18/53/0 FYI

[jhemfl]

Your new hit cap is 445 if you spec this build when the patch is released.

Even though it might be the new top dps, if you're still capped for FFB you have some regemming/regearing to do

[Tyguy]

This is the main reason why I personally believe FFB will still be as viable as 18/53/0 in the long run. EJ has calculated the new fireball spec as doing %1 more total damage, that's not worth having to regem and/or put on more hit gear, imo. The other factor, of course, is mana efficiency.

[nowimnothing30]

"The next important talent that is going to be different is "Precision". We will have to make up for the 3% hitchance that we lose by speccing for 18/53/0 this is where people say "See? here it boils down to the same anyways", but as we will see, this is not true at all. If we assume, that we have to replace 3% hitchance, we will have to get about 79 hitrating more than before, because 1% hitchance is 26,23 hitrating.
If we now assume that we have to replace 79 critrating with 79 hitrating, that would only lower our critchance by 1.71%, due to the fact that 1% critchance equals a critical strike rating of 45,91."

from the guys at ej:
http://elitistjerks.com/f75/t38676-u...e_changes/p22/

[Tyguy]

Not "guys".. one "guy". And some of the numbers of his were shown as being incorrect.

[PvE_Mage]

did 10man patchwerk tonight: the arcane mage (57/3/11) and I (fire: 18/53/0) did exactly the same overall damage.
Gear is almost the same; although his is slightly better (i.e. KT sword)

I stuck to fire in order to keep scorch up

[arnorian]

With the influx of WWS reports as our data, it looks like arcane and arcane/fire are putting out almost the same dps. Although arcane seems to have a slight advantage in 25 man raid situations, owing to the higher amount of mana regen.