I mean, dps-wise druids aren’t overpowered. We’re doing well, but we’re certainly not a Spriest or Fury warrior.
Ultimately it kind of doesn’t matter utility wise what is strongest. You can argue that druid has one of the strongest kits in terms of utility, but that still doesn’t mean you bring 20 druids to raid. You still need that DH darkness, that warrior rally, the immunity classes, BL classes, buff classes, classes that can actually perform within an interrupt rotation because solar beam sure as hell doesn’t cut it, etc…
I honestly feel like warlock is a better utility mage. Better summons, on par spells, way better survivability, and good stuff like summoning circle.
Then again, don’t have enough experience with either to say.
Basically portals as you said. It takes 10% of the time it requires for other classes, for me to do a quest chain or travel around dalaran and doing stuff, then going back to garrison and checking the mission table. Then visiting tempest keep for a casual mount farm and then heading back to orgrimmar for a warmode change while planning on going to icecrown for nostalgia, etc.
That’s pretty much it i’m afraid. At least in this expansion.
But at least, we have arcane intellect which means one mage per raid group is absolutely essential.
Mobility - locks lack frequent combat mobility compared to mage. This can be a pain in instances where frequent movement is required, particularly if you a a lock spec (destro, demo) which has mostly hard casts. You are punished for moving big time. Mages with shimmer are not punished for moving and can move frequently. Some specs like fire are able to maintain dps whilst moving during certain windows (FB/hot streak)
Survivability - works differently. Locks have “oh crap” buttons and ways to reverse dmg (drain), mages have ways to avoid damage entirely via ice block, blink and invis. Whilst the lock has arguably greater survivability overall, their primary tool to sustain themselves when injured (drain) comes at the cost of significant dps.
CC - poly is greater in utility than banish. Fear is too risky to see use beyond levelling.
Utility - locks bring combat ress, summons and portal dash. Combat ress is very strong. Summon is good, but nowhere near as good as it used to be pre summoning stones and dungeon teleport. Dash is situational but very good where warranted.
Mages have free food (small, but helpful on occasion), int buff (no min maxer will say no to that extra 3% int you get over scrolls) portals and teleport massively reduce downtime when travelling making mages excellent at farming old content like mogs etc.
I can’t speak for dps atm as I don’t know the exact levels of both classes, but as far as I am aware, mage isn’t a dustbin compared to locks atm. Fire is doing extremely well when it has the traits and gear ideal for it (lucid and blaster master). Arcane is weak yes, frost is still decent for mythic due to the CC. I’m not currently sure where locks sit In the charts, I know destro is decent for mythic due to cleave however. Unsure how locks stand against fire mages when raiding.
Regarding rotations I don’t think one class is simpler than the other. Mages have plenty of spice in their rotation when playing optimally due to shimmer etc. Arcane has a 2 rotation mechanic. Fire has the mastery of the combustion window, frost… Well I don’t know enough about frost honestly. I’m no master on locks but I can’t imagine mage rotations are inherently less interesting than locks as they have plenty going on in terms of keeping on top of your priority list.
Mage can blink away when in trouble
Warlocks dont have any good movement speed skill
Burning rush give you movement speed but drains you’re hp and should have been a base spell with no health drain
What are you basing your assessment on? Maybe I’m missing something but it seems to be the amount of roles a class can perform? ‘DK can tank and dps, but paladin can tank, dps and heal so paladin is better 100%’. If that is the case why would anyone play anything but druid? I usually look at raid performance and/or utility.
As for ele vs balance, I’d say ele is about equal to balance druid dps wise this tier, slightly ahead on average actually. Ele brings speed totem, tremor totem, stun totem, ankh, aoe knockback, purge, heroism and has one of the best if not THE best interrupt in the game.
Balance has innervate, soothe, CR, cone knockback or mass root and strong defensives. Both can dispel curses. Maybe more, let me know if I missed something.
I’d argue that enh is beter than feral, but I don’t really play either, same with healing. I don’t heal often so I’m not sure about that, however resto shaman was very popular in BoD but has fallen off now. While resto druid was never very popular in raids this expansion it is dominating m+.
I don’t think you can just say “lesser class” because it can perform fewer roles
I’m coming on this point you keep repeating it why I say mage is better .
I’m a multi alter I used to have 4 full accounts 200 I have just the 1 full one now 40 characters 100+ and 10 allied babies.
my warlock was great in MoP and ok in Legion and she hasn’t moved from snug harbour inn since launch .
My mage is 120 she was the 4th I levelled started as fire but when the legion legendaries lost their power at 115/116 I went frost to kick those last few levels and now I’m messing about as Arcane my mage is currently number 2 out of my classes to play.
my druid is feral she like my warlock is saddled in the inn in Boralus: bfa warlock/druids are not fun at all currently but I prefer druid over shaman who has been sitting at 101 a while I have shaman number 2 at 100
That is why I play lesser classes for fun and still think my mage is superior to warlock or my warlock would be my 8th 120.
don’t really need to try again it’s boring and green vs arcane elementals and water elementals wandering around portrait lined walls old books everywhere , arcane books floating past , magic brooms,
better looking NPC’s , well known NPCs !!
warlocks apart from whats his name of the black harvest vs Aethas Sunreaver , Archmage Kalec, Khadgar , Vargoth, Meryl Felstorm, Millhouse Manastorm ,The Great Akazamzarak
and we get that magic conjuring rabbit hat toy adding rabbits to inns on our route.
Well it’s not like fire where you can keep your rotation on the move by changing 1 spell or frost where enemies won’t ever reach you and not care about mana in both cases, with plenty of insta procs.
You have to keep control over your mana, charge up, rune + ap, blast, shimmer, turn to mob, blast, displacement, rune, blast, shimmer, turn to mob, evocate and shimmer again, blast, presence of mind and run, all this by switching between conserve and burn with the occasional aoe, with your main dps output being a hard cast. Now, that said, it’s far from optimal, being it a constant Blast spam overall, but the difficulties and interesting aspects lie somewhere else I think.
I think I’m “fine” with my rotation… I mean what difficulty more has a rotation of a demon lock or an affli lock. You barely even think what you’re doing or where you are, especially with affliction where you can just run around…
