Shazz

In its current state is FFB still double dipping into elemental precision, providing 6% hit instead of 3%?

 

spaace

Was wondering if anyone had this type of problem with Mirror Immage.

I'll be doing my thing, then pop mirror immage... keep doing my thing, then when MI fades out, I'm jumping over 110% threat.

Also, any take on the rediculus spike threat we dish out? I've noticed in a couple pug groups, I've had to refrain form going all out.... but that could also be the tanks issue...

 

• Seonid

Separate items maintain their own independent CD's.

 

Meghane

Ok, i have some questions about some frost talents and blizzard's talent calculators. Personally i just think blizzard's is screwed up big time often (and it seems mainly just for mages) since wowhead's and thottbot's both agree on everything, as far as i know at least, yet blizzard's say that fof only has a 10% chance to proc and on only damaging frost spells with chill effects rather then just all chill effects. I don't see how both frostbite and fof could proc on an ice armor hit considering it does no damage, and it just doesn't make sense that one has a 10% chance and the other 15% yet its intended that they always proc together.

Also the talent imp blizzard 3/3 slows enemies down to 75% movement speed, so it says, which has got to be bogus since with permafrost and chilled to the bone that could then be 95% slowed, and with frostbite and maybe even impact...i think you could cast blizzard and run out of mana before anything got to you, heh.

Then just a couple days ago shatter and ice shards were both still 5 points each to be fully talented in (thankfully its now 3 for each, and i solemnly hope it stays that way). And then i think a couple of the fire and arcane talents are at least labeled wrong as well. So i probably seemed to convince myself with what i've said already, but wowhead's and thottbot's calculators are the correct ones, right? The current 'wrong labels' are not like possible future modifications to the talents thought either (aside from the imp blizzard one, cause that'd be sick, haha)...?

lastly, I have a question about how fof and fb work together, especially in pvp. If they always proc at the same time, but you cast a spell that hits your opponent while fb is still up, does it use a fof charge? I'm assuming it does, sadly, since it seems like a good deal of a waste, especially considering you couldn't shatter combo the fb combo unless you really wanted to use up both fof charges instantly. I guess if you were able to do a shatter combo on the fb and then use both fof charges, with a shatter combo on the second one that might be kinda cheap...but i'm sure they could at least modify it so that you didn't feel like you were wasting it somehow, haha. I suppose its always good to have your opponent rooted for some amount of time though, albeit on a diminishing return that seems to be eaten up all to fast (certainly against rogues at least). Yet have another shatter option that lasts a lot longer and isn't effected by diminishing returns...I assume at least, haha. Which leads to my final quick question, which, if any of a full frost mage's freeze effects share diminishing returns...between nova, frostbite, elemental freeze and the new braking barrier freeze, it seems that freeze rooting might quickly become very short...

 

• Xenophon

Not being able to see threat while mirror image is active is definitely problematic. I went all out on Heigan tonight and, due to a good string of crits, ended up pulling aggro the moment mirror image dropped....

 

Skorp

It might have already been posted, but I was curious if anyone has come up with a good Macro which uses Combustion, Icy Veins, and a Trinket all in one. Also, would it be possible to stick Mirror Image in there?

Also, I'd like some opinions on this. I know the widely accepted FFB spec is 0/53/18, but currently I am 0/50/21. Obviously the trade is LB for Cold Snap. While I love the mechanics of LB, it seems just like another thing to worry about on a rotation, and having 2-3 or even more Icy Veins per boss fight seems extremely useful and manageable. I'd love to hear some additional opinions though, and please specify reasoning.

Anything would be appreciated. Thanks. My Main is a mage, but I registered with my warrior, btw. lol

 

dmxcom

Should i go for Items with Spell Damage/Haste oder the Items with Spell Damage/Crit (and stinky MP5) ?

@Skorp:
I have a Macro with:

/cast Combustion
/cast Icy Veins
/use 13
/cast Mirror Image

13 and 14 are the Trinket Slots.
Mirror Image is always at last so his gcd affekt no other Spell in the Macro.

 

hypez

you should really add

/cast Frostfire Bolt(Rank 2)

to the end of trinket/combustion/veins macros

#showtooltip
/cast Living Bomb(Rank 2)
/script Stopwatch_Play();
/stopwatch 12

 

Skorp

Thanks for the tip.
Sorry, what does this other macro do exactly, reset the gcd?

 

hypez

It sets the in-game stopwatch to countdown from 12 seconds when you cast living bomb, you will then hear a "ding" and you'll see living bomb explode, reminding you to re-cast.

 

PSGarak

He was asking about the other macro, not the stopwatch one.

For the stopwatch macro, would it be advisable to subtract off your latency and/or reaction time? Or would simply the likelyhood that you're mid-cast probably mean that it doesn't make a difference.

http://sig.gamerdna.com/quizzes/INFL...erks/Garak.png

 

Minifridge

Bumping because I like opinions on this as well. With the huge crit modifiers that FFB benefits from, is crit rating better than haste for a FFB build? I know spell power is #1, but say there's two items that drop: one with spell power/crit and the other with spell power/haste. Which stat should FFB mages be going for?

 

Skorp

I have been comtemplating crit vs haste myself, and while a FFB definitely benefits greatly from it, SampleOutput - simulationcraft - Google Code ranks haste just a bit higher. As long as hit is capped as much as possible, I would say have a decent combination of everything. I personally use a lot of haste gear for heroics and plan on substituting my hit gear for raiding, but that is me.

 

spaace

With a macro like that, I would reccomend throwing Mirror Immage with your second trinket, and move combustion down to the end of the macro, since it is not on the GCD

Example:

#Skull#
/use 14 (Skull in my case)
/cast Icy Veins
/cast Mirror Immage
/cast Frostfire bolt

#Combustion!#
/use 13 (Was shrunken head...)
/cast Combustion
/cast Frostfire bolt


(There is no need to put (Rank 2) or whatnot behind the spell anymore. And if you do keep it blank, and get a new spell (say leveling frost, learning a new rank of frostbolt), it will automatically update the spell in the macro, so you dont accidentally forget

 

Lileith

Yesterday during 4 hours of Naxx raiding with a FFB spec with 7.81% base hit and a Shadowpriest (which may have died or DC-ed a few times) I only missed 3 FFB.

I will keep recording my miss rate for a couple more days, but It sound like FFB is double dipping.

 

• Seonid

The Scorchio2 addon tracks LB as well as WC and scorch debuff, so it's pretty easy to maintain if you want.

 

Skorp

I tried Scorchio2, but I was unable to bring up the configuration or any options frame. I looked where I downloaded it from and there was no information on this. Is there a way to change the position/size of the bars, etc?

 

Saruk

Try Elkano's Buff Bars - per conversation on previous page. Will track all LB on target but good for solo and very configurable.

 

Furymagi

I feel like a noob asking this, but its honestly... for my own sake. im level 80 and my friend tells me to go change my build to WorldofWarcraft.com -> Info -> Classes -> Mage -> Talent Calculator
But I DO NOT GET IT, WHY get shatter if you cannot freeze a boss unless FoF procs? inwhich this build does not have? please help me, he told me to read the 160 some page thing and figure it out.. and that's really time consuming, so I beg you guys to help me.

 

Grims

Probably to help out with Blizzard AoE on trash. Manly had a good post toward the bottom of page two regarding Frostfire specs, which talents to pick, and why.

 

Furymagi

Alright, thanks, but he said it has to do with Frost Death Knights.... and I was like... uh what? bosses are still not freezable and chains of ice doesn't say they are considered frozen

 

Tucker

I'm curious about spell rotation for Frostfire spec. Do you watch for crits and sub in fireball so the huge Frostfire dot can tick? or is it just Frostfire spam and pyro when Hotstreak hits? Also keeping LB up as much as possible.

In further response to Manly's question about LB tracking, I'm using PowerAuras which you can set for a graphical and/or sound alert to let you know if the debuff is not on the target. I use a graphical alert for Hotstreak as well since I don't always hear the sound or don't know if it's me when there are other mages near me.

 

◊ manly

Well, I forgot to mention a detail. I tried EBB3. I honestly immediately removed it and went back to EBB2. First, the config window has far less options, options I was using. Second, its missing individually set-up 'grow upwards/downwards'. Third, and this is somewhat major, it didnt have the option to to have the bars 'follow one another'. What I mean by that is, in EBB2 you could set up a bar over another, and the top bar would always be atop the other one and stay linked, not end up having one under the other (which is obviously unreadable).

The only problem with EBB2 is that it doesnt supports self-only debuffs and the grow downwards option works but isnt properly saved (need to reset it every logon :/ ). I'm not too sure what to do. I guess I'll try again EBB3 and hope they updated it to at least support relative bar positioning.

I would recommend you something far more simplier.

Priorities: hot streak pyro > living bomb >= scorch refresh > ffb

This is only the rough outline. Many many small details can be worked upon. For example, I try and line up 2pct7 with pyro, since it is rather easy (wait for hot streak before using a mana gem). Also, if you can refresh living bomb right after pyro, you avoid ignite munching, so sometimes you need to make a judgement call on the spot. Then all of this can get tricky if it lines up with scorch about to expire. Then theres also minor details, like avoiding living bomb exploding during combustion (eats a charge). You also want to finish as much as possible your +dmg timers/procs with living bomb (particularly with [Sundial of the Exiled]).

I already use power auras. I do believe it is unfit for Living Bomb tracking. Problem is, I want to know at all times the time left on it, not whether or not it is up. It isn't an immediate thing to cast living bomb whenever it isn't up. I try and minimize ignite munching with it, in the same way I used to use drums.

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.

 

• Seonid

Options->Interface->Addons.

 

Kradin

Would it be necessary to have a "Useful Mage Addons" thread? I know there is already a thread on general use interface.

Does casting Living Bomb when its up actually hurt your DPS not your damage done? Sense your using that global cd for LB instead of casting another FFB.