The great George Orwell once wrote that “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” If it weren’t for the fact that he died before Blizzard even existed, and that he would have despised the very idea of WoW, he could well have been writing about warriors.

I like to see a half-full cup when it comes to balance. It’s difficult with a game like WoW, but not impossible, so Orwell’s quote sums up the warrior perfectly for me: some classes think they’re too strong, other classes have /point/laugh macros just for warriors. A skilled player in any class has some chance of beating them.

My theory is this: Blizzard balances the game around warriors. Since the release of Burning Crusade, warriors (at least, MS warriors – this is an esports site after all) have been the most untouched class in terms of tweaks and fixes. A couple of talent swaps between fury and arms didn’t really change much, and warrior/healer teams have been on top of the 2v2 food chain since day one.

Individually, warriors have never been a particularly good duelling class; They need a healer’s support to do their best work. But everyone knows that by now, and warriors are the kings of group PvP. Even so, they are far from unbeatable…

Druid

Everyone hates druids. I wouldn’t be surprised if they hated themselves, like some kind of emo kid that cuts himself every time he casts cyclone of travel form. Warriors, if they’re on the opposing team, hate them more than most. While rogues simply dislike them, at least a well timed kidney shot or cloak of shadows can keep them in the fight. Warriors just get their trinket and, if they have the reactions, spell reflect. You will see as we go through this list that warriors worst match-ups are against good kiting classes, and between cyclone and roots, druids are one of the best.

Hunter

Another class with a lot of control. When I played arena seriously, I played with a warrior/druid combo and hunter/druid probably gave us 90% of our losses. In an arena environment, they dominate warrior/druid like some kind of S&M involving frost traps and scorpions. In solo play, this is one of the most even battles. A lucky wingclip or hamstring proc can be the difference but if the warrior can stay close to the hunter the former has a huge advantage.

Mage

Pre-Burning Crusade, the Mage was without a doubt the most painful opponent for a warrior. As much as I like to look for balance in a game, this match-up was extremely lopsided and a warrior could plausibly go through a fight without so much as touching the mage, save for intercept. Nowadays, with spell reflect and second wind, things are a little different, but it’s still an up-hill struggle. In arenas, with the right setup, a warrior has the upper hand. With blessing of freedom and dispel support, a warrior can force a mage to do almost nothing but run away. Still, like the hunter, it’s all about whether or not you can get close enough to deal damage.

Paladin

This match-up is very circumstantial. If a retribution paladin is duelling a warrior and knows what he’s doing, the warrior stands almost no chance. It’s basically a battle of heavy-hitting melee classes where one of them can heal – that pretty much says it all. In arenas, though, the tables are turned. With mana wars being oh-so important in competitive play, the ‘retridin’ struggles painfully – a problem the rage-fuelled warrior obviously doesn’t suffer. Even the typical holy paladin struggles to contain a warrior; healing through mortal strike, your only CC giving him health back. Throw a few sunders into the deal and suddenly that plate armor isn’t looking safe.


Priest

Holy/disc priests have gained a lot of durability over the course of the past 18 months, but they are still at a disadvantage against melee classes. With mortal strike and pummel, healing is incredibly difficult and the priest relies heavily on his team-mates to keep the warrior away from him. The shadow priest, though, is much more similar to the warlock, except they have a bubble and reduced physical damage. This is really a 50/50 matchup, and in arenas it really depends more on the team-mates of both players. Warlock/priest in particular is a very nasty combination for warrior/druid.

Rogue

If the mage is a warrior’s anti-class, the rogue is here to soak up the tears. These squishy little fury warriors in leather have always been on the wrong end of this match-up and though BC evened the score a little, cheat death is really just delaying the inevitable. Rogues can pull through with an immaculate bleed kite, but it’s difficult – immaculate is definitely the correct word. One mistake against a warrior and you’re finished. They don’t call it ‘overpower’ for nothing, you know.

Shaman

Much like the paladin, warrior vs shaman depends a lot on the situation. If a warrior rushes into a resto shaman’s totem fortress, he is – for want of a better term – fucked. Very often in arenas, the warrior’s best chance is to completely ignore the shaman. However, an enhancement shaman is a different prospect all together. He can’t just sit in his totems healing his team-mate, because it isn’t what they’re designed for. Again, like the paladin, small mana pools can be very problematic and while stormstrike/windfury can take down a caster in seconds, it’s not so easy when you’re hitting plate with a healer. Overall, this is one of the most balance matches in WoW but I hasten to add that this is my opinion only.

Warlock

The second most hated class in the game, dethroned in BC by druids. With warriors all but immune to fear, this is a pretty favourable match-up but warlocks aren’t as squishy as your typical cloth-wearer. Usually playing with a druid, soul-link and siphon life make them very durable. In a one-on-one situation, though the warrior does have the advantage, he is always fighting the clock. The warlocks DoT’s will eventually kill you if he can outlast you and deathcoil will help him get away for a few seconds at least.

The Zechs Files returns next Tuesday. Be there or be a four-sided equilateral shape.