Mage

The mage (or magician) is a damage-dealing spell-caster that specializes in burst damage and area of effect spells. Mages are well known for their formidable damage output, as well as their range of crowd control abilities. Mages are also capable of performing a number of utility roles, from conjuring refreshments for their allies to teleporting or opening Portals to major cities.

Mages wear only cloth armor, but compensate for this with a range of armor spells, wreathing themselves in flame, frost or even arcane energies. Nonetheless, when fighting melee opponents, mages stay alive by incapacitating attackers and always keeping one step ahead - and well out of reach. Mages are quick and can Blink away from attackers, deploy a Frost Nova to freeze whole groups in their tracks or even use Invisibility to slip into the shadows. Mages are masters of kiting, and can use their enviable range of snares and crowd control abilities to defeat whole groups of opponents without putting a hair out of place.

Mages' primary role in groups at lower levels is damage dealing and crowd control through the use of Polymorph, temporarily changing humanoids and beasts into harmless critters. At end-game levels, mages' impressive damage output is supplemented with useful abilities such as Counterspell and Spellsteal.

In PvP, mages deal ranged damage while using snares, stuns and Polymorph to control enemy players. Mages are the archetypal "glass cannons", capable of dealing an immense amount of damage if left uninterrupted, but vulnerable to attack. Mages compensate for this with a range of snares, stuns and incapacitation effects, and must keep on their toes if they are to survive.

Mages can be an extremely fun class to play, with enviable damage output, strong crowd control and some interesting utility spells. Whether blasting foes with Dragon's Breath or freezing attackers in a Ring of Frost, mages are a powerful presence on the battlefield. Masters of the arcane, mages can use their mental powers to alter the very fabric of reality, turning snarling attackers into harmless sheep or even altering time itself. Quick of mind and fleet of foot, mages stay one step ahead of their enemies, summoning frost and ice to entrap their assailants, and great fireballs and walls of flame to decimate their foes. Undisputed masters of the very fabric of reality, only the foolish do not fear the coming of a mage.

Class overview
''Students gifted with a keen intellect and unwavering discipline may walk the path of the mage. The arcane magic available to magi is both great and dangerous, and thus is revealed only to the most devoted practitioners. To avoid interference with their spellcasting, magi wear only cloth armor, but arcane shields and enchantments give them additional protection. To keep enemies at bay, magi can summon bursts of fire to incinerate distant targets and cause entire areas to erupt, setting groups of foes ablaze. Masters of ice can command blizzards that tear into flesh and limit movement. Should enemies manage to survive this assault, the mage can shrink them into harmless sheep in the blink of an eye.''

Powerful magi can even generate enhancements and portals, assisting allies by sharpening their minds and transporting them instantly across the world.

Creation screen description
''Magi are wizards of immense knowledge and skill. Their obvious physical frailty is deceptive, for they can call upon the cosmic energies of the Twisting Nether. Rarely do magi engage in melee combat. Instead, they prefer to attack from a distance, hurling powerful bolts of frost and flame at their unsuspecting enemies.''


 * Mages are the iconic magic-users of Azeroth who learn their craft through intense research and study. They make up for their light armor with a potent array of offensive and defensive spells.

Classic guide
Mages are spellcasting savants, flinging fire, frost, and arcane sorcery at their foes from afar.

Background
Early kaldorei civilization was defined by direct manipulation of magic drawn from the Well of Eternity to create and sustain their society. Their constant use of the Well attracted attention from Sargeras and the Burning Legion, who manipulated the Highborne Queen Azshara into using the Well as a gateway, granting the Legion entry into Azeroth. The Legion's arrival sparked a massive conflict which would later be known as the War of the Ancients. The war had grave consequences, for even though the combined might of Azeroth's mortal races were victorious, the continent of Kalimdor was shattered, and a swirling, raging miasma of sea storms flowed into the vacant area where the Well of Eternity used to reside. This Great Sundering caused the Well's energies to permeate the atmosphere and spread magic all over the world.

This event convinced the majority of night elves to reject arcane magic and embrace Malfurion Stormrage's call for druidism. Many of the surviving Highborne could not endure this lifestyle, suffering as they were from withdrawal now that they could no longer draw on the Well's arcane energies. Their leader, Dath'Remar Sunstrider, called the druids cowards for refusing to use the magic he considered their birthright. In spite of Malfurion's warning that any use of magic would be punishable by death, Dath'Remar led his fellow Highborne in revolt, conjuring a giant magical storm in Ashenvale in an attempt to convince the druids to suspend the law. Unwilling to execute so many of their fellow elves, Malfurion and the druids instead exiled the Highborne from their lands. Dath'Remar and his followers chose to set sail from Kalimdor, eventually landing in Lordaeron where they would ultimately found the kingdom of Quel'Thalas and call themselves high elves. When their kingdom came under siege by the trolls of Zul'Aman the high elves agreed to teach one hundred humans the arts of magic in exchange for military aid from the human nation of Arathor. From these two races, the arcane arts have spread to various races all over Azeroth.

In Warcraft II


Mages first appeared as a unit of the Alliance of Lordaeron in Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness. They were described as such:

''Once students of the Conjurers of Azeroth, this new order of Mages have been forced to discover untapped magical forces to command in their war against the ruthless Orcs. Although masters of their arts, the Conjurers who fell during the First War were unprepared for the rigors of warfare. Determined to avoid a similar fate, the Mages have undertaken a regimen equally demanding on body and soul, thus dedicating themselves to the command of more aggressive and destructive magiks. Whether in their sanctum at the Violet Citadel in Dalaran or on the many battlefields of Lordaeron, the Mages are resolute in their efforts to defend the people.''

Organizations

 * Council of Tirisfal (former organization)
 * Kirin Tor
 * Council of Six
 * Violet Eye
 * Magisters
 * Moon Guard
 * Tirisgarde

Races


The mage class can be played by the following races:

Mage Beneficial Racial Abilities:

Draenei
 * Heroic Presence is one of the most important mage beneficial racial abilities for PvE encounters as it increases the spell hit by 1%.
 * Gift of the Naaru is a minor heal.

Dwarf
 * Stoneform is a minor defence trait which can be used in PvP and PvE.

Gnome
 * Expansive Mind is one of the most important mage beneficial racial abilities as it increases mana by 5%. Note that it increases mana pool but not Intellect, spell power or spell critical.
 * Escape Artist removes snares and speed reduction effects. Usable to PvP and certain PvE encounters. (Note: does not remove stun effects).

Human
 * Every Man for Himself is another beneficial trait enabling players to remove all incapacitating effects on the character (Slow, stun, fear, immobilize effects)
 * Diplomacy grants a 10% extra reputation gains for every faction.

Night Elf
 * Quickness mainly useful in PvP, gives a slight advantage over receiving damage.
 * Shadowmeld acts as a minor and temporary focus distraction from PvE encounters. However, the player is still vulnerable (in contrast with Ice Block), does not reduce threat (unlike Invisibility but it removes Combat status (similar to Vanish). Shadowmeld can also be used when an enemy is casting a spell on the mage, forcing the enemy to lose their target and acting as an interrupt.

Worgen
 * Viciousness is another of the most mage beneficial racial abilities as it increases spell critical strike by 1%
 * Darkflight enables the player to move faster. Usable in both PvP and PvE encounters.

Blood Elf
 * Arcane Torrent has similarities with Counterspell and restores a percentage of mana. Due to its limit in AoE range, it has limited use in Boss PvE encounters and is half effective on PvP.
 * Arcane Acuity increases spell critical strike rate by 1%, therefore is handy in both PvP and PvE, especially considering higher possibility of an instant cast Pyroblast of the Fire specialization.

Goblin
 * Rocket Barrage is a small damage ability.
 * Rocket Jump similar to Blink for use in PvE and PvP.
 * Time is Money is a slight reduction in casting time.

Orc
 * Blood Fury gives an increase in spell power whenever activated.
 * Hardiness a reduction in the total time of stun effects.

Troll
 * Berserking has similar effects to Time Warp, has 10 seconds duration, 3 minutes cooldown but the most important is that unlike Bloodlust does not place a 10 minutes debuff thus making it an extremely beneficial racial ability.
 * Regeneration (racial) is useful as an additional health regeneration effect, especially beneficial on long encounters.
 * Da Voodoo Shuffle has use in both PvE and PvP.

Undead
 * Will of the Forsaken is usable in all cases in PvP and PvE when losing control of character (does not include slow or immobilize effects)

The above list includes only the abilities that interact directly with the mage abilities, playstyle and needs over specific situations. Other traits are available and are usable as to what a player wishes to do with the character.

Overview
The mage is a pure DPS class, with all mage specializations focusing on dealing damage, and as such is capable of enviable damage output, whether launching an Ice Lance against a frozen target or invoking a Blizzard to decimate whole groups of opponents. However, mages also have an extremely diverse selection of crowd control and utility abilities, making them far more than just damage-dealers. From Spellsteal and Slow Fall (ability) to Ice Block and Mirror Image, mages have some fun and interesting spells at their disposal.

Spells

 * For a full list, see Mage abilities

Mages have a wide variety of spells which fall into three schools of magic: arcane, fire and frost. All spell schools include damage spells. Arcane includes some crowd control and utility, and most Frost spells provide a movement-slow effect supplementing their damage.


 * Fire spells are primarily damage-dealing spells, including direct single-target damage and area of effect damage. Many Fire spells include damage over time effects. Fire mages trust heavily on RNG in raid situations.


 * Frost spells are primarily single-target and area of effect damage-dealing spells, but with more emphasis on chilling effects. Nearly every frost spell has a chill or freeze effect that fully or partially immobilizes an enemy. This includes freezing it in place (called a root) or slowing its movement speed (called a snare). Frost specialized mages can further improve these chilling effects and increase frost damage output to respectable levels. Frost spells help the mage use kiting as a combat tactic.


 * Arcane spells include single-target damage spells and utility. Arcane spells allow the mage to remove curses, provide crowd control, absorb damage, teleport himself or others to major capital cities, Slow Fall (ability), Counterspell, buff players' spell power and mana pools, save mana for later use in the form of mana gems, conjure food for himself or others, and provide many other conveniences.

Mages' in-combat mana regeneration is provided by abilities such as Nether Attunement and Evocation, and the use of low-mana casting cycles (such as Scorch for fire mages or heavy use of Arcane Missiles for arcane mages).

Gear
A mage can only wear cloth armor.

A mage is able to wield staves, wands, daggers, one-handed swords, and can use items with the slot "Held in Off-hand" if using a dagger or one-handed sword in the main hand. Wands go in the main hand slot and will continue to shoot once manually started.

Attributes
As a spell-caster, a mage's primary stat is intellect, which directly increases the mage's spell power and spell critical strike chance. Secondary stats beneficial to mages are hit rating (until reaching the hit cap), critical strike rating, haste rating and mastery rating. Stamina also benefits mages, but should not be focused on at the expense of other stats unless gearing for PvP. Agility, strength, spirit, and the other secondary stats should be ignored completely.

Specializations

 * For a full list of specialization abilities, see Mage abilities

Mages can choose one of three specializations, gaining access to unique abilities and bonuses. Mage specializations focus on enhancing individual schools of magic – quick, aggressive Fire spells; efficient, controlling Frost spells and punishing Arcane spells.

Arcane
Manipulates the arcane, destroying enemies with overwhelming power.

Arcane mages' damage focuses on Arcane Blast and Arcane Missiles. The Arcane specialization includes Slow, a powerful instant single-target slowing effect, and Arcane Barrage, an instant-damage ranged attack. Arcane mages can provide substantial burst damage with Arcane Power and Presence of Mind. Leveling as an arcane mage was once very difficult, but with the signature arcane spells (Arcane Barrage, Arcane Missiles, and Arcane Blast) learned much earlier it is now a far more feasible leveling build.

''Mages of the arcane are diviners of secrets, balancing the ebb and flow of incredible mystic energies. Unparalleled skill is required to manipulate the volatile forces of the universe. These practitioners push their magical knowledge to its very limits—often to the brink of their own exhaustion, and at great risk to the world around them. Those who master this craft are capable of releasing a barrage of unrelenting power upon their enemies, drawing upon replenishing energies to maintain their assault for as long as the battle demands.''

Fire
Ignites enemies with balls of fire and combustive flames.

Fire mages' damage output is oriented around Pyroblast procs; whenever a Fire mage deals two critical strikes in a row, their next Pyroblast spell is instant. Fire is very strong in AoE where Combustion, Pyroblast, and Living Bomb can be spread via Inferno Blast. Fights in which players are forced to move frequently can also benefit Fire mages, as Scorch and instant Pyroblasts can fill the movement time which Arcane mages can only use Arcane Barrage. The Fire spec provides few survival tools. This has historically made Fire a good choice for high-end raiders who seek to maximize damage output, but poor in PvP due to Arena's survival requirements.

''While any worthy mage is an unparalleled expert in the use of magic and heavily dedicated to their craft, those who master the forces of fire tend to be a little more audacious than their peers. If a threat stands before them, the answer is always to neutralize it in a glorious blaze. A lifetime dedicated to the study of fiery forces only fuels their pyromania, and these mages take pride—even pleasure—in igniting their enemies in wild bursts of flame. Mistake their affinity for watching things burn as a lack of self-control at your own peril.''

Frost
Freezes enemies in their tracks and shatters them with Frost magic.

Frost mages specialize in crowd control and snaring foes with their various chills, allowing for powerful kiting, and providing good AoE capability. Frost mages also learn Summon Water Elemental, gaining a pet which has a Freeze ability similar to Frost Nova. Frost's AoE makes it the spec best suited to five-player dungeons.

''Frost mages stand apart from their colleagues, in that their chosen school of magic focuses on maintaining supreme control over the capabilities of their enemies. Mages who command frost perform chilling displays on the battlefield, rendering foes immobile as they bombard them with ice. Often, the blade never reaches the caster before the bitter cold takes hold. The frost mage exudes frigid power as icicles form around them, foreshadowing the wintry demise of those who stand opposed on the field of battle.''

Endgame expectations
In a group or raid environment, mages are usually tasked with ranged DPS, AoE, Counterspell, Spellsteal, crowd control and finally providing food.

With the introduction of patch 1.11, mages enjoyed a high degree of flexibility in the endgame. Previous to patch 1.11, it was expected that most mages would spend at least 11 talent points in the arcane tree for Evocation, as it is a quite powerful mana-regenerative spell. It was given free without the use of talent points. New changes to all three trees also made investing points into both the fire and the frost trees much more viable. This still holds true with the release of Burning Crusade. It should be mentioned that a build predominantly using the fire tree will usually contribute greater DPS in multiple-target encounters; those using a predominantly arcane tree will usually contribute greater DPS in single-target encounters; and finally, those using a predominantly frost tree will contribute a fair amount of control.

The endgame mage also acts as a utility class, providing drink, food, buffs and portals. Originally, when it came to providing drink and food, mages were by some considered equal to "vending machines" due to their unique ability to create food and drink and provide them with no cost except mana and time. In Wrath of the Lich King, Refreshment Tables may also be created at level 80 at the cost of five Arcane Powder; the table lasts for three minutes or 50 charges of Conjured Mana Strudel, whichever comes first. It is expected that a mage provides his party or raid with food and drink for free. A second (or third) table can sometimes be called for while mustering players at the beginning of a raid if the first expires before everyone has received their strudel.

PvP
PvP-wise, mages are considered "glass cannons" - a design philosophy which gives mages generous burst damage at the cost of generally low health and armor values. Aided by talents such as Presence of Mind and Arcane Power, they are one of the classes with the potential for dealing out the greatest amount of damage in the shortest amount of time. In group PvP, mages will stay back and focus on crowd control with Polymorph and pick off targets from range. Depending on the Battleground and the situation, mages typically AoE to prevent node captures or nuke flag carriers as fast as possible. In solo PvP, a skilled frost mage is a formidable opponent. Fire mages are in PVP well known for their burst damage, and arcane mages are known as venerable supporters.

In the RPG
Mages, the most common of arcanists, are found all over Azeroth. They focus on magic that creates and that changes things, most often with the purpose of damaging their enemies and boosting the power of their allies. Such beings can obtain a familiar, which is a normal animal that gains new powers and becomes a magical beast when summoned to service by a mage, while others choose to become focused mages. Mages also understand the workings of arcane energy so well that they can counter most magic with great effectiveness. An adept mage who has dedication to and natural predilection for one of the schools of specialization becomes more entrenched. At this point the mage chooses either evocation or transmutation as a preferred school, and casts spells from his chosen school. The mages of the Kirin Tor first mastered the arts of casting spells using the elements of ice and fire. Mages are also known for being able to summon elementals, usually water elementals, but can also summon air, earth and fire elementals as well. The greatest mortal mage ever to live is the Naga Queen Azshara, who still lives. In fact, she may no longer be mortal.

The first known mages on Azeroth were elves, before the breaking of the Well of Eternity and the Exile of the High Elves, who lived on the shores of the Well of Eternity and wielded its powers.

Trivia

 * The Wrath of the Lich King faction of Dalaran, the Kirin Tor, start with a reputation standing with all other classes. Mages, however, are automatically  with the Kirin Tor, making it possible to purchase and wear the Tabard of the Kirin Tor at level 1. However, reputation cannot be gained in non-level 80 dungeons.
 * Dr. Bill Lee, a re-occurring character from the TV Series 'Stargate SG-1' and 'Stargate Atlantis,' states that he plays a mage, and makes multiple references to the game, including Elwynn Forest. While his character's race is not explicitly stated, it's assumed from that statement that he plays a human.
 * Mages who developed their powers outside of conventional, Dalaran-approved teachings are called hedge mages.