The Warleader: Moar Shoutz 'n Healz!
The Warleader updates with Rise of Isengard have changed the capabilities of the Warleader class. In my opinion, the Warleader is now a heavy armor tanking healer. I think it most resembles the Captain class on freepside.
The Warleader updates with Rise of Isengard have changed the capabilities of the Warleader class. In my opinion, the Warleader is now a heavy armor tanking healer. I think it most resembles the Captain class on freepside.
Stances
To understand their roles, first something about the two stances:At rank 6, warleaders get two stances: Commander's Stance, which optimizes healing (+15% healing, -25% healing skill inductions, -10% threat) and Brawler's Stance, which optimizes damage and tanking (+15% damage, -25% melee skill cool down, -50% shout/black speech skill cool cooldown, plus the group heal "Quit whining and Fight!" can be cast while running (-40% healing output)). There is no longer a penalty of not being able to cast bubbles and healing output of other healing skills is no longer affected in Brawler's Stance.
Healing
Foremost, the Warleader is a healer. The type of heals are spike group heals (3 skills) and single-target heals (1 skill).
Healing Skills
- Crack the Whip - single target heal (+1500 morale in Commander's Stance)
- Quit whining and Fight! - group heal (max 6) (+2000 morale in Commander's Stance)
- Get a Grip! - Uruk racial healing skill, available at R9, but also available in the store at lower ranks; +3500-5200 morale group heal (max 6 targets), cool down 3 minutes and castable on the run. Best lifesaver there is (and I know even all old-time creeps could not resist buying this skill from the store - they really should give it at R6 or R7).
- Quitters never Win - R9 Warleader major group heal (max 6 targets), + 3500-5200 morale in Commander's Stance. Cooldown 10 minutes, the class trait "Enhanced Quitters never Win" reduces this to 5 minutes. Long induction, only castable while standing still. Get a Grip is way more potent than this skill, but it can be a life saver as well.
What to do to optimize healing?
- Heal in Commander's Stance (+15% healing output)
- trait the class trait "Harsh Language" (+25% healing output)
- trait the new class trait "Power of Fear" - which gives you a purple aura, and 0-induction for your next heal (great for saving everyone's arse with "Quitters never Win").
- If you trait 3 x mastery boost corruptions (3 x +900 Tactical mastery Rating), your healing output is increased by another 9%
Other ways to save your fellow creeps:
- Field Promotion or the "bubble": casts a black bubble around your target, absorbing 90% of all damage. The class trait "Enhanced Skill: Field Promotion" is a must and extends the duration of the bubble to 15 seconds. Cast your bubbles early (for charging reavers when they are at 60% of their morale, since it takes about one second before it becomes active. Save lives by casting: Bubble - Get a Grip - Call the Shadow (for guaranteed shout crit) - Black Speech (which crits and gets you a 0-induction on the next heal) - Quitters never Win. This adds about 8k of morale within 10 seconds.
Make sure you make a macro so you can tell your raid who you are bubbling (to avoid double bubbles): e.g. /shortcut 22 /ra Bubbling (( ;target ))
- On Your Feet is a 20 mtr AoE rez (max 5 targets) that can be cast on the run. Equip the class trait "Enhanced Skill: On your Feet" to reduce the cool down to 6 minutes, and to increase morale and power of the rezzed targets by 35%. Make sure you also have a macro for this skill, to avoid 2 WLs popping a rez at the same time: e.g. /shortcut 24 /ra *WL rezzing* On your feet, Maggots!
Tanking and damage
Since the RoI update, damage output and tanking has gotten more attention by the devs. A key thing is to go for DPS/tanking in Brawler's Stance.
Warleaders can take some pounding. I usually trait both shield mastery and avoidance boost class skills to get +2100 block and +600 parry and evade rating. Brawler's stance enables you to heal you and your group while moving (with Brawler: Quit whining and Fight! + 750-1000 morale (max 6 targets) every 10 seconds), which increases your survivability while taking hits.
Tanking
Ofcourse, freeps cannot be tanked (there is no such thing as getting their aggro), but they can be triggered to attack you and not that squishy spider charging alongside you. You can take some pounding. Charge in, head first, and have your heals ready.
NPCs can be tanked, especially captain-generals in keeps. If you are in Brawler's Stance, and use your aggro skills wisely, there is no way any other class can steal you aggro anymore.
There are two main aggro grabbing skills: Fracture and Intimidating Shout. Spam those, pop a heal, and you'll have aggro.
I like to trait the class trait "Lead the Charge" which enables in-combat banners with 0-induction. This is great to weaken your enemy with Banner of Terror (-325 Will and Might) and your Command Post Banner (R7, giving +3% damage output, -1% damage received, +120 ICMR and ICPR). I always cast command post behind me when I find a good tanking corner.
Damage
Since RoI, our damage output has been increased. Key thing is to go for Brawler's Stance while going for 1 vs 1. This reduces your cooldowns for your shouts by 50%. Furthermore, your Call the Shadow debuff guarantees a crit of the next Black Speech (shout) skill you land on that target.
Skills:
A) Shouts
- Black Speech (20 mtr single target) 760 damage, crits/devs up to 1800 (with Call the Shadow).
- Intimidating Shout (20 mtr single target) - 560 damage, crits/devs up to 1500 (with Call the Shadow). Upon crit: -40% run speed for 10 seconds.
- Menacing Roar (5 mtr AoE shout (4 targets) - 530 damage, crits/devs up to 1100 (with Call the Shadow), -338 tactical mitigation for 30 seconds to every target.
B) Melee
- Cleave (440 damage with Aura of Command)
- Fracture (560 damage with Aura of Command), increases aggro, interrupts inductions and dismounts freeps.
Ways to increase your damage output:
- Use Brawler's Stance (+15% damage)
- Use your Command Post
- Use Aura of Command (+25% melee damage, -10% attack duration)
- trait the corruption trait Damage for Power R2 (+5% damage, -5% power)
- trait 3 x +900 Mastery Boost corruptions (+10% physical melee attack damage, +10% tactical damage)
- buy the Destiny Points perk "Veteran Strength" (+5% damage)
Traits/builds
The way to trait your warleader is highly personal. Below is an example an example of how I currently trait my Warleader and why:
1) Corruptions:
- Health for Damage (R2) and Health for Power (R2) - gives you +20% more morale
- Damage for Power (R2) - gives you +5% damage
The net result is +20% morale, -10% power, +2.5% damage
- Mastery Boost 1,2 and 5. These give +9% healing and increases your offense ratings by +10% for physical and +10% for tactical attacks.
The protection corruptions (crit protection, physical/tactical mitigation) only add a few percent extra evade chance for avoiding those attacks.
2) Class traits
- Enhanced skills "On Your Feet" and "Field promotion": longer bubble and more morale when popping your in-combat rez.
- Harsh Language (+25% healing)
- Power of fear (0-induction for heals when critting black speech skills)
The following 3 are personal favorites, no doubt other WLs have different ones:
- Lead the Charge (in combat banners without induction) - allows you to cast/move banners as the fight moves to a new spot.
- Shield Mastery and Avoidance Boost - since I do not trait crit protection/mitigation corruptions, I optimize my evades by these traits.
3) Racial Traits
- New Breed (R5): this is what makes the Uruk strong
- Imposing Presence (R6): +10% morale and Power
- Get a Grip (R9): Best group heal there is
- Leader of the Orcs (R7): +300 tactical and physical mastery rating
next best is probably
- Tireless Warrior (R11): + 300 ICMR/ICPR
Summary
In summary, the Warleader is a heavy armor, high HP healer. You can do decent damage if you tweak your traits and when fighting NPCs, the Warleader is the best tank in the field.
