Heroic Strike changes in Cataclysm
by Adam Holisky 
Apr 5th 2010 at 3:00PM
Ghostcrawler has provided clarification:
GhostcrawlerTo clarify on Heroic Strike, it costs a third of your rage bar when you hit the button, but you can't hit it unless you have 10 rage and it will only ever take a max of 30 (since that's essentially a third of your full bar). The intent is that when you don't have a lot of rage, it's not an attractive button. When you are gaining too much rage, then you want to start pushing it.
We debated whether or not to push this story before we talked about all of the warrior changes in Cataclysm. In the end we decided players might not focus on anything but the rage changes if we announced them at the same time. However, some of this will make a little more sense with the additional context of the warrior changes. For example, we have a plan to keep tank damage and threat high and we have other systems to let you convert excess rage into damage.
We debated whether or not to push this story before we talked about all of the warrior changes in Cataclysm. In the end we decided players might not focus on anything but the rage changes if we announced them at the same time. However, some of this will make a little more sense with the additional context of the warrior changes. For example, we have a plan to keep tank damage and threat high and we have other systems to let you convert excess rage into damage.
This is a great example of just how rage is going to work, and how the normalization of it will (likely) function across the entire system. If you have 10 rage, a heroic strike is going to cost you 33% of that, which means after the ability is fired you'll have 6 rage left. If you have 100 rage, a heroic strike is going to cost you 33% of that (up to a cap of 30), which means after the ability is fired you'll have 70 rage left.
This is the first real look at how abilities will change in Cataclysm, and is quite noteworthy for those wanting a glimpse at what's in store.
Edit: There's some confusion about Ghostcrawler's statement above and how it conflicts with Bornakk's original normalization post. We're not exactly sure which version of heroic strike is correct, however we're assuming Ghostcrawler's clarification is the "right" version. As with everything about the alpha/beta, you should remember that nothing is set in stone and it all can change.
Comments in this post have also been disabled since the negativity was getting out of hand.
Filed under: Warrior, News items, Cataclysm
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
BoB Apr 5th 2010 3:07PM
Speaking as a druid that HATED playing as bear, this will make tanking easier for me, and I think I understand this new rage thingy better.
Thram Apr 5th 2010 3:19PM
If you have 100 rage and you use it you'll have 70 rage left (remember the post says that they cap the cost at 30).
Dharmabhum Apr 5th 2010 3:07PM
In before edits maybe, but I don't know if you're clear on how much rage a Heroic Strike will consume in Cataclysm. From GC's first post:
"For example, imagine Heroic Strike costs between 10 and 30 Rage. You must have at least 10 Rage to use the attack, but it will consume all available Rage up to a maximum of 30."
So if you hit it while you have low rage, you'll likely rage-starve yourself for a moment at least. If you have more than 30 rage, it will consume 30 rage and do more damage accordingly. I believe this is roughly the same idea behind the Execute for Warriors.
Dharmabhum Apr 5th 2010 3:17PM
If you look at the article early detailing the changes (its up on WoW.com this morning and on MMO), its in the fourth point, discussing "on next melee" attacks. I think GC just caused a bit of confusion with "essentially a third of your full bar" since its not essentially a third but always 30 rage (which is 30% no 33%).
This is all up in the air still, but from what I've read from the Blues today, Heroic Strike (and Maul, presumably) will cost a minimum of 10 rage and a maximum of 30 rage.
jtrain Apr 5th 2010 3:25PM
Taking both of GC's comments together, I understand it using these examples:
If you have 8 rage, you can't use Heroic Strike
If you have 11 rage, you will use up all 11 rage when firing HS
If you have 28 rage, you will use up all 28 rage when firing HS and presumably do more dmg than the 11 rage example.
If you have 31 rage, you will use 30 rage when firing HS
If you have 80 rage, you will use 30 rage when firing HS
Thus, using HS with less than 30 rage will leave you rage-less for a moment and thus probably not something you'd want to use. However, if you have a lot of rage, you can bleed off 30 at a time using HS to increase your DPS.
Dharmabhum Apr 5th 2010 3:44PM
-Just to clarify, sources, and fix the last paragraph of this article-
This is a great example of just how rage is going to work, and how the normalization of it will (likely) function across the entire system. If you have 10 rage, a heroic strike is going to cost you all of it as HS will always consume at least 10 rage. If you have 100 rage, a heroic strike is going to cost you at most 30 rage but will do more damage than a 10-rage HS. If you're at maximum rage and fire a HS, you'll have 70 rage left, assuming no other income or expense of rage in that time.
Based on: http://www.wow.com/2010/04/05/rage-normalization-in-cataclysm/
"4) All "on next swing" attacks in Cataclysm are being removed. Heroic Strike and Maul will be instant swings that cost a variable amount of Rage. For example, imagine Heroic Strike costs between 10 and 30 Rage. You must have at least 10 Rage to use the attack, but it will consume all available Rage up to a maximum of 30. Any Rage consumed above the minimum will cause the ability to hit harder."
and
http://www.wow.com/2010/04/05/heroic-strike-changes-in-cataclysm/ (this article)
"You can't hit it (Heroic Strike) unless you have 10 rage and it will only ever take a max of 30" rage.
Hih Apr 5th 2010 3:45PM
ya, pretty sure Jtrain has it correct, though I do like Adam's version better.
Cataca Apr 5th 2010 4:11PM
We really can't confirm anything until we get a...um, clarifcation to the earier clarifaction. /sigh
How jtrain's previous comment laid it out makes the most sense game wise and is easier to play with. But it also relies more on the first statement that may be wrong since GC came out with a "clarification" to correct it.
The main point in GC's clarification is "it costs a third of your rage bar when you hit the button". If it isn't the main point it is at least what is causing most of the confusion. Holisky used this statement to form his example and believes it to be the correct one because it is the "clarification" of the earlier statement. Meaning this is how it really behaves. But this could also be incorrect because he could easily mean "it costs a third of your rage bar when you hit the button (with a full rage bar)".
We'll just have to wait and see I guess. I personally believe jtrain's example to be correct and Holisky's wrong but that is still only speculation.
Cataca Apr 5th 2010 4:33PM
"Right, however Ghostcrawler negates that original post by saying in particular that this current post, copied verbatim, is the clarification to what was initially said. I don't think it's fair to take a synthesis of the two, or to use the original at all -- this is what is correct."
Well, you've swayed me then. Though it still seems more complicated than how they usually design abilities costs. Either way if you're below 30 rage you probably don't want to use Heroic Strike anymore so it doesn't really matter how it works anyway. (Since both statements said that it will use a max of 30 rage)
And for those not clear on where he got 33% (because I'm a ditz and didn't figure it out to just now too) One third equals 33.33% not 30%. (They round down to the nearest whole number too I guess to get 33%)
"It's their issue for not communicating correctly, not mine. I'm trying to make sure the most accurate and correct information is out there."
And thanks for sticking with us and trying to help get the correct info out.
Colten Apr 5th 2010 3:11PM
I was under the impression that the new Heroic Strike/Maul would always take a minimum of 10, but would allow for a maximum of 30 to be spent if you had 30 or more rage.
"If you have 10 rage, a heroic strike is going to cost you 33% of that, which means after the ability is fired you'll have 6 rage left."
I don't see where it says that, then again, I'm probably wrong.
Waylander Apr 5th 2010 3:36PM
I Agree and I was under the impression it works like the Cat form druid finishing move Ferocious bite, Has a certain minimum cost but if you have 50 energy it does more damage and consumes all the energy
My reading of what ghostcrawler said is it always costs 10 rage but if you have up to 30 rage it does more damage. Cant find the quote your refering to but i definatly read the same thing somewhere
erknost Apr 5th 2010 3:15PM
Why I don't see a gnome warrior in the picture of this article? I'm a proud protection warrior and I'm a gnome. I demand a compensation!
Kyoukan Apr 5th 2010 3:41PM
But there is a gnome warrior, he's on the left corner like half in the shot and behind the night elf's leg and the healthstone well.
Hih Apr 5th 2010 3:48PM
There may also be one hiding behind the Draenei. Not the Draenei's fault Gnomes are so tiny.
Perrin Apr 5th 2010 3:36PM
What is the benefit of this change? Does it prevent heroic strike from having to be spammed?
Dharmabhum Apr 5th 2010 3:48PM
Yes, that's a lot of it, but this extends more to the normalization of rage than anything, since HS and Maul were just rage dumps with threat attached. Before, with high rage, it was just spammed along with any other abilities in the rotation for a tank, especially a bear. Before, with low rage and HS/Maul replacing the next white hit (and therefore foregoing the rage from the next white hit), it was easy to rage starve yourself at low or high gear levels.
But now it definitely removes the requirement to spam HS or Maul, or to have HS or Maul macroed to every other ability as a warrior or bear. Instead, it'll be a strategic rage dump and won't have the clumsy spamability that was necessary to keep it queued up before.
Geex Apr 5th 2010 3:54PM
I think it's like:
You have 12 rage -> it uses 4 rage ad does beah
You have 60 rage -> it uses 20 rage and does just ok
And when you have from 90 to 100 rage -> it uses 30 rage and it's damn good.
Geex Apr 5th 2010 3:56PM
Else it's just like execute...
akiva Apr 5th 2010 3:40PM
Warrior smash! No do math.
Ramco Apr 5th 2010 3:53PM
When I read the rage normalization post I thought "Hmm, maybe they'll use rage costs based on percentages of current rage...".
Now this post proves what I predicted.
BRB, gonna buy glass orb.