Turn and face the strange

We now are starting to see just how big patch 2.3 really is. It's turning out to be almost as big as the heralded Before the Storm patch that led to The Burning Crusade although as of yet no hints have been dropped that this is leading up to Wrath of the Lich King.

Still, we're seeing a lot of class changes, new mounts including one for engineers, and even a whole new stat which will have an effect on pretty much every melee class in the game for good or ill. And, just as in previous wide ranging patches, it's going to change the way people play the game to some extent. Anyone who played Warlocks from release can remember how drastically the class has varied from its conception to now, while us old-hand warriors can remember the days of the Arcanite Reaper. It is impossible to dispute that changes like the upcoming patch can entirely alter the way you can play a class.

I remember tanking Ragnaros with a 31/5/15 build, and the only person in my guild who had more points in protection than I did was our designated MT. It simply wasn't considered necessary to tank any end game content, ultimately - I even tanked Nefarian and Anub'Rekhan successfully with the spec. It was a time when a warrior could PvP and main tank with the same spec, and almost everyone did. And clearly, it's a time long since dead and buried, swept away alongside the Arcanite Reapers into the dustbin of expansion.

How have you changed over patches and class reviews? Did you start playing after a momentous patch and have gotten tired of old warhorses telling you what it was like before shamans could dual wield? Are you a better player for having been with your class for a long time, or do you feel like a fresh perspective uncluttered by what used to work sets you apart? How have the changes changed you?