The following compares the current state of Arcane Mages to Outlaw Rogues using the latest SimulationCraft data for end-game PvE in World of Warcraft The War Within patch 11.0.2.
Comparison
Category
Winner
Arcane Mage
+1.93%
When simulating boss fight encounters, Arcane Mages averaged 1.93% more DPS than Outlaw Rogues (+31K DPS).
Outlaw Rogue
+34.59%
When simulating AoE DPS, Outlaw Rogues averaged 34.59% more DPS than Arcane Mages (+409K DPS).
Outlaw Rogue
+13.34%
Outlaw Rogues have higher spike damage potential, achieving +1.5M more DPS than Arcane Mages.
Spike damage is the peak DPS achieved in any given moment and is not sustained DPS.
Outlaw Rogue
+1.28%
When upgrading the gear for both specs by +44 ilvl, Outlaw Rogue DPS improved the most, +1.28% more than Arcane Mage. In total, Outlaw Rogues DPS increased by 69.04% and Arcane Mages by 67.76%.
Outlaw Rogue
+11.65%
+ Movement and latency lowered the DPS by 18.14% for Outlaw Rogues.
+ Movement and latency lowered the DPS by 29.78% for Arcane Mages.
When introducing occasional movement and real-world latency, Outlaw Rogues performed better, as Arcane Mages suffered a +11.65% DPS loss.
Arcane Mage
When evaluating abilities used during boss encounters, Arcane Mages had fewer damaging abilities in total, indicating a potentially less complex rotation.
The comparisons above highlight some of the key differences between Arcane Mage and Outlaw Rogue in the current meta, which can hopefully help you determine which spec to play or group up with.
Arcane Mage
Outlaw Rogue