Arms... Or Blademaster?

[Pua]

Here's the Tweet that inspires the question:

https://twitter.com/warrior_tank/sta...68353298337792

So, what do you think?

Vote as usual, please.

EDIT: Anyone know how to embed BBCode? :O

[ro9ue]

I prefer Blademaster. I feel the name has sentiment in the Warcraft Universe going all the way back to WC3 from the Orc unit. Arms isn't necessarily a bad name though either.

All that aside, I would rather them just fix Arms and return it to it's 4.3 Cataclysm glory than worry about the name. Arms has been a train wreck since then.

[Pua]

I prefer Blademaster. I feel the name has sentiment in the Warcraft Universe going all the way back to WC3 from the Orc unit. Arms isn't necessarily a bad name though either.

All that aside, I would rather them just fix Arms and return it to it's 4.3 Cataclysm glory than worry about the name. Arms has been a train wreck since then.

The question is more about using the Blademaster fantasy and kit, rather than struggling with what they think Arms should look like.

Is Blademaster more iconic, perhaps?

[Fawkess]

Warriors can use Axes, Maces, Polearms, and staffs

For me blademaster does not really fit better instead of arms

[Pua]

Fair comment. So how does Arms get a more iconic feel for its fantasy, assuming the designers are going for that?

Now's the time to make good suggestions. Once beta begins, that's pretty much it - precious little will change.

- - - Updated - - -

Warriors can use Axes, Maces, Polearms, and staffs

For me blademaster does not really fit better instead of arms

Actually, to add to this:

How does this impact gameplay?

In my experience, it doesn't. Players will equip the best weapon they can get their hands on, because it makes no difference, and will transmog appropriately anyway. Also, the artefact system is going to give you a "weapon" with no type distinction whatsoever. So while I get the "Arms can use all weapons" argument, there's no meaningful appreciation of that fact in game.

I voted undecided, but am coming to the conclusion that Blademaster is better.

Not only does it have a thematic presence in the Warcraft story already, they can borrow from the fantasy kit of the samurai which isn't really replicated elsewhere in the game and has a lot more depth.

[Nitrak]

The main problem I have with calling them Blademasters is that Blademasters focus on Agility and not Strength.

Both hits with big weapons, although Arms with a variety and Blademasters with... well... blades (swords).

It's by no way a perfect fit, though would like to see som Blademaster action with Mirror Images and Stealth! :P

[SheepHunter]

Just give arms warriors a quest like green fire for warlocks where we get a sick banner on our back and a transmoggible invincible chest, and the title blademaster ofc. Or the title weaponmaster for salty people not using swords.

[Justin-Sane]

blademaster is its own thing and it plays too differently than an arms warrior. That'd be like renaming marksman hunters to dark ranger.

[cFortyfive]

blademaster - no armor, agility, stealth, ambush, mirror images, nah doesn't work for me.

Both hits with big weapons, although Arms with a variety and Blademasters with... well... blades (swords).

Well hellscream used an axe.

[Radaney]

Whilst Blademasters are cool, they are not the same as Warriors.

[apples]

BMs are agi heroes

wars are str

if you played WC3 i dont really think you can get past that

inb4 grom was a BM so by association garrosh woudve been a BM

to that i say the game evolved and left BM behind. id bet that blizz made a choice back in bc/wotlk, were adding a new class whos it gonna be? BM or DK? and they picked DK

[Venziir]

Issue is, that there are plenty of arms warriors using axes and maces instead, thsu the name would clash quite a bit. Supposedly, it could be renamed Weapon Master, akin to the D&D prestige class, but that's basically a Master of Arms, and thus Arms makes perfect sense.

[Deleted]

blademaster - no armor, agility, stealth, ambush, mirror images, nah doesn't work for me.

Well hellscream used an axe.

Then I guess he is not a blademaster but only has the same skills, blademasters were originally a part of the burning blade clan and if you didn't know Grommash Hellscream was a part of the warsong.

Also to add to the conversation the skills that arms has does not fit the fantasy of the blademaster, colossal smash and slam aren't really the more clean cuts that blademasters are knows for.

[Teaon]

blademaster is a swift warrior that use fast attacks, agility and even invisble to strike his foes.

arms is slow hard attacking spec.

they will need to rework arms concept fully, or add a new spec

[cFortyfive]

Then I guess he is not a blademaster but only has the same skills, blademasters were originally a part of the burning blade clan and if you didn't know Grommash Hellscream was a part of the warsong.

At the end of the day every race would have to have access anyways to the spec so that shouldn't matter too much.

[Deleted]

Blademasters wear little to no armour.

[Pua]

to that i say the game evolved and left BM behind. id bet that blizz made a choice back in bc/wotlk, were adding a new class whos it gonna be? BM or DK? and they picked DK

I don't think that choice was ever made. For Wrath of the Lich King, it was always going to be the death knight; it's overwhelmingly appropriate for the expansion's theme, so any other choice would have been way off.

Blademasters wear little to no armour.

Honestly?

My vision of the "fantasy" is that the only warrior who'd be heavily armoured, would be the Protection warrior. A Fury warrior pitches up on the battlefield, half-drunk, and with whatever weapons he could lay his hands on; if he's dressed at all, it's a bonus. I tend to view Arms in the same way. After all, being heavily armoured doesn't work with the fantasy of being able to immediately punish an opponent's error, or take full advantage of a gap in defences.

The need to wear heavy armour isn't, in my view, a showstopper.

Remember:

We're talking about theme, and ditching the Arms spec entirely. We're not talking about warming it through, because that doesn't really achieve an awful lot.

[Pull My Finger]

Blademaster sounds corny. I don't like Arms either. I'd prefer Legs.

[Flavonoid]

Blademaster=combat rogue

- - - Updated - - -

Arms=executioner

[Murlocbait]

I don't care for Blademaster.

I think Arms is perfect, except they don't seem to understand what the class fantasy actually should be. I think many of us - well me at least, perhaps others too - believed the fantasy for Arms to be that of the weapon master. We had options in our old talents to support the idea of choosing to focus on axe, mace, or sword, but that the Arms warrior archetype was someone who focused on the weapon. Arms warriors are the sort who name their weapons, even as a child with a stick beating up on scarecrows and fences, that stick would have a name and be a weapon of legend and renown.

The concept of an Artifact weapon is actually perfect for an Arms warrior, but they screwed the pooch on it, imo. While I've had a few ideas about what it should be, I actually think our Artifact weapon should've broken the mold. Instead of wielding the legendary weapon of Thrall or Garona, we should have had a quest chain to gather resources, rare items that are beyond imagining. Metal that fell from the heavens, wood of the world tree, rare gems from the heart of the Maelstrom, brought them together in the fires of the Molten Core of Azeroth itself and forged a new weapon. A weapon that we would turn into an Artifact not because of the NPC who had it before us, but because of what WE did with it.

Ok, I'm off point here. My point is that I think the idea of an Arms warrior, someone who studies the philosophy of the axe and sword, shield and mace, is already perfect. But Blizz just doesn't understand what it should be. It's not about methodically waiting for a moment to strike. It's about becoming one with your weapon, a single entity of flesh and steel, destroying all who stand in your way!