The following compares the current state of Enhancement Shamans to Fire Mages using the latest SimulationCraft data for end-game PvE in World of Warcraft The War Within patch 11.0.2.
Comparison
Category
Winner
Enhancement Shaman
+21.49%
When simulating boss fight encounters, Enhancement Shamans averaged 21.49% more DPS than Fire Mages (+369K DPS).
Enhancement Shaman
+33.43%
When simulating AoE DPS, Enhancement Shamans averaged 33.43% more DPS than Fire Mages (+325K DPS).
Enhancement Shaman
+27.61%
Enhancement Shamans have higher spike damage potential, achieving +917.5K more DPS than Fire Mages.
Spike damage is the peak DPS achieved in any given moment and is not sustained DPS.
Fire Mage
+1.14%
When upgrading the gear for both specs by +44 ilvl, Fire Mage DPS improved the most, +1.14% more than Enhancement Shaman. In total, Fire Mages DPS increased by 66.2% and Enhancement Shamans by 65.06%.
Fire Mage
+14.96%
+ Movement and latency lowered the DPS by 13.44% for Fire Mages.
+ Movement and latency lowered the DPS by 28.41% for Enhancement Shamans.
When introducing occasional movement and real-world latency, Fire Mages performed better, as Enhancement Shamans suffered a +14.96% DPS loss.
Fire Mage
When evaluating abilities used during boss encounters, Fire Mages had fewer damaging abilities in total, indicating a potentially less complex rotation.
The comparisons above highlight some of the key differences between Enhancement Shaman and Fire Mage in the current meta, which can hopefully help you determine which spec to play or group up with.
Enhancement Shaman
Fire Mage