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Hi;
A month or so ago I respeced from a Fire/arcanes to Frost/arcanes. Now
that I've had a chance to play around, I though I'd share my conclusions:
(note: French server, sorry if some of the translations are wrong)
1. I'm on a RP server mostly doing instances, some BG (so not really
much need for PoM - I've never tried it yet so don't know what I'm
missig, I guess)
2. Fire/arcanes was a standard 33/18 build and Frost is 33/18 standard
build
What I liked about Fire
- skins are nicer!
- an extra zone spell that does great damage and can speed things up
enormously
- lots of dot
- big damage
- variety; lots of alternanting between pyro, fire ball, burn and scorch
- the reduced aggro in the arcanes was good; I could also start with
arcanes without having to worry about aggro
What I needed to watch closely
- avoiding aggro. Don't start in on a ball of fire, burn & scorch were
great for starting in on a mob; little aggro and whatever followed in
the fire tree was going to hurt.
- without out the improved counterspell it was much less reliable and I
didn't count on it too much.
What I like about Frost
- I never seem to run out of mana when using frost techniques, great in
long fights, or long instances, you don't need to be always drinking
- in fact, with my magister set (missing neck + boots) I have noticed
that if I'm a little slow between frostbolts, my mana goes UP and not
down. (all that spirit...)
- the chances to gel are welcome (mostly... ever gelled a sheep that you
wanted to pull before a patrol hit it?!)
- the critics on gelled are welcome, even if I'm not criting very high
(550 -->1050)
- the ice shield is useful, the ice barrier too.
- great for pulling! Ie : on casters in small groups (4 or less, such as
the beginning of Scholo) a mage is a great puller: sheep one,
counterspell another and gel when the mobs arrive at your group. Novelty
and fun guaranteed.
- gel is great when you are asked to protect the healer (a mage is good
at this!). It's visible so the priest knows when you're looking after
them, so does every one lese. No confusion.
- improved counterspell rocks
what I don't like
- I feel uncomfortably defensive. If I need the ice shield or barrier I
feel as though I've failed somewhere - normally you only need to defend
when your attack goes wrong, right?
- without the reduced menace on arcanes, I can't really open a fight
with arcanes. This is a problem when you've got mobs running around and
lag; arcanes will let you follow the target, ice/fire balls won't, you
lose your line of sight.
- less dps. Fights take longer. Hunters and rogues way out dps me.
*snif* I guess I need to get more +dmg equipement for my frost build.
Mixed conclusions I guess. It was hard changing play-style but I know
I'm efficient now. In a group that's not real strong, Frost is good for
avoiding wipes. But fights will last longer and the glee of always being
on the top of the dps ladder isn't there anymore, unless I'm using
arcanes, and that gets a bit boring aftet a while. And uses heaps of mana.
I guess if you play with a good defense MT, a fire mage will be best
'cause you balance less dps from the main tank with more from the mage.
If you don't have a great defense MT, or your MT is specced dps (it
happens...) then a frost mage will help control & aggro, and seems best.
Anyway, these are my conclusions. I'll probably stay frost a while, I'd
like to go to MC and the reduced mana for frost spells seems to be
interesting for the long fights there.
Comments, advice?
Mage, Kirin Tor
Hi;
A month or so ago I respeced from a Fire/arcanes to Frost/arcanes. Now
that I've had a chance to play around, I though I'd share my conclusions:
(note: French server, sorry if some of the translations are wrong)
1. I'm on a RP server mostly doing instances, some BG (so not really
much need for PoM - I've never tried it yet so don't know what I'm
missig, I guess)
2. Fire/arcanes was a standard 33/18 build and Frost is 33/18 standard
build
What I liked about Fire
- skins are nicer!
- an extra zone spell that does great damage and can speed things up
enormously
- lots of dot
- big damage
- variety; lots of alternanting between pyro, fire ball, burn and scorch
- the reduced aggro in the arcanes was good; I could also start with
arcanes without having to worry about aggro
What I needed to watch closely
- avoiding aggro. Don't start in on a ball of fire, burn & scorch were
great for starting in on a mob; little aggro and whatever followed in
the fire tree was going to hurt.
- without out the improved counterspell it was much less reliable and I
didn't count on it too much.
What I like about Frost
- I never seem to run out of mana when using frost techniques, great in
long fights, or long instances, you don't need to be always drinking
- in fact, with my magister set (missing neck + boots) I have noticed
that if I'm a little slow between frostbolts, my mana goes UP and not
down. (all that spirit...)
- the chances to gel are welcome (mostly... ever gelled a sheep that you
wanted to pull before a patrol hit it?!)
- the critics on gelled are welcome, even if I'm not criting very high
(550 -->1050)
- the ice shield is useful, the ice barrier too.
- great for pulling! Ie : on casters in small groups (4 or less, such as
the beginning of Scholo) a mage is a great puller: sheep one,
counterspell another and gel when the mobs arrive at your group. Novelty
and fun guaranteed.
- gel is great when you are asked to protect the healer (a mage is good
at this!). It's visible so the priest knows when you're looking after
them, so does every one lese. No confusion.
- improved counterspell rocks
what I don't like
- I feel uncomfortably defensive. If I need the ice shield or barrier I
feel as though I've failed somewhere - normally you only need to defend
when your attack goes wrong, right?
- without the reduced menace on arcanes, I can't really open a fight
with arcanes. This is a problem when you've got mobs running around and
lag; arcanes will let you follow the target, ice/fire balls won't, you
lose your line of sight.
- less dps. Fights take longer. Hunters and rogues way out dps me.
*snif* I guess I need to get more +dmg equipement for my frost build.
Mixed conclusions I guess. It was hard changing play-style but I know
I'm efficient now. In a group that's not real strong, Frost is good for
avoiding wipes. But fights will last longer and the glee of always being
on the top of the dps ladder isn't there anymore, unless I'm using
arcanes, and that gets a bit boring aftet a while. And uses heaps of mana.
I guess if you play with a good defense MT, a fire mage will be best
'cause you balance less dps from the main tank with more from the mage.
If you don't have a great defense MT, or your MT is specced dps (it
happens...) then a frost mage will help control & aggro, and seems best.
Anyway, these are my conclusions. I'll probably stay frost a while, I'd
like to go to MC and the reduced mana for frost spells seems to be
interesting for the long fights there.
Comments, advice?
Mage, Kirin Tor
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