First time posting a new thread here. I've seen similar threads here but none that actually compare what highmaul mythic vs heroic 680ilvl set bonuses really sim out to.
My guild is considering running BRF Heroic to get people some set bonuses before mythic. I'm sure other people are in the same boat. I originally wrote this up to provide my guild with insight into how mage set bonuses compare to other class/specs. I felt like it is something worth posting here, and since it's my first time I decided why not. Hopefully this can open good discussions about the bonuses and can help fellow mages plead to their guilds to get those tier pieces!
First off here's what the set bonuses do (in case you live under a rock):
Without running any numbers you can already tell that the 4p set bonuses are where the magic really happens.2 pieces (Arcane) : After using Evocation, the cast time and mana cost of Arcane Blast is reduced by 25% for 15 sec.
2 pieces (Fire) : Inferno Blast now has 2 charges.
2 pieces (Frost) : Each Ice Lance cast while Frozen Orb is active reduces the cast time of Frostbolt by 2% and increases the damage of Frostbolt by 2% for 10 sec. Stacks up to 10 times.
4 pieces (Arcane) : When you generate an Arcane Charge, you have a chance to increase the number of missiles your next Arcane Missiles will fire by 5.
4 pieces (Fire) : When Pyroblast! activates, you have a chance to cause all Pyroblasts to have no cast time and be guaranteed critical strikes for 4 sec. (Approximately 1.00 procs per minute)
4 pieces (Frost) : While Frozen Orb is active, you gain Fingers of Frost every 2.5 sec.
Sims:
Swapping out the most logical slots with heroic ilvl set pieces we come to this here:
I also uploaded the entire html file to my personal site. Consider checking it out to see the simulations I used to back up my assumptions.
Frost 2p is so bad the the ilvl lost by swapping to 680 turns out to just be a dps loss. Other 2p bonuses aren't half bad but not as strong as 4p.
Using what I know about the specs and the sims to back it up lets rate them.
Rating:
Rating is done on a 5point scale. NOTE: This is NOT a rating of the actual set bonus alone. It is a rating of the HEROIC ilvl version of the set bonuses vs current Mythic gear.
Frost
2set: 0/5. worthless, literally a dps loss over highmaul based on ilvl alone.
4set: 3/5. Based on dps alone I would give this a 2/5 but it is a decent quality of life change. Having FoF procs in your opener is a big plus and it makes Frozen Orb a consistent substitute moment cd for times in which you aren't running Prismatic crystal or there are already 2 targets to cleave.
Fire
2set: 3/5. Decent dps increase on it's own, and has the potential to seriously increase aoe damage (which fire is already solid with) since you can spread your dots with more peace of mind. Nice quality of life change and also helps movement.
4set: 5/5. Crazy dps increase, probably one of the highest. Makes the spec playable in single target. Despite this, I don't recommend fire for single target until we get some Mythic Foundry gear (due to scaling not being completely caught up yet). Still batshit crazy for damage moving forward into cleave and aoe mythic progression fights.
Arcane
2set: 2/5. Damage wise it's alright. Nothing special or crazy about this, but it does make the conserve phase more fluid.
4set: 4/5. Solid dps increase. Makes you hit harder.
Conclusion
So yeah, the fire bonus is bonkers but sadly we can't make a full swap yet for single target. Damn ilvl holding us back. Still, the bonuses are alright for frost and pretty good for arcane.
In closing, since the heroic ilvl in BRF is lower than highmaul, it's important to know if your bonuses are worth the dip in ilvl. Also, simulations were ran using Kams and my own character as the basis gear wise. What do you guys think?
