The Spirit Realm

I mem Balance, but rarely use it anywhere, in groups or raids. Time's Antithesis is faster, more reliable since it never ever wears off, even if the mobs gates or has to sit mezzed for a while, it's free, leaving mana for additional damage spells, and it's in a gear slot instead of on the spell gem bar, leaving room for additional damage spells. Those choosing not to use it are following form over function, seeking the vanity of higher hp/mana numbers instead of more effective play. You're absolutely right about the difference having the PoTime weapon makes to a good shaman, and I think it's one of the bigger problems high end shaman have.

One of my fondest wishes is eventually growing into abilities that naturally obsolete the TA, so that it can finally be destroyed, and a modern item take its place. The big problem is that I don't see any spell on the current model of casting being able to do it. The spear takes just 3 seconds to go full cycle from the finish of casting whatever previous spell to "ready to cast another". Even if a 0 cast time 75% slow spell were introduced, it would still require a total of 4.5 seconds between other spells, from gems refreshing. And in the current idiom, that spell would have it's own [at least] 6sec cooldown between attempts to slow, while Time's Antithesis only has 3.

The solution I envision is two-pronged: first, shaman Balance-line slows should have no recast delay. We have three lines of slow now (magic, disease, balance), and no spell shares a timer with the others, even in its own line: clearly, the basic ability to chain slows is not considered too powerful to exist. It's just a matter of inconvenience to have both Balances loaded. I think it's been rather beaten into the ground that convenience is a terrible way to balance power. So, in my vision of the ideal future, Balances are balanced (har!) by mana cost and agro, not by inconvenience of having both memmed.

The second part of my solution is an activated AA ability parallel to Death Peace AA for Necromancers and Shadowknights and Entrap AA for Rangers, that would have a core ability from our level 50s spells (ahem, Turgur) move off the spell bar and onto an AA button. The model of those other abilities is 2sec cast, 5sec cooldown, with the effect having the same stats as the spell. In our case, it would be 200 range, mr-0, 75% slow, 6.5min duration.

I think that the sum of those two additions/changes to the game would make it possible for sufficiently advanced shaman to leave behind gear from the Plane of Time without sacrificing function to their vanity.

P.S. There are actually MANY discussions about Time's Antithesis, but they're all rather old, like last year, so it's okay to make a new thread imo. Not that the problems have changed or even evolved, but it's rude to bump threads that old.

I agree an AA like you described would make the TA nearly obsolete. I just got myself a TA recently, woohoo, and i do love it. Prior to having a TA i kept balance memed 95% of the time, (i dont have the 65 balance) an memed turgurs when i knew i would need a long duration slow. Now i keep balance always memed, still, and i dont think i would ever unmem it, just would be against my shaman insticts, sorta like you just do not unmem canni, or heals.

And if they do upgrade our slow, which would rock, i would be flabberghasted if they got rid of the recast. Im curious if they realize that the recast is one of the strongest points of using a TA over balance. Having it an AA would solve the recast issue quite well, and would make it so that people without a TA arent totally screwed. Well they still wouldnt have a flaming spear which looks pretty slick.

TA still owns all other main handers for shaman. My Epic2 is GREAT in an inventory slot.

TA casts in 3 seconds.
TA doesn't use a spell gem,
TA lasts 6.5 mins,
TA doesn't use mana,
TA doesn't fizzle,
TA has no recast delay,
TA can be used while spell gems are refreshing.

TA is still single the best endgame item for a shaman.

I'd rather have a gem for malos and TA than devote that spell gem to any slow spell in the game. Malos helps every other spell I cast as well as the Turgurs slow from TA.

I do exactly the same as Ungkor. BoD is for that 1-in-20 mobs that resist Malos+TA.

i guess our guild cleared potime like 50+ times during the years and not a single TA dropped ;<
so it's BoN and BoD for me~

some how in the 4-5 times i have done time with the my raiding alliance i think a TA has dropped everytime. but i feel you guys!

TA is defnitly a boon for shamans particularly in groups but I find on raids I tend to be using balance moslty anyway to slow and have more then enough spell gems to have turgurs memed to as I really don't worr yabout dots or anything like that on raids.

XP groups having a ta would be soo nice but unfortunatly my shammy was an alt at the time I was in time. I'm hoping wiht level 75 cap 1 group can move quick enough in time to try for a ta then but I suppose we'll see. Regardless I'm fortunate that if I'm in an xp group 95% of the time my necro is pulling or a bard buddy which means only single mobs anyway so I'm not conerned about multiples which doesn't make me any worse off then TA shammys.