Ring of Fire is half of our damage in BG Blitz and turning it into a disorient that no one will take ever as a PvP talent is really disappointing. I hope we get an increase to our base damage if you are going to take away half of our damage in Blitz.
Not only that but Alter Time will affected by healing reductions effects. So now Wound Poison and Mortal Strike will reduce the healing by 25%, if they are using Sharpen Blade it will be 50% healing reduction to Alter Time. These have got to be one of the worst changes I’ve seen to Mage in PvP in years.
Alter is by far the worst change possible. We’re basically tuned around it, and it’s already dispellable. Nerfing it means we’re going to just fall over, and our damage just isn’t there to justify a shine-bright-and-flare-out profile. This is our only real self-heal now that Ice Block heal was shot down. Non-Frost mages are already pretty bad in arena; this is only going to make that markedly worse.
Yeah I agree, and as someone who mains Arcane Mage this is really disappointing. Alter Time already felt really bad to use because there is an RNG chance someone gets really lucky and instantly purges/spellsteals it. Not only that but if you get kicked on Arcane playing Arcane Mage you are basically gonna flop over because you can’t recast Alter Time or press it at all.
But now, the ability really will feel worthless in arena at high dampening in a bracket like Solo Shuffle. Not only that but our Greater Invisibility and Mirror Images are on a global cooldown which also feel terrible to press.
Also, I can’t think of another spec in this game where there damage reduction defensive cooldowns are on a global cooldown but yeah, very unfortunate changes for Mage sadly.
It’s just wild to me that Frost doing well means the only thing that’s also keeping the other two specs alive needs to go. It’s just so heavy handed for two specs on pvp life support (let’s recall that Unleashed Inferno is 18% in PvP - when it’s 60% in PvE - because god forbid you need to actually care when a fire mage uses their only cooldown)
Yeah it’s really sad, whoever made these changes feel really out of touch with how Mage is for PvP or they only play Frost Mage. I don’t mind Frost Mage being nerfed, but I think it’s a terrible choice to nerf two other specs, that are one of the least represented specs in this season, along with it.
What is funny about the Ring of Fire changes, is that not only that it’ll be terrible to pick now, but Frost Mages are getting what is equivalent to Starfall for Balance Druids called “Snowglobe” which will most likely replace the damage you lose from the Ring of Fire changes.
Meanwhile, Arcane/Fire don’t get any of that and just lose flat out 25% of there damage for 0 reason. The PvP talent is an awful design because it most likely will DR with Dragon’s Breath. Which can really mess up DR’s if you are playing with Lock/Priest/Druid/Evoker, and can stop you from being able to Dragon’s Breath into Polymorph a Resto Druid out of form.
The dampening to alter is worse, Might be ok if they make it non dispelsble, revert the block heal nerf, and make temp shield and diverted energy like it is in PVE. Otherwise there will be nothing viable in 2v2 without a heals…. Think they just need to start 2v2 at 80% dampening to give 2dps a chance.
Not sure the stats, but I bet 95% of the 1800 plus 2v2 teams have a healer, yet healers are only 20% of the player base, that is the problem, That’s why there are not enough for shuffle, they are overrepresented in 2s
I’m all for killing all %HP spells, but the damage needs to be compensated elsewhere. The new Ring of Fire not only does piss poor damage, but also replaces Ring of Frost.
Edited and updated: I’ve been using ring of fire and it does nothing for me, unless it’s a bottleneck area like a bridge or doorway, so I unspecced it. I’m not great at frost mage in pvp, but took other talents that seem more useful, like snowdrift, concentrated coolness, and ice form. So far having better luck.
Still new to pvp and frost mage by far the biggest learning curve for me to play it right in that setting. But am getting there.