So… I’ve wondered this since wrath. What’s the point of a pure DPS class when they are no where near the DPS of Hybrid classes.
Mage’s have 3 lackluster options…meanwhile Hybrid classes can go from best tank to best DPS… it’s an idiotic design.
“GLASS CANNON” …I will gladly accept the glass if Blizzard could bring back the cannon piece. Right now we’re a pea shooter and it’s why I’ve barely played since Cata.
If you’re not in the 95th percentile, 95th percentile dps charts do not apply to you.
If you 
can’t beat normal kurog you have no clue about balance you just suck
The hybrid vs pure debate has been a thing for a long time. Speaking as a long time player, I can tell you that while it’s rare for all 3 damaging specs to be equally competitive, in my experience at least 2 of the 3 are usually pretty viable.
Whereas I’ve seen the dps variants of hybrid specs go dead for a long time (ret, feral, frost dks, enhance, etc)
The current state of Mage is mage specific IMO, not related to pure vs hyrbid. Rogues/Warlocks/Hunters are getting tons of attention on patch notes lately.
Also…“barely played since Cataclysm”, yet you have 55 exalted reps and 16000 achievement points. By self admission, you are not only a bad player, but you’re also a liar. And then you come whining on the forums.
Good points made by SwItch here.
Also, people shouldn’t be punished for choosing to play a hybrid spec because some might be playing a class purely for its dps spec. Not everyone heals or tanks.
I believe in DF they were quoted (I can’t confirm as I didn’t see the post) as wanting certain specs to thrive on certain fights
Noticing that over all the pures that each spec has a fight it’s good on.
I think the real problem is having all 3 specs being below average overall in a raid. A pure DPS class should be one of the best at dealing damage because it’s the only thing it can do. It should be expected that Mage, Rogue, Hunter and Warlock classes be near the top but only Rogues currently can enjoy the benefit of being a pure, with Subtlety and Outlaw being two of the best raiding and M+ specs and Assassination being one of the best PvP specs.
I don’t mean every spec should be S tier, but one or two of each pure DPS class should be AT LEAST A tier in PvE. It’s a bit more complicated in PvP since tanks are plague in this game mode.
I quit in Cata …probably around Oct/ Nov of 2011 and came back one month before Shadowlands released…then took another 13 months off after playing a few months because the grind of SL’s was monotonous AF…so just because I accomplished a ton from 06’ to 11’ doesn’t negate the 10 years I didn’t play…but good story lol
He didn’t use the 95th percentile as a baseline reference nor does he need to, it’s his opinion.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a Mage or a Shaman, if you stand in a mechanic you’re meant to avoid, you’re playing bad and will likely die.
These threads are always worded as if “hybrid” classes are actively healing during encounters. They are not.
Elemental Shaman is not hybrid. It’s DPS. That’s it’s role. Same as Mage. The fact that it can spec into Resto is irrelevant. You think Ele shaman should purposely do less DPS? Then why would they even exist?
Also are we just going to sit here and pretend Mages do not have insane mobility + an immunity which is commonly used as a solo soak?
cough plus shields and self-heals cough
The argument was never that hybrids should do less DPS just because they can spec into other specs, the argument is that pure DPS classes should excel in DPS because they, you know, can only DPS. It doesn’t mean they should all be S tier, but one spec should always be guaranteed A tier at least, which is a pretty reasonable ask.
The shields are very weak and what is even this self-heal you speak of? [Ice Block] healing? [Diverted Energy]? lmao
Also are we just going to sit here and pretend Mages do not have insane mobility + an immunity which is commonly used as a solo soak?
Go back to your hunter with your instants, puddle jumping while dpsing and pet auto attack in goop on bosses. You play the easiest class in the game, give me a break.
Insane mobility? lol not with RoP friend - and icey flows is a garbage talent to keep having to press while monitoring RoP. Self healing? you need to talent into it… which is a dps loss for most builds.
This is on point.
What self heal are you referencing good sir?
Soooo… it is about saying that Hybrids should do less DPS. 
How can you say “Pure DPS should excel” does not translate to Hybrids should be behind?
Yes. The self-healing spells I was referring to are the spells that self-heal.
But that was just a minor throw out comment, Ice Block and Blink/Shimmer are the two spells I initially talked to.
Oh, Alter Time too. Insanely OP spell.
My main is Warlock. But I Mained Mage for 8 years.
You’re attacking Hunters but you realize they’re also a pure DPS class right?
Shimmer is the most powerful mobility spell in the game, if you actually know how to use it.
Altered Time is in essence a self-heal. It is in fact far more powerful than a self-heal.
But there are many minor self-heals Mages have. Ice Block self healing, healing after a MI fades, barriers healing you, shields when you blink.
But the self-heal point was merely a minor throw away though. Latching onto the minor details because you can not refute my main points.
I dont need to try and refute the points of a low end troll. I frequently parse in the 90s as a mage for heals on any given raid night. Do you know what that equates to? About 20 million over 3 hours in mythic. Thats including health stones and heal pots. Mages have almost no healing ability.
Of course not. A bit of reading comprehension would hint that what I meant is that pure DPS classes should have at least one spec that guarantees them at least A tier, but that doesn’t mean hybrids can’t be as well. One spec out of the entire class should be A tier at least but that will depend on how many roles your class can fulfil.
[Alter Time] is definitely a good spell if used right but trying to say that Mage has good self-healing is nothing short of a bad joke. It’s probably only tied with Hunters for the worst self-sustain in the game.
“Can be” a powerful mobility tool… when it works and doesnt trip over a blade of grass - which is faaaar more often than it actually works
While I’d say reinstating the “hybrid tax” from vanilla is a bad take, there should absolutely be more rewards for rotation difficulty. Say what you will, but I’ve played BM hunter, and struggling to compete with their damage as a mage is an absolute joke.