I really like the new Pack Leader, but I think the Power of 3 beasts should be more balanced. Right now, the bear is significantly stronger than the other beasts, which creates an issue where you have to “save” your bear at the end of a pull to maximize your damage in the next pull. Treating the bear as a resource and having to pool it for the next pull doesn’t feel fun—it’s frustrating.
It’s similar to the current live realm Stormbringer Enhancement Shaman, where you’d pool your Tempest at the end of every pull and then have to beg your tank to pull next quickly. If the tank doesn’t pull quickly, or if there’s a delay in combat, the setup becomes extremely depressing, especially in M+. Imagine saving your bear for the next pull, but the bear isn’t consumed within 30 seconds (since the beast buff only lasts 30 seconds and can not be refreshed, which is stricter than the Tempest buff) —it completely ruins the momentum and enjoyment.
I think a potential fix could be made to the beast buff duration. Additionally, I feel that the original idea of summoning random beasts wasn’t bad. It could be improved by ensuring that the summoned beasts are ones that aren’t currently active, so they don’t override themselves. This would make combat more dynamic and avoid frustrating overlaps. A little bit of gambling at the start of every pull feels much more fun than pooling resources and calculating setups for the next pull.
Finally, I appreciate that the buff is now reset when a key starts in the recent patch. I’m 100% sure everyone hates the prework like hitting dummies before inserting a key—it’s just not fun and takes away from the experience. I hope my thoughts represent most of the not-so-“hard-core” hunters out there. I’ve always believed the core of the game lies in the enjoyment of playing.