85 Mages and AOE

[Sindra297]

I am very much aware that AOE is dead, and it was nerfered really bad. My question is, I recently started doing heroics, and specced as frost. I was wondering when it comes to trash, and I don't mean elites, just trash in general, What aoe spells do you guys use? do you spam arcane explosison? Or do you stick to blizzard? Frost aoe seems so subpar compared to fire which is amazing for aoe. Thanks in advance guys!

[Imnick]

Blizzard.
Why you would think that Arcane Explosion was a good idea I don't know!
Casting flamestrike for the ground-DOT might be worth it too.

[Potato Bus]

eh, I just continue with a single target rotation mostly. blizzard just isn't worth the 11,600 mana cost to me. if I really want to have sold AoE though, I just switch to my fire spec and use impact

[Duticyaa]

Unless there's like 10 mobs, you should stick to your single target rotation

[candyass]

i agree single target is fastest unless there are a lot of targets. i've tried blizzard kiting trains i get in tol barad questing and it takes forever.

our damage ae is terrible now, even in pvp is practically pointless unless i'm fishing for procs

[nimryas]

The fire aoe cleave spec (with impact and the 2/2 improved flamestrike stuff) is the best aoe build in my opinion, especially in combination AND good use of combustion, you can do insane amounts of dps I've been going frost for Magmaw 25 for more add control/slow and I noticed that blizzard hits for shit...

As for arcane you would have to get the talent which reduces the global cd of arcane explosion by 0,5sec or w/e, but arcane is a very inefficient spec at this moment, dmg out put for singletarget is too low, my guess the aoe dmg output is low as well (read: does not compete with other classes).

[Goldrinn]

That's alot of mages. I mean, it doesn't really matter what's standing in the way, 85 mages using AoEs is OP.

[Shamslam]

That's alot of mages. I mean, it doesn't really matter what's standing in the way, 85 mages using AoEs is OP.

I laughed a little.

As frost I just use single target casting. As fire though...gotta love Impact.

[Epiclurker]

Each spec has its own aoe specialty. Arcane mages get a quicker arcane explosion, fire gets a nice blast wave buff that gives it a flame strike if used on 3 or more targets, and frost mages have that nice slowing affect on their blizzard. Use the one that is best for your current spec if aoe is needed.

[Deleted]

The only specc with a somehow viable AoE is Fire (that is with ~ 3 mobs)
And lulz even with 10 mobs, single target damage with frost is higher.

Blizzard killed Blizzard.

On the other hand with the overall nerf on AoE in Cataclysm, they forgot about hunters, demo locks and DK's. GJ Blizzard ; ) Better get that patch live soon.

[MythoS]

Mage aoe is kinda funny atm, if the mobs have high hp we are kings of AoE, no i mean really, only DKs can somewhat compare. But then again, if the mobs have low hp we are trash.

[Kuni Zyrekai]

Personally I've been going in close, using pet freeze->nova->CoC then throwing blizzard down. Freeze gives shatter to nova which gives shatter to CoC. Works fairly well for the 30-50k HP non-elites.

[Twoflower]

Pet freeze - CoC - blizzard - wait for coc cd - frost nova - CoC - blizzard etc.

[Toxile]

Just rotate - Pet freeze, Nova, Cone of cold, and Blizzard when they are frozen.