Mage talent analysis
From WoWWiki
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Mage talents are listed elsewhere. I found the Druid Talent Analysis page really useful in creating a druid build, so I wanted to start something similar to help people make custom mage builds.
Arcane
Arcane Sublety
2 Points: Reduces your target's resistance to all your spells by {5/10} and all of your Arcane spells cause {20/40}% less threat
- Largest Threat decrease you can get on a Magic school.
- Solo Utility: Threat doesn't matter in solofarming and the 10 magic penetration don't really make a difference.
- Raid Utility: If you plan on going further down the arcane tree this is a must have on your way down, espacially if you want to go deep arcane. And the tanks will be happy about the aggro reduce while aoeing.
- PVP Ulility: Threat doesn't matter here and the 10 penetrationn won't really matter, 'cos noone will wear resistance gear in PVP.
- Solo Utility: Threat doesn't matter in solofarming and the 10 magic penetration don't really make a difference.
- Bottom Line: If you Raid you should take it, but don't touch it for PVP or Soloing.
Arcane Focus
5 Points: Reduces the chance that the opponent can resist your Arcane spells by {2/4/6/8/10}%
- Bigger hitchance with arcane... why not.
- Solo Utility: Skip it.
- Raid Utility: If you already took Arcane Sublety you should spend your next three points here. And if you're Deep arcane, spend all your points here.
- PVP Utility: Skip it.
- Solo Utility: Skip it.
- Bottom Line: This is a Raid talent, as are most +Hit skills.
Improved Arcane Missiles
5 Points: Gives you a {20/40/60/80/100}% chance to avoid interruption caused by damage while channeling Arcane Missiles.
- This is the only spell you can get a 100% Pushback resistance
- Solo Utility: Well if a great skill for leveling and important if you choose AM as you main spell.
- Raid Utility: Helps against bosses with AOE effects. On any other location useless.
- PVP Utility: Why would you use AM in PVP?
- Solo Utility: Well if a great skill for leveling and important if you choose AM as you main spell.
- Bottom Line: Interesting for Deep Arcane mages. Other builds may skip it.
Fire
Improved Fireball
5 Points: Reduces the casting time of your Fireball spell by 0.5 sec.
- A faster casting time means more damage a second and less of a chance for spell pushback. A must for fire Mages.
- Solo Utility: If you're a fire Mage take it. If you aren't, take it if you have the free points.
- Raid Utility: Take it. More DPS is never a bad thing in a raid.
- PVP Ulility: Good for PvP because of reduced pushback. If you have the points, take it.
- Solo Utility: If you're a fire Mage take it. If you aren't, take it if you have the free points.
- Bottom Line: A must for fire Mages. Good in every situation.
Ignite
5 Points: Your critical strikes from Fire damage spells cause the target to burn for an additional 40% of your spell's damage over 4 sec.
- This will make your fire criticals also apply a DoT to the target.
- Solo Utility: Take it.
- Raid Utility: Take it if you're fire.
- PVP Ulility: Take it. Criticals are essential to PvP and this talent adds critical damage.
- Solo Utility: Take it.
- Bottom Line: A must for fire Mages. Good in every situation.
Frost
Frost Warding
2 points: Increases the armor and resistances given by your Frost Armor and Ice Armor spells by {15/30}%. In addition, gives your Frost Ward a {10/20}% chance to reflect Frost spells and effects while active.
- Lower cast time equals higher DPS and a reduced chance to be interrupted.
- Solo Utility: Handy to have additional armor and resistance when leveling
- Raid Utility: You don't need the armor or the frost resistance for raiding, so most raid builds skip it
- PVP Utility: +194 armor is handy.
- Solo Utility: Handy to have additional armor and resistance when leveling
- Bottom Line: Use this talent as you level, or for pvp, but lose it for raiding.
Improved Frostbolt
5 points: Reduces the casting time of your Frostbolt spell by {0.1/0.2/0.3/0.4/0.5} sec. Reduces the bonus damage from items by {2/4/6/8/10}%. Changed in 2.0.6; doesn't appear on the tooltip. The reduction of bonus damage from items has removed in 2.3.0.
- Faster casting = more damage in all circumstances.
- Solo Utility: Get it.
- Raid Utility: Get it.
- PvP Utility: Get it.
- Solo Utility: Get it.
- Bottom Line: If you are going to use Frostbolt, get this talent. Most people start here.
Elemental Precision
3 points: Reduces the mana cost and chance that the enemy can resist your Frost and Fire spells by {1/2/3}%.
- For new players, this doesn't seem that special, but it increases hit rating, which is critical for raiding. This talent allows you to do more damage against enemies that are a higher level than you are.
- Solo Utility: Take it or leave it.
- Raid Utility: Critical. Taking this talent means you only need +126 spell hit on your gear to be able to hit level 73 raid bosses 99% of the time.
- PvP Utility: No benefit.
- Solo Utility: Take it or leave it.
- Bottom Line: If you're raiding, you need this. Fire specced raiders will also take this talent. PVP players should skip it.
Ice Shards
Requires 5 points in Frost Talents
5 points: Increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Frost spells by 100%.
- This is a nice crit bonus. Taking this talent significantly increases the benefit of +crit gear.
- Solo Utility: Useful.
- Raid Utility: Critical for maximizing your output.
- PvP Utility: PVP fights are shorter so crit is less important
- Solo Utility: Useful.
- Bottom Line: Most frost mages take this talent.
Frostbite
Requires 5 points in Frost Talents
3 points: Gives your Chill effects a {5/10/15}% chance to freeze the target for 5 sec.
- This is incredibly useful for kiting and snaring.
- Solo Utility: Makes it much easier to keep your distance and reduce the damage taken.
- Raid Utility: Not useful - most raid bosses can't be frozen.
- PvP Utility: Must have.
- Solo Utility: Makes it much easier to keep your distance and reduce the damage taken.
- Bottom Line: Handy for leveling or PvP - leave it out for raiding.
Improved Frost Nova
Requires 5 points in Frost Talents
2 points: Reduces the cooldown of your Frost Nova spell by {2/4} sec.
- Very handy utility talent.
- Solo Utility: Makes it much easier to keep your distance and reduce the damage taken.
- Raid Utility: Not useful - most raid bosses can't be frozen.
- PvP Utility: Frost nova is key for reducing damage taken.
- Solo Utility: Makes it much easier to keep your distance and reduce the damage taken.
- Bottom Line: Handy for leveling or PvP - leave it out for raiding.
For more information, see the detailed page of Mage Talents.
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