Mage team tips needed

[Trick]

Not wanting to do a direct hijack here, but I finally got my mage team to 80 about 8 days ago and I'm still trying to figure out the best way to move forward with them as well. I would love to give you an armory link, but I can't seem to find any of my toons or guilds on the Armory today

I find myself using nearly nothing but instants against other players, and cast times for Bal/Vann/tanks only. So I'm speced deep arcane currently, with splashes of Frost and Fire for cooldown reductions
http://www.wowhead.com/?talent#ocxifzMcdcGuGtedfZ0h

I've started gearing with nothing but required hit and Crit, which has me looking at a new spec -- http://www.wowhead.com/?talent#of0ifzMcdeGzMt0dfVZbI0b
My goal is to maximize the damage of every crit (with Fire and Frost also enjoying Spell Power from Arcane) and use Frostfire Bolt for PoM and for stationary burndowns. I'd love some comments.

Also, I'm still searching for a good Slow and Poly macro. I wrote one, but I'm starting to think that the evaluation logic works from right to left, and not left to right. When I try to use these in arena, I end up just focusing on my then-leader's target.

#showtooltip Slow
/cast [@arena1,exists,nodead] Slow, [@focustarget,harm] Slow, [@focustargettarget,harm] Slow, [@focustargettargettarget,harm] Slow
 
#showtooltip Polymorph
/cast [@arena1,exists,nodead] Polymorph, [@focustarget,harm] Polymorph, [@focustargettarget,harm] Polymorph, [@focustargettargettarget,harm] Polymorph

[genocyde]

Thanks for the tips...how do you manage the missile barrage procs? That is the one thing that puts me off spending 5 points into it...

Cheers,
S.

I have two different ways I manage missile barrage procs. One for PvE and one for PvP. The PvE one is fairly simple I run a modifier macro for arcane blast with a different modifier for each mage. When unmodified > arcane blast when modified > missile barrage. Then just watch for procs on my party bars or addon of choice.

For PvP however I use PowerAuras. I set up a graphic that looks like the missile barrage icon in a convenient area of my screen. I modified the graphic into 4 separate files that were each 1/4 of the missile barrage icon. I used power auras to track the missile barrage buff on each mage while lighting up a separate 1/4 of the icon. When all mages currently have the buff it lights the whole icon and begins flashing.

I find it worth casting arcane missiles when situationally appropriate really no matter how many mages have missile barrage and when I see that icon near fully lit I generally target switch and blow someone up. I've seen a 4x missile barrage kill a full health target before even finishing the cast. Missile barrage is insanely strong. Especially glyphed against a frozen target (OMG damage).

As for those of you not speccing into the frost tree. I promise the first time you frost nova a warrior mid intercept before he's within melee range and cast a full arcane missiles at him watching him go from 40K health + spell reflect to 0 health and humiliated in 1.5 seconds you'll never stop smiling. Shatter + healing debuff is amazing. I've killed an entire 4 DPS beast cleave team in under 20 seconds with an arcane power + icy veins + improved blizzard.

Also, make sure you evaluate incanters absorption right. Odds are you aren't using it and if your speccing into it your wasting 3 points all together.

[Chowdog]

Update on my mages... I've been doing the weekend bg since Friday. I have improved greatly over the week leveling mostly by pvp.. Sitting on 5-6 pcs lvl80 epic pvp gear...honor, experience and pvp experience is flowing.

You must be doing well when you run towards the other team and they part the seas. I no longer fear dk's as I figured them out. Arms warriors with that roflcopter crap drives me nuts though. I will usually nova, blink, re-follow then decide to fight or bug out and go invis. If he is by himself I will slow and nuke as he cant close the gap in time. If I have cover to hide behind I can take out the entire team before they know what hit em.

I have iceblock setup on click bar so I can iceblock the one mage..
Counterspell is on a rotation
Nova on a rotation
All spellsteal(man, I like stealing those wings and killing the paladin that gave em to me)
I put focus magic macros to target someone diff and apply so everyone gets it.
Mana gem is on the hot bar
Glyphed Evo to give myself a heal

I still cant get my Blizzard to land at the same spot for some reason..trying to figure out why the master and the 2 slaves do not target the same spot..


One thing I notice is some guys get smart and figure out my main and target him off the bat.I iceblock em, switch screens and got a new main to pound away while they hack on my iceblock.. quite funny sometimes.

I will try the spec you posted when I hit 80.

Having fun now and take the deaths with a grain of salt...

[Maxion]

blizzard targeting difference is cause your camera angle is different, plus your alts and not standing in the exact same spot as your main

[Chowdog]

blizzard targeting difference is cause your camera angle is different, plus your alts and not standing in the exact same spot as your main

Any quick way to get the camera angles matched up on all?

[Talos]

Any quick way to get the camera angles matched up on all?

add this to your blizzard macro (or make a macro to do this)
/script SetView(4); SetView(4)
/cast Blizzard

and in isboxer make this keybind do the Pass Click option to pass 1 click when to all screens when you activate the macro.

setview(4) is the most used one, you can try setview(3) or (2) or (1) if you prefer that camera angle better.
the second part of the macro makes the setview instant, with only /script setview(4) the camera takes time to move to the new position, the second ;Setview(4) makes the position instant.

i also use /script SetView(4); SetView(4) in my /follow macro to make each window camera the same whenever i mount or reposition after a fear. This makes it easier to see if they are all following or if one of the toons is facing a different direction.

[Boylston]

add this to your blizzard macro (or make a macro to do this)
/script SetView(4); SetView(4)
/cast Blizzard

and in isboxer make this keybind do the Pass Click option to pass 1 click when to all screens when you activate the macro.

setview(4) is the most used one, you can try setview(3) or (2) or (1) if you prefer that camera angle better.
the second part of the macro makes the setview instant, with only /script setview(4) the camera takes time to move to the new position, the second ;Setview(4) makes the position instant.

i also use /script SetView(4); SetView(4) in my /follow macro to make each window camera the same whenever i mount or reposition after a fear. This makes it easier to see if they are all following or if one of the toons is facing a different direction.

I'm glad I stumbled upon this, Talos. I've been using /script SetView(4) with my DK+Rets team, but I didn't know that adding the second part would instantly snap it into place. Awesome...

[Chowdog]

Hit 80 and trying to get the frost pet aoe to work kinda like the frost nova..1 at a time but it has to target the ground..Anybody? I could place a macro on each toon the same way but then sometimes it gets stuck in with all cursors cept the window that did something


maybe I did it wrong...dunno

Trying frost but to pull it off I have to be able to control the pet separate on each guy