At present, we have all completed the tasks of WOTLK Classic Phase 3. We’ve also become very clear about which DPS Specs are overperforming and which DPS Specs are underperforming. That means it’s time to discuss and sort the 8 DPS Specs that buffs can be used in Phase 3.
8. Elemental Shaman
First let’s skip to number eight, Elemental Shaman. They have a high skill floor and do competitive damage. Every Shaman I’ve encountered casts Bloodlust and keeps popping their spells, like Fire Elemental and Lightning Bolt.
I’m also aware they’re completely insane in PVP and probably shouldn’t even be allowed in Wrath Arena. But that doesn’t mean Titanium Ore around them isn’t activated.
The first red flag I want to raise is that a lot of Icecrown Citadel Raids last about three to five minutes. That means you’ll lose a lot of Fire Elemental’s uptime, and not even glyphs will save you.
The second red flag is that Elemental Shaman isn’t really being stacked in raids. You need to restore Shaman’s completely insane part in Icecrown Citadel Raid. Also, raid leader will definitely push Elemental Shaman to Dual Spec Healer at this stage.
7. Marksmanship Hunters
The seventh class that needs a buff is Marksmanship Hunters. Because Hunter Sims is several hundred DPS behind Survival Hunter. So the general wisdom is that a MM with armor will be a few hundred DPS behind Survival Hunter. That would put them comfortably in the middle after ICC is over.
I think we can all agree that there are a lot of problems with Hunter Sims. Because Sims doesn’t really think about moving or adding. For example, Sims expects perfect movement in most situations.
But players sometimes have to remove inefficiently and lose some shots, resulting in a DPS loss. There are also some annoying bugs to deal with, like not being able to use Explosive Trap in Twin Valkyr Raids.
Another big problem is that Sims doesn’t do a good job of addressing the mana issues that Hunter usually has. Hunter’s mana would be better in ICC with better gear. But there are still many ways to restore mana, such as Snowball or Innervate.
6. Blood Death Knight
The sixth class that needs to be strengthened is Blood Death Knight. Blood Death Knight even deserves more of Shadow’s potential. But let’s take a step back, unless you have a raid without Enhancement Shaman.
Does it really make sense to do a DPS Specs rating with Blood DK before they finally have enough gear to start competing? Maybe it makes more sense to take Frost and Unholy and equip them. But for higher DPS, they’ll take Unholy Frenzy from Feral Druids and pass it on to themselves.
5. Boomkin
The fifth profession that needs to be strengthened is Boomkin. Almost all Sims will say that Boomkin is great and does better in ICC. All will tell you how powerful Boomkin are in combat and how powerful their Innervate is.
But the data will tell you that Boomkin is mediocre. Some even re-roll completely into Feral Druid or other categories. The main reason is that the more Sims move around, the less utility skills they actually use.
4. Enhancement Shaman
The fourth Specs that needs to be strengthened is Enhancement Shaman. Phase 4 Sims put DPS classes and ICC in the lower third. The big three of Pharaoh, Fire Mage and Fury Warrior constantly surpassed them, and even entered Phase 5.
One of the biggest concerns for Enhancement Shaman in ICC was the amount of movement in combat with PTR exploit. So we had to challenge some bosses like Lady Deathwhisper.
Plus Enhancement Shaman’s HP is around 10,000 lower than Warriors or even Death Knights, so it’s also severely lacking in survivability. You can use WOTLK Classic Gold to get some healing potions or defensive gear before a fight to boost your Shaman’s survivability. Just to note, you can also get 3% off with the code “Lich.”
3. Arcane Mage
The third class that needs to be enhanced is Arcane Mage. Mage is probably the most iconic class in WOTLK Classic. Fire Mage is currently the only viable PVE Specs. Even in Phase 3, Arcane Mage is harder to play and less rewarding than Fire Mage.
In addition to serious scaling issues compared to Fire Mage, there is also a bottom-line skill issue. If you make a mistake during the rotation, your mana will suffer and your performance will drop. Because mod Sims don’t really take into account Nightmare Scenario.
Arcane Mage needs more support, like Innervate. And Fire Mage doesn’t require mana, which just makes Arcane Mage worse by default no matter what class you play.
2. Arms Warrior
The second class that needs to be enhanced is Arms Warrior. They didn’t help much with the raid. Because other classes with high damage specs can provide their buffs. Meanwhile, their opponent Fury Warrior’s specs are getting better and better, with some Sims even listing Fury as the first DPS at the end of ICC.
1. Beast Mastery Hunter
Let’s take a look at the Specs that need to be strengthened the most in the third stage, Beast Mastery Hunter. It only has a 3% damage buff and really solid damage, so they are the worst class to have in Sims. Currently, playing BM Hunter does more than 1500 less damage than Survival Hunter. It’s really hard to justify doing raids. Even the most powerful class design is pointless.
The above is DPS Specs that I need to buff in Phase 3. If you want to be as prepared as possible for Phase 4 ahead of its release, you can’t miss this guide. Let’s see you in the game.
