Primal Strike. What Is This Madness?!?

[Vexfu]

Can someone please attempt to explain what in all of God's green earth Primal Strike is and how it couple possibly be useful. I just noticed it got adjusted in the beta notes... And I'm like whaaaaaaa.... It didnt get prunned? Then what the hell did? Who puts primal strike on their bars besides a level 15 ele sham. I'm so confused by Primal Strike.... How is this relevant, how did it not get pruned, how is this useful!?!?!

[Alexieel]

Isnt that the ability that Shamans get before they get Stormstrike, eg onl leveling purpose?

[Jonexe]

Isnt that the ability that Shamans get before they get Stormstrike, eg onl leveling purpose?

Yes. It's the intro-to-melee ability they get until they pick up Enh.

[Eboah]

You are correct, good sir.

[Raiju]

It's absolutely useless on live right now, people leveling will get more from LB until they hit level 10 and get LL.

Newbies will see one ability hitting a mob for 40-50% of it's hp bar and another one hitting for 15% and just stick with LB.

[Vexfu]

Yeah I get that, but what im asking is, after the prune... why does this exist.... It's useless, why does elemental or resto even have a melee abillity that does nothing.... Seems like blizzard barley pruned anything from shaman, but I was awe struck when I realized this wasnt prunned. Does it have some magical use in warlords..... arent they trying to clean up your spellbook and bindings..... It really seems like blizzards veiw of shaman this next exp is (they seem fine, so lets not change them) I think we could use some work and pruning... but its now too late in beta.... why does primal strike still exist.

[Stormspark]

It's absolutely useless on live right now, people leveling will get more from LB until they hit level 10 and get LL.

Newbies will see one ability hitting a mob for 40-50% of it's hp bar and another one hitting for 15% and just stick with LB.

It's pruned in WOD. In WOD, it's replaced by lava burst for ele/resto and stormstrike for enh. So you'll use it until level 10.

[Santti]

Yeah I get that, but what im asking is, after the prune... why does this exist.... It's useless, why does elemental or resto even have a melee abillity that does nothing.... Seems like blizzard barley pruned anything from shaman, but I was awe struck when I realized this wasnt prunned. Does it have some magical use in warlords..... arent they trying to clean up your spellbook and bindings..... It really seems like blizzards veiw of shaman this next exp is (they seem fine, so lets not change them) I think we could use some work and pruning... but its now too late in beta.... why does primal strike still exist.

You are not any spec until level 10, hence the primal strike. It's a good leveling ability until then, as a finisher. And I believe it does disappear from your spellbook when you choose any spec.

[Raugnaut]

I think it's there so that Shamans can do the "melee" thing while lvling, instead of spamming Lightning Bolt.

Things like that could be removed if blizzard just allowed you to choose spec at lvl 1, not 10.

[Raiju]

It's pruned in WOD. In WOD, it's replaced by lava burst for ele/resto and stormstrike for enh. So you'll use it until level 10.

And it's useless before then.

[Blithe]

I've always wanted Primal Strike to replace Stormstrike as the '8-second cooldown' ability, and have Stormstrike replace Lava Lash as the '10-second cooldown' ability and then completely remove Lava Lash from the single-target priority, and turn it into an ability similar to Divine Storm how it does area of effect damage in a small radius, but also spreads existing Flame Shock's.

[Stormspark]

And it's useless before then.

I dunno, when that and lightning bolt are all you have, it's not *entirely* useless. I'd say it's at least situationally useful for a couple of levels. And you will want to put it on your bars anyway because it will be replaced by a better spell (lvb for resto/ele and stormstrike for enh) at level 10. If you're planning on levelling enhancement you'll want to get used to using it anyway because stormstrike works the same way (just does more).

When you're really ability-limited for the first couple of levels, any button you have is generally good. :P

[Raiju]

I dunno, when that and lightning bolt are all you have, it's not *entirely* useless. I'd say it's at least situationally useful for a couple of levels. And you will want to put it on your bars anyway because it will be replaced by a better spell (lvb for resto/ele and stormstrike for enh) at level 10. If you're planning on levelling enhancement you'll want to get used to using it anyway because stormstrike works the same way (just does more).

When you're really ability-limited for the first couple of levels, any button you have is generally good. :P

Lightning bolt has no cd, can be cast while moving, and does significantly more damage

[Irian]

When I was leveling my low level enh shaman, melee attacks and primal strike would 1 shot mobs until level 10. That gives it a use, IMO.

It's just for new players. Shaman are a class that is both a physical and spell class. Some people will be like "Hmm, I like using primal strike and using weapons up close, I'm gonna go enhancement!" or "hmm, I like casting lightning bolt from afar, I'm going to go elemental!"

It's an intro to melee combat. They want you to be sure if your first class is shaman that melee combat isn't just watching melee hits and that you have physical abilities.

[Mormolyce]

I don't understand why it doesn't simply transform into Stormstrike, but there you go.

[Deleted]

I haven't figured out why they won't just give enh shamans stormstrike at 10.

[Adramalech]

I used Primal Strike on my Dwarf Shaman until she unlocked Stormstrike.

From what I remember, they seem to be making this better in Warlords by having Primal Strike actually be replaced (possibly at an earlier level, too).

[Lavindar]

Lightning bolt has no cd, can be cast while moving, and does significantly more damage

When I leveled my shaman I used it on cooldown, because I was leveling to become an Enhancement, and I preferred to use it than to just casting Lightning Bolt, at those lower levels, more so if you are just starting to play, the feel of a skill matter more than being the most efficient, which doesn't get you a lot more time anyway with the speed we level at that level range.

[Expersona]

Madness... THIS.IS.WARCRAFT. *kicks you off the elevator boss in BWD*

[Raiju]

When I leveled my shaman I used it on cooldown, because I was leveling to become an Enhancement, and I preferred to use it than to just casting Lightning Bolt, at those lower levels, more so if you are just starting to play, the feel of a skill matter more than being the most efficient, which doesn't get you a lot more time anyway with the speed we level at that level range.

its not about efficiency, its about one that feels like a bolt of lightning ripping through them, and the other being a wet noodle slap.