Please Help Me With Arcane!

[Islice]

It's been a while since I've used forums, but this is my last hope at becoming a better player...
(If this is in the wrong area, please let me know so I can move it)

I have been researching my Arcane class to the best of my ability, and I believe I've done everything that I can for myself. I have a good spec, I believe I've chosen the correct stat priority, and I believe I have the two phases nailed down, yet I can't pull more than 13k dps over the course of a six or seven minute fight.

Here are my statistics:

Hit Capped
Haste to 13%
Stack Mastery
When nothing else is left, stack Crit
_____________________________
My rotation or phases are as such:

AB till about 35% mana
Evocation
AB till about 85% mana
Mana Gem
AB3, or AB4 (Depending on Mana, clearcasting, etc.)
Arcane Missile (Unless AM isn't up, then ABar)
Once Evocation is back up, repeat this phase from the start
_____________________________

Now this all seems like what everyone is telling me to do. I've looked up the EJ threat, I've lurked through the MMO-Champion threads, I've watched YouTube videos, and I still can't pull more than 13k dps over the course of a six or seven minute long fight. I've downloaded SimulationCraft and run my statistics, and if I was an Extreme player I could pull 21k dps.

I'm not a bot so 21k dps is out of my ballpark, but just a "good" player can pull 15k dps. I've watched the videos on SimC guide, and I still don't understand the information presented to me, and yes I've seen the thread on this site detailing how to use it, yet I'm still very confused by it.

I'm willing to do whatever it takes to become a better player, but I have to raid in ~4 hours which is making this frustrating. I've reforged probably 8 times in the last 12 hours and I just can't find the right combo.

If you need my to link my Armory Character just let me know, but I'd prefer not to do to how embarrassing this is. But if it will honestly improve my performance I'll link my character.

Please help me, I just don't know what to do anymore.

[Mithy]

I've noticed that im pulling really big numbers at the start, because im nuking, burning all my CD's and using that "Spam-rotation" phase going. This can reach about 30 to 50k dps depending on alot of things. After that is just maintaining a steady DPS at around 17-20k ish by doing ABx3-4 and then AM.

Your statprio seems about right, same with everything else. The rest is down to managing mana and using all the cooldowns as they become available. Managem+Arcanepower is 2 things that sort of MUST go together.
Wouldn't mind looking at your armory.. you can pm me if you want to be discrete.

[Islice]

I don't mind, if I could pull your dps I know my raid leader would be much more happy with me.

Server: Lethon
Name: Icicle
And its in the U.S.

Ya, I usually blow all of my cooldowns at the same time at the start of my burn phase and I do keep my AP and Managem together at all times, I just cannot get above 13k dps.

[Mithy]

A few pointers:
Change the Metagem to Burning Shadowspirit Diamond
Switch out the other gems that has NO intellect on it.
Intellect is your strongest stat and goes before hit, so get rid of all the gems that has no intellect and replace with

40 Intellect	[Brilliant Inferno Ruby]
20 Intellect + 20 Haste	[Reckless Ember Topaz]
20 Intellect + 20 Mastery	[Artful Ember Topaz]
20 Intellect + 20 Hit	[Veiled Demonseye]

Enchant your shoulders. :P

Preetty sure Soul Casket (JP vendor) will be better for you than your current blue trinket. But i could be wrong. Not a big number cruncher on items without running it through rawr first.
Anyway .. Sort out the gems and enchants and hopefully that will help you a little.
Oh and theres a big DPS gap from having 4pct11 than none, so if you can atleast reach around 15k dps you should be more than fine at this point.

[Islice]

Okay, thank you yet again.

The reason why I keep the blue trink is because of the hit rating, I'm barely hit capped, roughly 17%, and if I take out all of my old gems and put in intellect ones, I'd go under hit cap.

Do you still think that its worth it to go all int even if I'm losing hit in the process?

[Mithy]

Yes.. there are arcane mages with hit down to 15%, but for this they are ONLY sacrificing the hit for more INT. So if you end up a little bit under the hitcap but gaining more INT you will see a dps gain. As mentioned, more INT is better than being completely hitcapped, just dont go below 15%.

[Islice]

Okay, I just sat on a target dummy for 500 seconds and ended up with 12.6k dps.
I've done everything that I could possible do and my dps has gone down by 400.
I've got to raid in just under 3 hours, is there any way I can improve this within that time? I've literally tapped all resources, there has got to be something big that I'm missing...

All I'm looking for is about 20k dps in a patchwork fight. I have an iLvl of 359, this shouldn't be ridiculous. There is a mage on my server that is known for getting upwards of 30k dps when his iLvl was only 359, so I know it can be done.

Any and help will be appreciated thank you.

[Mithy]

Not much i can help you with beyond this point mate.
How did last nights raid go? Is there any logs on worldoflogs.com, which might be helpful?

[Heilige]

A target dummy isn't the best way to rate your damage. You're missing 8% dmg, 5% spell crit, 5% crit, 5% haste, 4% Spellpower, Kings/Mark, and mana regen to lengthen burns/allow more AB's in conservation.

[Deleted]

Something easy that you can improve is your rotation.

Your rotation should be like this:
Prepot 3-4 sec before pull
mirror images (never trust a tank on threat in the beginning)
4ab
1pom ab
Mana gem
Arcanepower
manashield (could skip this one, not really sure if this is optimal. Probably very gear dependant)
Ab spam till 35-40%mana
Evocation to 100% mana
Hover rotation around 95% mana (how mana ab you can cast are very gear and procc dependant)

Next burst Face begins for me when I have 30 sec left of the evocation cd

Regards
Aranthar of Icore, Jaedenar EU

[Deleted]

Pretty much what aranthar said, works fine for me. Would've written more in depth but i'm writing from my phone.

[Theadred]

in 359 u should have very short mana "save" phases and more ARCANE BLASTs. :P so if u are pulling 13k u are horrible nothing to say i do 15k at dummy as elemental shaman (worst dps class ingame). so whats so hard about arcane. well less ABs means less dps so try to keep AB casting as high as possible :P

[Spleen]

in 359 u should have very short mana "save" phases and more ARCANE BLASTs. :P so if u are pulling 13k u are horrible nothing to say i do 15k at dummy as elemental shaman (worst dps class ingame). so whats so hard about arcane. well less ABs means less dps so try to keep AB casting as high as possible :P

Thank you for your oh-so-relevant information for this mage asking for help...

"SPAM MOAR AB" - really? that's what you've come here to post?


Listen to the gemming advice given with one possible exception.

You're going to do +40 int in every spot almost always - even if you lose the socket bonus.

Exceptions are +20 int bonuses (go for them since the hybrid colored gems will get you the same as ignoring the color - so long as one is a red socket), and most +30 bonuses.


Your gearing really determines your max DPS. If you don't have 4pc T-11, you're missing 10% haste on your AB casts which is HUGE.

Aside from that, I typically do my first burn at 4 stacks, but after 5-7 AB casts (365 gear).

THEN I pop AP+Gem and toss MI in there for the lulz as I burn.

Evoke at 35% to full and conservation depends on your gear. Use your Flame orb here, and hover close to 85-90% mana (clearing your AB stacks with missle procs or ABarr as needed).

When evocation has ~20-30 seconds left, and gem+AP are ready, get to the mana level that using the gem will take you back to 100% of, and burn again, evoking at the end.

Wash, rinse, repeat.

[Deleted]

Hi Icicle, here a few thing that might help improve your DMG

Add on's

Get Magemanabar

Rotation:

Before the fight begins prePOM (POM and make managem) this will give you your crit buff and have POM' CD running before you start
Pre-pot with Volcanic potion and have a pot macro'd to your TW for your second pot
Start the fight by spamming AB till you get to the piont your mana gem will bring you back to 100%, normaly 4-5AB's
hit managem AP MI trinkets in that order (MI always after AP this is importaint)
cont. AB spam down to 35%-30% and evoc back up to 100%

to sustain mana till next Evoc is ready
Keep mana around 95% (not 80-85 as earlier stated) by useing AB2345AM
if you drop below 90% just use AM AB1 AM to get back up (with practice this will be rare)
make sure you dont hit 100% mana (going over 100% mana is a dps lose)
Know how long your burn takes and start burning again that amount of time before Evoc is ready

Know your fight:

If this is the first time your going up against a boss look up as many videos as you can see what abilitys
he uses and when you have good times to burn and evoc, dont get caught evoc'ing while boss is pulseing AoE
while your sustaining mana you may have to move a bit, before you move let of another 1 or 2 AB's (this does not
mean stand in fire but try to know when your are going to have to move in a few sec's) by time you stop
moving yor mana will be back up at 95% (remember you dont want to go over 100%
the add on i surgested will help alot with this
Is there a machanic in the fight where you have to run away? maybe its better to use Ice block to avoid the dmg and get
straight back to dps'ing (this will keep stacks and improve your dps)
Try to use Blink as a DPS boost not oh shit get me out of here button, what i mean by that is start yourself off positioned
a blinks distance away from when you will have to go soon (do you all group for for AoE healing blink there) face yourself
side on to a boss if you have to this way you'll be casting more and moving less

your gear (without getting upgrades):

Shoulders... get greather version of your ench
Reforge Crit to Haste
legs...........Powerful enchanted spellthread should be used
Feet..........change ench to precision
Bracers......reforge mastery to Hit

This info is a quick optimization from RAWR

[Krunsh]

go to totalhalibut's channel on youtube or search paragon dreamhack live raid. it's done from an arcane mage perspective

[Mithy]

Hi Icicle, here a few thing that might help improve your DMG

Add on's

Get Magemanabar

THANKS !!!!

That addon was absolutely brilliant.

[Rairu]

I noticed that you only have 2 points in Netherwind Presence

[freernnur5]

go to totalhalibut's channel on youtube or search paragon dreamhack live raid. it's done from an arcane mage perspective

While thats an ok video, the guy playing admits he is on his alt and is not the best arcane mage. Hell he does he conserve phase at around 30% mana iirc from watching it.