News
Prof.
Class
Raid
Dungeon
Events
Quests
Transmog
Contact
Views: 207 444
Fire Mage DPS Statistics Priority and Reforging (WoW 4.3.4)

my image
Available!
5.4.8 guides and etc...
Click here.

Contents


Fire Mage Art Image

In this article, we explain what the best statistics are for Fire Mages (WoW 4.3), how the class benefits from each of them, and what your reforging strategy should be. We also detail what the various caps are and why they should be attained. The statistics priority is important as it influences reforging strategies as well as itemisation choices (gear, enchants, and gems).

Make sure to check our Gear Optimisation Guide, which serves as a support guide for this article. The other articles of our Fire Mage guide can be accessed from the table of contents on the right.

1. Basics↑top

The stat priority for a Fire Mage is:

  1. Intellect;
  2. Hit Rating (until 17%);
  3. Haste Rating (until soft haste cap, see below);
  4. Critical Strike Rating;
  5. Haste Rating (after soft haste cap);
  6. Mastery Rating.

If you are unsure what the optimal reforging strategy is for this priority, please refer to the reforging section of our Gear Optimisation Guide.

2. Getting a Better Understanding↑top

2.1. Statistics Explanations

Intellect is your most important stat, which provides the most benefit; you should look for this stat in all of your upgrades, as point for point it surpasses any other stat. It provides you with Spell Power and a higher mana pool, and increases your critical strike chance.

Hit Rating is your second most important stat as it determines your chances to miss a target when casting a spell. Once you have reached the spell hit cap, at 17%, it is no longer necessary to increase your Hit Rating.

Critical Strike Rating increases your chance to critically hit, which in turn increases your chances to proc Hot Streak Icon Hot Streak and to get Ignite Icon Ignite from a Pyroblast! Icon Pyroblast! (for Combustion Icon Combustion).

Haste Rating influences the cast speed of your spells. It also influences the frequency of the ticks for Living Bomb Icon Living Bomb, Pyroblast! Icon Pyroblast!, and Combustion Icon Combustion.

Mastery Rating increases the damage of your DoTs (Flashburn Icon Flashburn). It is your worst stat by far.

2.2. Caps

As for all caster classes, after 17% hit chance, additional Hit Rating becomes useless. Draenei require 1640 Hit Rating to reach the hit cap, while other races need 1742 Hit Rating.

2.2.1. Soft Haste Cap

There currently is some debate in the community as to what the best stat is between Critical Strike Rating and Haste Rating. The answer seems to be: it depends on your character's gear level. If, like us, you are not very much into theorycrafting, you can base your priorities on haste caps. Haste caps refer to particular values of haste which increase the number of ticks of your DoTs:

  • At 5% spell haste, you get 11 ticks on Combustion Icon Combustion, instead of 10.
  • At 12.5% spell haste, you get 5 ticks on Living Bomb Icon Living Bomb and Pyroblast! Icon Pyroblast!, instead of 4.
  • At 15% spell haste, you get 12 ticks on Combustion, instead of 10.
  • At 25% spell haste, you get 13 ticks on Combustion, instead of 10.
  • At 37.5% spell haste, you get 6 ticks on Living Bomb and Pyroblast, instead of 4.

If you can easily reach 25% spell haste, then this should constitute your soft haste cap. Otherwise, 15% will be your spell haste cap. When considering your soft haste cap, do not forget to take into account the 5% spell haste raid buffs (Moonkin Form Icon Moonkin Form from Balance Druids, Mind Quickening Icon Mind Quickening from Shadow Priests, or Wrath of Air Totem Icon Wrath of Air Totem from Shamans).

  • Before you reach the 25% or 15% spell haste cap, consider Haste Rating just as important as Critical Strike Rating.
  • After you have reached the 25% or 15% spell haste cap, consider Critical Strike Rating more important than Haste Rating.

2.2.2. Soft Haste Cap Tables

In the tables below, you will find the amount of Haste Rating you need to reach the 15% soft haste cap and the 25% soft haste cap, respectively. It is assumed that you benefit from the 3% haste bonus given by your Netherwind Presence Icon Netherwind Presence talent.

For the amount of Haste Rating, we give different values, depending on whether you benefit from the 5% Spell Haste Raid Buff, whether a Warlock cast Dark Intent Icon Dark Intent on you, and whether you are a Goblin (Time is Money Icon Time is Money). If you have the Tier 13 2-piece bonus, then simply remove 500 Haste Rating from the values we give.

The following table gives you the amount of Haste Rating you need to reach the 15% soft haste cap (15.0086% to be precise).

+5% Spell Haste Raid Buff?Dark Intent?Goblin?Haste Rating Needed
NONONO1494
NONOYES1352
NOYESNO1077
NOYESYES940
YESNONO813
YESNOYES678
YESYESNO416
YESYESYES285

The following table gives you the amount of Haste Rating you need to reach the 25% soft haste cap (25.078% to be precise).

+5% Spell Haste Raid Buff?Dark Intent?Goblin?Haste Rating Needed
NONONO2745
NONOYES2591
NOYESNO2292
NOYESYES2143
YESNONO2005
YESNOYES1858
YESYESNO1574
YESYESYES1431



2014-2015 Tauri-Veins.com 2.1