Breakfast Topic: Dual specs
by Zach Yonzon 
Feb 17th 2009 at 8:00AM
Mmmm. Dual specs. When this long-awaited feature kicks in with what we hope is Patch 3.1, we're going to be seeing quite a lot of those messages in trade or general. We might even be seeing the reverse, where groups will be looking to pick up players with two specific specs. That's a daunting thought, actually... what if groups want to pick up not just one specific spec but two? Yikes.
But never mind that. It's a good time to be excited. When the time comes, I think we're all going to go out, pay our trainers what looks to be a hefty sum of Gold, and gleefully pick out our two specs. We'll rearrange our action bars, settle on two sets of glyphs, and be along our way announcing to the world our new, versatile nature. In many ways, this makes all classes practical hybrids. My brother-in-law has been speccing between Survival DPS and a fantastic tank damage mitigation Beast Mastery build with Roar of Sacrifice whenever we do Sartharion with 3 drakes.
So here's what I want us to munch on this morning -- what two specs will your classes be picking up? I think I might do PvE / PvP Retribution for my Paladin, Affliction PvE / Demonology PvP for my Warlock, Elemental PvP / Restoration PvE for my Shaman, and PvE / PvP Survival for my Hunter. Everyone in my guild has been looking forward to this feature, and I think it's going to shake things up a bit. What're your dual specs going to be?
Filed under: Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Sinthar Feb 17th 2009 8:09AM
hmmm as a mage it will be FFB and probably full frost for grinding (not into PVP)
Blackroot Feb 17th 2009 8:55AM
As a resto druid I will be going cat spec as my other spec....
I have been epic gearing up for my feral spec and just had to choose between dps and tanking....
I get asked enough to heal all the time so a break by dps'ing will be welcome.
As for my many alts - I am going to leave them as they are and will probably play them less.
Really will be easy to do what you like as a druid.
Jesse Feb 17th 2009 10:23AM
pve prot/pvp holy for my pally
ffb/pvp frost for my mage
pve MM/pve Surv for my huntard
sub 80 alts (assuming they hit 80 sometimes soon):
pve mut (unless combat buffs are good)/pvp sub for my rogue
pve unholy/pvp unholy for my DK
Karilyn Feb 17th 2009 8:09AM
I want duel specs so bad. I'm a tank first and foremost always. But I keep wanting to dabble in Fury PvP ever since Titans Grip came out.
I just can't seem to work up a big enough blip on the "Give-a-Crap" meter to spend such massive amounts of gold on respeccing for PvPing. Especially considering the most common time I PvP is in-between tanking things, so I'd be respeccing an average of 6-10 times a day if I actually wanted to do that. No thanks.
This will definitely allow me to have more fun with the game ^.^
Justiice Feb 17th 2009 8:11AM
Since I am a paladin, I will be going Prot/Holy. I am geared to raid on both yet I am working on upgrading my tanking set. I will be going on my first raid tomorrow as a tank. That should be fun:)
Weltex Feb 17th 2009 8:12AM
I am looking forward to being able to spec Resto and Feral with my druid.
Jason Feb 17th 2009 8:28AM
I'll be doing Holy PVE and Prot PVE with my Paladin. My other toons I'll have to wait and see.
Okabe Feb 17th 2009 8:14AM
It'll be PVE Holy and PVP Ret for my Pali.
My biggest concern about dual specs are:
1.) Retards running around masquerading as healers or tanks, saying "ZOMG I R TEH HEALERS OR TANX" only to find out that they suck after you've gone through all the work of putting together a group.
2.) DPS' starting to roll on tank and healing gear just because there's a possibility that they can use it. I mean, it would really irritate me if DPSer's start need rolling on healing gear against designated healers/tanks just because dual spec allows them to fill the role also.
While I think dual-specs are a great idea, I also foresee them causing a whole lot of grief and frustration.
Robert M Feb 17th 2009 8:35AM
I agree with you, but also don't think you have to worry much. It takes a certain mentality to heal and tanks you can generally see judge a tank by his gear, not his HP mind you, but the amount of defense and enchants on his gears.
Real tanks spend endless amounts of gold to make sure their gear is up to par.
As far as specs for me...
The pally will be tank/holy, its easy to pick up all that healing plate when you tank all the time and I was able to make an entire set on the way to 80. Trinkets are the only place I'm lacking, but a few badges here or there can fix that problem.
The druid will be resto/balance. The gear consolidation has helped tremendously with this and though the resto set doesnt have hit on it, I was able to DPS in my resto gear last night with 1500 DPS. When the healer went down on the rock boss in H NEXUS I was able to heal the group through the encounter.
Dah Feb 17th 2009 8:14AM
My mage (main) will be Arcane PvE and frost PvP
My paladin (alt) will be Holy PvE and Holy PvP
I wish I could have a 3rd choice so I could have a grinding PvE frost build for my mage and a ret build for my paladin.
rekked Feb 17th 2009 8:14AM
I'll be taking the following specs:
- Endless topic-milking.
- "Dual-specs" infinite regurgitation.
My class? WowInsider columnist, of course!
Eternauta Feb 17th 2009 10:34AM
FAIL
Stan Feb 17th 2009 8:16AM
PvP Holy and PvP Ret. The Holy spec I tend to go for is viable in raiding as well as Wintergrasp, BG's, and 3v and 5v Arena. PvP Ret works for questing and my 2v Arena team. Getting all the gear together for two specs will be a pain, though not terribly so until resilience actually means something agian.
Neyssa Feb 17th 2009 8:15AM
I am very very happy about it, although my main is a lock. By boyfriend plays a paladin and he spent a few epic flying mount prices to change between his specs. He has good healer and tank gear, although he is mainly retri.
I wish to change my main to either DK or pally (haven't made up my mind yet), so we could finally go heroics without waiting 2 hours to find a tank/healer. Even if we start heroic with a group, he respecces to whatever is necessary, something always happens. Either the tank has to leave, or the healer, and he could respecc again, after 30 minutes, for 50g.
I hope dual spec will solve this. I dont know how much it will cost but it cannot be worse than what we already payed for speccing.
I would like to be a DK dps/tank, or a pally Holy/Retri. He will be either Retri/Holy or Retri/Tank. This way, we always have healer and tank, or dps if necessary.
sephirah Feb 17th 2009 8:16AM
Am I the only one more interested in:
- new content
- more class balance
- less bugs
- less lag
than in dual spec?
epic Feb 17th 2009 8:48AM
hopefully not, as i play a lock and pally, dual specs will pad my pocket book but will not change the way i play... gold has really become such a non issue at the 50 gold level that respeccing is more of a time issue then a lack of funds...i am greatly looking forward to the changes coming in 3.1
lightningjynx Feb 17th 2009 9:17AM
No you are not the only one who is interested in that, but as of right now Blizzard has been less than forthcoming regarding information about the changes coming in 3.1, other than with dual specs. Besides, dual specs have been buzzing around the rumor mill since months before 3.0 came out, everyone was hoping that it would come out then. Alas, we were disappointed and we've been promised it will be coming out "soon." So until more definitive information is released by Blizzard, deal with it.
Sean Feb 17th 2009 10:19AM
Nope. I, too, will be sticking to a single spec. Much to the dismay of my guild, as some of them were hoping I would switch between Bear and Tree.
When I rolled my Druid I very carefully chose to spec him Feral, and I've worked hard to be the best Bear I can be. Healing? Not interested.
I do wish there was more solo content coming in this patch. Does anyone remember 2.1? Yes, it had BT, but it also gave us Skettis, Ogri'la, Netherdrakes, the Netherstorm Consortium quests, and the Swift Flight chain.
If all we get is dual spec and a new Raid, I'll be very disappointed.
Patchoulie Feb 17th 2009 8:18AM
I'm working on a Boomkin and a Resto spec, My healing spec will still have to double for pvp and pve tho.
Matchu Feb 17th 2009 8:16AM
Aff PVP/Destro PVE for my Warlock. Tanking PVE / DPS PVE for my Death Knight. Probably Healing PVE / Healing PVP for my druid; still undecided on that.