Arcane vs. Fire. Which is better?

[Silica]

Title says it all.

[Talimarr]

If you go arcane you don't have to try at all

[Ellesarr]

Arcane and fillers to reach 10 letters

[Alexpower3]

nvm; I was answering with secondary information; my bad.

[Undead_Warlock]

arcane = EZ mode

[Sindy]

arcane = EZ mode

On Patchwerk fights yes. But those who pull high damage as arcane on Cata raid encounters are having a much harder time doing it than a fire mage is. Sure, on the patchwerk fights that don't exist in cata arcane is faceroll, but movement is part of Cata raids and it complicates the spec greatly. How you react to the movement can dramatically change the outcome. Fire on the other hand is easy to know what buttons to push while moving so in actuality, fire is more ez mode than arcane is with respect to cata fights. It's easier to get high dps with fire on cata raids than arcane. There are a handful of fights where arcane out performs fire regardless of movements, but it must be played properly and in many cases geared properly. It's unfortunate too, because it makes switching specs for different fights a lot less efficient.

I'm a fire mage through and through but i kinda think the assumption that arcane is easymode is simply residual opinions from the BC days where there was little movement and very few buttons to push for arcane. Times are changin', i suggest you change with them.

[Swizzle]

If you aren't fire your doing it wrong in the current raid content.

Err, no. If you play one spec and only one spec while douching the other specs, THEN and only then are you doing it wrong.

[Alexpower3]

Err, no. If you play one spec and only one spec while douching the other specs, THEN and only then are you doing it wrong.

Correct me if I am wrong; but doesn't arcane and fire look for much different stat setups to optimize dps?
If you don't specialize your damage then you will never be the highest? Or am I reading too far into it?

As for myself I use arcane only when/if i feel like doing dailies and the lynx boss in ZA. (no raid encounters come to mind, really)

[Jeffari]

The only time our mages go fire is if we're missing the critical mass buff. Arcane is quite ridiculous atm and our mages pull some pretty gross numbers. Constantly over 30k on certain fights.

[Imnick]

Correct me if I am wrong; but doesn't arcane and fire look for much different stat setups to optimize dps?
If you don't specialize your damage then you will never be the highest? Or am I reading too far into it?

As for myself I use arcane only when/if i feel like doing dailies and the lynx boss in ZA. (no raid encounters come to mind, really)

Fire and Frost can share gear with few problems, Arcane is a little different
Nothing stops you from reforging between boss fights though, you are a mage you can teleport right into Stormwind

[Swizzle]

Correct me if I am wrong; but doesn't arcane and fire look for much different stat setups to optimize dps?
If you don't specialize your damage then you will never be the highest? Or am I reading too far into it?

As for myself I use arcane only when/if i feel like doing dailies and the lynx boss in ZA. (no raid encounters come to mind, really)

Not really. If the fight is single target, you use Arcane/Frost. If the Fight is massive AoE, you spec Fire. Therefore, you can run either a full Arcane reforge which works for Fire AoE, or you can use a Frost reforge and still use Fire. In any case, you shouldn't be using only one spec, and I'd love to see the rationale behind using Fire for Sinestra.

[Sindy]

The only time our mages go fire is if we're missing the critical mass buff. Arcane is quite ridiculous atm and our mages pull some pretty gross numbers. Constantly over 30k on certain fights.

You simply cannot beat fire on some fights with arcane. You just cannot. Example, Halfus (even without whelps) The cool thing though is if you're geared for fire you can still do okay as arcane. If you're geared for arcane though, chances are your crit will be too low to do the switch to make it worth it. That's partially why people who are arcane think fire sucks. It's not as 'hot-swapable' as arcane is for fire users.

To Alexpower3, personally, i'm using arcane for Chimaeron, and if we are kiting adds on the wormy, i'll use it on him too. I'm sure there are more fights you can use it on, but those are the only ones i use it on and its not even necessary. My guild is working on Nef and i'll prolly be specing 'nef kiting frost' for that soon. Never was much of an arcane fan, but it's useful, even in raids.

[Alexpower3]

Not really. If the fight is single target, you use Arcane/Frost. If the Fight is massive AoE, you spec Fire. Therefore, you can run either a full Arcane reforge which works for Fire AoE, or you can use a Frost reforge and still use Fire. In any case, you shouldn't be using only one spec, and I'd love to see the rationale behind using Fire for Sinestra.

There is my problem; my experience in raiding is limited in the first place; seeing as our guild has too many, what our little circle of officers call, "mindless dps" classes I have had to roll on my priest to heal.. and in that core 10man group we only have just downed cho gall normal mode. I guess my opinion is moot because of that fact; apologies.

I run an alt group (with me playing my wished main; derp) and all we can do is 5/12..(in one day) so just ignore me i guess.

[Swizzle]

There is my problem; my experience in raiding is limited in the first place; seeing as our guild has too many, what our little circle of officers call, "mindless dps" classes I have had to roll on my priest to heal.. and in that core 10man group we only have just downed cho gall normal mode. I guess my opinion is moot because of that fact; apologies.

I run an alt group (with me playing my wished main; derp) and all we can do is 5/12..(in one day) so just ignore me i guess.

Just saying, don't take this the dick way, but if that is the case, don't make comments such as, "If you aren't fire your doing it wrong in the current raid content".

[Sindy]

Just saying, don't take this the dick way, but if that is the case, don't make comments such as, "If you aren't fire your doing it wrong in the current raid content".

Don't take this the sarcastic way, but is there any other way to take that?

[Swizzle]

Don't take this the sarcastic way, but is there any other way to take that?

Ummm, take it the Bobby Knight/Rahm Emanuel/Ayn Rand way?

[Deleted]

Try them both out. Some people prefer fire, others arcane. Even though one of them has more damage than the other, some people stick to the lower damage one.

[LaplaceNoMa]

Not really. If the fight is single target, you use Arcane/Frost. If the Fight is massive AoE, you spec Fire. Therefore, you can run either a full Arcane reforge which works for Fire AoE, or you can use a Frost reforge and still use Fire. In any case, you shouldn't be using only one spec, and I'd love to see the rationale behind using Fire for Sinestra.

Exactly. You're as correct as always Swizzle.
I was surpised to see my fire dps on Maloriak/Halfus WAY higher in full arcane reforge than in my usual one.

[Eloona]

I normally switch according to what the fight is. Like someone said earlier, large amounts of AoE require fire because the stupid amounts of AoE abilities you have as a fire mage. Arcane is good for single target fights because of how stupid hard arcane blast hits. Most fights in my opinion require Arcane so I would reforge for Arcane dpsing and since fire would be considered off spec to me I wouldn't worry so much about the forging.

[Swizzle]

Reading my mastery numbers after respeccing to Fire made me giggle a wee bit. 51% increased DoT damage...good times.