Raid as frostFollow

Can you raid as frost: yes
Is it the most efficient or damaging build: no
Are there better alternatives: yes
Is it worth it to have the spellfire set (as well): yes

I have both sets crafted as I switched to fire after my guild had kara on farm. Kara is not too difficult (imo, especially after the tanks+healers get geared a bit better). Once fights become dps races it becomes advantageous to switch to a fire build because it does, without need for discussion, outdps a frost mage.

If you don't plan on switching to fire until you have the gear to replace FSW that can be a debatable time. The spellfire set lasts up to around Tier5 armor (and in those instances). I only have two pieces left of my original crafted sets: Spellstrike hood + spellfire chest (hoping to replace the hood from either Vashj or Void Reaver) and the chest from Vashj or beyond.

40/0/21 is only nice if you have less than 600 or so spell damage. Then deep frost edges it out (either 10/0/51 or 2/0/59). There's a good website that has a place to do spec comparisons here.

This same topic comes up from time to time about people do amazing/exceptional damage as frost and how they can keep up with equally geared fire mages... It always gets my goat because you are comparing apples to oranges. The set bonus for spellfire is phenomenal where the set bonus for frozen shadoweave just flat out blows chunks. Even if the set bonuses were the same for the 2 armor sets, fire would prevail, but increasing spell damage by 7% of your int is huge in kara where there are a lot of prolonged fights.

It think the *right* answer is that raiding frost is an opportunity cost. Sure, you may be in the 'top 5' of the dps charts... but you are sacrificing damage if you go frost. You might very well be leading the charts as fire. Now, to rationalize your decision by saying you're near that top is just saying you don't want to be at the top.



There are some Pallies that hate healing, period... you know what? If they want to get invited/help their guild out, they spec for the guild. They play for the team. ;-) That shouldn't happen to mages until after Kara, around Mag & Gruul & SSC/TK, but it will happen that your refusal to go fire will hurt the guild by them not being able to dps down some boss.

/dismount soapbox

Personally, I think everyone should try all specs for at least 2 weeks, and if you're in an end-game raiding guild, you should spec for the guild's benefit. I'll probably get flamed for saying that, but that is okay too.

EDIT: Spelling... grrrr

Edited, Jan 9th 2008 8:32am by ktangent