You guys seem to be forgeting that uproot is not channeling, you can cast and forget it while rook has to get right up on the tower and take hits to deal his damage.
Try maxing uproot damage with compost (which does not require you to get the kills as someone suggested, but merely be near grunts that die) then doing a hit and run strategy. Uproot has longer range than the tower so you can cast it at the beginning of a wave, kill some creeps, cast again, Alt-tab out to read the forums, alt-tab in and cast it again, cap a flag nearby, run up and cast it again, etc, all without taking any damage.
There is absolutely no commitment to uproot and that alone makes the skill worthwhile when comparing it to Rook's Slam/munch combo. It is a shame that UB can deal almost equivalent amounts with spit, but then again he has to get in range to cast so he will take a hit or two maybe.
I'll wish to further add on to MrHertz's points in response to Beejnr views too.
Even if we take into consideration that Uproot outranges towers (and I have thought about this already), it still isn't a cost effective use of skill points.
The Rook can do the same hit and run tactics equally well, if not better. Rook's Hammer Slam and Structural Transfer combo does more damage to towers. With the health sap of Structural Transfer, Rook doesn't need it to out range the tower.
While Rook's combo takes 8 skill points compared to QoT's 8, half of Rook's investment in this combo can be used against Demigods/creeps (Hammer Slam). While Structural Transfer is only castable on buildings, it also doubles up as a healing ability.
Rook, with 8 skill points has
* High damage siege/Demigod/creep ability
* DoT siege/healing ability
* Total siege damage = 3700 with 2000 healing
QoT, with 8 skill points has
* DoT siege ability
* Small shambler buff
* Total siege damage = 2600 (3200 if only you kill enough creeps not long ago)
Having Uproot out range towers doesn't even come close to covering the difference in disparity between the effectiveness of these two in sieging.
Uproot has longer range than the tower so you can cast it at the beginning of a wave, kill some creeps, cast again, Alt-tab out to read the forums, alt-tab in and cast it again, cap a flag nearby, run up and cast it again, etc, all without taking any damage.
I highly doubt the opposing team will allow you this luxury. Also, with the health drain effect from Structural Transfer, it's effectively the same; Rook can come out of his sieging session with no significant net health lost. If our hypothetical game here takes a turn and both Rook and QoT ends up being on the defensive (unable to venture into enemy territory), the Rook still has Hammer Slam while the QoT has nothing.
