A spoonful of sugar helps the Fel Mana potion go down
by Chris Jahosky 
Sep 13th 2007 at 7:50PM
For those that aren't familiar with Fel Mana potions, they restore 3200 mana over 24 seconds, but also reduce your spell damage by 25 and your healing by 50 for 15 minutes.
On the surface, this seems like a bad deal, at least to me. I've intentionally not used them because of their negative side effect. Besides, a Super Mana potion will restore 1800-3000 mana instantly -- so why wait for the mana and incur a spell penalty?
Phaelia over at Resto4Life recently did some math that may or may not change your mind about using them, if you use them at the right time.
Mostly the article is aimed at discussing when healers should pop a Fel Mana potion, but good news for all you hunters out there that may not have thought of this yet... there's no downside if you use them!
On the surface, this seems like a bad deal, at least to me. I've intentionally not used them because of their negative side effect. Besides, a Super Mana potion will restore 1800-3000 mana instantly -- so why wait for the mana and incur a spell penalty?
Phaelia over at Resto4Life recently did some math that may or may not change your mind about using them, if you use them at the right time.
Mostly the article is aimed at discussing when healers should pop a Fel Mana potion, but good news for all you hunters out there that may not have thought of this yet... there's no downside if you use them!
Filed under: Alchemy, Items, Analysis / Opinion
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Faileas Sep 13th 2007 8:09PM
BRK tipped me off to these little gems. I'm a hunter, and I fully endorse Hunters using this item and passing off those Super Mana Pots to their friendly healers.
Deathlike Sep 13th 2007 8:25PM
But.. but.. Arcane Shot! Volley! VOLLEY! NOOO.
Yeah, it does seem like a good idea.
And by the way, Chris, I'm really enjoying (if not your writing, which is at least on a level of "good") the images you put up with your posts.
Half of 'em make me want to resubscribe (though not the above slide, dwarf ladies cramp my style.)
Seraya Sep 13th 2007 10:14PM
Yeah... a hunter mana wet dream.
Wonder how they'll top these in Wrath... 6000 mana, reduces incoming heals by 10%? :P
kunukia Sep 13th 2007 9:37PM
Dwarf ladies are awesome. Best toons of the whole game. People I would like to know, not animate Barbie dolls for guys to stare at.
When you meet a lady Dwarf, you can bet there is a real female, or maybe a truly mature male behind the keyboard.
Basic Sep 13th 2007 9:37PM
Alchemist's Stone!
Chris Jahosky Sep 13th 2007 10:01PM
@2
Glad you like them! I always try to make them interesting, if not relevant. :)
Obiter Sep 13th 2007 11:59PM
Given the penalty, I don't think these are even worth it to hunters (which my main is). I'd rather take my chances with multiple super mana pots than take a continuous hit to my DPS. Besides which, 3200 mana is just not a make or break benefit when I have 6700 total mana unbuffed.
Basically, the potion is stupid. It's sole purpose is to elicit a lot of speculative talk and almost no action. Go Blizz go.
Adam Sep 14th 2007 12:01AM
@7: You realize of course that Hunter's shots are never affected by Spell Damage, right? Arcane and Volley included.
Gazmik Fizzwidget Sep 14th 2007 12:25AM
Don't forget: Hunter, er, Fel Mana Potions are on a separate cooldown from normal health/mana potions. So if you're really burning the mana on a fight (or expect to need a health pot in addition to extra mana), you can take both!
Also, they taste yummy.
Basic Sep 14th 2007 12:38AM
@9 actually no... I use these and they are on the potion cooldown.
I actually use them in late fights on my dps priest. (with Alchemist's Stone)
Jift Sep 14th 2007 12:54AM
any raiding hunter worth a grain of salt chugs these.
Merric Sep 14th 2007 1:29AM
As the article said, there is NO downside. Mend pet doesn't take the healing hit. None of the hunter shots take the spell damage hit. It's a guaranteed 3200 mana in place of a super mana pot. It might as well be called "Hunter Mana Potion".
The Anonymous Sep 15th 2007 7:08AM
@7: Stop wearing +Spell damage gear thinking it boosts your DPS. Thanks.
Beaverius Sep 14th 2007 2:33PM
In other words, It's the ultimate hunter mana pot. Can be tough to find and expensive but otherwise the shiznit. Pop them early so you get the full tic of it. Alchemist stone.... eh... you really wanna drop the trinket stat bonus and proc when you can chain pop mana potions or just use one of these bad boys?
Don't get me wrong in certain fights, I can see the need but proper buffing and mana popping(i.e. as soon as you can get full from a pot), you prolly won't need the stone.
Consider 2 1 handers and mana oil on each also for some fat mana regen
jaxson_bateman Sep 14th 2007 4:27AM
Well, this post got me thinking. I haven't checked out the main article, but off the top of my head - if a healer can sacrifice some of their mana regen stat/s (ie. spirit or mp5) and get that 50 healing instead, and chain pot these, in many circumstances they will actually be gaining much more mana that if they had left their stats the way they were and chain potted the more expensive Super Mana Pots, which in a worst case scenario are going to give a 1400 less mana refund each time.
That said, if you're already chain potting then that extra 200 mana each time may not be worth it (still, you can trade out around 6mp5 for 50 odd healing with gems if I'm not mistaken, and over 2 mins that 6 mp5 would only give 144 mana as opposed to the 200).
jaxson_bateman Sep 14th 2007 5:11AM
Erm, embarassing, feel free to ignore my previous comment avid readers. ^_^
Unfortunately, I've not actually used any of these myself and was unfamiliar with the debuff... the problem with the debuff is...
IT STACKS. UP TO 10 TIMES.
In a 10 min boss fight, chain potting these (1 at the first min, 1 every 2 mins until min 9) is going to give you a -250 healing debuff which is pretty significant.
It does provide a big mana refund advantage over Super Mana Potions, but you need a good amount of +healing to be able to wear that kind of hit. For some, this will be the better option. For others, Super Mana is the way to go.
Ammon Lauritzen Sep 14th 2007 5:37AM
Do the individual charges of a stacking debuff have their own cooldowns - or does drinking a new potion reset the duration of all charges back to 15?
If it doesn't, then this potion can't possibly stack 10 times. The debuff lasts 15 minutes. Potion cooldowns on 2 minutes.
Ergo, chain drinking these potions can only bring the debuff up to 8 charges, and even then, the full 8 will only last for about 1 minute before dropping back down to 7 (less if you ever refrain from chugging the instant your cooldown ends).
But I'm a hunter, so what do I care? :)
@3 Amen.
Mondo Sep 15th 2007 1:24AM
If taken at a point in the fight where mana is not needed right away, i think the guarantee of the 3200 mana is worth the debuff, this is coming from a healer. -50 bonus healing isn't going to break you unless your really hurting for bonus healing in the first place. IMO a Fel pot at the beginning and a Super at the end is the way to go.
just my thoughts
redxiii Sep 14th 2007 7:03AM
Quoten:
"In a 10 min boss fight, chain potting these (1 at the first min, 1 every 2 mins until min 9) is going to give you a -250 healing debuff which is pretty significant."
Considering, that in the article, the following is clearly stated: "they restore 3200 mana over 24 seconds, but also reduce your spell damage by 25 and your healing by 50 for 15 minutes."I´m astonished how many wrong things can possibly fit in one comment...
1. As Ammon said already, the debuff will never be able to stack 10 times
2. 50x10 = 500
Tridus Sep 14th 2007 7:49AM
Most stacking debuffs work like stacking buffs, you get one debuff slot with a "2" or "6" or whatever on it. If thats how it works, adding another one will reset the timer, so you could stack it up to 10.
These are a bad idea for a typical healer, Super Mana Pots and the incredibly cheap Superior Mana Oil are your friends.