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WoW Insider Weekly
Time once again for WoW Insider Weekly, where we put all of the best weekly content of the last week all in one place for you to click and browse as necessary. Warning: Reading content linked from WoW Insider Weekly may cause your player skill to exceed ownage limits. Take as directed. Guildwatch drinks your milkshake You know that feeling you get when you join a group without a warrior, and when you ask who's tanking, the hunter says, "My pet"? That's the feeling that guild drama creates in most guildleaders. WoW, Casually Patch 2.4 preview What's new for casual players in the upcoming patch (And we mean "upcoming," as in next week or later. Sigh...) Blood Pact: Warlocks are red, mages are blue One casts Fireball constantly and the other owns U! Know Your Lore: The Grimtotems Elizabeth Wachowski lays down the lives, loves, and laments of the nega-Tauren and their evil crone. If you win Arena matches for more than four hours in a row as a result of reading these columns, please seek medical attention. Click the link below to see more helpful features from our columnists here at WoW Insider.
Sunday Morning Funnies: Happy Clefthoof
It's Sunday morning, and if you're not sleeping in after raiding with your guild until 5 a.m., then allow us to deliver "teh funneh". This week's selection is small, but competitive, and includes a new strip from The Night Council. Zergball by Action Trip Comics. Sure, we can't play Zerglings, but we wish. Besides, just queue up Arathi Basin and you'll learn what it means to Zerg. Mana Berries from Dark Legacy Comics. There can be only one from Shakes and Fidget. Mage Pattern Baldness from Monkey Punchers. From The Night Council comes Stable Slots. Thanks TomWolf! If you're ready to vote, jump on through!
New teleports and mage portals in 2.4?
MMO-Champion has posted images of possible new portals to Theramore and Stonard in patch 2.4. Now, the highest level mage I have is level 20, so this probably won't directly affect me in any way, but I have to think the idea of new portals and the ability to teleport to new places would be pretty nice for mages. I guess it would all depend on what level they had to be to get these new abilities. A portal to Theramore wouldn't really be that helpful for a level 70 mage as far as I can tell, but I could be wrong: it would certainly make the CoT instances easier to run. (Then again, we're supposedly getting a teleporter directly to those anyway, and a Stonard portal wouldn't help with that.)What do you think? Is this perhaps a clue that players will be heading to Northrend from a Stonard dirigible or a Theramore boat? I may be reaching there.
The Legendary Sisterhood shakes up Sentinels
The guys over at the Legendary Heroes podcast wanted to form a guild to play with their fans, but they didn't want to actually make it serious-- they figured that by including everyone, they'd end up with some people who were fun to play with, but weren't necessarily the best players. So instead, they formed a guild. And it's been an interesting experiment-- kind of an anti-RP RP guild.They're formed a guild called "The Legendary Sisterhood" over on Sentinels' Horde side-- it consists only of Blood Elf female mages and priests. It's a weird cross between a cult, a party, and a griefer guild-- the denizens of Sentinels have reacted to their actions with the expected confusion. We only know there are rules: every member of the guild must have a name that starts with "Sister" (as in Sisteramy), and there is a hierarchy within the guild, topped by a dark and mysterious Queen. It's an RP guild for non-RPers-- there are weird rituals, various attacks on opposite faction capital cities, and just general mayhem. In short, it sounds awfully fun.I'm not a huge fan of RP-ing (our own David Bowers knows much more about it than I do), but I'm not sure this is RPing or not-- they're just having fun with an old fantasy mechanic of the secret society and playing together in a way that doesn't necessarily require reaching the endgame. The guild is the character in this case, not the players themselves.[Thanks, Mark!](Post updated after the jump)
Watch out for Ritual of Refreshment ninjas
I've heard about this multiple times since Ritual of Refreshment was first introduced in 2.3: Mages are a little combusted over casting this food creation spell in the battlegrounds. Their first complaint was the reagent cost-- even though casting buffs is free in BGs, the reagent cost is still there for mages, and so lots of them haven't bothered casting it at all (I ran an AB to research this story-- tough work, but someone's got to do it-- and though we had two mages, I didn't see a table at all).But now, the other problem arising is actually ninja looters-- people are joining the battlegrounds, grabbing all the food from the table, and then afk-ing out. It seems crazy to me, but it's happening, and Neth says (as per Blizzard's rules) that stealing items from other players in this way isn't actually a violation of game policies. But it is dumb. Never mind why you would need all that food, but it seems like the issue would be easy enough to fix-- either make food conjured in BGs stay in BGs, or just make the food unique to 100 (apparently people are sometimes stealing all 50 stacks right off the table). Of course, that doesn't fix the other RoR problems-- a few mages are also wondering why they get to lay a great spread, while only getting crumbs and water themselves, but that's a problem for another day. Have you had your Manna biscuits ganked in the BGs?
Arcane Brilliance: Fun with utility spells
Hi, and welcome back to Arcane Brilliance! My little fire mage is only level 40, so for the complete experience, I've contracted with a friend of mine who plays a 70 mage, Skwisgaar. Skwisgaar is an experienced fire mage who is beginning to raid Black Temple and Mount Hyjal with his new guild. Today we'll be tackling the use of utility spells. These are the mage spells that don't freeze, burn, or ... whatever arcane magic does. In fact, these skills may not help you in combat at all. But once you get used to them, it's hard to go back. How many mages have been driven crazy waiting for their hearthstones or zeppelins on alts when they're used to teleporting? How many warlocks desperately wished they could conjure their own food and water? And at times, we all want to turn our enemy into a chicken. So, without further ado, here's how to use (and abuse) utility spells.
Arcane Brilliance: Speccing for AoE
Last week in the leveling 1-20 guide I promised that we would spend some time today talking about the specifics of the AoE spec here on Arcane Brilliance. AoE grinding is a skill that I have only recently put to good use, namely in my desire to raise some cash for an epic flying mount. A mage friend of mine spent some time sifting through Bangy's guide on the European Forums, and built a spec that maximizes talents for AoE grindage. He pointed me to the core talents required for the build, and explained that he routinely is able to gather large crowds and burn them down with ease. Intrigued, I tried it myself, and was surprised and happy with the results. We've been told that mages are supposed to be the kings (and queens) of AoE damage, so why not take advantage of our strengths to maximize our potential for destruction? There are several talents that are very important in this particular spec, but more interesting are those talents that can completely ruin your build. First, let's look at the talents that will help you own with AoE:
Mage changes in next patch
A few weeks ago, Eliah reported that buffs to the Mage class were slated for an upcoming patch and more details were released today. A few hours ago, Eyonix posted a listing of the changes that will be included in the next patch, 2.3.2. It sounds like the frost tree will be getting some nice buffs, but magi of all types will have reason to rejoice. Read the entirety of his post below.
Diamonds are a Mage's best friend
You've got your gear, you've got your enchants, but as they say you're not properly dressed unless you wear something with sparkle. This is where Andúnë's thread on the European forums comes in. He took the time to enumerate the advantages and disadvantages surrounding several of the meta gems at a Mage's disposal.Now that the Mystical Skyfire Diamond now walks with a bit of a limp, this sort of thread is an excellent reference for selecting something else to toss in your Collar of the Uber Mage. Basically the commentary goes something like this:
Arcane Brilliance: Leveling your baby mage
It's only been a few days since Patch 2.3 was released, and you are already itching to create some new alts, aren't you? Totally understandable, lots of lower level characters are getting some love now that the experience gain has been accelerated. But seeing as how that exp boost doesn't kick in until level 20, Arcane Brilliance is here to provide you with some tips and tricks for getting your mage leveled with speed and style. Now, we've already talked about low-level gear, so let's move on to some of the more juicy parts of leveling your baby mage. So roll your new mage in your starting area of choice and meet us after the jump. For the super mage gods out there: I realize that there are plenty of ways to level a mage, but this guide is my take on the quick and dirty way to get to 20. Perhaps you did it differently, and perhaps you don't even think this worthy of a guide. But that's the lovely thing about our class: we go with what works. In my experience having leveled a couple of mages past their 20's, these tips work, and so I share them with those looking to level their mage alts. This guide is for those who are new to the class, and as such might seem elementary to you, but we all had to learn the basics as some point, right?
Arcane Brilliance: Gears of War, part 3
As it turns out, there's a whole heap of great items out there for leveling mages. There's so very much available that sometimes it's hard to pick and choose what to look for at any given level. That's where we come in. The last couple of weeks we've been doing the research so you don't have to, coming up with suggestions for items that will help you in your quest for magey world domination. As the levels get higher, the situation with mage gear gets more complicated. While on the one hand more options are open to you, selecting between those options becomes more important, as this is gear you will wear longer. Simply put, since it takes longer to level between levels 40 and 60 than it does to level between 20 and 40, the gear matters more. It's at this point in the game that you want to start looking into getting some lower level enchants on your gear to give you the best possible performance out of your armor. If you happen to have trained in enchanting along with your tailoring, then you're ahead of the game.
Arcane Brilliance: Gears of war, part 2
Last week's Arcane Brilliance looked at some of the shiny mage items available out in Azeroth for low level mages. We're continuing our look at the clothes at that make the mage this week, with the level 20 to 40 range. At this point you've gotten into your own identity as a mage, started defining yourself as frost, pyro, or arcane. Still, the gear in this bracket is mostly defined by general spell damage, which means that for the most part you can get items that will work for any type of play style or spec. At least once in the comments last week I ran across the argument that one shouldn't gear up a low level mage, but I have to disagree with that notion. Yes, you are leveling up your character, no you shouldn't need to go buy gear. But the items you choose to wear go a long way toward determining how fast you will level. When you do more damage, you kill mobs quicker, you die less, you get more experience. You level faster. Gear helps you be a better mage, even at the beginning of the game.
Arcane Brilliance: Gears of war, part 1
My mage was not my first character, but it was the character that I began to play and really enjoy first. Being new to the game and not understanding the importance of gear, I collected items with as much armor as I possibly could. It wasn't until around level 25 that I took a look at the items I was collecting and realized that they weren't right for me. What did I need a nature damage wand for anyhow? I began the journey toward gear enlightenment. I haven't reached the end as of yet; I'm still learning. Each day I learn something new about the items that Blizzard has placed in the game for mages to play with. I thought that this week I would spend some time going over some of the mage specific items currently in the game. Realize, of course, that the selection of gear is a personal decision, and no one can tell you how to deck out your mage. These are just some suggested items I found useful as I leveled my mage. Also, I play an alliance mage, and the horde mage I have leveled isn't above level 16 last I checked, so if there are items you know of that your fellow mages would find valuable, please let us know. After all, this column is all about learning together how to improve ourselves as mages. Also note that this isn't a comprehensive list by any means. I've simply pulled a selection of items from the vast choices out there to try to give you some idea of what is out there. We're going to start at the beginning, since I've heard it's a very good place to start, and move chronologically up through the levels. Our first segment will be on items for mages levels 1-20, so those of you that are higher level, hang in there, more is most definitely on the way.
Arcane Brilliance: Adventures on the PTR
It's time once again to celebrate our mageness with Arcane Brilliance, and this time we're going where I certainly have not gone before: the PTR. I finally got my character transfers to go through, and my immediate thought was to slip on into the PTR and check out how the changes to mage spells and talents affected my character with the addition of Patch 2.3. A lover of experiments, I figured one was in order, and so happily spent the morning blasting things in the name of gaming science. The parameters of said experiment were the following: I used the same spec on both the PTR and the live server, and decided that for simplicity's sake I would record data on three separate types of spell damage: using only Fireball, using only Scorch, and using my normal spell rotation. Now, you'll notice that my spec is a basic fire spec, newly reclaimed after some time spent as a blended POM/Pyro mage. I have decent gear, not the best, not the worst. I would say that I wear middle-of-the-road items, some Tier 4, Spellstrike and Spellfire, and the enchants and gems I have are also of the meh category. They aren't terrible, but I haven't had the opportunity to deck out this mage with all the snazzy +12 spell damage gems I would like. So the following are the experiences of a mage with some lower-end raiding gear, a fire spec, and a curious nature.
Arcane Brilliance: You, me and 2.3
There is more meaty discussion to come in Arcane Brilliance, I promise you that, but being a mage keenly interested in what is in store for our class with the addition of Patch 2.3, I realized some of you too might want to know what we are gaining and what we are losing. I'm sorry for the tardiness of this edition of the column, I spent the last couple of days reinstalling windows, and if you have ever been spared that joy (or own a Mac) I am very jealous. So there is all this information oozing out all over the internets about the patch, and since the other classes aren't really my priority, we'll look at the really important stuff. First off, let's look a little at what information is different from what we originally knew about the patch and how it related to mages. We knew we had a new spell coming, that the damage coefficient was being "obliterated" as Drysc said, and that we would see changes to Arcane Meditation and Ice Barrier. This is what we know now:
Arcane Brilliance: Should I roll a mage?
First off, let me begin by restating my original premise: no one can tell you how to play, or in this case who to play. In the end, it is you who log into the game, it is your set of characters that load in with the resounding intro music plays in the background. But maybe you read Arcane Brilliance and said to yourself, "hey, maybe I might like to try my hand at playing a mage." Here's the short and the long of it. I have a group of friends that enjoy trying out new characters. Sometimes they ask me this very question, and I reply with some questions in return. First is the easy one: where do you prefer to be in a fight? Do you want to stand up close and personal, breathing in the putrid stench that is the monster's breath, hacking away at him piece by piece? If so, then a mage isn't for you. They are a cloth-wearing DPS class, and with the exception of a few fights, we are standing at the back of the crowd dealing death from a safe distance. Also, I like to ask: How difficult a challenge are you looking for? Mages are not the easiest class to play. They take a lot of juggling. With the various spell resistances of the monsters in Azeroth and Outland, a mage has to keep constantly aware of who they are fighting. Your spell rotation can be totally different depending on who or what you are up against. I've heard it said that anyone can play a mage, but few play them well.
Forum Post of the Day: Refreshment not so refreshing?
Nerfed is unhappy about the idea of the Ritual of Refreshment, the one announcement that came out of BlizzCon that sent me into a personal state of rapture. As he sees it, allowing players to pick and choose their water is cumbersome and redundant. Luckily Drysc has come to the rescue with some refinement on what the spell will actually entail:Ritual of Refreshment gives Manabiscuits, which restore 7500 health and 7200 mana over 30 seconds. It's just about making life a bit easier for the mage, now everyone can grab what they want. We're not attempting to or currently buffing the water/food you would normally conjure.Mana biscuits are delicious little items that I used to spend an unhealthy amount of scourgstones on back before the Expansion was released. Knowing that the Ritual of Refreshment will have this simple but effective sustenance for my party not only makes me happy, it also makes me a bit nostalgic for those days of grinding Argent Dawn rep. But I digress. It seems that there is only good news coming about this particular spell, although I would love to see a little improvement in the amount of mana the ritual provides. After all, there are three types of healthstones available from a warlock's soulwell, aren't there?
Arcane Brilliance: Statopia
Arcane Brilliance is back again, if belatedly so, to fill your day with more magey goodness. I thought that this week we would look into some of the finer points of magecraft. No matter how good you are as a mage, at some point you will have to shift your focus from your technique to your gear. The bonuses to your spell schools can mean the difference between being at the top of the DPS charts and wallowing in your own caster tears somewhere near the bottom. But building up a huge amount of spell damage gear, although good, may not be the most effective way to epic out. There are two other stats mages need to look at, specifically spell hit and spell crit, and without knowing the proper balance between these three stats you will never be the best mage you can be. First, let's look at the stats themselves.
The draw of DPS classes
Keen and Graev have a good post up about why (according to them) players prefer playing DPS roles. Statistically, it appears to be more or less true-- according to Warcraft Realms, four of the five highest class percentages are traditionally DPS classes: Mage, Rogue, Warlock, and Hunter. Warriors also have a higher population, but it could be argued that only 1/3 of the Warrior specs (Prot, as opposed to Arms or Fury) out there are actually meant for anything other than DPS.So why do players seemingly prefer to play DPS? K&G give three main reasons. They cite something they call "Big Number Syndrome," which is the idea that unless you're dealing big damage, your class is worthless. They say that doing DPS requires less responsibility-- tanks and healers have to pay attention to everything, but DPSers choose a target and kill it. And they say that DPS classes level faster, which seems anecdotally (at least) to be true-- more damage means a faster kill, which means XP more often.In general (very generally, in fact), I tend to agree. For these reasons, some people are definitely drawn to the DPS lifestyle. But I don't think that these reasons are why people chose these classes in the first place. Hunters, for example, have pets, and I think that's a much bigger draw to the class than "big number syndrome" ever was. And let's not forget that these are more or less the most archetypal classes in the game-- someone who's never played the game probably would immediately know what a "Mage" or "Rogue" could do, whereas a Shaman (the lowest class population, according to the census) is a little harder to explain.So I think K&G are putting the chicken before the egg-- these things may be true about DPS looking back (and they may in fact be reasons people choose DPSers as alts). But when people first choose a class to call their own, I think it's a little simpler than that.[ via Hardcore Casual ]
Arcane Brilliance: Five magetacular mods
It's time again for Arcane Brilliance, your one-stop mage shop for all your magical caster needs. Last time we spoke about the macros mages should know and love, those little additions to your game play that will make you even more uber than you already are. At the end of that article I mentioned we would next talk about the addons that mages simply shouldn't do without, and even the comments in that article mentioned a few (thanks for stealing my thunder guys.) This isn't to say that as a mage it is required that you use mods when you play. Think of these more as the added features on your luxury sedan, the DVD player and the auto-adjusting seats. The mods I use are an extension of the way I already play, but they don't play the game for me. Try them out, see if they work for you, and let us know how it went. Like I've said before, no one can tell you how to play your class; we can only suggest things that might make playing your class easier or more fun.
