Feedback on Arcane Mage in M+

Classes Mage
1

Dear Blizzard,

I’m writing to share my feedback as I prepare to quit World of Warcraft. Although this has been my favorite game for a long time, I no longer find it enjoyable, and I want to explain why.

I had high hopes for War Within, but unfortunately, the issues with Arcane Mage remain unchanged.

I’m not a fan of the raid format, so I will focus on Mythic+ content. Here are the issues I’ve encountered:

  1. Opening Rotation:
    The opening rotation is too long and cumbersome, taking a full 20 seconds to unleash its full DPS without haste.
    Example:
    2.Evocation (3s) → Arcane Missile (2.5s) → Arcane Surge (2.5s) → Arcane Barrage → Magi (12s to activate) → Arcane Blast (2.25s) → Arcane Missile*
    While clipping some of these abilities may speed things up, it still feels too slow.
  2. Low Key Mythic+:
    On lower keys, most mobs are dead before Magi’s Touch can even explode, making it feel ineffective.
  3. Dependence on Cooldowns and Group Play:
    Arcane Mage only deals significant damage when cooldowns are active, making it heavily reliant on tanking. It’s difficult to optimize the class without a group of friends.
  4. Proc Reliance:
    Arcane Mage’s DPS can vary drastically, sometimes doubling or halving, depending on Clearcasting procs.
  5. Movement and CC Issues:
    There is a major loss of DPS when movement is required or when CCs need to be applied.

Suggested Changes:

  1. Evocation in Dungeons:
    While Evocation works well in raids, it’s a hassle in dungeons. You need to anticipate the tank’s pulls, pauses, or multi-pulls, which make it really hard to time it right.
    Consider removing the buff from Evocation and granting it passively when casting Arcane Surge instead.
  2. Magi’s Touch:
    The 12-second wait before Magi’s Touch explodes and deals damage is problematic. Instead of accumulating over 12 seconds, make it an instant effect.
    While Magi’s Touch is active, every spell you cast deals 20% more damage to the target and reduced damage to nearby enemies. This would function similarly but without the wait. It would also ensure that all mobs in a pack receive the damage, even if the effect hasn’t fully triggered yet.
  3. Burst Damage and Cooldowns:
    While it’s important to have burst damage, the timing of cooldowns can be annoying if you misread the tank’s route. If you use your cooldowns at the wrong time, the next pack can feel like a waste.
    Perhaps we should consider reducing burst damage but increasing overall damage output to make it more consistent in all situations.
  4. Movement and CCs:
    Given the limited window to maximize damage, it’s challenging to apply CCs or deal with movement. Why not allowing all casters to interrupt or use other control spells while casting in PvE? (Not referring to PvP here.)

I have more ideas, but I’ll keep it brief. These are just a few examples of potential solutions.

Thank you for taking the time to read my feedback. I hope it will be considered, and that future updates will address these concerns.s.

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