I'm trying to decide on what toons to play once Classic launches - I'm a late TBC baby. Really looking forward to the community-focused Vanilla scene.
I'm planning on focusing on a healer/support for my first toons (Shaman and Pally) but I'd like a fun DPS class that is very helpful and desired in groups and while leveling. Hence my question - mage or warlock?
This is what I'm reading:
Mages - great dps, squishy glass cannon, wanted for food/drinks, great AOE leveler towards the end, portals to anywhere
Warlocks - good dps, tankier with a pet, wanted for portals and stones, great lore quests, free mount
This is going to be my "let me go on X and lend a hand" toon. Any advice?
If you get the Epic mount mats, you can do a lot of good by helping other locks get their mounts. Lock will be my 2nd toon for sure.
It seems you already know about both classes. One thing you didn't mention is gold farming. Mage is the better gold farmer. Both are good in PVP/PVE. Not sure about warlocks but mages in 5 mans can be annoying. Without raid buffs you go out of mana every other pull. But as a mage you can carry things like beginning of strath trash when the tank or healer cant handle it.
11/13/2018 10:11 PMPosted by EmicklenryNot sure about warlocks but mages in 5 mans can be annoying. Without raid buffs you go out of mana every other pull.
Shadow bolt costs about 50% more than frostbolt and mages get gems and free water.
To OP, Both have their ups and downs. Would you rather provide the int buff, food and water, and safe cc such as slows/nova/sheep or a pet that can act as a secondary tank, give out health potions, summon stragglers and if your tank is a little under geared provide a health buff.
If you get the Epic mount mats, you can *MAKE ALOT OF GOLD* by helping other locks get their mounts. Lock will be my 2nd toon for sure.
Fixed that for you. The one thing Legion got right with Warlocks, is that we're all out for ourselves (referring to the Destro Artifact quest)... The only time you should ever help someone as a warlock is to help them become a soul shard in your bag.
11/13/2018 10:11 PMPosted by EmicklenryWithout raid buffs you go out of mana every other pull.
Life. Tap. Say it with me: Lifetap.
As a warlock your mana pool is the healer's problem... and if they're slacking or bad, just drain life. Of all the things to worry about as a warlock, Mana is not one of them.
Hoho..lock mount is not free at all! You are gonna spend lot of money, time!
Not free at all!
Not free at all!
11/14/2018 01:38 AMPosted by Busshock11/13/2018 10:11 PMPosted by EmicklenryWithout raid buffs you go out of mana every other pull.
Life. Tap. Say it with me: Lifetap.
As a warlock your mana pool is the healer's problem... and if they're slacking or bad, just drain life. Of all the things to worry about as a warlock, Mana is not one of them.
I second this. Warlock is probably THE most mana efficient class. You can't run out of mana as a Warlock, you have too many tools. Life Tap, Healthstone, Drain Life, Drain mana, potions etc.
11/14/2018 01:42 AMPosted by RedcoreHoho..lock mount is not free at all! You are gonna spend lot of money, time!
Not free at all!
The mount level 40 is pretty much free instead of 80-100 gold and the level 60, the mats is between 550 - 650g, which is still a lot cheaper than the regular one 900-1000g.
I would say you need to have at least 1 mage and as one comment above said something about warlock mount quest items from what I heard is that people would pay other warlocks to summon the boss in dire maul for them.
I have the old warlock earn for epic mount quest and its probably one of the best mounts in game.
Mages are very desired for groups early because of polymorph water/food and portal can make it easier for groups to get to the right continent to do a dungeon.
Mages also have slowing abilities which can be good for kiting, and aoe dps thats probably better then warlocks I forgot.
Warlocks can cc with succubus or tank when void walker if tank dies, give stamina with imp, interrupt casters felhunter, curse of recklessness which makes it so mobs don't run away I think, summoning to an instance can be helpful specially when filling party positions, fear is something people probably wouldn't want you to use.
I have the old warlock earn for epic mount quest and its probably one of the best mounts in game.
Mages are very desired for groups early because of polymorph water/food and portal can make it easier for groups to get to the right continent to do a dungeon.
Mages also have slowing abilities which can be good for kiting, and aoe dps thats probably better then warlocks I forgot.
Warlocks can cc with succubus or tank when void walker if tank dies, give stamina with imp, interrupt casters felhunter, curse of recklessness which makes it so mobs don't run away I think, summoning to an instance can be helpful specially when filling party positions, fear is something people probably wouldn't want you to use.
if play horde make a lock so you can summon me places and give me cookies!
If you want an easy invite to raids go Warlock. I rolled a warlock on a smaller server, and right after I hit 60 I was invited into one of the top guilds on the server.
With mage and lock, it comes down to the utility imo. For example:
Warlock has the best cc for elementals and demons. (Banish)
Mage has the best cc for humanoids and such. (Sheep)
Warlock has the best cc for elementals and demons. (Banish)
Mage has the best cc for humanoids and such. (Sheep)
doesnt drain life take up a debuff , if so thats not allowed11/14/2018 01:38 AMPosted by BusshockIf you get the Epic mount mats, you can *MAKE ALOT OF GOLD* by helping other locks get their mounts. Lock will be my 2nd toon for sure.
Fixed that for you. The one thing Legion got right with Warlocks, is that we're all out for ourselves (referring to the Destro Artifact quest)... The only time you should ever help someone as a warlock is to help them become a soul shard in your bag.11/13/2018 10:11 PMPosted by EmicklenryWithout raid buffs you go out of mana every other pull.
Life. Tap. Say it with me: Lifetap.
As a warlock your mana pool is the healer's problem... and if they're slacking or bad, just drain life. Of all the things to worry about as a warlock, Mana is not one of them.
http://www.lurkerlounge.com/forums/thread-6371.html number 6 not allowed to use siphon soul or drain life in raids
Personally If you don't go mage first, then it should be second class, not for endgame, but for gold farming.
Gold is going to be 'hard'ish to come buy without a dedicated gold farming class as nodes are going to be contested heavily at the start.
Gold is going to be 'hard'ish to come buy without a dedicated gold farming class as nodes are going to be contested heavily at the start.
doesnt drain life take up a debuff , if so thats not allowed11/14/2018 01:38 AMPosted by Busshock...
Fixed that for you. The one thing Legion got right with Warlocks, is that we're all out for ourselves (referring to the Destro Artifact quest)... The only time you should ever help someone as a warlock is to help them become a soul shard in your bag.
...
Life. Tap. Say it with me: Lifetap.
As a warlock your mana pool is the healer's problem... and if they're slacking or bad, just drain life. Of all the things to worry about as a warlock, Mana is not one of them.
http://www.lurkerlounge.com/forums/thread-6371.html number 6 not allowed to use siphon soul or drain life in raids
You have demonic sacrifice if all else fails, but I am pretty sure they fixed the channeled spells being debuffs (Mind Flay still has debuff) by 1.12. Your forum post is from May of 2005 when they still had the 8 debuff limit. Arcane Missiles used to take up a debuff slot but by 1.12 it didn't.
11/14/2018 07:26 AMPosted by Microdoesnt drain life take up a debuff , if so thats not allowed
http://www.lurkerlounge.com/forums/thread-6371.html number 6 not allowed to use siphon soul or drain life in raids
Honestly don't remember one way or another if it takes a debuff slot while it's active on a target...
but assuming it does:
In a party, who cares, you can throw all your dots onto anything that will live long enough and likely not hit the debuff cap.
In a raid, point out that your healers are bad for not healing you to begin with (so long as you didn't purposely tap to zero near a high healing portion of the fight) and point out that the dps loss from losing a debuff slot is smaller than the dps loss from losing a warlock for the rest of the fight...
There are very very few circumstances where you should ever have to worry about not being able to Tap for mana.... and one of your raid's druid's could quite easily keep a hot on every warlock the entire fight. Also worth remembering that you have bandage, healthstone, and if memory also serves, health potions (again if memory serves here, they didn't share a healthstone CD back then)
I think one key point that no-one has brought up is how annoying soul-shards are. They take up an inventory slot, and you gotta go farm a bunch of them prior to any raids or longish pvp.
If you aren’t willing to spend a lot of time doing that then mage is hands down the better option.
If you aren’t willing to spend a lot of time doing that then mage is hands down the better option.