Heroes of the Storm is the least canon Blizzard product in the world.
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It’s based on warcraft 3 and wow when it comes to how character looks and they look is supposed to be the most iconic one. At least in interviews that’s what they have said
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Granted this is the most nitpicky detail in the world but it’s based on all their games and eras. HOTS Gul’dan has the red trim on his robes from his Warcraft 2 unit portrait.
For Reforged, sure, they’re probably going to with staff wielding Malfurion because that’s the look he had in Warcraft 3 traditionally. But throughout novels and World of Warcraft he’s a bare (or should I say bear hurrhurhurr) hands man.
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Okay and you’re right, Malfurion with a staff is the most iconic for reasons I have already explained.
That was the model he used in WC 3 which was based on the Druid of the Talon model. These two models use the same staff. From there he went on to become a character in other franchises, such as DotA as you’ve said and HotS, which all take inspiration from his appearance in WC 3.
Still, it’s wrong, it’s an inconsistency within the game’s own lore, because Malfurion does not have a staff and we can keep repeating this till Reforged gets released.
And I repeat yet again, that reforged is an opportunity to revisit the game’s old lore, so it would be a perfect time to remove that staff and that goat.
Ok…
xhttps://wow.gamepedia.com/File:Malfurion_actionfigure.jpg
Here we have official Malfurion’s action figure with his staff.
xhttps://wow.gamepedia.com/File:Terror_of_the_Tides.jpg
Malfurion artwork in the TCG during the “Terror of the Tides” campaign, again with his staff, and…
xhttps://wow.gamepedia.com/War_of_the_Ancients_Trilogy#/media/File:WaroftheAncients-Archive-Cover.jpg
The “War of the Ancients” cover, again featuring a young Malfurion, with his staff, the fact that he doesn’t own a fancy named staff doesn’t means that he didn’t use one, besides, in his in game special model he used one and that’s lore enough, the fact that his appearance changed in WoW, doesn’t means he needs to have the same appearance in Reforged, characters progression is called, also…
xhttps://wow.gamepedia.com/File:Archimonde_assaults_Nordrassil.jpg
Here he is in Chronicle Vol. 3, matching the exact same appearance he had during the ending Wc3 cinematic, no wings, no claws, and that is a recent resource, so, he should keep the original wc3 look.
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You have converted me by now…
Now I believe the green lipstick is even more important than the Stratholme Hill!
Xhttp://pic4.duowan.com/wow/1112/188581765449/188586853402.jpg (delete X)
Look at those… lips!
Who would win in a fight:
People debating Malfurion’s staff or people debating Jaina’s cloak?
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I get you my man, but you have to understand that’s current lore versus old lore, at some point during warcraft 3 lore they do state that this more wild form of furion with wings and claws is to portray his increasing druidic power and affinity with nature… This was lore during sometime…
And even thou he now has claws, can you tell me there’s no way in 16 years he ever picked a staff?.. I thing this is an apportunity for blizzard to show off all the development characters have had during this years…not make then unchanged static characters… Thats lame story telling
Its not wrong nor is it inconsistent. That the novels omitted a staff doesnt mean he does not use one. The novels didnt cover Warcraft 3, they covered the war of the ancients.
Also as khalai points out, he has his staff even during War of the Ancients in external media. He has it in concept art too. That isnt against or ignoring the lore.
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About spreading false information , maps layout is changed but model’s (houses etc) are not we are talking about looks of models, looks of designs, and old designs must be kept for ‘reforged’ version of them cause this is Warcraft III not a new game
Malfurion’s model was based on the Druid of the Talon model, he needed a staff to use his attack animation and his cast animation.
Yes, that’s what I can see as well. But we are told that he had wings and claws since he returned from the Emerald Dream, which would be at the time of Warcraft 3 when the Horn of Cenarius was used to wake him.
You know, debating Blizzard’s lore gets tiresome after a while, the source I posted says one thing, the art says another. Malfurion’s transformation is an example among many.
But the staff…
Ironically he never uses that staff in any of the three books! Or the comics following it, or any other short story, or any other novel!
Also the goat, thankfully never represented in any artwork that I know of.
In more recent times he has been shown using metal claws strapped on his hands, but I do agree that is very recent.
I know this is a lost fight, Blizzard likes to play on nostalgia and that’s what they did in Heroes of the Storm when they based Malfurion’s model on his WC 3 counterpart.
They’re bound to do the same for Reforged, but you know, the forums are for feedback, and here’s mine.
If the art depicts one thing and the written lore depicts another, then yes, that is the definition of inconsistent.
That means exactly that he is not using a staff.
He is always casting spells with his bare hands or taking the form of an animal, no staff is ever mentioned.
The comics then covered War of the Satyr, he didn’t have a staff there either. Also following Warcraft 3, the staff is gone again.
A most intriguing mistery.
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If you wish I can make a Malfurion using his ‘claws’ to attack only using basic tools and ‘druid of talon’ animations that he uses, for a pro art team it is more than easy, as a hobby artist like me it is easy. So no they wanted him to have a staff that is for sure.
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I have a new one for you guys…
Does Grommash need a tattoo / scrub on his lower jaw?
Yes!
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Totally fair. I think if you were to slide Reforged under the microscope, maybe they’d want to keep the staff just so for the slight variance between him and Keepers, the hero he’s based off of. Not winging his basic attack out from his hand and the staff maintained instead? Super straw graspy, I know, but I do get where you’re coming from.
Especially considering they’re using Reforged as another opportunity to unify Warcraft as a franchise more.
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And not that Bulky alternate universe Grom but real thin Grom with covered jaw!
So why isnt it the othervway around? That the novel is inconsistent to the art and the portrayal in both Warcraft 3 and Heroes of the Storm? You say never uses a staff but these two games clearly show it. The lore is the inconsistent thing here, and is not the overriding element to a Warcraft 3 remake.
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As the person here that has been in this ‘remaking wc3 models’ bussiness even long time before me , I find his words only insulting against you , damn I wish he could see your Gnolls and admire how much passion you gave to them to match Wc3 look and also HD.
In Warcraft 3 I’m pretty sure they based everything on the Druid of the Talon model since they have literally the same exact staff.
In HotS it’s the iconic look, it’s based on the WC 3 appearance, so it all stems from the same concept.
Would you really do that? It would be a dream come true. 
Heroes of the Storm isn’t canon and it’s based on WC 3 which used the Druid of the Talon model, I’ve stated this already.
In a few old artworks he’s shown with a staff, but in the written lore of the very same artworks he doesn’t have it. Nor in any other representation which isn’t related to his original WC 3 appearance. Not one, not even in the comics which are very much a visual representation
It’s very inconsistent, yes, though they seem to have settled with giving him metal claws on his hands as per WoW.
You know they remade the Malfurion modek for TFT though, so the druid of the talon argument holds little water. No excuse for the war of the ancients cover either. Howvdo you explain the staff?
You are headcanoning druid of the talon as the reason he shouldnt have a staff without regarding the fact that this isba concious decision by Blizzard to depict him this way in War3.
They could have removed the staff when they made him ride a stag. They didnt.
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Not really for his dismounted model. All it got was a texture update on his antlers, outfit, a slight change to the bottom of his cloak, and some more team colour on his staff.
The funny thing, looking at it right now in the map editor, is that on his stag his cloak changes shape (again) and save on polygons by hyper-compressing his lower half, pluck the feathers from his spaulders, and the little animal tail hanging off his staff disappears when he’s mounted.
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