Ixamos the Redeemed
Faction: Alliance
Class: Shaman
Race: Draenei
Exclusive Preview by Corey Ivey
If you see Ixamos the Redeemed across the table, that first tick is going to feel like the longest tick of your life.
In order to convey just how good I think the preview character I'm about to show you is, I need to put you in the right frame of mind.
It is midday, and the panoramic views of Arathi Basin are obscured by the smoke of smoldering stables and burning lumber mills. This once productive valley is now a war torn battlefield, host to the endless conflict between the Alliance and the Horde.
If you've ever played PvP in the World of Warcraft MMO, you know the scene. Alliance line up on one side, Horde on the other, each group waiting for their gates to open. So what happens while your party is waiting for the battle to begin? If you said “buffing,” then give yourself a star. That’s right—both teams are buffing the living daylights out of each other. Power Word: Fortitude, Mark of the Wild, Blessing of Kings, and the list goes on. Characters are also using this time to summon pets and prepare any equipment adds for the upcoming battle.
Imagine, for a moment, what would happen if only one side had time to cast buffs, summon pets, and prepare their gear? The other side would have to either waste those first few precious seconds of the battle casting in their base or just charge into the fray without any buffs or pets. It'd be a slaughter worthy of recount in any Dwarven ale house, because this time, it's the Alliance that gets to party.
I'd like to start by analyzing Ixamos's stats, honor, or attack values, but I can't. I simply cannot overlook Heroism. It is the first thing my eyes are drawn to. The moment I saw the ability, my head began to swim with possibilities. I think Alliance is going to have a massive showing in Spoils of War, and Ixamos is going to be a large part of it.
At first glance you may not see what I'm talking about or how my description of the Battlegrounds relates to Ixamos. Let me explain: imagine that Elendril, Moonshadow, and Ixamos face off against the enemy. Elendril summons Bloodclaw, Moonshadow buffs a party member with Rejuvenation, and then Ixamos jumps into the action and fires off Heroism. Now, it’s exactly like the situation I described. You've had time to summon and buff with 2 tick abilities, and your opponent has only had time to walk up like a bunch of chumps. By the time you meet in the middle, you have a 1 tick advantage with three of your four characters!
While I think this is a great use of Heroism, it is a close second to where I think the true power of the ability lies.
Imagine a party with Roria, Ixamos, and Ruby Gemsparkle. The Warrior and Mage simply move out as their openings, then Ixamos spawns and triggers Heroism. Now you get to act twice on tick 1 with two of your three characters! Ruby moves, blinks and pulls out Flamestrike. That’s right—I said Flamestrike, and its still tick 1! The Warrior moves into Intervene range with a Cleave in his pocket, and Ixamos can calmly walk into the middle and pick the action that causes the enemy the most heartache. That can be a timely Healing Wave on Roria after the Warrior gets smacked around a little, or a devastating Chain Lightning targeting summoners and their pets. Trying to come up with character and ability combinations where you get to take two actions in a single tick is a lot of fun and really starts to highlight the power Heroism brings to the Alliance faction.
I would caution readers not to hang on to the heroism counter too long. It will do you the most good early in the game when you can get as many characters next to each other without worrying about the enemy anticipating your play or punishing you for being adjacent. Using it early also lets you avoid having it Purged or dispelled.
On a more stat-based level, Ixamos is an interesting Shaman. He favors resist over armor, which makes the character a nice counterpoint to the other Alliance Shaman, Phadalus. His attack options are decent, and I really like how the crit triggered attack doesn't have to target the first defender. With his 7 health, he's a little weaker then most Shamans, so he really stands out as a character that needs a well built team. Whether that team be centered around a buff strategy or tempo advantage, I think you're going to enjoy watching your opponents tie themselves into knots as they try to play around Heroism.