Is it me?

[nrross]

I play an arcane mage, amongst other chars. Since this cross realm instance stuff started, I have noticed something a little bit odd. It seems that I do things differently from the majority of other arcane mages. Since I can out dps them by a big way, I am thinking it might not be me.

Ok, for heroics, this is how I do it - ABx4, if MB then AM, else AB spam till MB procs, rinse and repeat (I have the mana pool to do this). Whenever I use recount, my damage breakdown is usually AB for about 70%+ of my damage, AM for about 25% and stuff like molten armour, the occasional blizzard/arcane barrage making up the last 5%. Generally, I never aoe in heroics. As far as I see it, arcane is a single target dps spec. Unless the groups of trash are larger than 6 mobs I find that single target dps provides better results.

However, most arcane mages I see from other servers do things differently. Usually blizzard is their top damage dealing spell. Often they use arcane barrage and arcane missiles about the same number of times as arcane blast. Now it is my opinion that they don't use arcane blast enough and use the other spells too much, I don't do this and anytime I've used recount I see that I do more damage, without grossly outgearing them.

Since this trend seems widespread, I want to garner opinion on here, am I right to think these other mages are doing it wrong? Or do I misunderstand how to play as arcane?

It annoys me whenever I see them, and I have stopped offering them advice as it usually results in me getting called gay. But since arcane is one of the easiest specs to play, it baffles me that so many cannot seem to get the most out of it.

[Zwerver]

they are, in fact, doing it wrong.

it probably doesn't matter though (because it's just a f-ing heroic) and most kids don't care so yea you might get called gay.

[Phenetix]

they are, in fact, doing it wrong.

it probably doesn't matter though (because it's just a f-ing heroic) and most kids don't care so yea you might get called gay.

Please refrain from drinking bleach.

[Loklar]

You're a pro at heroic trash? Good job!

[rabbimojo]

You're a pro at heroic trash? Good job!

Heroic trash doesn't matter, except insofar as it makes the run go faster or slower.

However, in my experience the -vast- majority of arcane mages are utterly terrible in heroics. They do ok on the boss, but the boss only takes as long as maybe 2 trash pulls, if that. Why would I care if they do ok damage on 10-20% of the run, but are utterly useless on the rest of it?

A lot of what it seems to be is that arcane mages (and many others, but particularly them) do not focus on uptime. For a spec which can have an inherent 40% threat reduction and instant invis, a lot of them are ridiculously timid DPS. Or, more likely, they're lazy.

It's become a running joke with my dedicated resto druid healer that he outdpses many arcane mages for the run, since he hurricanes the majority of our trash pulls.

In any case, if you're just lazy in heroics, ok. Not thrilled, but ok. However, if you're not -able- to put out the good numbers on heroic trash, you probably suffer the same trouble in raids. And in raids, trash/adds -do- matter. Use the heroics for training :P

[Sveri]

I sort of vary with how I handle heroic trash. On crap with like 50-100k hp, and there's like 3+ mobs, I will blizzard. Why? Because by the time I get anywhere with AB, the mobs will pretty much be dead. On mobs in, say, Forge of Souls, or Pit of Saron, I single-target because the mobs will be alive long enough for me to build up my stacks. Either way, I don't care so much because it IS trash. It will die fast, either way. I also probably use arcane barrage in heroics more than any place else, as a finishing move or whatever. Almost never in raids, though. This is just me, though :P.

[Skarrd]

aoe and single target seem about even at 3 mobs. I aoe at 3+ because I am lazy.

kdone.

[Loklar]

Heroic trash doesn't matter, except insofar as it makes the run go faster or slower.

However, in my experience the -vast- majority of arcane mages are utterly terrible in heroics. They do ok on the boss, but the boss only takes as long as maybe 2 trash pulls, if that. Why would I care if they do ok damage on 10-20% of the run, but are utterly useless on the rest of it?

A lot of what it seems to be is that arcane mages (and many others, but particularly them) do not focus on uptime. For a spec which can have an inherent 40% threat reduction and instant invis, a lot of them are ridiculously timid DPS. Or, more likely, they're lazy.

It's become a running joke with my dedicated resto druid healer that he outdpses many arcane mages for the run, since he hurricanes the majority of our trash pulls.

In any case, if you're just lazy in heroics, ok. Not thrilled, but ok. However, if you're not -able- to put out the good numbers on heroic trash, you probably suffer the same trouble in raids. And in raids, trash/adds -do- matter. Use the heroics for training :P

You seem to be lost... these are the mage forums. If you don't know about mages maybe you should refrain from posting?

Edit: Lawl instant invis.

[Deleted]

THERE ARE BAD PLAYERS IN WOW?! OH EM GEE, I NEVER WOULD HAVE GUESSED!

[mcjuicybooty]

aoe and single target seem about even at 3 mobs. I aoe at 3+ because I am lazy.

kdone.

Disagree but yeah laziness haha but then again if you really want to have effectiveness on trash aoe drop Flamestrike first then Blizzard for those who wish to AoE pad dps meters in a heroic x.x the fact is most people treat heroics and raids completely different, myself included. Heroic trash dies too fast to get any "practice" done on them with what 63k health? Most add management in heroics are a joke anyway except maybe H HoR

To OP the other mages are doing it wrong though in raid situations I wouldn't suggest spamming AB until MB procs, maybe do 5 o6 6 then fire a barrage then start over again, but if you spam AB you can end up doing 10 ABs before it procs hence wasting 175%x4 more mana than you would otherwise.

[Xiun]

To OP the other mages are doing it wrong though in raid situations I wouldn't suggest spamming AB until MB procs, maybe do 5 o6 6 then fire a barrage then start over again, but if you spam AB you can end up doing 10 ABs before it procs hence wasting 175%x4 more mana than you would otherwise.

No no no no nonononononononono.

Proc or not, you cast arcane missiles. Barrage is only only on the move.

@OP: Yeah, other mages are doing it wrong or (like me) are just so dang lazy they really don't care about the proper rotation.

Feel good that you know what you're doing, and that you're better then them

[Sidonis]

I'm confused...it's a heroic..shouldn't you be...

1) Switching specs to Frost with Improved Blizzard, Winter's Chill, Fingers of Frost
2) Telling your tank to double pull so you can aoe
3) ????
4) Profit.

[Loklar]

I'm confused...it's a heroic..shouldn't you be...

1) Switching specs to Frost with Improved Blizzard, Winter's Chill, Fingers of Frost
2) Telling your tank to double pull so you can aoe
3) ????
4) Profit.

I don't think anyone should spec for heroics.

I don't care if you're in PVP gear. Just do more 2K dps and keep up with the tank and I'm happy.

Heck, if the mage is a bot that does nothing but Blizzard every pack and fireball every boss... that's fine. We'll get through the instance reasonably fast.

[Sidonis]

I don't think anyone should spec for heroics.

I don't care if you're in PVP gear. Just do more 2K dps and keep up with the tank and I'm happy.

Heck, if the mage is a bot that does nothing but Blizzard every pack and fireball every boss... that's fine. We'll get through the instance reasonably fast.

It's not so much speccing for heroics...but it's pretty much a 67/33 chance that if you've got an arcane mage, and he has dual spec, it's either a PvP frost spec (which has all of the above with possibly exception of imp blizzard), FFB/TotW Fireball spec for when there's not enough mana return in the group/raid to maximize arcane, or PvE frost for clearing trash in raids (which will have all 3 of those talents).

[Deleted]

Heroic DPS is serious business. But yeah, personally I aoe at packs of four or more mobs. If an arcane mage's trash dps isn't stellar he'll probably make up for it by doing 9k+ at bosses.

[Praise]

My highest mage is only lvl 42, but arcane specced... in dungeons i hope the tank pulls loads of mobs so i can CoC them or frost nova and get a clearcasting proc then proceed to use my blizzard but ofc i have no other option unless i want to be totally useless and sit there drinking while i dont have points to get evocation down to 2 min.

Maybe these guys have carried some of that playstyle with them when they hit 80 or maybe they are just lazy, maybe they even assume as most tanks are blasting through heroics these days that using your aoe abilities is just logical.

Further more... in heroics, trash mobs dont last long, if im on a rogue and not spamming fok then i can kill one mob and then theres 3 or so others all at low health (because people generally aoe), so you autoattack next mob it dies, you change to another and before you hit the thing its dead etc.

Oh and btw, you think your spec is a single target spec? your mage class is an known more as an aoe class.

[Tonomi]

Oh and btw, you think your spec is a single target spec? your mage class is an known more as an aoe class.

Nice to see BC logic still exists... At one time, Blizzard intended to have mages be the best AoE class (and we still got beat by locks). Then, they realized that all classes needed aoes and that no one wants to spec solely for aoe potential, so the philosophy changed, right at WotLK. Arcane is a single target spec, as it's designed to maximize single target damage. Your comment is nonsensical, equivalent to me saying that disc is ony good in arena, but worthless in PvE (it's not, I play both arcane and disc, but it captures previous player 'wisdom' without updating it to the current facts.)

[Verzerrung]

Yes its you

[Lodar]

You're not good, Other just suck more than you...You play a mage.....You have 3 buttons.....Even if you smash the wrong button it will be the right button because something will always proc. You are doing a heroic....................................................Why the hell would you waste your effort on single target while you can do a blizzard and go afk for a few seconds...