We break down all the explanations you need to contemplate taking part in Windwalker Monk in Dragonflight and even throw in a number of causes of why you may not. From new abilities you will pickup on the best way to stage 70 to the distinctive Dragonflight utility that may make you an asset to your allies, be part of us as we discover Dragonflight Windwalker Monk!
Why You Ought to Play a Spec in Dragonflight (and Why You Should not) Collection
Blood DKUnholy DK
Havoc DH
Steadiness DruidRestoration Druid
Devastation Evoker
Marksmanship HunterSurvival Hunter
Fireplace Mage
Mistweaver Monk
Safety PaladinRetribution Paladin
Self-discipline PriestShadow Priest
Assassination Rogue
Elemental ShamanEnhancement Shaman
Demonology Warlock
Safety Warrior
In regards to the Writer
This information is written and maintained by Babylonius; former moderator on MMO-Champion; present proprietor and administrator of the PeakofSerenity Monk class discord; founder and Windwalker writer of the Monk Class website, PeakofSerenity.com and those who got here earlier than it; Guild Grasp and Midweek Raider in Occasional Excellence on US-Space 52; Windwalker predominant since early Mists of Pandaria, information author/theorycrafter/trainer for nearly that complete time.
Why You Ought to Play Windwalker Monk in Dragonflight (and Why You Should not)
Windwalker Monk has lengthy been a spec that has had a fiercely loyal and passionate, albeit small, group of gamers and neighborhood. It has seen many ups and downs, and ups and downs, and ups and downs. Nonetheless, Shadowlands was general a really sturdy growth for Windwalker. It was one of many high specs in Mythic+ and PvP for almost all of the growth, and powerful pressure for ST and AOE injury in Citadel Nathria, and AOE injury in Sanctum of Domination and Sepulcher of the First Ones. Single Goal injury has lengthy been a battle for the spec, however given how sturdy it’s in all different points of the sport, it appears to be a worthwhile change for many.
Windwalker has all the time been a spec that you just play since you find it irresistible, with many people weathering some very troublesome storms previously. Nonetheless, the distinctive gameplay, excessive mobility, and distinctive neighborhood have saved many taking part in by means of the highs and the lows. Listed below are some extra the explanation why you need to play Windwalker, and possibly a number of causes you should not.
Why You Ought to Play Windwalker Monk in Dragonflight
Stage 70 Expertise Factors for Windwalker Monk
The extra expertise factors that we’ll get from leveling as much as 70 give Windwalker fairly a number of further choices and instruments to mess around with.
When wanting on the class tree, the additional factors enable Windwalkers to take the extra utility abilities like Beneficiant Pour, Near Coronary heart, or Windwalking in no matter mixture you’re feeling will assist your group one of the best. It additionally turns into simpler to expertise into all the defensive abilities like Diffuse Magic, Dampen Hurt, Fortifying Brew, and Bounce Again. Or, you possibly can spend it on rising your Expel Hurt injury and therapeutic by means of Energy of Spirit, Profound Rebuttal, or different abilities. Lastly, and most significantly, it makes it even simpler to maintain at the very least one level in Escape from Actuality, which is one thing that everybody (together with myself) ought to work laborious to study to make use of as a result of it has insane potential in almost all conditions.
The Windwalker spec tree additionally will get just a little bit extra stuffed out with extra factors. As a substitute of getting to concentrate on the precise “builds” which have popped up in the course of the Pre-Patch, you could have the flexibleness to combine and match much more. Need to watch the targets round you explode? Its a lot simpler to get Deadly Flying Guillotine. Need them to blow up however really feel like you could have issues to do when Contact of Dying is on cooldown? Seize a few of the different AOE abilities like Bonedust Brew. The Windwalker tree could be very “combine and match” already, and with extra factors to spend, it should really feel much less like gamers should “specialize”. Many abilities are sturdy in their very own methods, and lots of builds will pop up as time goes on, with some edging out others wanting purely at DPS, however many will probably be shut sufficient that you can play in no matter approach you need with out feeling such as you’re lacking out. Its hell for the theorycrafters and information writers, to have so many choices, however its nice for the gamers.
Windwalker Monk Utility in Dragonflight
Windwalkers have all the time lacked an “identification” with regards to utility, with almost all the instruments that Windwalkers have that qualify as “utility” falling into all three specs of the Monk class. In Dragonflight that does not actually change. Nonetheless, the variety of methods you possibly can assist your group has elevated significantly. Listed below are a few of the methods you possibly can assist your group:
- Taunt targets away from allies with Provoke.
- Revive allies (exterior of fight) with Resuscitate.
- Stun targets round you with Leg Sweep.
- Velocity up your self or allies and free them from snares and roots with Tiger’s Lust.
- Gradual targets making an attempt to get away with Disable.
- Take away Poisons or Illnesses from your self or allies with Detox.
- CC targets for one minute with Paralysis.
- Interrupts casts with Spear Hand Strike.
- Knockback enemies or create a short lived space denial with Ring of Peace.
- Improve therapeutic taken by your self and allies round you with Near Coronary heart.
- Pop out and in of an space with Escape from Actuality, permitting you to execute mechanics in ways in which others can not.
- Improve the motion pace of your self and others round you with Windwalking. Sooner toes *ought to* imply much less standing in fireplace.
- Improve avoidance of your self and allies round you with Beneficiant Pour, thus reducing injury they take.
- Throw down a statue to assist management wayward provides when wanted with Summon Black Ox Statue.
- Velocity up a goal that is taunted with Hasty Provocation, permitting you to Transcendence out of an space and reset many fights, saving time and wipes.
As you possibly can see, Monks as a complete, and thus Windwalkers, have a big number of instruments for a big number of conditions, decide what you want and depart the remainder. If you cannot discover a use for a lot of of those, then you definately’re not making an attempt laborious sufficient.
AOE Injury
If like taking part in Mythic+ or seeing your title excessive on injury meters in AOE packs then this can be the spec for you. For years Windwalker has struggled in single goal whereas being at, or close to, the highest of the charts in AOE. When a struggle requires AOE injury corresponding to most of Mythic+ or a struggle like Soulrender Dormazain, there are few lessons which might be constantly as sturdy as Windwalkers are. There’s not a lot to be mentioned about it apart from it has been sturdy most of the time. The Mark of the Crane mechanic was once extra of a barrier to excessive injury, nevertheless it has gotten considerably simpler to the place its almost automated.
Distinctive Gameplay
Many specs within the recreation have distinctive mechanics, however solely Windwalker has a Mastery that rewards you for various your spell utilization. It’s so iconic that Blizzard has tossed it into the sport sporadically, corresponding to with the Mechagon ring, Logic Loop of Recursion. That set off is not simple for some lessons, however for Windwalkers its automated. The playstyle of not repeating skills takes some getting used to whenever you first decide up the spec, and its a tough behavior to interrupt whenever you attempt to play different lessons, however it’s what units Windwalkers aside from the others, and that’s vital.
Windwalkers are additionally comparatively distinctive in that we’ve got two sources AND a considerable amount of skills with cooldowns to handle. Windwalker isn’t a spec that simply spams X capability till Y occurs, or “dumps” the whole lot with Z. The Windwalker precedence and execution takes planning, forethought, and finesse, no spamming the identical button time and again. This makes Windwalker one of many tougher specs to choose up and grasp, nevertheless it additionally makes it distinctive and enjoyable if you happen to get pleasure from it.
Class/Spec Group
Whereas this will likely appear considerably self-congratulatory, I really imagine that one of many greatest purpose to play Windwalker, or any Monk, is the Monk class neighborhood. Due to the character and historical past of Windwalker, Brewmaster, and Mistweaver, the Monk neighborhood is smaller than most class communities and tends to be extra close-knit than some others. Many long-time Monk gamers have continued to be part of the neighborhood for years and caught collectively as every spec’s had its ups and downs, and ups and downs, and ups and downs. We have been one of many first-class communities to transition to our Discord, Peak of Serenity, and whereas we caught some flak for our formatting and guidelines over time, many different class discords have slowly emulated how we have been doing issues.
The Monk neighborhood can be considerably distinctive in that we’ve got a constant Podcast with over 130 episodes and the web site, PeakofSerenity.com, the place we attempt to concentrate on every spec with guides, articles, in-depth evaluation of spells, mechanics, and simply typically something we expect will assist the bigger neighborhood.
There is a purpose that many people have been carrying our customized PeakofSerenity shirts on the final in-person Blizzcon; if you happen to play Monk, its since you find it irresistible and the neighborhood.
Why You Should not Play Windwalker Monk in Dragonflight
Notion and Historical past
Anybody who’s been round for so long as I’ve has seen how troublesome it may be to be a Windwalker generally. For a few years Windwalkers had a really unfavorable neighborhood notion, even occasions when it was comparatively highly effective. Lately that notion has improved, however there are numerous conditions (corresponding to in raid) have been some nonetheless imagine that taking part in a Windwalker is throwing away a raid spot as a result of X streamer or Y meme advised them so.
There are numerous issues that get tossed round as to why Windwalker is a spec that you just should not play, whether or not its the, typically, decrease APM that results in a sense of “downtime”, traditionally weak single goal injury, its connection to Kung Fu Panda (which needs to be a purpose to play it, not a purpose to not, persons are bizarre), or the boogeyman buzzword of “scaling”. Anybody who’s performed the spec for any period of time has possible heard some or all of those as causes they should not play it, even when its been years since a few of these mattered ( you…scaling). For some purpose, many individuals are fast to sentence the spec for previous points even within the face of present strengths.
Traditionally, Windwalker has been on the weaker aspect in raids, spending lengthy swathes of time under common. Mythic+ has virtually all the time been Windwalker’s refuge of power, however for many individuals that is not sufficient or is not the content material they wish to concentrate on. For these individuals who choose to concentrate on raid or single goal injury (like myself), Windwalker might not all the time be the spec that may scratch that single goal itch.
For a very long time, Windwalker was thought of (rightfully so) a buggy mess. Blizzard slapped bandaid on high of bandaid to the purpose that issues have been extra more likely to be damaged than not. Storm, Earth, and Fireplace has lengthy been on the middle of this downside. This obtained considerably higher in Shadowlands, however the notion of the spec as being riddled with bugs lingers nonetheless. There are nonetheless bugs, as there are in all specs, however when different specs, Windwalker aren’t on the high of the checklist for bugs anymore.
Relative Issue
I talked above in regards to the gameplay that makes Windwalker distinctive. Nonetheless, the double sources and skills with cooldowns will be very troublesome for brand new gamers to handle. Windwalker additionally has extra rotational skills and steadily used cooldowns than many specs, which will be jarring and require extra keybindings and WeakAuras than one may be accustomed to.
I’ve spent a few years making an attempt to show folks play Windwalker and making it as simple to grasp as potential, however there have all the time been issues which might be both too troublesome to clarify merely or too troublesome to execute that its merely higher if new gamers do not know they exist or maintain off on studying about them till they’re extra snug.
The most important barrier for studying the spec has all the time been the necessity to suppose and plan forward a number of seconds; present Chi, vitality, and skill cooldowns to know what to press now in order that you do not lose injury later. This has made programing sims or addons like Hekili, that are in any other case nice instruments, very troublesome for Windwalkers. We additionally get a variety of questions in Discord of particular eventualities the place there could also be a “proper” reply, however that “proper” reply might solely apply to that particular state of affairs, and with one variable modified, that “proper” reply can turn out to be very “improper”. This additionally results in conditions the place gamers see excessive stage streamers do one thing that the information says to not do, or the information does not say to do, and ask why that streamer did it. Generally the reply is solely that they are higher than everybody else and able to doing issues that may lose injury for many gamers who try it, different occasions its as a result of what they did is greatest for his or her scenario, their Mythic+ group, their tank’s fashion of pulling, or dozens of different variables that may change what’s “greatest” to do in a given scenario.
Windwalker is a spec, greater than most, that requires observe and observe and observe and observe. I have been taking part in it for almost all of 10 years, and I nonetheless have to simply accept there are issues that higher gamers can do that may value me greater than I would acquire if I attempted.
For extra data on taking part in Windwalker Monk, please see our class information up to date for Dragonflight Pre-Patch Part 2:
Windwalker Monk Information
