Nobody who wants to be in MC anyway lol
Having played to level 42, and having no other experience or authority, I recommend the following ‘freeze/shatter’ build:
Elemental Precision x3
Improved Frostbolt x2
Frostbite x3
Ice Shards x5
Improved Frost Nova x2
Shatter x5
Frost Channeling x3
Improved Frostbolt x3 (taking it up to x5)
Piercing Ice x3
Ice Block x1
Ice Barrier x1
Then shift across to the arcane tree:
Arcane Subtlety x2
Arcane Focus x3
Arcane Concentration x5
After that you’ve got 10 points left, and in my opinion it doesn’t matter too much where you spend it. I’ll probably go:
Arctic Reach x2
Magic Absorption x3
Winter’s Chill x5
The reason why I’ll probably leave Winter’s Chill till last is because it feels like something that won’t be super useful until the longer raid fights. In dungeons, it probably won’t get much of a chance to do anything.
The major advantages of this build are:
- Easier to control mobs whilst levelling, for players not comfortable with aoe mob grinding.
- Crits often, and does superb crit damage.
- Good middle ground between levelling and dungeoneering, without having to respect.
I originally levelled using an ‘arcane frost’ spec. But I was struggling so much I respecced to the ‘frost shatter’ spec. It really is a LOT better. Ridiculously so.
If Fire Specced, I would:
- A Pyro to open things up - try to get max distance so you can immediately cast your fireballs at max range before mobs close in.
- Cast Fireballs until target is like 15% health
- Cast 1 Fire blast to get target down to under 5% or kill
- Wand to death if still alive
This works great leveling up to 60, but beware the occasional Fire-Immune mobs you encounter, like those Geologists/Shaman in STV that cast Flame Ward…
Once you get 90 percent slow on your blizzard is where things start to change.
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You dont have IMP Blizzard? That is essential to aoe farming
You mean 75%. But some people recommend only going 2/3 Blizzard so it doesn’t overwrite CoC’s slow (which lasts much longer).
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Yes it is. And you wouldn’t take Frostbite for aoe farming either.
But then I’m not aoe farming. My build is known as the ‘freeze/shatter’ build. It’s a 1-3 mobs at a time build. As I mentioned in my post, I recommend the build specifically for people NOT comfortable with aoe farming, and as a build which is good for both levelling and regular dungeon use.
I don’t have an issue with aoe farming I just wanna get these levels over as quick as possible. I feel like aoe farming is the quickest leveling for a mage specifically and also a good way to make gold
spec 3/3 imp blizzard and permafrost
and the range increase and mana cost reduction ones
dont take frostbite.
I love full fire. Hits like a truck. Pyro, fireball, fireball (mob is on me at this point at half health), maybe another fireball and then a fireblast. I take maybe two hits total.
Love those 1,300 pyroblast crits!
I don’t care if I’m “doing it wrong.” I’m having fun!
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Play what you want OP. I am levelling as Arcane/Fire 3 minute mage and loving it. It’s great for levelling. I’ve been nuking down mobs 4 levels higher than me without too much of a problem. Everyone is getting hung up on what the hardcore pros are doing. Just do what’s fun for you. If copying the pros and aoe farming is your thing, go ahead. But don’t believe for one second that there are no other viable options.
Here is my spec:
https://classic.wowhead.com/talent-calc/mage/25005020102311-50320001
Editted to correct my spec.
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well in all honesty id prefer to be fire as I feel it looks more fun to just hit like a mac truck, but when it comes time to raid fire will be unused that’s gonna feel crappy that id have to then switch to frost anyways is my only concern
If you like the Fire playstyle, play Fire.
But if all you want is to hit like a Mack truck, I recommend the ‘freeze/shatter’ build I listed above. It crits a lot. A LOT. Basically, I average at least crit per pull, and occasionally just freeze-crit-crit-crit (dead). Most of the time, the mob never even gets to me. And occasionally, it never even gets to move from its starting position.
And even if the mob does get to me, it never does enough damage to get through my Ice Barrier. I can even solo elite mobs around my level with judicious use of Frost Nova and Blink.
To put it in perspective, my Frostbolts crit for 550+ damage against humanoids, and 600+ against beasts (because of my racial).
I’m 23 and I’m just starting to be able to handle this. I’m a little afraid to take more than 4 at once right now. As long as you have cold snap and imp blizzard (all three points), you should be g2g with practice. At my level, having enough mana is the issue.
Just play whatever you want.
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ok now as far as end game goes is the 30+ points in frost tree better or the arcane/frost spec better
This sounds extremely fun which is why I am going to roll a mage for an alt.
Whole lot of “mages” here that dont know what they are talking about. I’ve played a mage since 2005. Was HWL, then top rank Arena. It’s pretty much all I’ve played and I’ve played every spec.
FROST: Frost is better AOE if that’s the route you are going. But be aware that outside of dungeons you are going to have a hard time finding good AOE locations right now, because there are too many mages doing the same thing. Frost is also ‘safer’ for leveling because of the snare and ice block and eventually ice barrier… but it is NOT faster for leveling single-target, and it is NOT better in PvP because Ice Lance and the Water Elemental don’t exist.
FIRE: Fire is the best single-target DPS and fastest single-target leveling spec. It is also the primary spell type for the best PvP spec if you are actually good at the game, as the best PvP spec in Classic is Elementalist with fire spells being combined with Shatter. Fire is also just fine in Raids as long as you gather some spell penetration and have Warlocks that dont suck. The only issue Fire has in raids is the immunity of Fire Elemental trash, Baron Geddon, and Ragnaros … and for those few mobs you can just spam frostbolt and still do ~75% of the damage as a frost mage. If you are well geared and Warlocks properly apply Curse of Elements, then Fire > Frost in raids against everything that isn’t immune to fire. cough Rolling Ignites…
Arcane: Arcane is mostly trash. You don’t focus on Arcane spells, you just sometimes use this tree for the few perks it has to supplement your Fire or Frost build… namely Improved Counterspell, Presence of Mind, Concentration, Meditation, Subtlety. You can go 31 into Arcane for Arcane Power for a silly one-trick-pony Pom-Pyro spec… but it’s a trash spec for 3 minutes between cooldowns.
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Do not fireblast unless you have to. Very mana inefficient.
Just wand or use rank 1 frost nova, back up, cast another fireball.
If you gear right, things will either die before they reach you, or die from Pyro DoT + wanding after a few seconds.
so what talents do you recommend for that fire build just so I know what to do