Patch3.0.8promisestomakeitevenbetter.WhenthisspellwasannouncedinJuneattheWorldwideInvitational,I'lladmitIwasn'tveryexcitedaboutit.ItsoundedlikealamewaytoallowMagestodealdecentdamagetomobswhowereimmunetotheirspecofchoice.Thenweallrealizedsomething:FFBwouldbenefitfrombothFrostandFiretalents.Suddenlythespellbecameawholelotmoreintriguing.Loandbehold,whenWrathrolledaroundinNovember,weallfoundthatwiththerighttalentbuild,thisspellwasthesinglemostpowerfulnukeinaMage'sarsenal.Plusitlooksallsparklyandcool.
WehereatArcaneBrilliancethoughtthatsincenextweek'scolumnwillbepostedin2009,weshouldtakeamomentthisweektoremembertheyearthatwas,andwhatitmeanttoallofuswhowalkthepathofmagic.Thereweresomeprettyhighhighs,andsomeexceptionallylowlows,sowefigureditwouldbefuntothrowthehighsintoaringwiththelowsandletthemfighttothedeath.Joinusafterthebreaktoseewhowins!
(Boo!)DeepFreezedoesn'tdoanydamageNow,I'vebeenonthewrongendofawell-placedDeepFreezeseveraltimesinPvP,andboydoesitsuck.ThisisstillahighlyeffectivespellinPvP,don'tgetmewrong.Theproblemisthatit'sentirelyuselessforaraidingMage.č˝Thiswouldbeacceptableifitwasatrainablespell,orperhapsa41pointtalentorsomething.Butasthecaptalentforanentiretree?No.ForagoodchunkoftheWrathbeta,thisspelldidaverygoodamountofdamageinadditiontostunningitstargets,anditwasactuallyworthspendingachargeofFingersofFrostoninPvE.Blizzardsawfittotakethatdamageaway,andindoingsomadeFrostMageseverywhereverysad,andalsomademewriteaverybitterdiatribeonthesubject.
Ialmostfiledthisunder(Boo!),ifI'mbeingentirelytruthful,simplybecauseIhatethatthisisnowtheflavor-of-the-month"best"DPSspecforMages,andIthinkit'sunequivocallystupidthatsomeguildsareevenrequiringtheirMagestospecthisway.Really?Istheend-gamecontentsounforgivingthatyourguildcan'tfigureouthowtobeatKel'ThuzadwithaFireMageoraFrostMageintheparty?Thisisn'tthefreakingSunwell,guys.TheseWotLKraidsareforgivingenoughthatagoodraidcanburnthroughthem,regardlessofcomposition.Aslongasyouhaveenoughtanks,healersandDPS,andyouhaven'tbroughtalonganytotaljackwads,you'regoingtobefine.Personally,I'dratherhavetheArcaneMagewhoknowshowtoplaythantheFrostfireMagewhocan'tfindhissheepbuttonwithacompassandamap.
(Yay!)TheArcaneTreedoesn'tsuck!Formostof2008,theArcanetreewasthered-headedstepchildofthethreeschoolsofmagic.Thereweresomegoodtalentsinthere,andtheyprovidedsomeverynicesupporttoaFireorFrostspec,butthetreesimplywasn'tcohesiveenoughtostandonitsownasaviablespec.Patch3.0.2changedallofthat.
SuddenlyArcaneMageshadhighDPS,decentsurvivability,andasenseofmobilityandslipperinessthatMageshadneverknownbefore.ArcaneBarrage,instantInvisibility,MissileBarrage...thelistofsignificant,game-changingnewnesswaslongandvaried.TheArcanetreesuddenlyprovidedauniquesenseoffunthatMageshadbeenmissingforaverylongtime.ArcaneMagescouldrunaround,Slowingtheirtargetsandthenplayingagameoflong-distancetagwiththemuntiltheydroppeddead.Perhapsnootherchangethisyearwasassignificantorassuccessful%26#8211;atleastasfarasMageswereconcerned%26#8211;astherevampoftheArcanetree.
Thegoodnewsisthatallsignspointtothischanging,andsoon.Patch3.0.8promisestomakethisspellworthwhileagain,andinawaythatpleasesbothBlizzardandMages,twopartiesthatseldomseeeyetoeye.Everyonecrossyourcollectivefingersthatthisparticularbuffmakesitlive.
(Yay!)MirrorImageisdeliciousIknow,Iknow...itisn'ttheI-Winbuttonthatitwasinthebeta.Itdoesn'tscalewithgear,andhasproblemsfittingintoaPvEspell-rotation.Still,Iloveit.Iloveitsomuch.ThefirsttimeIuseditafterhitting80ontheliveservers...itwasinGrizzlyHills,anditwasonaDeathKnight,anditwassomuchfunIneverwantedittostop.Unfortunatelyitdidstop,about30secondslater,rightaboutthetimewhentheDeathKnight'sguildieswereswoopingintokillmeandthencampmycorpseforabout15minutes.Cursemyserverandits5-1AlliancetoHorderatio!
Still,it'slikeIalwayssay:theonlythingbetterthanoneofmeisfourofme.Ienjoybeingabletoconjuremyownposseatthepushofabutton.Thisisaverycoolspell,andveryniceprizeforhittinglevel80.Itdefinitelyhasroomtoimprove,andIlookforwardtoseeingifandhowBlizzardletsitevolve.
(Boo!)HomogenizationofItemization,or"whyisthatPriestrollingonmystaff?"IthinkalmosteveryclasswillprobablyagreethatthisisthesingleworsttrendintroducedbyWrathoftheLichKing.Wedon'thaveitasbadas,say,ElementalShaman(seriously?NoPvPsetsforanentirespec?),butit'sprettybad.I'mnotsayingweneedtogobacktothedaysofhaving72differentstatstoworryabout.Infact,Ithinkconsolidatingspellpower,crit,hit,andhastewasagoodthing.ButforcingMagestowearthingswithnameslike"PurelySanctifiedRobesoftheHealerificMedicantArch-Priest"isjustwrong.Wedon'twanttohavetowearthesamedressastheWarlock.Wedon'twanttoslipourfeetintoanewpairofslippersonlytodiscoversomebodyleftasteamingpileofspiritinthere.
I'mnotsurehowtheproblemcanbefixed,butIamsurethatwhenanitemdrops,Iwanttobeabletosay"ah,nowthat'saMageitem,"insteadofhavingtooutrollthePriest,theWarlock,theHolyPally,theBoomkin,andthefreakingRestoShammyforeverythingthatdrops.IcanunderstandBlizzard'sdesiretoavoidaglutofitemsinthegame.Itmustbeagiantpaintodesignandprogramallofthatgear.Butsurelyyoucouldjusttweaksomestats,doapaletteswaponsomeexistinggearandcallitgood?Jeez,levelingthroughNorthrend,itlookedtomelikeyouguysonlydesignedlike5differentgearmodelsanyway,andthengavethemvaryingshadesofbrownandgrayandcalleditaday.
(Yay!)SunwellIslewasalotoffunLookingback,patch2.4wasprettygreat.Wegotwhatmayendupbeingthelasttrulychallengingraidinthegame(SunwellPlateau),wegotsomereallysweetlookinggear,andwegotalotoffunthingstodowhilewewaitedfortheexpansiontocomeout.PerhapsthemostimportantpartoftheSunwellpatch,inhindsight,wasthatitgaveusaglimpseintothefutureoffaction-grinding.Insteadoffarmingmobs,orhavingtoturninendlessreputationitems,wesawhowmuchfunitcouldbetodoshort,fundailyquestsandruninstancesinstead.We'veseenthefurtherevolutionofthisinWrath,withthenewchampioningmechanic,allowingustochoosewhichfactionwe'dliketogainrepwith,regardlessoftheinstancewe'rerunning.
Likeeveryoneelse,Magesflockedhereindroves,workedourwaytoexaltedwiththeShatteredSunOffensive,andthenlamentedourlowspotsonthedamagemetersintheBrutallusfight.Goodtimeswerehadbyall,untileveryonegottheirraid-spotstakenbyaShaman.
(Boo!)R.I.P.ArcaneBlastAsanArcaneMage,IlovedmostofthenewtoysIwokeuptoonOctober14th.ItookmynewArcaneBarrageoutforalittlespin,rockedsomefaceswithit,gaveitahugandtoldithowmuchIlovedit.ButwhenIsawwhathadhappenedtomybelovedArcaneBlast,allthejoyfledfromtheday.Thisspellusedtobesogood.Youcouldcastitonthings,anddodecentdamage,andthencastitagainanddomoredamagewhileusingmoremana,andthencastitagain...itwassplendid.Nowtheonlythingit'sgoodforispassingthetimebetweenArcaneBarrages.