Spellblade Class?

[Shakana]

Spellblade, Swordmage, Hexblade, Warwizard, Eldrichknight, Battlemage... a wizard that is both melee and ranged.

One of the most popular classes in RPG's is the mage/fighter gish archtype. Surprisingly, it's still not to be found in WoW. The closest thing we have is the Deathknight, but they are really runemancer/necromancer/antipaladins, so it just doesn't fit with the mage/fighter.

The next closest thing is maybe the demon hunter, but they are still very different from a mage/fighter with their own unique demon feel.

I love Tinkers (and I'd play one) but we already have this with Engineering. Necromancers are largely covered by Deathknights. Bards would be unique and are not covered by anything else (and some might argue would be the fighter/mage archtype). Personally I'd prefer a more pure fighter/mage than a bard.

What are your thoughts?

EDIT: Perhaps it could have a mechanic that requires the character to alternate between melee and ranged to be effective. The Spellblade would move in for a rotation or 3 as its wards power up, then fall back for a rotation or 3 as the wards expire. Something that requires a little more player agency, but not enough to make the game too complicated.

I've always wanted necromancers SO BAD.

I would love to see a spellblade class!

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Current progress race composition :

Lol, i saw method with this composition today on stream and i laughed my ass off so hard, first it was 8 spriests, now with shadowy apparitions nerfed, it's 8-9 warlocks and 4-5 shamans

[Directionalk9]

By mirror classes you mean same spec types? Like DK and Warrior? (Tank/DPS/DPS - Tank/DPS/DPS)?

Nah, ideally you’d take a class and replicate its mechanics and abilities, it’s rotation, but overlay it with a new visual style, change spells names. If you’ve ever played SW:ToR, a with inquisitor and Jedi Consular we’re practically the same class, they just didn’t look it.

[Kithelle]

What if a Spellblade was both melee and ranged at the same time? Or what if there was a spec that was primarily ranged?

I think Tinker should be next, it would fit and it can be ranged....but after such maybe.

3 specs, one can be melee dps, another tank, and perhaps a hybrid or ranged spec. For the ranged spec can perhaps involve the weapons in some way while being ranged....I mean Warriors can throw their weapon....why not have something similar magically?

[Shakana]

I think Tinker should be next, it would fit and it can be ranged....but after such maybe.

3 specs, one can be melee dps, another tank, and perhaps a hybrid or ranged spec. For the ranged spec can perhaps involve the weapons in some way while being ranged....I mean Warriors can throw their weapon....why not have something similar magically?

Like a warrior throwing a big Chaos Bolt kind of spell that is not so "warlock-ish", just the aspect of it, making it seem really big and powerful that does the same damage as a meele attack.

Warriors throw weapon
DH throw glaive
Rogue thows a knife

They have ranged stuff that serves only to like aggro a mob from a distance but doesn't give that much damage, like incorporated on their main most-used abilities. throw warglaive from demon hunters used to do but now it's not that much of a big damage dealer and it's just a ranged way to attract/pull mobs.

[Weeps]

Honestly, many “new classes” could be a new spec instead.

Spell blade could be a 4th mage spec for example.
Necromancer could be 4th DK spec

It depends on what you want a tinker for, it could be met by shamans who are into utilizing elements with their creative toys

[Traycor]

As a playable spellblade, this will allow artists/designers to craft new and refreshing animations and stances we're not conditioned to. A nightborne's melee animations should have flare akin to fencing maneuvers and their refined spell casting animations could move elegantly, inspired by olden day French dance and etiquette.

Bladesingers are my favorite of the arcane gish archtypes. I'd love for the class to be agile, almost dance-like with amazing maneuvers. It would feel very different from the two footed chopping that most melee attacks fall under.

[Doffen]

Spellblade Aluriel. I want to play a class/spec like her :>

Just rework a mage-spec already.

[Irian]

I would personally love this. Red mage in FFXIV makes me so happy, I feel like it almost fills this fantasy perfectly although I wish the melee phase was a little bit longer.

It's a big reason I wish WoW would make a dragon-based class of some sort. It'd be the perfect aesthetic opportunity to make a battlemage-type class and I think the idea of a draconic mage-warrior is an awesome fantasy that fits right into WoW's style.

[Traycor]

I mean all you'd need is a single talent in Arcane called e.g. Arcane Strike that replaced Arcane Blast and works like it but is instead a melee strike and you have a rudimentary spellblade. Tune it so that it balances out with the extra autoattack damage and maybe change one or two additional talents (e.g a talent that changes Evocation to also be a Bladestorm-like attack like most Nightborne spellblades use) to better fit melee Arcane (and let's face it, Arcane already has to go in melee a lot due to Arcane Explosion).

I'd be totally okay with a solution of this kind! Arcane has always had trouble finding its place going all the way bay to the original beta.

[Lulbalance]

I mean all you'd need is a single talent in Arcane called e.g. Arcane Strike that replaced Arcane Blast and works like it but is instead a melee strike and you have a rudimentary spellblade. Tune it so that it balances out with the extra autoattack damage and maybe change one or two additional talents (e.g a talent that changes Evocation to also be a Bladestorm-like attack like most Nightborne spellblades use) to better fit melee Arcane (and let's face it, Arcane already has to go in melee a lot due to Arcane Explosion).

Usually I'm a purest when it comes to mage desing but this is actually an interesting idea. Wouldn't be that simple but definitely would inject some fun into that spec.

[Geofferson]

Play ffxiv

Roll red mage

Wow will never implement a spellsword sadly

WoW will never implement spell empowered weapons?

Sub Rogues = Empower there weapons with spells
Retadins = Empower there weapons with spells
DKs = Go to a forge and forge their weapons with spells
DH = They love empowering their weapons
Enh Shaman = Their whole thing is Enhancing their Melee Attacks with Spells.

Most Melee specs empower their weapons with spells.

If their gave Enh Shaman the ability to use Swords and made 2H viable for Enh, that's basically a spellblade. A bit 2H lightning and fire enhanced weapon.

[Doffen]

I mean all you'd need is a single talent in Arcane called e.g. Arcane Strike that replaced Arcane Blast and works like it but is instead a melee strike and you have a rudimentary spellblade. Tune it so that it balances out with the extra autoattack damage and maybe change one or two additional talents (e.g a talent that changes Evocation to also be a Bladestorm-like attack like most Nightborne spellblades use) to better fit melee Arcane (and let's face it, Arcane already has to go in melee a lot due to Arcane Explosion).

Yeah, would work that. Been Arcane since my first mage was made in 2008, always liked the constant nuke rotation. But I would gladly sacrifice that arcane spec for something like this. And yes, we are very much used to be some time in melee range already.

[Sorrior]

WoW will never implement spell empowered weapons?

Sub Rogues = Empower there weapons with spells
Retadins = Empower there weapons with spells
DKs = Go to a forge and forge their weapons with spells
DH = They love empowering their weapons
Enh Shaman = Their whole thing is Enhancing their Melee Attacks with Spells.

Most Melee specs empower their weapons with spells.

If their gave Enh Shaman the ability to use Swords and made 2H viable for Enh, that's basically a spellblade. A bit 2H lightning and fire enhanced weapon.

Nobodies really talking the imbue kinda spellblade though

[Eleccybubb]

If any current spec should get a melee one it should be Fire.

I mean even the Mage Artifact for Fire was a 1H Sword.

[Traycor]

If any current spec should get a melee one it should be Fire.

I mean even the Mage Artifact for Fire was a 1H Sword.

While I understand the feeling, it seems to fit the rotation of Arcane much better. It's a natural game play fit.

[Shakana]

I mean all you'd need is a single talent in Arcane called e.g. Arcane Strike that replaced Arcane Blast and works like it but is instead a melee strike and you have a rudimentary spellblade. Tune it so that it balances out with the extra autoattack damage and maybe change one or two additional talents (e.g a talent that changes Evocation to also be a Bladestorm-like attack like most Nightborne spellblades use) to better fit melee Arcane (and let's face it, Arcane already has to go in melee a lot due to Arcane Explosion).

I'd be totally okay with a solution of this kind! Arcane has always had trouble finding its place going all the way bay to the original beta.

True, people love arcane but frost and fire mage always wins the first place. Maybe doing this would bring a unique opportunity for this to shine brighter and since it would be changed, blizzard would give more attention to this spec, since it's so forgotten atm.

[Alopex Major]

I've dreamed of a magetank/melee mage for ages, I would be excited if it was added. Ele shaman is like, sorta close, but not really, plus you have all the Thrall nonsense to go along with it.

I'm also still patiently awaiting bard, which could work in a similar way (spells/songs + a melee weapon)

[Unholyground]

They could use magic to control an actual physical blade in battle so all their melee abilities would have range on them, maybe like 20 yards and a few longer range cooldown cast time abilities as nukes, maybe a few instant ones. This way you could be effective in melee and longer range when needed. You could even work the distant spell system from dnd in to make moving out of medium range more forgiving, it could just be charges you build up as you dps to let you cast a few spells at an extra 20 yards before depleting, but you will only generate them when you are within 20 yards or your enemies. Also in melee range you would get a considerable boost to damage output so that you have to make that your focus, but you will be formidable when you have to take something out at range.

[Cosmic Janitor]

While I understand the feeling, it seems to fit the rotation of Arcane much better. It's a natural game play fit.

Hm that is debateable. For one I think sacrificing another ranged spec to become melee is just a bad idea. Furthermore while arcane is not very popular due to it only shining in rare cases (short but important DPS windows), it is still a beloved spec for many (I know a couple of healers who adore it as their alt specs). I personally don't see it being a very good fit as a replacement for any of the mage specs atm, it's certainly not the thing I would envision a spellblade spec to be. The only connection I see with arcane is that Arcane Explosion requires close range. The same could be said about Blastwave/Dragon's Breath for fire and even frost would easily fit into the whole thing if that is all you boil it down to, since freezing and shattering could be adapted to melee without a hitch as well. Same for the primary attack, frost and fire are all about fishing for procs, adapting that to melee works with virtually any class if we are honest. All of that is a bit thin.

When I think about a spellblade I think more along the lines of something like the old seal/judgement gameplay of paladins. In the vaguest of terms I would base it around buffing yourself/your weapon with a enchant(/sigil/rune/power word/seal/magic circle/stance/aura what ever you wanna call it in the end) of various types and then either unleash it (under certain conditions/combinations) as a single target attack, an aoe attack, maybe a summon or a defensive spell (if we were to treat it like a tank spec). I think it would work best as an interdisciplinary mage spec that comes with an arcane/fire/frost enchant and a hand full of ways to "judge" it, by mixing and matching the enchants with the judgments you would build some simple combos. Like freeze everything in a cone and then shatter it with an arcane mine for AoE, or build up some heat on the enemy with a fire dot and then fuck them up with the sudden temperature gradient while switching to a frost enchant. There is plenty of gameplay here, though I admit that while typing it out I already have a feeling that it would be to complex for WoW in 2019.

[Traycor]

Hm that is debateable. For one I think sacrificing another ranged spec to become melee is just a bad idea. Furthermore while arcane is not very popular due to it only shining in rare cases (short but important DPS windows), it is still a beloved spec for many (I know a couple of healers who adore it as their alt specs). I personally don't see it being a very good fit as a replacement for any of the mage specs atm, it's certainly not the thing I would envision a spellblade spec to be. The only connection I see with arcane is that Arcane Explosion requires close range. The same could be said about Blastwave/Dragon's Breath for fire and even frost would easily fit into the whole thing if that is all you boil it down to, since freezing and shattering could be adapted to melee without a hitch as well. Same for the primary attack, frost and fire are all about fishing for procs, adapting that to melee works with virtually any class if we are honest. All of that is a bit thin.

Fair points.

When I think about a spellblade I think more along the lines of something like the old seal/judgement gameplay of paladins. In the vaguest of terms I would base it around buffing yourself/your weapon with a enchant(/sigil/rune/power word/seal/magic circle/stance/aura what ever you wanna call it in the end) of various types and then either unleash it (under certain conditions/combinations) as a single target attack, an aoe attack, maybe a summon or a defensive spell (if we were to treat it like a tank spec). I think it would work best as an interdisciplinary mage spec that comes with an arcane/fire/frost enchant and a hand full of ways to "judge" it, by mixing and matching the enchants with the judgments you would build some simple combos. Like freeze everything in a cone and then shatter it with an arcane mine for AoE, or build up some heat on the enemy with a fire dot and then fuck them up with the sudden temperature gradient while switching to a frost enchant. There is plenty of gameplay here, though I admit that while typing it out I already have a feeling that it would be to complex for WoW in 2019.

Someone at the beginning of the thread suggested mana shield damage mitigation. Just this very basic concept sounds great if you remember how mana shield worked back in Vanilla WoW. The class could melee while they have the mana to do so, then maybe have a blink/disengage that allows them to attack from a distance while they build mana again, then blink/engage back into melee.