Mage talent build - conclusison after trying 2 different

Hi;


A month or so ago I respeced from a Fire/arcanes to Frost/arcanes. Now that I've had a chance to play around, I though I'd share my conclusions:

(note: French server, sorry if some of the translations are wrong)

1. I'm on a RP server mostly doing instances, some BG (so not really much need for PoM - I've never tried it yet so don't know what I'm missig, I guess)
2. Fire/arcanes was a standard 33/18 build and Frost is 33/18 standard build



What I liked about Fire
- skins are nicer!
- an extra zone spell that does great damage and can speed things up enormously
- lots of dot
- big damage
- variety; lots of alternanting between pyro, fire ball, burn and scorch
- the reduced aggro in the arcanes was good; I could also start with arcanes without having to worry about aggro


What I needed to watch closely
- avoiding aggro. Don't start in on a ball of fire, burn & scorch were great for starting in on a mob; little aggro and whatever followed in the fire tree was going to hurt.
- without out the improved counterspell it was much less reliable and I didn't count on it too much.


What I like about Frost
- I never seem to run out of mana when using frost techniques, great in long fights, or long instances, you don't need to be always drinking
- in fact, with my magister set (missing neck + boots) I have noticed that if I'm a little slow between frostbolts, my mana goes UP and not down. (all that spirit...)
- the chances to gel are welcome (mostly... ever gelled a sheep that you wanted to pull before a patrol hit it?!)
- the critics on gelled are welcome, even if I'm not criting very high (550 -->1050)
- the ice shield is useful, the ice barrier too.
- great for pulling! Ie : on casters in small groups (4 or less, such as the beginning of Scholo) a mage is a great puller: sheep one, counterspell another and gel when the mobs arrive at your group. Novelty and fun guaranteed.
- gel is great when you are asked to protect the healer (a mage is good at this!). It's visible so the priest knows when you're looking after them, so does every one lese. No confusion.
- improved counterspell rocks


what I don't like
- I feel uncomfortably defensive. If I need the ice shield or barrier I feel as though I've failed somewhere - normally you only need to defend when your attack goes wrong, right?
- without the reduced menace on arcanes, I can't really open a fight with arcanes. This is a problem when you've got mobs running around and lag; arcanes will let you follow the target, ice/fire balls won't, you lose your line of sight.
- less dps. Fights take longer. Hunters and rogues way out dps me. *snif* I guess I need to get more +dmg equipement for my frost build.



Mixed conclusions I guess. It was hard changing play-style but I know I'm efficient now. In a group that's not real strong, Frost is good for avoiding wipes. But fights will last longer and the glee of always being on the top of the dps ladder isn't there anymore, unless I'm using arcanes, and that gets a bit boring aftet a while. And uses heaps of mana.


I guess if you play with a good defense MT, a fire mage will be best 'cause you balance less dps from the main tank with more from the mage. If you don't have a great defense MT, or your MT is specced dps (it happens...) then a frost mage will help control & aggro, and seems best.


Anyway, these are my conclusions. I'll probably stay frost a while, I'd like to go to MC and the reduced mana for frost spells seems to be interesting for the long fights there.


Comments, advice?



Mage, Kirin Tor
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