Critique requested. Frustrated Mage

[Jeff 1]

http://us.battle.net/wow/en/character/blackhand/Hydrolance/advanced

Heroic Jim'Rokh is a good example

http://worldoflogs.com/reports/rt-4s2ko86jvi625582/sum/damageDone/?s=883&e=1130

My DPS is terrible. I am always on the bottom or close to the bottom no matter the fight. I cant keep up with these guys. I have been using simcraft to get my stat weights for AMR for gemming and reforge.

I am still frost because if I go fire..its even worse for me. The rotation, as you know, is simple. Keep tempest or bomb up, frostbolt, hit procs.

My DPS was climbing well until i hit around 515 ilevel. I am 528 now. Since 515 (roughly) it seems like everyone else has blown right past me on the DPS charts and I have remained rather static in my output.

I suspect part of my problem is using simcraft several times over to get my stat weights. I repeat the sim until i see a decline in DPS. I then use the last positive DPS stat weights for AMR. Maybe I am doing this wrong. I was looking for a way to squeeze out more dps and it seems I have really confused my mage and myself over this.

Any thoughts on simcraft for stat weights?

[matul 0]

Hi Jeff,

perhaps some thoughts to your link WoL fight:

- Your Mage bomb Nether Tempest has an uptime of 47,5 % (Check Tab "Damage By Spell" and column Uptime). You should reach values 95%+.

- Your Invoker's Energy uptime (Check Tab "Buffs gained") has an uptime of 80%. Should also be higher.

- I don't see an Potion of the Jade Serpent (Check Tab "Buffs gained"). Has an high impact on the damage (Prepot them, so use one before pull, so you an use another during fight)

- For single target fight I would recommond LB instead of NT.

Just compare your values with e.g. the top Frost mage in 10H (WoL Link). [uptime LB 93%, Invoker's Energy 93%, Potion used]

Hope this helps,

/matul

[Jeff 1]

Thank you for the notes. I have been using a "pom/nether tempest 12/ Frostbolt x 5" macro. I adjust the x 5 number based on my current haste. Typically i end up refreshing too soon though and I end up modifying. So this is def something for me to look into. Same with the invokers. I have that set up with weak auras. I imagine the time these are down most is during the lightening phase when i am running around dodging lightning balls but,again, something for me to look at. Thanks for the suggestions matul.

[Krazyito 521]

Setting up a weak aura to track your bomb and invoker buff could help you keep an eye on them.

[Zagam 1,982]

Never look to your reforging and gemming for DPS issues. They are ALWAYS tied into playstyle. Follow the traditional rules of casters...prepot, pot during bloodlust, ABC (always be casting), use your procs correctly, and maintain as close to 100% as possible for your DoTs and self-controlled buffs.

[Oltier 471]

Setting up a weak aura to track your bomb and invoker buff could help you keep an eye on them.

And getting rid of that macro... I cannot even imagine how you can multi-dot with it on Council.

Also, get rid of PoM. Use ice flows/Blazing speed instead, and optimize your movement. You let you FB debuff drop 14 times, that resulted in 15% less DPS for a few seconds. This unoptimized movement also resulted in less Frostbolt casts, that obviously resulted in less FFB and Ice Lance procs.

Refreshing your Bomb only when it expires is also bad. Everytime you get a strong int trinket proc, refresh your bomb.

In the log that you have linked, you have had no Frost armor on you.

You don't use the cold snap, Ice block combination mentioned in the mage style topic, that means you have to move even more, with Ionization.

I have a strong feel as well, that you move too early with the ball lightning as well if it fixates on you. Wait until it gets close, Blink out, Blazing speed back into the water.

Invokers energy, as people mentioned it above. Always refresh it before every new puddle spawn, to maximize it's uptime.

You have only used Icy veins, Alter time, Berserking and mirror image once, whilst it should've been possible 3 times.

As I can see, you also use the Icy veins, Berserking, Alter time macro. While it wasn't an issue at this specific fight, I would suggest to use Alter time separetly, because a trinket could easily proc during Alter Time (if it should proc soonishly), thus making it to be wasted..

I am sorry if I sound harsh, I don't mean to but analyzing logs cannot be made to be fun...

[Soulcraft 2]

Jeff,

So hopefully I can provide some help on this matter. It looks like you're current gear doesn't quite have enough crit to warrent going fire, so frost should be fine. You should definitely be using Living Bomb over NT. I'd also suggest grabbing Temporal Shield over IB as the heals it proves are quite nice, especially on H Jin'rokh.

Speaking of that fight, here's what I've found to be successful. Definitely pre-pot. There's good dps time before the first punt/water phase. During the ball phase (depending how your group does it), I'm able to keep up my DOT and do some damage as I can dodge effectively/blink/temp shield to escape pretty much any damage. Worst case scenario I just ice block if I'm trapped in a sea of death. I'm able to block as my group just deals with ionization normally (running out of the pool in phases and healing through it). I don't need to pre-block and dodge ionization.

Granted all the movement in this fight does favor fire, as scorching is a lot better than ice lancing (without fingers), but given these few changes (living bomb, potting, always be casting, dps'ing while dodging balls), you should at least pump out a good deal more damage.

[Jeff 1]

And getting rid of that macro... I cannot even imagine how you can multi-dot with it on Council.

Also, get rid of PoM. Use ice flows/Blazing speed instead, and optimize your movement. You let you FB debuff drop 14 times, that resulted in 15% less DPS for a few seconds. This unoptimized movement also resulted in less Frostbolt casts, that obviously resulted in less FFB and Ice Lance procs.

Refreshing your Bomb only when it expires is also bad. Everytime you get a strong int trinket proc, refresh your bomb.

In the log that you have linked, you have had no Frost armor on you.

You don't use the cold snap, Ice block combination mentioned in the mage style topic, that means you have to move even more, with Ionization.

I have a strong feel as well, that you move too early with the ball lightning as well if it fixates on you. Wait until it gets close, Blink out, Blazing speed back into the water.

Invokers energy, as people mentioned it above. Always refresh it before every new puddle spawn, to maximize it's uptime.

You have only used Icy veins, Alter time, Berserking and mirror image once, whilst it should've been possible 3 times.

As I can see, you also use the Icy veins, Berserking, Alter time macro. While it wasn't an issue at this specific fight, I would suggest to use Alter time separetly, because a trinket could easily proc during Alter Time (if it should proc soonishly), thus making it to be wasted..

I am sorry if I sound harsh, I don't mean to but analyzing logs cannot be made to be fun...

That log was such a bad example but I was pretty rough on that whole raid so in that way, I guess it was good too.

I appreciate all the feedback. It all helps, harsh or otherwise.

Getting rid of said macro is going to happen. In regards to council, anytime you acquire a new target the macro resets, that's how multi dotting works on council with this macro).

I will need to pay more attention to INT trink procs for bomb usage. That is something I have not done. I did not realize there was that much of a difference between applying the bomb at that point when compared to just keeping it running in a rotation.

The lightning orbs I speak of is during the storm phase on heroic. Although, I have not been doing what you said on the ball lightning. I do move too early and I need to hold ground.

Using that macro with alter time kicks me in the rear too often. Last night on second attempt, I popped it and then immediately got lightning orb. Wiped the raid because of that.

Never look to your reforging and gemming for DPS issues. They are ALWAYS tied into playstyle. Follow the traditional rules of casters...prepot, pot during bloodlust, ABC (always be casting), use your procs correctly, and maintain as close to 100% as possible for your DoTs and self-controlled buffs.

I think I get too wrapped up in the things I cant control and I get away from the basics. Time to simplify things again. Thank you for the feedback.

Jeff,

So hopefully I can provide some help on this matter. It looks like you're current gear doesn't quite have enough crit to warrent going fire, so frost should be fine. You should definitely be using Living Bomb over NT. I'd also suggest grabbing Temporal Shield over IB as the heals it proves are quite nice, especially on H Jin'rokh.

Speaking of that fight, here's what I've found to be successful. Definitely pre-pot. There's good dps time before the first punt/water phase. During the ball phase (depending how your group does it), I'm able to keep up my DOT and do some damage as I can dodge effectively/blink/temp shield to escape pretty much any damage. Worst case scenario I just ice block if I'm trapped in a sea of death. I'm able to block as my group just deals with ionization normally (running out of the pool in phases and healing through it). I don't need to pre-block and dodge ionization.

Granted all the movement in this fight does favor fire, as scorching is a lot better than ice lancing (without fingers), but given these few changes (living bomb, potting, always be casting, dps'ing while dodging balls), you should at least pump out a good deal more damage.

Yeah I was just reading on the Ionozation and pre blocking strategy and I see some do it and some don't. Guess its a playstyle thing. I am going to give it a shot though.

Thanks for the info on the bomb change and temp shield. I am def going to mix these in tonight. A B C, always be casting. My activity level is low or lowest and I guess that means I haven't been casting as much as I should be, even if its just tossing out lances during movement.

[Oltier 471]

Please keep in mind Jeff, that you can use the MultiQuote option in order to avoid multiposting. I did it for you now.

You should of course dodge the balls during the lightning phase. I rather meant the random small balls that spawn during the non-lightning phase.

Your activity most likely suffered because you died once. And apply Frost armor on you, don't forget it!

[Jeff 1]

Yeah I remember looking up and not seeing it when we went after Horridon and wondering just how long I ran without it haha. Yeah I will get on board with the multi quote posting. Saves time.

[Tarazet 144]

Thanks for the info on the bomb change and temp shield. I am def going to mix these in tonight. A B C, always be casting. My activity level is low or lowest and I guess that means I haven't been casting as much as I should be, even if its just tossing out lances during movement.

Yeah, I've been playing Arcane lately and just tossing in a Fire Blast or CoC here and there when I have to move makes a substantial difference. There are always moments of indecisiveness when you're learning, and you'll learn to overcome those with experience on the encounter.