For most classes, leveling quickly is all about DPS, and no other class deals DPS like a Mage.
Mages shine at doing damage and crowd control.
They take a little finesse to play though, because they deal so much damage that they generate a great deal of threat.
As cloth wearers, it doesn't take much to kill them, but there are builds and strategies available to keep a mage's DPS high, and increase their survivability at bit, so they can level quickly.
Oddly enough, one of the first things you are going to want to do in order to increase your survivability is take of jewelry crafting.
Jewel crafters have the ability to carve statues out of stone that, when placed on the ground feed you health so a period of time.
Gear for your mage should have bonuses to stamina, intellect and spirit.
As your mage increases in level, other bonuses on gear will become available.
Look for items that increase spell damage, specifically arcane or frost damage, spell crit, and spell hit ratings.
Mages don't have a lot of attack power, so they don't use their weapons much.
In small squirmishes, remember to try to level up your weapon skill.
Choose a weapon that has the best bonuses, and then worry about DPS.
A wand, however, you will make use of; so make sure you have a good one.
Mages burn through mana quickly.
If you are out of mana, or would like to conserve mana, use your wand for a while.
You are also going to want to make sure there are plenty mana potions in your bag.
To level quickly, and stay alive while doing it, you are going to want to go for an Arcane build that uses some of the elements of Frost.
Arcane allows you to do damage quickly, with lower threat and casting time, while Frost is going to slow the ad down.
For this build award your talent points accordingly: Improved Arcane Missiles 2/5; Arcane Focus 5/5; Arcane Subtly 2/2; Arcane Concentration 5/5; Arcane Impact 3/3; Arcane Meditation 3/3; Improved Frost Nova 2/2; Icy Veins 1/1; Arcane Mind 5/5; Piece of Mind 1/1; Arcane Potency 3/3; Arcane Instability 3/3; Spell Power 2/2; Arcane Power 1/1; Empowered Arcane Missles3/3; and Mind Mastery 5/5.
This will get you all the way to level 70.
Now that you have the build, you have to know how the build works.
If you are with a group you can use Mage Armor, which will boost your intellect.
If you are soloing or grouping with an ineffective tank, use Frost Armor.
You are going to want to hit the ad with Frost Bolt to start out with, then Fire Blast, and then Arcane Missile until Fire Blast cools down.
Continue with Fire Blast and Arcane Missiles until your ad is dead.
If you get into trouble hit Frost Nova to freeze the ad in place, then Blink as you are running away.
Mages shine at doing damage and crowd control.
They take a little finesse to play though, because they deal so much damage that they generate a great deal of threat.
As cloth wearers, it doesn't take much to kill them, but there are builds and strategies available to keep a mage's DPS high, and increase their survivability at bit, so they can level quickly.
Oddly enough, one of the first things you are going to want to do in order to increase your survivability is take of jewelry crafting.
Jewel crafters have the ability to carve statues out of stone that, when placed on the ground feed you health so a period of time.
Gear for your mage should have bonuses to stamina, intellect and spirit.
As your mage increases in level, other bonuses on gear will become available.
Look for items that increase spell damage, specifically arcane or frost damage, spell crit, and spell hit ratings.
Mages don't have a lot of attack power, so they don't use their weapons much.
In small squirmishes, remember to try to level up your weapon skill.
Choose a weapon that has the best bonuses, and then worry about DPS.
A wand, however, you will make use of; so make sure you have a good one.
Mages burn through mana quickly.
If you are out of mana, or would like to conserve mana, use your wand for a while.
You are also going to want to make sure there are plenty mana potions in your bag.
To level quickly, and stay alive while doing it, you are going to want to go for an Arcane build that uses some of the elements of Frost.
Arcane allows you to do damage quickly, with lower threat and casting time, while Frost is going to slow the ad down.
For this build award your talent points accordingly: Improved Arcane Missiles 2/5; Arcane Focus 5/5; Arcane Subtly 2/2; Arcane Concentration 5/5; Arcane Impact 3/3; Arcane Meditation 3/3; Improved Frost Nova 2/2; Icy Veins 1/1; Arcane Mind 5/5; Piece of Mind 1/1; Arcane Potency 3/3; Arcane Instability 3/3; Spell Power 2/2; Arcane Power 1/1; Empowered Arcane Missles3/3; and Mind Mastery 5/5.
This will get you all the way to level 70.
Now that you have the build, you have to know how the build works.
If you are with a group you can use Mage Armor, which will boost your intellect.
If you are soloing or grouping with an ineffective tank, use Frost Armor.
You are going to want to hit the ad with Frost Bolt to start out with, then Fire Blast, and then Arcane Missile until Fire Blast cools down.
Continue with Fire Blast and Arcane Missiles until your ad is dead.
If you get into trouble hit Frost Nova to freeze the ad in place, then Blink as you are running away.
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