This.

At least since Blizzcon they'ev been clear about this - mages and rogues are pure dps classes. The differentiation is that a mage gets to be ranged and should be the best multitarget dps. But the rogue is intended to be the best single target dps in the game.

Think about it - if you were the best dps period... single and multi-target... why would anyone bring a rogue? Why have a melee class that has to worry about close boss AOE (from the whirlwind that the second boss in Arc does, to Prince's Shadow Nova on...) when you could bring a ranged class with CC that's renewable in combat, that buffs, tat provide food and water for the raid... ?

right - you wouldn't. In almost all cases can think of if you can bring a ranged class that does the same or more damage on a boss as well as trash packs you'd do that.

Mages definitely deserve some dps love, but to argue that they should top the meters in all phases of all encounters is ludicrously self-involved.

Clevins is right, and I doubt any mage would say we need to be tops over rogues. Each class has its role, and each should be best at it, because that's really all they do.

I could not agree more with Clevins and Thorn. You have simply more insinght in class issues and characteristics than the author of this article though he is right in so far that blizzard needs to shape the mages role (higher dps, unique in providing buffs and cc).

Speaking as a mage - I'm happy to be beaten in single-target DPS by rogues, and I'm happy with the AoE kingship so long as I'm still competitive with locks when it comes to single-target, and the AoE is useful in several BOSS encounters, not just trash.

At the moment however I'm rerolling (from PVE/A to PVP/H) with a view to switching mains when WotLK hits - and I'm rolling a lock. I don't know yet if I'll roll another mage too.

can't agree more