What would you add to the mage toolkit?

[Sagenod]

What's up fellow players of the best class! I am a long-time mage main (since the very end of MoP), but I have always been a filthy casual so I am curious about what those with higher-end experience think about this matter.

- Do you think anything is missing from the mage's shared abilities/talents?

- Do you think an existing aspect of the mage's toolkit needs shoring up?

If yes, please explain and thank you for reading

[neocount]

An alternative to Shifting Power. I really dislike that spell. Either that, or it should be *significantly* buffed so that it's worth pressing as a damage spell rather than just periodic cooldown reduction.

[LordVargK]

An alternative to Shifting Power. I really dislike that spell. Either that, or it should be *significantly* buffed so that it's worth pressing as a damage spell rather than just periodic cooldown reduction.

This. Shifting power is a horrible spell and the class would be better off without it. No replacement needed, just axe it and buff overall dmg by 2% or so.

Really, I hate it with a passion. I will not play mage until Shifting power is banned to the last corner of the talent tree instead of being a core ability.
Most classes have gotten the worst covenant ablilties from SL and I don't know why. Hopefully they are just removed next expansion.

[VodkaBlyat]

Honestly, as things stand, I don’t think mages need any major "additions", what they really need is some solid reworks.

For example, I find it dumb how much downtime and channeling there is in Frost and Arcane specs, especially when you compare it to something like enhance shamans or ret pals, who just keep going non-stop. Overall, I think downtime is just not fun and kinda pointless. It doesn’t add anything, it’s like you’re just "waiting around for your next burst to actually do something," and that feeling sucks. Personally, I’d love to see them fix that aspect of the mage.

That said, if I had to add something for mages, it’d be something like arcane forms with Archon-style beams. That would be sick!

[Gestopft]

An alternative to Shifting Power. I really dislike that spell. Either that, or it should be *significantly* buffed so that it's worth pressing as a damage spell rather than just periodic cooldown reduction.

Oh so much this.

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For example, I find it dumb how much downtime and channeling there is in Frost and Arcane specs, especially when you compare it to something like enhance shamans or ret pals, who just keep going non-stop.

So you just don't really care for casting as a...caster?

[VodkaBlyat]

So you just don't really care for casting as a...caster?

Is that seriously what you’re getting from what I wrote? No comment.

[Gestopft]

Is that seriously what you’re getting from what I wrote? No comment.

You compared them to two melee specs that have nothing but instant casts. If channeling Arcane Missiles is long enough that it counts as "downtime" for you, then what else is one supposed to get from it?