Season of Discovery Mage Guide - Best Builds, Runes, and Rotation

Welcome, adventurers, to our comprehensive WoW Season of Discovery Mage guide! As the currents of magic surge and the realms evolve, it is time for mages to embrace the arcane wonders that lie ahead. Whether you are a seasoned veteran or a fresh apprentice, this article is your key to mastering the mystical arts during this exciting season of WoW Classic.

In this guide, we will delve deep into the intricacies of the Mage class, unveiling the secrets of the best Mage build Season of Discovery you can create with the brand-new tools given to us within this season, the inscriptions of powerful runes, and the fluid dance of rotations that will leave your enemies spellbound. WoW Season of Discovery brings new challenges and opportunities, and as a Mage, you hold the power to shape the destiny of your allies and dictate the fate of your foes.

Whether you seek to reign supreme in PvP battles, conquer the treacherous dungeons, or emerge victorious in the hallowed halls of raid encounters, this guide is your compass through Mage Season of Discovery. So, gather your spellbooks, attune your senses to the ebb and flow of magical energies, and let the arcane mysteries unfold as we embark on a journey to unlock the true potential of magehood!

 

Mage Changes in Season of Discovery Phase 4

In Phase 4 of WoW's Season of Discovery, Mages witness significant changes that enhance their gameplay. With the introduction of new runes, existing meta builds receive empowering boosts, further refining the class's versatility and effectiveness on the battlefield. These additions augment Mage capabilities, providing exciting opportunities for experimentation and optimization.

The new runes you are to discover look as follows:

• Arcane Barrage
• Frozen Orb
• Overheat

You can learn more about the latest runes and the way they are discovered by reading our WoW SoD Mage Runes & Locations Guide. Moreover, the newly-added Molten Core 20-man raid expands the horizons for Mages, offering a plethora of fresh items tailored to enhance their performance in Phase 4. From potent spell-casting relics to gear that amplifies arcane prowess, Mages have access to a wealth of options to fine-tune their playstyle and excel in various encounters within the raid.

As Mages delve deeper into the challenges of Phase 4, these changes and additions serve to invigorate their journey, ensuring that they remain a formidable force in Azeroth's ever-evolving landscape.

Mage Pros & Cons

When deciding whether you wish to try this or that class, it is important to know about its strong and weak sides in advance. Therefore, we have prepared a complete list of Mage Pros and Cons in Season of Discovery to ensure you understand whether this class is even worth your attention in advance:

Starting with the Mage Pros, they include the following points:

• Tons of powerful AoE like Blizzard, Arcane Explosion, Living Bomb, and so on;
• Equally great in both Single and Multiple target fights;
• Blink grants enough mobility to survive;
• Can be transformed into a decent healer thanks to Rapid Regeneration and other healing runes;
• Strong cooldowns like Arcane Power, Icy Veins, and Presence of Mind;
• Versatile utility tools like Conjure Food, Conjure Water, Polymorph, and others.

However, no class is perfect and that is why we are moving to the Mage Cons, which are as follows:

• Low HP Pool no matter what you are wearing and do;
• The potential of your DPS and complexity of rotation depends on how big your Mana Pool is;
• Dependability on loot.

With all the strong and weak sides of the Mage class we have just mentioned, you can see that its Pros still outweigh. After all, Mages have always been one of the most reliable and stable choices in WoW Classic and this season has not become an exception.

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How to Play Mage in WoW Season of Discovery

When wondering how to play Mage in WoW SoD, you should remember this class’s gameplay demands a keen understanding of the arcane arts. As a wielder of immense magical power, your versatility in combat is unmatched. Begin by mastering one of the three distinct specializations: 

1. Frost;
2. Fire;
3. Arcane.

Each offers a unique playstyle and strengths; Frost excels in control and survivability, Fire in raw damage output, and Arcane in mana management and burst potential.

Utilize your arsenal of spells wisely; crowd control with Frost Nova and Polymorph, while dealing devastating damage with Fireball or Arcane Missiles. Managing your mana is crucial; conserve it for crucial moments and employ evocation wisely. BLOG20

Speaking of WoW Season of Discovery Mage PvP encounters, your ability to control the battlefield through snares and interrupts while delivering burst damage is invaluable. Dungeons and raids rely on your crowd control abilities and burst damage to turn the tide in your favor. Remember, your intellect and strategic spellcasting define your success as a Mage!

Mage Best Race in WoW Season of Discovery

When it comes to the best Mage race in WoW SoD, the choice is quite tough, as you have two options to choose from when playing either for Alliance or Horde.

Alliance:

With all the racial abilities we have just described, the best Mage race WoW SoD when playing for Alliance is Gnome. The latter excels in both PvE and PvP encounters, allowing you to benefit from everything this race has to offer.

Horde:

With all the racial abilities we have just described, the best Mage race WoW SoD when playing for Horde is Undead. However, you can also go for Troll if you are sure your playstyle will be mainly centered around PvE encounters only since this race is much better for this then.

Mage Stat Priority

While the Mage stat priority is going to change depending on what WoW Season of Discovery Phase we are currently going through, its basics will always stay the same – Spell Hit is the main priority. However, it is particularly difficult to focus on this stat during early game. Therefore, we are going to pay more attention to Intellect instead.

Here is what Mage stats you want to prioritize in what order:

1. Spell Hit;
2. Intellect;
3. Spell Power;
4. Critical Strike;
5. Spirit;
6. Stamina.

Acquiring Spell Hit stands as the paramount priority, yet proves challenging early on. Luckily, Mages benefit from talents like Elemental Precision and Arcane Focus. With a cap of 16% for Spell Hit, you should do everything possible to reach this threshold ASAP.

Early on, prioritize Intellect for its mana increase and critical strike chance boost. As Intellect remains scarce in the lower levels, scavenging it becomes vital. Also, do remember that 1 Intellect equates to 15 Mana, with 60 Intellect offering a 1% boost in Critical Strike chance.

Spell Power ranks closely behind the aforementioned stats in potency, enhancing your magical prowess significantly.

Critical Strike Chance serves as a pivotal stat for Fire Mages, especially due to its synergy with Ignite, amplifying damage with every critical hit.

Spirit aids in Health and Mana regeneration, more impactful in lower levels, warranting its inclusion in gear alongside Intellect for a balanced approach.

While Stamina boosts health, you do not focus on stacking it excessively when playing as Mage 1.15.3. At the same time, this stat is still necessary to avoid being one-shot with certain mechanics.

 

Best Mage Runes Season of Discovery Phase 4

Moving further, it is time to add a few words on the most important and game-changing feature we are dealing with in this patch. The following part of the guide is fully devoted to the best Mage runes Season of Discovery you can possibly insert into your gear:

1. Temporal Anomaly (Head) – Unleashes an orb of temporal energy that gradually advances forward. Every 2 seconds, it bestows nearby party members with a shield, protecting them from 174 damage for 15 seconds.
2. Displacement (Wrists) – Allows you to teleport back to the location where you last cast Blink from and resets the cooldown on Blink. This ability can only be used within 10 seconds of casting Blink.
3. Living Flame (Legs) – A Spellfire Flame moves toward the target while also leaving a trail of spellfire. The latter deals Spellfire damage for as long as 20 seconds to all foes near it;
4. Arcane Surge (Legs) – You spend all Mana you have at the moment of activating this ability to deal tons of Arcane damage, which is increased by up to 300% based on your current Mana left. After this, you regenerate your Mana at 300% increased speed for as long as 8 seconds;
5. Burnout (Chest) – Your spells’ critical strike chance is increased by 15%. At the same time, your non-periodic spell critical strike now costs 1% more of your base Mana;
6. Living Bomb (Gloves) – Make your chosen enemy become a Living Bomb. They will also suffer Fire damage during the following 12 seconds. After this time, the target explodes and deals Fire damage to other foes nearby;
7. Icy Veins (Chest) – Your spellcasting speed is boosted by 20% and you also suffer less from the pushback effect when being damaged during casting. This effect stays active for 20 seconds.

While we have only listed the seven best alternatives, we strongly recommend that you try out your own options to see how they work particularly for you. By experimenting with runes, you can create a new build to excel in either PvP or PvE. If you wish to unlock any of the runes currently available ASAP, SkyCoach has you covered. Our team offers you to Buy WoW Season of Discovery Runes Boost to get your hands on any of them in a blink of an eye. Our PROs will take care of this job for you while the only thing you are left to do is to enjoy the game and keep exploring Azeroth further. We offer fair prices and guarantee the fastest result!

Best Mage Builds Season of Discovery Phase 4

The following part of our article describes the best Mage builds Season of Discovery you can choose depending on what specialization you decide to focus on. As a bonus, we are also going to share a brand-new Mage Healer build, which has become a real thing with the launch of this season due to certain runes we have at our disposal. BLOG20

Fire Mage Build

By looking at the screenshot above, you will not find anything unusual or surprising. All the talents chosen are Fire Mage’s basic ones and this specialization simply cannot exist without them. We have just added a few of best Mage SoD runes to enhance this spec even further. However, we suggest that you add the shown number of points to the Frost tree as well. The reason for doing this is that not all talents you see in the Fire tree are useful.

As for the rest, our decision to go for these particular talents are obvious since Improved Fireball, Ignite, Incinerate, and Improved Scorch are must-haves and cannot be neglected whatsoever. Make sure to stay with us to see how this build is updated as Phase 4 of WoW SoD continues.

With the start of Season of Discovery Phase 4, there are some important changes in the Fire Mage Build you see in the screenshot above. First of all, a few new runes have been added. On top of that, we have a fully unlocked Fire tree, meaning you get access to the full potential of this build. At this level cap, you cannot expect a better setup. Considering what runes we suggest to use, your DPS is going to be amazing.

Arcane Mage Build

Continuing our Mage DPS guide Season of Discovery, we have the Arcane build to talk about. Since Arcane Mages mainly dominate in late-game stages, you will have a difficult time playing this specialization early on. However, we have tried our best to strengthen this build by choosing such core talents as Arcane Focus, Improved Arcane Missiles, and Arcane Concentration. On top of that, take a look at the runes we are suggesting for you to insert into your gear.

As we have mentioned earlier, Arcane Focus is the main talent you can opt for during the early game since it dramatically increases your DPS and lets you slay even the toughest mobs or enemies with a single rotation.

Since WoW SoD Phase 4 is already here, those who play as Arcane Mages, now have more opportunities to unlock this build's potential. To begin with, Arcane Mind kinda fixes our problem with MP. As for pure damage output increase, we have Arcane Instability to rely on. Finally, Arcane Power can be a really powerful talent, yet it should be used carefully in order not to run out of Mana too quickly. We also have an opportunity to spend several points to enhance our Fire tree. This also boosts overall DPS while also providing a chance to stun a target, thanks to Impact. Also, consider using brand-new runes, such as Arcane Barrage. The latter is just perfect for this build.

Frost Mage Build

Being capped at level 50, already have some space to experiment when going for the Frost Mage build. While you can hesitate for a moment when choosing between Frost Warding and Elemental Precision, we still recommend that you opt for the second alternative.

You have access to Cold Snap, which is a great improvement to your overall DPS. This would help you when we are talking about WoW Season of Discovery Mage PvE encounters, as well as the ones when you face off against other players. We have also provided you with the three top runes you can equip when playing as a Frost Mage.

As you enter WoW SoD Phase 4, the Frost Mage Build becomes more viable due to having certain powerful talents unlocked. For instance, Shatter can be really useful when used correctly, as it might increase your overall DPS in the long run for a lot. The same can be said about Piercing Ice, yet it works passively, and you do not need to do anything specifically to gain value from it. Finally, we have Ice Barrier available, which can be a huge lifesaver in many situations, whether we are talking about raiding or PvP. We have also put a few points into the Arcane tree to improve overall DPS. Also, do not forget to try out a brand-new rune called Frozen Orb you can attach to your Back slot.

Healer Mage Build

This is something we have never seen before, as Mage Healer build WoW Season of Discovery has only become possible thanks to special runes. To maximize your healing potential, we are going to use Regeneration, Rewind Time, and Mass Regeneration runes shown in the screenshot above. During Phase 3, we also received a powerful Head rune called Temporal Anomaly. It provides additional support for our allies and should always be used if you have already discovered it.

Mage Leveling Guide WoW Season of Discovery

When creating a new character, you might find our Mage leveling guide WoW Season of Discovery quite useful. By relying on the information given below, you will surely be among the first ones to hit the current level cap and enjoy the endgame content to the fullest.

Mage Leveling Consumables:

1. Blackfathom Mana Oil not only aids mana regeneration but also grants a 2% Spell Hit bonus;
2. Elixir of Firepower stands out for Fire Mages, elevating Fire damage by 10;
3. Mana Potions serve as the go-to choice for Mages, providing a substantial mana boost for extended casting;
4. In emergencies, the Greater Healing Potion swiftly replenishes Health;
5. Supporting healers, the Strong Troll's Blood Potion bolsters Health regeneration;
6. Strengthen your survivability with the Elixir of Fortitude, expanding your Health pool to withstand more damage.

Do you remember we have said that Spell Hit is the stat we value over anything else? This makes Blackfathom Mana Oil the best PvE Mage consumable in general. In fact, it is also perfect for PvP encounters since a 2% Spell Hit increase never hurts. BLOG20

Leveling Tips & Tricks:

• Utilize AoE Spells: AoE spells like Blizzard or Arcane Explosion are your friends. They efficiently clear groups of enemies, speeding up leveling;
• Manage Mana Wisely: Conserve mana by using lower ranks of spells for weaker enemies. Wand usage between spell casts also helps save mana;
• Complete Quests Strategically: Focus on quests that offer high-experience rewards and can be completed efficiently. Prioritize quests that involve killing multiple enemies or have nearby objectives;
• Professions and Consumables: Consider picking up professions like Herbalism or Alchemy for consumables that can aid in leveling efficiency. Potions and elixirs can boost your damage or survivability;
• Grouping for Efficiency: Consider teaming up with others, especially for elite quests or dungeons. Mages synergize well in groups due to their crowd-control abilities.

Mage Best in Slot Gear in Season of Discovery Phase 4

The following Mage BiS Gear in SoD Phase 4 includes many items from Molten Core Raid since they are by far the most powerful ones you can currently get.

Check out the table below to see what items you should strive to get your hands on:

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Best Mage Rotation

Depending on what spec you are focusing on, your WoW Mage rotation Season of Discovery will look different. As of right now, we only have the options for Fire and Arcane builds, but we will add more information later on.

Mage Fire Build Rotation:

1. Start with Living Bomb and always try to keep it active on the target you are attacking;
2. Living Flame should be used on cooldown;
3. Fire Blast if you have enough mana to cast this ability;
4. Keep using Fireball until Living Bomb needs to be reapplied or Living Flame becomes available again.
   
   

Mage Arcane Build Rotation:

1. Use Arcane Blast four times to make your Living Flame hit harder because of the fourth subsequent cast;
2. Cast Living Flame every time it is available;
3. Cast Arcane Blast three times;
4. Cast Arcane Missiles;
5. Cast Arcane Blast three times;
6. Cast Arcane Missiles;
7. Repeat this rotation until the target is dead.

Best Mage Professions in WoW Season of Discovery

Speaking of the best Mage professions WoW Season of Discovery, we would highly recommend that you go for Engineering, especially if you are playing as a Gnome for the Alliance faction. You might be wondering why exactly Engineering? It has maintained its robust status throughout Classic and continues as a powerhouse in the Season of Discovery. Its versatility shines through the added damage potential from various grenades and sappers. Moreover, the exclusive creation of Engineering items, such as the Spellpower Goggles Xtreme, further solidifies its significance in enhancing a character's abilities.

As for the second option, Tailoring proves exceptionally useful, allowing crafters to produce exclusive items such as bags, potent spell power gear, and potentially the latest addition, Extraplanar Spidersilk Boots, if they debut upon launch. This profession stands as a key avenue for creating unique and powerful gear tailored specifically for mages and cloth-wearers.

Best Mage Consumables

Since our guide is getting closer to its conclusion, we would like to share a list of the best Mage consumables WoW Season of Discovery you are going to find useful at all stages of the game:

1. Heavy Runecloth Bandage – This is probably the cheapest and quickest healing you can get;
2. Major Healing Potion – Can save your life in emergency, always have at a few of them;
3. Major Mana Potion, Demonic Rune, and Dark Rune – All of them are your extra Mana source, so always keep them in your inventory;
4. Brilliant Wizard Oil – Pure spell damage increase, as well as spell crit chance boost;
5. Elixir of Greater Firepower – Absolutely must-have if you are playing as a Fire Mage;
6. Greater Arcane Elixir / Arcane Elixir – Another pure spell damage boost, which can never be extra;
7. Flask of Supreme Power – Save it for the strongest enemies, as it provides you with an immense raw DPS boost.

While some of the listed consumables are cheaper and other are more expensive, all of them deserve your attention and can be used during any stage of the game. Make sure to craft them on your own or buy from other players if you have enough gold.

Conclusion

As the arcane currents surge through the Season of Discovery, this guide stands as your compass in navigating the ever-evolving realms of magic. By uncovering the most potent builds, deciphering the inscriptions of powerful runes, and mastering the fluid dance of rotations, mages can shape destinies and command the very essence of their adversaries.

Embrace the versatility of the arcane, the fury of fire, and the chilling power of frost as you chart your path to dominance. Whether amidst the chaos of PvP battlegrounds, the treacherous depths of dungeons, or the epic trials of raids, your knowledge will be your greatest arsenal. Step forth, intrepid mage, and unravel the mysteries that await in the Season of Discovery, harnessing the arcane might that lies at your fingertips.

F.A.Q.