Warlock or Mage for MoP?

[darkminaz]

mages are op. even if you are the sukkiest player in the world you are fine with a mage
i would never give op the dark side of the nether for cookies so meh :P

[Deleted]

Mages are less complicated than warlocks, they are built as the classic "magic user" that has to be simpler. Being simpler, they are also more effective and easier to reach very high numbers and performance. Blizzard tried to make at least 1 of the 3 specs a little more complicated and chalenging for the more hardcore people but hasnt been always that succesfull.

Warlocks on the other hand are more diversified and "complex" if you realy want to perform on a higher level.


if you are a player that realy realy wants maximum performance and always wants to min/max at the top hardcore level, pick a mage as they are mostly a sure bet they'll always be on top of dps charts.

If you are a player that can't be bothered by complexity and just want to do high dps witout much hassle, go mage.

If you are a player that realy enjoys complexity and diversity between specs, go warlock.

If you are a player that realy likes to be chalenged and work to the max in order to reach maximum DPS go warlock.


Be very alert that a lot of people go mage because mages are good in the dps department but quickly go bored of it if they expect the class to give them more of a complex gameplay to master. Also happens the other way round when people go warlocks because they seem "fun", but then go beserk and mad because they (the players) aren't good enough to master it and reach high performance numbers.


This is my perception from playing wow (mages and locks included) for 6 years. There has been a few times that locks were OP and mages Underpowered, but for the most time, it has been as i described in the lines above in therms of performance and complexity.

[Deleted]

Actually, maybe he can simply go to the ptr and get a feeling of the two classes under the new system. Would help.

[cityguy193]

Go Mesmer.

[Seezer]

You seem to be quite alone with this opinion, at least in this thread.

Huh? If you've been on beta these past few months, you would see how many locks are running around. And look how many threads have been popping up on the warlock official forums asking things like "Rolling a warlock in MoP, what spec is best for leveling" and things like that. And threads like this in the warlock forums. "Should I roll a priest or lock in MoP? Mage or lock?" etc. Watch and see. Warlocks are going to skyrocket in MoP. They may actually beat out Monks.

[halfawake]

The thing is I would not consider locks to be more complex than mages any more.. I love how warlocks play, but its a fallacy that locks are still more complicated.. and thats part of the reason locks will skyrocket in numbers as the previous poster pointed out.

[Inflammable]

Warlocks smell terrible (burnt sulfur and ammonia), go Mage, specifically fire. You'll be glad you did.

[Xandy]

All classes are looking relatively equal in DPS at the moment so play what you prefer, although my answer would have been play what you prefer regardless. Demo will be incredibly powerful for AoE and Movement heavy fights also.

[Inactivity]

As for mage versus warlock, I have to say this is my personal opinion:

Raid DPS: Mages are definitely more versatile with raid DPS and generally pull better numbers. Warlocks scale very well with gear, so for progression mages will often be pushing strong numbers. In terms of utility mages generally offer more raid utility (control) than warlocks, but you always need 1 warlock for healthstones. There are several fights in MOP I can think of where warlock utility is very strong; almost definitely stronger than mage by far however. When it comes to different DPS situations, mages are generally better at reacting to stuff like movement and switches.

PvP: Warlocks are very good in organized group PvP, and at least in Live were a staple requirement of "dot cleave" teams that formed RBG's. Mages can do a lot of instant damage and have very, very good control. Warlocks need to be healed through things, even in MOP they do not have the mobility nor control of a mage. Warlocks can node guard very well in MOP with DA and a pet (this is an advantage over your typical prot warrior, you have almost no vulnerability to CC caps) and can switch to caster for DPS.

Leveling: Mages can kite and CC and control to level. Warlocks will simply use a pet to tank (or tank himself, with meta/DA/drains) the mobs. Your pick.

Soloing: Warlocks simply blow mages out of the water with soloing ability (if you don't know why you don't really know either class well). However, in terms of speed mages have invisibility + blink.

[zomgDPS]

Mage: Blizzard decides how well you'll do.
Warlock: You decide how well you'll do.

This really is the truth of the matter right here.


Mages are a very passive class. Passive in the sense that you really have to be a complete and utter buffoon to play them badly. They are an extremely straightforward and, especially now in MoP, super simplified class to play. All three specs are pretty much identical (spam nuke, keep dot up, fire proc when it happens. Literally, that is it to mage gameplay in MoP), so there isn't even like an option for a 'more skilled spec'.

Because of this, you don't actually control how well you do or not, the entire thing is kind of preordained by Blizz and their cycle of buffs/nerfs. But it also means, you cannot really do anything better than any other mages (after all, you can't really 'spam that one button better' than someone else).

On the otherhand, Warlocks are a caster that really can be defined and separated by the skill of the player. They are naturally a more 'complex' caster and have more opportunities for a less-pro player to fail. These potential failures allow there to be a gap.
So if you care about skill in class, you pretty much have to pick warlock.

But the extra depth, complexity and difficulty of the warlock class also comes with a subtle yet powerful positive side.
Warlocks are just much much more versatile than mages.

If you can't blow it up in 2 seconds as a mage, your pretty much S.O.L. But as a warlock, you can do a lot more in a fight. As a warlock you can influence a battle field in many more ways and can sway the tide of battle with clever use of game mechanics.
Just the sheer amount of game mechanics warlocks have at their disposal in comparison to mages will allow you to see the difference in "depth" between the classes.

That is the real strength of warlocks.


But hey, if you like easymoade, idiot-proof gameplay and lots of "ZOMG BIG NUMBERZ!!1!", then go ahead. Mage would be your thing

---------- Post added 2012-08-22 at 01:54 AM ----------

Wow that guy right at the start was right, if you posted this in the mage forum you would have had absolutely the opposite result.
Everyone would have told you to play Warlock

Umm... this is the warlock forum, and pretty much everyone is telling him to go play warlock.

I think your hypothesis just failed.

[dalonglong]

The right answer is:

ALWAYS mages ALWAYS, they are the best class in both PvP and PvE.

You cant go wrong playing mage, you will never get nerfed, you always receive "compensations" and end even better.

Blizzard executives play mages because there is no other logical explanation to mage's status since WOTLK.

The ONLY reason not to play a mage is:
- you like something else "thematically"

agree

but i havent a mage

[Deleted]

Warlock is more difficult to make him very good. To be good as well as warlock You need a lot of practise. It's not like every one sayin "dot, dot, fear, dot, dot", no! You must observe the situation, observe the enemies and always using brain. Ah of course i talk about lock in pvp mainly, cuz I'm only do pvp.
At the end LOCK IS NOT an EASY CHARACTER. Mage and lock is good, even You never played them, but if You want to be perfectly good You must focus and be patient. Thanks.

[darthades]

Huh? If you've been on beta these past few months, you would see how many locks are running around. And look how many threads have been popping up on the warlock official forums asking things like "Rolling a warlock in MoP, what spec is best for leveling" and things like that. And threads like this in the warlock forums. "Should I roll a priest or lock in MoP? Mage or lock?" etc. Watch and see. Warlocks are going to skyrocket in MoP. They may actually beat out Monks.

mages =D ..... enough said hahahahahahahahaha

[Deleted]

mage if u want a safe card that is op and wont get nerfed ever

[darthades]

mage if u want a safe card that is op and wont get nerfed ever

There are some downsides of being a mage.

- Your opinion is not going to be respected, you will be laughed of for being a mage
- everyones hates you, except your mage mates
- You may feel the whole world is agaisnt you, just because you are daddys'girl born on beverlyhills that got a ferrari for your birthday and do the work with half the effort of everyone else with better results, again thanks daddy for that

Yea poor mages

[Grubjuice]

people rarely seem to mention that the individual needs to test for themself which class and spec combination suits their skill level and comfort with the mechanics. You can't compare two classes, you have to compare SIX class/spec combos; and test drive each of them personally. Theoretical sims are practically useless to an individual.

I for example have tried all three specs of Warlock and all three specs of Mage on the PTR and I cannot for the life of me seem to get any decent damage out of Destro, Fire, Arcane, or Affliction, but i do really well with both Frost and Demonology. So I will personally choose based on which class/spec of those two suits me best. I find Demonology more entertaining and better at AoE (though more skill dependent), and I find Frost more simple to play and stronger at single target (though more RNG dependent). Once Beta goes live i will have to try them out with their level 90 talents.

[cauzt1cz]

There are some downsides of being a mage.

- Your opinion is not going to be respected, you will be laughed of for being a mage
- everyones hates you, except your mage mates
- You may feel the whole world is agaisnt you, just because you are daddys'girl born on beverlyhills that got a ferrari for your birthday and do the work with half the effort of everyone else with better results, again thanks daddy for that

Yea poor mages

"My Sweet 16: Mage Edition?"

[Grubjuice]

"My Sweet 16: Mage Edition?"

You should see the one about mages getting married!

[darthades]

You should see the one about mages getting married!

uhhh intriguing, let me guess with whom, to GhostCrawler's son !!!

[Spiffums]

Warlocks will say Mage.
Mages will say Warlock.

The grass is always greener on the other side.

This is why I got an ally lock and horde mage lol.