[Archmage] Finding a niche w/ new changes?

[Jaycub]

Back when T3 was the cap, DPS AM was at it's peak. It was semi if not fully viable in 3-2-1 groups as a sort of hybrid role, most of the support however came from cleanses, bubbles, and some lifetapping rather than raw healing. T4 their damage falls off the face of the earth in comparison to how they where in T3, but with the new changes DPS AM have some very powerful reliable healing from mechanic points.

In full DPS even with divine fury slotted, your healing output on people other than yourself (50% effectiveness on self) is very similar to a full heal build with appropriate stacks. At 5 stacks you can pump out five 40% reduced cast time group heals that will easily go above 1k non crit. You also have the option to mechanic dance around 1-1 and alternate between a lifetap and a heal for some reliable sustained healing independent of whether or not you have stacks ready. Balance essence easily healing for over 1k hp even if you are leeching off a tank, this goes through heal debuff, and becomes AoE and faster cast w/ tactic. Not to say lifetap healing doesn't come with tons of problems compared to traditional healing, but you are ideally playing in a group with 2 other healers.

The mechanic also goes quite a ways to increase our damage, as now we can use healing as a way to boost our damage significantly through stacks gained by using heal spells... and store 5 charges instead of 1 as before. I've seen dots crit for 400-600 damage a tick, channel easily reaches over 1k up to 1.5k damage. Before starting a fight you can easily build 5 charges to start with, however burning through your DPS stacks once you start doing damage it does become a bit hard to get back to healing stacks to boost your damage again.

Reduced cooldowns on mechanic use also means DPS AM has the fastest cleanse of any class on order.


All this comes together to bring back DPS or hybrid AM into the fold for 3-2-1 group meta (proc meta withstanding I guess) as a more utility/defensive option over say SW/BW, and allows you to run a more crazy? group since you have that extra healing/defense/utility. It also opens up opportunities for possibly 3-3/3-2-1 groups where 2 DPS AM's replace a healer and a dps, pretty confident that 2 well played DPS AM's can replace a healer in a group and something like DPS AMx2/WP/SM/Knight and a 3rd DPS or 2nd SM could be a strong group.


I thought I'd open up a topic to specifically discuss how DPS AM is now in groups, and how the new changes are effecting them.

Spoiler:

Heal AM is still trash : ^ )

[shaggyboomboom]

Spoiler:

Heal AM is still trash : ^ )

You wish : ^ )

[Jaycub]

Trash in the sense it can't compete with RP/WP combo in any setup that is running 2 heal slots. If you are trying to build the best group possible.

[kweedko]

so DDAM is new META?

[Jaycub]

^no, as long as proc meta exists it has no real place. But once it's nerfed I think DDAM/Sham will be viable in the realm of 3-2-1 groups as a defensive alternative to other RDPS classes. And as long as you are building the group to milk as much effectiveness out of the class as possible. It still wont be an all around solid pick that will fit into any group.

[peterthepan3]

Assuming cleanse gets a look at (globally), then that - coupled with constantly strong dots and searing touch - will defo give class a spot in 3/2/1. Eager to test.

[kweedko]

Oh my, i thought snipe is new meta, im so confused with those metas.

[Illiyara]

OMGOMGOMGOMG

It sounds like the hybrid play style I've always dreamed of for AM will finally be viable 0.o
You know, the AM that actually plays around its class mechanic? The actual dps/heal hybrid? The one that uses all its spells all the time? Time to dust off RoR.

[Jaycub]

In case anyone missed it

Next update. I forgot to add that the mechanic will still level up the ability and transfer stats, so a DPS Shaman casting I'TT! off no mechanic with no points in Green and no Willpower won't do that much with it.

Regarding your edit, I'll be explicit.

The following adjustments from the empowered version of I'TT and BE will always be present regardless of mechanic points:

- 20% strikethrough
- Healing for x% of the base damage and y% of the damage dealt
- Cannot critically hit
- Does not scale with Intelligence

The following new adjustments will be present regardless of mechanic points:

- Heal component scales with Willpower
- Can critically heal
- Can proc heal procs
- Affected by heal modifiers

The following bonuses will remain linked to the mechanic:

- Move-cast
- Reduced cast time
- Leveling up to your Career Rank if the ability's level is below it
- Using your item stat bonus, if higher than your Intelligence or WIllpower

At first glance it looks like it's gonna hurt pretty bad, but we will have to see. Healing is still better than it ever was on live... just kinda weird that lifetap might move to the realm of pure healer specs.

[Illiyara]

I've tried a bit on my 5/5 duelist geared AM, specced full lifetap vaul+motm, and having quite a lot of fun. As it is now (I'm assuming the changes you just linked aren't in yet) it feels very strong. The most noticeable difference is being able to use my lifetaps while running,1-1 lifetap/heal (hot shield dispel or HE). EoV was already very strong before but too hard to cast. It's now stronger than FE if you can finish the cast before your target dies. BE is also quite reliable now, netting about 1.2k. Overall, this playstyle with vaul spec feels near the level of a pure AM healer or stronger on one target, while being 10x as fun. It's really so great to have a meaningful mechanic.

I suspect heal spec AMs will benefit even more from the new balance essence.



Testing a bit on mobs is giving me some confusing results though. I find it weird that they removed mastery contribution, because all the spells I have masteries in (the ones I use the most) seem to hit for less when empowered.
Will have to test more, it might be due to casting heals on self, and I'm not clear what the current usage is supposed to be. In my opinion, heals should never be weakened by the mechanic, seeing as we don't have reset or swap abilities like others do.