As per @Kafka’s post: [Fixed] Barbarian Class 3rd Trait not working as described - #41 by Kafka
I’m officially making a feedback thread for those of us who like the mistake of Barbarian getting +3 attack when using red weapons. If enough of us speak up, maybe we can keep this cool accident?
@ChunkyMono For the Horde
+1 Please keep it as is. It’s the only good thing about the class.
More classes should work like this…
Yeah Archmagus should get +3 magic on every match with a purple weapon equipped 
Used it for a bit. The pacing of the rate at which this growth seems appropriate for it to be a viable, unique, and still niche (ie., not overpowered) trait for this class to have - the trait only applies to the hero itself, and the best multiplier Talent the hero has is Bloodthirsty (no Fireblade, no Hunt). Being restricted to red weapons is very limiting and there is a lot of counterplay. The problem with most stuff that gives stat growth is that it doesn’t grow at a fast enough rate to really be a viable consistent strategy versus stuff at slightly above your total strength, let alone “upscaling” into stuff with 2-3 times your stats (I’ve found that beyond that, you basically just use Manglikes and/or stuff that scales with your own stats that can get a large boost). In using a pure skull spam double converter team in explore 12 with this class, I found my attack grew about as fast as with Warlord or Dervish as with the “bugged” Barbarian trait, and either arguably has better tools for skull setups and aren’t restricted to a single color.
Note that 3 attack every gem match of any color is nearly functionally equivalent in most fights to 3 attack every 4 or 5 gem match unless your team is dropping the turn constantly (worse if half your matches are skulls, because the trait doesn’t trigger on skull matches), and if you are, well, your hero isn’t going to last very long in any mode with the tools we have (we have root trap stall and agile, but this is otherwise very unsafe compared to its general skull damage output). Keep in mind the tools that are in the game now - the manglikes, the skull strikers that can occasionally just kill outright with very minimal setup (Webspinner, Umenath, TINA, even low rarties like Savage Hunter or Tracker). 80+ attack is very easy to get, as is the ability to one-shot with skulls.
Relegating the trait to only grow attack when matching reds and only on the hero pidgeonholes it into a much tighter category, likely with only Gar’Nok if you want to make effective use of this (so you’d grow 6 attack every Gar’Nok cast, you’d get off 3-4 and gain like 18-24 attack, then die because the spawn streak breaker code said no and nothing about your setup really protects you from the enemy team taking all that mana). No Fire tree also means you are unlikely to fit a firestorm into your build, so your Lightning Strike can’t really even help a ton with that without a very specific setup that is likely way more trouble than it is worth (considering the aforementioned alternatives).
The potential of the Forest and Storm trees keeps this class being usable even with the “intended” trait, but in ways where I’ll likely never make use of the trait. When stuff is going to be weak, it really bothers me when it can’t be made to have synergy, because then I see the potential cap out early (at lower than the tools already available) and then I’m already bored with it. If the trait does get changed off the current version, I really hope it can at least have some synergy potential added to it. “All orcs gain 3 attack when matching red gems” or, more appropriately, “all orcs gain 3 attack, life, and armor while matching red gems” would give it some, albeit limited, synergy unless orcs receive some kind of relevant buff that completely changes their design (which is unlikely). It would at least be something to play around with.
tl;dr: Don’t nerf the trait, but if you do nerf the trait, at least redesign it to have an appropriate synergy.
They tested it and it was fine, because it is fine.
And maybe Archmagus does get +3 magic on all matches. I wouldn’t know cuz I would never use the class. Typical Overpowered Elf/Mystic class still at level 0, I refuse to unlock it.
this “bug” seems like a happy accident i approve keep it as is please
Kingdom with 2 crap mythics deserves a good class
I was gonna say that I hate saying this or I hate being that guy or whatever … but I really don’t hate it … so …
The trait as it is is broken and overpowered. It should be fixed immediately. We’re gonna see it in Guild Wars this week and then you’ll all want it fixed.
The devs should learn their lesson from Zuul’Goth.
He was bugged.
Then they fixed him.
Then they fixed him back to the bugged version and called it a balance change.
Barbarian in it’s current state is not game breaking.
Can easily be countered.
And basically if I was a new player, it would be the only class that felt like it was designed to help new players.
Considering my theory of the current player attrition…I believe you need any help you can get to keep new players playing.
So consider this a happy accident and leave it as is.
TL:DR… The community is literally pleading for y’all to do nothing. Given how many weapons or classes aren’t bugged but game play wise feel like they are. And considering how we constantly hear how busy y’all are. It seems like a win/win to not spend time fixing an error that should of been caught prior to release… But wasn’t. So now (like the Warrens TraitStones) change the narrative and say it’s a feature, and not a bug. 
Are you saying that they rolled it out knowing it functioned this way, and just didn’t change the text?
It doesn’t gain attack while entangled and the gain is thus easy to counter … I’d prefer groups with this over the 20 l&d teams next week …
I asked on her stream thread if any classes were tested prior to release.
“The Design Team” is becoming like the KGB.
No one knows who they are. No one ever sees them. But we all have to experience their “results”. 
Well, when Salty streams previews, many of the uncaught issues get pushed out live. Only the issues that get actively noticed get fixed in time (see Champion of Gaard’s 3rd trait)
I think they fixed it 
Maybe next they can fix Carved and Watery on Doomed Club/Blade. Or implement some QoL filters recommended in other threads. Have they fixed the 5% Harpy spawn rate yet? I get it: Nerf’n Orc class takes priority. (Fix/Nerf, whatever)
It’s a good thing it’s GW week, and I have an outlet for my rage. For the Horde.
Obviously I am in the minority because I want it the way it was meant to be (according to the 3rd trait description). This thing can go thru the roof in no time esp if it’s bleeding, poisoned, burning and or in a loop team esp with Gar nok for example. It can make mang look like a tickling stick. Plus they should fix it as a matter of principle. It might encourage them to be more thorough in future. Approving blatant errors sends completely the wrong message.
Yup, nothing but Orc defenders all weekend long, but now that it’s been neutered, I keep having to fight L&D teams in PvP again.
Predictable, yet disappointing. Wish the devs were less dogmatically bound to their original intentions, and would instead care about the only question that should matter when evaluating a balance change: is it good for the game or not?
As Mithran explained more thoroughly, glitched Barbarian was not broken, and was generally popular as a trait with different scaling properties from the norm. A missed opportunity.
Agreed. Barb’s 3rd trait was fun when it was working not as intended (red weapon; matching any gem). It made him viable. Now, he’s not “very” viable unless you get a good red looping team.
In addition, if devs do not want to revert it back to the ‘bug,’ they should at least switch the Agile trait to something else. The Agile trait does not synergize well with the first trait where he gains attack for taking damage. It should be something like Stone Skin or Holy Armor… now THAT’S synergy!