4- Templates
4.1 Traditional Templates
4.1.1 Most played Template (Mostly by unexperienced mage players)
Its weakness : No Flame Throwing, less flexible regarding placement.
4.1.1 Most played template by experienced players
Very Balanced, totally mana safe. And placement efficient.
4.2 Key Talents
4.2.1 Flame Throwing
"Increases the range of your Fire spells except Frostfire Bolt by 6 yards."
You will have 41 yards range on all your rotation spells.
Remember :
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 competitive 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 that 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 you are 2 on your spot you will both have 2 time more chance to be hit, etc.). So if you stay out of your raid group you will increase you 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 proc HS, at the end of the cast refresh the LB and spam pyro, you will launch the pyro before the FB hit the boss and then even if the FB procs HS you shouldn't lose any HS procs. 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 than your GCD.
4.2.2 Student of Mind
"Increases your total Spirit by X%." (X = 4, 7 or 10)
At BIS gear in Fire specialization you will reach in raid 250 Spirit Rating + 80 (by the Priest buff) + 51 (Druid buff)+ 10% (by the Great Benediction Of Kings) = 406 Spirit Rating.
So 1/3 Student of Mind gives you : 4%*406=16.24 Spirit Rating. You will gain 35% of you spirit in Crit by the Molten Armor + 20% if glyphed means 55%. So you will gain 16.24*55% = 8.932 Crit Rating.
2/3 Student of Mind gives you : 7%*406 = 28.42 Spirit Rating. You will gain 35% of you spirit in Crit by the Molten Armor + 20% if glyphed means 55%. So you will gain 28.42*55% = 15.631 Crit Rating.
3/3 Student of Mind gives you : 10%*406 = 40.6 Spirit Rating. You will gain 35% of you spirit in Crit by the Molten Armor + 20% if glyphed means 55%. So you will gain 40.6*55% = 22.33 Crit Rating.
Yet you see why experienced player prefer 6 yards range over 13.398 Crit Rating. (11.715 = 0.29% Crit)
4.2.3 Magic Absorption
"Increases all resistances by X per level and causes all spells you fully resist to restore Y% of your total mana. 1 sec cooldown." (X;Y) = (0.5;1) or (1;2)
So 1/2 gives you 0.5*80=40 on all resistances and 1% manaback.
2/2 gives you 80 an all resistances and 2% manaback.
The point of this talent is the survivability it gives to you. Not regarding huge damage (like the one you will take if you missplay on Sindragosa for example), but on minor damage such as puddles of slimes on Professor Putricide. When you will be on a regular raid in which you will be confident about your healer, you will be more able to stay in these puddles for a while, in order to do not break your rotation. That will give you an good advantage in terms of dps.
General advice here, do not, in any case, jeopardize the raid and risk/cause a wipe in order to top the dps meters. As a dps you should always do whatever is in your power to have the highest damage output possible, but not at the expense of others. Do not completely ignore mechanics and tactics to tunnel vision the boss!
4.2.4 Ranking of the most efficient Mana-regen talents
Empowered Fire > Pyromaniac > Master of Elements > Arcane Concentration > Student of the Mind > Magic Absorption
Lot of people chose to do not take 3/3 on Masters of Elements and it is, in my opinion, a huge mistake.
4.3 My Template
It is my favorite template because it has both Flame Throwing and Magic Absorption. Moreover having 4/5 on Arcane Concentration gives me exactly the mana return I need on LK 25hc (with my current group). I mean when I have used all my Gems I enter Frostmourne Chamber with between 4 and 10 % mana, and then I evocate inside the FM, in order to minimize dps loss. If I see we are not going to do it I always have a Mana Injector ready to utilize.