a true sword and board DPS spec in retail. not a stance that makes it a branch of another spec. i think something akin to an “Enforcer warrior” would be interesting. focus on the damage aspects of it as a seasoned fighter with a defensive flair.
not a defensive spec that does dmg.
update: if you would like to see how fun a spec like this would be take a level 18 warrior in fury spec and put a 2h and shield on using slam, impending victory, execute bloodthirst, whirlwind, and shield slam. its a good low level emulation of the possibilities.
Update number 2: spec arms play this talent build and let me know what you think
shield and 1h
I totally agree. There are many classes that would easily benefit from a fun fourth (or even fifth) spec! I could go on for hours about the possibilities, just focusing on the low-hanging fruit. There is a lot of opportunity there for our friends at Blizzard. JS
That’s the problem with this pipedream. You will not get a competitive dps with a busted defensive kit. It flat out cannot happen from a balance pov as it would invalidate other specs within the class.
a theory crafted shield arms build is competitive in pvp. even though it feels incomplete. so not exactly a pipe dream. its just not meta.
or so you say. but did the DH invalidate any other class by coming into the picture? or the evoker? no it just gave players more options. any spec or any class can be valid depending on blizzards approach.
also i wouldnt call using a 2h and shield a busted defensive kit just another option.
conceptually this spec wouldnt be for hitting TOP of the dps charts. that spot is obviously reserved for spriests and ele shams… at the end of the day this is a game… and some people just dont enjoy dpsing in arms or fury.
With who trailblazing this build? Because your PvP with this build aren’t exactly making waves.
These are classes with multiple specs on their launch and not an additional 4th spec being added to an existing class.
In Evoker’s case Devastation was cursed into obscurity when Augmentation released causing them to be shunned entirely because they weren’t playing the new shiny spec Blizzard forced on them.
You asked for a DPS with a defensive flair. That would entail it’s got a better defensive kit than other dps specs while also being competitive with them numbers wise.
If you like using a sword and shield so much you can play the tank role, it’s basically just a DPS anyway that uses their defensive abilities to survive while they protect their allies from harm. Tanking isn’t the boogeyman you might think it is.
oh I love tanking… but the dmg isnt there to secure kills easily… and every single match you have to deal with people telling you theres no place for you in pvp…
I can as a tank open a kill window for someone else every 45secs.
No one is leading the charge or trailblazing . This post is an attempt to get people interested and give it a shot. and yes its not making waves. because i am a pebble not a boulder… i am no one
They’re also not wrong, Prot warriors do not have a place in rated arenas in the game as it is right now, no tank spec really does.
The last time Prot was relevant there was during Legion with a specific comp which from memory was Prot War/WW monk/Healer and was played by one team to the highest title range during that season. It was a comp that worked surprisingly well and people hated on it, but those 3 were cracked players as well at the time.
Maybe if you insist on playing Prot in pvp stick to BGs/BG Blitz and focus on playing around Colossus.
so if there isnt a place to sword and board in pvp. why is it wrong to want one?
its all about trade offs … trade some survivability to put out dmg(enough to be viable) . trade off time alive for kill potential.
“I would rather play to have fun and barely get anywhere, than reach the pinnacle and hate my life”
UPDATE:
after much testing and help from friends we have solidified a concept. BLEEDS and BASHES
If blizz was to actually grant us the spec . it could be based on bleeds and then buffing those bleeds with shield slam and a headbutt(blunt force trauma type attacks. ) this way the balance of how the class operates doesnt invalidate 2h weapons, and rewards proper ability management.
this means multiple bleed abilities from short dot to long dots. plus buffing cds.
the test build is incredibly fun but doesnt have the damage output to be valid yet.
Blizzard devs/gms I have a question… would it be possible to add a raw damage buff talent to arms that increases damage when wielding a shield? the build is there it just needs the numbers to be balanced. it checks the boxes: DPS Spec, not too tanky, a solid rotation, plus offensive cooldowns. there is a logical place to position the talent in the tree. beneath “Deft experience” talent and between “battlelord” and “bloodletting”.
THIS IS WHAT I ASK. add 1 talent to the Arms tree. ‘“Enforcer”-When wielding a shield and a one handed weapon, receive( well balanced number)% increase to all damage done.’
Some DPS specs have more defensive capabilities, while others have an easier time with damage…it doesn’t break the game. It must be exhausting to do all those mental gymnastics to try and get your kicks from stomping on a dream.
For such a large toolkit of skills the fact that their damage is small potatoes when wielding a 1h weapon makes me sad… in testing the meters showed roughly half… this build at the moment does half the damage per second of the same character in tank spec.
for perspective in tank spec there are 2 major offensive cds… demolish, and thunderous roar… thats it…
If such a build were to become overpowered, there are plenty of “knobs” that could be turned to reign it in. It would be even easier if it were a proper fourth spec, but by no means impossible either way. Who is to say what is impossible, infeasible or improper? Imagine the arrogance, the audacity…
It does though, specs within a class tend to share similar defensive kits without really much variation between the two as these tend to be the shared abilities within the class itself as apart of the theme of the class itself.
Adding in a 3rd DPS spec to a class with 2 already, then making it competitive with the two existing ones while also giving it a far more superior defensive kit is insane.
The only mental gymnastics in this thread is the attempt of the OP to make a shield wearing dps spec with the existing options or wanting one added in with a stronger defensive kit over it’s other dps options.
It’s basically trying to put a square peg into a circle hole, it’s just not going to fit at all.
If players like the OP want that gameplay it already exists in both Protection Warrior and Protection Paladin, but it’s in the tank spot not dps spot in a group.
They also need to understand that from a PvP pov the only specs blizzard even cares for balancing wise is DPS and Healers as tanks have no place in it outside of players who find likeminded players willing to break the meta in half by playing like nobody else has (talking 3s here and not Solo Shuffle/BG Blitz which are memes and destroyed rated pvp).
so essentially play the tank spec and be insulted hated on and ridiculed every step of the way for wanting to play the game with a sword and shield…
thats the answer right, dont allow the game to evolve…
also at this point of the thread im no longer asking for a full spec… Im asking for 1 talent. a single individual talent added to the arms tree thats it…
also the defensive kit thus far is just built in… so anyone can just swap to a shield in combat and use those abilities… which is really only shield block
What you’re asking for does not fit the triangle of roles that World of Warcraft supports. Support class broke the game for awhile. Having a Dps that can do the Tank role as well is just not a good idea.
What I’m asking for couldnt fill the tank role though… if its in the arms tree it would be locked to DPS. it has no mass taunt and as of now it doesnt generate that much threat(tested that as well). I am asking for one talent to open the floor for a B-tier or even C-tier dps warrior who wields a shield. thats all. every single defensive that arms has to offer or not offer…
and honestly the people who program the game can literally do anything. whether its bury a class and buff another, or invalidate gear, items, classes, specs… according to the rest of the warrior branch of the forums Warriors havent gotten any love in a long time and thru the addition of a single talent might make them great again. Im not asking for a full class rework. Im not even asking for a 4th spec anymore. Im simply asking for the chance to be a warrior DPS with a shield… 1 talent can change that. IF you have a problem with the class dont play it… if you dont like shields dont use them…
I hate wielding 2h weapons due to when you run out of rage it takes forever to get a weapon swing… longer than it takes a rogue to one shot.
It really won’t though, you’ll still receive the exact same response from those around you for playing a build that’s not “meta”.
You can still get everything you’re asking for right now by speccing protection and playing Colossus in your random BGs. Run shield bash, storm of destruction and whatever 3rd talent you want out of Battlefield Commander, Demolition, Oppressor or Morale Killer.
Gear yourself with Crit/Vers in mind even if it means needing to craft most of your offpieces so you have a higher crit rating. You would also want to gem and enchant around this too.
It will give you the playstyle you’re after as you’re missing a lot from the build you’re currently plodding along with. Also do yourself a favour and pickup some offensive pvp trinkets to at least put a dent in the enemy team.
The gladiator class fantasy, that I can understand. The problem is, you’re now going to make a tankier spec and try to balance it with straight dps spec. It would eclipse the two non-tanky dps. As it will do good dps and still be very tanky. Where as the straight dps will do good dps, but can’t survive as much.
See the issue?
I get the concept and idea, but I don’t think it would be healthy for the game.
lets put numbers on this… if arms does roughly 2.4million damage per second .
I would be asking for something along the lines of 1.6-1.9 million dps.
as of now the dps doesnt even touch 1.6mill with full burst.
the build has weaknesses and isnt so tanky it cant be killed but its damage is abysmal
even with 6 offensive cds the dmg is trash but its a testing bed.