Level 60 pvp is my goal. However, my time schedule likely won’t permit raiding. My class/race of choice is orc warlock, but I’ve heard they don’t come close to their true potential until fully geared. How true is this? Would it be possible to gear up enough through tailoring/pvp rewards/dungeons to utilize the tanky playstyle I’d prefer?
I suppose my next choices would be hunter or mage.
You chose like the most gear dependent caster… it can still work. if your concern is just pvp though without grinding r14 gear as I’m going to obviously assume you won’t have time to do, orc is definitely your best bet and spec soul link
Edit: hunter and mage definitely better with less gear. Hunter easy to get t1 set is also perfectly good for pvp so when MC is puggable you can get in on that
If you get the full Dreadmist Set (I don’t think it’s available at Classic Launch they said so you’ll suffer in Felcloth set early on), the Alterac Valley exalted OH, the Gnomish Engi PvP Trinks like Net, Stun, or Death Ray, and some LBRS gear you might be alright. But you will need to rush your Tailoring set and start grinding LBRS (UBRS is a raid and you said no raiding).
You will need Free Action pots, your HS up, and SL with Double Void Sac to have a hope of surviving through a dedicated attacker. Which means you won’t be your PvE Spec (SM/Ruin most likely) and changing specs just for farming out in the world is expensive. And not being Undead means that enemy Locks will try to exploit your lack of WotF if you can’t Fear bomb them first.
Really if you’re very outgeared then you will get pulped. But if you have T0 (Which again I don’t think is available at launch) and you get the other things I mentioned you might be able to outlast other players who are not full T2 and higher through Double Void SL. But it requires a lot of min/maxed gear for not stepping foot in Raids that might not be available for some time.
This will be a game I imagine a lot of people will play for the Raid or Die mentality which will single you out as a target if not wearing the raid tier gear.
…unless you play on a PvE server and therefore won’t have to worry about ganks and can just play how you want since warlocks and hunters are the best solo classes in Classic.
Edit: I talk about SL 1v1 because without raid gear you won’t be able to pull off Soulfire/Conflag Nukes in PvP as they’ll live through it most likely and you’ll get your head torn off.
In tbc you could get all stamina gems and be op as long as you have a weapon with spell power on it.
So warlocks will need spell power weapons in classic and good amount of stamina, that is pretty much why you see stamina bonuses on PvP honor gear.
Every class doesn’t come to their true potential until fully geared.
Yeah I think it is very possible to gear enough through all those you listed, dungeon gear for until you can get your blue pvp armor for a tanky playstyle.
Since people are just giving you the run around let me break this down for you. Overall casters need more gear then melee classes as melee damage spikes via weapon more then caster who gain from the int that comes from their gear.
How much gear you will need will really depend on how much gear the enemy your fighting has so there isn’t a real set number.
Thanks for the feedback. Going for hunter or mage may make more sense for me.
As far as pvp gear goes, I’ll probably play about 10-12 hours per week—so I’m not sure what ranking that can get me.