What armor should a mage use in Cataclysm

[ProTech]

Spells:

Molten Armor - Causes 190.28 Fire damage when hit, increases your critical strike chance by 3%, and reduces the chance you are critically hit by 5%. Only one type of Armor spell can be active on the Mage at any time. Lasts 30 min.

Frost Armor - Increases armor from items by 20% and Frost resistance by 44.99. If an enemy strikes the caster, they may have their movement slowed by 30% and the time between their attacks increased by 25% for 5 sec. Only one type of Armor spell can be active on the Mage at any time. Lasts 30 min.

Mage Armor - Increases your resistance to all magic by 44.99 and causes you to regenerate 3% of your maximum mana every 5 sec. In addition, the duration of all harmful Magic effects used against you is reduced by 50%. Only one type of Armor spell can be active on the Mage at any time. Lasts 30 min.

Talents:

Arcane Repulsion - Your Mage Armor spell causes a successful melee attack to knock the attacker back [4/8/12] yds and be slowed by 50% for [2/4/6] sec. This cannot occur more than once every minute.

Molten Shields - Your Molten Armor gains a 50% chance to affect ranged and spell attacks.


I'm at a total loss at what Armor each of the specs will use. My guess is that Frost and Fire PvE will use Molten Armor, because of the 3% crit. Arcane will use Mage Armor for the mana regen. It is also possible that we have to switch between Mage and Molten armor when we need more mana, for the other specs too.

For PvP I'm completely clueless, we have Mage Armor with resistance and knockback, Molten Armor which can damage ranged attackers, and Frozen Armor which gives armor and freeze/slow melee. The talents that modify armors are accessible for all specs. For me Molten Armor and the talent looks bad for PvP.

What do you think what armor should we use for PvE, PvP?

[Snakebonzai!]

Depends if all specs will have Molten Armor available.
Arcane will most likely use Mage Armor thought just as you said, for the sole reason that Mana Adept will be more effective. Since Molten Armor is back to it's original 3% crit instead of scaling with spirit I bet it's gonna be killed by Mage Armor for Arcane.
As for fire, you probably will not need the regen from mage armor if it continues like now. Master of Elements gives too much mana back. Crit is ofc pro for Hot Streak especially as the crit will be lower.
Frost obviously Molten Armor (if the spec can use the spell ofc) since mana is never a problem in PvE.

For PvP, it looks like it will continue as usual. Mage Armor vs casters and Ice Armor vs Melee. For Fire PvP you might wanna use Molten Armor for the extra bursts.

To sum it up on all these speculations (Since everything is subject to change):

Arcane PvE: Mage Armor
Fire PvE: Molten Armor
Frost PvE: Molten Armor (?)

Frost PvP: Mage Armor (Caster), Ice Armor (Melee)
Fire PvE: Molten Armor, Mage Armor (Caster)

[Lamora]

Molten armour is not listed as a spec specific spell, just as "learned early" for the fire school.
Still, it wouldn't surprise me if arcane goes with mage armour over molten.

[Swizzle]

you have to be fire in order to gain molten armor.

[Strykie]

PvE = Molten
PvP = Mage or Ice depending on the team your against.

[ProTech]

you have to be fire in order to gain molten armor.

You have to be fire to learn Molten Armor at level 10. All mages will get the spell at Level 54.

[Swizzle]

You have to be fire to learn Molten Armor at level 10. All mages will get the spell at Level 54.

that makes absolutely 0% sense sir. why even bother making it a spec bonus if all specs learn it later on?

[ProTech]

that makes absolutely 0% sense sir. why even bother making it a spec bonus if all specs learn it later on?

See it says "Learned early":
http://wowcataclysmnews.com/images/trees/mage.jpg

My guess that they want Fire Mages to use Molten Armor from the start. But molten armor will be the used by other specs endgame. I'm just guessing, don't really know why blizzard did this.

[Swizzle]

that's so pointless. le sigh, and here i was hoping that mage armor would give 3% haste. oh well.

[Aunor]

As Arcane witch i intend to be in cata same as now, i will start with molten, and gradualy switch to mage armor, when i get more haste, or start having mana problems.

[Swizzle]

you know, i'll probably stick to mage armor for the self replenishment.

[Adelycia]

you know, i'll probably stick to mage armor for the self replenishment.

^^ This. It only makes sense with mana adept for arcane. For frost and fire Molten armor all the way. Maybe short fights for arcane would be more beneficial for Molten armor?

[Deleted]

Fire is looking like it's going to be the early winner in terms of DPS in Cataclysm tbh. At least I hope so

[Omallies]

Interresting thread. Will be following.

[Snakebonzai!]

Fire is looking like it's going to be the early winner in terms of DPS in Cataclysm tbh. At least I hope so

Mana Adept will become much better over time as we get higher mana pools which means we keep our mana higher for longer.
But yes fire looks quite promising, but I'm not going to judge anything more on that subject just yet.

[Miniafroftw]

If you're not switching armors based upon the situation at hand you should pick an easier class to play. Perhaps a hunter?

[Snakebonzai!]

If you're not switching armors based upon the situation at hand you should pick an easier class to play. Perhaps a hunter?

I hear aspects

Okay, so frost PvE will use Mage Armor. Seems a bit wasted though since it has so good mana conservation already.

IMO they should make each armor fit it's related spec, i.e frost spec should always use Ice Armor. Or else they could make the pointless frost armor a PvE frost spec armor and Ice Armor a PvP one for all specs, then the buffs would make sense with their names etc aswell. Bah w/e was just an idea

[Töasty]

It's nice arcane can get master of elements and frost channeling as well as arcane concentration. Never really paid attention, but if you crit on a spell that costs 0 mana due to arcane concentration, would master of elements still give you mana?

[Snakebonzai!]

It's nice arcane can get master of elements and frost channeling as well as arcane concentration. Never really paid attention, but if you crit on a spell that costs 0 mana due to arcane concentration, would master of elements still give you mana?

Yes it should, since base mana is the cost of the spell without any factors involved removing or increasing the mana cost of the spell.
Your reply seems a bit off-topic though, I believe there was another post concerning this matter further down the forum.

[tankytanktank123]

cloth with intellect, a little stam and a little armor so you take less dmg lollllll