It seems like the core issue with firemage in Shadowlands is that for some strange reason Blizzard has decided to force players to press a button to spread ignite, yet people are instead discussing different abilities that can spread ignite.
Why can’t we just keep phoenix flames for its use in making firemage feel more whole, while also just letting ignite spread naturally? Like, it seems like it would save blizz some $$$$ to just let it spread. It makes thematic sense, too.
Ignite spreading on its own has had two major issues.
The uncontrolled spread deals unwanted damage to adds that need to stay alive.
Additionally, the uncontrolled spread is random and often doesn’t spread to the correct or priority targets, reducing our effective cleave on priority targets massively when we’re even a little bit unlucky.
PF spreading Ignite gives an awfully designed spell an actual purpose, and fixes some major issues the spec has had with multiple encounter-types in the past.
Because PF never made Fire feel more whole. It was a Scorch replacement during Combustion, barely used outside of Combustion, and forced cancelled casts and an awkward playstyle to capitalize on its HU/HS contribution.
Don’t all of those problems still exist with phoenix flames ignite spread though? Especially if phoenix flames proves more valuable in combustion than scorch? I.E. You are still going to be spreading ignite to unwanted mobs unless you forgo using a more powerful spell during combustion (I.E. using scorch) to prevent ignite from spreading.
And you still don’t have control over the exact mobs that ignite spreads to, do you? Phoenix flames just spreads it to the five closest mobs, priority or not, doesn’t it? I’m not on the alpha, so I can’t speak with absolute certainty on this but that is how I understood it.
And one last thing. In my opinion, phoenix flames absolutely does improve the combustion window. Scorch is a boring ability. Phoenix flames does more damage, and honestly just looks cooler than scorch does. It feels more meaty and it feels like you get more pyroblasts off. If having to occasionally cancel a cast to throw an extra phoenix flames out outside of combustion is that disruptive in your opinion, Blizz should just disable phoenix flames outside of combustion.
Fire just felt waaaay better in Legion. At least to me. I know some of that came from (what was it, like 18 seconds?) longer combustion, and phoenix flames doing heavier cleave, and bindings of the sun king, but I think a lot of that just came from phoenix flames being a fun button to press.
Seems like in order to do what they are setting out to do with Phoenix Flames, they need to basically make it instantaneously hit the target the moment its used and usable while casting another spell. I think that could work very well honestly. Instead of a fiery phoenix flying towards the target, make it only usable on a target with ignite, and have a fiery phoenix burst from the target with wings the size of the radius to spread the ignite. I think that would be cool while purposing the ability for exactly what its meant to do.
We will have the same issues, it won’t change due to PF. But that they are trying to address it…is somewhat a good thing
It would be too much different from when combustion was a dot that absorbed ignite damage to create a new more powerful dot. We will have to dig out ignite trackers again, but honestly it will be nice to have on demand ignite spreading again. I mean if the tanks are doing their job right all the priority adds should be stacked (if its possible, IE if they actually have an aggro table), and this should be able to give good add burst + cleave damage. I don’t believe ignite has a target cap from what I read but has that weird damage penalty after a certain number of mobs.
Side note to the devs: It would be nice if PF was either off the GCD or had a shorter GCD to help line up high damage ignites for spreading. They also should probably increase the projectile speed as well.