Is the (Shadow)Priest the better Mage in WOW?

[savaughn]

I suppose it can look that way.  In my experience, once one has learned how to AoE and you're coordinated with the group puller, mage AoE doesn't become any easier to apply.  And especially in a raid, the fact that mages are the only ones with moving AoEs doesn't change anything, since if you want the entire raid's AoE on one target area, you *have* to hold still since everyone else's AoE doesn't move.
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I had been avoiding this thread, but because of a strange coincidence, I'm going to chime in.

I just had this conversation with someone who had some differing opinions. I had quite a long conversation the other night from someone coming back from killing Onyxia who explained how moving AoE is the fastest most effective way to round up and slaughter dragon whelps coming out of the eggs. It really doesn't matter how brilliant and coordinated your puller is when things spawn outside of the pull.

There are two phases to AoE: collection and destruction. Warlocks can't even play in the first part of the game and have higher DPS to trade off for some massive limitations in the second. Using your own example, a warlock can't run around TM collecting guards because a warlock can't run and AoE.

Looking at the other side of the argument (that Warlock ticks are better than Mage ticks) requires a) the Warlock is specced Destruction and B) there is a Paladin present with concentration aura on. Lets start with the obvious - Paladins are not present in most parties. This should be obvious since they aren't even available on the Horde side. With just a destruction Warlock, you are unlikely to get more than 2 ticks of AoE.

That said, you are saying flat out that Warlocks have better AoE despite the fact that you need more people to make that happen. 2 Warlocks + 1 Paladin are 3 people. You're right, if you have the right 3 people working together they can out AoE 2 mages - how does that diminish the fact that in equal situations mages still have better AoE? Three Mages > 2 Warlocks + 1 Paladin.

Your real argument is this: "If you already have a Paladin in the party and the group is extremely sophisticated in it's pulling, gathering, and mob control, it is possible for a destruction specced Warlock to achieve 39 more AoE DPS than a Mage in the same situation." This is true in many but not all cases. From this, you are asserting that a) Mages are therefore useless and B) Warlocks are the undisputed AoE masters. Neither of these claims are supported by this.