2.3.2 PTR Patch notes.

[Boubouille]

I wouldn't do that ! You can't prove anything !

[Pyrostemplar]

I wouldn't do that ! You can't prove anything !

I can!!!..

Wait a sec, nope, I can't, sorry... :P

Anyway, on the real subject - not about those boring shammies but the sexy and interesting mage class (/jk), what do you think about the changes - it is a clear - across the board - pve and pvp buff. Also it will make fire and deep frost specs perform closer in PVE (much closer than the lessened difference in PVP). There are a couple of speculations that puzzle me:

-IB trainable: mage survivability with higher damage specs was a clear issue - they were very sensitive to aoe/environmental damage, due to low health and lack of defenses. And TBC fights are filled with those - so mages *are* a liability to an extent that a lock, for example, is not. Trainable IB helps a lot with many of those issues, particular regarding debuffs.

-Mana gems: mages had been claiming for these to be improved since.. well, since TBC came out - over 10 months ago. It was then clear that the mage mana issues were serious - and structural. Itemization issues regarding spirit didn't make it any better. Now, finally, Blizz recognizes the issue and improves the MG (ok, I'd still like them to have their own separate CD).

Question... Why now? Did they finally get the data on mana pots usage and mage group pairings? On mage numbers and raid environmental deaths?

I wonder what type of raiding sunwell will bring, and suspect that the requirements regarding enviromental damage and fight extensions to be upgraded. Maybe fight design were a mage would be hard pressed to survive without IB.

[Decapitation]

"Hey, we have to press 1 button every minute, omg, that's so unfair, let us press 1 button every 10 minutes"

Try to recast commanding/battle shouts with new GCD while you have to spam shield block, heroic, revenge, shield slam, thunderclap, devastate and demo

I have to learn to whine as shamans maybe they will increase duration for 10 minutes also.

[Balduvian]

Aspect of the Viper - Mana regeneration changed from 50% of the total intellect to 55%.

Hunters aswell as Aspect of the Viper buffed again Weeeee!

[Sniperkalle]

Icy veins, a talent to keep at least some mages in frost tree after ice block getting trainable? :P
Would make sence, but think most pvp mages are going to stick to frost, specially with this new talent.
Seems nice with 20% less casting time for the frostbolts

[Pyrostemplar]

Icy veins, a talent to keep at least some mages in frost tree after ice block getting trainable? :P
Would make sence, but think most pvp mages are going to stick to frost, specially with this new talent.
Seems nice with 20% less casting time for the frostbolts

Even without IV there would be no discussion which is the best mage pvp spec, trainable IB or non trianable IB => Frost. Frost is superior in the current non burst damage pvp environment not only because of IB, far from it. The elemental IS crucial - superior control (ranged FN), separate source of dmg and dmg while in IB, but other talents such as Ice Barrier, frostbite, shatter, all make that frost is much more than IB regarding PVP.

Now this new talent affects all spells - not only frost but also arcane and fire (at least by the wording of the blue post), so, taking into consideration the buffs to the gems, we may well see the resurface of a slightly elementalist build (2/48/11).
But one question is arising - if IV just affects frost and with the shorter CD on coldsnap (that will also affect IV), frost could become the best spec for PVP and PVE regarding damage. For that to happen, it is just needed that it closes the 5-10% difference it has to fire (IV is calculated in about 2,77% dmg increase) to about 2% or so.. then fire could become dead.

That would be rather bad, and I think that Blizz should buff combustion into something that pushes mages into the 2k dps club (as of now combustion has a diminishing return - the better your gear, the less useful that 31 pointer becomes) and about 10% above frost specs.

[Wildhorn]

Improved water shield is the 4 pieces bonus from the tidefury raiment set (blue set)

tkx for the answer

[Wildhorn]

Aspect of the Viper - Mana regeneration changed from 50% of the total intellect to 55%.

Hunters aswell as Aspect of the Viper buffed again Weeeee!

Yeah... that is like 10 mp5 for my hunter

[omglazor]

Haha, frost mages getting buffed... that's cute.
How about making my deathwish and enrage stack once again? (lol)

[aRtFuL]

yeah... warrriors are not powerful at all.

/rolleyes

What you talking about man warriors was never powerful. There is a difference between GEARED and GROUP powerful and BASIC powerful abilities.

If well geared everyone can be powerful.

Just because you got owned by geared warrior in the past doesn't mean the class as a whole is powerful lol

[apophisbr]

"Blade's Edge Mountains: Players accepting the bombing run quests in Blade's Edge Plateaus will no longer cause other players in the region to stand up."

lol! ;D

that is pretty funny

[siafu]

priests getting the short straw again?, no buffs for a class that's nerfed into oblivion.

oh well at least we arent getting nerfed again.

[Ordin]

Finally, my net-o-matic is getting buffed! Oh wait, engineering is still completely worthless, but hey at least I can make arrows that are worse than vendor purchased ones and I can make a shiny helicopter and some goggles that are worse than season 2 goggles.

/sigh

[cado1982]

Can someone shed some light on this? And how it affects anyone?

You can now shift click names while the petition window is open to paste them into the petition.