Originally Posted by Verissi
If I had full Naxx gear or better, I could see making the change to fire/arcane, but I would actually reduce my overall damage output by doing so now (confirmed after much testing and spreadsheet work).
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Whether I agree or disagree with you, I repsect any fellow Mage who also has his numbers ready to back up his logic. Not only are spec's gear dependent, but they also depend on a play style. Some Mage's like spamming nukes like they don't have a care in the world, and others have to have something hardcore to do at all times. Whatever the case, a Mage should know what he's doing, why he's doing it, and how he's going to do it, and you just can't do that without doing your math homework. Kudos to you for doing that.
Originally Posted by Verissi
PvP-wise, it's still a toss-up between frost and arcane for me. Frost just has so many survivability mechanisms and so much utility that it's hard to pass up some of the deeper talents. I guess it really depends on what you like to do, though. I'm more of a battleground PvP'er (I don't like the Arena system much) and having ice barrier, the water elemental for the frost novas, and a blizzard that snares just come in too handy in places like AV or EotS  |
I like watching someone's health dip h*lla-low in 3 or 4 instacasts and then see them panic, and that's why I PvP Arcane. I do happen to be an Arenas nut, though I'm not doing much now that Wrath happened. I'll agree with you that there is no CC like Frost, but Blizz added so much sneaky, crafty survivability into the Arcane tree that a well-spec'd PvP Arcane Mage is a spell-slinging Rogue for all intents and purposes.
Originally Posted by Verissi
Ultimately, I love that top-end mages are doing so well with arcane...I'm just not geared nearly as well as they are (  ) and that's something to consider when recommending specs. What I do like most, though, is that we finally have a few spec choices that are viable instead of only one clear-cut, hands-down winner. |
/signed
I love that I can finally have intelligent conversations with all my Mage buddies about what specs work well for PvE and PvP that don't boil down to, "Good raiding is 3/47/11 and good PvP is 17/0/44." I gained a lot of pride in my class when 3.0 and the new Mage trees happened.
Originally Posted by Verissi
Oh, side note...any rogue that lets a mage dictate the course of the fight is a free kill to begin with |
Nothing makes a Rogue wet himself like when I pop insta-cast Invisibility and then eat him alive from maximum spell range. That single move is a show-stopper and can change the course of a fight from me losing into me winning.