How difficult is it to play Mage?

[Dragoncurry]

Players who camp quest hubs like in Hellfire Peninsula or Valiance Keep in Northrend are most often geared, playing a fotm class and expecting a fight. Ganking noobs and dragon slayers in Tanaan is not fun. Fighting competent opponents IS, and you can't fight them as mage because mages suck against most of the classes and specs in this game.

Odd, i wreck on Hellfire just fine as a mage. If you think fighting competent opponents is fun, I don't see why you wouldn't arena, where mages shine.

[Tyrannica]

I want to play a Mage but I don't feel like playing classes that require a 1000 hours to be decent at (@Rogue).

Is Mage at least casual friendly or is it a class where if I fuck up using one cd, I'm dead.

Thanks.

depends.

in zergs shadows and moonkins are much better and smoother to play(especially shadow).

In arenas they are better suited, but they do not deal the same dmg as the other 2s in zergs/bgs.

I saw you complained about bgs, just try it once with a shadow or moonkin and you are a boss, and both of these classes can turn to healers in arenas.

The best i can say about the mage is his portals. If you want to find open pvp you can quickly be everywhere. I don't think cc is that of an argument, many range dds do have a ton of cc, but do more dmg.

[Jwowwxoxo]

"Nah its just dumb how everyone says its easy when I know its probably hard to be good at. Mages are a skilled class and that explains why so many top players play Mage."

So many top players play mage because its beyond easy to play and is dumbed down beyond belief Can you deep sheep? Congrats, you just hit glad

[solarfallz]

mages are pretty awful at everything that isn't 3v3
at the same time, 3v3 as a mage isn't fun at all as you spend 99% of the game with a melee on you
my advice: dont play a mage

[Rorke]

I've decided to try Mage. I just need to find time to actually level it between leveling my private server Warrior.

[Deleted]

I've decided to try Mage. I just need to find time to actually level it between leveling my private server Warrior.

Goodluck with that...

[Deleted]

Easy to play, hard to master -- like every other class in this game.

True, like dks and ferals. Very hard to master.

[Rorke]

True, like dks and ferals. Very hard to master.

DK's aren't hard to master. It's a low skill floor, low skill cap class.

[Christhammer]

I've never heard anyone say Mage is hard. After DK, Warrior and Hunter, it's probably the easiest class in the game.

[solarfallz]

I've never heard anyone say Mage is hard. After DK, Warrior and Hunter, it's probably the easiest class in the game.

mages and rogues have pretty much always been the "skill classes" for the last 11 years or so...

[Swizzington]

Hell no. The top mages are far better players than the top rated DK players. Top rated DK players would basically suck on any other class that isn't Warrior.

Guys I've figured out what this thread is! OP is a mage who is bad and insecure about his ability to play the game, and created this thinly veiled thread about 'should I play mage?' just to give him an opportunity to prop up his ego, and to take out his frustrations by complaining about DKs who consistently destroy him!

[Christhammer]

mages and rogues have pretty much always been the "skill classes" for the last 11 years or so...

Really? Wow, didnt know that. I guess mage could be hard in some ways. Setting up freeze/poly etc. I don't enjoy playing casters so it might just be me then.

[Deleted]

mages and rogues have pretty much always been the "skill classes" for the last 11 years or so...

Mage was never hard. It was always among the simplest, only thing..."skillful" was keeping track of sheep dr.

[Tyrannica]

I've decided to try Mage. I just need to find time to actually level it between leveling my private server Warrior.

why playing a mage, when you can play a warlock?

3 much more interesting specs, most of the time as a mage you are going to use only frost........and perhaps a little bit fire.

Boss in bgs/rbgs and as strong as mages in 3s.

i played both of these classes and mastered them since BC and arena doors opened.

I still say, the strongest argument of a mage are his portals and thus totally pvp unrelated i am damn serious.

mages are useful cc bots and peelers, i need them as partners, but playing again one? hell no!

the only fun thing i can imagine about them is using a fire mage in bgs and abuse greater invisiblity, thats what i liked about them.

expect a lot of pressure in arenas in 3s, more often than not its the primal target, just to take out some cc/dmg.

my rank for bgs/arenas when it comes to casters their effectiveness and how much fun they are in pvp:

warlock->moonkin/restoration=shadow/disc->elemental shaman/restoration->mage

I felt playing a mage was as fun as playing a rogue, the fun was pretty limited to a sandbox.

[Visor]

Well, if compare to pro melee classes as DK, Warrior or Ferral its hard. To get 1700 with PG randoms without voice - pretty hard. When I got lvl 100 on my dk, i got 1700 cr on DK at next day. 2h on random bg for gear, 2h on arenas with randoms and voila - 1720. Mages are class that MUST know good about fake casts, switches, cc and work with focus. Even at low rates (below 1800). As DK you can be dumb as hell. Tunneling 1 target with random cc by cd and get 1.8. Mages slightly harder at start than other classes. Without coordination his chain cc almost useless. Also mages are target #1 in most setups. That's mean you are under pressure in 90% of situations. 2 melees sits on you and interrupt every your cast and stun/reflect if it on cd. So you cannot sit on somebody push your 3 buttons and do damage every second. When warrior under focus he get more rage and can do more damage. Same with dk and his antimagic shell. But mages under pressure can do almost no damage at all. Also they are haven't instant cc. But all melee classes have it. This is just absolutely different gameplay which required good class understanding and CC use. Also mages completely sux 1vs1. Impossible to win if opponent do not make rude mistakes. That's why no mages in top 2s. Because mages are too weak as dps for it. Without heal mage die pretty easy. With heal they cannot really oppose to hunters, warriors, rogues who simply do much more damage to them. In WoD mages designed as assist class. Not as dps :/

Before you up you skill to 2k+ most likely you do not get any real fun from mage. Need to waste too much time on this class to feel it good.

[Rorke]

why playing a mage, when you can play a warlock?

3 much more interesting specs, most of the time as a mage you are going to use only frost........and perhaps a little bit fire.

I've tried Warlock. Idk what it is, but to me its just boring. Maybe at max level its different but Affliction just seems like a complete drag.

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Well, if compare to pro melee classes as DK, Warrior or Ferral its hard. To get 1700 with PG randoms without voice - pretty hard. When I got lvl 100 on my dk, i got 1700 cr on DK at next day. 2h on random bg for gear, 2h on arenas with randoms and voila - 1720. Mages are class that MUST know good about fake casts, switches, cc and work with focus. Even at low rates (below 1800). As DK you can be dumb as hell. Tunneling 1 target with random cc by cd and get 1.8. Mages slightly harder at start than other classes. Without coordination his chain cc almost useless. Also mages are target #1 in most setups. That's mean you are under pressure in 90% of situations. 2 melees sits on you and interrupt every your cast and stun/reflect if it on cd. So you cannot sit on somebody push your 3 buttons and do damage every second. When warrior under focus he get more rage and can do more damage. Same with dk and his antimagic shell. But mages under pressure can do almost no damage at all. Also they are haven't instant cc. But all melee classes have it. This is just absolutely different gameplay which required good class understanding and CC use. Also mages completely sux 1vs1. Impossible to win if opponent do not make rude mistakes. That's why no mages in top 2s. Because mages are too weak as dps for it. Without heal mage die pretty easy. With heal they cannot really oppose to hunters, warriors, rogues who simply do much more damage to them. In WoD mages designed as assist class. Not as dps :/

Before you up you skill to 2k+ most likely you do not get any real fun from mage. Need to waste too much time on this class to feel it good.

Yeah this is exactly what I figured Mage would be like, good post. It seems impossible to play against people that actually have a brain. People that claim "mage is easy just poly spam" are wrong when there's so much bullshit to stop you from casting.

Mage just seems like you have to mindfuck your opponent most of the time to get anything out of it. It really reminds me of Rogue.

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btw i still haven't leveled a mage. I still might do MM Hunter because MM hunter just seems so retarded for casual play.

[Thelxi]

It's always hard to answer these kind of questions, but I'd say mage is one of the easier classes to do decently on. Especially compared to rogue.

[Deleted]

I've tried Warlock. Idk what it is, but to me its just boring. Maybe at max level its different but Affliction just seems like a complete drag.

Really? I found affliction to be tons of fun and destro to be mindnumbingly boring.

[Doez]

Really? I found affliction to be tons of fun and destro to be mindnumbingly boring.

Destro is fun if you like to see big Chaos Bolt crits. I, too, like affliction more though. It's rewarding to me in putting out the DoT pressure and straining healers with our stun and fears to land kills.

[Rorke]

Really? I found affliction to be tons of fun and destro to be mindnumbingly boring.

Never played Warlock at max level. I just leveled as Affliction and got to 68 and I was like "nah i'm not leveling through shitty northrend". Shame, too because once I get past Northrend its a breeze to 100.

Maybe Affliction is more fun at max level but I wouldn't know. It felt like playing a caster version of Hatred Sin from Swtor which I hated.