I honestly don't know all that much about Mages yet, except what the stickies have told me. Level 30 isn't really representative of Mages past 60, I'm guessing, so I just have to admit to myself that I truly am a newbie mage still...
However, with two other Seventies, and a fifty-one, I think I can consider myself knowledgeable enough about grouping and terms. Not to mention a cursory knowledge base on other classes. Just enough to know what they are capable, but not enough to go into detail.
And here is where I find myself wondering about all kinds of stuff when it comes to my newly started mage. The one that stands out the most in my mind, is threat management. The only true DPS class I have taken into raids would be my Hunter. Threat management? Just pop Feign Death every 30 seconds and pulling hate from the tank is nigh impossible unless he dies. I know Warlocks got Soulshatter. Rogues and my Druid's got Feint/Cower if they get close to the 110% limit. Priests got Fade.
But what does a Mage have to keep their damage on top without peeling hate off the tank? Is it just the talents giving you threat reduction in one school? Is that it? Or do we get something later on that you can use to reduce your threat?
On singletarget DPS, I know I can just hang back a bit when watching the threat meters, but what of multiple targets? Can I AoE at all without pulling threat? Will I be a tank's nightmare unless I hang well back on damage, or will we get something or other to aid us?
I guess my question can mostly be summarized like this:
How the hell do we mages keep our damage up near the top of the damage meters without pulling mobs off the tank? Any advice, or a /facepalm answer pointing to a skill I get in two levels will be appreciated.
- Forums
- World of Warcraft
- Class Discussion
- Threat management vs AoE Mastery / DPS Kings
Threat management vs AoE Mastery / DPS KingsFollow
Single target DPS is easy, just don't over nuke the mob, and wait til the tank has a bit of threat before casting.
Some of the arcane talents reduce threat as well as having a paladin cast Salvation on you which is a 30% threat reduction.
AoE is more tricky, a good healer will be able to heal you through a DPS storm, but I have found it more difficult to not pull threat on multiple targets. If the tank can hold multiple targets well then you are fine, but mostly you just get healed through the hits and melt them before they melt you. In most cases you will only be AoEing non-elite enemies so they do not hit that hard and you should be able to burn them quickly.
If it is a single target and you are pulling threat then its one fo 2 things. Either the tank is not generating enough hate or you are over nuking the enemy.
Also we get an invisibility spell that reduces threat for 5 seconds (as long as you are not hit or move or cast anything) and then after 5 seconds removes you from combat like feign death. Also frost mages (until next patch where it will become trainable) have Ice Block that makes you invulnerable (unable to cast/move/etc) for 10 seconds while the tank can regain aggro.
Some of the arcane talents reduce threat as well as having a paladin cast Salvation on you which is a 30% threat reduction.
AoE is more tricky, a good healer will be able to heal you through a DPS storm, but I have found it more difficult to not pull threat on multiple targets. If the tank can hold multiple targets well then you are fine, but mostly you just get healed through the hits and melt them before they melt you. In most cases you will only be AoEing non-elite enemies so they do not hit that hard and you should be able to burn them quickly.
If it is a single target and you are pulling threat then its one fo 2 things. Either the tank is not generating enough hate or you are over nuking the enemy.
Also we get an invisibility spell that reduces threat for 5 seconds (as long as you are not hit or move or cast anything) and then after 5 seconds removes you from combat like feign death. Also frost mages (until next patch where it will become trainable) have Ice Block that makes you invulnerable (unable to cast/move/etc) for 10 seconds while the tank can regain aggro.
Ah of course. Forgot about Ice Block. (Just got it this level, so I am not used to it's use yet.) Also didn't know about Invisibility reducing threat. I guess I just thought it was an out of combat spell. Well, I learn as I go I guess.
Other than that, I guess I'll just have to spend more time being threat conscious than I am used to with other classes. (Tank classes notwithstanding). As I said in the OP, Threat is not really an issue for a Hunter. Any Hunter ever pulling aggro is retarded, and there's no excuse.
Thanks for the answer, now I guess I'll have to follow the invitation in "the best Mage post ever made" and PM the author for a greater understanding on how to use Iceblock as an Offensive spell. I think I might see one use of it in an offensive manner, but it's... dodgy.
Other than that, I guess I'll just have to spend more time being threat conscious than I am used to with other classes. (Tank classes notwithstanding). As I said in the OP, Threat is not really an issue for a Hunter. Any Hunter ever pulling aggro is retarded, and there's no excuse.
Thanks for the answer, now I guess I'll have to follow the invitation in "the best Mage post ever made" and PM the author for a greater understanding on how to use Iceblock as an Offensive spell. I think I might see one use of it in an offensive manner, but it's... dodgy.
Yeah threat reduction is pretty much the only use Invisibility has in it's "new and improved" state.
Once you get to high end, AoE won't be a worry, as it will be almost impossible to pull aggro off of a geared paladin tank.
Once you get to high end, AoE won't be a worry, as it will be almost impossible to pull aggro off of a geared paladin tank.
Recent Visitors: 83
All times are in CST
Anonymous Guests (83)
- Forums
- World of Warcraft
- Class Discussion
- Threat management vs AoE Mastery / DPS Kings
© 2024 Fanbyte LLC