3 Feb
Arcane vs. FrostFire Spec – Post 3.08
Posted on 2009 under Patch Info, Specs, Wrath of the Lich King | No CommentThe changes in patch 3.08 have now made Arcane a viable raiding spec.
Previously, regardless of opinion, or how you tweaked gear, raid buffs, etc., FrostFire was firmly on top. I'm not talking about any individual person's experience. I'm not talking "I specced Frost and I beat out all the other mages in my guild." I'm talking about objective data that proves what the max possible DPS could be done in a real fight scenario.
If you've read this site at all, you know I'm a fan of hard data, and that RAWR is a great source for that. (Just see my Hit vs. Spell Power vs. Crit vs. Int post for a discussion on using RAWR.)
Pre-3.08, nothing could touch FrostFire if you configured RAWR to mimic any of the end-game fights.
Now, Arcane has made a resurgence.
It's not clearly above a FrostFire spec, nor is it too far below. Depending on raid configurations and the fight, the two are now close enough in DPS that an end-game mage really does have a choice. (I guess we always had a choice, but who would want to intentionally choose a spec that didn't do maximum damage?)
The differences between FrostFire and Arcane now have slimmed to the point where player-execution makes the difference. Reflexes, 'twitchiness', and overall play skill (positioning, proper cooldown-stacking, reactions, etc.) will make or break the optimal DPS.
One thing that Arcane has going for it is it's ability to do burst DPS. With mana in good supply, Arcane can far out-burst any other spec.
It's taken Blizzard years and years, but they've finally offered us a choice of two specs which can be viable for raiding. (Now if they'd just fix all the goofy little bugs with the spell named after their company...)
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