Mage
The mage is the number one magic damage dealer in World of Warcraft. It ranks next to hunter as far range classes are considered. They are able to utilize polymorph, turning a single target into a sheep, in order to control the mob. The mage does not need to purchase food or drink as neither do their party members as they are able to conjure food and drink. The mage is most often requested for groups due to their crowd control and high dps. The ability to freeze mobs in place allows them to be a great solo class. Another benefit to the mage is their ability to open portals and transport themselves and party members to the capital cities. In addition to single target dps the mage has the best AoE or Area of Effect damage to multiple targets in the game. The mage has the nickname “clothie” due to only being able to wear cloth armor which in turn makes the mage a “squishy” player. Mages do not have the ability to heal in any capacity. Due to the amount of damage mages deal they are often targets for mobs and inadvertently pull aggro from the tank in a mob.
The mage however, does not have many instant cast spells so there is a pause in between attacks. Mages have three talent tree spec and a hybrid of two of them. The main tree is Fire which is an AoE or Area of Effect dps spec. Secondary is arcane tree which deals high dps to a singular target. The arcane tree also includes a spell called Presence of Mind which allows the next spell to be cast to be an instant. This permits the Mage to cast an instant Polymorph spell stopping a mob in its tracks. Thirdly, the frost spec is used for soloing and player vs. player combat because the mage is then given an ice shield that provides some added protection.
The frost mage also has a water elemental pet that can assist in combat. Each tree has its own style of play for the Mage and is specific. The arcane tree is best for the raiding Mage. Mage spells are lethal and instrumental when partying and raiding due to their high dps. The Alliance that is able to roll a mage is Draenei, Gnome, Human and as of the latest expansion Dwarf, Night Elf and Worgen. The Horde that as the ability to become a mage is the Blood Elf, Troll and Undead (which in addition to conjuring food can also feed off the corpses of its victims) and as of latest expansion pack also includes Goblin and Orc races. The Mage is easy to level quickly and is in high demand for end game raiding so it is a common choice among players.
