TTW/Fire Mage Guide

[Theotherone]

I took your advice, reversed my reforging, put my crit back up to about 35% (with Molten Armor), put a little spirit to mastery or haste depending the item - puts my haste at 964; went back in on the LK last night and on the first phase (effectively a target dummy) was at around 17k dps, but was told to back off cause I kept aggroing everything with Living Bomb. Took Living Bomb out of the rotation for phase 1, and my dps dropped like a stone.

Your right about watching the LB ticks and not clipping it; you really need to be mindful to not put it up early.

[Goros]

I started using magenuggets and combustionhelper to keep track.

I ended up giving up on mastery completely for fire, i went straight haste once i hit the 45% crit number with molten armor (because of the t3/t4 hotstreak ROI for crit). When we hit 85 mastery should be the best stat for fire hands down because we'll see our dots (including ffb) ticking for 200%+ damage.

Right now, it's basically useless except on adds.

In my testing with multiple targets in fire with mastery on the SW dummies (where combustion and LB spread to 2 other dummies because they are close together) I was pulling a sustained 13.5k on the dummies alone. In Ironforge with the single dummy it was around 9.5k, but when i dumped mastery and put it in haste it went to around 10.5k.

In arcane I can pull and maintain 11.5k on dummies self buffed, indefinitely, with spikes during cd's of over 20k dps....in ICC10 I'm averaging around 15k on single target fights in arcane, and similar in fire, but have some mastery reforges going on in arcane where I sacrificed some crit. It is weird being arcane and not running OOM, ever.

This week I'm testing arcane without extra mastery at all, just haste & crit for everything.

[Theotherone]

I started using magenuggets and combustionhelper to keep track.

I ended up giving up on mastery completely for fire, i went straight haste once i hit the 45% crit number with molten armor (because of the t3/t4 hotstreak ROI for crit). When we hit 85 mastery should be the best stat for fire hands down because we'll see our dots (including ffb) ticking for 200%+ damage.

Right now, it's basically useless except on adds.

In my testing with multiple targets in fire with mastery on the SW dummies (where combustion and LB spread to 2 other dummies because they are close together) I was pulling a sustained 13.5k on the dummies alone. In Ironforge with the single dummy it was around 9.5k, but when i dumped mastery and put it in haste it went to around 10.5k.

In arcane I can pull and maintain 11.5k on dummies self buffed, indefinitely, with spikes during cd's of over 20k dps....in ICC10 I'm averaging around 15k on single target fights in arcane, and similar in fire, but have some mastery reforges going on in arcane where I sacrificed some crit. It is weird being arcane and not running OOM, ever.

This week I'm testing arcane without extra mastery at all, just haste & crit for everything.

I'm going close to OOM in fire; I really want Clearcasting back, but pulling points from the Frost increased crit chance talent doesn't thrill me; but then again no mana = no casting = no dps . I end up going over to Mage Armor to mana regen during lulls in a fight. I beginning to think that for Fire spirit may not be a complete waste.

[Goros]

I think we'll see more healer synergies with Cata, where our healers will be tossing us enervates and power infusions as part of the rotation as opposed to having to beg for them.

At least I hope so.

[Goros]

Just as a note to anyone that has access to it...

I swapped my Muradin's Spyglass for my Reign of the Unliving and noticed a significant increase in DPS in Arcane, both during burn phases and overall damage done. And yes, my spyglass was reforged for haste.

I am unsure this swap would be beneficial to Fire (for a number of reasons), but haven't tested it in ICC or on a dummy yet. Does anyone have any concrete trial & error from it yet?

[Tschus]

I took your advice, reversed my reforging, put my crit back up to about 35% (with Molten Armor), put a little spirit to mastery or haste depending the item - puts my haste at 964; went back in on the LK last night and on the first phase (effectively a target dummy) was at around 17k dps, but was told to back off cause I kept aggroing everything with Living Bomb. Took Living Bomb out of the rotation for phase 1, and my dps dropped like a stone.

Your right about watching the LB ticks and not clipping it; you really need to be mindful to not put it up early.

What's the strategy you're using in phase 1? If the OT picks up the adds and tank them separately from LK, I dont think the living bomb would be a problem due to the hugely reduced explosion damage and the restriction of 3 targets.
If it's really a problem, try clipping off every explosion instead? With the current DoT system, you will be only clipping off the explosion but not the last tick if you refresh it during the second last tick and the last tick. That gives you a 100% uptime on living bomb. Compare with the extra explosion damage which is weaker than the DoT ticks, I would say it might not be a dps loss.
(I'm not sure, not tested it myself, and haven't done any researches or reading on this though.)

Any of you tried another way of reforging - get a healthy amount of haste (1000~1200 I guess) and then put crit as high as possible? My gears are too sucks for testing reforging so can't tell how it goes. And from any resources I've read, mastery isn't worth it for fire currently.

[Goros]

Mastery is only good for trash, which basically makes it bad for bosses (in fire).

Your haste cap is different for everyone, depending on your latency. I have around a 50 latency, so I run around 1100 or so. I reforged my haste to 34%, which reduced my crit to around 34%, and my DPS went down significantly on the target dummy.

The magic number for fire seems to be crit around 45%, so a base of like 41-42, plus molten armor. There's a chart earlier in this post detailing the t3/t4 hotstreak return on investment for crit.

My dps went down when i reforged over 45% crit. It's tricky to get right.

[Tschus]

I guess it's because you're sacrificing too much haste for the crit, not because crit isn't good after 45%. If I understand the chart right it says that crit is becoming better and better after 45%.
Umm, what haste cap are you referring to?

[Goros]

where your latency to the server alters the speed of how much haste will benefit you. People at 150 latency cap around 1k, people at 400 cap around 900. Their ping doesn't allow them to take full advantage of the haste their character might have, no matter how hard or fast you pound the keyboard. It's different for everyone, and can vary from day to day, but I get no benefit over 1100 at around 50 latency. I also have black magic and use double speed pots, as well heroism. With any of the 3 proccing, I hit GCD cap and can't benefit for more (if i stack speed pot and heroism I don't get any faster).

I was still pulling in around 850 haste when i reforged to over 50% crit, and it was a HUGE dps loss. Remember that haste effects how many ticks you get on your DOTs before they wear off, so there is more of a balance between the 2 as opposed to a clear cut haste>crit or crit>haste relationship.

I'd say crit to 45%, then haste to 1100, then crit up from there...for me at least. mastery was a complete and utter waste except on multiple mobs, better of just not reforging an item than to put anything into mastery.

I tested 2k worth of gold reforging and recording boss dummy videos in IF and SW, and with my gear that was the best I could get (average Item Level of 271).

[Theadan]

HI, would like to know if 45% critc is unbuffed or with buff?
thanks for reply

[Goros]

45% is with molten armor.

[shady1989]

Thanks for this awesome guide ! i'd ask for a big favor ill post my gear and stats and proff's could you advise me in geming and enchants ? because I'm very disapointed with my dps in icc

[shady1989]

Head : Sanctified Bloodmage Hood item lvl : 264
Neck: Amulet of the Silent Eulogy
Shoulders: Sanctified Bloodmage Shoulderpads item lvl: 264
Back: Volder's Cloak of the Night Sky item lvl : 264
Chest: Sanctified Bloodmage Robe item lvl: 264
Wrist: The Lady's Brittle Bracers item lvl: 264
Hand's : Sanctified Bloodmage Gloves item lvl: 264
Waist: Belt of Omission item lvl: 264
Leg's: Leggings of Woven Death item lvl: 264
Feet : Plague Scientist's Boots item lvl: 264
Ring1 : Ashen Band of Endless Destruction item lvl: 264
Ring2 : Loop of the Endless Labyrinth item lvl: 264
Trinket1 : Reign on the Unliving item lvl: 245
Trinket2: Muradin's Spyglass item lvl: 251
Main Hand : Frozen Bonespke item lvl: 264
Off Hand : Symbol of Transgression
Wand : Corpse-Impaling Spike

Prof's : Engineering and Jewelcrafting!
Human mage by the way
Anyone some advice on geming and enchanting these item's?

[sifuedition]

Holy necro batman. This thread was 3 years old.

Recommendations...

Get to 85 and gear up.

[shady1989]

the server where i play is only at LK
That's the only reason im asking
Anyone some advice?

[Sky]

Enchants are listed in the guide.

I'm assuming you're playing on a server that's up to date with WotLK, so gems are generally as many reds as you can get while having the metagem active.

Honestly, your stuff isn't bad at all, I would focus on how you're using your CD's, spells, and your efficiency in movement. Analyze and learn after each boss fight. That will result in a bigger DPS increase.

[Martie]

Anyone some advice?

Stop being a freeloader and start paying for the game.

[shady1989]

Sky thanks for youre reply i finished my new geming and i have 3053 spellpower 49% fire crit chance and 693 haste self buffed i used 12 spellpower 10 haste in every red and yellow slot do you think i should youse 23 only in red sockets and 20 haste in yellow?

[Sky]

Refer to this section-

"Haste- This increases increases the speed you cast. For TTW/Fire, a desirable level of haste is to have enough haste so that three fireball casts are affected by the 2T10 bonus. This requires about 650 haste assuming all raid buffs. Of course, the more haste, the better. Depending on gearset, haste still may be the most valuable stat. Another useful amount of haste to have is 1175, meaning that with Heroism, it will be possible to fit in four fireballs within the 2T10 Mage bonus.

Here are the useful milestones for haste, ignoring the effect of lag. These all assume full raid buffs.
650 Haste- Fitting in three Fireballs within the 2T10 bonus.
781 Haste- GCD is at 1 second with 2T10 bonus.
925 Haste- Fitting in four fireballs within the 2T10 bonus with Heroism and Black Magic active.
1175 Haste- Fitting in four fireballs within the 2T10 bonus with Heroism active."

Get the haste that you need, and then have as many red gems as possible. Yellow sockets should be filled with either int/haste (depending on socket bonus) or simply be straight up int. Red is always int.

I'm not gonna answer any further questions because your questions could have been answered by reading the guide.