Thisweek,we'redoingonelastpreviewofwhatawaitsMagesonthosedistantshores.SayfarewelltoTempestKeep,swapemailaddresseswithGruul,andkissBrutallusgoodbye.Afterthejump,we'reofftoNorthrend
Thisisn'tgoingtobealevelingguideoranythinglikethat.I'mnotgoingtobelistingallofthegearyou'llbepickinguponthewaytoArthas.MyintentionhereistotalkalittlebitaboutsomeofthenewabilitesinstoreforMagesasweclimbtolevel80.
Thebetaisfinallyclosed.Thezombieinfestationcame,weallatesomebrains,andthenitwent.Thescourgeisstillhalf-heartedlyinvadingsuchstrategicallyvitallocationsasthemiddleoftheTanarisdesertandhandingoutpurples,andTenerisMurkbloodisstillmopingaroundKarazhan,listeningtoMyChemicalRomanceandhatinghisparents,butbothofthoseeventswillalmostcertainlyconcludeanydaynow.We'reonlyalittlemorethanfourdaysfromKil'jaedenandIllidanbecomingtwoofthemostlonelyguysinthegame.MaybetheycangettogetherwithOnyxiaandNefarianandgoroastmarshmallowsoverRagnarosorsomething.
Yes,theLichKing%26#8211;andallthatpent-upwrathofhis%26#8211;isalmostuponus.Soonwe'llallbetickingovertolevel71forthefirsttimeonliveservers,folkswillbetryingtofigureouthowtorunRampartswithfiveDeathKnights,andlifeonAzerothasweknowitwillchangeforever.Mageseverywherewillbepackingtheirspellbooks,puttingontheirfanciestrobes,andheadingnorth.Seemsthere'sawholecontinentofflammablethingsupthere,andtheyaren'tgoingtohurlFireballsatthemselves,brethren.
NewSpells
Teleport:Dalaran
ThefirstnewspellMageswillbeabletolearnastheylevelisalsooneofthemostimportant.Fittingly,MageswillbethefirsttovisitthemagicalcityofDalaran.Youobtainthisspellthroughcompletingarelativelysimplequestasearlyaslevel71.YoucanpickitupwithnootherprerequisitebytravelingtoDragonblightatlevel71.Itisn'tespeciallydifficulttocomplete,evenatthatlevel.Onceyou'vedoneso,youcanhangoutinDalaranwithalloftheotherMagesandfeelspecialforalittlewhile.Everybodyelsehastowaituntillevel74,sothatgivesuslikeanhourtohavethecitytoourselves,Iguess.Magescanlearntheportalversionofthisspellatthatsamelevel,atwhichpointwecanstartchargingexorbitantamountsforportstoDalaranforeverybodyandeverybody'salts.It'skindofadickmove,Iknow,butIconsideritpaybackforallofthetimesI'veportedpeopleinthepastandtheyhaven'teventippedenoughtocoverthecostofthereagent.Screwyou,everybody.
FrostfireBolt
We'lltalkmoreaboutthislater,butFrostfireBoltiscurrentlythemosteffectivenukeatendgame,withtherightspec.Ifyouaren'texcitedaboutthisspellyet,youmightwanttostartgettingthatway.BenefitingfromalmosteverytalentthataffectseitherFireorFrostspells,thisspellcoupledwithanelementalistspecproducesthehighestsustainedDPSatthenewendgame.Itisn'tsexy.Itisn'tflashyorfun.It'sjustahigh-damagenukethatcandouble-dipintalentslikenoothernukeinthegame.ForallthetalkBlizzardkeepsspoutingaboutwantingtomoveawayfromtheoldraid-modelofspammingoneprimarynukeoverandover,whatthey'vegivenushereisaspellthatalargecontingentofraiderswillbegintospecentirelyaroundandusealmostexclusively.
Thespellistrainableatlevel75,andwilldamagebothFrost-immuneandFire-immunemobsindriscriminately.Its3secondcast-timecan'tbetalenteddown,andcurrentlyElementalPrecisiongrantsit6%(andpossiblymore)extrachancetohitinsteadofjust3%.Themanacostreductionisstilljust3%.Presumably,thisisabug,butwhileitlasts,it'snice.
ConjureRefreshment
Anothernewadditionatlevel75,thisspellmarksthelasttimeMageswillhavetowasteaninventoryspotonwaterandanotheroneonfood.JustintimeforThanksgiving,we'llbeabletosummonourselvesanicebatchofpumpkinpie(ok,thegamecallsitmanapie,butIthinkweallknowwhatthaticonreallyis),whichapparentlyrestoresbothhealthandmana.Convenient,andtasty.
MirrorImage
Thespellisinstant-cast,andofftheglobalcooldown.Itcanbeusedonceeverythreeminutes.Thecasternolongerswitchesplaceswiththecopiesuponcasting,whichisnice.Ifamoboranotherplayerhasyoutargetedwhenyoucastthespell,theywillautomaticallybeswitchedfromyoutooneofyourcopies,makingthisanicedefensivespell.Thecopiesfunctionlikepetssettoaggressive,andtheymeanbusiness.Theywillimmediatelybeginattackinganyhostiletargetsinrangeonceyoucastthespell.Theyhavenoproblembreakingcrowdcontroleffects,orevenpolymorphing(andhealing)aprimarytargetingroupsituations,soyousometimeshavetobeselectiveaboutcastingit.Theseguysaren'ttoobright,butwhattheydo,theydowell.Andwhattheydoiskillstuff.
It'sbeenawhilesincewetalkedaboutthisspell,andafewthingshavechanged.Onethingthathasn'tchanged?Itspure,unadulteratedawesomeness.
Thenewlevel80spellforMages,MirrorImageinstantlysummonsthreeidenticalcopiesofthecaster.Thesecopiesareentirelyindependentanduncontrollable.TheycastFrostboltandFireBlastatyourprimarytarget,andsometimesPolymorphasecondarytarget,thoughyoucan'tcountonanythingwiththeseknuckleheads.Theyprettymuchcastwhatevertheywantatwhoevertheyplease,andyes,thatcancauseproblems.Theygenerateahighamountofthreatandhavetheirownhealthandmanapools,whichareaboutathirdorsoofthesizeofyourown.Theirhitratingscaleswithyourown,buttheirspellpower,crit,andhastearefixed.DPS-wise,theydishoutapproximately15,000damageoverthecourseof30seconds,atwhichpointtheydie.
Tags:level80
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