And Further On – More about the Mage in Cataclysm

In my last post we covered several of the major changes that are coming to the Mage with the new Cataclysm expansion pack. Before we get started talking about the changes that are coming to the talent trees and overall mechanics of play, I saw a new change to the Fire Orb spell over this weekend. The Fire Orb spell I saw changed to a Frost orb for those Mages that are speced Frost. The Frost effects were absolutely amazing as Blizzard is pulling out all the stops with the visual effects for all of the spells, both new and old.  As always remember the information I have is all from the latest Beta available and is subject to change significantly by the time Cataclysm actually hits the stores.

There is nothing better than having new and more powerful spells to play with and we all know that it is about time we got them. One of the biggest complaints I have always had with my Mage is that even with the spells I already have to keep the mobs frozen while I take them out with my Blizzard spell, I still find myself in situations that I lose control of. The latest information shows the developers over at Blizzard have been listening to my prayers.

Not only are they giving us three very useful new spells that will give us that last little bit of power and control we need, they are getting rid of several that are all but useless and end up being left to languish in my spell book collecting dust. The list that is available at the moment is far from any kind of guarantee, but if this is what they are doing, I for one will start really enjoying playing my Mage once again.

By now we all know that everyone’s talent trees are being completely redesigned, you will only have 31 points available in your primary talent. You must spend all of these before you will be permitted to place any points in a secondary talent tree. The whole plan is to create a much more streamlined talent tree by getting rid of several talents that either never get used or can be turned into passive talents you do not have to train for.

This will make room for the new talents that are coming in Cataclysm that are going to change the way we all play our classes. Personally I seem to have a problem with running out of Mana at the wrong moment and paying dearly for it. Thanks to Arcane Focus, this problem should be a lot easier to manage. Whenever a spell misses its target, you will get back a percentage of the Mana you used to cast it. This applies to all of your spells including your newly revamped Arcane Missiles.  You will now have access to several talents that have been specifically designed to work with your Mana Pool in order to help you keep better control of this most important resource.

Among the other changes I have seen so far cover your Playing with Fire which will now reduce your cooldown on Blast Wave and Pyromaniac will now grant Haste if you manage to hit 3 or more targets with your DOTs.  I have been saving the best for last; Mages now have a new talent called Burnout. For all of those times when you have found yourself out of Mana, no pots and you have already used your Evocation, this talent could be the one that keeps you alive. You will be able to draw on your Health pool to use in place of Mana; this might give you just enough to survive the fight and get out with your skin intact.

Each of the talent trees are going to also offer Mastery levels which will give each path three mastery skill levels that will add to the overall damage you are going to be able to do, but at the same these changes will require you to learn more about playing your Mage the way it should be played instead of relying on a single spell or a macro that uses a preset combination. You will find that if you try to do this in Cataclysm, you will be picking your dead body up far more frequently.

I will be covering more about the Mastery levels in my next post. As always everything regarding the Beta is still very much in testing phase and it was down over the weekend so take it all with a grain of salt. Those changes you don’t like the look of might not even be there when Cataclysm launches.  Happy hunting!!

Looking at Cataclysm through Mage Colored Glasses

With the Beta in full swing and rumors floating around the Internet regarding what is happening to each class I thought that I would take you through a look at what has been seen as far as changes to the Mage class. We all know that Blizzard is making some pretty major changes to every class in the game and this week I thought maybe you would like a little insight as to what I have seen happening to the Mage so far. Remember this is still Beta information and the final results may vary.

Any way you slice it, from an Ice Lance that has been beefed up to more stamina than ever, the lowly Mage that has been so heavily nerfed for so long is finally going to get some of his mojo back. Changes in both spells that you have and new ones as well as major modifications in the talent trees will account for much of this new found power, the rest of it will be in learning how to play with all the changes that are being seen.

To start with Mages will be getting a total of three new spells in Cataclysm, which while it may not seem like many, when you combine them with the changes to the talent tree and the gear stats, are more than ample. I was watching someone play their level 81 mage in the Beta and they definitely had some serious killing power.

Here is a look at the three new spells you will be getting in Cataclysm, however remember this information is Beta only and may change by the release date: … Continue Reading

Cataclysm: Goodies!

The Dark Phoenix Mount has been given animations now and all I can say is that I want one so so badly!  You can bet that I will be pulling my weight doing whatever is needed for this mount to be available.  Check out the animations video here.

Archaeology has been updated and it seems the baby skeletal raptor and the skeletal raptor mount seem to be pretty good contenders for rewards.  Exactly how to get these little gems isn’t known (as in if they are ‘found’, purchased, reputation grinds, or quest lines) but I’ll keep you updated.  Please not that information regarding the pet and mount are not confirmed just your favorite Huntress’ opinion.  There is a bit of information released about it from MMO-Champion (make sure you scroll down to check out known spells for this profession as well): … Continue Reading