With what looks like is probably going to be at least a month between the new talents going in and the expansion coming out, talent options become more interesting for the PvE and PvP game when you only have 51 points to play with. Discuss (assuming the talents don't significantly change from here to final).

"Wild-card points" refers to malleable talent points within a build.

I'll kick it off with some mage builds:

18/0/33 - Rework of the basic frost mage build. You don't lose much from Arcane except Improved Counterspell (which, I think, has lost a lot of its value due to tripping the global cooldown), and Ice Floes is a nice synergy spell.

Wild-card points: (2) Improved Blizzard, (5) Magic Absorption.

10/0/41 - A deep frost build. This one I think is very nice since Empowered Frostbolt is a better Arcane Instability when you're this deep. Downside: you lose 15% of your combat mana regeneration.

Wild-card points: (2) Improved Blizzard, (2) Improved Cone of Cold.

32/0/19 - Arcane/frost build that dips down enough to hit Spell Power. Frost crits become absurd and makes crit extremely valuable. On the flipside, having to drop 1 point in either Arctic Reach or Frost Channeling hurts a lot, especially if you play Horde. Hell, Reacl probably isn't droppable as Alliance, just keeping in mind range-critical mobs like Zeliek. (Also, Arcane Impact isn't worth it until you actually have Blast.)

Wild-card points: (5) Magic Absorption, (2) Magic Attunement, (5) Arcane Mind, (1) Arcane Potency, (1) Arctic Reach.

10/38/3 - PvE fire mage build. +13.3% to all fire damage (+30.3% with Fire Vulnerability up), +9% fire crit (+13% to Scorch and Fire Blast), -6.09% mana cost to fire spells, Execute damage. It's a very juicy build. Most of the points in this build are set, the big deal is whether you want to trade off clearcasting for Combustion and/or Empowered Fireball.

Wild-card points: (5) Arcane Concentration.

37/14/0 - the pre-expansion Scorch into Clearcast -> fire super-Arcane Missiles gimmick.

Wild-card points: (5) Magic Absorption, (4 and 5) Arcane Focus, (2) Magic Attunement, (2) Improved Mana Shield, (2) Incinerate.

0/23/17 (10 unspent) - Elementalist rework, assuming your main nuke is Frostbolt. Playing with Fire gets you up to the same damage level as 28+/0+/13+ builds, plus you can easily path down to Blazing Speed.

Wild-card points: (1) Pyroblast, (10).

Uhh, for reference ::

http://forums.elitistjerks.com/viewtopic.php?id=9080

http://forums.elitistjerks.com/viewtopic.php?id=9080
It's all been doooooooonee... before.

edit: curse you moz!

The fuck you guys I'm tanking spec.

I can't get Omen of Clarity till 61. But that doesn't matter, with weapon procs in forms now my Rage generation is through the roof.

Can you benefit from WF totem now?

5/5/41 Devastate spec

I'm guess it's a pretty standard spec for Protection Warriors. I expect Devastate to do marvelous things with a Thunderfury. :) 5/5 Vitality is a no-brainer and this spec is just an extension of your typical 31+ point Protection spec.

Edit- Spelling.

Once nice change with priests is Improved Divine Spirit is easy +damage for two talent points.

This 23/28 Disc/Holy build is probably what I'm going to use for raiding. I'm a little worried losing mental strength and/or spiritual healing, but my gear level is such now that those aren't terribly required. I'm a big fan of giving more damage to other people however.

For soloing/farming, I'd probably go with a 32/19 Disc/Holy build for smiting.

I don't think we're going to see too many priests going with a 41 Holy build since you'd have to give up Meditation since you don't have enough talent points at 60. I'm also undecided on whether Circle of Healing sucks or not.

The 13/38 Disc/Holy build looks really interesting in that it gives you both Meditation and Holy Concentration (clearcasting) for lots of mana savings. I think this may be a really solid holy build for 1.13 until expansion goes around. Of course, one hopes there's another priest in the raid to give improved Divine Spirit to everyone.

I'm probably going to stay a Divine Spirit bitch for now I'm guessing. I'm currently a PoH build for Sapphiron, but I miss giving Power Infusion to the mages/warlocks. I like the idea of giving them Improved Divine Spirit as well as PI now.

Yup, in the latest build of BC we do. It's completely amazing how one change such as this can completely fix so many things that were wrong and open up so many available options. I will also demand a Shaman with Earth Shield, because that shit coupled with Imp. LOTP is rather insane.

I was considering asking Gurgthock once the talents go in. The only issue is taunt resists and me knowing that the fuck I'm doing.

That would mean I would have to stop playing FFXII though. :(

Edit: I also altered the Tank Bear spec a bit, since 8% more stamina might be better than 4% more crit damage/aoe avoidance from a pure distracting fur-ball perspective.

It's been said (though I don't have beta) that weapon procs as well as totems will be working for Druids in forms. Needless to say I'm quite excited.


Edit: Damnit, foiled by the bathroom!

Dual Wield. Fuck Healing Focus.
Goodbye any chance I ever had at being respectable on the healing meters. Though I do expect our rogues to start trouncing our mages again with me around.

edit: Cue Gurg saying that dual wield shamans will not be allowed to raid until TBC.

Traitor.