Mage Levelling FAQ
Go back to https://turtle-wow.wiki/wiki/Mage_FAQ
What is the best levelling spec/What should I level as?
Since turtle wow is a vanilla+ server, the idea that frost is the best for levelling still holds true. Fire and especially arcane are definitely viable, however if going for pure levelling speed, both in single target and AOE scenarios frost still is the best.
For more in depth descriptions, see Mage General FAQ#What spec to level as?
Can I still AOE farm?
Blizzard AOE farming has been nerfed heavily, and you are no longer able to nova -> blizzard -> blizzard -> nova. However, from level 26 onwards, AOE becomes viable again, using Cone of Cold kiting. This is explained further here
Frost single target
Using this spec, simply Frostbolt mobs. You are able to get off ~3 frost bolts before they reach you, then you can nova, run/blink away, and start casting again. You can also use Cone of Cold to slow mobs in melee range, in case your nova is on cooldown.
| 10 - Improved Frostbolt (1/5) | 20 - Ice Shards (1/5) | 30 - Ice Block | 40 - Ice Barrier | 50 - Arcane Concentration (2/5) |
| 11 - Improved Frostbolt (2/5) | 21 - Ice Shards (2/5) | 31 - Cold snap | 41 - Piercing Ice (3/3) | 51 - Arcane Concentration (3/5) |
| 12 - Improved Frostbolt (3/5) | 22 - Ice Shards (3/5) | 32 - Frost Channeling (1/3) | 42 - Arctic Reach (1/2) | 52 - Arcane Concentration (4/5) |
| 13 - Improved Frostbolt (4/5) | 23 - Ice Shards (4/5) | 33 - Frost Channeling (2/3) | 43 - Arctic Reach (2/2) | 53 - Arcane Concentration (5/5) |
| 14 - Improved Frostbolt (5/5) | 24 - Ice Shards (5/5) | 34 - Frost Channeling (3/3) | 44 - Arcane Subtlety (1/2) | 54 - Permafrost (1/3) |
| 15 - Frostbite (1/3) | 25 - Shatter (1/5) | 35 - Elemental Presicion (1/3) | 45 - Arcane Subtlety (2/2) | 55 - Permafrost (2/3) |
| 16 - Frostbite (2/3) | 26 - Shatter (2/5) | 36 - Elemental Presicion (2/3) | 46 - Arcane Focus (1/5) | 56 - Permafrost (3/3) |
| 17 - Frostbite (3/3) | 27 - Shatter (3/5) | 37 - Elemental Presicion (3/3) | 47 - Arcane Focus (2/5) | 57 - Improved Cone of Cold (1/3) |
| 18 - Improved Frost Nova (1/2) | 28 - Shatter (4/5) | 38 - Piercing Ice (1/3) | 48 - Arcane Focus (3/5) | 58 - Improved Cone of Cold (2/3) |
| 19 - Improved Frost Nova (2/2) | 29 - Shatter (5/5) | 39 - Piercing Ice (2/3) | 49 - Arcane Concentration (1/5) | 59 - Improved Cone of Cold (3/3) |
Frost AOE
Using this spec you want to gather as many melee mobs as possible using wand, counterspell, r1 fireblast or body/social aggro. From here, if it's available, you can cast ice block to stack them nicely. When exiting ice block or once the mobs are all gathered closely, cast r1 frost nova, and move out of range. Once there's about 4 or so seconds left on nova, cast flamestrike on all of the mobs, and cone of cold when the flamestrike is finished. This allows you to get the increased shatter crit chance on both spells. If the mobs aren't dead, you can kite indefinitely with permachill cone of cold, as the slow is longer than the cooldown. Simple run around the mobs in a circle, or kite away running sideways (Backpedalling will allow the mobs to catch up to you). If they are low enough, you can cast Arcane explosion while running, otherwise you can wait out your frost nova cooldown for flamestrike + cone of cold burst
The following spec assumes you are level 26, as this is when its possible to AOE farm using Cone of Cold
| 10 - Frost Warding (1/2) | 20 - Ice Shards (1/5) | 30 - Ice Block | 40 - Ice Barrier | 50 - Ignite (2/5) |
| 11 - Frost Warding (2/2) | 21 - Ice Shards (2/5) | 31 - Cold snap | 41 - Piercing Ice (1/3) | 51 - Ignite (3/5) |
| 12 - Elemental Presicion (1/3) | 22 - Ice Shards (3/5) | 32 - Improved Cone of Cold (1/3) | 42 - Piercing Ice (2/3) | 52 - Ignite (4/5) |
| 13 - Elemental Presicion (2/3) | 23 - Ice Shards (4/5) | 33 - Improved Cone of Cold (2/3) | 43 - Piercing Ice (3/3) | 53 - Ignite (5/5) |
| 14 - Elemental Presicion (3/3) | 24 - Ice Shards (5/5) | 34 - Improved Cone of Cold (3/3) | 44 - Impact (1/5) | 54 - Improved Flamestrike (1/3) |
| 15 - Permafrost (1/3) | 25 - Shatter (1/5) | 35 - Arctic Reach (1/2) | 45 - Impact (2/5) | 55 - Improved Flamestrike (2/3) |
| 16 - Permafrost (2/3) | 26 - Shatter (2/5) | 36 - Arctic Reach (2/2) | 46 - Impact (3/5) | 56 - Improved Flamestrike (3/3) |
| 17 - Permafrost (3/3) | 27 - Shatter (3/5) | 37 - Frost Channeling (1/3) | 47 - Impact (4/5) | 57 - Arcane Subtlety (1/2) |
| 18 - Improved Frost Nova (1/2) | 28 - Shatter (4/5) | 38 - Frost Channeling (2/3) | 48 - Impact (5/5) | 58 - Arcane Subtlety (2/2) |
| 19 - Improved Frost Nova (2/2) | 29 - Shatter (5/5) | 39 - Frost Channeling (3/3) | 49 - Ignite (1/5) | 59 - Burning Soul (1/2) |
Fire single target
Using fire to level, you simply want to cast fireball. You can weave in fireblast if you are running, or scorch to finish off low hp mobs. As with all specs, if the mob gets close and your hp is low, simply frost nova and walk/blink away before continuing to cast.
| 10 - Improved Fireball (1/5) | 20 - Elemental Precision (1/3) | 30 - Master of Elements (3/3) | 40 - Fire Power (2/5) | 50 - Arcane Concentration (1/5) |
| 11 - Improved Fireball (2/5) | 21 - Elemental Precision (2/3) | 31 - Pyroblast (1/1) | 41 - Fire Power (3/5) | 51 - Arcane Concentration (2/5) |
| 12 - Improved Fireball (3/5) | 22 - Elemental Precision (3/3) | 32 - Burning Soul (1/1) | 42 - Fire Power (4/5) | 52 - Arcane Concentration (3/5) |
| 13 - Improved Fireball (4/5) | 23 - Impact (1/5) | 33 - Critical Mass (1/3) | 43 - Combustion (1/1) | 53 - Arcane Concentration (4/5) |
| 14 - Improved Fireball (5/5) | 24 - Impact (2/5) | 34 - Critical Mass (2/3) | 44 - Fire Power (5/5) | 54 - Arcane Concentration (5/5) |
| 15 - Flame Throwing (1/2) | 25 - Impact (3/5) | 35 - Critical Mass (3/3) | 45 - Arcane Subltety (1/2) | 55 - Ignite (1/5) |
| 16 - Flame Throwing (2/2) | 26 - Impact (4/5) | 36 - Hot Streak (1/3) | 46 - Arcane Subltety (2/2) | 56 - Ignite (2/5) |
| 17 - Improved Fire Blast (1/3) | 27 - Impact (5/5) | 37 - Hot Streak (2/3) | 47 - Arcane Focus (1/5) | 57 - Ignite (3/5) |
| 18 - Improved Fire Blast (2/3) | 28 - Master of Elements (1/3) | 38 - Hot Streak (3/3) | 48 - Arcane Focus (2/5) | 58 - Ignite (4/5) |
| 19 - Improved Fire Blast (3/3) | 29 - Master of Elements (2/3) | 39 - Fire Power (1/5) | 49 - Arcane Focus (3/5) | 59 - Ignite (5/5) |
Arcane single target
Using arcane to level, you just want to cast arcane missiles. Therefore getting improved arcane missiles is really important to not lose cast time if the mob gets close to hit you. You can play like a drain tank warlock, however you'll run out of health much quicker (as you aren't life draining obviously). If the mob has high hp, once you get it, you can start the fight with arcane rupture, however this will make your mana management much harder as it increases missles casting cost. As with all specs, if the mob gets close and your hp is low, simply frost nova and walk/blink away before continuing to cast.
| 10 - Improved Arcane Missiles (1/5) | 20 - Arcane Rupture | 30 - Accelerated Arcana | 40 - Resonance Cascade (5/5) | 50 - Magic Absorption (2/3) |
| 11 - Improved Arcane Missiles (2/5) | 21 - Arcane Impact (1/3) | 31 - Arcane Instability (1/3) | 41 - Presence of Mind (1/1) | 51 - Magic Absorption (3/3) |
| 12 - Improved Arcane Missiles (3/5) | 22 - Arcane Impact (2/3) | 32 - Arcane Instability (2/3) | 42 - Temporal Convergence (3/3) | 52 - Improved Fireball (1/5) |
| 13 - Improved Arcane Missiles (4/5) | 23 - Arcane Impact (3/3) | 33 - Arcane Instability (3/3) | 43 - Arcane Focus (2/5) | 53 - Improved Fireball (2/5) |
| 14 - Improved Arcane Missiles (5/5) | 24 - Arcane Focus (1/5) | 34 - Arcane Potency (1/2) | 44 - Arcane Focus (3/5) | 54 - Improved Fireball (3/5) |
| 15 - Arcane Concentration (1/5) | 25 - Arcane Meditation (1/3) | 35 - Arcane Potency (2/2) | 45 - Arcane Focus (4/5) | 55 - Improved Fireball (4/5) |
| 16 - Arcane Concentration (2/5) | 26 - Arcane Meditation (2/3) | 36 - Resonance Cascade (1/5) | 46 - Arcane Focus (5/5) | 56 - Improved Fireball (5/5) |
| 17 - Arcane Concentration (3/5) | 27 - Arcane Meditation (3/3) | 37 - Resonance Cascade (2/5) | 47 - Arcane Subtlety (1/2) | 57 - Improved Fire Blast (1/3) |
| 18 - Arcane Concentration (4/5) | 28 - Temporal Convergence (1/3) | 38 - Resonance Cascade (3/5) | 48 - Arcane Subtlety (2/2) | 58 - Improved Fire Blast (2/3) |
| 19 - Arcane Concentration (5/5) | 29 - Temporal Convergence (2/3) | 39 - Resonance Cascade (4/5) | 49 - Magic Absorption (1/3) | 59 - Improved Fire Blast (3/3) |