You mentioned that drain mana is only really used in 2v2 and only really shines in 2v2.
2v2 is a mistake, and Blizzard has actively stepped back from supporting it in any way except allowing it to continue to exist. It skews a lot of balance issues severely. It's very unlikely they considered 2v2 implications while making this change, as a note.
As for poor class design foresight, drain mana is an ability they've always had, long before WoW was ever thought to be used for competitive PVP. It ran it's course, and if it's causing problems that are solved by simply removing this very situational ability? So be it. Plenty of classes have had abilities simply disappear off the radar, or be merged into completely separate ones. Cataclysm is about reform, and having less abilities that mean more, not more abilities that are very situational, and mean less.
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Jul 7th 2011 12:54PM (WoW)Blood Sport: Drain Mana's removal and its impact on arena
Jan 12th 2011 2:38AM (WoW)2v2 is a mistake, and Blizzard has actively stepped back from supporting it in any way except allowing it to continue to exist. It skews a lot of balance issues severely. It's very unlikely they considered 2v2 implications while making this change, as a note.
As for poor class design foresight, drain mana is an ability they've always had, long before WoW was ever thought to be used for competitive PVP. It ran it's course, and if it's causing problems that are solved by simply removing this very situational ability? So be it. Plenty of classes have had abilities simply disappear off the radar, or be merged into completely separate ones. Cataclysm is about reform, and having less abilities that mean more, not more abilities that are very situational, and mean less.
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