Mage solo content and squishiness

[Firefall]

@Firefall: Please don't make up stuff when it is so easy to counter it. For example the first 13 specs on Mythic Garothi are melee specs, so while you are right that there is an "imbalance" that you need a certain number of ranged classes to ensure melee classes aren't targetted, you are dead wrong in claiming there is no downside to only having ranged (as in you loose a butload of dps).

But this isn't a discussion about melee

On solo'ing, playing a mage is kinda a downer compared to a melee. This is a well known fact and the reason why for example elemental shaman primarily levelled as enhancement. Luckily there are almost always groups for WQ's and there is the Warframe on Argus when there aren't.

For the next expansion it will likely be more difficult as a mage to level/quests/do anything compared to your other classes (except get a raidspot ). You should make the choice of class depending on what you will be doing most. If this is dungeoning and raiding then there is no problem with playing a mage. If you will do mostly solo content, you will likely prefer playing any other dps class (with the possible exceptions of shaman and priest).

Can't comment on pvp as I haven't done any since TBC.

...in other words, you fully agree with me that ranged are always better at mechanics, while melee can only outperform ranged in the extreme niche example of a literally immobile boss?

Nothing you said "countered" what I said, it just shows an extreme lack of reading comprehension. You agree with me.

[hambone2626]

...in other words, you fully agree with me that ranged are always better at mechanics, while melee can only outperform ranged in the extreme niche example of a literally immobile boss?

Nothing you said "countered" what I said, it just shows an extreme lack of reading comprehension. You agree with me.

my dh would wreck you in any fight in argus

[xuros]

my dh would wreck you in any fight in argus

Link dem big dick logs!

[Paperfox]

My main is a mage and she was an arcane mage. I had real problems staying alive and it was really frustrating. So I changed specs to fire and now life is good. I seem to be burning things down fast enough. Way better, at least for me.

[Dacu]

If you're stuck on arcane...just spam arcane explosion and toss in a barrage every so often; shit will die quick and you can kite for days. Same goes for arcane pvp, you should be using arcane explosion to build charges

[amarrite]

I've played mage since WOTLK and I can tell you not to forget about polymorph. It will save you frustration with world content pulls. And anything that can be slowed we can own. between ice barrier and slows I rarely lose any health to an elite. and if you take the suggestions of others and run with mirror images you can pretty much blow them up before they start pounding on you.

[Amy-Lee]

I used to main hunter back in Wrath then switched to a mage during early Cata. As someone who's been playing mage for 7 years and have every other class at max level I can tell you that mage is incredible and a blast to play, but you must understand that it takes time to adjust to a "glass canon" style of gameplay. It was hard for me at first because I was used to a fact that I always had a tank with me (my pet) and all I had to do is pew-pew from a distance while the pet took all the damage. As a mage you have to do everything yourself and if you don't have top gear you'll encounter elite mobs you won't be able to kill alone.

If your priority is to be able to solo content - mage is not for you unless you have access to high lvl eqiup and even then you might find it difficult at times. In 960 gear I kill elites on Argus solo no problem.
I personally adore my mage and the only time I briefly considered abandoning her was when they introduced rune of power in its initial horrible state and it was the only viable talant option for raiding. I tried every other class, my secondary char is dk, but for me none of them come even close to my mage in terms of overall fun (not warlock - that's for sure, my least played alt).
Not to mention mage has rich lore and is important in the sory of Warcraft (Jaina, Khadgar, Medivh, Antonidas, Rhonin, Kalecgos and those are just from the top of my head) and has wonderful aestetics (just look at our class order hall =).
Also mage is always viable in raids because at each given moment out of three specs there's at least one the does great/good damage.
In pvp mages are fine but require much more skill and devotion to play compared to a number of other classes, so it's not surprising you feel helpless now, I did too at first, you just have to learn.

If you want solo content I'd suggest a hunter, not a warlock. I find warlocks almost numbingly boring, but that's just me

[Kelathos]

No one in their right mind is going to solo an Argus rare. You click the button next to the quest and join 4 other people already doing it.

As a Frost Mage I become shocked when an opponent actually damages me through my shields. "I can bleed?!". Mage is a proc based burst class and I love it for world quests. I felt powerful from day one, and lightyears ahead of my former Boomkin.

[ydraw]

If soloing world content is important to you I really think you'd enjoy playing a warlock more. Destruction Warlock is basically a fire mage with a tanking pet. You may enjoy it more.

[Yhcti]

Mage is extremely fun to play but yeah, the soloing issue is what made me go with my Lock instead. Affliction just facerolls through anything without trouble and can maintain high dps whilst doing it, it's just so smooth... I'm all for something to help Mages out though! definitely the funnier class in PvP.

[Kyriani]

While leveling a Void Elf arcane mage alt for heritage armor, from 20-100, I found that Mana Shield was a better talent choice than Shimmer to handle squishiness. From 100 to 110, however, the talent's benefits begin to wane. Mobs damage grows as you level, but without the artifact boosts to Prismatic Barrier (which you wont get right away), Shimmer becomes the better choice in my opinion.

[wonderlust]

You know, as someone who plays every class, my #1 wish is for Blizzard to add some sort of limited tank for Mages and Shadow Priests, just so that they can do solo content as well as every other class. An Arcane Guardian on a CD for Mages, a Lightspawn/Voidspawn for priests. It does not have to be as tanky as a warlock/hunter pet, it just has to increase quality of life. It baffles me that they don't do something like that.

[yarafx1]

Fire barrier absorbing 600k dmg at 960 ilvl is a bad meme

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ this

[Echoherb]

Use keybinds and kite everything. I actually found frost mage to be one of the most survivable and fun specs since I have so much control and mobility. I find people who struggle with mages are used to standing still and tanking damage instead of actively avoiding it.

[MrExcelion]

Will certainly miss not having Caut blink in future xpacs.

[Difuid]

Use keybinds and kite everything. I actually found frost mage to be one of the most survivable and fun specs since I have so much control and mobility. I find people who struggle with mages are used to standing still and tanking damage instead of actively avoiding it.

Well, to be fair other ranged classes can face tank (or have pets to tank) a lot of stuff that mages cannot even dream of. If they played those before, they may lack the expertise in the hit-and-run tactics that a mage needs.

All in all, the OP may be happier playing a warlock or a balance druid.

[Ambereldus]

It also gets tricky when mobs are immune to slows and/or roots like many Argus elites.
To me, it always feels like "Kill them before they kill you". There's no in between, either you obliterate them or they eat you for breakfast. Its tough getting used to that, but tough mobs can always be LFG'ed. Plus, anything you can slow is already dead, they just don't know it yet.

Re: Arcane, you can abuse mob pathing patterns with Blink and Displacement. Combining the two, I've been able to kite tough elites almost indefinitely. I can't get much damage off while kiting, but it doesn't really matter when they can't hit me at all. Whittle them down like a tank while being slippery like an eel.

[Echoherb]

Well, to be fair other ranged classes can face tank (or have pets to tank) a lot of stuff that mages cannot even dream of. If they played those before, they may lack the expertise in the hit-and-run tactics that a mage needs.

All in all, the OP may be happier playing a warlock or a balance druid.

Yeah that's true. Even though WoW was my first MMO I've gotten used to playing games like Guild Wars 2 which I consider one of the toughest MMOs out there, and you are forced to kite and use your entire tool kit for every single class in that game even for basic mobs once you start playing the expansion content. I've also played TERA and wildstar, both games in which you have to use keybinds for basic mobs and can't survive without learning how to kite.

[TheWorkingTitle]

Will certainly miss not having Caut blink in future xpacs.

It's so bad in BFA alpha without it. So, so bad.


OT: I recommend going Fire. With speed boost from scorch and shimmer, you can solo things way above your pay grade by kiting in big circles. Works for anything from elites to most world bosses.

[Rydanis]

Yeah, OP, that is one of the biggest reasons I stopped maining mage. It gets exhausting to have to be super careful with your pulls when all you're doing is questing, I don't want my quest experience to feel like a dungeon. Raiding was fine and even pretty fun as mage, and the DPS numbers are always going to be satisfying, but that wasn't where the majority of my time was spent so I didn't really feel it was worth the frustration of being so delicate.

For what it's worth, it definitely does get better as you get geared, but not amazingly so. You're looking at going from extremely frustrating to mildly annoying at best.