The following compares the current state of Arcane Mages to Windwalker Monks 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
+0.47%
When simulating boss fight encounters, Arcane Mages averaged 0.47% more DPS than Windwalker Monks (+7K DPS).
Windwalker Monk
+21.62%
When simulating AoE DPS, Windwalker Monks averaged 21.62% more DPS than Arcane Mages (+214K DPS).
Arcane Mage
+10.73%
Arcane Mages have higher spike damage potential, achieving +1.0M more DPS than Windwalker Monks.
Spike damage is the peak DPS achieved in any given moment and is not sustained DPS.
Windwalker Monk
+0.55%
When upgrading the gear for both specs by +44 ilvl, Windwalker Monk DPS improved the most, +0.55% more than Arcane Mage. In total, Windwalker Monks DPS increased by 68.31% and Arcane Mages by 67.76%.
Windwalker Monk
+20.94%
+ Movement and latency lowered the DPS by 8.84% for Windwalker Monks.
+ Movement and latency lowered the DPS by 29.78% for Arcane Mages.
When introducing occasional movement and real-world latency, Windwalker Monks performed better, as Arcane Mages suffered a +20.94% 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 Windwalker Monk in the current meta, which can hopefully help you determine which spec to play or group up with.
Arcane Mage
Windwalker Monk