I will make a wild guess and assume you tried that on the PTR. AP and IV doesn't stack on the PTR as far as I'm aware.
<Eej> YOU"RE GONNA PULL
<Eej> IF YOU SQUEEZE OFF ANOTHER ARCANE BLAST
<Spectear> You've obviously never played with Manly.
<Spectear> That's hardly a reason to stop DPS. Very Manly Staff
Have a question in regards to the Spellstrike bonus. A couple of mages told me that they're basically good until T6 4piece, which my mage will never see. My first question is: are there any pants+ helm combination, outside of Sunwell and Tier 6 content, that is better than spellstrike combination with set bonus? Various sites I looked at have both ranked decently high, but ZA/VR helm beats Spellstrike, and Badge pants pretty close to the pants.
The upgrade path I'm thinking about taking, is using Belt of Blasting over Spellfire Belt. This will get me 23 hit, 12 crit, and make me lose 35 damage (7% of 500 int, from spellfire bonus). It seems to be a pretty low upgrade, but is beneficial since the set bonus will need to be given up eventually with the introduction of upgrades to spellfire chest outside of T6/Sunwell content.
Basically, the wish list for 2.4 for me comes down to this
I will make a wild guess and assume you tried that on the PTR. AP and IV doesn't stack on the PTR as far as I'm aware.
Nope. Been running around 40/21 on the Live Server. The first FB that lands sometimes does not get the benefit of the AP, second one always does, and both AP and IV are up.
Im sorry if it seems like I was saying spell hit = spell crit in terms of DPS. What I WAS saying, is that when you are looking at gear and thinking about how to make spell hit = 164 or somewhere in that range (I go for 163-166), 1 spell hit DOES relate to 1 spell crit essentially because of what I posted above. As I think I said in my post before, you shouldnt be looking at spell hit when you are picking what armor to wear, pick whatever has the best DPS and if it has hit, great go for it. After you have picked your core pieces you then look at how much spell hit you are missing and think about how you are going to gem as well as enchant your gear and/or what trinkets/rings to use.
Might be really off here, but, wouldn't it be better to pick gear with lots of spell hit and socket for spell damage, as opposed to lots of spell damage and socket for hit? Reason being that stats get more expensive the more you have of them, so it would be actually cheaper (item level wise) to get the same stats by socketing for spell damage (which has a fixed cost), than for spell hit.
Cryic:
From your screenshot of your combat log AP is activated at 27min 4sec and the frostbolt hits at 27min 5sec. It looks like it may be you activating AP after you released the frostbolt but before it hits the target. The frostbolt's damage is determined at the moment it leaves your hands, not at the moment it hits the target so unless i interpreted your combat log wrong it's working right.
Have a question in regards to the Spellstrike bonus. A couple of mages told me that they're basically good until T6 4piece, which my mage will never see. My first question is: are there any pants+ helm combination, outside of Sunwell and Tier 6 content, that is better than spellstrike combination with set bonus? Various sites I looked at have both ranked decently high, but ZA/VR helm beats Spellstrike, and Badge pants pretty close to the pants.
The upgrade path I'm thinking about taking, is using Belt of Blasting over Spellfire Belt. This will get me 23 hit, 12 crit, and make me lose 35 damage (7% of 500 int, from spellfire bonus). It seems to be a pretty low upgrade, but is beneficial since the set bonus will need to be given up eventually with the introduction of upgrades to spellfire chest outside of T6/Sunwell content.
Basically, the wish list for 2.4 for me comes down to this
This puts me 3 spell hit ratnig over the cap, which should be alright. Are there any non-optimal pieces I am planning on getting? Thanks a lot
If I remember correctly, the spellstrike bonus is worth about 14 +damage, which means that the VR and ZA helms are both worth losing the set bonus for. I would also go with T5/badge legs over spellstrike, and badge gloves over spellfire, purely for the higher white stats (the dps loss is negligible). The badge robe is slightly better than the heroic one, although perhaps not worth 100 badges for such a small upgrade. Shadowcaster's Drape from ZA is better than the Ruby Drape.
Cryic:
From your screenshot of your combat log AP is activated at 27min 4sec and the frostbolt hits at 27min 5sec. It looks like it may be you activating AP after you released the frostbolt but before it hits the target. The frostbolt's damage is determined at the moment it leaves your hands, not at the moment it hits the target so unless i interpreted your combat log wrong it's working right.
Correct, but the problem is that it's using a macro which pops AP along with other things before the Frostbolt is cast:
/cast Icy Veins
/stopcasting
/use Hex Shrunken Head
/stopcasting
/cast Arcane Power
/stopcasting
/cast Frostbolt
In the past, this has always worked, but for whatever reason it no longer works all the time inregards to AP effecting the first Frostbolt. Ohwell, patch day. I'll see if it's working better on 2.4.
I am the RL of a 5/6 and 3/4 Tier 5 raid. As part of my duties I comb through WWS and try to determine whether we our meeting our potential. Certainly seeing the bosses is a measure of meeting our potential but I'd also like to get some advice on how our mage DPS stacks up. I am aware of the WWS forum but I am looking specifically for mage advice. I harp on them about stacking cooldowns, destruction potions, etc, but recently I've been getting some pushback. Here is our latest SSC run. I hope some of you will be willing to let me know if our mages are performing at, above, or below level for where we are.
So let me go ahead and apologize in advance for the semi-selfish and 'nubish' request for help with a gear upgrade strat with 2.4 coming. My guild is currently early on in SSC (Lurker down) and TK (VR and Sol down), and like many mages, I currently struggle with when to break the Spellfire/Spellstrike set, whether to try going 40/0/21, etc. With the requirements being removed for MH, we're also thinking of giving the first two bosses there a whirl and farming Sunwell Plateau trash on a regular basis for the pattern drops.
With that said, I was hoping one or more people might have some time to give some thoughts/feedback/advice on a solid gear upgrade path as we move forward. Below is my current gear with my current 'upgade plan'. Feel free to bash me for not being at the spellhit cap... I figured I'd work on it through badge gear as soon as 2.4 drops (apparently, today).
Of course, some upgrades will take a while depending on progression pace and drop luck. The big question I have is really what badge items I should 'definitely' get and which ones I should forego due to emminent raid drop upgrades or otherwise.
Again, I realize this might be an exercise in boredom for some, but if anyone can lend a little friendly advice, it'd be much appreciated.
As you know with the +hit cap, replacing gear is a tricky business. Swapping out 1 specific piece of gear without swapping another or at least re gemming is almost impossible. My advice to you is to grab the Rawr application which has all this new gear loaded. You can then sub in for a new piece, regem or swap pieces to get back to the hit cap and see what kind of dps you get with the new piece. (I think Vontre's spreadsheet is easier but it is currently having issues with the new items).
Also, Vontre's magegraf.com is a great resource. I use Rawr to compute my stats for me, then plug the numbers into magegraf to get a better idea on how that set will perform.
I could be way off base as my guild is very close to yours in terms of progression. However, counting on drops from Hyjal seems a bit ambitious when Kael/Vashj are not down yet. Maybe somebody here knows: Are early Hyjal bosses doable by a raid that can't yet down the end bosses in SSC/TK?
Thanks for the tips, Allanonn. I've never really used Rawr, but will check it out. Great idea on Vontre's spreadsheet as well. I have it lying around somewhere, but haven't done the honest due diliegence for a while.
As for our consideration of entering MH, I've been told the first two bosses in MH are quite a bit easier than Kael/Vashj. Of course, that's simple word of mouth rather than persional experience...
I am the proud owner of 4pc T6 now. But as you can imagine, spinels are on a long waiting list (I am next in line for 3 in my chest, and I have 3 more to get now). I feel idiotic to socket blood garnets, but I don't wish to destroy 300g+ worth of gems in a temporary socketing solution. With 2.4 so close, should I consider the damage/haste pyrestone cut? I was thinking I can get 4 pyrestones and perhaps 2 damage/spirit heroic gems from blood furnace, providing farming those 2 gems don't take until 2.5 or longer.
Inputting a few stats at your current gear level you may find that spellhaste can return up rouhgly 1.1 spell damage, and if getting those gems isnt to much of a problem/hurt then i would surely choose those over the blood garnets until you can get your hand on some spinels. As for the herioc spelldamage/spirit gems.. not the best to socket but again do better than the blood garnets, though if i was that strapped for cash i would do without until you have the gold again (cant be to hard with all the new dailies).
If im not mistaken you can get crimson spinel for 15 badges from the shattered offensive vendor when exalted for 15 badges.
Edit: Obtainable from Shanii <jewlcrafting supplier> on sunwell isle
Last edited by exc20002001 : 03/25/08 at 3:28 PM.
Every fight is a food fight when you're a cannibal.
~~Demitri Martin
Very true. I have enough badges saved on this toon to buy the spinels I need. I love my haste, but from an efficiency standpoint I'd rather socket spinels over pyrestones.
Now as soon as I get this patch installed, I'll get back to farming the manas I need for my spellthread. Monday was a very good clear for me, I wasn't prepared with mats to enchant the 3 pieces I picked up (legs, cloak, gloves).
Ouch, exalted rep before you can buy them? Well I guess the garnets are gonna get some raid time afterall.....
Ok, don't laugh please. I have never raided arcane and was never around when arcane rotations came in to TCing and what not. In fact I quit the game after Arcane blast came out. I'm really interested to go 40/0/21 using frost bolts as fillers.
What would the spell rotations be like for a build like that? Arcane Blast x 4 IV AP Frostbolt frostbolt frostbolt? Can someone explain to me the TC behind arcane rotations?
I have a trinket question.
Now i have 4 diferents trinkets.
Hex Shrunken Head, Serpent-Coil Brand, The Lightning Capacitor and Darmoon Card: Crusade
Im using Shruken Heand + Serpent
But im always asking my self if its the best combination.
What do you guys think about it?? And i also like to know where can i find possible upgrades.
if it helps, here is my armory. The World of Warcraft Armory
My guild started Hyjal last week. Killed the Rage and Anetheron.
Question for the macro knowledgable. I just picked up my 2nd [Amani Divining Staff] and intend to socket it with three +10 intellect gems and place +30 intellect enchant on it. My intent is to use it as an evocation stick. I want to create a macro that equips my staff, evocates, and then requips my Wub's Cursed Hexblade and Fetish of the Primal Gods offhand. My idea was like this:
/equip Amani Divining Staff
/cast Evocate
/equip Wub's Cursed Hexblade
/equip Fetish of the Primal Gods
When I made and tested the macro it worked as I hoped it would until I finished evocating. It didn't automatically requip my dagger until I hit the macro again. Is there a way to make it automatically requip my dagger upon completion of spell cast so I don't have to re-hit my macro?
(For those wondering I use my first staff as a pvp weapon until I can get sufficient points and arena rating for the season 3 spell penetration staff.)
[58:Death]: [Death] has earned the achievement [An Honorable Kill]!
[80:Kyrielle]: Death has begun his assualt!!
[70:Medeoan]: Death has begun to stalk the alliance!!
[58:Death]: **** YEA!!!
03/24/08, 6:19 PM
