Non-mage non-healing spec PvP class?

[Deleted]

First of all, I'm not asking you what to play as such, but rather which class fits the following describtion.

I'm looking for a fun class/spec that isn't healing (done that), but I would like one with a big bunch of survivability AND not a mage (been there)...

And importantly, it's mainly going to be for BGs (may try Arena) but it's 99% BGs.

Which non-mage non-healing spec class would you recommend... (I like both melee and caster classes)

In the end the choice is mine of cause, I just want a place to start

[Archmonduu]

If a class is fun is a matter of definition...

I'd go for a rogue, or a feral druid.

Rogue with the motivation that they have the potential to reset combat and run if close to death, and they have MANY cooldowns.
Feral druid because... They are feral druids, is all.

PS: I recently dinged my rogue from 1-85 and I am lovin' it!

[Snuggli]

Warlock's are pretty good.

[Deleted]

If its for pvp and have never played one before, make a rogue (especially if you have heirlooms and enough gold to buy Cata boe gear at 78). You will never have so much fun and you will wreck everything!

Also, stick with it. No matter what anyone tells you for pvp, rogues are not simple to learn but they definitely take a "WoW lifetime" to master. PvE is a different story, though it has more than enough attractions while levelling to keep you interested.

If you feel you'd prefer ranged, then the only realistic option,, given your requirements, is Warlock. If you actually take the brief time to learn your pet abilities and manage them as if they were your own spells on your bars, then your survivability and fun while levelling via pvp will go through the roof! Also, once you get geared or max level, the other two specs are just as viable for pvp and all have fairly different playstyles giving you plenty of room to grow.

In fact, if you'd rather have a large variety of playstyles available instead of learning to master the superb intricacies of one one spec for pvp, then warlock may be better for you than even a rogue. High level rogues can spec into specs other than Subtlety but it comes at a very very heavy price and for many it isnt worth it.

If by non-healing spec you were open to hybrids, i.e. elemental shamans, boomkins and spriests, don't bother except possibly spriests. Spriests are very good 1v1, excluding current OP ferals obviously, and I found them very fun since their dots actually hurt AND they have good survivability in general (better than the non-demo warlock specs by quite a bit). Elemental shamans are free honor kills versus melee and chickens are free kills for everyone (though that's not to say they are not fun, especially shaman).

Hunters are just a mess. Too much work for too little gain for brand new players. Tons of bugs and glitches, and relic abilities not in keeping with recent changes to their core design. In Cata, they lost many comparative advantages versus other classes as all other classes got extremely powerful new spells, low-gcd burst combos, gap closers, escapes, permanent pets, CC, many more instants, larger effective ranges etc. Hunters in exchange got a flawed resource mechanic and otherwise remained largely unchanged. They are the DKs of the ranged world except unlike DKs they are not intrinsically powerful and designed from scratch. Quite the opposite - mainly due to the dramatic change in the resource system in Cata which works reasonably well (if not preferred) in pve, but is more than just a pain in the ass in pvp. It is literally a class breaker. Sure they hurt a lot in low level pvp and are reasonably fun for this reason and because things die very fast pre-Cata levels (though other classes hurt more and are more consistent), but only because melee are missing half their abilities, including survivability talents and only because they get to just stand there turretting due to too many noobs learning on their new classes. In short, for pvp, keep away if you value your sanity at higher levels (unless you're twinking). If you can get to them, since they normally skulk at the back of groups and with pocket healers if they have any sense, hunters are literally bread and butter free kills for most specs. Rogues can obviously get to them in any situation and eat them for lunch 1v1 or even otherwise quite often. Note for pve, I'd actually recommend them: they are pretty fun and sufficiently different from the other classes.

Maybe make a poll for the thread using Thread Tools....

[Deleted]

Get a hunter. Warlocks aren't that good, stun them and you nuke them down with ease.

Hunter pwns pretty much any class in survival untill lvl 80 orso (explosive shot ftw). At 85 they pwn also, but you will need better gear to survive longer ofc.

[ShimmerSwirl]

If you have already done enough pvp as a healer and a Mage to grow tired of those, then you probably should know enough through experience about all the classes in the game to choose the one that suits you.

[fizikz]

bunch of survivability that isn't a healer or mage? I'd have to go with a rogue. stealth/vanish/cloak/recuperate/evasion/smokebomb/combat readiness = amazing survivability and definitely loads of fun.

stealth classes are VERY unique in their playstyle and it can be exhilarating to play one for the first time... stealthing alone through a group of enemies sapping them and then picking them off one by one or just taunting them with distract/sap .

also amazing for bg's that have flags that need capping. sap -> cap (trinket) blind -> cap. works against almost every class except pet classes or pallies (bubble lol) but even sometimes against those as well. also great for defending, being able to CC (interrupt) them capping the flag without leaving stealth is just amazing. just today I held BS in an AB match against 3 enemies simply by sapping them and then when DR's were up breaking stealth and tab-attacking them until it capped.

[Deleted]

Fantastic replies. Thanks a lot.

Ok, except the lonely hunter, Seems like a rogue or a lock would be a good choice... I have one of each at a pretty high level... As you might gather I not entirely new to the PvP scene, but a lot seems to have changed in Cata, so I'm a bit confused about how the different classes are doing.

I must admit that I thought Rogues were doing a little bad at the moment... I seem to see so few in BGs that I almost miss them But from what I can read here they seem to be doing ok....

Warlocks are fun too.... choices, choices...

Well, thanks again for the replies. Much appreciated!

---------- Post added 2011-01-30 at 05:48 AM ----------

Edit: Oh yes, a few of you mention Ferals as a possibility... And they do seem like a lot of fun too... The bleeds seem like fun. I don't want to get into a whole debate (at all!!), but I am a bit worried about the next patch.

[fizikz]

Fantastic replies. Thanks a lot.

Ok, except the lonely hunter, Seems like a rogue or a lock would be a good choice... I have one of each at a pretty high level... As you might gather I not entirely new to the PvP scene, but a lot seems to have changed in Cata, so I'm a bit confused about how the different classes are doing.

I must admit that I thought Rogues were doing a little bad at the moment... I seem to see so few in BGs that I almost miss them But from what I can read here they seem to be doing ok....

Warlocks are fun too.... choices, choices...

Well, thanks again for the replies. Much appreciated!

---------- Post added 2011-01-30 at 05:48 AM ----------

Edit: Oh yes, a few of you mention Ferals as a possibility... And they do seem like a lot of fun too... The bleeds seem like fun. I don't want to get into a whole debate (at all!!), but I am a bit worried about the next patch.

Yeah. tremor nerfs help locks out quite a bit next patch.

sub's damage is getting buffed this patch too I believe, and recuperate does wonders for rogue survivability. (with imp recuperate and quickening, it's 4.8% HP every 3 sec on top of 6% damage reduction - really amazing at high levels of HP.)

ferals have been fun since cata..... but i worry about the next patch. big bleed damage nerf, (small?) direct damage buff to compensate, and then there's the root thing that just makes me too sad to even look at my druid.

[Deleted]

Fantastic replies. Thanks a lot.

Ok, except the lonely hunter, Seems like a rogue or a lock would be a good choice... I have one of each at a pretty high level... As you might gather I not entirely new to the PvP scene, but a lot seems to have changed in Cata, so I'm a bit confused about how the different classes are doing.

I must admit that I thought Rogues were doing a little bad at the moment... I seem to see so few in BGs that I almost miss them But from what I can read here they seem to be doing ok....

Warlocks are fun too.... choices, choices...

Well, thanks again for the replies. Much appreciated!

---------- Post added 2011-01-30 at 05:48 AM ----------

Edit: Oh yes, a few of you mention Ferals as a possibility... And they do seem like a lot of fun too... The bleeds seem like fun. I don't want to get into a whole debate (at all!!), but I am a bit worried about the next patch.

You're right to be worried. I wouldn't get too excited about ferals unless just the raw playstyle appeals to you or you want one for multiple specs. Ferals are only OP (by miles and miles especially in low level pvp) for 3 reasons:

1. Bleed damage:
- a. Very powerful undispellable bleeds.
- b. In addition, the combination of their opening from stealth and these bleeds means they require minimal uptime to put dots on you which will kill the majority of non-healing specs.
- c. Its no use disarming them. Unlike all other melee not only does that only reduce their stats but not affect their ability to keep attacking, but due to point a. and b. by the time you get to disarm them (assuming you are on a spec that can) it will be too late. In other words, almost all their damage is effectively front-loaded. Game over if you're not a dwarf, pally or mage!

The above is so powerful, in low level brackets, ferals (especially in heirlooms) can practically just dot non-pallies and mages up and run to the next target knowing that the target is going to fall over even if they attempt to eat!

2. Mobility: powershifting (shifting in and out of forms instantly) means its impossible to Root a druid through player abilities. It has no effect on Snares however. In addition, Travel Form in outdoor pvp is pretty amazing. It's instant cast and combined with druid CC makes ferals optimal flag carriers.

3. CC: instant entangling roots (glyph), Nature's Grasp and Cyclone. That's right, every time you hit a druid with Nature's Grasp up, you will be rooted (up to 3 "charges" with very minor cd). If you try to run away, they can instantly root you. If they take too much damage or wish to interrupt you, or you're a healer or or they wish to escape, they can just Cyclone you and run away. Cyclone cannot be dispelled - it must be trinketed.

Patch 4.0.6 will change a lot, but in a sense, certainly in terms of impact, it is the (anti) Feral patch!

It will shift much of that incredibly nasty damage out of bleeds and into direct attacks. As far as I can tell there have been no nerfs to overall (pve) sustained damage at all. It is literally just shifting damage out of unbalancable bleeds and into direct attacks like other melee.

Ferals will lose the ability to powershift out of roots so they become as rootable as all other melee. Other druid specs keep some form of root powershifting. They will get to suffer like everyone else at the hands of Frost Mage control!

Finally, and most unexpectedly, Blizzard on PTR have decided to radically change the instant Entangling Roots glyph so that it only reduces the cast time by ~12% or 0.2s instead of 100%. This obviously affects ALL druid specs! It is very easy to underestimate the impact this will have on druid survivability and the viability of, for example, Boomkin (who were already hardly the most represented spec in pvp for many reasons).

So, yeah, druids are going to feel some pain next patch. Don't roll them for any Flavor of the Month reasons - those will be long gone soon!