Table of Contents:
I. The Gear Game
A. Crafted Gear and BoEs
B. Emblem Gear
C. The Land of Heroics
II. The Little Things That Count
A. Be Enchanted!
B. Gems are Shiny
C. Glyph It! Glyph it Good!
D. Get a Job! (Profession Choices)
E. Mmm! Food, Flasks, and More
III. Raiding Tips
A. Stats, Specs, and Roation
B. Good Mage Manners
C. Gear Score and You
D. General Tips
E. Addons and UI
F. Macros
G. Why Do I Suck? [Sadface]*
H. Further Reading*
*I suck at making threads.... To see G and H you need to skip a few posts down after my last to see my next post. I didn't reserve enough!
I. The Gear Game
Objective: An overview of the many ways you can get your fresh 80 some serious gear very quickly. It is up to you to select the items that you want to spend money and time on. If you want to get into raids, the best way is to showcase some effort on your own part by doing as much as you can yourself. Don't get into the entitlement mentality and expect 9-24 strangers to carry you for free epics.
A. Crafted Gear and BoEs
Overview: Lich King brought one of the most welcome changes to the game: non bind-on-pickup (“BoP”) crafted gear. The raid dungeons of Ulduar and Trial of the Crusader (ToC) have pattern drops within them that can only be obtained from these zones. These crafted items are highly desirable for your new little mage. You just need to decide if you want to invest the gold in purchasing the materials, and/or the time in gathering them yourself. There are also lots of dungeon rare (blue) drops that are bind-on-equip (BoE) and can be found from your fellow players or the Auction House (AH).
Head Slot:
Hat of Wintry Doom [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=41984]
Neck Slot:
Titanium Spellshock [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=42647]
Shoulders Slot:
Frostsavage Shoulders [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=43973]
Dark Runic Mantle [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37673]
Back Slot:
Deathchill Coak [http://www.wowhead.com/?spell=56017]
Shroud of Dedicated Research [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=44167]
Chest Slot:
Ebonweave Robe [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=42101]
Black Duskweave [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=41554]
**Merlin’s Robe** (Alliance) [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=47603]
**Merlin’s Robe** (Horde) [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=47604]
**(This item is Best in Slot (BiS) for mages or as close to it as you can get without doing hard mode raids.)
Wrist:
Frostsavage Bracers [http://www.wowhead.com/?spell=59583]
Black Duskweave [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=41555]
Wraps of the Astral Traveler [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=40740]
Combustion Bracers [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=45291]
**Bejeweled Wizard’s Bracers** (Alliance) [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=47585]
**Bejeweled Wizard’s Bracers** (Horde) [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=47586]
**(This item is Best in Slot (BiS) for mages or as close to it as you can get without doing hard mode raids.)
Hands:
Ebonweave Gloves [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=42111]
Waist:
Frostsavage Belt [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=43969]
Sash of Ancient Power [http://www.wowhead.com/?spell=63203]
Legs:
Frostsavage Leggings [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=43975]
Duskweave Leggings [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=41553]
***Leggings of Woven Death [http://ptr.wowhead.com/?spell=70550]
***Lightweave Leggings [http://ptr.wowhead.com/?item=49892]
***(This item will be available with patch 3.3 and will initially be very expensive to make because of the Primordial Saronite. However it will be a very good piece of gear! You just may want to wait a few weeks for the prices on the materials to go down.)
Feet:
Frostsavage Boots [http://www.wowhead.com/?spell=63204]
Spellslinger's Slippers [http://www.wowhead.com/?spell=63204]
***Sandal's of Consecretion [http://ptr.wowhead.com/?item=49893]
***Deathfrost Boots [http://ptr.wowhead.com/?spell=70551]
***(This item will be available with patch 3.3 and will initially be very expensive to make because of the Primordial Saronite. However it will be a very good piece of gear! You just may want to wait a few weeks for the prices on the materials to go down.)
Ring:
Titanium Spellshock [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=42644]
Trinkets:
Deck of Undeath [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=42990]
Deck of Illusion [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=42988]
Quest Reward [http://www.wowhead.com/?quest=13343] Level 80 quest from Chromie in Dragonblight
Mainhand:
Titansteel Spellblade [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=45085]
Flameheart Spell Scalpel [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=44173]
Offhand:
Faces of Doom [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=44210]
Wand:
Gwyneth's Runed Dragonwand [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37824]
B. Emblem Gear
The BC expansion brought a new change to WoW with the heroic dungeon and Emblems system. Lich King has expanded upon this change and created a tier system of Emblems that can be redeemed for epic armor pieces, crafting materials, gems, heirloom items, and more.
As of Patch 3.3 there are two different types of Emblems that can be obtained through dungeons and raiding: Emblems of Frost and Emblems of Triumph. Frost are the highest tier and you will get your best gear with this currancy.
Emblems of Frost drop in Icecrown Citadel (ICC) 10/25, are a reward for the weekly raid quest (5), and are a reward (2) from doing the random heroic pug of the day. Emblems of Triumph drop everywhere else (all level 80 raids not already listed, and every level 80 heroic dungeon.)
If you wish to purchase an item that uses the old emblems, you can exchange your higher tier emblems for the lower ones at the appropriate vendors in Dalaran. Warning: You cannot exchange lower tier emblems for higher ones so make your changes thoughtfully.
Question: What does “Tier” mean?
Answer: Each expansion Blizzard has produced armor sets that are class exclusive, of epic quality, and always give special “set bonuses” for wearing several of the set pieces. (Usually these are referred to as “2 piece bonus” or “4 piece bonus” by the player base.) The Lich King expansion will ultimately give us a range of four tier sets. Tier 7 started us off in Naxxramas, Tier 8 came out of Ulduar, Tier 9 comes from the Coliseum Raids, and Tier 10 will be found in Icecrown Citadel. With the changes to how raids are in LK there are two different ilevels (item level) for each Tier based on if they are obtained in 10 man or 25 man raids. Players differentiate between the two by how they refer to the sets as X or X.5. For example, if you have Tier 7 gear that you obtained in a 25 man Naxxramas raid you would refer to it as having “T7.5 gear.”
Emblems of Heroism Gear: (Tier 7)
Trinket (40): Sundial of the Exiled [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=40682]
Offhand (25): Ward of the Violet Citadel [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=40698]
Emblems of Valor Gear: (Tier 7.5)
Ring (25): Band of Channeled Magic [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=40719]
Cloak (25): Disguise of the Kumiho [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=40723]
Emblems of Conquest Gear: (Tier 8.5)
**Tier 8.5 Helm Token (58): Conqueror’s Kirin Tor Hood [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=46129]
**Tier 8.5 Chest Token (58): Conqueror’s Kirin Tor Tunic [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=46130]
(** Side note: Having the 2 piece bonus from the Tier 8 Mage set is HUGE. In fact, you won’t want to break the 2 piece bonus until you get scoop up the 4 piece bonus from the Tier 9 sets. It’s that good.)
Neck (19): Evoker’s Charm [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=45822]
Hands (28): Touch of the Occult [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=45840]
Legs (39): Legwraps of the Conjurer [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=45848]
Runed Orb (18): These are used in making the Sash of Ancient Power and Spellslinger’s Slippers
Emblems of Triumph Gear: (Tier 9)
Head (50): Khadgar’s Hood of Conquest [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=47748]
Head (75): Hood of Fiery Aftermath [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=47693]
Head (75): Helm of Clouded Sight [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=47694]
Shoulder (30): Khadgar’s Shoulderpads of Conquest [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=47787]
Shoulder (45): Mantle of Catastrophic Emanation [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=47713]
Shoulder (45): Pauldrons of Revered Mortality [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=47715]
Chest (50): Khadgar's Robe of Conquest [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=47749]
Hands (30): Khadgar's Gauntlets of Conquest [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=47752]
Legs (50): Khadgar's Leggings of Conquest [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=47750]
Ring (35): Band of the Invoker [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=47732]
Trinket (50): Talisman of Resurgence [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=48724]
Wand (25): Brimstone Igniter [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=47658]
Emblem of Frost:
Cloak (5): Volde's Cloak of the Night Sky [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=50469]
Belt (60): Belt of Omission [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=50996]
Belt (60): Circle of Ossus [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=50997]
Chest (95): Meteor Chaser's Raiment [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=50974]
Hands (60): Gloves of False Gestures [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=50983]
Trinket (60): Maghia's Misguided Quill [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=50357]
Crafting Mat (23): Primordial Sarnoite [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=49908]
C. The Land of Heroics
No two heroics are alike in terms of time invested and gear obtained. Some heroics are only worth running if they are the daily. Some heroics are only worth it if you can bribe your guildmates into thinking that the Oculus really isn't as terrible as they remember.
Here is a rundown of each heroic with notes as to whether there are good item drops for your mage, how many badges you can expect to gather, and how difficult the dungeon will be with a random PUG.
Remember: You will have several goals for yourself as you go into these heroics and they primarily revolve around the varying ways that LK allows you to obtain gear via drops, reputation, and badge purchases.
Reputation Tips for Heroics:
General Information: The LK expansion has changed the way we earn reputation in dungeons, and now has them tied to the Tabard you are wearing, instead of the instance that you are running. This change is awesome! There are four different factions that apply: Kirin Tor, Wyrmrest Accord, Ebonblade, and Argent Crusade. In order to get a tabard for the faction, you need to be at Friendly rep or higher, and have access to that faction's Quartermaster. (Ebonblade is a particular pain to get access to because their QM is located in Ice Crown in a phased area that is only accessible by completing a quest chain.)
Primary Focus~ Kirin Tor: I suggest grinding this rep up first to at least Revered. Revered gives you access to your best helm enchant, and to a MH weapon if the Titansteel is too pricey for you. You will definitely want to get Exalted with this at some point. You're going to be spending a lot of time and repair money in Dalaran.
Secondary Focus~Wyrmrest Accord: There are some great epic boots available to you at Exalted, as well as a great pair of bracers at Revered.
Ebonblade: There is a nice epic belt available. However, odds are that by the time you get KT to Revered, WA to Exalted, and KE to Exalted, you will have either gotten an epic belt from heroics or spent 40 badges to get one. There are less choices for boots before Naxx than there are epic belts.
Argent: Another one I find to be fairly pointless outside of achievements. The epic ring IS nice, but again, odds are that by the time you would get this faction to Exalted, you would have a better drop from a dungeon or raid.
#1 - Violet Hold (VH)
Location: Dalaran City
Why you want to go here: +Hit Spell Trinket, Epic Bracers, Random Blues
Unique Quirks: This dungeon is just one large room in Dalaran's Prison. Portals will open up at random parts of the dungeon and out will pop various blue dragons. There are a total of 18 portals with bosses incoming on the 6th, 12th, and 18th portal. The first two bosses will be pulled randomly from an assortment locked away around the dungeon. The final boss is ALWAYS Cyanigosa.
Difficulty: Depends on your group's abilities and the RNG as to which random bosses get pulled. I've been in great groups that get easy bosses and we are killing Cyanigosa with 40 minutes still left on our buffs. I've also been in groups where we get 1 or 2 of the tricky bosses and we wipe and have to start all over again. However, these dungeon runs have been extremely few and far between for me.
Badges Obtained w/o Daily: 3
How often should I do VH? Daily. It's one of the most efficient heroics to get in and out of, as well as dropping some extremely desirable loot.
Loot Highlights: (Each mini-Boss has it's own loot pool so if you want/need an item from these lower bosses it may take awhile or never to obtain them. Fortunately Cyanigosa has three fabulous loot drops that will keep you coming back for more.)
Cyanigosa: Azure Cloth Bindings (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37884), Cyanigosa's Leggings (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37876), Mark of the War Prisoner (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37873). (Expect to fight with warlocks and spriests for the trinket. If possible make your own PUGS with Paly healers and Hunters for ranged dps.)
Mini-Boss Loot: Zuramet's Necklace (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=43404), Footwraps of Teleportation (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37867), Water-Drenched Robe (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=43401), Globule Signet (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37869), Solitaire of Reflecting Beams (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=43408)
#2 - Azjol-Nerub (AN)
Location: Dragonblight
Why you want to go here: Epic Wand is the best until Naxx25, Epic belt is often a good upgrade as well.
Unique Quirks: The first boss is much more difficult than the previous two bosses combined if your group is undergeared, and/or clueless. There is relatively little trash.
Difficulty: Depends on your group's abilities and gear and knowledge of the dungeon. I've been in some fabulous speed runs where the final boss dies and we have 35-40 minutes left on our buffs. I've also been in some runs that have taken well over an hour because either the group doesn't know how to kill the first boss, or the second boss bugs out and you have to reset him a couple times, or the final boss kills everyone who doesn't know how to get away from the crumbly rocks.
Badges Obtained w/o Daily: 3
How often should I do AN? Daily until you get your wand and belt. It can be one of the most efficient heroics if your group is smart. Also every newbie tank is dying to get their hands on the trinket that drops from Hadronox so one of the group members that will be difficult to find will most likely be inundating the LFG channel for this heroic.
Loot Highlights:
Anub'arak: Rod of the Fallen Monarch (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37238) You WANT this wand like you want pudding, Sash of the Servent (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37242).
Hadronox: Egg Sac Robes (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37222)
Krik'thir the Gatekeeper: Stone-Worn Footwraps (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37218)
#3 - Culling of Stratholme (CoS)
Location: Caverns of Time on Kalimdor. (There is a convenient portal in Violet Citadel that pops you out right by the summoning stone and escort dragon.)
Why you want to go here: Free epic flying mount if your group is fast enough. Epic caster ring, random blues.
Unique Quirks: This dungeon is a fantastic place if you love Warcraft lore and played the WC3 campaigns. You will be embarking on a royal escort of sorts as you help Arthas go through Stratholme as he starts down the path to the dark side. There is also a bonus element of a timed run available if you and your crew are up to the task where the reward is an epic flying bronze mount. If you aren't up to this level of a speed run or if you have never done CoS before, then you may want to find another group to do the run with. Oftentimes if your group has a wipe, then 1-2 people will immediately leave out of peevishness because all they wanted was the mount. In that case you are stuck with a partial heroic id that is primarily useless.
Difficulty: As a nontimed run, fairly easy. Arthas will help you in killing many of the mobs and bosses, which can be usful. As a timed run, it can be quite challenging. Arthas will drive you bananas with how much he has to stand and talk, and how slow he moves. (Doesn't he get that phat lewtz await?) Success will be more likely if you have a fabulous tank who knows the encounters and knows where to be for each spawn point. Tip: If you are able to pull the mount boss and your timer has 1-2 minutes left, have the tank pull him AWAY from his portal. Once the timer hits zero he will trot to his portal and disappear. Pulling him far away from this allows you to still dps him down while he's trying to escape. Run can take anywhere from 40 min to a bit over an hour.
Badges Obtained w/o Daily: 4 (5 if you get the Timed run)
Daily Heroic AND Dungeon are available.
How often should I do CoS? As often as you can. Hopefully you can get 2-3 runs a week. Not only is the drake a nice mount, but Mal'Ganis's chest drops a great ring.
Loot Highlights:
Mal'Ganis: Mantle of Deceit (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37691), Band of Guile (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37694)
Chrono-Lord Epoch: Gloves of Distorted Time (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37687)
Salramm: Forgotten Shadow Hood (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37684), Necromancer's Amulet (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37683)
#4 - Utgarde Keep (UK)
Location: Howling Fjord
Why you want to go here: Epic caster ring
Unique Quirks: Nothing in particular. It's pretty much your average type of dungeon run.
Difficulty: Probably one of the easiest Heroics in terms of how you get from point A to point B. Average time investment is around 30-45 minutes.
How often should I do UK? Several times a week towards daily. It's easy, fairly fast, and there is a nice ring you can aim for from the final boss.
Badges Obtained w/o Daily: 3
Daily Heroic is only one available.
Loot Highlights:
Ingvar: Breeches of the Caller (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37189), Annhylde's Ring (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37192)
Prince: Wand of the San'layn (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37177)
#5 - Utgarde Pinnacle (UP)
Why you want to go here: Epic belt is one of the best you can get your hands on before Naxx25
Unique Quirks: The 3rd boss is one of the most technically difficult and gear dependent fights out there before raids. It's a "Gauntlet" style encounter that can be either fairly painless or can be a PUG nightmare.
Difficulty: You can expect to down the first two bosses within 20-30 minutes. The 3rd boss can take take 10-40 minutes on its own depending on your group. The final boss is fairly easy. Skaadi Tips: The basic gist of this encounter is that you aggro Skaadi who immediately mounts his blue proto-drake. Wave after wave of mobs will now start coming down the corridor to fight you. Every so often a Harpoon will be left on the ground from these waves. Designate 1-2 people to pick these harpoons up. Skaadi will be flying up and down the gauntlet on his mount and his mount will be breathing on the ground. (Either the left or right side.) You need to move accordingly. When you have 7-8 harpoons and the notice "Skaadi is within range of the harpoons" appears, then you need to fire the harpoons at him. When his mount has been killed, he will land. You need to keep your glass cannon "censored" away from him and his whirlwind and poison. Blink, Ice Block, etc.
Badges obtained w/o Daily: 4
Daily Heroic AND Dungeon are available.
Loot Highlights:
King Ymiron: Girdle of Bane (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37408)
Skadi: Rare chance for Blue Proto Drake, Staff of Wayward Principles (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37384)
Gortuk: Ring of the Frenzied Wolvar (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37371)
Svala:Sorrowgrave's Breeches (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37369), Cuffs of the Trussed Hall (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37370)
#6 - Nexus (Nex)
Location: The Coldarra in Borean Tundra
Why you want to go here: Epic gloves are a good choice if you don't have Ebonweave.
Unique Quirks: Keristrasza is located right by the entrance, but encased in ice. In order to unlock her, you will have to kill the other bosses. You can easily follow a circular path around the dungeon with no backtracking.
Difficulty: For the most part this is not a hard heroic, with one major exception: the third boss. (What is it about 3rd bosses?) This boss creates void rifts that have electrical charges going off all over. You need to kill these rifts ASAP. With the final boss you need to move around so that the ice aura doesn't stack too high. This is kind of a pain as a mage since most of our spells are cast or channeled. Do the best you can with blink, ice block, and Every Man for Himself Racial.
How often should I do Nexus? As often as you can. It's a pretty decent heroic that can be done by a semi-competent PUG. Time investment is often in the 45-60 minute range.
Badges obtained w/o Daily: 5
Daily Heroic is available.
Loot Highlights:
Keristrasza: Gloves of Glistening Runes (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37172)
Grand Magus: Telestra's Journal (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37134)
#7 - The Oculus (Oc)
Location: The Coldarra in Borean Tundra
Why you want to go here: Epic bracers and Epic Staff and random blues
Why you don't want to go here: Spend about 5 minutes on that dragon vehicle and you'll know.
Unique Quirks: This is the dungeon that was made to get players prepped for the horrific LK vehicle systm that gets used in the Eye of Eternity encounter. I remain dubious in regards to how well this dungeon accomplishes it.
Difficulty: Be prepared for this heroic to make you cry. Often. The first segment of the dungeon is your basic type: kill mobs as your class. After you kill the first boss, npc allies are freed from their prisons, who allow you to choose a dragon vehicle to access the rest of the heroic dungeon. Bronze: Your dps choice. Has abilities to stop time and do a ton of damage. Green: Your healer. Has abilities to heal yourself and other dragons. Also is able to do some dps via poisons. Red: Your Tank and AoE Dps. You have to kill dragons flying around while using your vehicle. The next two bosses allow you to land however, and become your normal class again for the boss encounter. The last boss will most likely make you weep unless you are lucky and you have group members who excel at the use of dragon vehicles. Don't be surprised if it takes you even a couple weeks to find a competent group to complete this dungeon. Pre 3.2 Tip: when you are about to engage the final boss, take your armor and weapons off. You will most likely be dying, a lot. After 3.2 your ilevels will help boost your dragon.
How often should I do Oculus? Unfortunately there are some fantastic drops in here for casters. It also gives SOME idea of how awful phase 3 in Eye of Eternity is with Malygos. If you can get a decent group, then try to do it 1x week, or 1 time total and pretend it doesn't exist.
Badges obtained w/o Daily: 4
Daily Heroic and Dungeons are available.
Loot Highlights:
Cache of Eregos: Cuffs of Winged Leviathan (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37361),Crown of Unbridled Magic (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37294), Staff of Draconic Combat (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37360)
Drakos: Drakewing Raiments (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37360)
Magelord: Pendulum (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37264), Sash of Phantasmal Images (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37264)
#8 - Ahn'kahet- The Old Kingdom (OK)
Location: Dragonblight
Why you want to go here: Decent epic wand drop
Unique Quirks: Does annoying count? This is another dungeon most players avoid like the plague. The final boss encounter is quite unique and obnoxious as you "descend into madness."
Difficulty: This dungeon isn't *that* hard, it's just... not fun. Most of the time the LFG for this instance will be empty unless it's the daily. In which case then it may be filled with people who don't realize how bad the dungeon is, or have forgotten how bad it is.
How often should I do OK? One time for your Champion of the Frozen Wastes title.
Badges w/o Daily: 4
Daily Heroic is available.
Loot Highlights:
Elder Nadox: Elder Headpiece (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37594)
Jedoga: Subterranean Waterfall Shroud (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=43283)
Prince: Necklace of Taldaram (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37595)
#9 - Halls of Stone (HoS)
Location: Ulduar in Stormpeaks
Why you want to go here: Forge Ember is a decent trinket to pick up before you grab your badges one.
Unique Quirks: There is a bit of an escort involved here with the acquisition of an inquisitive dwarf partway through the dungeon. He helps you with two of the encounters. (And by help, I mean he gives you access to that area and drives you bananas with his brogue infested commentary.)
Difficulty: Pretty easy and fairly fast. You should get through it around 35-45 minutes.
Badges w/o Daily: 4 (if you do side event)
Daily Heroic is available.
How often should I run HoS? Fairly often. It's usually an easy run that yields a good amount of emblems. It's not as "must have" in terms of loot as other heroics are. However, several times a week would not be out of order.
Loot Highlights:
Krystallus: The Prospector's Prize (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37651)
Ironshaper: The Spark of Life (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37657), Forge Ember (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37657)
#10 - Halls of Lightening (HoL)
Location: Ulduar in Stormpeaks
Why you want to go here: Epic pants from Loken are epic.
Unique Quirks: There is some strategy involved in engaging with the first boss. There is a gauntlet run after the 1st. There is a boss that splits apart into energy balls, and there is Loken who can be fairly irritating to deal with.
Difficulty: It's definitely a step up from most of the other heroics in terms of skill needed to complete. It used to be fairly dreaded because of how horrific Loken was at the end.
How often should I run HoL? Fairly often. Pre 3.2, the cloth legs from Loken are the best in the game until you start raiding.
Badges w/o Daily: 4
Loot Highlights:
General: Traditionally Dyed Handguards (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37825)
Volkhan: Giant-Hair Woven Gloves (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37843)
Loken: Flowing Sash of Order
#11 - Gundrak (Gun, GD)
Location: Zul'Drek
Why you want to go here: 5 badges in under a fairly painless hour.
Unique Quirks: A troll themed dungeon and all of the bosses are considered Prophets of a particular animal. Killing each boss allows you to enable the altar that eventually gives access to a final boss. There is also an optional "hidden" boss tucked under the temple in the dungeon.
Difficulty: Medium difficulty. Some of the achievements for this dungeon are excessively difficult to do, however, the bosses themselves are quite easy. You are looking at a 35-50 min run.
How often should I run GD? Fairly often. It is a decently popular dungeon that isn't hard to get a group together for.
Loot Highlights:
Elemental: Living Mojo Belt (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37637)
Sladran: Slithering Slippers (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37629), Wand of Sseratus (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37626)
Moorabi: Shroud of Moorabi (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37626)
Gal'drah: Arcane Flame Altar (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37626)
#12 - Drak'Tharon Keep (DTK)
Location: Grizzly Hills/Zul'Drek
Why you want to go here: Fast and Easy run with decent Epic Gloves
Unique Quirks: Another troll themed dungeon that houses a T-Rex.
Difficulty: Easy to Medium. (Just try to not get feared by the T-Rex into a group of Velociraptors. Yes, they DO move in herds.) You are looking at 35-45 min.
How often should I run DTK? Pretty often. It's a fairly fast and easy dungeon that is fairly popular and painless.
Loot Highlights:
Novos: Temple Crystal Fragment (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37718)
King Dred: Savage Wound Wrap (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37725)
Trollgore: Cowl of the Dire Troll (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37715)
Prophet: Overlook Handguards (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=37798)
#13 - Trial of the Champion(ToC 5)
Location: Icecrown/Argent Tourney
Why you want to go here: Fast and Easy run with Epic Rewards. The Regular version has an AWESOME trinket.
Unique Quirks: Another chance for Blizzard to shove the tourney system down our throats. I also recommend doing the REGULAR version of this dungeon as well because the bosses drop ilevel 200 epic gear that are very good as well. Want to not be a nub? When Eadric emotes about blinding light, turn around so you don't get blinded and lose control of your character for a few seconds. When the Black Knight's ghouls emote they are going to explode, don't stand next to them. The second boss is randomly chosen between two bosses.
Difficulty: Easy to Medium. If your group isn't terribly geared and/or stupid, it should be a fast run of approximately 20-30 min.
How often should I run Toc5? I would say daily. There are some awesome ilevel 219 caster drops in here.
Badges: 3
Daily Heroic N/A.
Loot Highlights:
Grand Champions: (R) Bindings of the Wicked [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=47173]
Eadric: (R) Abyssal Rune [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=47213], (R) Leggings of the Haggard Apprentice [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=47185], (R) Belt of the Churning Blaze [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=47181], (H) Kurisu's Indecision [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=47501], (H)
Paletress: (R) Abyssal Rune [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=47213], (R) Leggings of the Haggard Apprentice [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=47185], (R) Belt of the Churning Blaze [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=47181], (R) The Confessor's Binding [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=47218] (H) Sinner's Confessions [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=47512]
Black Knight: (R) Handwraps of Surrendered Hope [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=47230], (R) Mantle of Inconsolable Fear [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=47226], (H) Embrace of Madness [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=47527], (H) Boots of the Crackling Flame [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=47560], (H) Gaze of the Unknown [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=47564], (H) Spectral Kris [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=47569]
Ice Crown Citadel 5 man Dungeons:
Overview: Patch 3.3 gave us some epic content and story to follow! The introductory dungeon zones are given to us in a set of three 5 man dungeons. You will need to complete the questline for Forge of Souls first, in order to unlock access to Pit of Saron. By this same token you will need to complete Pit of Saron in order to enter Halls of Reflection. The gear that drops in the regular versions is ilevel 219 which is on par with 10 man Ulduar. The gear that drops in the heroic version is ilevel 232 and on par with 10 man ToC.
#1: Forge of Souls (FoS)
Location: Icecrown
Why you want to go here: Fast, easy, epic lootz, and grants access to the next dungeon.
Unique Quirks: Look out for the giant soul blenders below you as you battle on metal bridges.
Difficulty: Easy to Medium. (Collapse into melee range on the first boss to avoid the swirling vortext. Stop dpsing on Mirror Pain on the second and last boss.)
How often should I run FoS? Soak up the enthusiasm that the new patch brings, and run it a lot. With a good group you can be in and out in about 15 minutes.
Loot Highlights:
Bronjahm: (R) Cold Sweat Grips [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=49788], (H) Very Fashionable Shoulders [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=50193]
Devourer of Souls: (R) Coil of Missing Gems [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=49799], (R) Essence of Anger [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=49796], (R) Blood Boil Lancet (EW!) [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=49790], (H) Arcane Loops of Anger [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=50211], (H) Seethe [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=50210]
#2: Pit of Saron (PoS)
Location: Icecrown
Why you want to go here: Fairly easy, epic lootz, and grants access to the next dungeon.
Unique Quirks: Apparently Arthas doesn't mind that there is a 6 meter exhaust port opening on his giant fortress that allows access to outsiders.
Difficulty: Easy to Medium. (On Forgemaster, you will need to occasionally run behind boulders to take away the debuff. Your healer will thank you. On Ick/Krick, get out of poison, get away from the mines.)
How often should I run PoS? Soak up the enthusiasm that the new patch brings, and run it a lot. With a good group you can be in and out in about 25-35 minutes.
Loot Highlights:
Garfrost: (R) Ice Steeped Sandals [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=49805], (R) Unspeakable Secret [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=49801],
Ick & Krick: (R) Wristguards of Moss [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=49809], (H) Ancient Polar Bear's Hide (wtf?) [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=50266], (H) Braid of Salt and Fire [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=50263]
Tyrannus: (R) Palebone Robes [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=49825], (R) Rimewoven Silks [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=49822], (H) Nevermelting Ice Crystal [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=50259], (H) Engraved Gargoyle Femur [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=50273], (H) Prelate's Snowshoes [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=50286]
#3: Halls of Reflection (HoR)
Location: Icecrown
Why you want to go here: Emo drama, good loot, epic story.
Unique Quirks: Emo Jaina is Emo. (Ok, yes it is sad, but after hearing her breakdown for the 4th time... You start getting flashbacks to Star Wars Episode 3.)
Difficulty: Medium to Hard. The waves in the beginning are no joke if your group is not very geared. The Runaway! gauntlet portion gives your healer a Jaina Emo moment.
How often should I run PoS? Soak up the enthusiasm that the new patch brings, and run it a lot. With a good group you can be in and out in about 25-35 minutes. With a bad group.... Well.... yeah.
Loot Highlights:
Falric: (R) Marwyn's Macabre Fingertips [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=49828], (H) Bracer of Worn Molars [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=50292], (H) Soulsplinter [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=50291]
Marwyn: (R) Frayed Abomination Stitching Shoulders [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=49834], (H) Suspiciously Soft Gloves (
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=50299), (H) Sightless Crown of Ulmaas [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=50298]
Wrath of the Lich King: (R) Tattered Glacial-Woven Hood [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=49849], (H) Shriveled Heart [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=50309], (H) Strip of Remorse [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=50314]
II. The Little Things Count
Overview: I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to keep your shiny new epics updated with high quality enchants and gem choices. It is late enough in the expansion that these buffs are fairly inexpensive. Nothing should be too out of reach that doing some dailies can't help offset the costs for you. I highly recommend that any gear that is ilevel 232 and higher be given the best enchant possible. This guide will help show you your choices for each slot. If you are wanting to get into a good guild or lots of pugs, this can be the difference between an invite and a kick.
A. Be Enchanted!
BiS: Best in Slot
sBiS: Second Best in Slot
Helm BiS: Kirin Tor Arcanum [Need Revered or higher KT rep] 30 spell/20 crit
Helm sBiS:Sha'tar Arcanum [Need Revered or higher Sha'Tar rep from BC] 22 spell/14 hit
Shoulder BiS (Scribe): Master's Inscription of the Storm [Need 400 Inscription Skill] 61 spell/15 crit
Shoulder BiS (Others): Greater Inscription of the Storm [Need Exalted Sons of Hodir] 24 spell/15 crit
Shoulder sBiS: Greater Inscription of Discipline [Need Aldor Exalted +8 Holy Dust] 18 spell/10 crit OR Greater Inscription of the Orb [Need Scryer Exalted + 8 Arcane Runes] 15 crit/12 spell OR Lesser Inscription of the Storm [Need Honored or higher Sons of Hodir] 18 spell/10 crit
Cloak BiS (Tailors): Lightweave Embroidery [Need 420 Tailoring] Chance on spell cast to get a 250+ spellpower buff for 15s
Cloak BiS (Others): +23 Haste
Chest BiS: +10 Stats (Powerful Stats)
Chest sBiS: +8 Stats (Super Stats)
Wrist BiS (Leatherworkers): Fur Lining [Need 400 LW] +67 spellpower
Wrist BiS (Others): +30 Spellpower
Wrist sBiS: +23 Spellpower
Hands BiS: +28 Spellpower
Hands sBiS: Actually the +28 is so cheap, it's not worth getting anything less.
Waist BiS: Belt Buckle to add an extra gem slot.
Legs BiS: Brilliant Spellthread 50 spell/20 spirit (As a tailor you can make this for yourself very cheaply)
Legs sBiS: Shining Spellthread 35 spell/12 spirit
Feet BiS: Icewalker 12 hit/12 crit
Rings BiS (Enchanters ONLY): +19 Spellpower
Mainhand Weapon (1H) BiS: +63 Spellpower
Mainhand Weapon (1H) sBiS: +50 Spellpower
Mainhand Weapon (2H) BiS: +81 Spellpower
Mainhand Weapon (2H) sBiS: +69 Spellpower
B. Gems Are Shiny
Meta: Chaotic Skyflare [http://www.wowhead.com/?item=41285] To help complete the meta requirements add 2 Purified (purple) gems to your gear where appropriate.
Red: Runed = + Spellpower
(Jewel Crafters) Dragon's Eye: +39 Spellpower
(Epic Quality) Cardinal Ruby: +23 Spellpower
(Rare Quality) Scarlet Ruby: +19 Spellpower
Purple: Purified = Spellpower/Spirit
(Epic Quality) Dreadstone: +12 Spellpower/ +10 Spirit
(Rare Quality) Twilight Opal: +9 Spellpower/ +8 Spirit
Orange: Reckless = Spellpower/Haste
(Epic Quality) Ametrine: +12 Spellpower/ +10 Haste
(Rare Quality) Monarch Topaz: +9 Spellpower/ +8 Haste
Orange: Potent= Spellpower/Crit
(Epic Quality) Ametrine: +12 Spellpower/ +10 Crit
(Rare Quality) Monarch Topaz: +9 Spellpower/ +8 Crit
Please note: As a mage blue, green, and yellow colored gems are almost 100% useless. Socket bonuses have become more worthwhile in LK as well, making it a better idea to go for the correct colors instead of gemming straight spellpower like we have in the past.
C. Glyph it! Glyph it Good!
For an in depth discussion of each glyph and their uses go to this handy thread! [http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=17162147647&sid=1]
Minor: Arcane Intellect, Slow Fall, Penguin
Arcane: Arcane Blast, Arcane Missitles, Molten Armor
FireBall: Living Bomb, Scorch, Molten Armor, Fireball
Frost: Frostbolt,
Frostfire: Frostfire, Molten Armor, Scorch, Living Bomb
D. Get a Job! (Profession Choices)
I highly suggest reading these articles:
http://www.wow.com/2009/04/04/arcane-brilliance-professions-for-mages-part-1/
http://www.wow.com/2009/04/11/arcane-brilliance-professions-for-mages-part-2/
http://www.wow.com/2009/04/18/arcane-brilliance-professions-for-mages-the-thrilling-conclusi/
Keep in mind what type of character this is for you. Is this a main character that you want to bring into end game raiding and beyond? If that is the case then I strongly advise that you pick up professions that give you helpful boosts. Is this an alt character you want to have fun on, and help support your main? Then you may want to pick up some money making gathering skills instead.
E. Mmm! Food, Flasks, and More:
These extra buffs are more important for raids rather than heroics. However, these can be helpful on new 5 man content (like 3.3 will bring with Icecrown Citadel), or on achievements for the Glory of the Hero.
Flasks: Flask of the Frostwyrm +125 Spellpower for 1 hour if you are not an alchemist
Potions: Runic Mana Potion +4200-4400 mana, use once per combat round with a 2 minute cooldown
Food:
Fish Feast: 46 spell + Stamina + AP
Firecracker Salmon: +46 spell
III. Raiding Tips
Overview: I highly recommend taking a peek at the EJ forums (www.elitistjerks.com) and reading the mage forums. Just be warned ahead of time that the information is going to be extremely dense, full of numbers, theorycrafting, and spreadsheets. There is a high probability of a couple pie charts being there as well. However, these guys are the best of the best, and what they say is almost always on target.
Also be forewarned that they do not desire or tolerate "newbie" questions. I'd suggest not posting and just reading for a few weeks. They get their name pretty honestly.
A. Stats, Specs and Rotation
You can get a lot more detailed information in regards to this from the EJ forums. However, I will briefly lay out some tips for the current "FOTM" Arcane spec to help get you started.
Arcane is a both a great beginner spec and currently a fantastic dps powerhouse in raids thanks to 3.2 changes and better itemization in T9 gear. The main reason Arcane is the way to go first is that it is the least +hit requiring spec you can have as a mage. This will enable you to focus on gear upgrades whose ilevels are used more for haste/crit/spellpower than being eaten up by hit.
Sidenotes:
Question: What is +Hit?
Answer: Plus hit is the stat that helps us "hit" bosses with our spells. Having a +hit that is lower than the cap can be a serious detriment to your dps ability in raids. And let's face it, we are a pure dps class that gets a raid slot due to our dps, so it is crucial to have this number capped.
Every mage has the innate ability to hit a raid boss by 83%. There is then a 17% gap we have to close via talents, gear, buffs, and racial buffs. Fortunately, there is a giant pile of gear we can pick up easily that will help us to do just this.
Arcane is an awesome spec because you get to double dip into two talent trees and snatch up two talents that each yield 3% plus to hit. One talent, Spell Impact, affects only Arcane spells; the other, Precision, affects all spells. This means that you only have to find another 11% in +hit to get capped.
Plus hit is often a confusing stat because of how valuable it is point for point UNDER the cap, and how 100% useless it is OVER the cap. Point for point it will up your dps more than any other stat up and until your needed hit cap. Once you reach that point it's use is over. Therefore it can be a sort of dance between stats at times as you get upgrades through the course of your mage career.
Question: How much +Hit do I need for RAIDS?
Answer:If you are arcane then you need a maximum of 289. If you are guaranteed to be raiding with a Dranei then you can drop this down to 263.
Question: What stats do I want as Arcane?
Answer: Outside of getting your +hit capped you will need to focus on spellpower, haste, and crit in that order. Ignore Mana Per 5; you don't need it. I have seen some end game raiding mages with 2700-2900 +spell power and 23-28% haste in ToC gear.
Question: What is a good raiding spec for Arcane?
Answer:
[http://www.wowarmory.com/talent-calc.xml?cid=8&tal=23000523010033015032312250532103000000000000000000000000002030230010000000000000000000]
Question: What the heck is Spell Rotation?
Answer: Spell rotation is the careful weaving of spells to produce the highest dps you can. Arcane is extremely simple (and relaxing!) to nail down.
Cast 4x Arcane Blast. Check for Missile Barrage Buff. If yes, then hit Arcane Missiles. If not, hit one more stack of Arcane Blast. Check for Missile Barrage Buff. If yes, then hit Arcane Missiles. If not, then hit Arcane Barrage.
Rinse. Repeat. Have shinier hair... er... higher dps.
B. Good Mage Manners:
There is a good probability that you will be finding your little mage in PuGs for both dungeons and raiding. These are going to be people who do not know you, and how amazing you are on your warrior/rogue/shaman, etc. In that regard here is a little breakdown of what will be and may be expected of you.
1: Food. Keep a stack of 100 dust on you so that you can always conjure up a table of mana strudels. It isn't very expensive and certainly saves you time and energy having to conjure up separate stacks.
2: Arcane Intellect Buff. Again, you will want to have a fat stack of dust so that you can always buff this for your party or raid. If you have a lot of gold to throw around, you can buy the Dalaran Brilliance buff, but the only difference between that and the 20 gold version is a different graphic and buffing noise.
3: (Arcane Mages) Focus Magic. This is a lovely little talent buff that cannot be cast on yourself. The typical priority is that you exchange this buff with another Arcane Mage. If there is not another Arcane Mage then you will have to do some thinking. Good choices are Elemental Shammys, Holy Pallies, Destro Locks, and Disc Priests.
4: Portals. At the end of your dungeon run(s) or raid, create a portal to Dalaran. At the beginning of an Ony raid, make a portal to Theramore. If you are feeling frisky then you can do Wheel of Portals by standing in one spot and conjuring up a portal for every city you have the spell for. If you don't move the portals will stack on each other and it's Russian Roulette for where you end up. I usually keep about 40-50 runes on me for this purpose. I also suggest keeping 40-50 of the single teleport runes on you as well. A well stocked mage can be a lazy mage!
5: Sheeping. There may be a time when your group wants to take advantage of some crowd control. That's where we can come in with our sheeps, our turtles, our pigs, and even our black kitties. Meow!
6: Remove Curse. You are going to come across encounters where the mobs or boss curse players. You will often be expected to remove these debuffs if there is no druid in the party.
C. Gear Score (GS) and You
Most realms are being swept up in GS fever at the moment. GS is a number that gets calculated by either an ingame addon (called Gearscore) or by various websites such as www.wow-heroes.com. These calculations are based on your gear's ilevels, enchants, and gems. When you are a fresh 80 the odds of immediately being swept into VoA and ToC raids are pretty low. Please don't get emo over this "rejection!" Just because you are 80 and allowed into these dungeon zones doesn't mean you deserve to be there. You can be very lucky and have a guild who doesn't mind adding your newbie mage to an alt run, but most likely you are going to be forced to PuG him or her into these raids.
Gearing up is so easy nowadays that it really won't take you very long to get into the more exciting raids. Just be patient and use the time that you spend in heroics to better learn about what your mage is about.
D. General Raid Tips:
There is a ton of information out there now on raid zones. If you are serious about getting some raiding under your belt, then search for information on raid encounters. It's always easier for me to learn an encounter by doing it, but I do like reading up on it first so I have a general idea of what to expect.
Situational awareness is a skill that separates the bad players from the good and from the excellent. Fires, like in real life, are never a good idea to stand in. It doesn't matter if the fire is red, blue, or green colored. Get out of it. The same goes for shiny designs on the ground. Get out of it. Stop casting, move, move, move, move!
E. Addons and UI:
The basic Blizzard user interface (UI) is terrible. It's clunky, unwieldy, and unattractive. If you are going to be raiding then you will want to set up a handy UI that will help you be better, rather than get in your way.
My current recommendation is to go to www.wowinterface.com and look up the author KittyUI. It's an extremely easy to set up UI suite of addons that any raider will need. It's also a very streamlined and uncluttered UI.
Even though you are not a healer, you are going to need to set up some sort of raid frames addon such as Grid. This will allow you to remove curses with relative ease.
Here is a picture of my mage's current UI:
in raid combat: [http://s683.photobucket.com/albums/vv194/invisiliz/?action=view¤t=blossomsraidcombat2-1.jpg]
solo ui: [http://s683.photobucket.com/albums/vv194/invisiliz/?action=view¤t=blossomsregular.jpg]
A must have outside of WoW addon is Rawr. Download it from here: [http://www.codeplex.com/Rawr]. It's a heavenly tool for helping decide upgrades for each slot and overall. It also works for many other classes and specs too!
F. Macros:
It is a good idea to get as much uptime on your special talents and trinkets as possible. The easiest way to do this is to make macros where you use these abilities right before you cast a spell.
I currently have a macro set up to use a trinket and then Icy Veins before hitting Arcane Blast. Here is my macro:
/use icy veins
/cast Arcane Blast
Remove Curse:
/cast [target=mouseover] Remove Curse
Continued.... http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=18031073739&postId=180294611189&sid=1#14
~~~*Continued from Above*~~~ (I fail for not anticipating this!)
G. Why Does My Dps Suck! [Sadface]
The bad news is that Mages are purely dps, so if you are not doing well as dps, you can't respec and try out a new role. The good news is that it can be very easy to tweak your awesome character a bit, and get much better pretty quickly.
I think the biggest problem can be solved by going over the "Little Things" section. Are you using the wrong gems? No gems? The wrong enchants? No enchants? If I took off all enchants and gems on my Mage as she is geared today, she would lose 539 spellpower alone. Plus misc crit, spirit, and haste. This may sound like a no brainer, but I have seen a lot of people scoffing at the idea that gems and enchants effect their dps. (Of course this was said by the non-enchanted, non-gemmed mage who had a +3 physical damage enchant on his staff, and a trinket that procc'ed from healing spells. Don't be this mage! For the love of God please!) The answer is that they add up to a whole lot. I've also seen mages with the weirdest gem choices. Trust me. If the gems you are using are not on the list above, you need to change them out.
Glyphs may not seem that important but they do can add up very quickly with your dps. Glyphs you use to level with will only hinder and hamper you when you want to raid/dungeon.
Does your gear have an excessive amount of +hit or mp5? Sometimes I think Blizzard wants to drown us in +hit gear. Up until last weekend I was rocking an insane 385 +hit myself because of an Ulduar 10 trinket I had. I finally got an upgrade with the Eye of the Broodmother and I am back down in the +hit range I need to be for Arcane. My dps has gone up but a lot since then since I didn't have so much wasted ilevel wrapped up in excessive +hit.
Also, when we are doing pugs we will sometimes be a bit desperate to grab any cloth upgrade we can. Those pretty epics with +mp5 on them are not really meant for us, and mp5 is an expensive stat to put on gear. An equal ilevel item without the mp5 is going to be A LOT better for us. Do your best to avoid these pieces, but sometimes an upgrade is an upgrade. (This is where Rawr can really come in handy.)
Are you unfamiliar with the encounters or your role in them? Dps can lag because you are unsure of what the encounter and changes of phase are going to mean for your mage. It's easy to get tunnel visioned and then boom! A void zone pops up and eats us. (See: Obsidian Sanctum; what not to do.) The more familiar you get with boss encounters, the easier it should get for you too. You can also get turned around a bit if you have a main character who raids and does a very different role on that character. For example, my main character is a holy priest and it's been fun to exasperating seeing the changes the mage class makes for me.
Also, remember that this is a new character for you, so it's ok to have a learning process. The lessons you learned while leveling will come in handy, but in all honestly WoW is a new ballgame at a different park on another planet once you hit 80. The rules change and the emphasis deepens into tons of new directions.
H. Further Reading:
EJ Forums: www.elitistjerks.com
Arcane Brilliance Posts: www.wow.com
WoW Mage Forums: http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/board.html?forumId=10017&sid=1
Or chat with a friendly mage in your guild who plays one as their main character! (You may have to bribe them with some Focus Magic love, but it will be well worth it.) Ask them for a few minutes of their time to give a glance over of your character. I often do this for people's priest alts, and I can tell pretty quickly if there is something glaringly wrong with what they are doing.
If you want more in depth analysis of what you are doing, then you may enjoy picking up WoW Meter Online as an addon. It will record everything your raid does. You can look over it later to see what is killing you, or what spells you are casting, etc
