I'm optimistic for Arcane in Cataclysm.

As someone who actually leveled Arcane in BC out of curiosity (not an experience I would recommend even now), it's been interesting to see Arcane's rotation evolve over the course of the expansion.

I agree that the Mastery bonus needs to feel like a bonus and not a penalty, and I have doubts that "normal" damage will require anything over 50% mana. I echo the hope that the lack of the mechanic at all will be considered "normal" damage (technically, considering the way that mastery bonuses work, this makes a lot of sense to me). In other words, mana will cause a damage bonus, as opposed to a lack of mana causing a damage penalty. Certain arcane spells may need to have their initial damage coefficiants cut slightly to acommedate, but I'm hoping we'd never see, say, Arcane Blast suddenly doing half of it's normal damage just because an Arcane Mage is at 25% mana.

That said, it's all just speculation at this point. The expansion's still a ways away, and really anything could happen between now and release (and to be fair, what comes at release isn't guaranteed to stick around anyways).

I very much agree that Arcane Barrage needs to find its way back into our rotation, though. I love that spell to death, and it being so underused makes me sad.

Reply