Who is the best caster for 1 vs 1 ?

[Deleted]

Hi! I'm looking for a caster who can also perform well in one on one situations, but i have no idea what should i looking for. I'm only sure that Elemental Shaman is on the bottom of my wishes. Same for Affliction Warlock probably who can only win vs other casters but is completely useless vs any melee.
What about Moonkin or Frost /Fire Mage? SP maybe? Demo lock?
And please, don't say Hunter, because i'm only interested about true casters. You can rank them from best to worst ...
Ty for your time.

[keishton]

I think the dude that won the 1v1 tournament in Korean qualifiers was a affliction lock.
Frost mages are generally good too

[Rorke]

Demonology is the best all around solo wizard. Balance is probably second.

The problem with Demonology is that it requires skill to play so don't expect to just auto win vs everyone as soon as you start playing. Once you master it, its definitely one of the top dueling specs in the game.

Mages suck outside of 3v3 arena and 2's. The class has way too many god awful hard counters which ironically end up being the best duel classes. DK's, Hunters, and Ferals fuck Mages so hard that if I played a Mage against any of these braindead classes I'd throw my keyboard out the window.

[warlockiii]

Definitely not shadow.

This thread should just be titled what caster can beat ferals. If you can beat a feral, nothing else would be hard.

[Deleted]

Definitely not shadow.

Not? Hmm, Shadow looks very powerful ... What about Fire Mage?

[solarfallz]

Demonology is the best all around solo wizard. Balance is probably second.

The problem with Demonology is that it requires skill to play so don't expect to just auto win vs everyone as soon as you start playing. Once you master it, its definitely one of the top dueling specs in the game.

Mages suck outside of 3v3 arena and 2's. The class has way too many god awful hard counters which ironically end up being the best duel classes. DK's, Hunters, and Ferals fuck Mages so hard that if I played a Mage against any of these braindead classes I'd throw my keyboard out the window.

Accurate. Do not play a mage if you want to 1v1 competent players in WoD. Locks and balance druids are the only real options for dueling as a caster.

[Stormspellz]

mage and balance for overall 1v1.

in true duel demo works but is a one trick pony in any other situation.

[warlockiii]

Not? Hmm, Shadow looks very powerful ... What about Fire Mage?

Yes Shadow is powerful, but it relies on peels and support from teammates. Shadow is weak in 2's and even weaker 1v1. Shadow can be very strong in 3s (Godcomp) and in RBGs.

[Exception]

Mages have usually been great for 1v1.

[Azerul]

Tier 1 > ALL lock specs (harvest life is BS in 1v1)
Tier 2 > Balance/Mage
Tier 3 > SP/Ele

While tier 1 and tier 2 is close, tier 3 is super behind them if any melee are involved.

[Saladfork]

I wouldn't recommend mage since any class that can reset will be able to reset easily against a mage. It is still strong for 1v1, but I wouldn't say it is the best.

Demo or affliction lock with harvest life + whatever other healing bonuses is the "best" route. You won't always win (locks lack mobility, so people can easily reset against you), but you won't ever lose so I guess that is a bonus.

I'd personally recommend boomkin. They have strong 1v1 burst capabilities and they are pretty fun to play this xpac compared to all the other casters.

[Deleted]

Fun to play ? Fire mage OFC. You can have a lot of tricks (Instant Invisibility / Regen trinket) - > Instant Invisibility -> Aviana feather, same for shadow priest

[Tyrannica]

Demonology is the best all around solo wizard. Balance is probably second.

The problem with Demonology is that it requires skill to play so don't expect to just auto win vs everyone as soon as you start playing. Once you master it, its definitely one of the top dueling specs in the game.

Mages suck outside of 3v3 arena and 2's. The class has way too many god awful hard counters which ironically end up being the best duel classes. DK's, Hunters, and Ferals fuck Mages so hard that if I played a Mage against any of these braindead classes I'd throw my keyboard out the window.

Ask the Hunter com over at the us blizz forums, They strongly disagree with this. The hunter can no longer counter the frost mage, actually the frost mage wil farm the hunter like a npc.

Your comparission is true for MoP not WoD and its current patch.


Actually i suggest a mage out of alle these wizards. The mage has many tools to win 1vs1, you just need to be prepared. In addition the mage is now the best choice for 3vs3 and 2vs2. RMD is everywhere at high ratings, RM is still powerful in 2s and its a pure dd comb.(pretty fun).

mages are fluently to play without cluncky meachanics too and there is no ramp up time, just use your cds properly.

i played mages and locks since BC - i know the time in s2-s4 in BC and early wotlk when mages were farmed by locks and had very little mana bars and need to mange this mana bar with lower rank spells. Especially fire was drained just after 1 kill in bgs.

Now, every ape can play mage and be successful with him, u bascily play a rogue with ranged abilities, you will not be hit. Actually mages can only be truly countered if 2 agressive dds stick on him to lock him down, or 1 really good dk which is basicly a wizard slayer class.

mages are the most played dd in 3s for a reasion, i assure you its not the rogue why rmd or rm was and is strong, he only does his little peeling and interrupts and thats enough for the mage to hit the opponents team like a truck and this, while frost mages are now considered cc machines and affliction locks damage bots.

That said - locks are probably more interesting to play(for longer amount of time), as you can basicly play all 3 specs in duels and have high success depending on the opponent's spec and if the dude is prepared.

If you want quick duells i rather would use the mage, though. since locks have ramp up time.

We are talking about real prepared veteran duels and not just casual ones, i hope?

[Deleted]

Well, I have in mind any 1vs1 situation that you can imagine, not just duels, like in BGs or arenas when you find yourself in 1 vs 1, maybe ganking or killing the gankers and ofc duels of any kind

Are we talking only about Frost mages above? I'm more interested about Fire. I don't like pets much and Fire is more fun. Same goes for locks: i would only play Destro and Affliction with Grimoire of sacrifice for 1vs1, if possible. I just enjoy playing casters but hate being destroyed on my Elemental shaman vs any melee, so i'm looking for a "replacement" for my ele

[Volitar]

Not Ele and not Shadow.

I've got to think it HAS to be warlocks like there is no way its not. What other caster has a chance against feral or dk?

[Tyrannica]

Well, I have in mind any 1vs1 situation that you can imagine, not just duels, like in BGs or arenas when you find yourself in 1 vs 1, maybe ganking or killing the gankers and ofc duels of any kind

Are we talking only about Frost mages above? I'm more interested about Fire. I don't like pets much and Fire is more fun. Same goes for locks: i would only play Destro and Affliction with Grimoire of sacrifice for 1vs1, if possible. I just enjoy playing casters but hate being destroyed on my Elemental shaman vs any melee, so i'm looking for a "replacement" for my ele

Last time i played fire mage it was a lot of fun, but it was 2 expansions ago. ;>

well the water elemental is less a pet than even the unholy dk ghoul, it does do nothing other than cc and follow a rogue. Fire is pretty useless. It was fun some time ago to use it as a bg spec and against melees in duels. Nothing can stop you to play a frost and fire mage, though. At least they do not go oom after each other kill like in previous expansions.

However, i was an unholy dk in gurubashi and it was 6.2. and a fire mage attacked tried to troll me with his gimmicks, and desorients and hide & run, style. did not work out well there, cause there are no pillars in gurubashi. it was a clear duel though, with no one interfering.

he died 2 times cause unholy is kinda op against fire mages, can't move but do my dmg all ranged + heavy pet dmg.

i need more fire mage duels against them to judge, though, you are better off with a destro lock if you like to play with fire, though as locks are tankier and destro can heal a lot of HP and its better suited for a play without pillars, which most duels and random 1vs1 in bgs/open pvp is part of.

Of course nothing can stop you to play one, in the end its your choice, and if you like the playstyle every spec can become deadly even underdogs.

its unlikely blizz will do a high rated 1vs1 arena for us and there is a lot of competition for it.

- - - Updated - - -

Not Ele and not Shadow.

I've got to think it HAS to be warlocks like there is no way its not. What other caster has a chance against feral or dk?

feral, but not dk. Dks tear locks apart like paper and the fear is totally useless. You can fear a feral around, at least. Another problem is, the dk is slow, but so is the lock. I mean i killed any glad lock on my server some time ago with an unholy/frost dk, even demo locks what did surprise me a bit - the unnerfed version at the start of mop that could kill rbg groups with a few chaos waves, the recent demo lock nerfs do nothing at all to their burst- i am pretty sure that has not changed in wod, actually my impression is, that dks have become more stronger in duels now.(while ironically less useful in arenas)

Good shadows that know how to kite and proc can kill melees without that much of a problem, esepcially immobile frost dks. Won't count on it against ww monks and warriors, they can stick easily. Unholy dk, too. Combat rogue should halso have no trouble with them.

I played just in mop a lot of moonkins in rbgs and duels, they are great too, their burst is very hard, it kills every hunter at least. Hunters tend to complain about moonkin burst. You need a good kite & troll program against all these melees, though, but should work against the less skilled ones.
It worked for me in mop, i bet in wod there is no difference i still see the same skills for kiting availible there and self defences and still the op burst, that is more op than that of a ferals cause its ranged and does hardly miss along with the still strong(?) selfheal, and the concealment that gurantees a first hit against most specs in the game, a moonkin should be pretty awesome in duels, if played correctly.

I heard most bad stuff just about elemental shamans. I would avoid eles for pvp, especially duels, maybe useful in bgs/rbgs. I dunno. Everyone is a healer or melee right now.

I just think mages and locks are pretty deathproof and have more replayability, because you can use all their specs for pvp, while moonkin and shadow only provide 1 spec, and ele is at the bottom. You can only try to be a special snowflake with it, in duels.

- - - Updated - - -

Well, I have in mind any 1vs1 situation that you can imagine, not just duels, like in BGs or arenas when you find yourself in 1 vs 1, maybe ganking or killing the gankers and ofc duels of any kind

Are we talking only about Frost mages above? I'm more interested about Fire. I don't like pets much and Fire is more fun. Same goes for locks: i would only play Destro and Affliction with Grimoire of sacrifice for 1vs1, if possible. I just enjoy playing casters but hate being destroyed on my Elemental shaman vs any melee, so i'm looking for a "replacement" for my ele

i see, yeah sad think with that ele, i would like to try it finally.....but not a good time right now

You better learn how to use pets, its easy with locks and frost mages, just see it as an extended arm that allows you more cc and prevents rogues and druids normal restealthing outside of their cds.
Its easy to use for cc and easy to ignore as a pet. locks even have a all-in-one makro for all their pets, you just need 1 button.

But now that i think about it, you want to play a destro lock with his pet sacrificed, thats awesome in bgs, but in duels you want your pet for additional cc or survival. i do not like totems btw........rather prefere pets, they are mobile, with the right macros they do not run away in bgs.

[solarfallz]

Ask the Hunter com over at the us blizz forums, They strongly disagree with this. The hunter can no longer counter the frost mage, actually the frost mage wil farm the hunter like a npc.

Your comparission is true for MoP not WoD and its current patch.


Actually i suggest a mage out of alle these wizards. The mage has many tools to win 1vs1, you just need to be prepared. In addition the mage is now the best choice for 3vs3 and 2vs2. RMD is everywhere at high ratings, RM is still powerful in 2s and its a pure dd comb.(pretty fun).

mages are fluently to play without cluncky meachanics too and there is no ramp up time, just use your cds properly.

i played mages and locks since BC - i know the time in s2-s4 in BC and early wotlk when mages were farmed by locks and had very little mana bars and need to mange this mana bar with lower rank spells. Especially fire was drained just after 1 kill in bgs.

Now, every ape can play mage and be successful with him, u bascily play a rogue with ranged abilities, you will not be hit. Actually mages can only be truly countered if 2 agressive dds stick on him to lock him down, or 1 really good dk which is basicly a wizard slayer class.

mages are the most played dd in 3s for a reasion, i assure you its not the rogue why rmd or rm was and is strong, he only does his little peeling and interrupts and thats enough for the mage to hit the opponents team like a truck and this, while frost mages are now considered cc machines and affliction locks damage bots.

That said - locks are probably more interesting to play(for longer amount of time), as you can basicly play all 3 specs in duels and have high success depending on the opponent's spec and if the dude is prepared.

If you want quick duells i rather would use the mage, though. since locks have ramp up time.

We are talking about real prepared veteran duels and not just casual ones, i hope?

I've seriously never seen so much wrongness in one post. Hunters dump on mages, especially if there's LOS. Mages have virtually no control of the fight in 1v1s.

[nexellent]

I've seriously never seen so much wrongness in one post. Hunters dump on mages, especially if there's LOS. Mages have virtually no control of the fight in 1v1s.

You literally just sheep his pet, pop mirror images and /afk

[solarfallz]

You literally just sheep his pet, pop mirror images and /afk

Ah yes I'm sure this just destroys AFK hunters. You can just disengage away and wait out images. You can mend pet to dispel sheep and continue DPS. You can LOS if it's available to make it completely 1-sided.

[nexellent]

yup, what is nova cant master's call when pet is sheeped or even if does get it out of sheep, lolspellsteal