybe limit AoE to mages and Warlocks (with just hellfire and rain of fire for warlocks), tone right down the ability to AoE from tanks, and that includes paladins so that people have to think before dpsing.
Unlikely to see them doing this soon, but at some point just the
pure bloat from multiple expansions is going to mean they'll need a reset somewhere. That is unless they allow us to level to a new class (ie reset by levelling a warrior to a fighter), which actually would be quite cool to play.
Beep Nov 19th 2008 2:12PM
Ever given a bath to a cat? Now THAT is some AoE damage. ^_^
Ilnara Nov 19th 2008 5:28PM
LOL!!
Rogues complain their armor sucks, so why exactly do they want an AOE ability with which they will inevitably pull aggro on more Mobs than they can't kill with their AOE or single target DPS?
*boggle*
Narlic Nov 19th 2008 5:34PM
@9 Tricks of the Trade
Kellhouse Nov 19th 2008 2:13PM
WoW Finaly!
So far i am happy with feral but maybe thats because im overgeared :P but i did notice that there is no cat aoe.
What I usualy do is just go to bear and swipe in a big pull. I would let tank get a few aoe hits in and out i go. If I pull a few mobs it usualy for the better because even in cat gear i can take more then few hits in bear form.
Any form of cat AoE would be great. So far I run most of the instances and 8/16 nax everything was aoe. Do people even use cc anymore? Well ill be dong lost of heroic in comming days maybe in some of them.
tkc Nov 19th 2008 2:14PM
Kitty swipe FTW!!!!
One can hope.
Naix Nov 19th 2008 4:08PM
Swarm of kitties.
You unleash a swarm of cute kittens then seduce and then explode from all the cheese burgers they have eaten.
Agoria Nov 19th 2008 2:15PM
I did. That was the day when I discovered that cats can walk on walls.
Kaawn Nov 19th 2008 2:16PM
I have two cats at home, and they are both crazy...
How about a "Wicked Tail Lash" - instantly knocks things off tables, or weapons from mobs, OR.... "Stepped on Kitties Tail Scream of Pain" - which gives all mobs in a 10 yard radius instant heart failure and dazes them for a few seconds.
Yay for FoK! ....yelling that gets me strange looks at work. =P
JPN Nov 19th 2008 2:16PM
WOW...please let it be true!
Tobie Nov 19th 2008 2:17PM
A yes, druids would need aoe for each of their shapes. Why not ask for aoe for swim form too?
Ondoe Nov 19th 2008 5:40PM
First
"Ikarus said...
This. Is it really necessary that every class be able to do everything? To much homogenization imo."
every class pretty much has an AOE but every class is also very different just because they have aoes doesnt mean they are all the same i mean if i spec balanced for my druid i have hurricane already and i can get typhoon too Second to tobie you seem to just like to QQ its not a big deal if a druid gets a aoe in cat form chances are it will only hit up to 3 targets like the bear form swipe if anything itll just help feral druid who prefer cat form to optimize their dps in instances and raids
Tobie Nov 19th 2008 5:56PM
I say, druids have an aoe. They should not QQ because they chose to not play the spec that uses it.