At Gamescom, the new addon “World of Warcraft: Legion” was unveiled. As a new hero class, the Demon Hunter awaits…
The students of Illidan stir up
With the upcoming expansion, not only does the powerful adversary Illidan Stormrage return, but he also brings along many of his best Demon Hunters – because the Demon Hunter will be the new hero class!
The origin story
The story of the Demon Hunters begins far back in the past, precisely at the time of “The Burning Crusade.” Just before the players – in the form of a raid – enter the Black Temple, Illidan gives his best Demon Hunters a final command and sends them on a suicide mission.
This very task forms the origin story that players of the new hero class will experience. It is meant to lead through different worlds and will surely hold one or two surprises. Ultimately, however, it leads to captivity – for the Night Elf Watchers imprison the Demon Hunters.
At least until Gul’dan appears and intervenes. The once imprisoned Hunters are released and are to rise for the Legion. Just like the Death Knights, one will of course want to shake off this influence, or at least suppress it. How exactly this happens remains to be uncovered.
Currently, only Night Elves and Blood Elves will be able to become Demon Hunters. This is based on their lore, as the Illidari have traditionally only been Night and Blood Elves. The transformation into a Demon Hunter also requires a comprehensive knowledge of demonic magic – a specialty of the Elf races. Those who choose this fate do not only blind themselves but also house a Demon within their body, which they must constantly suppress (Demons should never be suppressed, but that’s just on the side…).
The special features of the Demon Hunter
Only Elves can become Demon Hunters; no surprise, as they have the most experience with Demons.
Unlike other classes, Demon Hunters only have two specializations. They can either act as damage dealers (Havoc) or as tanks (Vengeance) to draw the attention of enemies. A third specialization would, according to Blizzard, only dilute the gameplay experience and was therefore removed.
Like the Death Knight, the Demon Hunter will be able to start at an elevated level. It is presumed that through its introductory quest line, it will already reach level 100; anything else would be difficult lore-wise to achieve without revising certain old quests.
Only the Demon Hunter has a double jump. This may not seem special at first glance, but it allows him to bridge larger distances, such as rivers, without being slowed down. Particularly in PvP, this fact could be an additional element that players will have to get used to.
In general, a high mobility seems to be the keyword for the new class. They can charge multiple times in a row and use their wings to glide over large distances.
But the Demon Elves have even more tricks up their sleeves: Although they no longer have eyes, they are anything but blind. With their demonic vision, they can see enemies through objects (like walls, trees, etc.) and even reveal opponents in stealth or invisibility.
As weapons, they can currently use daggers, fist weapons, one-handed axes, one-handed maces, and one-handed swords. In terms of armor, they have cloth and leather available.
Visually as well, the Demon Hunters make a good impression: They can choose from a wide range of demonic runes, horns, wings, and other options to distinguish themselves from the uncorrupted members of their race.
Whether everything will come to pass as currently planned remains to be seen. Many details about the new class are still not fully known, but the coming days and weeks will likely offer more insights. Will there be glaives as a new weapon type? Does “demonic fury” function as a resource just like for Warlocks? What attributes do Demon Hunters require? We’ll keep you updated.
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