#0 - Jan. 30, 2009, 5:30 a.m.
Q u o t e:I must be playing some outdated build or something because last I checked my AoE options were Magma Totem and Fire Nova Totem. Both of which require melee range. Both of which have a small radius that is not defined on my user interface (and require an inordinate amount of time to recast if the AoE pack moves.) Both of which do significantly less DPS than Blizzard, Mind Sear, Seed of Corruption, or Hurricane. Both of which require me to give up my one spec defining buff for the raid to perform a standard raid DPS function.
Mages, locks, ele shamans and boomkins (and possibly hunters) have great AE. Not every class needs great AE. We want rogues, DKs, ferals, warriors, enhancement shammies and everyone I have forgotten to do decent enough AE that they don't feel dumb standing around on AE pulls. Every pull currently feels like an AE pull. It won't always be that way.
My guild's vent is mostly filled with laughter when I drop Magma Totem and I eat a cleave. The casters complain about their noticeable DPS loss whenever I try to AoE trash in Naxx and the mechanic is such a hassle that my raid leader excludes me from the AoE group for Sartharion. Yeah, if the trash lives long enough I can weave Chain Lightnings in and that's enough to catch the DPS up to other classes' potentials. The problem being I've wasted so much time running in, placing the totem and running out (and removing +3% crit aura/+SP) that the damage will never be comprable.
Elemental does not have good AoE. Enhancement has good AoE. I can't even use my 51-pt. in a regular PvE situation wthout glyphing it (and then I neuter any fun or utility the spell has in raid content or world pvp, e.g. cliffs, caster aggro and Gluth chow.)
Totem AoE doesn't work for ranged spec. That's an easily reached consensus for Elemental forum goers. Does everyone else on this board think the same? Or do you believe your raid benefits from an Elemental using Magma Totem over Totem of Wrath?
