Mage alt?

[Anbokr]

So I've always been a melee player, I have nearly every melee at max level most expansions.

Anyhow, I've decided it's time for a change and want to try my hand at a ranged caster. I'm having a tough time deciding between Mage and Warlock. So just going to ask you experienced mages, for someone that is used to melee (my main and favorite is and always has been warrior), which class will be more fun? Anyone perhaps have both classes and can give me a rundown of the playstyle differences? I like a challenge, and I like to see big crits .

Posted a similar thread in the lock forums, just trying to get a feel for both classes without actually being able to play them, since I'm having such a difficult time deciding :/. I find both casters appealing, but only have time for one right now.

[fearist]

play mage.

[Soisoisoi]

Fun and opinions on different classes is subjective, hence why "what class should I pick" threads are usually just locked. Only way you're going to know is if you play them.

[Deleted]

I used to main a warrior but now I main a mage. You’ll miss a lot of stuff, like the mobility and soloing power, but mages are still very fun and have their own bonuses. They also have ice floes that lets you do anything (like jump off a cliff and cast swapblaster while falling!) which no other class can compete with.

[Rockford]

I was going to create my own thread on the very same subject, but figured I'd just hijack this one. Hoping you don't mind

So before WoD hit, I had told myself that I was only going to play one main (my hunter) & one alt. The trouble is, I keep switching & transferring what I think may be fun, but having a horrible time with deciding as I have problems with certain playstyles.

I have a degenerative Spinocerebellar Ataxia which limits my gameplay somewhat. Melee I am utterly horrible at movement & keeping up with a moving target while dpsing. Healing & tanking is out as I can have bad days with my hand eye co-ord & hand movement (I don't want to be responsible to wipes). I seem to have trouble tracking dots & general gameplay of the Lock & Priest, which leaves me to looking at Mage where I had briefly played, but still not very clued up.

I play hunter as it's reasonably simple, allows me to move freely & I have fun while dishing out a competitive dps. (My guild understands for the mythic runs & I occasionally get swapped out during progress).

So I have a space for an alt, where no other class can fill. Could Mage fill the spot of accessibility, fun & usefulness?

[Acelea]

It depends entirely on what kind of play style you'd like. All the different specs for both classes play differently. For mages, frost is more about managing your cooldowns for burst damage, if you skill frost bomb you'll be banking two FoF and then casting frost bomb and using both procs, if you take prismatic crystal you'll be lining up your CDs to match up with it to do big bursts. Fire you'll be focused on building up big ignites while your combustion is up, combusting and spreading your dots around. If you take living bomb you'll be putting living bomb on an enemy (in aoe/cleave situations) and spreading that and your other dots around as well. With arcane it'll be about Managing your arcane charges and your mana. I may be mistaken but arcane's mastery does more damage based on how much mana you have and arcane charges interact with your spells. Mainly it makes your spells stronger but makes your main filler spell cost 100% more mana with each stack and certain abilities consume the stacks and reset them to zero.

Warlocks, I don't have too much experience with but destruction seems to be about generating embers and using them to unleash chaos bolts when they'll hit hardest while maintaining your dot. Demonology seems to be somewhat similar but revolves around building up demonic fury (I think that's what the resource is called?) and then going into demon form to unleash big burst damage. Affliction I honestly couldn't tell you since I have zero experience with affliction but what I'm told is that's it's mostly about keeping a few dots up while using your filler spells but I'm sure I'm way way off on that especially since I see affliction locks talk about shard sniping and I have no idea what that means. If anyone knows more about locks feel free to correct me.

Hope I made your decision easier

[Deleted]

imho mage is by far more fun then locks (i got bot and my main is a dk)
If you are a pvp war you are going to enjoy a lot (i repeat a lot) a pvp mage.

Don't forget, if you are a big crit guy, fire mage is cool.

[Aianos]

Had a mage as a main since 2005 upto MoP. Been on and off with a warlock but used it as main in MoP.
Warlocks had great mobility and playstyle during MoP but sadly most of that has been taken away from us. I am now back on my mage and having a blast with Frost and looking forward to try out Fire later on.

Locks are all about gaining resources and spending them accordingly regardless of spec. This can often feel like a chore as things doesn't generate as fast anymore due to the nerf to Rain of Fire (destro). Shardregen for affliction isn't that great either. Demo seems ok, but don't have much experience playing it.

Warlocks are still powerful as hell though, but for me playing a mage was more fun. At least now that the darn Invocation is gone. Ice Floes helps tons with mobility.

Whatever you decide you will most likely have fun with both classes. My wife changed to lock and she loves it.

[Anbokr]

Thanks for all the input guys, decided to go with mage for the simple reason that all 3 mage specs seem appealing to me, whereas for warlock, I'd only ever play demo.