Mage questions! Phaleux and other mages please share your wisdoms!

[Boom]

Ok, I rolled up a mage on a pve server for when Stormbeaver gets too ganky. Its really fun so far. :D

I'm level 12-ish so I only have a few damage spells, and I'm already confused which ones I should be using. Like fireball v arcane missles. I was using arcane missles at distance cuz its channeled and gets interrupted and fireball when the mob on me cuz I can still get it off. But my fireball just upgraded so it does more damage, so now I'm not using arcane missles at all. And after I get improved arcane (so it can't be interrupted) I should use that one when I'm getting beat on and fireball when I'm not getting beat on, right? And later on (I think level 20ish) I get a spell that's called scorch. It seems pretty similar to fireball, its a single target fire damage spell with a relatively short cast time. So why do I need scorch and fireball both? All the other extra damage spells I think I can figure out. Like I use the freezy ones when I want monsters to slow down.

Ok, that is my first question. My second question is about talents. After reading the forums I think that I want to go 31 arcane 20 fire. Some people say 30 arcane 21 fire is better cuz of more crits or something (not sure I entirely understand it). But most people say that top level arcane talent makes you pretty ublar every 3 minutes. Since this is a pve server, and mobs are dumb, all I really care about is the most dps possible. So does 31 arc 20 fire sound good for that? Also, which tree should I build up first. I figured I would go straight for pyroblast as soon as possible because it sounds like a cool looking spell, so I have two points in improved fireball already. Then once I get pyroblast I will switch to the arcane tree so I can get insta-arcane-explosion as soon as I can. That all sound good?

I'll take any other good tips ya got? :D

[Hammer]

I can tell you what I'm doing boom, but I'm as noobular as you are. I open with a frost bolt, arcane missles, fire ball, insta fire spell, fire ball again if neeeded. some times for variety I'll ice them run away and then finish them at distance.

I'll probably go 31/20 arcane/fire. I'm putting all my points in arcane to start with to get to improved arcane explosion as soon as possible. although I'm a little confused about it. If I read it correctly the spell has a 1.5 second cast and no cool down. if you go all 5 levels of IAE you turn it into an instant?

[Morety]

Go to an instance if it's too ganky.

[Bearabald]

I am slowly leveling a mage on alliance and hope to level with nukor soon, come join us :)

[Cyrius]

Well, when my mage was a little above your level, I got flame throwing or whatever that increases your fire range. This means I can cast 2 fireballs at a mob, and then start my arcane missle and have most, if not all of them out by the time the mob gets to me. Fire blast and then melee it to death.

From what I read, full fire seems to be the most effective solo'ing tool until you get to 4x or 5x, and then AE can be pretty good. The sequence seems to be FB, FB, insta, Scorch until insta refreshes, repeat until dead.

Edit: But like PB says, you should come to KT if you want to level an alt. I don't think it gets too gankish except for the hot-zones, and if I'm not in an instance, I will always come help if a guildie is getting camped.

[Noleader]

Boom all the DD magic spells are about the same for PvE, I saw a chart a while back that showed you get about the same DPS Per Mana Point...

Really with a mage it all comes down to what talent tree looks the best to you and what your play style is like. I am full fire spec with a second spec in Arcane (for clearcasting).

Oh and come to KT for the mage :) Our server (outside STV and Southshore) is almost gank free.

[Noleader]

If you go all 5 levels of IAE you turn it into an instant?

Yes it does, but it is not like a normal insta, it is still considered a castable spell by the game.

[spyder913]

boom. Get 5/5 in improved arcane missles, and you can use THAT when the mob is beating on you. For talent builds in pve I would do 33/18 fire/arc or an ice buiild (33 or 35 ice, rest arc) The AP build (31 arc 20 fire) is more of a pvp thing.

[Boom]

Hmmm, interesting.

I can see why you say AP is a PvP kind of spell. Burst damage makes life hard for healers. But I would think it would be great for PvE too, just because more damage is always good, right?

I can see where the fire build might be better off for PvE though. 33 fire gives me all kinds of extra crits and stuff. Maybe even enough extra damage to make up for the lack of AP, huh? Although I gotta say that combustion seems really really lame for a top level ability. I mean, a guaranteed crit is nice, but once every 5 minutes? Bleh. But still if the constant extra damage from Fire Power and Critical Mass is greater than the extra damage I get for 15 seconds every 3 minutes from AP, then the fire build would be better.

I'm kinda suprised you suggested an ice build though. I thought the only really good thing about ice is that the mobs in MC are all fire resistant. That defensive stuff in the ice tree like that ice block might be cool, but I don't think they are my style. The only thing that makes Ice look good at all to me is Ice Shards. It basically doubles your crit damage. I got a similar talent for my warlock and for my hunter and I love it. You get those HUGE crits which just rocks. I don't see any equivalent talent for fire or arcane. So ice spells can crit harder than fire or arcane spells, but it seems like fire and arcane will still do more damage, just because they are harder hitting spells to start with.

Anyway, my plan for now is to go straight to pyroblast. I want to poop out IMMENSE FIREY BOULDERS. Soon as I get that I am going straight for improved arcane explosion. I know I should get the improved arcane explosion first, because I will probably use it a lot more, and you really can't beat an insta-aoe spell that can be spammed every second. But I am already 5 pts into the fire tree. When I have Pyroblast and improved arc exp, I still won't really be locked into either tree and can go fire/arc or arc/fire.

[spyder913]

Hmmm, interesting.

I can see why you say AP is a PvP kind of spell. Burst damage makes life hard for healers. But I would think it would be great for PvE too, just because more damage is always good, right?Yeah it works for pve, but solo as a mage you can take out anything else solo (elites are hard though) and in a group AP is TOO much, you'll draw aggro and never lose it. Also keep in mind it costs an extra 35% mana too so it's just faster, not more damage on those long boss fights.

I can see where the fire build might be better off for PvE though. 33 fire gives me all kinds of extra crits and stuff. Maybe even enough extra damage to make up for the lack of AP, huh? Although I gotta say that combustion seems really really lame for a top level ability. I mean, a guaranteed crit is nice, but once every 5 minutes? Bleh.That's why I had PoM instead (30 fire/21 arc)
But still if the constant extra damage from Fire Power and Critical Mass is greater than the extra damage I get for 15 seconds every 3 minutes from AP, then the fire build would be better.

I'm kinda suprised you suggested an ice build though. I thought the only really good thing about ice is that the mobs in MC are all fire resistant. That defensive stuff in the ice tree like that ice block might be cool, but I don't think they are my style. The only thing that makes Ice look good at all to me is Ice Shards. It basically doubles your crit damage. I got a similar talent for my warlock and for my hunter and I love it. You get those HUGE crits which just rocks. I don't see any equivalent talent for fire or arcane. So ice spells can crit harder than fire or arcane spells, but it seems like fire and arcane will still do more damage, just because they are harder hitting spells to start with.Well I'm ice right now, and it's fun. I'm 35 ice/16 arc (no silence is annoying though). Ice block is awesome and I wish I could have it as a fire mage.

Also there IS a skill like that in fire, it's called ignite. It adds 40% to fire crits over 4 seconds, which seems like less, but it works out like this: 150% for a crit, * 140% from ignite = 210% of base damage if the burn finishes. Awesome awesome skill. Rogues hate it too.

Anyway, my plan for now is to go straight to pyroblast. I want to poop out IMMENSE FIREY BOULDERS. Soon as I get that I am going straight for improved arcane explosion. I know I should get the improved arcane explosion first, because I will probably use it a lot more, and you really can't beat an insta-aoe spell that can be spammed every second. But I am already 5 pts into the fire tree. When I have Pyroblast and improved arc exp, I still won't really be locked into either tree and can go fire/arc or arc/fire.
I had pyroblast early too, and it sucks. It takes way too long to cast to be worth using in 99/100 situations. That's why I liked PoM so much -- with PoM, pyroblast rocks. Don't worry about IAE until you get to 40+. Uldaman is the first place you need it.

[Boom]

Sweet, I will have IAE5 at level 35. I was afraid that was too late to be getting it, but if you say I don't need it till 40+, that's good enough for me. :)

I am getting ignite (I think I have ignite 1 already). Funny, how I never realized it's basically the same kind of deal as iceshards (and the warlock/hunter talents I love so much). It's a way to boost crit damage. And I think your math is right, so it's actually better than the flat out 100% to crit damage. So now I have even more reason to not feel bad about skipping Ice Shards.

30 fire, 21 arc is starting to sound like a pretty good spec. I keep seeing 33 fire, 18 arc being thrown around, but that means no POM. The POM + Pyroblast combo seems like too much fun to pass up.

I've also seen a 30 arc, 21 fire spec. I guess the deal with that is you trade off AP for Blastwave. I'm not sure if that is such a good tradeoff. I have heard mixed things about Blastwave. I think its pretty much good for PvP, right? I'm guessing that if I am giving up on AP, I would be better off doing 21arc, 30 fire.

So it looks like I am gonna probably go 31 arc 20 fire, or 21 arc 30. But I have a long time till I need to decide. :)

[Riddick]

I know jack about mages but most at TM and about all level 60's i seen respec to Ice at that level.

[Boom]

Hmm, I'm gonna have to read more threads about ice builds. I can see how all those slowing and freezy effects would be good for PvP, and obviously ice is better than fire for Molton Core raids. But other than that I don't get it.

[spyder913]

I'm about to respec to fire if for no reason besides range. That and it's much more like my mentalist.

I had blastwave before and it is awesome cause it does so much more damage than AE. Though you have to spend 3 points in improved flamestrike to get it, and those are okay but only if you actually use flamestrike.

[Boom]

I have a feeling I will be using flamestrike a lot. It's my rain of fiyaaaah spell, right? :D :D

[Noleader]

Blastwave is really nice when you have people beating on you... It also Dazes anyone damaged by the spell :)

[spyder913]

which only useful to keep them from running away or after you =)