World of Warcraft Guides - Spellsurge

Maximizing Your Caster Weapon Enchants -- A Guide to Spellsurge in PVE

by Aeix -  Hellscream Server

Originally posted on the Official WoW Guide Forums on 03-21-2008

Introduction

The Spellsurge weapon enchant is one of the least known and used of the caster weapon enchants, yet one of the most powerful. I have used this enchant in countless groups and I always receive a lot of questions about it. The more questions I answered, the more I realized how unused this enchant is. My goal for this guide is to provide as much information as possible about this enchant, and how to maximize its potential in a PVE raiding environment.

Before we start, here's a link to the Spellsurge formula on Thottbot: Spellsurge

What Is Spellsurge?

Some facts about Spellsurge:
•  Spellsurge is a permanent weapon enchant for 1-handed or 2-handed melee weapons.
•  The formula requires Enchanting (360) to learn and is a random Outlands drop from level 68-72 mobs.
•  The formula description is as follows: "Teaches you how to permanently enchant a Melee Weapon to have a 3% chance on spellcast to restore 100 mana to all party members over 10 seconds."
•  Spellsurge mats include: 12x Large Prismatic Shards, 10x Greater Planar Essence, and x20 Arcane Dust.
•  The proc rate on Spellsurge is about 3% on INSTANT cast spells. The proc rate on full-duration spells (3 seconds or longer cast time) is actually 15%.
•  Spellsurge can proc from casting buffs or totems.
•  Spellsurge can proc from both offensive damage spells and healing spells.
•  When Spellsurge procs, it places a 10-second buff on all party members that restores 10 mana per second (100 mana over the duration).
•  Spellsurge procs do not affect raid members who are outside of your party.
•  Spellsurge procs from multiple party members WILL stack if occurring simultaneously.
•  Spellsurge stacks with other mana regen effects.
•  Similar to +haste proc effects, Spellsurge has a hidden cooldown. Once it has proced, it will not proc again for another 50 seconds.



Why Is Spellsurge Important In A Raiding Atmosphere?

The effect of Spellsurge, for obvious reasons, is more effective the more mana users there are in your party.

Spellsurge is a weak enchant in a solo atmosphere. It restores 100 mana at MOST every 50 seconds to the individual, whereas a Major Intellect (+30 Intellect) weapon enchant will increase the player's mana pool by 450 mana whenever the weapon is equipped. Offensive enchants like Major Major Spellpower and Major Healing Major Healing are even more popular and will significantly increase the players DPS or HPS.

In 5 man groups, you will likely be grouped with non-casters and even classes without a mana pool. It is possible to have a mana-intensive 5-man with a paladin tank, but it is also possible (primarily in a healer's case) to be the only mana user in the group.

However, most end-game 25 man raids assign members to parties based on class and spec to maximize auras, totems, and effects from support classes. As a result, most healers will end up grouped with other healers, and most offensive casters will end up grouped with other casters. These are cases when Spellsurge's benefits cannot be equaled by other caster weapon enchant options.

Lets do the math. In a 10 minute boss fight, Spellsurge may proc up to 12 times, restoring a total of 1200 mana to each person in the party. If there are 5 mana users in the party, it restores a total 6000 mana across the group.

In a best case scenario, this is an effective 10 mp5 increase to all members of the party. And that is just from one enchant! Since Spellsurge effects stack, a party where all members have Spellsurge enchanted could see an increase of up to 50 mp5.

Spellsurge mana regen stacks on top of other mana regen buffs and effects, so it could be said that this effect is irreplaceable.



Spellsurge Drawbacks

The main drawback of Spellsurge in a raid environment is its hidden cooldown. Although the proc rate is much higher than specified by the enchant formula, the hidden cooldown limits the number of procs you will recieve. Its effect, although powerful, will only affect you and your party 10 out of every 50 seconds in a best case scenario.

More popular enchants such as Major Intellect (+30 Intellect), Major Spellpower (+40 Spell Dmg and Healing), and Major Healing (+81 Healing, +27 Spell Dmg) provide effects as long as the weapon remains equipped. By providing this support to party, you also lose the DPS and HPS bonuses that would be provided by the Major Spellpower and Major Healing enchants.

Mana restoration and MP5 is also far less important on trash pulls and short combat fights, when OOC spirit regen and the ability to drink occurs often. In addition, +spell damage and +healing become far more important: the faster the mob dies, the sooner you and your party or raid can drink.

 

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