Why hasn't Gladiator Stance made a reappearance?

[Grinning Serpent]

One of the most popular Prot ideas ever since it debuted in WoD. We saw a version of it in SoD and DF added its Shield Charge ability as its own cooldown, but why haven't we seen the stance itself ever return?

It seems like it would be an easy no-brainer to add in a talent to the Prot tree that converts Battle Stance into Gladiator Stance, trading defensive benefits for more DPS. I guess a more involved option would be to create a hero talent tree or even an entire new spec dedicated to the idea of sword-and-board DPS, but even just a simple "do more damage but suck at tanking" stance would be a nice QoL improvement.

[Nzx]

One of the most popular Prot ideas ever since it debuted in WoD. We saw a version of it in SoD and DF added its Shield Charge ability as its own cooldown, but why haven't we seen the stance itself ever return?

It seems like it would be an easy no-brainer to add in a talent to the Prot tree that converts Battle Stance into Gladiator Stance, trading defensive benefits for more DPS. I guess a more involved option would be to create a hero talent tree or even an entire new spec dedicated to the idea of sword-and-board DPS, but even just a simple "do more damage but suck at tanking" stance would be a nice QoL improvement.

It isn't really balance-able the way that they currently build the game and it's unlikely they are going to change the way they build the game to accommodate one spec for one class.

That's the short, boring, but likely true answer.

[Accendor]

It should honestly have been a Hero Talent Tree Prot and Arms that gives 2h+Shield and then go from there. That way it doesn't become a balancing nightmare and they could still have brought it back. The demand is high.

[Lahis]

It should honestly have been a Hero Talent Tree Prot and Arms that gives 2h+Shield and then go from there. That way it doesn't become a balancing nightmare and they could still have brought it back. The demand is high.

That would have limited tank warriors to one Hero Talent tree, which is somethign Blizz wouldn't do. They want to (atleast pretend) that both Hero trees are viable for each spec.

[Limayria]

That would have limited tank warriors to one Hero Talent tree, which is somethign Blizz wouldn't do. They want to (atleast pretend) that both Hero trees are viable for each spec.

Or they could just give prot and extra hero tree? That'd be a happy medium between full new spec and trying to work it in as a talent

[Accendor]

Why would that be? There could still be another hero talent tree, there is no reason that would limit tanks to just one... Well except if everyone chose it because it's so freaking cool

[Biomega]

It's too niche. It confuses new players. It doesn't fit well into the way trees are currently designed. It's a lot of work for very little payoff.

"Cool shit" isn't an argument, unfortunately, because making cool shit costs money; and companies only spend money if they expect more money to return in some way at some point. That's how the deal works, like it or not.

[Puri]

Out of the same reason that bearcat is gone: It's not balancable if a tank can do significantly more dps than other tanks when he is not tanking (or worse: even when he is tanking). And today ingame roles are tied to specs, not talents.

If you want to handle that then you do not need a new hero spec, but just like druid you would need a forth warrior spec which role is dps and it uses shields (but is unable to tank).

[saixilein]

Balance Issue. Like Guardian become its own Spec, instead of Feral could be tank or dps.

[Lahis]

Out of the same reason that bearcat is gone: It's not balancable if a tank can do significantly more dps than other tanks when he is not tanking (or worse: even when he is tanking). And today ingame roles are tied to specs, not talents.

If you want to handle that then you do not need a new hero spec, but just like druid you would need a forth warrior spec which role is dps and it uses shields (but is unable to tank).

WoD Gladiator stance solved the survivability issue by making the Warrior's defences worth a wet tissue paper in Gladiator Stance, and the stance itself was unable to be changed into or from in Combat.

But the damage was never there, so outside of makign world content faster for pure prot warriors to solo, no there was no real place for Gladiator's in any group when real DPS warriors existed.

[Capivara]

i can bet that now that we have fury transmoging one handed weapons they will just give arms a new spell to let them transmog shields or something of that kind and call it a day.