Frost AoE?Follow

Is frost AoE a viable way to level? Or is it a lot of hooey?

My main is a level 70 warrior, so I've done the grind before, and did it as prot the whole way. I understand that a dps class isn't nearly as time intensive, but still . . .

I've heard some folks say that going for CoC and Blizzard AoE round ups get the job done faster than just doing quests.

I'm not afraid of spending a little time refining skill. I was a wizard in EQ a while back and loved to AoE stuff there. I understand that the mechanics will be slightly different here, but I'm wondering if the results will be similar? In EQ it was the fastest way to level, period.

This. The patch that added the extra XP to quests pretty much killed AoE grinding.

Level as frost

Quest to increase levels

AOE Grind to farm mats

Ok, I admit that I'm a complete n00b to mages and I have no experience as a frost build (leveled to 54 as fire), but I don't get why I *need* frostbite to level. It's a 15% chance, but frost nova is a sure fire thing.

For grind quests you typically can get single or double pulls. So you sheep one, let the other come your way blasting away, when it gets close, nova it, jump back, and your critical is set up.

I use nearly that exact tactic for fire build pyro, scorch, fb and the mob is on me (unless impact hit), frost nova, jump back, pump off another fb and it's dead. If it isn't, I shouldn't have been fighting it :)

So I'm wondering why it's seen as a necessity rather than a nicety?

Fixed because fire does it differently but the result is much the same.

Does the new patch increase the XP from quests from 60+?


Becauase if it does not then i think that AOE grinding still maybe very viable.

Usually in one run in Hellfire Pennisula, I get about 10-15k Xp RESTED!!!.

ONE RUN= about 3 min for drinking, and going to next location, and then 2 mins for gathering, killing, an looting mobs.

SO IT COMES DOWN TO ABOUT 5-8XP FOR EVERY ABOUT (higher estimate) 5 MINS,

THEREFORE 60-92XP AN HOUR for aoe grinding in hellfire penninsula

And unless there is another mage doing the AOE grinding near me there is no down time other than drinking and then just getting the next set of mobs?

and quests in Hellfire give about 10k XP and take alot longer to do than 10mins, so AOE grinding is better than questing for me at the moment. lvl 62 frost mage.

Most of the quests in HFP are things like, get X of an item (generally by killing mobs) or kill Y things. You get 10K XP from the quest, 10-12K XP from killing the guys you need to kill for a total of 20-30K XP per quest done. Given that you do multiple quests at one time, I still doubt that you get the same XP AOE grinding that you do from doing quest grinding. You also don't get the very nice blue gear you get from some of the quests in Honor Hold, as well as the faction reputation you get from questing.

All in all, I'd quest my way up.

Edit: I see Anobix and I had some similar thoughts.

Edited, Jul 21st 2008 3:13pm by aquifer

Not to mention the quest rewards like cooking recipes, upgraded gear, and, well, being able to bomb from a bird. :)

Well, Sushi... it's would be nice to actually test that, but I don't have a mage in HFP. I do have a rogue there and could test out his XP/hour (as rogues kill pretty quickly as well) quest grinding and post that in a few days. I am interested in the data that comes out of it. The down side is, I suppose, the fact that you can only AOE grind in HFP for so long. There are some other spots in outlands to grind, but not nearly as many as there were in Pre-BC WoW.

but, if u like to quest u should definatly do it, i just want to hit 70!!!

I think I can kill a mob per minute on my rogue pretty easily. Like I said, I'll calculate the XP/hour (well, I'm lazy.. I'll load the titan XP panel) and let you guys know what my XP/hour rate is quest-grinding.

and anobix, as to after leaving HFP im not sure, ill look for different spots that yeild the XP, (given there are any.)

Theres not many effective places to AOE in Outlands. Basically you're limitted to the buzzards in hellfire (58-63) then the consortium mobs in netherstorm (67-70).

If you spend 5 full levels on those buzzards, you will probably go insane.

Oh and the sunfury mobs outside BT, but theres a limitted amount of melee clusters.

Believe me, I've scoured Outlands for AOE locations, I leveled a mage and a paladin and was big into the AOE on both. Unfortunately theres no epic AOE spot like pirates cove or sorrow hill in Outlands. You're basically limitted to buzzards, which drop crap (lolmeat)

Edited, Jul 22nd 2008 8:14pm by mikelolol