I'm proud to admit that this is a role playing thing for me.

Point stands nevertheless. Someone asked for example of arcane pacing at boss and I gave it. Whether filler spell is Scorch, Fireball or Frostbolt doesn't matter. Fundamentally those two specs work the same way.

For me, its definitely not because I am going for the highest possible theory craft arcane spec. I know arcane frost is the highest. I even specced into it for a while before. But the thing is, I didn't like it. And I found that it was less enjoyable when I was questing/grinding and pvping. I found arcane/fire more enjoyable while only doing marginally less DPS (based on TC) for raiding. And in fact, since AB makes up typically over 90% of my raid boss damage. Its not that big a deal.

So, for me, arcane fire is a playstyle spec choice rather than a Min/max choice. Its still prefectly viable for raiding. when my guild gets to Brutullus I might have to reconsider. But we will see.

Ok so i've been thinking about sockets lately, and i recently got [Robes of the Tempest] and with that I need to resocket for a blue gem (for meta). The choices are resocketing my chest or [Belt of Blasting] What I'm basically wondering is...is it more beneficial to resocket my chest or belt with a blue gem?

From my math it seems it comes down to 5 haste or 5 spell damage.
These are additions of JUST the bonuses from socketing the chest and belt.

If I resocket my chest. ______________ If I resocket my belt.
47 Spell Damage-----------------------------------52 Spell Damage
10 Spell Haste------------both w/ 7 stam----------5 Spell Haste

If i resocket the chest I am going with 2x [Reckless Pyrestone] and 1x [Glowing Shadowsong Amethyst] and if i resocket the belt its one of each.

I currently have 1172 damage, 28.63% crit, and 104 spell haste. (capped hit already)

Sorry if this has already come up but 56 pages is alot to read, thanks for the help. And for clarification, [Runed Crimson Spinel] are still better than [Reckless Pyrestone] barring socket bonuses w/ my spell dmg and crit, correct?

It's close. Use Rawr.

My frost mage is my alt - never seems to go into heroics or Kara as often as my Tankadin or Resto Shaman - and as such is rather pathetically undergeared. His Armory Profile is linked below:

The World of Warcraft Armory

A summary of his stats are:
Hit Rating: 7.61% ( 10.61% for Frost )
Spell Damage: +573
Crit Chance: 15.12% / 18.21% with Molten Armor
Health Pool: 6843
Mana Pool: 8471 / 9101 with Arcane Brilliance

I didn't want to start a new thread and I'm hoping this is an appropriate place to ask my questions.

In heroics, I manage to keep up with the considerably better geared DPSers of my guild on the Damage Done charts through constant use of trinkets, Water Elemental, Icy Veins and Cold Snap. In two runs of Heroic Slave Pens I was pushing approx 668 to 675 DPS and stayed at the top of DPS charts( if only by .3% against our better players ). I'm having a heck of a time with drops, though and I'm considering a change to Tailoring for the Frozen Shadow Weave Set. I'm currently 375 Alchemy( with a bunch of discoveries in Transmutes ) and 379 Engineering mostly for the Destruction Holo-Gogs. Would the change be worth it?

Any thoughts and opinions would be most welcomed,

Thanks

Owaru
You Wake it;You Tank it

Owaru,

You may want to weigh your options with the idea of how much money you'd like to spend. I see that your gear has not been gemmed or enchanted properly. This may only be due to the fact that it is rather easily replaced but know that leveling tailoring to get the 3 pieces you are looking at will cost in the 1000's.

The other consideration is the new badge loot. Much of this loot combined will compete strongly vs. the shadoweave set, esp in terms of stat increases. (Though I do remember hearing the shadoweave boots are esp l33t.)

Yes, I was indicating the quality of the gemming selections and I certainly understand your lack of enthusiasm for gemming up blue pieces. Mostly my comments were to highlight the fact that tailoring will be a big monetary investment and that should be considered when planning your alts gear progression.

If you enjoy PvP with your priest, there are some great pieces for PvE available. Necklace, ring, and bracers bought my honor are all kara level and higher.

Heroic Slave Pens is a great one to run for a mage, not only for the mana-etched but also Quag's eye would last you a long time. Shoulders are a pain as there are not many options pre-kara (or even in Kara imo). I used the Season 2 arena shoulders for a long, long time.

I like to use Kaliban's Class Loot Lists: Mage as a resource. It's a great way to see a bunch of suggestion for pve gear in one place. But note it does not include the new instance as far as I can tell. (doesn't have the nice dmg/haste dagger from MgT).

Gems choice seems okay'ish - it's just that they're green gems. And missing damage enchants, you said it yourself.
To be honest, I wouldn't put expensive enchants on those items either.


As for what to do - you're a mage! Mages polymorph and make water! Both rock a lot in Magister's Terrace.
Tailoring gets you frost shoulders/robe/boots. Heroic Mr.T has insanely good shoulders and robes. And a dagger. And a trinket that beats your greens for a fire mage (which you're currently not)

Normal mode also has a blue ring and shoulders. Blue cloak and bracers that are T5+ worthy, and a good pair of gloves.


Then again, people will probably want to run Mr.T with your prot paladin.
Still, that instance on normal and heroic seems to be *the* place to gear up alts in really decent gear.

If you get exalted with SSO, you also get a necklace, and a decent trinket if you stay an alchemist. Tailoring goggles are nice as well.


One thing to add - you seemed to gem hit/dmg mostly (and some dmg/sta for your meta). You only need the hit rating for raid bosses, and I don't know if you specialise your gear on 5-mans or Kara. I'd probably gem dmg/hit on gear with hit on it, and dmg/haste on gear without hit, so that I have my hit rating concentrated on gear that I can swap out if needed.

That of course depends and what gear you have and what you can swap and such, but it seemed a useful enough advice to give.

I'm looking for someone with experience on a G-15 to help me set up a few simple cast scripts to hopefully virtually eliminate cast lag. In the past I've always used Quartz and just timed my key-ups as best I could, but I'd really like to take full advantage of the G-15 now that I have it.

Help of any kind would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks ahead of time!

I find it hard to believe SCB has become supposedly such a good trinket in 2.4. I don't even like popping managems i prefer flamecaps. But is really a SCB+popping gems better than flamecaps + Crusade or skull of guldan? Or is it due to it being the only stackable trinket?

From what I've experienced, it's situational depending on the boss encounter. I use SCB or swap out to DMC based on factors like length of fight (Akama), how mana-intense is it (Kaz'rogal), will there be a lot of interruptions to my casting (Najentus), etc. For most situations I will say I do not use it. When I run fire I rarely have trouble with mana even without a SP and the flame cap usage is usually more beneficial to me at 20% than getting a short dmg boost and a bigger mana return.

Of course, this is assuming you're fire specced. Arcane mages will find SCB to be the favored choice in most setups.

I am firespec and rawr is showing it for me which I find surprising... I do have manaissues though even with a SP I go OOM on fights like azgalor if I dont run managems+pots. Same happens at fights like najentus really. I've usually only been using it situationaly on fights were DMC might drop off.

I need some Help with Socketing and Wearing my Equipment - since the New Spellhaste Gems and T6 Items are Out.
I list my Equip and im very Happy if someone will build an Good Setup for me - thx.
If anyone means that one of the Heroic Badge Items are Worth for me - give me an Feedback.

Head:
[Cowl of the Illidari High Lord]
[Cowl of the Tempest]

Shoulders:
[Mantle of the Tempest]
[Hatefury Mantle]

Bracers:
[Bracers of Nimble Thought]
[Focused Mana Bindings]
[Mindstorm Wristbands]

Chest:
[Robes of the Tempest]
[Vestments of the Sea-Witch]

Belt:
[Belt of the Tempest]
[Belt of Blasting]
[Waistwrap of Infinity]

Gloves:
[Gloves of the Tempest]

Legs:
[Leggings of the Tempest]
[Leggings of Devastation]

Back:
[Shroud of the Highborne]
[Royal Cloak of the Sunstriders]

Boots:
[Blue Suede Shoes]
[Velvet Boots of the Guardian]
[Boots of Blasting]

Rings: All with +12 Damage Enchant
[Ring of Ancient Knowledge]
[Ring of Captured Storms]
[Band of the Eternal Sage]
[Ring of Endless Coils]

Trinkets:
[Hex Shrunken Head]
[Darkmoon Card: Crusade]
[Icon of the Silver Crescent]
[Sextant of Unstable Currents]
[Neltharion's Tear]
[Quagmirran's Eye]
[Ashtongue Talisman of Insight]

Neck:
[Translucent Spellthread Necklace]
[Hellfire-Encased Pendant]

My Weapons are [Zhar'doom, Greatstaff of the Devourer] (Sunfire) and [Carved Witch Doctor's Stick] (12 Spelldamage Gem).

Very Thanks for your Help and Sorry for my Bad English.

Download Rawr, mark the avaible items for you and then run the optimizer and voila you have your optimal setup, atlast optimal in an ideal fight...

Hmm the Socketing in the PreDefined Items in Rawr are very Crap :/

Just select all gemmings instead of know gemmings only and it will optimize your gems too, works pretty well

The item budget comparison chart compares the stats in terms of how much item budget it takes. I added the exact values it uses to the labels in the next release, but it is 10 spell haste rating vs 11.7 spell damage. So if you have 5 damage and 4 haste that is 5/11.7*9+4/10*8.3=7.16 while 9 spell damage is 9/11.7*9=6.92.

Kavan, is the new meta gem better or worse than chaotic skyfire gem specifically for arcane mages? Cos your Rawr favours +int/spirit for arcane mages.

Ember is half as good as CSD. The only viable options for arcane are CSD and IED.

Rawr currently is stating that Serpent-Coil Braid is a better trinket than my Icon of the Silver Crescent. It also does not list the Darkmoon:Crusade card at all. I just got the Skull last night, so I'm unsure what to use in my second trinket slot. Originally, I was going to use the Crusade deck, but is there theory anywhere that states the Serpent-Coil Braid to be superior?

edit: It seems I had an outdated version of Rawr. Everything's been cleared up, thanks for the input still.

If it doesn't show DMC at all, you may need to add it into the item database. Just take the ID number off Wowhead or some site and plug it in.

The way Rawr decides best trinket for slot is to take that slot and look at it as a blank compared to all your other gear in the other slots. When you select trinket slot 2, is your hit capped? If not Rawr will rate SCB as higher compared to another trinket without hit, unless the damage differential is so great it outweighs the loss of hit.

And it's been discussed to death on these forums about SCB vs. other trinkets. It boils down to a situational thing depending on the fight and your spec. Arcane favors SCB. Certain mana-intense fights favor SCB. Mages looking for a clear-cut "this one is better ALWAYS" won't be getting it, because it doesn't exist in the world of min-max. I personally carry five different trinkets to swap around depending on the encounter.

nevermind.