Must-have PvP talents for mages, part 2
by Zach Yonzon 
Nov 5th 2010 at 7:00PM
The big change for fire mages this time is that they're no longer required to be suicide bombers to be viable in PvP. They have more tools to play around with and some measure of survivability. Fire is still a highly crit-dependent spec, which is fine in the new environment because resilience no longer reduces crit chance. There are also a lot of proc-based abilities and inter-talent synergies that makes the fire spec something of a gamble to play. If the RNG goes your way, you can create a firestorm of trouble. If it doesn't, you'll burn out faster than a matchstick.
- Burning Soul A necessary if underwhelming talent -- it reduces pushback. You're a fire mage, which means you tend to cast things that have longish casting times, which means you just must invest two points in this. You have access to a lot more instant cast spells now, but this is always a good PvP talent to have.
- Blazing Speed The classic PvP talent that the fire tree had makes it through Patch 4.0.1 pretty much unscathed and high enough on the tree for other specs to pick up down the line in Cataclysm should they want to. The only issue with this talent is its proc rate, so you'll need to luck out for it to work when you really need it. But a 10 percent chance to break a snare and get a speed boost is always better than none. It's a passive talent, so just be aware of when it procs to take advantage.
- Impact The stun component of this talent is what makes it valuable for PvP, but its proc-based nature makes it unreliable. While it procs often enough to be palpable, it doesn't offer the level of control required for precision PvP. Still, it's a no-brainer talent for any PvP spec simply because stuns are just too valuable. You can also actually get lucky and get it off several times in a row, potentially stun-locking your target.
- Cauterize When I mentioned some measure of survivability, I was referring to the mage version of Cheat Death. This talent single-handedly propels fire into PvP viability. It's such a unique mechanic that plays in the reckless style of a fire mage because it's sort of delaying the inevitable -- if the debuff isn't removed, you're going to die eventually in 6 seconds. But it's enough time for friendly healers to get you back up, for you to retaliate and take down your opponent, or to give you another chance to pop that Ice Block (which removes the debuff) that you failed to cast, which almost got you killed in the first place. It has a drawback unlike Cheat Death or Ardent Defender, but it's a survival talent in a mage talent tree ... where it doesn't belong. And that makes it all sorts of awesome.
- Blast Wave This is a stellar talent in battlegrounds PvP, despite the changes it went through in 4.0.1. In fact, it even improved because it's now a long-range, targeted spell, keeping you out of harm's way and turning you into a grenadier rather than a suicide bomber. You lose the knockback and daze effects, but gain range, a 70 percent snare, and a shorter, more PvP-friendly cooldown. Used creatively, it can delay the advance of troops in objective-based play, which is just awesome. Pick up one of the few PvP glyph options you have with Glyph of Blast Wave (major) to make it even more potent on the field. Pick up Improved Flamestrike to amp up the mayhem.
- Hot Streak and Improved Hot Streak Here's another random proc that can either win you the day or (below a certain crit threshold) just never show up. In PvE, where you're always just casting spells, you'll run into consecutive crits and proc that instant Pyroblast. In PvP, however, it merely becomes a nice bonus when it happens instead of a controlled burst like the old PoM-Pyro. But since you never, ever turn down a free, instant Pyroblast, you put three points here.
- Molten Shields This is a talent that grants the Blazing Speed effect but for fire, frost, or arcane damage but instead of a random proc, it's guaranteed when the Mage Ward buff is consumed. It's conditional, but less random. You also don't need to spec for Blazing Speed in order to get the effect. Pop up Mage Ward when Cauterize triggers for giggles.
- Firestarter With Hot Streak and Improved Flamestrike around, there probably wasn't room for another make-X-instant proc talent, so Firestarter was overhauled into a unique talent that allows you to cast Scorch on the move. Bam, instant PvP utility. You lose the crit reduction from Molten Armor, but the tradeoff is worth it.
- Improved Flamestrike Instant Flamestrike. That's all there is to it. Oh, and you can save your mana a whole lot by using Blast Wave against multiple targets.
- Dragon's Breath Master the spell's breadth and this talent will just shine, allowing you to catch more than one target in its narrow cone. The disorient effect is extremely potent and versatile, working as a spell interrupt in a pinch when Counterspell is down or as a means to create some distance between yourself and your opponents. Used in the narrow confines of a Warsong Gulch tunnel, it buys enough time for a flag runner or allows you to catch up with one. The disorient effect only breaks on direct damage, so the DoTs from Pyroblast or Ignite procs will keep eating at your CCed opponent's health while you cast something else. The Glyph of Dragon's Breath (major), which reduces the cooldown of this ability to 17 seconds, is a must for PvP. The best part of it is the spell animation is one of the coolest in the game -- it's a freaking dragon's head!
