Mage Q and A: Now and Then
I would like to first apologize for my lack of posting lately. I was supposed to be moving and plans have subsequently changed. Now I’m getting back into the groove of doing what I enjoy, from time to time.
In my temporary leave, I started getting questions from various friends, either via Facebook messages, emails, or in-game. And i am surprised and shocked that so many people are asking me for help. Word gets around I guess. Rather than keep track of who all asked me questions, I simply left them anonymous.
So, I am just going to go ahead and jump dive straight into the questions.
Q: Hi, Nimune. Just wondering, as a fresh mage, what spec should I follow while leveling?
A: Well, that’s really easy. Frost is ideally the best spec for leveling. I myself might been seen as a hypocrite, as I leveled my mage (Nimune) strictly fire. It wasn’t until sometime latter, after much hassle from a fellow mage, we sat down and co-wrote a mage leveling guide using frost. The beginnings of said guide can be found here on Horde Review. I recommend frost for many reasons. The tree progresses at a very good pace. As the levels get harder, you are capable of handling more enemies, and subsequentlyable to dish out more damage over the course of your leveling. As the levels get harder, you deal out more, making your over all leveling experience flow at a generous rate. Also, this spec can be used while gearing at level 80, when players tend to prepare for end-game riads and other content. It also rocks in PvP if you get overly bored grinding levels.
Q: What’s your favorite spec (as a mage)?
A: Believe it or not, my favorite spec is straight Fire / Arcane, commonly referred to as Torment the Weak / Fireball. Now, in the current raiding scene, this is not highly recommended, I still love the play style, as it is what I am used to from leveling.
Q: Well, if Fire/Arcane is your favorite, what do you recommend for raiding?A: Right now, as is per usual, Blizzard likes to play around with the mage mechanics. ALOT. So, they say that Arcane/Missile Barrage, Torment the Weak/Fireball, and Striaght Frost (Both with and without Water Elemental)Â are all valid raiding specs. I personally prefer (and recommend) Arcane with points in fire (3) and the rest in frost to pickup Icy Veins. That, coupled with the gearing done in Icecrown, appears to be the best raiding spec for mages. I will say this, it’s also good to experiment and try different things. What works best for me may not be what works best for you.
Q: What kind of changes can I expect to see in Cataclysm?
A: A great deal of changes have already been announced, with many more still in the works. I have already discussed many of these changes, as well as elaborated on them in this post.
Q: What website/websites do you use/recommend for mage information?
A: Well, of course, Hordereview. But, then I’m pretty sure you already guessed that. Sadly, I do not go into as great a details as various other websites do. I use maxDPS to help figure out good upgrades. I pair this with Kaliban’s Loot List so I can scope how long before I can obtain said upgrade. If you don’t mind developing a migraine from reading way too many numbers and math equations, Elitist Jerks Mage forums will help you get a grasp on playing a mage. That is, assuming it doesn’t melt your brain down first. If chronic headache’s aren’t quite your thing, Tankspot DPS forums might be more down to Earth for you. If you’re looking for a good read in general, the Mage class forums are a good choice and This Post is quite helpful for raiding mages.
And those are the more important ones. Things like my favorite color or why I prefer the Penguin to the Sheep or Turtle Polymorphs I felt weren’t very prudent questions. I know I link to stuff and write so little sometimes, but I don’t like taking too much pure credit. I share the information either shared with me, brought to my attention, or that people ask me for. Plus, becoming editor, I don’t want to neglect my duties. So, I’m off to thwart spammers, read pending articled from some of our contributors, prepare this weeks newsletter, and try and get people motivated about our awesome website. Thank you, so very much, for taking the time to read, leave comments, add us to Facebook, and to let us know you like what we do.
~ Derfel
