Feral staves no more in patch 3.0.8
by Daniel Whitcomb 
Dec 14th 2008 at 1:00PM
So back in another life, when I was a Druid, there was always something that got me a little hot and bothered: Seeing another class with a feral weapon. Sometimes it was a Night Elf Hunter running around Hellfire peninsula with an Ursol's Claw, sometimes it was a Gnome Warrior hanging in Shattrath with a Terestian's Stranglestaff. Whatever it was, it always bothered me a bit. I wondered if they had just taken it because there was no Druid in the group, or if there was some poor feral scrub out there wandering lost and lonely without a feral weapon because some guy who couldn't even use all that delicious feral attack power wanted it for the agility or whatever. I have to admit, though, many feral staves are some of the coolest looking items in game, so I wouldn't necessarily blame them for taking one.
After Patch 3.0.8, they'll have even more reason to take them.
MMO-Champion has a list of the new stats for many Northrend-era "feral staves" from the 3.0.8 PTR on their site. As you can see, feral attack power as a statistic is no more. Instead, each staff now has the higher base DPS you'd expect for a solid 2-handed melee weapon of their level, and any strength has been converted to straight up attack power. This is, of course, expected, since we knew Druids were getting the ability to use weapon DPS, but it's interesting that they have completely overhauled the weapons to this degree.
I have to admit, I'm sort of excited. I've always been a fan of a good solid quarterstaff when it comes to medieval and fantasy weaponry, and this change should make these staves a viable gearing choice for a Hunter -- I'd bet that was exactly why the strength on the staves was converted to attack power -- and maybe even a leveling Warrior. Too bad my Death Knight can't use them.
One thing I'll be interested to see is if, in future patches, they continue to make "feral" staves like these, or if ferals will have to use maces, which have fewer class restrictions and thus are more in line with Blizzard's new gearing and loot philosophies. I'm a big fan of staves as viable melee weapons, and even more so a fan of some of the unique, awesome looking staff designs we've seen out of feral staves in the past, so I'm hoping they don't go completely extinct in future patches and expansions even with these 3.0.8 changes.
Filed under: Druid, Hunter, Patches, Items, Analysis / Opinion, Wrath of the Lich King
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
lolwut Dec 14th 2008 1:10PM
I play a Ret pala and Journey's end is something i'd like now. There is also a DK who is looking for a new stick, alongside a TG warrior who, if he had the choice would equip 2 of these, we then have our feral druid at the bottom who was awaiting the day he could get his hands on these as priority at the bottom of the dkp.
Happy days.
Reinard Dec 14th 2008 1:38PM
Sigh.
No.
They're still horrible weapons for anything that isn't a druid.
Huey2k2 Dec 14th 2008 1:48PM
Yeah no, there is no reason why you as a Ret pally would take this over something like a http://www.wowhead.com/?item=39417 or any other REAL melee DPS weapon.
Get your head out of your ass.
Khanmora Dec 14th 2008 1:53PM
Neither paladins, nor DKs can use staves
Elmo Dec 14th 2008 2:39PM
the only class I can think of who will use this are Hunters for a melee slotter.
Balius Dec 14th 2008 8:19PM
They CAN use two handed maces, which also occasionally go to druids. This makes feral specific weapons a thing of the past, true, but it opens up a few new options.
My understanding is that a druid will see the attack power conversion on any weapon they can use, but all other classes won't.
It's not a nerf just because a hunter might rarely roll on a staff you can use.
Notaa Dec 14th 2008 8:32PM
I don't know if you play on Darkspear EU, but I'm a gnome warrior who used to hang out in the Scryer bank with the Stranglestaff equipped :D
I only took it 'cause we were farming Kara for badges and there were no druids in the group!
Khyrie Dec 14th 2008 1:13PM
I have to say that I am loving these changes to how gearing up works. More cross-class loot means more booty per dungeon run. Sure you might have to roll against other classes more often, but it sure beats running an instance repeatedly just so that your ONE item drops.
Brownie points for Blizzard :)
BladeeR Dec 14th 2008 1:17PM
Druids got owned. To much loot for them anyway.
RocknOats Dec 14th 2008 1:36PM
Oh man! This is great and all, but I would have liked one more week's warning. I just got rid of a great Druid staff that I could have saved for my selfish self!
joerendous Dec 14th 2008 1:19PM
just like how i like my milk. yum. :)
Nightshifter Dec 14th 2008 1:20PM
Keep stirring the pot and it'll eventually just be a big sloppy gray goo.
Those massive numbers are one of the reason I enjoy playing a feral druid. To me this seems like a huge nerf, even though I probably won't notice the difference. Well except when I see another class carrying what used to be a druid stick.
In exchange I'd like to know when the new flavors of bear and cat are coming, I'm enjoying Wrath, but where are the new dances that were mentioned?
/sigh
Blackhorn Dec 14th 2008 1:30PM
Don't worry about it.. a Warrior, for example, doesn't have a "Stave Specialization", and Titan's Grip only applies to Swords, Maces, and Axes. You can't even DW polearms.
RogueJedi86 Dec 14th 2008 11:15PM
Nightshifter, apparently Druids still see the stats as FAP, so it's no change for Druids.
Kassius Dec 14th 2008 1:20PM
stranglestaff is 4 RP!!
Zeplar Dec 14th 2008 1:24PM
Omfg
They changed the strength to AP
Just like all the feral gear that got changed to rogue gear in Wrath
I cannot even use punctuation I am so pissed off about that
ALRIGHT THEN LET'S ALL RE-ROLL ROGUES WEWT!!!
KyoKenshin Dec 14th 2008 1:30PM
I wonder how they'll handle the animations for TG warriors dual wielding staves. The Staff is the only 2 handed melee without a one-handed equivalent, no DW animations in place for them.
Khanmora Dec 14th 2008 1:55PM
Kyo, read the tooltip for TG, it doesn't apply to staves:
http://www.wowhead.com/?spell=46917
OutlandishTrendz Dec 14th 2008 1:29PM
Good, even though I play a balance druid I felt there was too many feral staves. My hunter will like the changes too.
JediRawr Dec 15th 2008 1:37PM
@ OutlandishTrendz
i do not see how there are too many feral staves. in BC there were only 6. in Wotlk there is still only 6(at least until Ulduar becomes available).(all end-game staves) so plz tell me how having 6 end game feral staves is too much compared to a hunter who has wat 4-6 possible loot in one norm naxx run compared to our 2? in heroic naxx 3-5 compared to our 2? plz tell me where i missed the fact that there were too many feral staves or if im missing a few. (the link in the article has all feral druid staves in wotlk).