Beforethepatch,MagePvPcouldbedistilleddowntoacoupleofabsolutetruths.Thefirstofthesewas:SpecFrost.Thesecondwas:YouwilllosetoWarlocks,Druids,Priests,Hunters,andRogues,andonlyreliablybeatWarriorsoneonone.PvPwasaknownquantity.Weknewbaseduponthematchupwhatourchanceswere,weknewourstrengthsandlimitations,andweknewwhichspecworkedthebest(cough...17/0/44).
Thepatchturnedallofthatonitshead.Whatspellsworknow?Whattalentsshouldwebetaking?Arewebetterorworseoffnowthanweweretwoweeksago?Joinmeafterthebreakandwe'llseewherewestand.Iwon'tbelinkingspecifictalentbuildshere,asI'mstillironingoutmyownbuilds.Isimplywouldn'tfeelcomfortablerecommendinganythingspecifictoyouwhenI'mnotevencomfortablerecommendinganythingtomyself.Instead,Iintendtotakeabroaderviewofthethreeschoolsasawhole,notingtheirprosandcons,ageneralstrategyforeach,andwhichaspectsofPvPtheyexcelat.
ThoughIenjoyburningdownraidbossesasmuchasthenextMage(especiallynowthattheraidbossesinquestionaresomucheasiertoburndown),Imakenosecretaboutthefactthatmyfirstlovehasalwaysbeenburningdownotherplayers.Whenpatch3.0.2landedsoforcefullyuponourheads,bearingwithitaplethoraofnewandrevampedspellsandtalents,Ihavetoadmitthatmyfirstburningquestionwasnotsomuch"howwillthishelpmedownKil'jaeden,"asitwas"howwillthishelpmebrutallyslaughterthenextWarlockIstumbleacross?"
Arcane
ThisisthebuildI'vehadthemosthands-ontimewith,andIhavetosayI'mimpressed.Atfirst,IwasworriedaboutthelowsurvivabilityIwasseeing.AsidefromincrediblyhighspellresistancesviaMagicAbsorptionandtheminormitigationoftalentslikeArcaneFortitude,ImprovedBlink,andPrismaticCloak,therejustisn'tmuchheretokeepyoufromdyingliketheclothieyouare.Isoondiscoveredthattheproblemlaynotwiththetreeitself,butwithmyplay-style.
Iwasgoingintobattlewiththeold,stand-in-one-place-and-unloadmentalitythattheArcanetreeusedtorequire.Thatideaisgonenow.TheArcanetreeisnowdesignedformobility.SpellslikeArcaneBlastandArcaneMissilesthatrequireyoutostandstillandcastarerelicsofthepast.TheprimaryPvPspellforArcaneMagesisnowArcaneBarrage.AnArcaneMageshouldnowbeconstantlymovinginPvP,runningandBlinkingfromcovertocover,launchingoutArcaneBarrageseverythreeseconds,applyingSlowwhenneeded,squeezingintheoccasionalFireBlastorArcaneExplosionasthesituationdictates,andpausingonlytorattleoffatruncatedArcaneMissileswheneverMissileBarrageprocs,ortothrowoutaPolymorphwhencontrolisneeded.
ArcaneBarrageprovidesstrong,consistentdamagewhileonthemove,andburstdamagecomeswithdecentfrequencywheneverMissileBarrageprocs.PresenceofMindcanbecoupledwithFrostboltforsnarepurposes,orArcaneBlastwhenrawdamageismoreuseful.ArcaneMissilesisstillusefulinthesamesituationsitwaspre-patch,asawaytoensuredamagewhenthetargetisabouttoduckoutofline-of-sight.
Survivabilityislowifcaughtintheopen,butthisspecprovidesasurprisingsenseofslipperiness.UsethemobilityprovidedbyArcaneBarragetopillar-dance,duckingbackandforthbehindcoverbetweencasts.BlinkandFrostNovaprovideescapemechanisms,aswellasinstant-fadeInvisibility(aslongasyoudon'thaveanynastyDoTsonyouthatwouldbreakit).Thekeyhereistoremainconstantlymobile,andconstantlycasting.IceBlockisevenmorehelpfulinthissituation,asitcanbecoupledwithInvisibilitytoprovideanalmostRogue-likegetawaymechanic.IceBlockremovestheDoTs,andinstant-Invisletsyoufleeunseentowhereveryouplease(unlessyou'refightingaWarlock,ofcourse).
Slowispowerfulcontroloption,allowsyoutostaymobile,andincreasesyourdamagewhencoupledwithTormenttheWeak.FocusMagickeepsyourcritshighifusedonateammatewhocastsandcritsfrequently.ImprovedCounterspellisstillthepowerfultoolitalwayswas,andhasn'tlostanyofitslusteramongallofthechanges.ArcaneFlowslowersthecooldownonyourtwosinglebiggestDPSboosts(PresenceofMindandArcanePower)toaveryagreeabletwominutes,anddoesthesameforyournewmostusefulescapespell,Invisibility.
Overall,thistreeispossiblythemostmobileofthethree,provideshighDPS,decentburstcapability,verynicecontrolmechanics,andapleasantamountofescapeoptionstooffsetanotherwiselowsurvivability.IhaveveryfewcomplaintswiththeArcanetreeasitrelatestoPvP.
Fire
FireisstilltheleastattractiveofthethreetreesforPvPpurposes.FireMageshavealwaysbeentheposterchildrenfor"killfast,diefaster,"andthepatchhasn'tdonemuchofanythingtochangethatconcept.Ifanything,thechangeshavereinforcedthehigh-damage,lowsurvivabilityroleofFireMages,ratherthanattempttodiminishit.Still,nobodycanbringthepainquicklylikeaFireMage,andwithanexpandedAoErepertoireandafewnewtricksuptheirsleeves,FireMageshaveauniqueplaceinthePvPhierarchy.
Asalways,damageiskingwithFireMages.CritscomeoftenandhithardwithtalentslikeCombustion,HotStreak,andBurnout,andthepotentialforblowingthecrapoutofmultipletargetshasneverbeenbetter.Potentially,nobodykillsmorepayersfasterthanaFireMage.WithFirestarter,youcannowthrowoutaguaranteedinstantFlamestrikeeverytimeyoucastBlastWaveorDragon'sBreath.Doingitrighttakesalittleluckandadecentamountofskill,butwhenitworks,that'salotofdamagetoalotoftargets,veryquickly.Youstillwon'tlastlonginthemiddleofthatcrowd,butthey'lldefinitelyknowyouwerethereafterthey'vereducedyoutoaspotontheground.ThrowingaLivingBombinthemiddleofthatpileofenemiesandthedamagewilladdupveryquickly.
BlastWave'sknockbackeffectisoneofthemostusefulnewmechanicsyou'llfindinPvPforMages.Theknockbackissubstantial,andcanwreakhavocincertainsituations.Itcanonlybeusedeverythirtyseconds,sosaveitforcertainsituations,likeknockinganentiregroupofenemiesoffthecliffatthelumbermillflaginArathiBasin,orblowingattackersoutoftowersinAlteracValleyoroutoftheflagroominWarsongGulch.Wordscannotdescribethedeathyoucandealwithawell-placedBlastWaveinEyeoftheStorm.
Asyoumayalreadyhaveguessed,FireMagesarestillnotidealArenacombatants.Theysimplycannotlivelongenoughtounleashtheirconsiderabledamagecapabilitiesinthatcompressedenvironment.Survivabilityoptions,asalways,arelow.FireMagesarelimitedtotheall-too-unpredictableBlazingSpeed,andthealwaysusefulBlinkandIceBlockasescape/survivalabilities.Forcontrolpurposes,FrostNova,theubiquitousPolymorph,andImpact%26#8211;whichistooinfrequenttotrulydependupon%26#8211;aretheonlyoptions.Theproblem,asalwayswithFireMagesinanArenasetting,isthattheyarenotonlyfragilebutalsosittingducks,astheyqueueuptheirhigh-damagecast-time-heavyspells.LivingBombprovidesabitofmobility,butnotnearlyasmuchasisneeded.InBattlegrounds,thisisn'taslargeanissue,butit'scripplinginArenas.
FieryPaybackisaveryinterestingPvPspell.Itprovidesadecentamountofdamagemitigationwhenbelow35%health,aswellasareallysexyburstdamageoption.Nothingsays"boom,you'redead"likea1.5secondPyroblasttothefaceeveryfiveseconds.Whenthistalentisactive,you'lltake20%lessdamageacrosstheboard,andbeabletochurnoutaFireball/Scorch/PyroblastrotationwithFireBlastsandwichedinascooldownpermits,andinflictdamagelikenospellrotationhaseverinflictedinthehistoryofspellrotationsinflictingdamage.Theproblem,ofcourseisthatthisrotation%26#8211;likeeveryFirerotation%26#8211;requiresyoutostandstill,anditalsorequiresyoutoBEATLESSTHAN35%HEALTH.Goodluckwiththat.Myadviceistohidebehindatree,andhopenobodynoticesyou.
Inshort,aFireMagecanbeveryeffectiveinBattlegroundPvP.Whentheycanlineupatargetatrangeandrainfierydeathdownuponthemforafewseconds,FireMagescankillveryeffectively.TheirAoEskillsareunmatched,andhavegreaterapplicationinthelarge-scaleconflictfoundinplaceslikeAlteracValleyandEyeoftheStorm.Sadly,lowsurvivabilityandmobilitystillplaguetheminArena,andyou'resimplybetterofftakingadifferentspecintothoseclose-quarters,short-durationencounters.
Frost
BeforethepatchFrostwastheundisputedkingofMagePvP.Afterthepatch,ittotallystillis.Withveryfewexceptions,everythingthatworkedbeforeworksjustaseffectively(ifnotmoreso)now.IceBarrierisstillawesome.Shattercombosstillworkbeautifully.Therearesomefunnewadditionsthatcomeintothemixpost-patch,though,andthey'realmostuniversallyimpressive.
BrainFreezeintroducesafreshwrinkleinPvPforFrostMages.ProccingasoftenasFingersofFrost,itgivesFrostMagesafrequent,mana-free,instant-castFireball.YouwillwanttobewatchfulnottowasteachargeofFingersofFrostonit,asitwon'tbenefitfromanyofthebonusestheFrosttreegrantsyouagainstfrozentargets,butotherwise,it'safreeinstantnuke,andaflatDPSboost.
MydeepandabidingdisgustwithDeepFreezeisnosecret,butPvPiswhereitfulfillsitspurpose.Thoughitonlystunsfrozentargets,asthepreviousparagraphssuggest,yourtargetswillbefrozenalot.Thisspelllocksthemdowncompletelyforfiveseconds,andittreatsthemasfrozenfortheduration,meaning(alltogethernow)morekilling.ItssolepurposeiscontrolinPvP,andDeepFreezeperformsthistaskwithadmirableefficiency.IwillneverstopwishingithadauseoutsideofBattlegroundsandArena,butattheveryleastthespelldoeswhatBlizzardhasdesignedittodo,anditdoesitwell.
Frostisstillhighlymobile,asdamagingasitalwayswas,andveryhardtokill.FrostMagescanstillcontrolaPvPencounteraswellasorbetterthananyotherclassorspecinthegame,andthepatchhasonlymadethatadvantagemorepronounced.
ThehallmarkofFrosthasalwaysbeencontrolandsurvivability,andthosetwostrengthshaveonlybeenenhanced.ControlisstillprovidedlargelybyFrostNova,Polymorph,andthechilleffectprovidedbyFrostbolt.FrostMagescanstillplayavirtuallyendlessgameofkeep-awaywithmeleeclasses,anddishouthighandfrequentburstdamagewithShattercombos.Theendofdownrankinghasnegatedtheoldpracticeofthrowingoutquick-cast,low-manasnareswithrankoneFrostbolt,whichsucks,butlifegoeson.Byandlarge,thetacticsthatwonafightforFrostMagestwoweeksagostillwinthefightforthemtoday.
Severalmajoradditionsonlyenhancethosetactics.FingersofFrostallowsyourchilleffectstoapplyadebuffthatwillconsiderthetargetfrozenforthenexttwospells,andprocswithsolidfrequency.Thismeansyourenemieswillbefrozenmoreoften,whichmeansmoreshattercombos,andthatmeansmorekilling.ShatteredBarriergivesyouareasontoletyourIceBarrierexpire,settingoffafreeFrostNova,whichagain,meansmorecontrol,morefreezing,moreShattercombos,andyes,morekilling.ImprovedWaterElemental,inadditiontorestoringmanatoyouandyourallies,alsoincreasesthedurationofyourbigbluebuddyby15seconds,whileColdasIcelowershiscooldownby20%,whichmeansmorechilleffects,moredamage,morefreezing,and%26#8211;sayitwithme%26#8211;morekilling.