Those descriptions amount to their finally admitting that high-level warriors really are supposed to be<em>awesome</em>.  The nonmagical superhumans that Fighters flail at becoming.<br/><br/>The Warblade is nothing more than embracing what the system as a whole tried and failed to make out of the Fighter; a truly mighty warrior.  Something that<em>must</em>exist for the game's intended purpose of being balanced to exist, but a creature that was ultimately alien to D&D before then.  A high-level warrior is<em>supposed</em>to be Gatts, and the same words you use to describe militiaman Bob just aren't appropriate.  Yes, they're superhuman, but the heroes are pretty much defined as superhuman by the system as a whole already.  The non-supernatural elements in Tome of Battle are nothing more than Charles Atlas superpowers, same as feats and high hit points and swinging a ninety-two pound large platinum fullblade all day.<br/><br/>Despite the hype, it's not truly 'more fantastic than ever.'  It's as fantastic as it was truly meant to be in the first place.  Mechanics that are actually appropriate for a heroic-caliber warrior who's meant to journey alongside mighty mages and priests who can cure death ten times a day.  And mechanics that are actually appropriate for Conan.  For classic fantasy warriors aren't merely fullattackfullattackfullattack.  Their fights are won on actual, meaningful choices with techniques (no matter how crude) that truly influence the flow of battle, that the standard full attack, charge, trip, sunder, bull rush, disarm array just doesn't cover.