Mage Bombs which is best for Arc??

[Tigersharrk 4]

So I was talking to a buddy of mine, who plays an Arcmage as a main, about Mage Bombs. He was saying that he was using LB but he recently switched to FB and is now doing higher DPS than before and suggest I try it (which I am but i'm not raiding yet to see a difference). Now he also mentioned ppl frequently using NT but said he never used it to judge. 

 

My main is Arc with Frost as an alt spec.

 

So I thought I'd take it to the experts here to find out what's the ultimate bomb, any thoughts???

 

 

OH! I can also use some help on picking glyphs, specifically if I should keep Cone of Cold Glyph or swap it? If so to what?

 

http://us.battle.net/wow/en/character/kirin-tor/Tigersharrk/advanced

Edited January 11, 2014 by Tigersharrk

[Belicosa 11]

LB for 3 or less targets, NT for 4+. A room full of ticking NTs is truly a thing of beauty.

 

Glyphs; I use slow, blink and evocate. Slow will automatically cast slow when you cast AB. Evo will heal you while you stand in your rune or if you evocate. Blink over explosion is personal preference I think, but I'm usually in a pretty small area, and blink adds survivability.

 

Oh, and please please please get your gear enchanted...people without enchants make enchanters sad.

[Stormy 11]

Your glyphs are fine, and so are your talents apart from the fact that blazing speed is usually preferred for arcane. Generally you don't want to use frost bomb on most fights. As Belicosa said, you'll be mostly using LB, and using NT on fights with considerable cleave/adds (Fallen Protectors, Galakras, Spoils of Pandaria...). The only fight I'm using frost bomb on is Immerseus in heroic (because it spawns shittons of adds with low health and boss dps isn't an issue)

Edited January 12, 2014 by Microchaton

[Tigersharrk 4]

So Evocate glyph still will heal you with RoP, eh?! Did not know that just though it was for Evocation.

 

I like Ice Floes, especially with the macro i'm using for it, plus I use blink for everything...I am a blinkwhore! I was using Blazing Speed but since I choose to double blink everywhere I need minus well use IF. 

 

Ok so for the time being I'll go back to LB until I get into a little more into raiding then I'll give NT a shot.

As for gylphs thinking of switching CoC to either Evocate or Slow, as for AE ill let it stay till more into raiding and chage it out when needing to. What about the Arc Power Gylph...Good or Bad???

 

#Belicosa...I know about my enchants, sorry i'm cheap and don't want to spend endless amounts of $$$ getting the mats I need for something i'm just going to replace in a month or two (I.E. my staff)....especially since i'm not officially raiding right now. Rest assure when I do go back you Ill be fully enchanted....PS love the 5th Element pict...."Multipass!"

Edited January 12, 2014 by Tigersharrk

[Oltier 471]

Dear Tigersharrk,

 

While we are more than happy to help you at any time we won't be able to tell you anything different, than it has already been written in out arcane mage guide.

 

Glyphs:

https://www.icy-veins.com/arcane-mage-wow-pve-dps-spec-builds-talents-glyphs

 

All of the talents and glyphs are explained here.

[Ghanjo 37]

I tried using Frost Bomb with Frenzied Crystal of Rage on Galakras HC last week. It was a major dps loss compared to using NT with the same trinket. When I look at the first three minutes of two different tries with different bombs, I did 449k dps using Nether Tempest and 374k dps with Frost Bomb.

 

If you want, you can check out the logs here (i am Ghanjo):

Nether Tempest log

Frost Bomb log

 

I know it's just a single test, and trinket procs or other RNG might have messed up my dps on the Frost Bomb try. But still, if Frost Bomb cannot compete on a fight like Galakras with so many adds, I don't see it working as the go-to bomb for arcane mages.

[Oltier 471]

I tried using Frost Bomb with Frenzied Crystal of Rage on Galakras HC last week. It was a major dps loss compared to using NT with the same trinket. When I look at the first three minutes of two different tries with different bombs, I did 449k dps using Nether Tempest and 374k dps with Frost Bomb.

 

If you want, you can check out the logs here (i am Ghanjo):

Nether Tempest log

Frost Bomb log

 

I know it's just a single test, and trinket procs or other RNG might have messed up my dps on the Frost Bomb try. But still, if Frost Bomb cannot compete on a fight like Galakras with so many adds, I don't see it working as the go-to bomb for arcane mages.

Additionally to this: There is NO WAY to keep up the optimal rotation with Frost Bomb. You will always find yourself casting something else, when Frost bomb comes off of cooldown (which you WANT TO caston cooldown, or it's a DPS loss already). And if you don't cast something else that time, you spent time doing nothing which is again, DPS loss.

 

If that friend of yours can prove what he is saying, I am up for theorycrafting. But practice and theory cannot prove his statement.

[voltaa 16]

LB for 3 or less targets, NT for 4+.

So I'm going to make a slight correction to this. When two or more targets are within 10 yards of each other for the majority of a fight, you will take NT over LB (this is useful for if you stack shamans). The cleave component of NT is what makes it so strong, having two NTs within 10 yards of each other is equal to 3 NTs.