So you want to roll a mage, and are looking for the best way to get to 80 in a hurry? Well, look no further, because I'm going to tell you everything you need to know to roll through the levels in a hurry with this article on Mage Leveling.
The absolute first thing you need to do is make sure you are geared right. Mages need three things as they level : Spell Damage, Hit, and Int. Other stats such as spirit have minimal returns, and are best replaced asap with something else. As for importance, Hit is the single most important stat until you have about 4% hit. Note that as you level, it takes more rating for 1% of hit.
Hit capping takes priority over the rest, but after that you have to determine for yourself whether you need more damage, or more regen. Generally if you are getting hit again after your frost nova, you need more damage. Otherwise stack Int and reduce your downtime by improving the regen from you get from Evocation.
Once your gear is in order, you need to think about specs. Frost is amazingly good for stomping mobs singly or in groups...once you have the right talents. Until level thirty, though, it is the gimpest of the specs, so we'll go arcane at first. Get the five-point talents from the first two rows, then grab Arcane Attunement and Arcane Focus. At this point you can do whatever you like, it doesn't really matter. At either 29 or 30, head to a trainer and respec to Frost.
Here's about what you should go for when you respec: http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=#oZZAc0hobu , although if you are pulling fairly quickly you'll want to have Icy Floes instead of Frostbite so you can Nova every fight. Grab whichever one you don't start with first, then move on to Frost Channeling and Winter's Chill. Follow those up with the two Ice Barrier talents, then go back and get Cold as Ice. Pretty much everything below that in the tree should be grabbed afterwards. Get your Water Elemental and the Eternal Water asap, it'll turn you into a killing machine!
All that leaves to discuss is playing! Mage has a ridiculously high skill cap, and is generally agreed to be the most skill-based class in the game. But for leveling, it is pretty simple: Nuke, Frost Nova, run away and nuke more. Until you spec into something, your nuke should be whatever you upgraded last. Then either Arcane Missiles or Frostbolt depending on spec. And be sure you use your wand to finish foes off, no need to waste mana if your nuke would be overkill.
The same strategy applies to both Arcane and Frost, but you should note that Arcane will have to tank every second fight, thanks to a longer cooldown on Frost Nova. This isn't a big deal, since Arcane Missiles is immune to knockback, but you may have to shield if you are taking too much damage. Generally, though, Mana Shield and Ice Barrier are unwanted mana drains outside of emergencies or ranged mob pulls.
I hope this is enough to get you started on Mage. I think its obvious I've left a lot unsaid, but by the time you need to outgrow this guide, you'll be much much more comfortable with advanced strategies. Make sure to check out my other WoW guides if you liked this one! - 32500
The absolute first thing you need to do is make sure you are geared right. Mages need three things as they level : Spell Damage, Hit, and Int. Other stats such as spirit have minimal returns, and are best replaced asap with something else. As for importance, Hit is the single most important stat until you have about 4% hit. Note that as you level, it takes more rating for 1% of hit.
Hit capping takes priority over the rest, but after that you have to determine for yourself whether you need more damage, or more regen. Generally if you are getting hit again after your frost nova, you need more damage. Otherwise stack Int and reduce your downtime by improving the regen from you get from Evocation.
Once your gear is in order, you need to think about specs. Frost is amazingly good for stomping mobs singly or in groups...once you have the right talents. Until level thirty, though, it is the gimpest of the specs, so we'll go arcane at first. Get the five-point talents from the first two rows, then grab Arcane Attunement and Arcane Focus. At this point you can do whatever you like, it doesn't really matter. At either 29 or 30, head to a trainer and respec to Frost.
Here's about what you should go for when you respec: http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=#oZZAc0hobu , although if you are pulling fairly quickly you'll want to have Icy Floes instead of Frostbite so you can Nova every fight. Grab whichever one you don't start with first, then move on to Frost Channeling and Winter's Chill. Follow those up with the two Ice Barrier talents, then go back and get Cold as Ice. Pretty much everything below that in the tree should be grabbed afterwards. Get your Water Elemental and the Eternal Water asap, it'll turn you into a killing machine!
All that leaves to discuss is playing! Mage has a ridiculously high skill cap, and is generally agreed to be the most skill-based class in the game. But for leveling, it is pretty simple: Nuke, Frost Nova, run away and nuke more. Until you spec into something, your nuke should be whatever you upgraded last. Then either Arcane Missiles or Frostbolt depending on spec. And be sure you use your wand to finish foes off, no need to waste mana if your nuke would be overkill.
The same strategy applies to both Arcane and Frost, but you should note that Arcane will have to tank every second fight, thanks to a longer cooldown on Frost Nova. This isn't a big deal, since Arcane Missiles is immune to knockback, but you may have to shield if you are taking too much damage. Generally, though, Mana Shield and Ice Barrier are unwanted mana drains outside of emergencies or ranged mob pulls.
I hope this is enough to get you started on Mage. I think its obvious I've left a lot unsaid, but by the time you need to outgrow this guide, you'll be much much more comfortable with advanced strategies. Make sure to check out my other WoW guides if you liked this one! - 32500
About the Author:
Like the guide? Check out my site about everything related to WoW gold at http://wowgoldspot.blogspot.com. To read about mages specifically, Check out my guide to Mage Gold farming!
