Hello, Mage Community! I am still very new to the World of Warcraft, and I come to you with a few questions. My boyfriend and I are playing a duo - he is a Warlock, I am a Paladin. However, he is gone a lot of times, so we can't always play together. As such, even though I told myself I wouldn't like the game, I wouldn't want to play, I find just the opposite, and now I need an alt to play while he is away. That is why I am here!
My primary concern for whatever class I decide on playing is I want to be an asset to groups. I absolutely hate to solo. In fact, that is why I avoided WoW for so long, as I was always told how great it is for the solo player. I'm a grouper. I play MMOs to play with people! With that in mind, how useful are mages to groups? Not only in endgame, but in the actual process of getting there.
For a group player, what would you recommend as far as a build? It seems like int and spirit would be the obvious choices for stat increases, but perhaps there is something better? I saw a post regarding spell damage + versus crit+, so I will have to delve into that eventually. But for now, I'm just looking for the basics:
1) Will a mage be wanted for groups, instances, and eventually end game events?
2) For a mage focusing on wanting to group over solo, what would be the most effective build?
3) What order should I look for stats on gear?
Thanks in advance for the information, I'm sure it will prove quite helpful!
PS: I'm a Blood Elf if that matters?
Serena
- Forums
- World of Warcraft
- Class Discussion
- Possible Mage Alt
Possible Mage AltFollow
First, hello and welcome to both the game and the community =)
Now to answer your questions;
Yes. Among DPS classes, mages are probably one of the most wanted classes for instances and raids. This is due to the fact that they can conjure up portals to teleport raid members to main cities, the fact that they can summon up free food and drinks for everybody, and the fact that they have a really reliable crowd control spell, Polymorph. In the avarage raid, you will indeed find a mage or two; don't worry about that.
For just that, fire is the way to go. Fire focusses mainly on long(er) casting spells that deal insane amounts of damage. The downside of the fire tree is that most mobs will kill you in 5-6 hits since you don't have much ways to keep them at distance. In groups however, you will never need to worry about keeping mobs at distance; you'll have tanks to do that for you.
I'm not a professional mage player like some of the others here, so don't pin me on it, but... Generally you should focus on Intellect, then stamina, then spirit. You can totally ignore agility and strenght. This changes a bit depending on the talent spec you play and the level you are at though (at level 70 raiding you will not need stamina at all). Don't worry about spell damage versus crit just yet; you won't be seeing much of either before level 50 or 60... And it will only start to matter at level 70.
And last, just two things I'd like to mention.
1) Mage soloing is hell before level 18-20. If you're really interested in the mage class, don't let soloing bring you down, just bash your way trough to level 20 where the game becomes a lot more enjoyable.
2) While fire works very well for groups, you might have some problems with it while soloing. Generally fire will allow you to kill mobs in 2 or 3 hits; the problem is, whenever something goes wrong and you aggro adds, you wÃll die and you will die fast. Though for a mage it seems to be based on personal preference, I would recommend you to go with a talent spec known as the 'elementalist' spec.
This basically means you put half your points in fire, and the other half in frost; in the fire tree you go purely for +damage talents, in the frost tree you go purely for talents that enhance your survivability. Eventually, you will end up with pretty powerful fire spells, and weak but effective in terms of slowing/snaring frost spells. Originally this is a PvP spec, but I personally find levelling with it very enjoyable. For the maximum effect, put 11 points into fire to get pyroblast and then focus on frost for a couple of levels.
In the end, keep a mind that spec-wise you should always go with whatever feels best for you. If there's talents of which you think "hey, I'd really like having that", just go for it.
Good luck on your mage =)
Now to answer your questions;
Quote:
1) Will a mage be wanted for groups, instances, and eventually end game events?
Yes. Among DPS classes, mages are probably one of the most wanted classes for instances and raids. This is due to the fact that they can conjure up portals to teleport raid members to main cities, the fact that they can summon up free food and drinks for everybody, and the fact that they have a really reliable crowd control spell, Polymorph. In the avarage raid, you will indeed find a mage or two; don't worry about that.
Quote:
2) For a mage focusing on wanting to group over solo, what would be the most effective build?
For just that, fire is the way to go. Fire focusses mainly on long(er) casting spells that deal insane amounts of damage. The downside of the fire tree is that most mobs will kill you in 5-6 hits since you don't have much ways to keep them at distance. In groups however, you will never need to worry about keeping mobs at distance; you'll have tanks to do that for you.
Quote:
3) What order should I look for stats on gear?
I'm not a professional mage player like some of the others here, so don't pin me on it, but... Generally you should focus on Intellect, then stamina, then spirit. You can totally ignore agility and strenght. This changes a bit depending on the talent spec you play and the level you are at though (at level 70 raiding you will not need stamina at all). Don't worry about spell damage versus crit just yet; you won't be seeing much of either before level 50 or 60... And it will only start to matter at level 70.
And last, just two things I'd like to mention.
1) Mage soloing is hell before level 18-20. If you're really interested in the mage class, don't let soloing bring you down, just bash your way trough to level 20 where the game becomes a lot more enjoyable.
2) While fire works very well for groups, you might have some problems with it while soloing. Generally fire will allow you to kill mobs in 2 or 3 hits; the problem is, whenever something goes wrong and you aggro adds, you wÃll die and you will die fast. Though for a mage it seems to be based on personal preference, I would recommend you to go with a talent spec known as the 'elementalist' spec.
This basically means you put half your points in fire, and the other half in frost; in the fire tree you go purely for +damage talents, in the frost tree you go purely for talents that enhance your survivability. Eventually, you will end up with pretty powerful fire spells, and weak but effective in terms of slowing/snaring frost spells. Originally this is a PvP spec, but I personally find levelling with it very enjoyable. For the maximum effect, put 11 points into fire to get pyroblast and then focus on frost for a couple of levels.
In the end, keep a mind that spec-wise you should always go with whatever feels best for you. If there's talents of which you think "hey, I'd really like having that", just go for it.
Good luck on your mage =)
Oh that sounds great! I am very glad to hear that mages are wanted. I generally play healer types, and I knew that a Priest would be a welcome addition, but I wanted to shake it up in this game.
You mentioned that fire spec would be best for a party style mage because of the great damage. Frost would lend more crowd control though. Is crowd control not really an issue in instances and exp groups?
Serena
You mentioned that fire spec would be best for a party style mage because of the great damage. Frost would lend more crowd control though. Is crowd control not really an issue in instances and exp groups?
Serena
Hello there! Welcome to the Mage community.
I have a 70 Mage, he is my main character. I have always been invited to a group no matter where it is. Polymorph is the best used tool in instances for all classes in means of CC. The reason I say this is well...it is easily seen and easy to tell if it broke. I mean for God's sake it is a sheep.
As for leveling, go with fire it does tons of damage. I started every fight with a frostbolt even though I was fire. It still slows them down, then you can "Nuke" the crap out of them. You will die a lot if you try to pull 6 guys at once while soloing. Unless of course you are AOE farming. Now fire will be your best spec for now due to sheer damage on mobs.
As for gear here is what you want. Intellect > Stamina > Spirit. Everything else is really useless to a Mage. As you level you will have to stop every few mobs to drink or eat but you make all that yourself so it is free. You will be able to put your Hearthstone where you are questing due to having portals to the major cities. So you have a great edge over a lot of people when it comes to leveling.
Like I said the hardest part of being a Mage is learning how to keep mobs away from you long enough to kill them. This is very easily learned as you progress...Frost Nova then Blink works really well. Any more questions ask and I will answer any questions you may have Good Luck. Oh and I saw your post in the Lock forums as well. Good Luck with your decision as I hope this made it easier for you.
I have a 70 Mage, he is my main character. I have always been invited to a group no matter where it is. Polymorph is the best used tool in instances for all classes in means of CC. The reason I say this is well...it is easily seen and easy to tell if it broke. I mean for God's sake it is a sheep.
As for leveling, go with fire it does tons of damage. I started every fight with a frostbolt even though I was fire. It still slows them down, then you can "Nuke" the crap out of them. You will die a lot if you try to pull 6 guys at once while soloing. Unless of course you are AOE farming. Now fire will be your best spec for now due to sheer damage on mobs.
As for gear here is what you want. Intellect > Stamina > Spirit. Everything else is really useless to a Mage. As you level you will have to stop every few mobs to drink or eat but you make all that yourself so it is free. You will be able to put your Hearthstone where you are questing due to having portals to the major cities. So you have a great edge over a lot of people when it comes to leveling.
Like I said the hardest part of being a Mage is learning how to keep mobs away from you long enough to kill them. This is very easily learned as you progress...Frost Nova then Blink works really well. Any more questions ask and I will answer any questions you may have Good Luck. Oh and I saw your post in the Lock forums as well. Good Luck with your decision as I hope this made it easier for you.
Well, yes and no. In instances after level 60 crowd control becomes somewhat to very important. The thing is, frost doesn't really give 'crowd control', but rather survivability. A mages crowd control comes in the form of sheep, that's it. While it's even in some heroic instances (hard versions of a normal instance) possible to for example let a mage 'tank' a mob my kiting it, you rarely see this happen. When you need crowd control in an instance, it usually means you need to take one mob out of the battle for some time, period. Kiting it around isn't going to do. You need for example a rogue's sap (which stuns the target for ~1 minute) or a mage's polymorph. All other mobs are going to be tanked, so there is no need for slowing effects on them.
That said; I'm not saying frost is completely useless for instances. In fact, there are plenty of mages who spec frost to do raids. But that generally has to do with gear, the way spell damage scales with certain stats and the encounters in question... For now, it'll be safe for you to assume Fire = best damage and frost = best survivability.
As for being an addition; do not be mistaken, healers are generally wanted more than DPS classes. Regardless though, I wouldn't worry over it; a 5-man group generally requires 3 DPS and you're very unlikely to be rejected a spot because you're a mage. You're not as shunned as a rogue (the class which half the WoW population seems to play), but you won't be as sought after as a warrior or priest.
That said; I'm not saying frost is completely useless for instances. In fact, there are plenty of mages who spec frost to do raids. But that generally has to do with gear, the way spell damage scales with certain stats and the encounters in question... For now, it'll be safe for you to assume Fire = best damage and frost = best survivability.
As for being an addition; do not be mistaken, healers are generally wanted more than DPS classes. Regardless though, I wouldn't worry over it; a 5-man group generally requires 3 DPS and you're very unlikely to be rejected a spot because you're a mage. You're not as shunned as a rogue (the class which half the WoW population seems to play), but you won't be as sought after as a warrior or priest.
Okay thanks again! I've at least narrowed it down now to Warlock or Mage. I'm going to play each to about 15 and see which one I like better, and I will go from there. The information helps tremendously. Rate ups!
Serena
Serena
It seems people have covered the things in question here. But something I'd like to say is, please level both of them to 21 before deciding. This is because warlocks get Succubus and mages get Pyroblast or Icy Veins, along with a level to get used to them. They're nice spells which show a bit more on how the classes are and would allow you to give a bit better judgment on them.
Okay up to 21 then :) I definitely want to give both a fair shot!
Serena
Serena
I might only have a level 38 mage but i cannot see why Spirit is any real use at all i went frost from level 10 and i have collected as much spell damage gear as i could find , the result was very good as i can kill just about anything that i want with crit running at well over 700 nothing my level gets anywhere near me.
So my advice is go Int Sta and when you can get Spellpower gear then get it , absolutly anything that increases your damage to my way of thinking is a must have , but then again my Mage is also a high level enchanter and only limited by her level as to what enchants she can do.
Frost to level to me is perfect . that ohh s**t moment we all get , you freeze and run like hell , i die far less with my mage than i do any other class as i can always escape ( of course now i have said that i will die a lot ) , as my main is a hunter i prefer the distance fighting anyway that frost gives me , and of course if something gets close its either a fireblast or a freeze depending on the mobs health.
And in a group Frost is still good as you control the mobs and the others will thank you for that , anything that makes life easier is good to me.
Edited because i forgot to say level 21 is ok level 25 i thought hey i like this , level 30 i thought wow and at level 38 try stopping me getting to 70 , the truth is the more levels you get the more fun a Mage is , Crowd control you can do it , multiple targets down fast you can do it , i cannot see anything bad about being a Mage at all.
Edited, Sep 8th 2008 12:46pm by sandralover
So my advice is go Int Sta and when you can get Spellpower gear then get it , absolutly anything that increases your damage to my way of thinking is a must have , but then again my Mage is also a high level enchanter and only limited by her level as to what enchants she can do.
Frost to level to me is perfect . that ohh s**t moment we all get , you freeze and run like hell , i die far less with my mage than i do any other class as i can always escape ( of course now i have said that i will die a lot ) , as my main is a hunter i prefer the distance fighting anyway that frost gives me , and of course if something gets close its either a fireblast or a freeze depending on the mobs health.
And in a group Frost is still good as you control the mobs and the others will thank you for that , anything that makes life easier is good to me.
Edited because i forgot to say level 21 is ok level 25 i thought hey i like this , level 30 i thought wow and at level 38 try stopping me getting to 70 , the truth is the more levels you get the more fun a Mage is , Crowd control you can do it , multiple targets down fast you can do it , i cannot see anything bad about being a Mage at all.
Edited, Sep 8th 2008 12:46pm by sandralover
Among all the dps classes, mages are probably the most sought-after in 5-mans. (Or maybe warlocks. I prefer mages when I'm tanking for sheep, the best cc in game.) If you want to never be without a group, roll a healer or tank. But mage is a decent choice otherwise.
As far as fun -- yes, mages are insane fun. Fire is marginally better for instances but won't really make a difference until higher lvls, so feel free to play around with both. You want +int (best) and +sta at lower lvls, and whenever you can get it +spell damage. This may come in certain flavors, such as +fire or +arcane damage. It's very useful. The harder your spells hit, the fewer you have to cast and the less mana you use. At higher lvls you'll also add +spell hit to your shopping list. +spirit is not a big deal. Not to say avoid it, but if you have a choice between an item that gives int, sta or spell dmg and one that gives spirit, choose the former.
As far as fun -- yes, mages are insane fun. Fire is marginally better for instances but won't really make a difference until higher lvls, so feel free to play around with both. You want +int (best) and +sta at lower lvls, and whenever you can get it +spell damage. This may come in certain flavors, such as +fire or +arcane damage. It's very useful. The harder your spells hit, the fewer you have to cast and the less mana you use. At higher lvls you'll also add +spell hit to your shopping list. +spirit is not a big deal. Not to say avoid it, but if you have a choice between an item that gives int, sta or spell dmg and one that gives spirit, choose the former.
Another guy with a 70 mage as my main checking in.
If you go with a fire spec, you'll be fine soloing as long as you're careful about pulling. If you pull from max range with your biggest damage spell--Pyroblast once you get it, you'll probably have time to get off a fireball before the mob reaches you, and then fire blast if it's still standing.
In a group, even if you're on sheep duty, you'll still be topping the damage meters fairly often. When you join a group for a dungeon run, one of the first questions you should ask is "What is my sheep mark"? If no one knows what marking targets means, you may want to find another group. Usually, the tank will mark targets and announce a kill order. Usually, it goes Skull first, then X, etc. I prefer my sheep target to be marked with the Moon symbol, but some groups use the diamond symbol. Doesn't matter what symbol is used, as long as everybody knows what it is.
When sheeping, you want the sheep to land quick enough to keep the sheep out of any AoE the tank or others may use...but not so far that the sheep is likely to wander into other mobs and aggro them.
If you go with a fire spec, you'll be fine soloing as long as you're careful about pulling. If you pull from max range with your biggest damage spell--Pyroblast once you get it, you'll probably have time to get off a fireball before the mob reaches you, and then fire blast if it's still standing.
In a group, even if you're on sheep duty, you'll still be topping the damage meters fairly often. When you join a group for a dungeon run, one of the first questions you should ask is "What is my sheep mark"? If no one knows what marking targets means, you may want to find another group. Usually, the tank will mark targets and announce a kill order. Usually, it goes Skull first, then X, etc. I prefer my sheep target to be marked with the Moon symbol, but some groups use the diamond symbol. Doesn't matter what symbol is used, as long as everybody knows what it is.
When sheeping, you want the sheep to land quick enough to keep the sheep out of any AoE the tank or others may use...but not so far that the sheep is likely to wander into other mobs and aggro them.
Quote:
n a group, even if you're on sheep duty, you'll still be topping the damage meters fairly often. When you join a group for a dungeon run, one of the first questions you should ask is "What is my sheep mark"? If no one knows what marking targets means, you may want to find another group.
This is more of a high level thing, though. Don't fret if you're running a 20-25 instance (like Shadowfang Keep) and people don't know what targeting is. You probably won't really meet it until Scarlet Monastery Cathedral, a level 35-40 instance, or Zul'farrak, a 45-50 instance. You'll start regulary seeing it once you reach Outlands at 58, but even then, it doesn't become a must until the real high level instances (~64-70).
Recent Visitors: 146
All times are in CST
Anonymous Guests (146)
- Forums
- World of Warcraft
- Class Discussion
- Possible Mage Alt
© 2024 Fanbyte LLC