What? Rshamans are 200 rating higher in EU. Actually, you are 100% wrong. The best players in the world still manage with /cancelaura on Excess Frost(1), /cancelaura on Excess Fire(2) and /cancelauara Frostfire Empowerment(3). The top teams still play setup comps and purposely do not break CC etc. Frostfire Frost Mage, for instance, purposely runs cancelaura macros.
In EU its more present and always has been since the dawn of Arena. Especially with Shaman teams, who have their dps hold CDs for kill and the shamans trinket for kill, incap or heals. Lmao. You are severely misguided. That is the reason Shaman performs well in EU and not the US and why Shaman is 200CR higher in EU but not for the other classes in that region, who mostly rambo in.
Not having an argument about EU play style with you. Clearly, you do not stick to control format when you should, and that is how this game should be built and played at the highest level. Always. The fact that so many players have abandoned hope of this play style or just ignore it now is seriously concerning. To say it does not exist is flat wrong. Especially if you want to be the best Frostfire Mage in the world. Maybe SS, 3s or rated BGs are the only exception where it does not exist at the highest level. Though Frost Mage 2s, still try very hard to have perfect setups. Luckily, in 11.1 it will be even easier, and they’ve realized they’ve made some mistakes with poly and other CC breaking on small amounts of damage like “Glacial Assault.” You still need to change your spec against like DK to have Splitting Ice and be the Ice Lance version, as healer rarely stacks with DK in 2s, though you still build around setup and control.
Also, the argument that the playstyle only works against bad teams is a complete facade. It’s just harder to achieve in TWW against bad teams because bad teams straight demolish, rambo, and faceroll on the keyboard to pump numbers without even trying. Nearly every comp combo cleaves. To pull off control comps, you have to spec very specifically and keybind very specifically. Hence /cancelauras(123) I mentioned before. You can’t say nobody; yes, a lot fewer people are playing control than we saw in DF, and its less viable than it was in DF. But pushing the top of the ladder as Frostfire Mage will always and should always be done in control format. In 2s, as Frostfire Mage, its just as viable (and actually more viable) as doing it with the non-control version of the spec (no cancelauras). Assuming you have the setup, specs, and bindings available to play setup/control. Though many Frostfire mages do not even bother, and they likely are not getting #1 on the Frostfire Mage 2v2 ladder without setup/control playstyle, binds, UI and macros. It’s doable but very hard with Comet, Ice Lance, and FFB all cleaving like madmen. Though we are in the middle of the button-bloat era right now. Especially as Frostfire Frost Mage, to be the best Frost Mage in the world, you need Supernova 123, Ice Nova 123, cancelaura 123, SS 123, Poly 123, CS 123, DC 123 (without rdruid against curse comps) and not roll shtty ring of fire, shtty ice wall (except against rdruid for tranq), or sh*tty snow drift. The overpowered barrier change with a healer could possibly make glacial+barrier+bomb+snowdrift+ray even a hotter combo when it should not be. Though it would require a special craft or make sure you take damage before you go against non-dot comps as control specs. There are crafts that let you self-sacrifice and take damage when the other player is CC’d in 2s. Most comps dot now days, so you would only switch out the 1% damage to self-craft against comps who are not CC’d or do not store a dot on you. Since the barrier only explodes if it takes damage before expiring.
Basically, what you are saying is actually the opposite for Frost Mage in 2s. Rambo’ing in, doing mass damage, ignoring setup works against low-rated teams (1900-2200) as Frost Mage, not high-rated teams (2400+).
Supernova 123 is an inherently better playstyle when coupled with displacement range from Look again in 11.1+rDruid and dampening. It’s not great as Frostfire. Though Frostfire is a garbage spec, its more viable, but its horribly engineered for ranked 2s. We should not be in with DB to DB+Ring. Mages are not built to play in Melee range. I hate DB + Ring, and I am also highly against Frostbite + Subzero synergizing. As Frostbite screws up kites, other players roots, knockbacks, and more. Having to have WAs and cancelauras just to play at the highest level turns a lot of AWC players off, so they play another version of their class, a different spec/class or hit up Classic Wow.
Glad is not high rating; even rank 1 is not high rating. High rating as control comps are the top types of comps on the ladder that people play who have a clue or two about WoW PvP. They will not get you in the top 5 of the ladder; those are filled with BM Hunter or DK, and the only way you have a chance at that is if you meet another play who plays control well. Which is possible, but you would have to search all expansion to find him. 100%, you can out-comp DK or BM as Frost mage rdruid. As BM or DK does not have the luxury of control. Control comps will get you top for Frost Mage vs. non-control comps for Frost Mage, which can get you EZ Glad or R1 at best. Control Comps, top the ladder as Frostfire Frost Mage, with proper cancelaura macros. It arguably the better option, even though the non-control version, running around mindless, will outperform in some aspects, like against DK. Though assuming you are top of the ladder as Frostfire Mage, you have R1 friends like Rogues or Resto Druids who already play dampen or control comps well.
Historically, that playstyle has always worked and still does. Actually, in every expansion, you could get top Frost Mage with this style; you still can, if you have the binds to accommodate.
The fact they are trying to kill this play style and make people believe it still does not exist should be seriously examined, as its a complete downgrade to the quality of life in PvP.