Looking Forward: Challenge Mode Instances

[leethaxor]

Basically I just want to open the floor to a little talking about Challenge Mode Instances in MoP. This is basically the main thing I'm looking forward in MoP.

So here are my opening thoughts on it.

1) Pulling Fast
2) Kiting
3) AoE

Basically the longest part of an instance is trash. Most classes can gain several times their normal dps when attacking several mobs at the same time. Therefore the general idea is for the tank to grab a mob, gain aggro on it, and move on to the next pack with the dps barely even hitting the mobs.

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The ideal set up I can see is
Warrior + Priest + Balance Druid + ? Lock + Fire Mage

The reasoning being:
Warrior: Movement cooldowns, War Banner (AoE damage reduction).
Priest: Prevents damage while buffing movement speed, has 2 (can spec 3) tank save abilites, the ability to some level of dps while healing. Also the ability to stack PW:S + SS for large damage prevention while pulling / kiting
Balance Druid: Battle Rez, Spell Haste, Stamp roar (AoE run speed cooldown), DoT class with the ability to AoE while moving
Warlock: I'm not sure on Spec really, strong AoE preferably but I don't know warlocks that well. Demonic Gate Way simply feels to big to pass up (that and party summons within an instance), if back tracking is needed in any instance you will bring a warlock. Also magic damage.
Mage: Invis, blink, and sheep. the ability to get a head of a tank and pre-pull. Also brings heroism affect to the table. Also the DoT based damage in AoE combined with combustion is to large to pass up.

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So what do you think?

[Oint]

Hopefully there won't end up being an easymode cookie cutter group to get all of the gold medals. I think once we get to dive heavily into the talent system, there we will see just how useful every talent is to accomplish the 5 man 'hardmodes'. Every class has some amazing looking talents, but I do agree that it will be a lot of fun pinpointing the fastest route to the end, then combine that with how many trashmobs can you chain at once to properly balance your killing speed with surviving. I'm looking forward to Challenge modes more than the raids, which sound really good anyway.

[Ion]

I crap on casters...and you're overlooking the fact that monks will be absurdly overpowered:

Warrior tank (movement, good AoE, nice group cooldowns)
Priest healer (as you said, dps while healing, absorbs, tank cooldowns, a mana cooldown)

Windwalker monk (mastery + stats buffs)
Frost (or Unholy, perhaps) death knight (good AoE, AP buff, melee/ranged haste buff, physical vulnerability, cast speed debuff)
Hunter (backup AP buff, crit buff, MS debuff, trapping and depending on how things work out good to absurd AoE)

Also has the benefit of DK's and hunters being good at kiting.

EZPZ! And no casters!

[Aggathon]

I think you could go boomkin/mage/lock as the DPS setup, then maybe disc healer or something that could also feasibly DPS here and there?

[Fetzie]

Don't forget the paladin tank, because I am awesome.

[mavfin]

Don't forget you can't overgear one piece or other of the team to make things work better.

i.e. no BiS stuff on the tank or anything. It's all going to be normalized.

[leethaxor]

Don't forget the paladin tank, because I am awesome.

Paladin tanking is interesting, but unless paladin's can literally self heal (or die slow enough) that 4 dps can kill a boss before it kills them. But high up time on long arm of the law would be handy

[Bigbad]

Melee can dps better while moving then casters, I can see a hunter MDing 1 pack to the tank also be very helpful. Some mechanics on bossfights might be way easier to handle as ranged.