Breakfast Topic: I can't quit you, tauren
by Matthew Rossi 
Aug 14th 2010 at 8:00AM
As you may or may not be aware, a disturbingly high percentage of my max-level characters are warriors. At present, a draenei, night elf and tauren are at 80. I transferred all three to the beta servers and figured I'd use the tauren to test out fury both in Titan's Grip and Single-Minded Fury variants. But I was determined not to enjoy it, because so far, I find the storyline of Cataclysm extremely polarizing. After leveling a worgen to 64 before mount bugs sidelined him, I was really angry with what seemed like the Horde's going to ridiculous extremes, and so I vowed to only use the tauren for some benchmark tests in the new quest drops.
This lasted long enough for me to log in and for some reason go to The Barrens. That was a serious mistake.
Seeing Camp Taurajo in ruins, finding Mankrik rampaging his way through quillboars, one-shotting Alliance sappers across the battlefield that was once the Field of Giants ... I don't know what it is about my tauren, but the second I play him, I forget I've got a much more highly geared, achievements-out-the-wazoo, heroic-ICC-killing draenei out there. I don't really feel this way about any other Horde race. But when I log on a tauren, I immediately feel at home, and so now I'm happily leveling through Hyjal and Vashj'ir and thinking it's time I gave his live-server self some attention.
What I'm saying is that tauren are awesome, and I suggest you roll one. You can be paladins soon! And priests! Man, tauren priests are just the epitome of awesome.
This lasted long enough for me to log in and for some reason go to The Barrens. That was a serious mistake.
Seeing Camp Taurajo in ruins, finding Mankrik rampaging his way through quillboars, one-shotting Alliance sappers across the battlefield that was once the Field of Giants ... I don't know what it is about my tauren, but the second I play him, I forget I've got a much more highly geared, achievements-out-the-wazoo, heroic-ICC-killing draenei out there. I don't really feel this way about any other Horde race. But when I log on a tauren, I immediately feel at home, and so now I'm happily leveling through Hyjal and Vashj'ir and thinking it's time I gave his live-server self some attention.
What I'm saying is that tauren are awesome, and I suggest you roll one. You can be paladins soon! And priests! Man, tauren priests are just the epitome of awesome.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Scougelord Aug 14th 2010 8:07AM
I like Tauren too. I feel much more comfortable on a Tauren Druid that on a night elf one. The only race I just can't enjoy playing is draenei, for some reason. Trolls are probably my favourite race.
Knob Aug 14th 2010 8:26AM
It's because Tauren are probably the most well-adjusted race in the Warcraft universe; they are not war-mongering as a whole, but don't mess with them unless you want some serious hurt coming your way. In a way the Draenei are the same but the Tauren are more basic and not space-faring like the Draenei which makes them (Taurens) more appealing.
Knob Aug 14th 2010 8:29AM
Forgot to add, as soon as Blizzard balance out the racials again, I'm immediately race-changing back to Tauren. For the whole of WotLK, being a Tauren hunter in progression raids didn't make much sense when the racials of Orcs and even Trolls (with a bow) were so much superior; and when heroic progression fights demand you take every single edge you can have, I felt guilty like I was "holding back" my raid by being Tauren and had to change. :(
Here's hoping Blizzard actually make the racials more balanced in Cataclysm.
Khirsah Aug 14th 2010 9:50AM
@Knob...I understand what you are saying, but no racial ability is worth playing a race that you don't like. And I mean that literally. Racial abilities are nice tools, but they are not "game-changers." You are not "holding your raid back" by rolling a Tauren Hunter instead of a Troll or Orc.
All racial abilities have their uses. It is up to us as players to figure out the best ways to use ours. So play around a little bit and find new and interesting ways to use your Stomp. Could it slow down some of the adds in whatever instance you are running and give the melee 2 a few seconds worth of free hits? Change your profession to Herbalism for the Tauren race bonus, and help out the healer with your HoT.
The point I'm making is this: Don't let other people dictate to you how to play your game. Theorycrafting can only go so far. The DPS difference between an equally geared Troll and Tauren, based on racial abilities alone, is so minimal that it is inconsequential. No raid has EVER failed because the Hunter rolled a Tauren instead of a Troll or Orc.
If your guild is making you feel guilty about rolling a Tauren Hunter, find a new guild.
Noyou Aug 14th 2010 10:08AM
@Knob
That is sad that you felt you had to change from the race you like playing. I read that people switch all the time to get a slight advantage to play a best race/class combo. I am totally against that min/max elitist mentality. As an Alliance player I have the most respect for Taurens. They seem very unhorde-like and maybe someday perhaps will end up joining the alliance :p I am very interested about them having Paladins so I might even roll one just to check it out.
BigDumbFace Aug 14th 2010 9:17PM
@Khirsah:
Tell that to my old guild when we climbed the ladder on our server and were, eventually the only guild on our server to kill Muru pre-nerf and first to kill KJ.... stupid leatherworking...
MightyBurebista Aug 15th 2010 4:15PM
I'll admit to also liking Tauren, they're the only Horde race for whom I don't feel either distaste (Trolls, Blood Elves), or seething uncensored hatred (Forsaken, Orcs). Salt-of-the-earth people who live in harmony with the land, for the most part. If there will ever be chances at a truce between Alliance and Horde, I'm pretty sure that it will involve Tauren and Night Elves laying the groundwork for it. Have a happy little Tauren Shammy of level 22, whom I just quest with casually to get a feel of what Horde starting zones are like, a good-natured chap.
EaterOfBirds Aug 14th 2010 8:09AM
ive got a tauren warrior at 70 odds just now, for me they just feel like the quintessential warrior class ^ ^ and only orcs can come close to competing for getting the most out of your epic shoulders too, everything is huuuge on tauren :) . roll on cataclysm so i can start a paladin finally as well (sick of seeing blood elf paladins).
BigDumbFace Aug 14th 2010 9:18PM
Dwarves, my friend..... Dwarves...
EaterOfBirds Aug 15th 2010 9:47AM
im horde through and through... most of the time ;p i do actually have a little dwarf warr around lvl 20 on another server i plan to get tanking on soon ^ ^
Scougelord Aug 14th 2010 8:10AM
Another thing - certain people (such as Rossi) love to level multiple characters of the same class. I find this unbearable, so although I have one of every class (most of which are low level) they are all different races.
Scougelord Aug 14th 2010 8:13AM
Sorry, I know this is unrelated to the Breakfast Topic, but can I change my Wow.com name? My current name is a typo, intended to be Scourgelord which is the name of my death knight, my main at the time I made the wow.com account.
Clydtsdk-Rivendare Aug 14th 2010 10:13AM
Just make a new one. With a fresh email address if you have to, I'm not sure.
Rajinnu Aug 14th 2010 8:15AM
I have the same thing Rossi, but with Trolls.
The first character I made was a Troll Shaman and no matter what happens and what toon I end up on, I find myself playing on one of my trolls. Main reason I can't get into the Alliance (I have finally got a char into NR for Alliance) is because there are no trolls.
I do like the Tauren and will likely roll a Tauren Pally or Priest in Cata... maybe Warrior... I always wanted to get that class past level 5.
Mygirlsguns Aug 14th 2010 9:59AM
Because once you go troll you never reroll
werewolf8604 Aug 14th 2010 11:17AM
I have like....all trolls and one tauren. I just do not like the feel of orcs and undead (used to have an 80 UD war but race changed him to draenei ah ha...my alliance favorite atm....at least till worgen come out.)
Trolls have style and I love everything about them. Their voice, lore, leader, dance, attack stance.....everything. I rolled a Tauren hunter because I thought they seemed rare and I've always liked the Tauren lore too and the fact they hold a bow sideways like a gangster....ah ha.
People (especially min/maxers) always hate on me for rolling troll, but I never cared. I play for enjoyment, and troll is what I enjoy!
Vaeku Aug 14th 2010 2:16PM
But there are trolls in the alliance! Night elves!
Kidding, only kidding... *dodges tomatoes*
Jiffah Aug 15th 2010 4:11AM
@ werewolf8604
"People (especially min/maxers) always hate on me for rolling troll, but I never cared. I play for enjoyment, and troll is what I enjoy!"
Funny, I was under the impression that the troll race was one of the most popular race chosen by min/maxers.
dodgeballer2005 Aug 14th 2010 8:17AM
Suggestion for the next Phat Loot Phriday: Battleaxe of the Sober Dwarf
(http://db.mmo-champion.com/i/57584/battleaxe-of-the-sober-dwarf/)
Dreyja Aug 14th 2010 4:45PM
Oh THAT is CLASSIC!