Arcane Mage Review of Spellslinger Hero Talents - Death by 1000 Splinters, Yet Passive?

Posted 2024/03/27 at 10:50 PM by Porom

12 new Hero Talent Trees

Hero Talents are an extension of the Talent system designed to explore class fantasy with a third talent tree, separate from your class and specialization. With the release of Alpha, Blizzard has previewed most Hero Talents Trees coming in the next expansion, The War Within.
The War Within Hero Talents Overview

Our Guide Writers have provided initial first impressions on the Hero Talent Trees revealed so far. Check out all of our released Hero Talent reviews in our new Editorial Section.

Wowhead Editorials

Spellslinger Arcane Mage Review

Developer's Note: Spellslinger Splinters are themed and tuned based on your active Specialization. Arcane's Splinters are named Arcane Splinters and deal moderate Arcane school damage. Frost's Splinters are named Frost Splinters and deal light Frost school damage. Those specifics have been omitted from this mockup for the sake of tooltip readability, as both specs' Splinters serve the same purpose.

First ImpressionsNether PrecisionArcane OrbClearcastingNether PrecisionArcane OrbSpellslinger Mages are prodigies of spellcasting that have learned to splinter their sorceries, creating powerful and volatile new effects.Spellslingers can conjure and manipulate these splinters with prowess, allowing them to devastate the battlefield with rapid barrages of razor-sharp crystals.Splinters, Splinterstorm, and You!ClearcastingNether PrecisionArcane SurgeShifting PowerClearcastingClearcastingNether PrecisionArcane OrbArcane OrbNether PrecisionArcane OrbOrb BarrageOrb BarrageClearcastingConcentrated PowerReverberateOrb BarrageArcane OrbOrb BarrageShifting PowerArcane OrbArcane BarrageArcane ChargeArcane OrbOrb BarrageOrb BarrageControlled InstinctsNether TempestNether TempestArcane EchoNether TempestClearcastingNether TempestForce of What?Choice NodesIce NovaSupernovaSupernovaSupernovaMirror ImageReflectionSupernovaPassive HeroClearcastingNether TempestNether TempestClearcastingConclusionSplinterSplintersAugury AboundsControlled InstinctsSplintering OrbsSlippery SlingingLook AgainReactive BarrierPhantasmal ImageVolatile MagicUnerring ProficiencyShifting ShardsForce of WillSplinterstorm

Comment by FitzbanNeedler go brrrrComment by PeithI don’t understand why so many people want hero talents to impact gameplay and rotation? I thought the entire point of hero talents was just to add some thematic flavor/aesthetic…and NOT cause any big changes to gameplay?

It seems very:

Blizz: we’re adding hero talents to augment class lore and add some thematic depth, they won’t do anything big

Many Players after reading the talents: but we expected more and want it to impact our gameplayComment by lovelywazEvery time I think of playing on my Arcane Mage alt and I go to the spec guide here, very specifically "rotation" part... https://www.wowhead.com/guide/classes/mage/arcane/rotation-cooldowns-pve-dps

I see upto 32 steps in that rotation guide page and I am like, NOPE! Lets just sit in the town and keep crafting Phials and Pots for my other alts. 😵Comment by AlkbuttsI don’t understand why so many people want hero talents to impact gameplay and rotation? I thought the entire point of hero talents was just to add some thematic flavor/aesthetic…and NOT cause any big changes to gameplay?

It seems very:

Blizz: we’re adding hero talents to augment class lore and add some thematic depth, they won’t do anything big

Many Players after reading the talents: but we expected more and want it to impact our gameplayComment by MousemytchI don’t understand why so many people want hero talents to impact gameplay and rotation? I thought the entire point of hero talents was just to add some thematic flavor/aesthetic…and NOT cause any big changes to gameplay?

It seems very:

Blizz: we’re adding hero talents to augment class lore and add some thematic depth, they won’t do anything big

Many Players after reading the talents: but we expected more and want it to impact our gameplayComment by evgen1990I personally don't mind it being passive. The only thing I hope for this is to actually look cool. I think animations on splinters and splinterstorm are what is going to make or break this spec (outside the numbers of course).

I do however understand people who want more active iterations with it and making splinterstorm an active ability, like a finisher, would be a step in the right direction.

Also, is it just me or does "splinters" just sound weird ? Idk, throwing splinters on my foes just doesn't sound very heroic to me :D Maybe go for something like "bullets" ? :)

Anyways, can't wait to try it on the beta :-)Comment by ChaosMonkeyI am 100% okay with Mages not having to press more buttons and I agree that trading nether tempest for splinterstorm would be great.Comment by DayzeroDoesen’t Splintering Orbs state that each hit of Arcane orb conjures a splinter on every Target up to 8 times per target? I think the writer‘s interpretation is wrong or am i missreading?

If we take 8 targets for example, this would mean there is a Splinter Storm every Orb-cast, 8-times in a row.
This would be a lot of burst and funnel-dmg.Comment by Makz428 talents which can be summarized in being just an extra line in Details. This is something that could have fit in a patch. Would rather see the class/spec talents be addressed - there is still stuff that has not been picked for YEARS, yet it reappears constantly...Comment by DarlikFor me the important thing will be the animations. If these magic splinters don't have any animation, and are simply observed in a buff or debuff slot, I will be disappointed.

On the other hand, if I see that these splinters look like dozens of needles shooting towards the enemy, it will be incredible.Comment by Moiraleythe recent years brought me to the conclusion : It can be awesome damagewise, if it does not look good (or at all) i just don't care. We have that a lot with tier sets lately, so i a m really hoping for hero talents to fill the "looks cool as f***" gap.
or they could be the systematic side and tier set effects get better. Remember in WoD when your tier set bonus as arcane was summoning heroes of the past to fight alongside you? These were even voiced!
So yes i really hope theses splinters are as big as icicles for frost mages and turn my foe into Emmental cheese :)Comment by FasxDoesen’t Splintering Orbs state that each hit of Arcane orb conjures a splinter on every Target up to 8 times per target? I think the writer‘s interpretation is wrong or am i missreading?

If we take 8 targets for example, this would mean there is a Splinter Storm every Orb-cast, 8-times in a row.
This would be a lot of burst and funnel-dmg.Comment by FasxI am excited to try it out 🤩. I think it will be more interactive than what is written here.Comment by MaruhI don’t understand why so many people want hero talents to impact gameplay and rotation? I thought the entire point of hero talents was just to add some thematic flavor/aesthetic…and NOT cause any big changes to gameplay?

It seems very:

Blizz: we’re adding hero talents to augment class lore and add some thematic depth, they won’t do anything big

Many Players after reading the talents: but we expected more and want it to impact our gameplayComment by GreckivDoesen’t Splintering Orbs state that each hit of Arcane orb conjures a splinter on every Target up to 8 times per target? I think the writer‘s interpretation is wrong or am i missreading?

If we take 8 targets for example, this would mean there is a Splinter Storm every Orb-cast, 8-times in a row.
This would be a lot of burst and funnel-dmg.Comment by ElmehdiI think it's good that we have a full passive hero talent. Every spec should have an original HT and a passive HT. Why should that be? To allow us to keep the old gameplay and just have visual additions and more fantasy, and I think that's one of the clearly stated aims of this new system, something that the current Spellslinger does very well (which I'll rename to "Summoner" though).

I hope that Sunfury will be the original HT for the Arcane and that it will bring new spells.Comment by rebsten@Porom post benchComment by phelos1Passives = Good
More passives please!
Im so overwhelmed with buttons now, I cant keep up.
Im getting too old for this &*!@Comment by FasxDoesen’t Splintering Orbs state that each hit of Arcane orb conjures a splinter on every Target up to 8 times per target? I think the writer‘s interpretation is wrong or am i missreading?

If we take 8 targets for example, this would mean there is a Splinter Storm every Orb-cast, 8-times in a row.
This would be a lot of burst and funnel-dmg.Comment by Alandris171. Hero Talents shouldn't revamp gameplay. If you have that expectation, sorry.

2. Splintering Orbs procs PER ENEMY, so an orb hitting 8 enemies would get a splinter on each of them

3. Force of Will is just so they can tune it easily.