viewtopic.php?f=76&t=43032&p=458152#p458152
I'll try and be to the point., and the values expressed are of course not meant to be exact.
The class has seen it's share of changes recently. Yet, when looking at the most recent swap of pounce and echoing roar, I can't, from a design standpoint, disagree with the Utility ability (pounce) being in the utility tree of Guardian. Like wise the AOE ability (echoing roar) being in...get this...the AOE tree.
These things aside, the WL still seems to me to have an identity crisis atm.
My thoughts: Most of the WL strats fit into two camps. Keep the Pet around as a tactic buff, and endure the inconvenience of it dying/despawning/etc, or don't bother with it, and slot loner. In the past slotting loner meant grabbing pounce, though that may have changed now. Either way Loner tactic is at the heart of this classes identity issues.
Issues/suggestions
1. Echoing roar is now in the AOE (Hunter) tree. The tree where ppl are putting out as much dps on as many targets as possible, i.e. SC's, Forts, Keep defense, the places where the pet isn't useful, yet it was designed as a pet and player ability.
Suggestion: Fuse Echoing Roar with Leonine Frenzy ability (pet only aspect, remove the player side of it), balance the dmg outputs as needed, but integrate the dot/interupt effects into that ability (and the cool roar sound fx). New ability in Hunter path in it's place>>Heel chop<< AOE snare cleave (up to 3 targets) slowing by 25%.
This to me consolidates the Hunter tree much better, and puts WL on CC par with Mara's knockdown. Snare/clean up with AOE attacks, perfect.
2. Tactic Full Grown is a modest player buff, and a significant pet buff, yet it's in the single target dps tree (Axeman). This tactic fits the Guardian path description to a T. Move this tactic to the first slot of Guardian replacing the PVE one. Now in its place put Loner tactic in Hunter tree, but strip it back to it's vanilla form (You gain 25% more damage, but can no longer summon a pet). Then remove the crit block on pounce.
3. Change Hack to (Heavy Swings) a toggle ability that give 10% damage bonus, but adds 15% to build up times, offsetting the now not so free Loner tactic.