Weapon Imbue Weaving... Cata

[keeb]

With new complexity and confusion coming to the Shaman class in Cata, particularly with Enhance in regards to Weapon Imbues in PvP and the Benefits from Unleash Elements.

Perhaps some better functionality in regards to applying Imbues will be in order. I suggest having no GCD cost for casting/removing Imbues, Better Mod/Macro tie ins making it faster and simpler to do. Maybe 1 key stroke to remove Imbue of specific weapon, and another stroke to apply desired Imbue to specific weapon. Or better yet 1 key press to apply any two desired Imbues to specific weapons (I would even accept 1 CGD cost for doing this in 1 stoke)

I foresee a time when good Enhance PvP will have to Weave Imbues in PvP combat. Perhaps always keep WF on main hand weapon. And quickly and on the fly Apply Frostbrand to snare/root, Flametounge for Burst, or Everliving before that clinch heal. But current mechanics makes this very clunky... having to right click off the Imbue. Often having to right click off Both Imbues then reapply both desired ones.

Its apparent to me (ATM), There is no clear 100% of the time offhand Imbue winner in PvP.

If your Enhance/Resto you may prefer mainly WF with Frostbrand and Everliving. If your Ele you may prefer mainly WF with Flametounge and Frostbrand. But any way you spec you will often desire a different Imbue on your offhand (at least for a GCD or three)

This seems to be the place with the most constructive dialog.

[TheDeceived]

I have no idea what you mean by this.

If you spec into Enhance, you'd never want to change from WF on your MH weapon. Now that the Frozen Power talent has gone and Lava Lash will hit a lot harder on a longer CD, I can't see any need for you to use Frostbrand at any point in the game. So you'd stick to FT on your OH weapon.

Unleashed weapon has a 15 sec CD, so twisting imbues isn't going to achieve any major benefit. Unless average 1v1 battles in Cataclysm last around a minute due to the jump in HP and less bursty damage, then there shouldn't be a need to imbue your OH with Earthliving to get a 20% bonus to the next heal.

You do realise that you can only get dual wielding if you spec into Enhance first, therefore locking you into that tree until you spend 31 points? Therefore, Resto/Ele won't be able to dual wield. So I'm unsure as to why you think an Ele Shaman will want to imbue their weapon with WF :P

[Larancy]

I dont think they will ever want Shamans to switch weapon imbues sorta like how rogues would swap weapons with posions to shiv.

[Instant]

Earthliving Weapon also has instant healing part, which can be usefull. Also we don't know what effect will Frostbrand have on targets already afflicted with Frost Shock. It's supposed to be 'enhanced' but how exactly? What if it means root?

When you unleash elements with WF/FT you only get dps increase, but with ElW and FB you get utility.