VenusGaming

In BlizzCast Episode 7: The Lich King Frontier (transcript here), Jeffrey Kaplan and J. Allen Brack revealed that they narrowed down their hero class list from a massive 29 ideas, down to three (Necromancer, Death Knight, and Rune master), before settling on Death Knight for the Wrath of the Lich King expansion. 29? Now, I’ve been in a lot of discussions of hero class speculation, and I don’t think 29 is anywhere near what I’ve heard come up with. So let’s take a look (with the first three gimmes from Blizzard):

1.  Death Knight
2. Rune Master
3. Necromancer
4. Arch-Druid
5. Spirit Walker
6. Blade Master
7. Bombardier
8. Brewmaster
9. Demon Hunter
10. Steam Warrior
11. Techno Mage
12. Far Seer
13. Spirit Champion
14. . . . 

Yeah, I can’t get halfway through that list - not unless I pull every class Blizzard has invented for Warcraft in its many forms. That, of course, would create a huge list of overlaps and racial conflicts (as many classes are very race specific.) And, naturally, Blizzard won’t reveal that list to us - else our further expansions be spoiled by a lack of surprise. 

Speaking of surprises, I’m sure I’m not the only one surprised that we weren’t given Runemasters for Wrath of the Lich King. I can, of course, certainly see where Death Knights fit best into the lore of WOTLK and Northrend. But there’s also a great case for Runemasters in Northrend: look at the heavy lore involving the ley lines in Borean Tundra, Coldarra, and Dragonblight. Besides, many of us have been dying for a “monk type” class, and we knew Runemaster was waiting for us. We can only hope Blizzard delivers on that hope sooner, rather than later.