TheissuewithartifactsandnoweapondropsinLegionForeword:IamnotcallingBlizzardlazy,Imjustthinkingthatwhattheyaredoingisabadideaintheshortandlongrun.1.Introduction2.WeaponvarietyWoDvsLegion(notcountingrecolors)3.Examples4.Theshorttermwinners(druids)5.AfterLegion(wheretherealproblemsstart)6.Solutions1.IntroductionAsweallknowwithLegioneveryspecwillgetanartifactweaponthatourcharacterswillcarrythroughthewholeexpansion.Suchasystemmakesweapondropsasupgradesobsolete,whichissomethingthatIpersonallyamnotgoingtomissasyouwillstillgetitemstoupgradeyourartifactinasimilarwayweapondropswould.Theproblemarethe"tremendousvariations"inLegion,whichasofnowarethequitelow5"sameish"weaponmodelsperspec.Theartifactscanbetransmoggedtolooklikesomethingelsebutnottheotherwayaround. 2.WeaponvarietyWoDvsLegion(notcountingrecolors)Totals:180artifactsvs217weapons+41offhands(shields+offhandstatsticks,separatebecausesomeartifactswillprobablyincludeoffhands/shields)Ialsodidnotincludechallengemodeitems,andthingslikeadmiralTaylorsgreatswordThenumberofWoDweaponspertypewillbeattheendofthispart.NowisthepointwhereIsaythattheyarenotlazy.WhileWoDhasmoreweaponmodelstheaverageeffortputintoaWoDweaponmodelisprobablysmallerthantheaverageeffortputintoaartifactweaponmodel.ThebiggestdifferencerightnowisthatwhilethenumberofdifferentweaponsissimmilarenoughinwarlordswecanstilluseamageswordtransmogforaDK,usearoguedaggeronawarlockorusetheblackhandonarestoshaman(althoughitisabitsilly).Numberofweaponspertypegroupedby"transmoggroup"(canbemoggedintoeachother)inWoD.Onehandedweapons:59Axes:16Maces:23Swords:20Daggers:23FistWeapons:11Twohandedweapons:85Axes:11Maces:13Swords:12Polearms:11Staves:38Ranged:27Bows:9Crossbows:8Guns:10Wands:12Offhands:18Shields:233.ExamplesIwillbepresenting3quickexamples(warrior,mage/warlock,hunter)andonemorethorough(retpaladinBIStransmogoptions)example.Whileofcoursewehavetheoptionofusingoldweaponmodelsfrompreviousexpansionsthepointofthisishowmanynewoptionsweareofferedwitheachexpansion.OptionsinLegion:5perspec15totalperclassforallclasses(exceptdruids)WarriorThewarriorisabitofanextremeexampleasitistheclassthathasmosttolosewiththenewsystemasithasthehighestamountofusableweapontypes.ForthisexampleIwon'tbecountingthesenselessoptionsofhavingdaggersorfistweapons.OptionsinWoD:47Onehandedweapons(4pertypetocompensateforpeskypvpvendorsnotsellingsometoeveryclass,4seemslikeasafenumber,willbeusingthesameformostotherexamples)65TwoHandedweapons19ShieldsMages/WarlocksTheyareabitofanintermediateexampleandtheyshareusableweapontypes.OptionsinWoD:16Onehandedswords19Daggers12wands(onlycasterweaponssono4)34Staves18offhands(sameaswithwands)HuntersUsethefewestweapontypesalthoughthereistheoptiontousemeleeweaponsIamonlygoingtocovertheusefuloptions.(alsono4)OptionsinWoD:9Bows8crossbows12Guns27totaluseableinallspecs RetributionPaladinBISexampleLetssaythatatwohandedmaceisthecurrentBISforthatspec(IdontplayonesoIdontknowifitreallyis)Apaladincanequipthefollowingtwohandedweapontypes:Axes,Maces,Swordsandpolearms.Soifthatpaladinistiredofhisorherweaponlookinthisexpansionheorshehas35(473x4)choicesintowhattotransmogit.Legionoffersonly5choices.4.Theshorttermwinners(druids)Whilebeinginthesamesituationwiththeotherclasseswhenitcomestotheclassicaltransmogdruidswillfinallyhaveoptionswhereitmattersforthem.Theywillhavetheoptiontochangetheirformswithdifferentmodelsandcolors(beforeonlythebasemodelscolorchangedwithhaircolor).Fordruidsthenewsystemreallyoffersmorevariety.5.AfterLegion(wheretherealproblemsstart)Asmentionedintheintroductionartifactscanbetransmoggedtolooklikeotherweapons,butnottheotherwayaround.SobeginningwiththeexpansionafterLegion,allthenewweaponmodelscreatedforitwillbeuselessexceptforstandingaroundinacitywiththem.Youcanttakeyourfavouritemodelwithyouinaraidornewdungeonorwhilequestinginthenewcontent(nearandatlevelcap)withoutcripplingyourself.Alsowhatwillhappenwiththenewawesomedruidformswilltheyalsobegone?willtheygobacktolookingthesame?IthinktheywillmakesomenewformsbutstilltheLegiononeswillprobablybeasgoodaslost.WhileatthesametimeWoDweaponmodelswillstillbeuseable.6.SolutionsWhilethenumberofdifferentartifactsisquitehighIamsurethatthosearenottheonlyweaponscreatedforLegion.Ican'treallyimagineeverynpcrunningaroundwithanartifact.Thereareprobablyalotofdifferentweaponsusedbyouralliesandenemies.Sowhynothavethematvendorswithorwithoutrep,asadropoutintheworldorfrombosses(asadropseparatefromthenormalloot)withlowornostats.Outrighttotallyrelaxingthetransmogrestrictionwouldprobablybeabadthing,buthowaboutreleasingthenonbaseartifactskinsfortransmogtothosewhoearnedthemduringLegion.