Let’s start with this: Blizzard is simultaneously adding a spell that transforms you into a Lich for Mages that pick the Necrolord Covenant and adding Kel’thuzad as a Mage hero in Hearthstone.
Effect #1 Apply Aura: Change Model (Lich Mage)
https://i.imgur.com/9J5ztJ9.png
Now here is the deal: I love Liches. They were my favorite WC3 Hero Unit. They are cool.
And I can definitely see the logic behind this decision. The Warcraft Lich Prime Kel’thuzad was a powerful Archmage and member of the Council of Six before he started messing with Necromancy. It makes sense to make a Mage that joins the Necromancy Covenant a Lich.
But here’s the thing: Because I love Liches, I want them to stay. And this decision to make them part of the Necrolord Covenant means they are temporary. We will have Liches for one expansion, then we kiss them goodbye.
Obviously there’s a solution for that. My good old suggestion of adding Covenant Glyphs to all Classes and Specs. The Mage Covenant Glyphs would give them the Lich aesthetics, even when we leave Covenants behind.
That’s all good, but then we run into another issue:
What if they decide to add a Necromancer Class in the future? Liches are Necromancers, so they would fit better in the Necromancer Class. And I know from personal experience how bad it feels to have the fantasy you are attached to ripped out of your character and given to a different new Class.
My point is: Liches are a beloved and iconic part of Warcraft. If you are going to make them playable somehow, it’s important to commit to it. Don’t make it temporary. Don’t just add it to take it away later.
I agree with your sentiment and reasoning but name calling I cannot condone.
@Mortis there’s just so many abilities in the game that have weird spell ID’s I don’t think it’s a good idea to reference them. I’m sure you’ll get some lich customization eventually.
Mmmm… Everything is temporary unless it’s not. If enough people like them or even just the ability, Blizz will find a way to make it stick around. Or it may make a come back in another xpac or two. If there’s one thing that Blizz is good at, it’s retconning things!
I’d support a full Lich/Necromancer class though. Just find an excuse to have them wear mail. Need more mail classes, we have enough clothies already.
One does not exclude the other. Liches are skeletons.
Not inherently. A lich is an undead with its soul stored in another object. They don’t have to be skeletal. Case in point, the Lich King was pretty thicc.
I dunno man. With all the path of exile and “subclass” talk coming from devs I think we may be looking at wows first true mastery akin to gw2.
I.e. A system established for particular content that effects expansions going forward. Maybe we are looking at our level 60 talents moving forward.
It could be common in future expansions that youre leveling your character and “oh!” its time to pick my covenant sub-class. I kinda hope so in a way. Many covenant skills are some what forgettable but this is JUST the first patch.
There could be subsequent patches with new themed covenants, abilities, mogs, armor and skills etc. = more sub classes.
I hope for some dumb lore reason they manage to have a fel covenant.
We also may get a LichAR? Something like that was initially datamined by wowhead… 4 of them in fact.
Its also interesting to note what covenants have offered in just the first patch (mounts, armor, skills, soulbinds/conduits)… but what does that leave out? Special weapons, AR’s, character customization… I think they have ALOT planned for us.
