Mage tips

[Waldonnis]

I was hoping to schedule a "mage event" soon to pass along some tips, but since we all play such different schedules, I figured this was probably a better place to pass along some mage tips and tricks I picked up over the years. I'll probably add to this list over time, since my memory isn't what it used to be...

Use rank 1 frost nova instead of max rank! Little known fact, even amongst long-time mages, is that rank 1 frost nova has an identical duration to max rank, but TONS less mana. The only difference between the ranks is the damage done by the nova, and let's be honest, none of us use the spell for doing anything but stopping things in their tracks so they can't smack us in the head.

Keep rank 1 frostbolt handy and on your toolbars. PvP mages have long known this, but I've found it less common amongst PvE-focused mages. Simply put, rank 1 frostbolt has a very short cast time (and tiny mana cost) and will still apply the frostbolt snare. If you need some time to cast that fireball after blinking, rank 1 frostbolt is your friend. To give you an idea of how powerful that spell can be, I've actually kited and killed higher-level elites with *only* rank 1 frostbolts and fireblasts (works great on warriors and hunter pets too, for you PvPers). Remember, damage isn't the focus of using rank 1...it's all about control....make sure you're the one with the advantage of distance

Molten armour can (and frequently does) proc ignite. This can be a blessing or a curse, depending on the situation. Be sure to have some distance between you and your sheep targets to prevent a "hey, how did that mob hit me after I sheeped him?" lag-ignite. On the plus side, since molten armour can proc ignite, it can also proc the talented stun effect (you can almost hear that rogue cursing in RL after hitting you with a cheap-shot then getting stunned himself).

Evocation's effects increase with more spirit, exactly like innervate. Since you can switch weapons (including wands) in combat, keeping a high-spirit weapon/wand combo in your bags and swapping them in can make a huge difference for prolonged fights. Personally, I carry a healing staff on Verissi just for evocation and on the off-chance that I may receive an innervate. Itemrack and most other wardrobe add-ons support auto-switching for evocation or innervate, so it's worth checking into if you're finding that your evocation is only filling about half of your mana bar and you aren't good at macros.

Spellsteal is fun, but it drains mana fast. I play with spellsteal a ton and there are some really neat buffs that can be taken, but it may not be worthwhile on prolonged fights in PvE. Purge and dispel have vastly smaller mana costs, so work with your priests and shaman to set up a system for dealing with self-buffing mobs. For most "trash fights" spellsteal is perfectly viable and loads of fun, but most boss fights would probably work out better if you used that hunk of mana putting damage out. One noted exception to that general rule is Temporus in BM, though, since he has a haste buff that's very valuable to steal and can help give mages a bit more "burst" to knock him out quickly.

Practice your mana gem/potion/evocation rotation....a TON...and always keep at least your two highest-rank mana gems conjured in raids. Long boss fights are rough on mana, as we all know. Potions are the most renewable resource you have in a single fight, so use them liberally, especially since you're not going to be conjuring any mana gems while fighting Personally, I always kept that lower-rank mana gem handy for the "5% to go" times, when a potion would be overkill and I just needed to cast a small number of spells before being done...saves some money in the long run and lets you keep that unused mana potion for the next boss. Once you get a gem/potion/evocation rotation worked out, you'll find that running out of mana doesn't happen frequently and, as a side benefit, you can feel good that you didn't have to use the wand

Detect magic does not pull idle mobs in instances. I use detect to mark my polymorph targets frequently and to remind me of which is mine if more than one type of crowd control is being used. One HUGE note to make, though, is that detect magic should not be cast on a mob that's in the process of being body-pulled, since it can (at times) cause the mob to make a detour towards you. I learned this the hard way on Shazzrah in MC, when I cast detect on her as she entered the cave and before the tank could get her attention. Long story short, she blinked to me and wiped out the clothies....bad stuff. So, either cast it before the pull or after the tank has established some threat. Oh, one side note, detect magic is an arcane-based spell, so if a mob is arcane immune, detect will not land (nor will hunter's mark for the same reason).

Frost nova or blink, but don't frost nova then blink. Blink is your ultimate escape and frost nova is your "you stay there" spell. Sadly, both have cooldowns, so if you use them both together, you're a sitting duck for awhile if whatever was next to you catches up again. Alternate between them and you can keep that charging/intercepting mob (or player) at a distance for a long while..especially if you remember the rank 1 frostbolt tip above

Blink bugs are frustrating...but there's one that's fantastic. If you time it correctly, you can jump off of a very high cliff and blink *just* before hitting the ground without taking ANY falling damage. For awhile, I had the timing down so well, I could jump off of Thunder Bluff (and even once from Hyjal) without taking even 1 point of damage. This takes TONS of practice, though, so I recommend removing your gear prior to doing any experimentation

Last tip for now is simple...

PRACTICE AND EXPERIMENT

I've done some amazing things as a mage and have also had some horrid failures, but I learned a ton simply by trying to solo things that appeared incredibly difficult or impossible. Through trial and error, you'll find your own strengths and weaknesses, and likely some of your own tips to share with the rest of us. Much like "Wide World of Sports", I've seen the thrill of victory to the agony of utter defeat...from kiting down a dragon from the Onyxia chain with only rank 1 spells (took FOREVER, but it was a challenge and taught me a ton about mana conservation and blink timing) to totally blowing my timing and smashing face-first into the ground in Thousand Needles on a mistimed blink. Be daring, be stupid...but be mindful of those around you. It's fun to try things that will likely get you killed, but don't take your buddies (or complete strangers who try to help out) down with you...save the stunts for solo time and keep a yell macro handy to let people know that they shouldn't try to lend a hand

Oh, quick fun thing for you arcane mages...

Ever had that annoying Alliance priest hovering on his mount thinking you can't kill him? AP, mount up, fly above him, dismount in mid-air, PoM-pyro and fireblast him, then blink right before you hit the ground (or feather fall). A friend of mine has killed a number of people that way...but an even funnier one is: mount up, fly above him, dismount in mid-air, PoM-polymorph him, then do the blink trick (or feather fall). If everything's timed correctly, you'll land safely and his sheepy body will crash into the ground. Just don't do it too often or people will start getting wise

[Waldonnis]

Leave it to me to post a big list, then forget a very important tip...

For the PvP mages, if you see a warrior running towards you trying to get into charge range, counterspell him IMMEDIATELY once he gets into your range. It seems dumb, but it's actually brilliant, since a warrior can only use the charge ability when not in combat...and counterspell puts him into combat. Counterspell's range is also five yards farther than charge's maximum range, but five yards is tight, so do it quickly. For warriors over level 30, this leaves intercept as his only means of closing that distance and it has a cooldown once used, leaving you with two escape options (nova and blink) and giving him ZERO options once he burns that intercept until his cooldown is up. I used to use this all of the time against Gothalion. Many times, he ended up having to call in a paladin for a freedom buff just to catch me (or resort to engineering, but I can play that game too ). My favourite tactic is to counterspell, take the intercept and one hit, blink, then start kiting with rank 1 frostbolt and fireblast. If they get too close, nova is an option, but remember that they can use their trinket to escape that, so don't wait until they're on top of you to cast it or you may get a painful surprise. If they're...less than smart...they may trinket out of the frostbolt snare, so keep rank 1 frostbolt handy as well.

[Kailand]

Leave it to me to post a big list, then forget a very important tip...

For the PvP mages, if you see a warrior running towards you trying to get into charge range, counterspell him IMMEDIATELY once he gets into your range. It seems dumb, but it's actually brilliant, since a warrior can only use the charge ability when not in combat...and counterspell puts him into combat. Counterspell's range is also five yards farther than charge's maximum range, but five yards is tight, so do it quickly. For warriors over level 30, this leaves intercept as his only means of closing that distance and it has a cooldown once used, leaving you with two escape options (nova and blink) and giving him ZERO options once he burns that intercept until his cooldown is up. I used to use this all of the time against Gothalion. Many times, he ended up having to call in a paladin for a freedom buff just to catch me (or resort to engineering, but I can play that game too ). My favourite tactic is to counterspell, take the intercept and one hit, blink, then start kiting with rank 1 frostbolt and fireblast. If they get too close, nova is an option, but remember that they can use their trinket to escape that, so don't wait until they're on top of you to cast it or you may get a painful surprise. If they're...less than smart...they may trinket out of the frostbolt snare, so keep rank 1 frostbolt handy as well.

I meant to post a response to this sooner.

Verissi == Pure Evil

[Waldonnis]

Another one that an old friend reminded me of for PvP...

If you suspect a rogue is around and you think you're a prime target for a sap, polymorph a nearby critter. This will put you into combat, which prevents you from being sapped (can't sap a target that's in combat). Now, bear in mind, that may elevate you to the "prime target for attack", so be prepared

Incidentally, similar techniques exist for other classes (casting a curse or dot on a critter), so keep that in mind when you're duo-guarding a flag Just don't run out of critters by killing them all