Missile Barrage gives your Arcane Blast, Fireball, and Frostbolt spells a chance to reduce the channeled duration of your next Arcane Missiles spell by half, reduce its mana cost to 0, and cause missiles to fire every .5 seconds.
Requires Mage
Requires level 1
Gives your Arcane Blast a 40% chance, and your Fireball and Frostbolt spells a 20% chance to reduce the channeled duration of your next Arcane Missiles spell by 50%, reduce the mana cost by 100%, and missiles will fire every 0.5 secs.
(Proc chance: 40%)
Ah, Missile Barrage! This new Rune for Mages in WoW: Season of Discovery promises a thrilling gameplay twist by potentially transforming Arcane Missiles into a blazing, mana-free barrage. Here’s the lowdown:
Mechanics:
Equipped in the Waist slot.
Grants a chance for your:
Arcane Blast (40% proc chance):
Fireball and Frostbolt (20% proc chance each): to trigger a buff on your next Arcane Missiles cast.
The buff offers a triple bonus:
50% reduced channeled duration: You cast Arcane Missiles much faster, unleashing the spell in half the usual time.
100% reduced mana cost: Arcane Missiles becomes free to cast, allowing you to focus on spamming it without mana constraints.
0.5-second missile firing: Missiles fire twice as fast, potentially doubling your Arcane Missiles damage output during the buff.
Note: The buff lasts for a limited duration (likely tied to the rune’s cooldown).
Strengths:
Burst potential: If triggered, the Missile Barrage buff provides a massive damage boost, letting you unleash a rapid-fire Arcane Missiles onslaught.
Resource management: Eliminates the hefty mana cost of Arcane Missiles, empowering you to chain casts without resource limitations.
Mobility: Faster casting allows you to weave movement into your rotation more easily, improving survivability in dynamic encounters.
Weaknesses:
RNG-dependent: Relies on random proc chances, introducing an element of uncertainty in its effectiveness.
Cooldown management: Maximizing the buff’s potential requires understanding the cooldown and timing your Arcane Missiles accordingly.
Competing options: Other Waist runes offer alternative benefits like instant casts or cooldown reduction, depending on your specific needs and encounter dynamics.
Overall:
Missile Barrage is a high-risk, high-reward Rune for Mages who enjoy a thrilling, proc-based playstyle and want to maximize their burst potential. It significantly elevates Arcane Missiles’ power but requires adapting your rotation and managing RNG and cooldowns effectively.
Tips:
Track the Rune’s cooldown and prioritize casting Arcane Missiles when it’s about to come off cooldown to maximize the buffed window.
Consider talents and gear that increase your Arcane Blast, Fireball, and Frostbolt crit chance to improve the proc trigger rate.
Analyze the encounter and compare Missile Barrage to other Waist runes based on your desired playstyle and the specific mechanics involved.
I hope this in-depth analysis helps you decide if the Missile Barrage Rune is the right fit for your Mage in WoW: Season of Discovery!