Undocumented Arcane Mage changes in patch 3.0.8a
by Alex Ziebart 
Jan 27th 2009 at 5:00PM
There were some changes made to how Arcane Barrage, Arcane Missiles, and the Arcane Blast buff interact to prevent a fun little trick that was being used to get the most out of the buff. Second, the Arcane Blast glyph received a flat nerf, losing 2% damage per stack. Unfortunately, along with those changes came a potential bug to that glyph. Arcane Missiles may not be receiving the additional damage bonus at all.
Overall, these aren't terrible nerfs, and probably should've been expected at some point. Arcane Mage is one of the class/spec combos pulling far, far ahead of the competition, so some changes had to happen eventually. Probably the only real issue here is the fact that once again, there should have been some documentation beyond hoping Ghostcrawler bopped onto the forums to confirm or deny.
Filed under: Mage, Patches, Analysis / Opinion, Bugs, Inscription
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Saiforune Jan 27th 2009 5:06PM
What the hell are you talking about them pulling "far,far ahead"?
If you're speaking in PvP terms, yes, because Resil is retarded and you need to be capped at 1000 to really feel any difference and to make the burst less insane. PvE wise It's almost as bad as being frost specc'd. The current specc that is pulling "far,far ahead" would be a Living Bomb and Frostfire bolt build. I've got a 47% chance to crit with frostfire bolt, and I've got almost 1800 spellpower. If anything I'm pushing number one with the other mages on any damage meter.
Play a mage, or fix what you're talking about. It'll help you not sound like an incompetent fool to the players who actually know something about the class, especially the ones who has that class as their main.
Masaru Jan 27th 2009 5:15PM
I think if you checked out the reports from the last week, you'll find that 57/3/11 was doing 500-1k dps more than FFB builds due in part to 2 of the things this post mentioned: 1) Arcane Blast buff bug and 2) Glyph being a bit too OP.
I felt a big difference in my 2-3 days of Arcane PVE and I wasn't even playing it all that well.
Drayke Jan 27th 2009 5:18PM
^^
Your skill at being a smug prick has increased (450).
Nodaba Jan 27th 2009 5:19PM
Actually, most mages I've talked to are seeing a vast improvement in DPS from switching to Arcane from FFB. I saw a increase in DPS on the boss dummy, and this is with FFB glyphs and without Torment of the Weak in action. That being said, my fight stamina was extremely lacking. I respeced back to FFB for our raids because I knew the spec and wasn't comfortable yet with Arcane, but from what I've seen/heard/read, Arcane improves even more in a 10 or 25-man raid, as it scales well off of buffs/debuffs given in that situation.
jim carey Jan 27th 2009 5:30PM
why criticize him so much for one little thing? maybe in his experience he has noticed that he is doing "far, far" better then everyone else around him as arcane. even if hes wrong theres no reason to get that upset about it lol.
I hope these nerfs are all there is to come..
pasks Jan 28th 2009 10:06AM
Bullshit. On _AVERAGE_ 57/3/11 beat any other spec hands down with well geared and well skilled players. FFB is largely reliant on RNG, and with luck can beat arcane. Usually, it does not. If your guild is not seeing this, it's either due to a) crap gear (arcane gear is very differently itemized than ffb gear) or b) crap players (its also harder/more fun to play)
This, of course, will be changing due to this patch.
Kryphon Jan 27th 2009 6:43PM
Saiforune, I seriously hope you were trying (And failing) to be ironic or funny or something. Arcane was (and may still be post-patch) the highest DPS build for PvE mages, outstripping FFB/LB by at least 4-500.
Before you go off spouting crap like:
"Play a mage, or fix what you're talking about. It'll help you not sound like an incompetent fool to the players who actually know something about the class, especially the ones who has that class as their main."
... you might try being actually correct about the topic first.
Menchi Jan 28th 2009 10:34PM
Yes except now it went back to exactly how it was before. Arcane dps is lower then ffb with the nerf to the proc.
So really it was like ok arcane needs a buff, oh well that makes it to awesome in pvp, back to the drawing board.
Burcemage Jan 27th 2009 5:23PM
Hello,
As a Arcane Mage 57/3/11, we just lost alot of DPS. My Spell power is 1879, for once i was actualy pulling in the Top raid groupe, With this spec. Before i was arcane Spec when i was 70 but went too fire. When i heard about the Arcane being able too hold up the PVE Raid spec i went too my old spec where i liked it.
But if your going too nerf Arcane you should give us a hand and give us more Mana Managment as well too this because Arcane will burn Mana like there nothing there compared too Fire and Frost spec. But of course i dont think they saw that. I get my 2 minute CD but still we need a little help here. A mage is supposed too be topping the DPS chart that why they are there for. We cant Heal and Tank. Give us something at least. Dont get me wrong here i still gona play arcane spec but sometime i wonder when looking at the other class. We dont have plate,mail or leather. We have cloth just like the priest and Lock. But with the priest they can spec holy or Shadow.
With the Lock well they have a pet either spec they use. Mage only have one Spec for a pet too help and that Frost.
But Blizz will listen too the people that complain more then make common sence.
That just my opinion on this as a Mage
Dan Jan 27th 2009 5:26PM
"But Blizz will listen too the people that complain more then make common sence."
Then you have nothing to worry about!
Cy Jan 27th 2009 5:53PM
As a fellow arcane mage, I would also point out that we gained a lot more DPS in 3.0.8 than we lost in 3.0.8a.
We're much better off now than eight days ago.
Hazimus Jan 27th 2009 6:25PM
I am currently spec'd as a Living Bomb / FFB Mage @ 77, and although I enjoy the dps boost, I still miss the survivability I once has while leveling solo or even in instances with ice barrier and a pet.
I think mages should get a pet at the bottom of each tree. A familiar, or elemental, whatever Blizz wants to call them. How cool would that be? And it's not like it'd be unfair. Currently we're competing with classes that have pets to assist them in different ways... I say it's high time mages got their own.
Some might say... well if you want a pet, roll a Lock, or Hunter.. well... sorry, I like playing a mage, I'd just like to have a little more fun doing it. This isn't meant to sound so much like a QQ session, more like a daydream... hope for things to come.
I guess I'll continue to read insider and the forums to stay on top of my main class and try and make smart spec and play style decisions, and hope for the best. Arcane spec is probably gonna be my little experiment over the next day or so. I can't wait for Mirror Image at 80.... hopefully that'll get me off my soap box. =)
Seriously.... familiars at the bottom of our trees... it's perfection IMO.
Rijthul Jan 28th 2009 1:34AM
I'm not sure the DPS loss will be substantial. I've been playing an arcane mage since 3.0 dropped (and before that on the beta) and in the last week I've watched my numbers increase quite nicely, and I WASNT following my AM with an ABar in an attempt to clip into the AB buff. So personally, I'm not too worried about that change. It technically qualified as an exploitable mechanic, and apparently Blizz decided that it wasn't "creative," but a mistake in a function.
As for the glyph...maybe that needed to be changed. Maybe it didn't. I'll have to see my numbers this friday to make up my mind.
As for AM not receiving the bonus...well, they said that was a bug. That'll be fixed.
Oh, and Hazimus...I know you don't like hearing it, but I'll say it anyways - if I (or others) wanted a pet, we'd be locks, not mages. I have no interest in having to command a pet to pump out my maximum damage.
Chilblain Jan 27th 2009 5:29PM
Pretty much sick of Ghostcrawler and his posts...
Fung Jan 27th 2009 5:43PM
when some of us asked "buff my lock", we weren't particularly insinuating it should be accomplished by nerfing everything else... ...especially in undocumented changes....
Angus Jan 27th 2009 5:51PM
Hey, at least you didn't have a 3 second CD put in without any documentation or confirmation for months...
supersaint Jan 27th 2009 6:31PM
Impossible to balance all classes and all talent trees for both PVE and PVP play, but oh Lord, how they do keep trying...
Narai Jan 28th 2009 1:00PM
I wish they'd just find a way to split the rule sets of the game for it and leave the wandering nerf bat in the toolshed.
Sure, coder's nightmare, but if it was do-able, it'd save a lot more grief in the future.
Doofy Jan 27th 2009 6:37PM
I noticed the Arcane Blast buff going away upon casting Arcane Missiles last night, so this was hotfixed pre-patch. The glyph stuff is new.
Ken Jan 27th 2009 8:02PM
What is the bug with Arcane Blast not working with Arcane Missiles? Is it that the glyph bonus is not working or the entire 15%/18% buff is not working with Arcane Missiles?