Currently trying to get into M+ as a new mage and I am really struggling with what I assume are M+ basics.
My DPS outside of any CDs is not great, as most pulls happen so fast I cant get a PB precast I end up having to spam fireball until I can proc hot streak with a FBlast. So my question how should I be managing my CDs? Combustion is on a 1.30 CD so should I be cycling that every other pull and using rune/mirror image on the next pull? Or should I be absolutely nuking every other pull by popping all my CDs?
I spent a lot of time as a tank so I know these are pretty basic questions, but none of the guides really outline management outside of basic rotation, any help would be really appreciated.
This isn’t the easiest question to answer. I’ll start here:
-It boils down a lot to what level of key you are doing, familiarity in the group (pugs vs. well known people), and your tank.
Is your tank pulling small packs? Is your tank kiting them out of flame patch? Is it a low level key where adds are just being decimated? All of this can factor into your question.
Typically you want to ensure that you will have combustion up for the boss. You want to use it on particularly difficult packs/mobs or very large packs that are pulled. Played properly, your combustion will essentially delete whatever it is used on trash wise. Therefore, you want to maximize what you are using it on: either large packs or difficult ones. Try not to hold onto it for too long—potentially even using it on CD—just make sure you will have it up for the boss.
In a sense you need familiarity with the dungeons to know which mobs are the most dangerous and need to be eliminated quickly. A tank that pulls around your combustion is needed to truly take advantage of Fire’s strengths. Also, if your tank can keep them in your Flamepatch that will be a big help.
Outside of combustion you want to keep from capping on charges of FB and PF (ensuring they will be up for Combustion), scorch targets in execute range for instant Flamestrike, try to fish for crits if you need the CDR for Combustion (assuming you are taking kindling), using RoP on CD with Flamestrikes for AoE, and hard casting Flamestrike when there is 3+ mobs and you aren’t combusting.
**Edit: also don’t use Mirror Image as a DPS Cooldown because it provides almost no benefit to your DPS, it is almost entirely defensive.
Also, with Kindling talented you can get your Combust closer to a minute with critical strikes.
Read what Hotandtrashy said above, that’s all correct but I have a different opinion of Mirror Images specifically for M+, I use it for aggro control when I want to AOE combust immediately and instead lean on Alter Time to deal with a lot of unavoidable damage, especially hard hitting pulsing AOEs like portal guardians or prideful mobs at high stacks.
From my experience: our DPS isn’t great without combustion, with the small exception of a really large pull where the mobs are kept in flame patch. Just remember there’s 2 other DPS in the group and they have their own CDs to deal with packs where you’re just FS spamming. It’s not as clean in PUGs, but if you play with the same group a lot, you’ll get used to playing around each other’s CDs.
There’s a lot of “ifs” with Fire in M+, but generally you want to combust as close to on cooldown as possible. This is actually easier in keys where mobs live longer, “every other pull” becomes a pretty reliable standard. I’d also add to the higher keys, you can farm back combust on the Prideful adds when they spawn, so you can reliably combust or rush back combust (if you were NF) on the pack that will spawn prideful. Then the single target rotation on the prideful mob is more effective for getting our combustion back.
When looking at your own DPS week-to-week, your overall DPS will be higher on fortified weeks, so don’t think of it as a bad thing if you notice a large change after each reset.
If you want to see specific dungeon timings, look at ItzzDivinity, Preheet, or Asuna’s PoVs. I think between the 3 of them you could see a good PoV/commentary for any dungeon.
Thank you so much guys, really appreciate the in depth tips, I now realize I was wasting a lot of GCD and abilities, I was casting mirror image for the completely wrong use. Will 100% watch the PoVs, really really appreciate the help.
Probably the wrong terminology to say always be casting so that when Fireball crits you get your CDR for Combustion; but in essence you are fishing for the crit because if it crits then you now have a Heating Up! Proc.
Thanks for this. I am really sucking dps wise in M+ and for the life of me I am not sure why. This is the first time ever I have mained a caster and I am getting outdps’d by everything it seems. I am prioritizing flamestrike on packs, and trying to be mindful of combust but I am just not getting the dps…
This isn’t true at all. Venthyr and Kyrian both do higher single target damage that night fae in any situation where the extra CDR from night fae doesn’t lead to night fae getting an extra combust.
Night Fae is like 3-5% better in 5+ target situations because of the damage shifting power itself does, but it still depends on cadence, number of targets, etc. If you can start a combust on mirrors of torment, you get an extra flamestrike which makes up most of the difference as venthyr.
Checkout Toegrinder’s sims.
Hardcore progression mages are going night fae because they get a second potency conduit super early, not because it’s massively better than the other covenants (It’s not) – stop spreading misinformation.
Get a WeakAura to track your Infernal Cascade (never let it drop below two stacks in combustion).
Use Shifting Power after Combustion had ended for ST, but AoE Combust is a bit different and SP can be used towards the end of Combust to refresh Infernal Cascade (since you can use Fire Blast during the channel of SP). I’d watch a video on it, and until you can get the timing on that right I’d stick to normal AoE Combust.