1- Rotation & Gameplay

Few rules for new mages who don't manage  their class properly: 

1.1 Rotation at the beginning of the encounter

We will assume an encounter longer than 3 minutes (it means you will use your major CDs more than once):

=> Avoid the common error: Scorch LB MI FB .... prefer: Scorch LB FB MI FB ...

=> In this situation: Scorch LB (HSproc) FB ...  do not : Scorch LB FB Pyro FB MI,  prefer: Scorch LB FB MI FB Pyro.

When you will raid with Warlocks you need to know that they put the same debuff as your scorch on the boss, so you don't need to put it if they do it quickly enough . - but remember that: "Demo stops first at 35% mark to cast Soul Fires, Affliction second at 25% when they start using Soul Fire as main filler spell. When neither warlock is using Shadow Bolt anymore, it’s  [mages] turn to keep crit debuff up."*Direct quote from Nazad & Firesong document here.) .  

Also don't use LB as the first spell in an encounter, Fireball is preferable because you can precast it. By this I mean start casting at dbm pull 3 in order to have your spell in the air when the tank pulls the boss. On bosses which start with an event you can open with LB first. However, in my experience this will fuck up your timers for putting the best Combustion because LB will explode too soon. This means you will not be able to wait for both Phylactery and Charred Twilight Scale (CTS) to proc and also benefit from Lightweave Embroidery, Potion of Wild Magic and Ashen Band of Endless Destruction at the same time because when they will finally be all up, your LB will be close to exploding and you will not able to cast enough FB under Combustion to consume all the charges before LB explodes, consuming the remaining stack(s).

Note: Combustion does more than just increase your crit chance on fire spells, it also makes your crit hit 50% harder, so you have to use it during the time you deal the highest damage (so yes, during your images but also during your spell procs, and if it's possible when you have all of them together), so your combustion utilization is almost totally independent of your images.

=> In this situation: Scorch LB (no HSproc) FB ...  prefer: using MI and Combu at a different time- wait your trinkets proc and an HSproc and then use your Combu (the purpose is to have a maximum of SP when you activate you combustion).

Another example : Scorch LB FB (Proc Phylactery) IM (HSproc) FB Pyro+Combu. (in this case, you can refresh your LB in order to not consume your Combustion). But this is still a DPS loss, so with experience you will have all your timers in your head and you will know that if you proc very fast on the beginning of the fight you will have enough time to Combu (and use all stacks) before the LB explosion. And if you don't, you will continue your rotation till your first LB explode and then refresh it and use you Combu. Timers comes with practice.

=> If you have a good trinket wait on your SP procs to use your Combustion.

For info: 

This is my way to open: prepot speed potion and start precasting at DBM 3 > LB at pull (and Global Thermal Sapper Charge on bosses where you can be at melee for the pull) > cast a FB > Use your images + your engineer gloves + your flame cap (+your berserk if your are troll) + Start to move away from the boss (during the gcd time) in order to be as soon as possible at 35-41 range > Cast your 3rd FB > use your pyro proc (Most of the time you will have a HS ready at this time) + continue to move away from the boss during gcd (+ depending if your SP procs are up, use (or do not use) your combustion) > FB ..... wait for the right time to use your combustion, you are still between 6 and 7 seconds of your LB. If you cannot Combustion after this FB wait for the explosion, refresh your LB and combustion on the next pyro. 

1.2 Rotation during the encounter

1.2.1 Single Target

(Reminder: Always be able to burst under 35% of the boss' health, of course if you have the occasion do not hesitate to burst at the beginning, just do your maths and be sure you will have your cooldowns for 35%.)

Spells to use: 

Rotation:

Basic Priority Rules (if you strictly apply these rules, the rotation given above doesn't matter):

1) Always be casting,

2) Maximize the uptime on 2T10 bonus,

3) Use most of HS procs you can,

4) Maximize your LB debuff uptime on the boss,

5) Having Scorch or equivalent debuff on the boss.

If you have a casting time of less than 2 seconds and a high lvl of real crit (up to 70.72%), apply this order of priority : 1) 3) 4) 2) 5).

Keep in mind:

Assuming your haste maximizes your 2T10 bonus, if you can place 3 FB on 2T10 bonus (depending your haste during the fight), do not use your HSproc or an instant spell (except if: RealCrit>70.72%), before having placed your 3 FB. If you place only 2 FB, try to refresh your LB during the 2T10 bonus (between the 2 FB) if it works do your LB refresh this way. If you cannot place 3 FB on the 2T10 bonus -I mean start your 3rd cast on the buff-, it's better to refresh your LB on the 2T10 to minimize the GCD caused.

This principle will not hold true if you are in a time-limited SP buff (such as a trinket proc or your MI). Here the objective will be the place as many Pyroblasts as you can during the SP buff. 

1.2.2 Multi Targets (Boss with adds)

Most Important rules ! 

Different cases:

=>You have to dps the adds: 

=> DPSing the adds is not mandatory: 

Precision, if you have enough time before the add dies to cast a FB, prioritize it over your fire blast or scorch. Same idea if the add is close to dying and has some DoTs on it, go back on the boss. Remember, a FB which doesn't hit makes you lose 2 seconds of DPS without gain. If, and only if, the add is of absolute priority, then finish it with a fire blast (a scorch that crits hits lower than the fire blast). IF fire blast alone is not enough and you need another spell, you just fucked up- you should have cast a FB.

1.2.3 Multi Targets (Trash mobs)

Put 3-4 LB on different mobs, then rotate between Flamestrike rank 9 and 8. When the first LB explode stop your Flamestrike rotation and use your HS procs. Then when all HS procs are used, just put 3-4 LB again (if the mobs will live >12 seconds) and do again as mentioned before.

1.3 How to move

1.3.1 New Mage Player

In order to move and maintain the rule of always be casting: try as much as you can to put LB on the maximum amount of targets you can hit, think of using Fire Blast if you have no additional targets to LB, it can proc HS! Reminder that if you only have one move to go out of the dangerous area, use your blink! It costs you 1.2 sec GCD but it's safer. A good bind for the blink is your mouse wheel click!


1.3.2 Experienced Player

Most important thing, the movement is the variable which makes the difference between a good mage and a very good one. A good mage would say "I'm using Fire Blast to move", and this is why this mage is good but not "very" good:

Fire Blast it's a 1.2sec GCD (meaning for a well-geared Fire Mage ). Moreover it deals  7 to 9k damage and has a good chance to proc HS if your last spell was critical. (Note: 1.2 is an approximation, GCD goes from 1.5 to 1.0 depending on your haste rating)

But a really good mage anticipates their fight and constantly moves on their next key location!

Each LB, each instant Pyro, are opportunities to move towards your new location.

What I mean is that all of the mage movements need to be smooth and spread on the whole fight. Only the movement which cannot be anticipated is the one resulting from a boss' AoE or a dispel which needs to be made as soon as possible:

In some case you will have to hurry up because of a wrong placement or because of unanticipated timers. In this case do not hesitate to do a mashup between fast and smooth movement.

For example: Going back to the LK after the first transition phase- before the Quake, go smoothly at the limit of the LK's AoE (Remorseless Winter). When your tank is going in with the remaining spirit do a cast and use a GCD (like applying a LB or throwing a pyro to the Raging Spirit or LK) to go a bit closer to the LK, cast a second FB and then blink to the center. Moreover during this phase, if you manage your HS procs and refresh LB properly you can easily do it without blink, because the Val'kyrs Shadowguards pop only after 10 seconds, and this way you will keep your blink for the defile.

2.4 How to use your offensive Cooldowns

You have 2 interesting offensive abilities which have a coooldown : Combustion and Mirror Images.

How to use your Mirror Images ("Creates 3 copies of you nearby, which cast spells and attack your enemies. Lasts 30 sec.") :

Properties : 3 minutes cooldown, causes a GCD.

This spell becomes interesting when you have the 4T10 set, it gives you the following bonus : "Your Mirror Image ability also causes you to deal 18% additional damage for 30 sec.". Before this set bonus this spell is a simple additional frost damage which costs you a 1.2sec GCD (plus the fact that they can bug and simply do nothing ...). So before the 4T10 I advise you to only use it as a way to drop the boss threat if you have some aggro issues. 

When you have your 4T10 bonus, you will need to use your images smartly. The key to good utilization here is knowing the raid's dps, and to be able to judge if you can use them more than once during the encounter (on some bosses even more). 

1. Use it one time during BL,

1. Use it one time under 35% boss' health,

1. Use it one time at the beginning of the fight,

2. Use it when you will have maximum of your SP (after trinkets ICD but before they actually proc).

3. Use it when your Combustion is still available.

NB: When your images are alive your aggro is hidden from the target, but your abilities still increase it. This means two things: 

Note: For maximum effictiveness, make sure you don't receive Hand of Salvation before/during Mirror Images! If you do the threat build by your images will not be decrease by the HoS.

How to use your Combustion ("When activated, this spell increases your critical strike damage bonus with Fire damage spells by 50%, and causes each of your Fire damage spell hits to increase your critical strike chance with Fire damage spells by 10%. This effect lasts until you have caused 3 non-periodic critical strikes with Fire spells."):

Properties : 2 minutes cooldown + approximately 10 sec (the time necessary to consume the ability), does not cause a GCD.

You must to use it when your damage is the highest (Mirror Images, SP proc by Enchant/trinkets, Potions etc.).  

2.5 Your positioning

For your positioning, 2 rules :

2. You have to choose, ahead of time, the place  where you will have the least possible movement to do during the whole encounter.

In my experience, too many mages don't properly value their very long range. (I highly recommend the 2/2 talent points in "Flame Throwing").

If you have the 41 yards reach given by the Flame Throwing talent:

You will be the raider with the longest range (except healers). That means you're one of the most well equipped dps to switch on long range targets and you will continue to dps even when your mates will have to run after the target. 

You need to know that the damaging AoE (puddles, goo, etc.) randomly target one of the 25 raiders (or less than 25 depending on the ability but still randomly). Considering this mechanic, if you are alone in a 5-10 yards distance from the group, you will need to move on a boss aoe only if he especially targets you (in the same way if there are 2 people on a spot, that spot will be twice as likely to be hit, etc.). So if you stay out of your raid group you will increase your dps significantly by not having to move from many boss attacks, even if they are unpredictable.

Moreover during the LK's transitions phases, you can, with the agreement of your raid leader, DPS the LK. It has 2 main advantages : 1. It shortens the 2nd phase. 2. It gives you a way to regulate your threat on the Raging Spirits. To give you an idea, a well-geared mage can do around 1 or 2% of the boss' health in ICC25hc.

Finally, playing at 35+ meters from the boss (30+ meters is ok too but if you don't spam well you will have issues) gives you the capacity to never waste any HS proc. When you are casting an FB and a LB explodes and procs HS, at the end of the cast refresh the LB and spam the pyro, you will launch the pyro before the FB hit the boss. Then, even if the FB procs HS you shouldn't lose overlap your earlier HS proc, then cast a 2nd FB and use your HS (this way you will never lose any HS proc on single target if you maintain the distance between you and this target in order to have a fly time longer then your GCD. 

2.6 General advices

Always, maintain a 35+ range, in order to never waste an HS proc.

Play away from your mates in order to reduce to 1/25 the probabilities to be reached by an area attack from the boss.

Always being prepared for combat means: