I posted this in WoW official forum. But thought you guys would find it interesting, as it was discussed extensively in guild chat:
As a 180 degree turnaround from the status quo a few months ago, now there has been a lot of whining about warrior damage and calls to nerf it. I suspect (and Kalgan has implied as much) the first nerf will be the fix to the current Sweeping Strike "bug."
The bug is this: Sweeping Strike is designed to hit an additional target for 5 extra swings on "normal" weapon swings. However, in its current bugged state, it activates not only on "normal" weapon swings, but also on special attacks such as Mortal Strike and Execute. So given enough rage, a warrior can almost double his DPS v. multiple targets. This is obviously crazy damage. It essentially makes warriors the king of double target DPS.
As an example, I recently 1-shotted 2 level 60 mages on the same swing: a 4200 execute on one mage and a 2900 sweeping strike that the "bug" activated.
Here's a sceenshot example of how the Sweeping Strike works. In the screenshot, I activated the "bug" on back-to-back Mortal Strike and Execute. So in 2 seconds, I essentially swung 4 times v. 2 targets for around 5000 damage.
http://img83.echo.cx/my.php?image=ssbug9sc.jpg
I am very concerned about the almost certain upcoming "fix" to this "bug." In solo PvE, the "bug" enables well-geared DPS warriors to farm faster than any other class (I know because I also play a level 60 mage), and with the "fix" I would farm almost half as efficiently in clustered mob camps. In PvP, the "bug" enables us to solo 2 lesser-geared warriors or rogues; it also enables us to simply charge into clusters of enemies and wreak massive damage, if we are properly backed up with heals.
In fact, I would argue that it is the Sweeping Strike "bug," that currently gives warriors our special flavor, our special niche. We are supposedly a damage-dealing powerhouses according to Blizzard's class description, and--to reiterate--v. two targets this is indeed the case.
So why not let us fulfill this role of being the king of double target DPS? In short, why not let us keep the "bug"? If the "bug" is deemed so game-breaking, then in the alternative change how Sweeping Strike works to accommodate the "bug." Perhaps an additional target attack works for the next 2 or 3 swings instead of 5?
But a total elimination of the "bug," I fear, will bring us back to the status quo of the warrior's winter of discontent of a few months ago, with no special role or oomph to our class.
