Saturday, April 14, 2012

Beast Mastery and 5.0

[:1]I started a thread over on the MoP forum regarding Beast Mastery. I wanted to create the thread here as well, in order to gain more feedback from the Hunter Community. The original thread can be found here: http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/3595377425

Introduction:

I have always felt that Beast Mastery should have been the Hunter melee spec. It just feels thematically right to wade into battle alongside your pet. Rexxar, the Beast Master from WC3, was a melee fighter that fought in this manner. It just seems a shame that this type of play style was left out of the game.

With the advent of 5.0, and the changes being made to the way abilities are being handled. It feels like it would be a good time and opportunity to make some changes to Beast Mastery, to give it its own flavor and unique style, and to give the Hunter community something that a lot have been asking for, a Melee Hunter.

“But I don't want to play a Melee Hunter!”

Then don't. There's still the Marksman and Survival specs to choose between. Given the rarity of any competitive Beast Mastery Hunters in either Raids or PvP, there lacks any credible argument against changing the play style of one of the least used and least competitive specs in the game. The fact that Beast Mastery has not been a seriously competitive spec since early to mid TBC shows that such a radical change is needed.

“Another Melee Hunter thread? Give it up! This is a dead horse! It'll never happen!”

I remember when mages were given the Water Elemental. “I don't want to play a pet class! If I did, I would've rolled a Lock or Hunter!” These days, you couldn't pry that pet of theirs from their cold dead hands. ( pun intended ) The fact alone that many people are excited and support this idea, on every thread like this, goes to show an interest within the community for the type of play style. Except for the Enhancement Shamans Ghost Wolves, which aren't permanent, and Unholy DKs, there really is no comparison for this type of play. Turning Beast Mastery into a melee spec just makes sense. I, for one, do believe this would be an improvement to the game as a whole, and to Hunters in particular who want this type of game play.

The only people who are against it, are usually those who abhor change, or are satisfied being spoon-fed how they should play. So far, I have yet to read any solid logical argument against why this shouldn't, or couldn't be feasible, viable, and least of all, competitive.

“Survival should be the Melee spec, it was in the past.”

It's true that at one point Survival attempted to be more melee oriented. However, that plan failed miserably, which preceded the change towards the focus in traps and elemental damage. Explosive shot, Black Arrow, Improved Serpent Sting, buffing traps, and all of that. It would be a lot easier to change Beast Mastery, which has little to no game mechanic support, than it would be to take away all that Survival has gotten. If you read my suggested skills below, you can see how we can add to the Beast Master spec, without taking anything away.

"We're losing our melee weapons and our minimum range! We don't need to go melee anymore!"

No, we are losing our ranged slot. Bows, Crossbows, and Guns are becoming 2H weapons. So we can still use melee weapons, however there is no current support to do so. Likewise, Warriors and Rogues are losing their ranged slot, casters are losing their wand slot. The "stat stick" mechanic is going buh-bye. Marksmen and Survival Hunters can use their abilities within melee range now, so this yet another good reason to make Beast Master a melee spec, and give it adequate support.
“Why do this?”

Why not do this? This would bring not only a unique play style to the game, but would also give a fresh approach to a neglected spec. The point of Beast Mastery is to buff the abilities of our pet, to work in conjunction with them, or even being the support to the pet. Marksman and Survival use the pet as a supplement to their damage. Beast Mastery should have a closer synergy with their pet, working in tandem with them. I tried to keep this theme of teamwork when creating the following changes.

However, I did not want to make the pet our crutch either. Should our pet die, or is focused on by other players, I wanted to keep some sort of validity in the Hunter's ability to deal damage on his own. With the use of traps, disengage, deterrence, and the new talents in 5.0, I feel we have ample tools at our disposal to gain enough breathing room to bring our pet back into the fight should that situation ever occur.

So, without further delay, here is my suggested Beast Master spec progression. Feel free to comment on the build, or submit ideas of your own. I tried to keep as close to the existing progression as I could, while giving us the tools to be within melee range. Also, abiding by Blizzards attempt to streamline and keep spec abilities to a minimum, I had to omit some of my original ideas and keep the list as short as possible, while achieving my goal.

Please bear in mind, this is based on current abilities and mechanics. We do not yet know what they plan to do with pets, aside from letting any pet be specced in any tree we choose. Tenacity Wolves, Ferocity Crabs, Cunning Devilsaurs, etc.


Beast Mastery: A master of the wild who prefers to wade into combat alongside his pet to bring his foes down with steel, fang, and claw.


Level 10: Dual Wield- (Passive) Allows one-hand and off-hand weapons to be equipped in your off-hand, allows you to parry frontal melee attacks, and increases your chance to hit with melee attacks by 6%.

I see the flavor of this spec being a dual-wielding fighter, imitating their pets use of both claws/talons/pincers to fight with. Also this would give another class to be able to make use of 1H Agility weapons, namely swords (of which only rogues can make proper use of at the moment).

Level 10: Raptor Strike- ( 3 Second Cool Down, Instant ) An attack that instantly deals your normal weapon damage plus (X). Generates 9 focus.

This is our focus builder. Since there's no cast time to melee attacks, and for balance sake, I gave it a 3 second cool down to put it on par with Steady/Cobra Shot's cast time.

Level 10: Tiger Slash- ( 25 Focus, Instant ) A vicious attack that deals weapon damage plus (X). Increases your pets damage by 3% for 15 seconds. Stacks up to 5 times.

Here is our focus dump. It is also our primary buff to our pet, to increase it's damage. I don't think much more needs to be said here.

Level 10: Kill Command- (40 Focus, 10 Second Cool Down, Instant ) Give the command to kill, causing your pet to instantly inflict (X) damage to its target. Kill Command does additional damage to targets at or below 20% health. Lasts 5 seconds.

Our biggest damage dealer, and conversely our execution skill. Giving it a duration to be used, similar to Intimidation, allows us to chase down runners, or gives a chance to be used on kiters or similar targets who get outside of immediate melee range. Giving it a 5 second use and a 10 second cool down is for balance reasons, so as to not be able to adversely spam the ability.

Level 18: Wing Clip- ( 35 Focus, Instant ) Maims the target, dealing weapon damage, reducing movement speed by 25% and attack speed by 10% for 10 seconds. Stacks up to 2 times.

An improvement over the old Wing Clip. Useful for keeping runners within Kill Command range, and helping reduce melee attacker's effectiveness.
Level 20: Bring'em Down!- ( Passive ) Increases the damage of Raptor Strike, Tiger Slash, and your pet's basic attacks on targets above 90% health.

The BM version of Careful Aim. This provides essential burst damage at the beginning of a fight, and synergies nicely with Tiger Slash, making sure your pet gets the most out of its damage boost during that time.

Level 24: Mongoose Bite- ( 10 Second Cool Down, Instant) Whenever your pet dodges a targets attack, you can make an immediate strike that costs no focus, dealing weapon damage plus (X). Whenever you dodge a targets attack, your pet makes an immediate basic attack that costs no focus and deals (X) additional damage.

Another improvement over an old ability. This felt very suitable towards the concept of a hunter and his pet fighting as a team. I would note that the 10 second cool down is separate for the hunter and the pet.

Level 30: Frenzy- ( Passive ) Your pet gains 6% attack speed after attacking with a Basic Attack, lasting 10 seconds and stacking up to 5 times.

If it isn't broke, don't fix it. Enough said here.

Level 32: Focused Frenzy- ( 15 Second Cool Down, Instant ) Consumes your pet's Frenzy Effect stack, restoring 4 focus to your pet and increasing your melee haste by 3% for each Frenzy Effect stack consumed. Lasts for 20 seconds.

Another one that doesn't need much fixing. A useful buff to you, and goes along with the teamwork theme that BM has.

Level 36: Dragontail Swipe- (40 focus, Instant Cast) Strikes the target for (X) weapon damage and inflicts (X) Bleed damage to all targets within 8 yards for 12 seconds.

BM's own AoE. Note that the bleed effect isn't applied to the target, but all other targets around it, similar to the Enhance Shaman's new Improved Lava Lash ability.

Level 40: Bestial Wrath- ( 2 Minute Cool Down, Instant ) Sends your pet into a rage causing 20% additional damage for 15 seconds. The beast does not feel pity or remorse or fear and cannot be stopped unless killed.

Iconic, a cornerstone, need I say more?

Level 43: Cobra Strikes- ( Passive ) You have a 15% chance when you hit with Tiger Slash to cause your pet's next two basic attacks to critically hit.

I see no point in altering this one either, a solid buff to damage, even if it is dependent on the RNG. Given the frequency of using Tiger Slash, however, one can be assured of a good amount of procs during a fight. It is also a tie-in to a later ability.

Level 50: The Beast Within- ( Passive ) When your pet is under the effects of Bestial Wrath, you also go into a rage causing 10% additional damage and reducing the focus costs of your strikes and abilities by 50% for 15 seconds.

Yet again, if it isn't broke, don't fix it. Albeit a slight change in duration.
Level 54: Hungry for Blood- ( Passive ) Critical hits from your pets basic attacks have a 25% chance to cause a bleed effect, dealing (X) damage over 12 seconds.

The tie-in to Cobra Strikes. A good DoT amidst all the shredding and slicing going on. Another perk in keeping with a teamwork theme.

Level 58: Kindred Spirits- ( Passive ) Increases you and your pet's Focus by 10.

Self-explanatory

Level 63: Invigoration- ( Passive ) When your pet scores a critical hit from a Basic Attack, you instantly regenerate 6 focus.

I see no need to alter this, do you? It's good for feeding you focus to keep up Tiger Slices, which increase the chance for your pets Basic Attacks to crit, which feeds you more focus, and procs Hungry for Blood. See the synergy here?

Level 69: Beast Mastery- ( Passive ) You master the art of beast training, your pets basic stats increase by 10%, you learn the ability to tame Exotic pets and increase your total number of Pet Skill Points by 4.

This is an odd ability within the community. Some say this should be our perk at level 10, some say it should do more. Since I'm going with the change to a melee Hunter at level 10, I did feel this ability needed to be included, but kept where it is. I did allow it to boost our pets basic abilities, to further define our pets and make them even deadlier, to separate them from other hunter pets.

Level 80: Mastery: Master of Beasts- ( Passive ) Increases the damage done by your pet by 13%. Each point of Mastery increases pet damage by 1.67%.

This just makes your pets hit even harder, which is never a bad thing.

Level 89: Call of the Wolfpack- ( 5 Minute Cool Down, Instant ) Summons a second pet, identical to your currently active pet, for 45 seconds. The second pet uses all the same abilities and attacks as the currently active pet.

What can I say, this has been a long-sought ability for Hunters for a very long time. It also fits with the Beast Master theme.

Talent Changes:

  • The level 15 talents should be reworked so that they also effect melee weapon auto-attacks.
  • Intimidation should be changed to have a 30 second cool down, and interrupt Spell casting for 3 seconds.
  • Thrill of the Hunt should be changed to work on melee strikes that cost Focus.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OSX79BG19c
    I actually really like this idea
    With removing our dead zone there is talks about us not being able to use Melee weapons anymore. Parry for sure is out. You do however play a BM hunter like it were melee, or else it destroys your dps on a lot of fights.
    Yeeah, I have also always thought BM should be a melee spec. Mostly because the Beastmasters in WCIII were melee, as you mention. I sort of doubt it will ever happen, but I would love it if it did. And as you say, there's not really a good reason not to, save for the resources it would take. I think the benefit would be worth it though.
    I expected to hate this but i didn't. It won't happen but good idea.
    Definitely the most well presented and thought out "Melee Hunter" thread I've seen.

    Not something I would personally want to play, but was by no means a poor idea.

    Props for a good idea/thread on this subject.
    Rexxar is one of the reasons Hunters were put into WoW.
    So hell yes!
    Love this idea!
    This would make me a happy BM Hunter.
    I love being BM and I love being ranged, if I wanted to be a Melee class I would roll one.
    Big question here is, Do you guys think rediness will reset BW? like it did in the early days of wrath?
    Bm is so messed up right now, and I feel this could be awesome.
    Seems like it might be fun to go into melee with my dog. It'd be a nice change, and Mists would certainly be the opportunity to introduce it. I think it might take more time than devs are willing to invest in it to get it ready by the time Mists is out, though.
    It's a really interesting concept but I highly doubt the devs would have the time/energy to devote to making this sort of thing work. I can see the balance silliness already.


    Maybe a passive ability that would proc an usable Mongoose Bite off of the bleed damage from Hungry for Blood, much like the Warriors' Arms Overpowers mechanic.

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