In a forum thread discussing the
recent prot warrior block changes and Warbringer nerf and the state of prot warrior DPS (it's basically acknowledged as the lowest DPS among the tanks)
Ghostcrawler chimes in that they intend to buff sustained prot DPS while reducing burst in PvP. However,
he quickly comes back to point that at this stage in the expansion they don't want to make any sustained mechanical changes and so, don't expect one. The sustained DPS increase will come from buffs to existing abilities.
While I can understand the trepidation from prot warriors at this statement (no one is terribly excited about a buff to
Devastate, not even me) it's an unfortunate but valid point he makes here. You really don't have the time to make drastic mechanical changes this far into the cycle. We might like a more drastic solution, but with Cataclysm looming on the horizon you don't really want to see too much tinkering with the base mechanics.
Still, please don't just buff Devastate. Please. I'm begging you here.
Tags: class-help, guide, patch-3.3, patch-3.3-changes, patch-3.3-wow, prot-warrior, prot-warrior-dps, protection-warrior, talent, talents, warrior-guide, warrior-info, world-of-warcraft-class-guide, world-of-warcraft-guide, world-of-warcraft-patch-3.3, wow-3.3-changes, wow-class-guide, wow-class-help, wow-guide, wow-new-patch, wow-patch, wow-patch-3.3, wow-patch-news, wow-talent-guide, wow-warrior, wow-warrior-info
Filed under: Warrior, Analysis / Opinion, Wrath of the Lich King, Cataclysm
Jan 24th 2010 at 12:00PM 
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
GerardthePriest Jan 24th 2010 12:15PM
Please let it be a buff to Thunder Clap. Come on, 4 second cooldown. But I suppose a 50% buff to our only real AoE would be too much. Sigh.
Matthew Rossi Jan 24th 2010 12:19PM
A 4 or even 3 second cooldown or a sustained DoT on the ability would be bloody ideal. I'd especially like a DoT on it because frankly, I'm tired of having to spec Impale. I'd like to be able to pick up some of the Fury utility talents.
Shrike Jan 24th 2010 12:24PM
This, but we know what'll actually happen. Lowered cooldowns on all abilities! Now we can be out of rage and waiting for an auto-attack three seconds earlier in a fight!
What they need to do, and won't:
* Fix armor penetration.
* Fix block.
* Fix rage generation when not in top-end gear.
* Fix drastic gear scaling resets for warriors.
I'm *tired* of being balanced as if every warrior is Kungen, Swifty or Draek.
Farstrider Jan 24th 2010 2:03PM
"I'm *tired* of being balanced as if every warrior is Kungen, Swifty or Draek."
Man, I don't think this can be said enough. I really think that the "trickle down" changes they make do nothing of the sort. It's more of a giant bell curve that impacts low geared warriors much more severely than the top tier. They need to take the blinders off and realize this.
Niallus Jan 24th 2010 2:43PM
I've always maintained since the beginning of Wrath that a sustained DOT on thunderclap (even if i had to spec/glyph for it) would make me start tanking again.
As a lower geared warrior on a trash pull, I would pray for thunder clap to crit. If it didn't, trigger happy melee dps would likely peel off at least one add before combat ended, and I hated the panic of trying to bring it back under control.
Walynds Jan 24th 2010 4:58PM
It will be Devastate. we have to press the key constantly so it make s sense. Some DOT in applied after 5 stacks or something (Vengange / corruption lite?).
Cant say I like it but I reckon thats the way they will go.
Ed Jan 24th 2010 12:23PM
It's nice to have more DPS, but I'm more interested in a bit of relief for us warrior tanks. It feels like we have way too many keys to press in comparison to paladin and death knight tanks. I can't speak for druid tanks, since I don't have one.
Matthew Rossi Jan 24th 2010 12:25PM
Maybe it's because I come from the days of HS/Sunder spam but I don't mind warrior tanking being more active. I do think we could use some upgrades in threat, cooldowns (having to use up two glyph slots to come close is annoying) and maybe EH.
Ozzard Jan 24th 2010 12:33PM
We druids can be bears of very little brain - because we've got three other specs and Blizz didn't want to hand us more abilities than anyone else, bear tanking's actually pretty simple. Mangle, Lacerate, Swipe, tab-Maul are right at the core; Faerie Fire with the occasional foray into Demoralising Roar and Bash rather less often; and Growl if the DPS crits too much.
Warrior tanking looks far too complex for me!
Kurdon Jan 24th 2010 2:37PM
This is exactly the reason I'm playing a warrior tank and still enjoy them. I would hearken prot warriors to being the rogues of the tanking world. Fast-paced, visceral, mobile, and quick to leverage their heightened situational awareness to their advantage. Ok, maybe the last part is a bit more player-specific... ;p
I would argue, though, that being a "good" prot warrior is an art to itself and promotes skill far more than any other tanking class. Others will probably fairly argue to the contrary, though, as I've tried all the other tanks but not stuck with any of them for very long after reaching 80.
Crimpshrine Jan 24th 2010 4:22PM
I agree with the three previous replies, I love how active Warrior tanking is; I play it for the same reason I play a Discipline priest. I also do it because it's making me work on my own weakest abilities. The challenge of it hits me exactly where I once avoided going. I used to play only heals and ranged DPS, and warrior tanking is a harsh, sink-or-swim initiation into the heart of the fight.
Cavis Jan 25th 2010 4:09AM
Another vote for tanking complexity!
I was tanking as a bear for two years (since BWL days) and I got tired with lack of abilities to use. Having 6 spells for all your tanking abilities is truly boring. Now for whole WotLK I'm playing a warrior and regardless of our AoE tanking problems I think this is currently the best class around. A lot of different tanking skills give you a lot of utility if you want it. And if you want to have 3-key druid tanking, you still can just use those 3 keys and tank pretty decently.
Buff to our DPS will be nice though. I would love to be able to stay close to other tanks in damage done. I actually counts.
drz196 Jan 24th 2010 12:26PM
Have rend refresh each time you devestate or SS.
GrumblyStuff Jan 24th 2010 5:17PM
That's sarcasm, right?
Falcon6 Jan 24th 2010 12:25PM
Out of all the moves Prot Warriors have that could be increased, I suspect the most likely candidates would be Thunder Clap, Shockwave, or Concussive Blow. Revenge is also likely, but I dunno if it'd be as likely as those other possibilities.
I say Thunder Clap and Shockwave because Prot Warrior AOE threat could definitely use a buff. And with Concussive Blow, it's a 30 second cooldown that could use either a damage increase or a shorter cooldown. The problem with Con. Blow would be the possibility of adding another stun to the PVP Prot arsenal.
Oh, and then there's Cleave and Heroic Strike, but as they're connected to other specs that, apparently, don't need fine-tuning in DPS at the moment, I don't think they'll add it.
I'd say the most likely candidates would be Shockwave and Concussive Blow, seeing as how they're actually talents you get in the Prot tree and that would significantly reduce the chance of it affecting Arms or Fury.
Falcon6 Jan 24th 2010 12:27PM
*I meant a shorter cooldown stun in regards to Conc. Blow, not adding a complete stun altogether. We need editing features, WoW.com!
Terrordactyl Jan 24th 2010 1:08PM
I read an idea on the forums yesterday that I liked:
Allow Shockwave to be glyphed so that its cooldown is much shorter, the threat it produces is higher, but the stun effect is gone.
Or how about shortening the cooldown on challenging shout? When it's on CD it takes four globals or more just to generate enough aggro pull a pack of mobs off the DPS that hit them before I did.
As a new 80 warrior trying to learn to tank, AoE is very difficult to master, esp. in Heroics where the rest of the group expects speed. Inevitably I'm yelled at for not holding aggro on 12 mobs, which teaches me nothing, and I wind up having to just leave group :(
Walynds Jan 24th 2010 9:06PM
Not a chance they will buff shockwave or conc blow. The druid tears would be unbeliveable.
I really the stun component. Easier to control the pack who is running for that AOE happy mage / lock.
Taking the damage reduction componet from D stance would be a nice start.
Ramco Jan 24th 2010 12:25PM
Let TC give a DoT effect, or shorten its cooldown.
Zorbak Jan 24th 2010 12:33PM
Maybe a talent change meaning you deal an extra 2% damage per stack of Sunder Armor on your target