 |
| Welcome to Elitist Jerks |
We're testing some new features on the site regarding OpenID registration and coordination with gamerDNA. If you experience any issues with registering an account, please take the time to fill out a report and send it to this e-mail address. We would appreciate any assistance you could provide in making sure everything is functioning as intended. Thanks!
If this is your first visit, please be sure to check out the FAQ and the forum rules. Users must register to post and new registrations are subject to a one day "mute" period to get acquainted with the community.
|
08/30/07, 6:23 AM
|
#1201
|
|
Glass Joe
Troll Mage
Drak'thul (EU)
|
For wand phase should by good consider fact, that you wear spirit staff with/without spirit wand and you can regenerate mana a bit more quicky.
Last edited by Eledril : 08/30/07 at 6:30 AM.
Reason: type
|
|
|
|
|
|
08/30/07, 7:54 AM
|
#1202
|
|
Glass Joe
Blood Elf Mage
Stormrage (EU)
|
I've been running tests for a couple of hours last night when the server went down for another hotpatch.
In the new patchnotes: Mystical Skyfire Diamond proc will now be consumed by channeled spells.
So I logged on and confirmed it.
The focus proc is now consumed at the start of an AM cast.
too bad
|
|
|
|
|
|
08/30/07, 8:15 AM
|
#1203
|
|
Von Kaiser
Gnome Mage
Sunstrider (EU)
|
Ah thats a shame there, but sort of to be expected. After all with JoW burn/wand/burn would have been quite sickening.
So is anything of the sort still viable (after all, all the change does is make it a bit longer before you can burn off your mana)?
Also in the case of using AM as a mana dumper instead of AB in the standard ABx3/AM/scorch build, how are you meant to swap out your headgear for the metagem once you want to burn your mana?
|
|
|
|
|
|
08/30/07, 8:27 AM
|
#1204
|
|
Glass Joe
Blood Elf Mage
Stormrage (EU)
|
well, before the hotfix I could basically do up to 1000-1400dps (clearcast does the trick) rotations with rank6 AM + rank10 on clearcast while maintaining decent DPM. Good enough to use permanently.
After this hotfix this is no longer viable due to the lowered dps. Gonna try some AB/AM rotations to see what the new sweetspot could be for normal rotations.
ABx3 AM Scorch is a bitch to play with focus procs. Timing the proc is hard and often ends up in me wasting it on a scorch or breaking the rotation so I lose casting time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
08/30/07, 8:42 AM
|
#1205
|
|
Von Kaiser
|
Originally Posted by Frostie
I'll let the number crunchers get to work. But from my personal experience on live, AM 'should' be sustainable with the current am/focus mechanics on PTR with a normal shadowpriest/shaman group, mana gems/pots and evocation. Barring any crazy focus streaks, of course. It's really going to come down to trying it on various encounters with the new mechanics. Theory crafting can get you only so far. It can tell you if it's worth trying. The encounters themselves tell you if it works.
|
Well, since overlapping procs while casting arcane missiles are more or less sure to be wasted, you're looking at a ~26.5% chance to proc MSD *at least once* Per wave assuming 6 chances per cast. So even though you probably won't be chaining it as much, you're still going to be casting ~1/4th of your Arcane missile casts at double speed. I would argue that since MSD is effectively 100% haste, that having it on 1/4th of your casts will translate almost directly to (on the average), a 25% increase in DPS and DPM. So you can probably just figure out your regular DPM/DPS with arcane missiles, increase that by 25% and call ask yourself if that's something you can sustain (and on the DPS front, is it worth doing if you can -- i.e. better than fire or better than a more traditional approach to arcane).
|
|
|
|
|
|
08/30/07, 9:02 AM
|
#1206
|
|
Bald Bull
Gnome Mage
Argent Dawn (EU)
|
Originally Posted by Faxmonkey
I would argue that since MSD is effectively 100% haste, that having it on 1/4th of your casts will translate almost directly to (on the average), a 25% increase in DPS ...
|
That isn't true for DPS, you forgot that the focused AM is cast twice as fast, so it only lasts half as long.
Napkin math for 1k/tick AM: 3 normal volleys and 1 hasted missile volley (25% hasted) makes 3*5s+1*2.5s= 17.5 cast time for 4 volleys, i.e. 4*5*1k damage in 17.5s = 1.143 DPS.
So, it's about a 14-15% DPS increase, not a 25% increase.
Still a great meta gem for a spell with low base stats.
|
|
|
|
|
|
08/30/07, 9:09 AM
|
#1207
|
|
Von Kaiser
|
Originally Posted by Roywyn
That isn't true for DPS, you forgot that the focused AM is cast twice as fast, so it only lasts half as long.
Napkin math for 1k/tick AM: 3 normal volleys and 1 hasted missile volley (25% hasted) makes 3*5s+1*2.5s= 17.5 cast time for 4 volleys, i.e. 4*5*1k damage in 17.5s = 1.143 DPS.
So, it's about a 14-15% DPS increase, not a 25% increase.
Still a great meta gem for a spell with low base stats.
|
Good point.
I stand corrected.
|
|
|
|
|
|
08/30/07, 10:07 AM
|
#1208
|
|
Don Flamenco
Blood Elf Death Knight
Deathwing
|
rotation i'm planning to try. If i get a proc on an AM, i'll follow-up with another AM...otherwise:
AB1 AM AB2 AM AB3 AM Scorch restart
Anyone know if it's practical to fit a 5sAM 2.5sAM within the AB debuff? If so, one might end up with rotations like the following:
AB1 AM AB2 AM 2.5sAM AB3(ab1cost) ...
I'm afraid i'd need some passive haste to make it work.
|
|
|
|
|
|
08/30/07, 10:10 AM
|
#1209
|
|
Banned
|
Originally Posted by Alvira
Depends. Manly was saying haste gear didn't have as much impact so much as mystical skyfire diamond. That meta gem and the changes in it and how AM works with it are the key things that make AM spam workable now.
It could be just from normal gear and mystical skyfire diamond procs. In which case it is accessible by just about every arcane mage out there. 
|
The Clips I posted weren't with outstanding gear. Ex. Spellfire, Spellstrike legs, Gruul's sword, Season 2 helm. Cursades Deck. Didn't have anything out of SCC and above on and the LC still hasn't dropped.
Edit: Just found out about the nerf.
Last edited by Logun : 08/30/07 at 10:33 AM.
|
|
|
|
|
|
08/30/07, 10:13 AM
|
#1210
|
|
Banned
|
Originally Posted by manly
1- 8000 mana regenerated in 40 seconds (!). 8000 mana is NOT your entire mana pool. If you're arcane specced, and raid buffed, that is not very realistic, even in full glasscannon gear. Maybe 9-10k for low end gear, and 13-14k on high-end gear (and I haven't checked how much gnome racials would affect this).
|
Gnome arcane mage in my guild has +15k I believe.
|
|
|
|
|
|
08/30/07, 10:18 AM
|
#1211
|
|
Glass Joe
Human Mage
Stormreaver (EU)
|
Hi All,
I'm a Mage on Stormreaver EU Alliance Called Nickolina. I originally considered an arcane spec when our guild Dark Ritual started to farm Al'ar and Hydromancer. I wanted a spec that would cater for all, do good dps and save me cash from constantly respec'ing.
After a bit of investigation I decided to go for 49/12/0, suss out a good spell rotation macro and learn Arcane. I'd previously been put off by anti Arcane posts on the Mage forums by other Mages pretty much righting it off.. But, I gave it a go and I was very impressed.
The main thing I really liked about it was complete control and manipulation of my mana bar. With previous specs my burst was restricted to just trinkets or Arcane Power, but with my new build I was able to dump excellent dps at the last minute, or dump early in longer encounters and evocate twice.
The good dps comes at a price though, and it's heavily reliant on having T5 set bonuses and grouped shadow priests / shamans in your party.. which is fair enough, most good raid leaders will be happy to consider the power of Arcane and place you in their party.. If they don't then convince them otherwise! If not your going to need to sink a lot of mana potions from the start.. and pray that your going to take a boss down first try! That said I've been ungrouped before without a Shadow Priest on Lurker and still come top on the dps metre.
Speaking of the damage metres I've managed to record quite a few wins; Karazhan (full run), Lurker, Leo the Blind, Astromancer, Sunstrider, Rage Winterchill and the boss after him I can't remember the name of hehe..
There's many bosses I can't win on and that's fine.. I haven't done much BT yet, but I assume there's a couple in there also. I generally hold back until I'm confident we are going to 1 shot a boss before I start knocking back the best mana pots as well, other wise I just gingerly knock back major mana pots instead.
I'm also quite sneaky with our druids.. and this is a good tip, chat to them and suss out whether or not they are happy to give you an early innervate. Early innervates often go untapped since normally people wont need them until well into an encounter.. popping early innervates is an excellent dps ramp. As soon as you have the 3 Arcane Blast debuffs pop your Arcane Power, Trinkets and your druid macro 'can I please have an innervate' and watch your dps fly! - Oh and don't tell the other Mages your getting them or they will all want one
All in all I've been very impressed with Arcane to be honest, disappointed with Fire and Frost, and I'm currently looking into the prospect or adding some spell haste to my gear template. I just hope Arcane remains strong in the future ^^
|
|
|
|
|
|
08/30/07, 10:24 AM
|
#1212
|
|
Banned
|
I don't have a problem with JoW being up 100% of the time with my guild on our current content in SSC. We have 2 Prot paly tanks and 1 retaradin that we let raid. This being said, wouldn't it be more efficient for me to use Rank 1 AM till I proc focus, then use Rank 3 and of course use Rank 10 if I CC? It seems to me that Rank 1 + Hasted Rank 3 would return more mana via JoW than wanding OFSR.
|
|
|
|
|
|
08/30/07, 10:46 AM
|
#1213
|
|
Great Tiger
|
Originally Posted by Waltercapiau
I've been running tests for a couple of hours last night when the server went down for another hotpatch.
In the new patchnotes: Mystical Skyfire Diamond proc will now be consumed by channeled spells.
So I logged on and confirmed it.
The focus proc is now consumed at the start of an AM cast.
too bad
|
Can you confirm that AM still gets 6 chances to proc?
Basically, just start the cast and cancel it before the first volley over and over again.
|
|
|
|
|
08/30/07, 11:16 AM
|
#1214
|
|
Piston Honda
Gnome Mage
Black Dragonflight
|
Originally Posted by dedmonwakeen
Can you confirm that AM still gets 6 chances to proc?
Basically, just start the cast and cancel it before the first volley over and over again.
|
I can confirm that the 6 checks are still in.
|
|
|
|
|
|
08/30/07, 11:32 AM
|
#1215
|
|
Von Kaiser
Gnome Mage
Sunstrider (EU)
|
Originally Posted by dedmonwakeen
Can you confirm that AM still gets 6 chances to proc?
Basically, just start the cast and cancel it before the first volley over and over again.
|
I don't think that will work though because the check is run on the mana being used up?
|
|
|
|
|
|
08/30/07, 11:33 AM
|
#1216
|
|
Soda Popinski
|
Logun: Rank 1 Am has only 3 ticks, not 5. I suppose that makes it a lot less interestesting, although I have never checked out the DPM to be quite honest.
|

Log on with different model:
1- Create a character of the desired model. Log on/off.
2- At character selection screen, select your actual character; mouseover the new, desired model character, and hold down left click; hit enter and release left click at the same time.
bug Arcane Potency only applies to the first Arcane Missile bolt.
|
|
|
|
08/30/07, 11:48 AM
|
#1217
|
|
Piston Honda
Gnome Mage
Black Dragonflight
|
Originally Posted by BrTarolg
I don't think that will work though because the check is run on the mana being used up?
|
That's what the 6 checks are. 1 for the start of the cast where mana is used. And then 1 for each of the subsequent missiles. So, 6 checks per cast.
|
|
|
|
|
|
08/30/07, 12:03 PM
|
#1218
|
|
Von Kaiser
Gnome Mage
Sunstrider (EU)
|
Originally Posted by dedmonwakeen
Can you confirm that AM still gets 6 chances to proc?
Basically, just start the cast and cancel it before the first volley over and over again.
|
No Dedmon was suggesting that you try and cancel AM straight after the first check to fish for procs. Which will either not work, or consume all your mana (and defeat the point of fishing for procs in this way)
|
|
|
|
|
|
08/30/07, 12:13 PM
|
#1219
|
|
Von Kaiser
|
AM rank1 has lower mana/missle cost than rank3.
Because of lag you will have a bit less single missles per minute because you have to cast the spell more often, but you will also have more MSD procs because 4 proc chances/3 sec is more than 6 chances/5 sec so I think there will be no big difference.
DPM is interesting because of Empowered AM, the extra 45% will spread over 3 sec (rank1) instead over 5 sec (rank3) ?
Didn't math the downranking dmg difference between ranks 1 and 3 so the result is unclear.
Anyway I would ALWAYS prefer rank 1 over rank 3 because with rank 1 you have the chance for a CC every 3 sec instead of every 5 sec wich is a about 50% more CC procs (no not 3/5 = 60% more procs because at a CC you will cast a 5 sec max rank).
Fishing for CC procs with rank 1 AM start and cancell might be an option if you could time it to cancel right after the 2nd missle. That would be 2 missles for JOW and TLC, 3 MSD proc chances and a lot more CC chances. And 90mana/2sec is no big difference to 90mana/3sec.
Last edited by kadgar : 08/30/07 at 12:15 PM.
Reason: 85 mana * 1,06 Empowered AM
|
|
|
|
|
|
08/30/07, 12:23 PM
|
#1220
|
|
Piston Honda
Gnome Mage
Black Dragonflight
|
Originally Posted by BrTarolg
No Dedmon was suggesting that you try and cancel AM straight after the first check to fish for procs. Which will either not work, or consume all your mana (and defeat the point of fishing for procs in this way)
|
I am confused as to what you see the problem being. It works fine. You can cancel AM prior to the first bolt going off and fish for procs to make sure the extra check is still there. Maybe you don't understand what he's asking.
|
|
|
|
|
|
08/30/07, 12:40 PM
|
#1221
|
|
Glass Joe
Draenei Shaman
Thunderhorn
|
slight clarification...
I think the disconnect here is that BrTarolg is assuming the "start casting, stop before the 1st missile, and cast again looking for procs" tactic is meant for use in real situations.
The idea behind it it to just TEST the theory that there's a chance to proc on the initial cast, in addition to missile hits. It's not being proposed as an actual combat tactic.
|
|
|
|
|
|
08/30/07, 12:56 PM
|
#1222
|
|
Von Kaiser
Gnome Mage
Sunstrider (EU)
|
Woah woah woah
Ok my bad sorry. :P
Kadgar's idea is interesting though
|
|
|
|
|
|
08/30/07, 1:05 PM
|
#1223
|
|
Soda Popinski
|
It might be interesting, but now you have the problem of having abysmally bad DPS with AM. High DPM AM spam rotations are not needed when you probably won't go OOM anyway.
|

Log on with different model:
1- Create a character of the desired model. Log on/off.
2- At character selection screen, select your actual character; mouseover the new, desired model character, and hold down left click; hit enter and release left click at the same time.
bug Arcane Potency only applies to the first Arcane Missile bolt.
|
|
|
|
08/30/07, 1:06 PM
|
#1224
|
|
Banned
|
Originally Posted by Frostie
That's what the 6 checks are. 1 for the start of the cast where mana is used. And then 1 for each of the subsequent missiles. So, 6 checks per cast.
|
I was there testing it with Frostie. It still gets 6 checks.
|
|
|
|
|
|
08/30/07, 1:11 PM
|
#1225
|
|
Banned
|
Originally Posted by Frostie
I am confused as to what you see the problem being. It works fine. You can cancel AM prior to the first bolt going off and fish for procs to make sure the extra check is still there. Maybe you don't understand what he's asking.
|
There are no problems with casting rank 1 and jumping to cancel. It's a nice way to stack up Crusades Deck and fish for Focus and CC procs. Gives you something to do between pulls / attempts.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|