This is the closest we get to a press release for WoW.
Announcing Nerf Treisk 2 (a solo Hunter PvP video, the sequel to Nerf Treisk from August 2006).
As anticipated by members of the Hunter community as Illegal Danish 2, Nerf Treisk will be a display of solo Hunter PvP by a respected contributor to the Hunter community. One of the most acclaimed and critiqued members of the class has slated the release for Nerf Treisk 2 for late Spring (target: April 21st, 2008).
Announcing Clutch Tactics 5v5 (a 5v5 Arena video using Rogue, Hunter, Warlock, Priest, Druid).
A new 5v5 comp that the team, Clutch Tactics @ Rampage, has had great success with. While Rampage might not be the most popular battlegroup in the US, Clutch Tactics has taken the BG by storm, holding top 10 for the first month of Season 3, until taking some time off to focus on other projects. Clutch Tactics' 5v5 video is slated for release in late Spring, as well (target: May 1st, 2008).
Both dates subject to change.
The new PC is simply incredible. Being able to render video files while still running WoW (in Shat) at 60 FPS is just unbelievable, coming from a PC that ran 15 FPS in Shat while doing nothing else. The specs I listed on my last entry are the exact specs I used and build the PC with.
The only trouble so far with this PC is the fact that it's having trouble rendering videos into DivX. I haven't gotten a straight theory just yet for this issue, but I can post this up here and see what everyone thinks about the problem. I'd like to hear back from anyone who knows anything about this error message.
"Invalid Video Stream
DivX Converter cannot encode the input file: C:\Documents and blah blah\WoW 2008-etc.avi because it contains an invalid video stream
For more information visit the support site that doesn't tell you anything about this issue"
When I try rendering it in other codecs, it freezes on the first frame.
So, any ideas?
One last thing. I'm moving this blog to GameRiot. You will see the last five posts I've made on this blog, on my GameRiot page, dated with the dates they were posted here. I'd like anyone who keeps up with my blog here to keep up with it there, as well.
'Til next time,
-Treisk.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Thursday, December 20, 2007
New PC inc, Plans for Two Videos
I will, if all goes as planned, have my brand new PC by Saturday. Specs are:
Motherboard: ASUS M2N-SLI Deluxe AM2 NVIDIA nForce 570 SLI MCP ATX AMD
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 6400+ Windsor 3.2GHz Socket AM2 125W Dual-Core
Hard Drives: Seagate Barracuda 160GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive x2 (2x160GB)
GFX: EVGA GeForce 8600GTS Superclocked 512MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP
Memory: mushkin 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit x2 (4GB)
To someone who has no clue what all this computer jibber-jabber means, I'll spell it out for you.
New PC = Rape = Fraps = videos.
I currently am planning to release two PvP videos -- One Arena video (focused around 5v5) and one solo PvP video (Nerf Treisk 2). Both videos are slated for a late Spring release, and will probably be released about a month to a month and a half between each other.
Clutch Tactics 5v5
This video will be mostly about our 5's team, Clutch Tactics, which is currently (and plans to continue) running Hunter, Rogue, Disc Priest, SLSL Lock, Resto Druid. The comp is essentially a drain team, with burst and mass CC. While we are outlast, it is absolutely normal to see us kill a target in the first minute or so of a fight. While the drain setup might not always be the most entertaining to watch, we don't truly look at this as an absolute drain setup -- We look at this as a regular 3DPS team with emphasis on CC and wearing out mana pools.
Since our Priest is regularly put on the defensive to spam heal, more often than not he is not allowed the opportunity to mana burn. While he does usually work early in the game to purge down a target and prepare to put pressure on the DPS target, he seldom doesn't have time for a Mana Burn cast. Having Mass Dispels to keep pressure on Mages and Paladins is invaluable, and having an AOE fear for additional CC against casters that enjoy getting up close and personal (Affliction Warlocks, Frost Mages) makes a Priest a great tool for this comp. That's where the Druid comes in.
One of the strengths of this comp is that MS is seldom on a target. This is helped by the Druid, who compliments this setup in a way that most Paladins could never dream. Having a Cyclone/Root CC rotation on a Warrior, combined with Frost Trap, Entrapment, Scatter Shot, Wing Clip, Blind, Mind Control, and Fear (forcing Death Wish or waiting for Berserker Rage to initiate DR), a Warrior is usually taken out of the game with ease. Because of that, Druid heals are incredibly effective at keeping a player alive. With Lifebloom ticking for 600+, Rejuv ticking at 800+, and Regrowths critting for 3K+, our Druid is usually able to keep a player alive without MS. With MS, his mana pool is not challenged.
As well, our Warlock's main focus is stopping casters and CCing while applying DoTs for pressure. Curse of Tongues, Fear, Spell Lock, and Death Coil are absolutely incredible for locking down their CC and any Paladins or Shamans on their team. Taking a class with as much burst as a Shaman out of the equation while still managing to use half of his GCD's for other things makes a Warlock an invaluable asset to our comp.
The Hunter's role in this build is as main drain, kiting, and DPS. The Hunter also acts as a backup MS when Wound Poison isn't applied to the DPS target and the Hunter is wide open. Multi Shot does a good job of keeping pressure up on multiple targets, and devastating DPS from a Hunter stacking AP (~2100 unbuffed, meaning 900+ top-end) puts incredible pressure on their healing, distracting Priests from mana burning and Druids from CCing. Essentially, this comp was 100% built around having a Hunter, and would not work the same way without one.
The Rogue's role in this matrix is to lock a target down. This is usually the Rogue's job in any case, but our Rogue's focus is so strongly on controlling the fight, our Rogue is Shadowstep (pre-2.3.2) for the extra mobility. Having him onboard for Crippling Poison and Stunlocks makes mana burning a snap, as we don't have to concern ourselves with LOS, and Crippling Poison covers Viper Sting like a champ.
Still haven't played a ton of games, so no strats quite yet, but with any luck, by the time our 5's video is ready to drop, we'll have enough put together to come out with strats from the POV of each player.
Clutch Tactics is currently #9 in Battlegroup Rampage, and claims victories over S1/S2 top teams such as Grizzly, SPAWN MORE OVERLORDS, and Dejthstoneibilyfunecima. "You Can't Spell Skill Without S" (working title) should be released before April 1st.
Motherboard: ASUS M2N-SLI Deluxe AM2 NVIDIA nForce 570 SLI MCP ATX AMD
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 6400+ Windsor 3.2GHz Socket AM2 125W Dual-Core
Hard Drives: Seagate Barracuda 160GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive x2 (2x160GB)
GFX: EVGA GeForce 8600GTS Superclocked 512MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP
Memory: mushkin 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit x2 (4GB)
To someone who has no clue what all this computer jibber-jabber means, I'll spell it out for you.
New PC = Rape = Fraps = videos.
I currently am planning to release two PvP videos -- One Arena video (focused around 5v5) and one solo PvP video (Nerf Treisk 2). Both videos are slated for a late Spring release, and will probably be released about a month to a month and a half between each other.
Clutch Tactics 5v5
This video will be mostly about our 5's team, Clutch Tactics, which is currently (and plans to continue) running Hunter, Rogue, Disc Priest, SLSL Lock, Resto Druid. The comp is essentially a drain team, with burst and mass CC. While we are outlast, it is absolutely normal to see us kill a target in the first minute or so of a fight. While the drain setup might not always be the most entertaining to watch, we don't truly look at this as an absolute drain setup -- We look at this as a regular 3DPS team with emphasis on CC and wearing out mana pools.
Since our Priest is regularly put on the defensive to spam heal, more often than not he is not allowed the opportunity to mana burn. While he does usually work early in the game to purge down a target and prepare to put pressure on the DPS target, he seldom doesn't have time for a Mana Burn cast. Having Mass Dispels to keep pressure on Mages and Paladins is invaluable, and having an AOE fear for additional CC against casters that enjoy getting up close and personal (Affliction Warlocks, Frost Mages) makes a Priest a great tool for this comp. That's where the Druid comes in.
One of the strengths of this comp is that MS is seldom on a target. This is helped by the Druid, who compliments this setup in a way that most Paladins could never dream. Having a Cyclone/Root CC rotation on a Warrior, combined with Frost Trap, Entrapment, Scatter Shot, Wing Clip, Blind, Mind Control, and Fear (forcing Death Wish or waiting for Berserker Rage to initiate DR), a Warrior is usually taken out of the game with ease. Because of that, Druid heals are incredibly effective at keeping a player alive. With Lifebloom ticking for 600+, Rejuv ticking at 800+, and Regrowths critting for 3K+, our Druid is usually able to keep a player alive without MS. With MS, his mana pool is not challenged.
As well, our Warlock's main focus is stopping casters and CCing while applying DoTs for pressure. Curse of Tongues, Fear, Spell Lock, and Death Coil are absolutely incredible for locking down their CC and any Paladins or Shamans on their team. Taking a class with as much burst as a Shaman out of the equation while still managing to use half of his GCD's for other things makes a Warlock an invaluable asset to our comp.
The Hunter's role in this build is as main drain, kiting, and DPS. The Hunter also acts as a backup MS when Wound Poison isn't applied to the DPS target and the Hunter is wide open. Multi Shot does a good job of keeping pressure up on multiple targets, and devastating DPS from a Hunter stacking AP (~2100 unbuffed, meaning 900+ top-end) puts incredible pressure on their healing, distracting Priests from mana burning and Druids from CCing. Essentially, this comp was 100% built around having a Hunter, and would not work the same way without one.
The Rogue's role in this matrix is to lock a target down. This is usually the Rogue's job in any case, but our Rogue's focus is so strongly on controlling the fight, our Rogue is Shadowstep (pre-2.3.2) for the extra mobility. Having him onboard for Crippling Poison and Stunlocks makes mana burning a snap, as we don't have to concern ourselves with LOS, and Crippling Poison covers Viper Sting like a champ.
Still haven't played a ton of games, so no strats quite yet, but with any luck, by the time our 5's video is ready to drop, we'll have enough put together to come out with strats from the POV of each player.
Clutch Tactics is currently #9 in Battlegroup Rampage, and claims victories over S1/S2 top teams such as Grizzly, SPAWN MORE OVERLORDS, and Dejthstoneibilyfunecima. "You Can't Spell Skill Without S" (working title) should be released before April 1st.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
21/22/18: It f*cking works!
That's right, kiddos. 21/22/18, the Hunter tri-spec, absolutely and 100% works in 5v5.
Our current comp for 5v5 is:
Pheq -Rogue
Orgodemir - Warlock
Vengyr - Priest
Doubts - Druid
Treisk - Hunter
NOTE: Link to each class directs to their talent spec.
Day One of the new 5's
While a 75% win percentage might not be outstanding under certain circumstances, take note that we beat two former top-10 teams (SPAWN MORE OVERLORDS who is now currently 7th and.... I honestly can't remember the other team, but I remember two of my teammates mentioning that they were #1 at some point and held top 10, fail@me for not remembering their names), as well as suffering four of our losses to D/C, and one to Pheq being feared through the world.
Pulling up to 21-7 for the night and knowing that five of the losses were flukes, and that the other two were 4DPS means two things. One: This comp has a lot of power as an outlast + pressure team. Our players seldom have MS on them, so healing through the ranged DPS isn't as difficult as it could be. Two: Four DPS is our toughest match right now, even with Pain Suppression.
I discovered last night that truly, our biggest threat, DPS-wise, is an Elemental Shaman. Being devastated by a 2900 crit LB, 1900 noncrit LB, 3K crit LB, 2K noncrit CL, and 1300 noncrit Earthshock made me question... More of what I could have done better, on top of what the Hell I'm supposed to do against that DPS. My Feign was down to block a Sheep. My Scatter was down from peeling the Warrior. I was Intercepted and Stormherald Stunned, so I couldn't pop my HS/Talisman. What else was there?
With all of my buffs purged, that damage comes to 11100 -- All but 15 of my HP -- In one burst. That's 11K damage in 6 seconds, or roughly 1850 DPS. No other class is capable of that much incredible burst. Period. So why are they? I know this comes off as a whine, but Christ, that's unstoppable. With MS on me, fully loaded up with HoT's, and our Priest CC'ed, I dropped like Sean Preston Spears. Oh yeah, I went there.
Regardless, let's talk about 21/22/18. I can't grab you with a title like that and not discuss this unorthodox spec.
Pros
That's right. Our team are a bunch of PROS. Srsly. But no srsly, the strengths of this comp are simple. You become an absolute Utility Whore. Let me count the ways.
Viper Sting + Imp Stings
Aimed Shot
Scatter Shot
Imp Revive Pet
Bestial Swiftness
Intimidation
Imp Arcane Shot for more Dispels
Entrapment
Improved Wing Clip
Surefooted
Deterrence
Clever Traps
Cons
Take the bad with the good, right? Luckily, there's not as much bad as you might think. Here's what you lose by going 21/22/18:
vs. BM
TBW
DPS
vs. MM
Silencing Shot
DPS
That's it. Seriously. It sounds insane, but that's honestly all you lose. Crazy, ain't it?
Overview
The PURE purpose of this spec is to be strong for an outlast/control setup. Having this much peel, good offensive dispels, a mobile MS (to double-pressure), pet survivability, peel vs. Melee, and kiting ability is just unstoppable. On paper, the spec looks retarded, but in practice, all you lose is about ~10-15% DPS as opposed to full MM or BM, and your job was never purely DPS to begin with.
Think of why people bring Hunters: Frost Trap, Viper Sting, and peel. That might not be a whole lot to bring to the table on paper, but all three make outlast setups incredibly powerful. It's this pure longevity that makes Hunters such a great asset in this comp.
'Til next time.
-Treisk
Our current comp for 5v5 is:
Pheq -Rogue
Orgodemir - Warlock
Vengyr - Priest
Doubts - Druid
Treisk - Hunter
NOTE: Link to each class directs to their talent spec.
Day One of the new 5's
While a 75% win percentage might not be outstanding under certain circumstances, take note that we beat two former top-10 teams (SPAWN MORE OVERLORDS who is now currently 7th and.... I honestly can't remember the other team, but I remember two of my teammates mentioning that they were #1 at some point and held top 10, fail@me for not remembering their names), as well as suffering four of our losses to D/C, and one to Pheq being feared through the world.
Pulling up to 21-7 for the night and knowing that five of the losses were flukes, and that the other two were 4DPS means two things. One: This comp has a lot of power as an outlast + pressure team. Our players seldom have MS on them, so healing through the ranged DPS isn't as difficult as it could be. Two: Four DPS is our toughest match right now, even with Pain Suppression.
I discovered last night that truly, our biggest threat, DPS-wise, is an Elemental Shaman. Being devastated by a 2900 crit LB, 1900 noncrit LB, 3K crit LB, 2K noncrit CL, and 1300 noncrit Earthshock made me question... More of what I could have done better, on top of what the Hell I'm supposed to do against that DPS. My Feign was down to block a Sheep. My Scatter was down from peeling the Warrior. I was Intercepted and Stormherald Stunned, so I couldn't pop my HS/Talisman. What else was there?
With all of my buffs purged, that damage comes to 11100 -- All but 15 of my HP -- In one burst. That's 11K damage in 6 seconds, or roughly 1850 DPS. No other class is capable of that much incredible burst. Period. So why are they? I know this comes off as a whine, but Christ, that's unstoppable. With MS on me, fully loaded up with HoT's, and our Priest CC'ed, I dropped like Sean Preston Spears. Oh yeah, I went there.
Regardless, let's talk about 21/22/18. I can't grab you with a title like that and not discuss this unorthodox spec.
Pros
That's right. Our team are a bunch of PROS. Srsly. But no srsly, the strengths of this comp are simple. You become an absolute Utility Whore. Let me count the ways.
Viper Sting + Imp Stings
Aimed Shot
Scatter Shot
Imp Revive Pet
Bestial Swiftness
Intimidation
Imp Arcane Shot for more Dispels
Entrapment
Improved Wing Clip
Surefooted
Deterrence
Clever Traps
Cons
Take the bad with the good, right? Luckily, there's not as much bad as you might think. Here's what you lose by going 21/22/18:
vs. BM
TBW
DPS
vs. MM
Silencing Shot
DPS
That's it. Seriously. It sounds insane, but that's honestly all you lose. Crazy, ain't it?
Overview
The PURE purpose of this spec is to be strong for an outlast/control setup. Having this much peel, good offensive dispels, a mobile MS (to double-pressure), pet survivability, peel vs. Melee, and kiting ability is just unstoppable. On paper, the spec looks retarded, but in practice, all you lose is about ~10-15% DPS as opposed to full MM or BM, and your job was never purely DPS to begin with.
Think of why people bring Hunters: Frost Trap, Viper Sting, and peel. That might not be a whole lot to bring to the table on paper, but all three make outlast setups incredibly powerful. It's this pure longevity that makes Hunters such a great asset in this comp.
'Til next time.
-Treisk
Thursday, December 13, 2007
What Happened to Good Videos?
Jesus Christ, I've been watching Warcraft Movies for the past month or so, and I think I've seen THREE videos over 4.0, one of which was Neilyo's. The rest were 2.X videos that truly lived up to the reputation built for them. What happened to the days when WCM were FULL of 4.X-rated videos?
While I truly love the new Skill Rating on WCM, I can't say I've seen anyone with a very high Skill Rating yet, which disappoints me, and leads me to believe people aren't noticing it. Obviously, Neilyo's video has the highest Skill so far on WCM, since his video was the first video made by a sponsored gamer since the system was put in place.
I took note of two videos that were made by Hunters, both rated 2.X. One was a clicker, and the other.... His video ran at about 4 FPS, which made it unbearable to watch. For the love of God, Invasion, Invix, whatever the Hell you call yourself now, PLEASE come back and work your magic on WCM. We need another good Hunter video producer to step up and show these kids how terrible they are.
While I'm at it, I'll let my begging for another Vurtne video fall on deaf ears.
'Til next time,
-Treisk
While I truly love the new Skill Rating on WCM, I can't say I've seen anyone with a very high Skill Rating yet, which disappoints me, and leads me to believe people aren't noticing it. Obviously, Neilyo's video has the highest Skill so far on WCM, since his video was the first video made by a sponsored gamer since the system was put in place.
I took note of two videos that were made by Hunters, both rated 2.X. One was a clicker, and the other.... His video ran at about 4 FPS, which made it unbearable to watch. For the love of God, Invasion, Invix, whatever the Hell you call yourself now, PLEASE come back and work your magic on WCM. We need another good Hunter video producer to step up and show these kids how terrible they are.
While I'm at it, I'll let my begging for another Vurtne video fall on deaf ears.
'Til next time,
-Treisk
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Slight Revamp to the Blog
First and foremost, what the fudge? No comments on my last blog? By God, it looks like it's time to head to the Hunter forums on the WoW site and on Arena Junkies and get the word out that I'm back, by God.
Now to real content:
2.3.
2.3 didn't look too good on paper, as it definitely appeared that the Hunter class was shafted once again. However, it quickly became evident that things changed dramatically in 2.3, less in class balance and more in appeal.
Allow me to elaborate; in 2.3, every player that kept up with patch notes and PvP decided that Hunters would be brought up to speed in 2.3 by simply reading the notes. Hunters weren't happy with the notes themselves, but almost every Hunter I talked to was happy to hear that their friends' teams wanted to try a Hunter for Season 3. Hunter populations are exponentially higher in Arenas in 2.3, relative to 2.2. While you still don't see a ton of Hunters in Arenas, you can tell by the few there are (more than before) that something really has changed.
The Dead Zone removal (best bug fix ever), and Arcane Shot providing an offensive dispel. Those were the two major changes we received in 2.3 that turned our worlds upside down. Giving Hunters the ability to drop a BOP (or Freedom), an Innervate, a Rejuvenation (gl with Lifebloom though), or any damageshield or Prayer of Mending (or even Presence of Mind, my favorite so far) has extended our arsenal by miles, not yards. While I feel we still need work, this was a major step in the right direction.
In the last two weeks of doing Arenas on my Hunter (popping 2K in 3's in week 1), I've still only fought two Hunter teams at 1700+ (1500 bracket, however, provided us with 6 scrub Hunters in 8 games, while 1600 provided us with 3 in 9), but in 2.2, that number would be zero, so I honestly have no qualms with it overall. It was most definitely a great patch for us, despite what I originally thought, and many other top Hunters believed. I will stand by my prediction that Hunter representation in Arenas will flop a bit once the competition picks up in the next couple of months but, if nothing else, hopefully 2.3 got us noticed.
WoW Star News:
The last few weeks have also seen Hamchook placing high at DreamHack (Sponsored by Dell), who played with an unfamiliar team and still placed third. I will be making an announcement or two regarding Hamchook in the coming weeks, regarding some appearances he'll be making for different sites.
Speaking of players making appearances, my good friend Agnos (the Warlock from fnatic Insurrection) will be making an appearance on the next PvP Source PodCast, so be sure to check that out.
Speaking From Experience
As I mentioned, I'm back to Arena mode with Lileth and a couple others. In doing these games, I've made a few observations as far as what works for us. It may not help you, but this is what works for our playstyles and our comp.
3v3: Warlock, Hunter, Priest.
I tried a new tri-spec for this comp (as well as the 5's we didn't start yet) of 21/22/18 . Weird, right? Maybe not as much as you might think. The pure outlast of this build (in that it keeps your pet alive, and helps you Revive him,) + Imp Stings, all your favorite Survival Talents, and a pair of peels (Intim and Scatter) make this build very formidable... Just not for Lock/Hun/Pri.
I feel that Utility-Whore Spec (my name for 21/22/18) would be much more effective with a Resto Druid over a Priest, where the healing is stronger and you play more defensively. When you're running a Priest, you really need the extra DPS somewhere, but since you're a drain team, you also need pet survivability, self survivability, and DPS. So where does one turn?
41/0/20. My original spec, and one that I truly missed from when BC first hit. Maybe it's that I'm very at home with BM, but when I respecced, we went on a massive winning streak. Not having to concern yourself with Warriors, Rogues, or Frost Mages in the first seconds of the game helps you get a very healthy lead and, contrary to popular belief, a BM Hunter is not useless after TBW, just less useful than he would be with it.
While it's true that TBW is an amazing oh-crap button (family site, lawl), burning it doesn't gimp you completely. Going full BM gives you great long-term DPS and provides your pet with better mobility with Bestial Swiftness. Obviously, if you're full BM, you're not running a Scorpid. I went with a Ravager for the pure DPS, and let me just say that putting the pressure on someone so much harder with a Ravager keeps them too preoccupied with healing to cleanse themselves 90% of the time. It is WORTH the switch.
We have yet to try this setup with me as full Marks, simply because I truly don't believe we'll need to until the later brackets. Being BM allows me to solo grind while still being very effective in Arenas, which I need right now to buy BT gems and an epic flying mount.
Final Notes
Finally, I'll announce that I've fully transitioned back into playing my Hunter 100%. My Warrior and Mage are on the back-burner, as I simultaneously gear my Paladin while finishing my Hunter's honor gear and Heroics. Once that's settled in, I will gear my Warrior and Paladin as alts through arena and honor gear, and hit 70 on my Mage to do the same with him. Having such a widespread arsenal of classes to play will, hopefully, put me in a strong position if I were to play on a bigger stage, as having multiple "masteries" is a major benefit to any team seeking one more.
One final note, I may be rehosting this blog on GameRiot soon, as I've heard nothing but good things about going there, short of them owning everything I write. I'd like some input from my readers before I make the move, but I will promote the idea that GameRiot can get this blog more recognition than GameRiot right now. Your thoughts? Leave me a comment people.
--- To anyone who's reading me here: If you enjoy reading my blog as an informational blog or otherwise, please help spread the word to any other players you think would benefit from reading my work. ---
'Til next time,
-Treisk.
Now to real content:
2.3.
2.3 didn't look too good on paper, as it definitely appeared that the Hunter class was shafted once again. However, it quickly became evident that things changed dramatically in 2.3, less in class balance and more in appeal.
Allow me to elaborate; in 2.3, every player that kept up with patch notes and PvP decided that Hunters would be brought up to speed in 2.3 by simply reading the notes. Hunters weren't happy with the notes themselves, but almost every Hunter I talked to was happy to hear that their friends' teams wanted to try a Hunter for Season 3. Hunter populations are exponentially higher in Arenas in 2.3, relative to 2.2. While you still don't see a ton of Hunters in Arenas, you can tell by the few there are (more than before) that something really has changed.
The Dead Zone removal (best bug fix ever), and Arcane Shot providing an offensive dispel. Those were the two major changes we received in 2.3 that turned our worlds upside down. Giving Hunters the ability to drop a BOP (or Freedom), an Innervate, a Rejuvenation (gl with Lifebloom though), or any damageshield or Prayer of Mending (or even Presence of Mind, my favorite so far) has extended our arsenal by miles, not yards. While I feel we still need work, this was a major step in the right direction.
In the last two weeks of doing Arenas on my Hunter (popping 2K in 3's in week 1), I've still only fought two Hunter teams at 1700+ (1500 bracket, however, provided us with 6 scrub Hunters in 8 games, while 1600 provided us with 3 in 9), but in 2.2, that number would be zero, so I honestly have no qualms with it overall. It was most definitely a great patch for us, despite what I originally thought, and many other top Hunters believed. I will stand by my prediction that Hunter representation in Arenas will flop a bit once the competition picks up in the next couple of months but, if nothing else, hopefully 2.3 got us noticed.
WoW Star News:
The last few weeks have also seen Hamchook placing high at DreamHack (Sponsored by Dell), who played with an unfamiliar team and still placed third. I will be making an announcement or two regarding Hamchook in the coming weeks, regarding some appearances he'll be making for different sites.
Speaking of players making appearances, my good friend Agnos (the Warlock from fnatic Insurrection) will be making an appearance on the next PvP Source PodCast, so be sure to check that out.
Speaking From Experience
As I mentioned, I'm back to Arena mode with Lileth and a couple others. In doing these games, I've made a few observations as far as what works for us. It may not help you, but this is what works for our playstyles and our comp.
3v3: Warlock, Hunter, Priest.
I tried a new tri-spec for this comp (as well as the 5's we didn't start yet) of 21/22/18 . Weird, right? Maybe not as much as you might think. The pure outlast of this build (in that it keeps your pet alive, and helps you Revive him,) + Imp Stings, all your favorite Survival Talents, and a pair of peels (Intim and Scatter) make this build very formidable... Just not for Lock/Hun/Pri.
I feel that Utility-Whore Spec (my name for 21/22/18) would be much more effective with a Resto Druid over a Priest, where the healing is stronger and you play more defensively. When you're running a Priest, you really need the extra DPS somewhere, but since you're a drain team, you also need pet survivability, self survivability, and DPS. So where does one turn?
41/0/20. My original spec, and one that I truly missed from when BC first hit. Maybe it's that I'm very at home with BM, but when I respecced, we went on a massive winning streak. Not having to concern yourself with Warriors, Rogues, or Frost Mages in the first seconds of the game helps you get a very healthy lead and, contrary to popular belief, a BM Hunter is not useless after TBW, just less useful than he would be with it.
While it's true that TBW is an amazing oh-crap button (family site, lawl), burning it doesn't gimp you completely. Going full BM gives you great long-term DPS and provides your pet with better mobility with Bestial Swiftness. Obviously, if you're full BM, you're not running a Scorpid. I went with a Ravager for the pure DPS, and let me just say that putting the pressure on someone so much harder with a Ravager keeps them too preoccupied with healing to cleanse themselves 90% of the time. It is WORTH the switch.
We have yet to try this setup with me as full Marks, simply because I truly don't believe we'll need to until the later brackets. Being BM allows me to solo grind while still being very effective in Arenas, which I need right now to buy BT gems and an epic flying mount.
Final Notes
Finally, I'll announce that I've fully transitioned back into playing my Hunter 100%. My Warrior and Mage are on the back-burner, as I simultaneously gear my Paladin while finishing my Hunter's honor gear and Heroics. Once that's settled in, I will gear my Warrior and Paladin as alts through arena and honor gear, and hit 70 on my Mage to do the same with him. Having such a widespread arsenal of classes to play will, hopefully, put me in a strong position if I were to play on a bigger stage, as having multiple "masteries" is a major benefit to any team seeking one more.
One final note, I may be rehosting this blog on GameRiot soon, as I've heard nothing but good things about going there, short of them owning everything I write. I'd like some input from my readers before I make the move, but I will promote the idea that GameRiot can get this blog more recognition than GameRiot right now. Your thoughts? Leave me a comment people.
--- To anyone who's reading me here: If you enjoy reading my blog as an informational blog or otherwise, please help spread the word to any other players you think would benefit from reading my work. ---
'Til next time,
-Treisk.
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