Preliminary Mentions↑top

In this guide, we will offer you some quick and practical information for leveling up your Mage from level 85 to level 90. We cover rotation, talents and glyphs. We do not, however, cover statistics, gear, or any information about the zones you should be questing in.

This guide requires a basic understanding of how the Mage class works at level 85. This guide is not meant to reflect how you should play your character at level 90, or in a raid environment or dungeon.

While leveling up, you can complete 4 dungeons:

• Temple of the Jade Serpent;
• Stormstout Brewery;
• Shado-Pan Monastery;
• Mogu'shan Palace.

These dungeons have quests which reward you with vast amounts of experience.

In the next few weeks, we will extend this guide to cover the entire leveling journey, from level 1 to level 90.

1. Arcane Leveling Guide: 85-90↑top

1.1. Level 85

1.1.1. Talents and Glyphs

Before setting out on your leveling journey, you should take these talents and glyphs, for maximum efficiency. Obviously, this is not set in stone, and you have a lot of liberty.

For your third minor glyph, you should use which ever remaining minor glyph you like.

1.1.2. Rotation

You have to adapt your raiding rotation slighty, so that it works against targets which, generally, will not live very long. As an Arcane Mage, you should try and kill enemies one by one and avoid pulling mobs together. Follow this priority list.

1. Keep Ice Barrier up.
2. Keep Ice Ward up.
3. Cast Frost Bomb.
4. Cast Arcane Missiles when it procs.
5. Cast Arcane Barrage when you have between 2 and 3 stacks of Arcane Charge.
6. Cast Arcane Blast to build up stacks of Arcane Charge.
   • Thanks to Glyph of Slow, Arcane Blast will slow your target.

You need to be careful with your mana management. You cannot build up too many Arcane Charges, as otherwise you will have to drink between each pull. Try to not go over 2 or 3 charges. Evocation's 4-minute cooldown will prevent you from making good use of it.

Use Frost Armor. It will slow down mobs attacking you.

When mobs are reaching you, simply cast Frost Nova and Blink away. Remember to use Scorch while moving.

1.1.3. Surviving

Save your DPS cooldowns ( Arcane Power, Time Warp) for when you are in trouble, so you have a chance to kill your enemies before they kill you.

Mirror Image and Invisibility are your main survival cooldowns. Use Mirror Image to distract mobs temporarily and Invisibility to vanish from their sight. Use Ice Block to remove the burning DoT left by Cauterize when it saves your life.

You can escape a fight through different means. You can run away and slow your enemies with Blizzard, Cone of Cold, Frost Bomb. You can also run off a cliff and use Slow Fall or Blink to negate fall damage.

Remember to interrupt harmful spell casts with Counterspell. Whenever possible, try stealing beneficial effects that mobs cast on themselves with Spellsteal.

1.2. Level 86-90

As you level up, a single change occurs. At level 87, you will gain Alter Time. You can use it to negate a large amount of damage. Cast Alter Time, wait for the damage, then cast Alter Time again to revert back to the amount of health you had when you first cast it (or wait until the 6 seconds are over).

You can also use Alter Time to increase the duration of Arcane Power and Time Warp by 6 seconds.

2. Fire Leveling Guide: 85-90↑top

2.1. Level 85

2.1.1. Talents and Glyphs

Before setting out on your leveling journey, you should take these talents and glyphs, for maximum efficiency. Obviously, this is not set in stone, and you have a lot of liberty.

For your third minor glyph, you should use which ever remaining minor glyph you like.

2.1.2. Rotation

You have to adapt your raiding rotation slighty, so that it works against targets which, generally, will not live very long. As a Fire Mage, you should not hesitate to pull several enemies at once, as you have the necessary tools to deal with them. Follow this priority list.

1. Keep Ice Barrier up.
2. Keep Ice Ward up.
3. Cast Frost Bomb.
4. Cast Pyroblast when Pyroblast! procs.
5. Cast Inferno Blast when Heating Up procs and Inferno Blast is off cooldown.
   • Inferno Blast will always crit, transforming Heating Up into Pyroblast!.
6. Cast Fireball.

Use Frost Armor. It will slow down mobs attacking you.

When mobs are reaching you, simply cast Frost Nova and Blink away.

2.1.3. AoE Damage

As a Fire Mage, you can easily pull large groups of enemies. What you should aim for is to cast Frost Bomb on one of the enemies of the group. Then, follow up with 1 or 2 Fireball to build up a decent Ignite. Cast Combustion and use Inferno Blast to spread Ignite and the new DoT created by Combustion.

After that, you can go towards the mobs, cast Frost Nova to freeze them. Flamestrike and Blizzard do not break Frost Nova, so you should make use of these spells while targets are frozen. Thanks to Shatter, you deal increased damage to frozen mobs.

2.1.4. Surviving

Save Time Warp for when you are in trouble, so you have a chance to kill your enemies before they kill you.

Mirror Image and Invisibility are your main survival cooldowns. Use Mirror Image to distract mobs temporarily and Invisibility to vanish from their sight. Use Ice Block to remove the burning DoT left by Cauterize when it saves your life.

You can escape a fight through different means. You can run away and slow your enemies with Blizzard, Cone of Cold, Frost Bomb. You can also run off a cliff and use Slow Fall or Blink to negate fall damage.

Remember to interrupt harmful spell casts with Counterspell. Whenever possible, try stealing beneficial effects that mobs cast on themselves with Spellsteal.

2.2. Level 86-90

As you level up, a single change occurs. At level 87, you will gain Alter Time. You can use it to negate a large amount of damage. Cast Alter Time, wait for the damage, then cast Alter Time again to revert back to the amount of health you had when you first cast it (or wait until the 6 seconds are over).

You can also use Alter Time to increase the duration of Time Warp by 6 seconds.

3. Frost Leveling Guide: 85-90↑top

3.1. Level 85

3.1.1. Talents and Glyphs

Before setting out on your leveling journey, you should take these talents and glyphs, for maximum efficiency. Obviously, this is not set in stone, and you have a lot of liberty.

For your third minor glyph, you should use which ever remaining minor glyph you like.

3.1.2. Rotation

You have to adapt your raiding rotation slighty, so that it works against targets which, generally, will not live very long. As a Frost Mage, you are encouraged to pull several enemies at once, as kiting is what the specialisation shines the most at.

1. Keep Ice Barrier up.
2. Keep Ice Ward up.
3. Cast Frost Bomb.
4. Cast Frozen Orb when it is available.
5. Cast Freeze from your Water Elemental every time it is available.
   • This will give you 1 charge of Fingers of Frost (2 if it hits more than 1 enemy).
6. Cast Frostfire Bolt as soon as Brain Freeze procs.
7. Cast Ice Lance when you have charges of Fingers of Frost.
8. Cast Frostbolt as a filler spell.

Use Frost Armor. It will slow down mobs attacking you.

When mobs are reaching you, simply cast Frost Nova and Blink away.

3.1.3. AoE Damage

As a Frost Mage, you can easily pull large groups of enemies. What you should aim for is to cast Frost Bomb on one of the enemies of the group. Then, follow up with Blizzard until the mobs reach you. Then use Frost Nova or your Water Elemental's Freeze and Blink away. Rinse and repeat.

3.1.4. Surviving

Save Icy Veins and Time Warp for when you are in trouble, so you have a chance to kill your enemies before they kill you.

Mirror Image and Invisibility are your main survival cooldowns. Use Mirror Image to distract mobs temporarily and Invisibility to vanish from their sight. Use Ice Block to remove the burning DoT left by Cauterize when it saves your life.

You can escape a fight through different means. You can run away and slow your enemies with Blizzard, Cone of Cold, Frost Bomb. You can also run off a cliff and use Slow Fall or Blink to negate fall damage.

Remember to interrupt harmful spell casts with Counterspell. Whenever possible, try stealing beneficial effects that mobs cast on themselves with Spellsteal.

3.2. Level 86-90

As you level up, a single change occurs. At level 87, you will gain Alter Time. You can use it to negate a large amount of damage. Cast Alter Time, wait for the damage, then cast Alter Time again to revert back to the amount of health you had when you first cast it (or wait until the 6 seconds are over).

You can also use Alter Time to increase the duration of Icy Veins and Time Warp by 6 seconds.

4. Changelog↑top

• 07 Mar. 2013: Patch 5.2 update.
  • Glyph of Fire Blast (now Glyph of Inferno Blast) no longer causes Frost Bomb to instantly explode.