I struggled for months trying to figure out how to level my mage. Nothing seemed to be working. I bought several guides and scoured the web but nothing helped. I was about to delete my mage when a friend introduced me to the best WOW mage leveling guide around.
WOW Mage Leveling Guide: Talent Builds
No matter what you hear, there is no right or wrong talent build for your mage. It's all about what suits your playing style not someone else's. That being said, a majority of mages will start with a fire build and then switch to frost at later levels (40 - 50 range). The choice however, is up to you.
Both fire and frost builds offer advantages and disadvantages. Fire builds will allow you to kill mobs faster, but you will have more downtime and less survivability than a frost build. Frost builds will allow you to kill mobs slower, but you will have less downtime and more survivability than a fire build. Here are examples of solid fire and frost builds.
Fire (51 points)
Improved Fireball - Rank 5/5
Ignite - Rank 5/5
Flame Throwing - Rank 2/2
Impact - Rank 2/3
Pyroblast - Rank 1/1
Burning Soul - Rank 2/2
Improved Scorch - Rank 3/3
Master of Elements - Rank 3/3
Critical Mass - Rank 3/3
Blast Wave - Rank 1/1
Blazing Speed - Rank 2/2
Fire Power - Rank 5/5
Pyromaniac - Rank 3/3
Combustion - Rank 1/1
Empowered Fire - Rank 3/3
Dragon's Breath - Rank 1/1
Hot Streak - Rank 3/3
Burnout - Rank 5/5
Living Bomb - Rank 1/1
Frost (51 points)
Improved Frostbolt - Rank 5/5
Ice Floes - Rank 3/3
Ice Shards - Rank 3/3
Precision - Rank 3/3
Permafrost - Rank 3/3
Piercing Ice - Rank 3/3
Icy Veins - Rank 1/1
Improved Blizzard - Rank 3/3
Arctic Reach - Rank 2/2
Frost Channeling - Rank 3/3
Shatter - Rank 3/3
Cold Snap - Rank 1/1
Winter's Chill - Rank 3/3
Ice Barrier - Rank 1/1
Empowered Frostbolt - Rank 2/2
Fingers of Frost - Rank 2/2
Summon Water Elemental - Rank 1/1
Improved Water Elemental - Rank 3/3
Chilled to the Bone - Rank 5/5
Deep Freeze - Rank 1/1
At level 60 (51 talent points), you need to decide where to spend the rest of your points. You can continue an elementalist (fire/frost) build, put some points in arcane or even start over with something completely different. Again, it's up to you.
WOW Mage Leveling Guide: Top Five Tips
1) void using an instant cast spell to finish a mob off with low HP (unless it's going to aggro unwanted mobs). This will drain your mana pool faster. Try your wand.
2) Here is a casting sequence to help you level efficiently from max range.
Fireball/Frostbolt (Fire for fire builds and Frost for frost builds)
Fireball/Frostbolt
Fireball/Frostbolt
Frost Nova
Strafe to Max Range (Don't back up! It's too slow. Move sideways.)
Fireball/Frostbolt
Wand (Finish mob off when HP is low)
3) Mages are not designed to take damage. But they are masters of avoidance (Frost Nova and Blink) and prevention (Ice Barrier and/or Mana Shield). Use this to your advantage.
4) Besides potions, the only way a Mage can heal themselves in battle is by using First Aid. Aside from bandages, First Aid will also allow you to remove poison effects with Antivenom.
5) Zigzag to get away from any unwanted attackers. Simply use the strafing keys "Q" and "E" alternating quickly while running away from the mob.
