So I’m a massive Blademaster fan. Hands down my best and favourite hero option in WC3 back in the day.
And I totally get why folks are on one side or the other on wanting (or not) Blademaster as one of the warrior hero specs.
I was discussing it with my guild and a couple points were made and I agree with them. Blademaster is too complex a character class to be just a hero spec.
I’d argue we don’t want it as a hero spec but as an eventual hero class all its own like DK or DH.
It could have two specs, one a more elemental spirit warrior/Shaman dps hybrid and the other a tank/dps Demon Blood Blademaster that self heals and mitigates damage through berserker rage. Potentially a elemental tank spec that relies on dodging and evasion too.
Anyway that’s my ramble on Blademaster eventually being it’s own class rather than a hero spec.
We’ll never see Warcraft 3 style Blademasters. Their abilities have all been given away. Mages got Mirror Image. Everyone got Critical Strike. Warriors got Bladestorm. Rogues got the Wind Walk ability’s function, Monks got the Wind Walk ability’s name.
I think it’s neat of the Burning Blade clan to split the Blademaster identity with their warriors, shamans, and rogues.
edit: I would adore fighting more of that clan to see how far it can expand with the Blademaster concept but I think i’m in the minority keeping them as an enemy.
A melee class that wears clothes and casts spells (like the Magus in Pathfinder or a Kensai-Mage in Baldur’s Gate 2) would be dope.
In fantasy terms, I don’t think this class exists. In terms of gameplay, yes, I think it would overlap with other classes. But it would be so cool… Especially if it’s a class as dynamic as Demon Hunter.
A blademaster is a Dexterity/agility class. Not a Clad warrior in plate.
I think it could work as a hero spec for Windwalker monk, just delete that boring faeline stomp nonsense or bonedust brew… both of these capstones of the WW monk tree are just garbage shadowlands nonsense instead of monk concepts.
The biggest conflict people have to say monks arent blademasters is the arguement that they cant wield 2 handed blades… well first of all a blade master is using a 1 handed samurai sword, because the other hand needs to be free to apply oil to the blade and cast an encantation to set the blade on fire.
Now that is out of the way Could a blademaster be a monk’s Hero spec
Well a brewmaster monk splashes alchool on their enemies and breaths fire to set them ablaze. I think a simple way to make the current version of Windwalker Monk into a Blademaster would be to simply give the monk a blade ability, deep at the end of the tree *change Bonedust brew into “Tiger’s Oil” Hurl a flask of Oil coating all targets struck for 10 seconds, Your abilities have a 50% chance to affect the target a second time at 40% effectiveness as Fire Damage Blackout Kick is now Burning Slash -----Spining Crane Kick is now Spinning Burning Blade
This simple change, something this simple would appease a Blademaster Playstyle and get rid of the terrible Shadowlands Capstone talent.
Samuro from Heroes of The Storm has 5 abilties.
Mirror Image - (Storm,Earth, and Fire)
Critical Strike - (which functions as a 4th attack damage spike)
Wind Walk - (Wow… monks have a windwalker spec; but this stealth abiltiy I dont think is feasible for Monks)
Bladestorm- Monks spin around
Illusion Master - Which is just the abiltiy to control mirror images and for them to exist in a longer “duration”
This is a good argument it would just need some animation changes because monks tend to disappear their weapons when using abilities.
Blademasters have always used two handed weapons though not single.
I’d also argue you’re slightly off on the one handed thing. A Blademaster doesn’t need oils or enchantments. They call on the Elemental Spirits like a shaman. The wind for speed boosts and fire for burning attacks.
Wouldn’t you rather a proper Blademaster class that does the job right rather than a hero spec that’ll make your warrior kinda sorta like a Blademaster?
Yeah I would assume it would be two handed only and a lot of cloning abilities like in heroes of the storm. It would have to be some kind of combo abilities of magic and weapons for it to explain the warrior issue.
