Cataclysm Weapons

So for most of Wrath Enhancement has but a few options for weapons.

Slow Fists
Slow Maces
Slow Axes

Slow = 2.6 speed or higher

Thats the way it works, Basically most (I wont get into the list of all) of our Damage abilities scales with slower weapons. This is the way its been and its a great design, I like the way it works. I dont feel like a caster-rogue with daggers, and axes and fist weapons fit the shaman well.

We typically have little competition for weapons, the main problem is RNG not giving many up, or in the case of TOGC-25, all the weapons are stuck under Hardmode Anub, which is the most ass thing they could have done (when most of our damage scales with weapons, and we need more damage to take down the hardmode bosses, why put the ONLY weapons and not just only, but ALL 3 available under the same end of raid hard mode boss? Better planning next time. Ok /endrant). RNG is a pain, but a driven person as I am, I made 99.99% of the guild raids and in the end was pretty luck each tier and got what I needed. Slow (insert one of the weapons above).

There is this thing called itemization. Shaman theoretically share weapons with some Rogues, which is cool, I dont mind sharing and it helps them design more weapons actually (Just don't add too many Fast Axes/Fist /cough TOGC Again...). The Itemization for Rogues and Enhancement is pretty close, the only real difference is Int for Shaman, everything else is the same, its the speed of weapons where Rogues and Enhance differ sometimes. Some Rogue axes are fast and thus become useless for Shaman, completely useless. Uninformed may not know this piece of the function of the shaman, and this may result in some high gear-scoring Enhance doing miserable DPS in some Randoms.

So what about moving into the future and into Cataclysm... Attack Power on gear is gone, the stat still remains but its not on gear. Hunter, Enhancement, Cat Druids, and Rogues will get Attack Power through Agility and possibly Mastery stat. Itemization changed but not by huge leaps, mostly just Int and AP went away on gear. All is still good in the way of weapon design for Enhance still? ... right? Maybe, but then I read this post by a friendly Blue Crab

Re: DW Frost DKs and Cataclysm Stat Changes
We will be making one-handed weapons with Strength on them.
Source: http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=23425637887&pageNo=3&sid=1#48

What does that mean? It means that Frost DKs will be the only Duel Wielding tree for DKs, but DK itemization favors Strength not agility. Speed, I cant say much about the DK Weapon speed design, my guess is slow 1handers since their abilities are modifications of weapon damage (which means slow = higher weapon damage which equates to harder hitting abilities). I doubt that Enhancement weapon speed will gravitate to dagger-speed, it would require a full make over for all of our abilities, it wouldn't make sense to change that, and we wont have any use for strength since we lose the conversion of strength to AP. I do know One thing that DKs can do that Shaman can not is... Use Swords! That hopefully is where they will gravitate Frost DK weapons too because putting Strength on 1H DPS axes makes no design sense for rogues or shaman.

But what happens if it does go through? Well there are 2 possible design solutions that hopefully some of the developers are anticipating. 1st is to allow Strength to Agility conversion by the means of the stat modification given to professions. This wont fix the entire problem because there are references that 50% of the original stat stays. 2nd fix is to possibly allow weapon speed modifications similar to the way stats are modified.

Example: If you look at two axes One fast and One slow, same item level, from ToC:
Lionhead Slasher: Item Level 245
206 - 384 Damage, Speed 1.5(196.7 damage per second)

Stormpike Cleaver: Item Level 245
357 - 665 Damage, Speed 2.6(196.5 damage per second)

The Damage per second for both is near identical, the difference is in the speed translates to the Damage values. If there could be some tool to modify the speed, keeping Damage per second constant you could make these two items the same.

So where the hell are you going with all this Gojant? I don't really know actually. Just speculating. I just want to see a design concept that doesn't choke out Enhancement too long. Ive seen too many of my brothers sitting and waiting for weapon upgrades week after week only to have to wait more or upgrade at the next tier of raids. Rogues have multiple different trees and talents that allow changes in weapon type without much issue so they can take advantage of the full spectrum of weapons. DKs can still go to the other talent trees and 2Hander of which there are many of those available. Enhance will forever be in the state of Dueling 1hand slow, which is a good thing, just hoping they give more early weapon choices in each raid tiers or give us a way to modify things so they fit us.