Filed under: WoW.joystiq.com/category/warlock/” rel=”tag”>Warlock, WoW.joystiq.com/category/pvp/” rel=”tag”>PvP, WoW.joystiq.com/category/the-art-of-war-craft/” rel=”tag”>The Art of War(craft) (PvP)

Every week, WoW Insider brings you WoW.joystiq.com/category/the-art-of-war-craft/”>The Art of War(craft), covering battlegrounds and world PvP, and WoW.joystiq.com/category/blood-sport/”>Blood Sport, with the inside line for arena enthusiasts. Want to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of their women? Battlemaster Zach Yonzon, old-world PvP grinder and casual battleground habitué, rambles on about anything and everything PvP.

Whoop! Two weeks into the expansion, and I just have to ask … are you guys having fun? Because I am. PvP is amazing, even being undergeared. Stamina is up at this point, so even lacking the right gear, combat will last more than a few global cooldowns. Today we’ll conclude our talent review series with a look at warlocks and some really cool talents they can pick up to help in PvP. We still have lots to talk about in WoW.joystiq.com/category/the-art-of-war-craft/”>The Art of War(craft), from Tol Barad to The Battle for Gilneas to Twin Peaks to rated battlegrounds … oh, Cataclysm is loaded with PvP goodness. Hit the jump to get started.

WoW.joystiq.com/2010/12/20/the-art-of-war-craft-must-have-pvp-talents-for-warlocks-in-cat/” rel=”bookmark”>Continue reading The Art of War(craft): Must-have PvP talents for warlocks in Cataclysm

WoW.joystiq.com”>WoW Insider” style=”float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0″ />WoW.joystiq.com/2010/12/20/the-art-of-war-craft-must-have-pvp-talents-for-warlocks-in-cat/”>The Art of War(craft): Must-have PvP talents for warlocks in Cataclysm originally appeared on WoW.joystiq.com”>WoW Insider on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

WoW.joystiq.com/2010/12/20/the-art-of-war-craft-must-have-pvp-talents-for-warlocks-in-cat/” rel=”bookmark” title=”Permanent link to this entry”>Permalink | WoW.joystiq.com/forward/19768943/” title=”Send this entry to a friend via email”>Email this | WoW.joystiq.com/2010/12/20/the-art-of-war-craft-must-have-pvp-talents-for-warlocks-in-cat/#comments” title=”View reader comments on this entry”>Comments

Filed under: WoW.joystiq.com/category/warlock/” rel=”tag”>Warlock, WoW.joystiq.com/category/pvp/” rel=”tag”>PvP, WoW.joystiq.com/category/the-art-of-war-craft/” rel=”tag”>The Art of War(craft) (PvP)

Every week, WoW Insider brings you WoW.joystiq.com/category/the-art-of-war-craft/”>The Art of War(craft), covering battlegrounds and world PvP, and WoW.joystiq.com/category/blood-sport/”>Blood Sport, with the inside line for arena enthusiasts. Want to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of their women? Battlemaster Zach Yonzon, old-world PvP grinder and casual battleground habitué, rambles on about anything and everything PvP.

Whoop! Two weeks into the expansion, and I just have to ask … are you guys having fun? Because I am. PvP is amazing, even being undergeared. Stamina is up at this point, so even lacking the right gear, combat will last more than a few global cooldowns. Today we’ll conclude our talent review series with a look at warlocks and some really cool talents they can pick up to help in PvP. We still have lots to talk about in WoW.joystiq.com/category/the-art-of-war-craft/”>The Art of War(craft), from Tol Barad to The Battle for Gilneas to Twin Peaks to rated battlegrounds … oh, Cataclysm is loaded with PvP goodness. Hit the jump to get started.

WoW.joystiq.com/2010/12/20/the-art-of-war-craft-must-have-pvp-talents-for-warlocks-in-cat/” rel=”bookmark”>Continue reading The Art of War(craft): Must-have PvP talents for warlocks in Cataclysm

WoW.joystiq.com”>WoW Insider” style=”float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0″ />WoW.joystiq.com/2010/12/20/the-art-of-war-craft-must-have-pvp-talents-for-warlocks-in-cat/”>The Art of War(craft): Must-have PvP talents for warlocks in Cataclysm originally appeared on WoW.joystiq.com”>WoW Insider on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

WoW.joystiq.com/2010/12/20/the-art-of-war-craft-must-have-pvp-talents-for-warlocks-in-cat/” rel=”bookmark” title=”Permanent link to this entry”>Permalink | WoW.joystiq.com/forward/19768943/” title=”Send this entry to a friend via email”>Email this | WoW.joystiq.com/2010/12/20/the-art-of-war-craft-must-have-pvp-talents-for-warlocks-in-cat/#comments” title=”View reader comments on this entry”>Comments

Filed under: WoW.joystiq.com/category/analysis-opinion/” rel=”tag”>Analysis / Opinion, WoW.joystiq.com/category/pvp/” rel=”tag”>PvP, WoW.joystiq.com/category/blood-sport/” rel=”tag”>Blood Sport (Arena PvP)

Every week, WoW Insider brings you WoW.joystiq.com/category/blood-sport/”>Blood Sport for arena enthusiasts and WoW.joystiq.com/category/the-art-of-war-craft/”>The Art of War(craft) for fans of battlegrounds and world PvP. Want to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of their women? WoW.joystiq.com/bloggers/c-christian-moore/”>C. Christian Moore, multiple rank 1 gladiator, examines the latest arena strategy, trends, compositions and more.

It’s natural to observe what we’re doing with our target (and maybe our focus).

We all started playing WoW by having our character jog up to some oblivious animal and obliterate it with spells or steel. We watched intently as that boar flopped over after we clicked our mouse a few times (or pushed 1,1,2). We then decided we would run straight towards its corpse (shortest distance from A to B is a straight line, after all) and happily right-click to loot some sweet gray sword. Over time, boars became bandits, bandits became basilisks, basilisks became banshees and the banshees became bosses. Eventually, we’re slaying dragons and throwing around high fives like they were baseballs.

However, notice throughout this scenario of improving our characters that we’re not looking around suspiciously at other players, trying to learn where other enemies would flee to or attack us (or, more importantly, why and how they attack us). Of course, this is to our detriment, once we step inside an arena or battleground.

Side note: That sentence of alliteration took me like ten minutes to write. Do you know how hard it is to think of mythical creatures starting with B? (I came up with beholder and brownie too, but WoW doesn’t have many of those).

WoW.joystiq.com/2010/12/21/blood-sport-seeing-the-big-picture-in-pvp-part-2/” rel=”bookmark”>Continue reading Blood Sport: Seeing the big picture in PvP, part 2

WoW.joystiq.com”>WoW Insider” style=”float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0″ />WoW.joystiq.com/2010/12/21/blood-sport-seeing-the-big-picture-in-pvp-part-2/”>Blood Sport: Seeing the big picture in PvP, part 2 originally appeared on WoW.joystiq.com”>WoW Insider on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

WoW.joystiq.com/2010/12/21/blood-sport-seeing-the-big-picture-in-pvp-part-2/” rel=”bookmark” title=”Permanent link to this entry”>Permalink | WoW.joystiq.com/forward/19768620/” title=”Send this entry to a friend via email”>Email this | WoW.joystiq.com/2010/12/21/blood-sport-seeing-the-big-picture-in-pvp-part-2/#comments” title=”View reader comments on this entry”>Comments

Filed under: WoW.joystiq.com/category/analysis-opinion/” rel=”tag”>Analysis / Opinion, WoW.joystiq.com/category/pvp/” rel=”tag”>PvP, WoW.joystiq.com/category/blood-sport/” rel=”tag”>Blood Sport (Arena PvP)

Every week, WoW Insider brings you WoW.joystiq.com/category/blood-sport/”>Blood Sport for arena enthusiasts and WoW.joystiq.com/category/the-art-of-war-craft/”>The Art of War(craft) for fans of battlegrounds and world PvP. Want to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of their women? WoW.joystiq.com/bloggers/c-christian-moore/”>C. Christian Moore, multiple rank 1 gladiator, examines the latest arena strategy, trends, compositions and more.

It’s natural to observe what we’re doing with our target (and maybe our focus).

We all started playing WoW by having our character jog up to some oblivious animal and obliterate it with spells or steel. We watched intently as that boar flopped over after we clicked our mouse a few times (or pushed 1,1,2). We then decided we would run straight towards its corpse (shortest distance from A to B is a straight line, after all) and happily right-click to loot some sweet gray sword. Over time, boars became bandits, bandits became basilisks, basilisks became banshees and the banshees became bosses. Eventually, we’re slaying dragons and throwing around high fives like they were baseballs.

However, notice throughout this scenario of improving our characters that we’re not looking around suspiciously at other players, trying to learn where other enemies would flee to or attack us (or, more importantly, why and how they attack us). Of course, this is to our detriment, once we step inside an arena or battleground.

Side note: That sentence of alliteration took me like ten minutes to write. Do you know how hard it is to think of mythical creatures starting with B? (I came up with beholder and brownie too, but WoW doesn’t have many of those).

WoW.joystiq.com/2010/12/21/blood-sport-seeing-the-big-picture-in-pvp-part-2/” rel=”bookmark”>Continue reading Blood Sport: Seeing the big picture in PvP, part 2

WoW.joystiq.com”>WoW Insider” style=”float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0″ />WoW.joystiq.com/2010/12/21/blood-sport-seeing-the-big-picture-in-pvp-part-2/”>Blood Sport: Seeing the big picture in PvP, part 2 originally appeared on WoW.joystiq.com”>WoW Insider on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

WoW.joystiq.com/2010/12/21/blood-sport-seeing-the-big-picture-in-pvp-part-2/” rel=”bookmark” title=”Permanent link to this entry”>Permalink | WoW.joystiq.com/forward/19768620/” title=”Send this entry to a friend via email”>Email this | WoW.joystiq.com/2010/12/21/blood-sport-seeing-the-big-picture-in-pvp-part-2/#comments” title=”View reader comments on this entry”>Comments

With Arena Season 9 starting this week, Blizzard today posted details on WoW/en/blog/1597874″ rel=”nofollow”>a new feature introduced with Cataclysm called War Games. Players will be able to participate in pre-arranged arena and battleground skirmishes against teams of their choosing, either to prove who is truly the best or to just get some practice in. It’ll also be great for trying out potential recruits in a format that doesn’t risk you losing team rating.

Because this new system will no doubt be confusing to some players, they also put together a FAQ to better explain it. The most important thing to remember is that you do not earn ratingfrom participating in War Games skirmishes. These are unranked matches.

Q: What’s a War Game?
A: A War Game is an unranked match in which one group of players challenges another group to an Arena or Battleground skirmish in a setting of their choosing. You will be able to initiate a War Game by using the /wargame or /wg command, as explained below.

Q: When will War Games be available?
A: War Games will become available with the start of Arena Season 9. After that point, you’ll be able to play a War Game at any time, regardless of whether a season is underway.

Q: How does it work?
A: After you’ve formed your group, use the /wargame or /wg command to challenge another group leader to a War Game match, like so:

/wg groupleadername mapname

Ifmapnameis left blank, a random Arena or Battleground will be chosen automatically based on the initiating team’s size.

For example: JohnnyRaider wants to challenge TommyPvP to a 2v2 Arena skirmish in the Nagrand Arena. After each forms a separate group with his respective Arena partner, JohnnyRaider uses the following command to start the War Game:

/wg tommypvp nagrand arena

TommyPvP will receive a pop-up notice stating “JohnnyRaider has challenged you to a War Game in the Nagrand Arena.”

TommyPvP then has a little over a minute to accept the challenge. Once he accepts, each group will be placed in the queue and will receive a pop-up window prompting them to enter the skirmish once it’s ready.

Q: Can I play War Game skirmishes against members of my own faction?
A: Yes! The War Game skirmish system allows you to challenge players in your same faction to Arena and Battleground matches. You can also challenge those of the opposite faction.

Q: Do I have to type the whole map name, or can I just type “/wg tommypvp warsong” to enter Warsong Gulch?
A: You can type only part of the Arena or Battleground name, and the system will select the closest match. If you want to be safe, you can use the entire name (as below) to launch a War Game skirmish.

Arenas:
Blade’s Edge Arena
Dalaran Sewers
Nagrand Arena
The Ring of Valor
Ruins of Lordaeron

Battlegrounds:
Alterac Valley
Arathi Basin
The Battle for Gilneas
Eye of the Storm
Isle of Conquest
Strand of the Ancients
Twin Peaks
Warsong Gulch

Random map options:
Random Battleground
All Arenas

Q: Can I challenge a team from another realm to a skirmish?
A: No, you can only challenge opponents on your own realm.

Q: Can I start a game if one team has fewer group members than the other?
A: You are able to create a Battleground War Game with uneven team sizes, but you are not able to create an Arena War Game with uneven team sizes. For example, an 8v5 Warsong Gulch War Game is possible, but launching an Arena War Game with uneven team sizes won’t work.

Q: What’s the largest possible size for a War Game?
A: Arena War Games can support up to 5v5 matches. Battleground group sizes are limited to the maximum number of participants each map normally allows.

Q: Are any statistics recorded from War Game skirmishes?
A: No, they work similarly to the old Arena skirmish system. Kills, damage, and healing are tracked and displayed at the end of the match, but wins and losses are not.

Q: How long does it take for a War Game match to start?
A: Once the challenge has been accepted, you will generally be through the queue in less than 30 seconds. War Games offer you a quick way to get into practice matches with other teams, test out potential recruits, or just have fun with your friends.

Q: Can I receive achievements or guild experience in a War Game?
A: Because you can pick who you play against, nothing is awarded for playing in these skirmishes — except for the rush that comes with a hard-won victory, of course.

Q: Do I get honor for killing players in a War Game Battleground?
A: No. These are skirmish matches, so no honor is awarded for objectives or kills.

Q: What’s the difference between the /wg command and the War Game button in the PvP interface?
A: The War Game button is used only for launching Battleground matches. The /wg command covers both Battleground and Arena skirmishes. We plan to further integrate the War Game feature into the PvP interface in a future patch.

Q: Why have you added this feature?
A: Players have long been asking for a way to challenge specific teams, guildmates, friends, and rivals to skirmish matches in Arenas and Battlegrounds of their choosing. We hope you enjoy this new feature, and we look forward to seeing you on the battlefield!

With Arena Season 9 starting this week, Blizzard today posted details on WoW/en/blog/1597874″ rel=”nofollow”>a new feature introduced with Cataclysm called War Games. Players will be able to participate in pre-arranged arena and battleground skirmishes against teams of their choosing, either to prove who is truly the best or to just get some practice in. It’ll also be great for trying out potential recruits in a format that doesn’t risk you losing team rating.

Because this new system will no doubt be confusing to some players, they also put together a FAQ to better explain it. The most important thing to remember is that you do not earn ratingfrom participating in War Games skirmishes. These are unranked matches.

Q: What’s a War Game?
A: A War Game is an unranked match in which one group of players challenges another group to an Arena or Battleground skirmish in a setting of their choosing. You will be able to initiate a War Game by using the /wargame or /wg command, as explained below.

Q: When will War Games be available?
A: War Games will become available with the start of Arena Season 9. After that point, you’ll be able to play a War Game at any time, regardless of whether a season is underway.

Q: How does it work?
A: After you’ve formed your group, use the /wargame or /wg command to challenge another group leader to a War Game match, like so:

/wg groupleadername mapname

Ifmapnameis left blank, a random Arena or Battleground will be chosen automatically based on the initiating team’s size.

For example: JohnnyRaider wants to challenge TommyPvP to a 2v2 Arena skirmish in the Nagrand Arena. After each forms a separate group with his respective Arena partner, JohnnyRaider uses the following command to start the War Game:

/wg tommypvp nagrand arena

TommyPvP will receive a pop-up notice stating “JohnnyRaider has challenged you to a War Game in the Nagrand Arena.”

TommyPvP then has a little over a minute to accept the challenge. Once he accepts, each group will be placed in the queue and will receive a pop-up window prompting them to enter the skirmish once it’s ready.

Q: Can I play War Game skirmishes against members of my own faction?
A: Yes! The War Game skirmish system allows you to challenge players in your same faction to Arena and Battleground matches. You can also challenge those of the opposite faction.

Q: Do I have to type the whole map name, or can I just type “/wg tommypvp warsong” to enter Warsong Gulch?
A: You can type only part of the Arena or Battleground name, and the system will select the closest match. If you want to be safe, you can use the entire name (as below) to launch a War Game skirmish.

Arenas:
Blade’s Edge Arena
Dalaran Sewers
Nagrand Arena
The Ring of Valor
Ruins of Lordaeron

Battlegrounds:
Alterac Valley
Arathi Basin
The Battle for Gilneas
Eye of the Storm
Isle of Conquest
Strand of the Ancients
Twin Peaks
Warsong Gulch

Random map options:
Random Battleground
All Arenas

Q: Can I challenge a team from another realm to a skirmish?
A: No, you can only challenge opponents on your own realm.

Q: Can I start a game if one team has fewer group members than the other?
A: You are able to create a Battleground War Game with uneven team sizes, but you are not able to create an Arena War Game with uneven team sizes. For example, an 8v5 Warsong Gulch War Game is possible, but launching an Arena War Game with uneven team sizes won’t work.

Q: What’s the largest possible size for a War Game?
A: Arena War Games can support up to 5v5 matches. Battleground group sizes are limited to the maximum number of participants each map normally allows.

Q: Are any statistics recorded from War Game skirmishes?
A: No, they work similarly to the old Arena skirmish system. Kills, damage, and healing are tracked and displayed at the end of the match, but wins and losses are not.

Q: How long does it take for a War Game match to start?
A: Once the challenge has been accepted, you will generally be through the queue in less than 30 seconds. War Games offer you a quick way to get into practice matches with other teams, test out potential recruits, or just have fun with your friends.

Q: Can I receive achievements or guild experience in a War Game?
A: Because you can pick who you play against, nothing is awarded for playing in these skirmishes — except for the rush that comes with a hard-won victory, of course.

Q: Do I get honor for killing players in a War Game Battleground?
A: No. These are skirmish matches, so no honor is awarded for objectives or kills.

Q: What’s the difference between the /wg command and the War Game button in the PvP interface?
A: The War Game button is used only for launching Battleground matches. The /wg command covers both Battleground and Arena skirmishes. We plan to further integrate the War Game feature into the PvP interface in a future patch.

Q: Why have you added this feature?
A: Players have long been asking for a way to challenge specific teams, guildmates, friends, and rivals to skirmish matches in Arenas and Battlegrounds of their choosing. We hope you enjoy this new feature, and we look forward to seeing you on the battlefield!

Filed under: WoW.joystiq.com/category/shaman/” rel=”tag”>Shaman, WoW.joystiq.com/category/analysis-opinion/” rel=”tag”>Analysis / Opinion, WoW.joystiq.com/category/pvp/” rel=”tag”>PvP

Every week, WoW Insider brings you WoW.joystiq.com/category/the-art-of-war-craft/”>The Art of War(craft), covering battlegrounds and world PvP, and WoW.joystiq.com/category/blood-sport/”>Blood Sport, with the inside line for arena enthusiasts. Want to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of their women? Battlemaster Zach Yonzon, old-world PvP grinder and casual battleground habitué, rambles on about anything and everything PvP.

Gah. A few more days left, and we’re only on shaman. This can’t be good. Let’s get right to it, then. Shaman are incredibly fun to play, especially with the changes that came with WoW.joystiq.com/tag/patch-4.0.1/”>4.0.1. The improvements on the totem interface in the past have made it much easier for shaman to manage their totems. The best shaman utilize their totems in the heat of battle, and one interesting skill to master is knowing not just which totem to put down for a situation but which sets of totems, now that shaman can drop it down all at once. It’s a convenience that changes a few things. There is also higher survivability, better mobility, and clearly defined playstyles for all three specs.

WoW.joystiq.com/2010/12/05/the-art-of-war-craft-must-have-pvp-talents-for-shaman-in-4-0-3/” rel=”bookmark”>Continue reading The Art of War(craft): Must-have PvP talents for shaman in 4.0.3

WoW.joystiq.com”>WoW Insider” style=”float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0″ />WoW.joystiq.com/2010/12/05/the-art-of-war-craft-must-have-pvp-talents-for-shaman-in-4-0-3/”>The Art of War(craft): Must-have PvP talents for shaman in 4.0.3 originally appeared on WoW.joystiq.com”>WoW Insider on Sun, 05 Dec 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

WoW.joystiq.com/2010/12/05/the-art-of-war-craft-must-have-pvp-talents-for-shaman-in-4-0-3/” rel=”bookmark” title=”Permanent link to this entry”>Permalink | WoW.joystiq.com/forward/19745807/” title=”Send this entry to a friend via email”>Email this | WoW.joystiq.com/2010/12/05/the-art-of-war-craft-must-have-pvp-talents-for-shaman-in-4-0-3/#comments” title=”View reader comments on this entry”>Comments

Filed under: WoW.joystiq.com/category/mage/” rel=”tag”>Mage, WoW.joystiq.com/category/analysis-opinion/” rel=”tag”>Analysis / Opinion, WoW.joystiq.com/category/pvp/” rel=”tag”>PvP, WoW.joystiq.com/category/the-art-of-war-craft/” rel=”tag”>The Art of War(craft) (PvP)

Every week, WoW Insider brings you WoW.joystiq.com/category/the-art-of-war-craft/”>The Art of War(craft), covering battlegrounds and world PvP, and WoW.joystiq.com/category/blood-sport/”>Blood Sport, with the inside line for arena enthusiasts. Want to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of their women? Battlemaster Zach Yonzon, old-world PvP grinder and casual battleground habitué, rambles on about anything and everything PvP.

The Cataclysm is getting close, so we’ve only got a few weeks of this transitional stage, but it’s important to pick out our PvP talents heading into the expansion. Today, we’re going to take a look at mages, who have the usual set of tools and a couple of new ones. Nothing drastic has changed, despite the overhaul in WoW.joystiq.com/tag/patch-4.0.1/”>4.0.1, so mages are still casters who do best at range. Nothing has made them capable of wading into melee and standing toe-to-toe with rogues or anything silly like that. Instead, what we’ve got are three interesting trees with slightly different ways to crush their opponents — all of them fun.

WoW.joystiq.com/2010/11/05/the-art-of-war-craft-must-have-pvp-talents-for-mages-in-4-0-1/” rel=”bookmark”>Continue reading The Art of War(craft): Must-have PvP talents for mages in 4.0.1

WoW.joystiq.com”>WoW Insider” style=”float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0″ />WoW.joystiq.com/2010/11/05/the-art-of-war-craft-must-have-pvp-talents-for-mages-in-4-0-1/”>The Art of War(craft): Must-have PvP talents for mages in 4.0.1 originally appeared on WoW.joystiq.com”>WoW Insider on Fri, 05 Nov 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

WoW.joystiq.com/2010/11/05/the-art-of-war-craft-must-have-pvp-talents-for-mages-in-4-0-1/” rel=”bookmark” title=”Permanent link to this entry”>Permalink | WoW.joystiq.com/forward/19701555/” title=”Send this entry to a friend via email”>Email this | WoW.joystiq.com/2010/11/05/the-art-of-war-craft-must-have-pvp-talents-for-mages-in-4-0-1/#comments” title=”View reader comments on this entry”>Comments

Filed under: WoW.joystiq.com/category/mage/” rel=”tag”>Mage, WoW.joystiq.com/category/analysis-opinion/” rel=”tag”>Analysis / Opinion, WoW.joystiq.com/category/pvp/” rel=”tag”>PvP, WoW.joystiq.com/category/the-art-of-war-craft/” rel=”tag”>The Art of War(craft) (PvP)

Every week, WoW Insider brings you WoW.joystiq.com/category/the-art-of-war-craft/”>The Art of War(craft), covering battlegrounds and world PvP, and WoW.joystiq.com/category/blood-sport/”>Blood Sport, with the inside line for arena enthusiasts. Want to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of their women? Battlemaster Zach Yonzon, old-world PvP grinder and casual battleground habitué, rambles on about anything and everything PvP.

The Cataclysm is getting close, so we’ve only got a few weeks of this transitional stage, but it’s important to pick out our PvP talents heading into the expansion. Today, we’re going to take a look at mages, who have the usual set of tools and a couple of new ones. Nothing drastic has changed, despite the overhaul in WoW.joystiq.com/tag/patch-4.0.1/”>4.0.1, so mages are still casters who do best at range. Nothing has made them capable of wading into melee and standing toe-to-toe with rogues or anything silly like that. Instead, what we’ve got are three interesting trees with slightly different ways to crush their opponents — all of them fun.

WoW.joystiq.com/2010/11/05/the-art-of-war-craft-must-have-pvp-talents-for-mages-in-4-0-1/” rel=”bookmark”>Continue reading The Art of War(craft): Must-have PvP talents for mages in 4.0.1

WoW.joystiq.com”>WoW Insider” style=”float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0″ />WoW.joystiq.com/2010/11/05/the-art-of-war-craft-must-have-pvp-talents-for-mages-in-4-0-1/”>The Art of War(craft): Must-have PvP talents for mages in 4.0.1 originally appeared on WoW.joystiq.com”>WoW Insider on Fri, 05 Nov 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

WoW.joystiq.com/2010/11/05/the-art-of-war-craft-must-have-pvp-talents-for-mages-in-4-0-1/” rel=”bookmark” title=”Permanent link to this entry”>Permalink | WoW.joystiq.com/forward/19701555/” title=”Send this entry to a friend via email”>Email this | WoW.joystiq.com/2010/11/05/the-art-of-war-craft-must-have-pvp-talents-for-mages-in-4-0-1/#comments” title=”View reader comments on this entry”>Comments

WoW.joystiq.com/media/2010/09/zachtlahtsiretsolution1.jpg” />

This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by WoW.joystiq.com/2010/02/03/the-new-WoW-com-guest-blogger-program/”>Seed, the Aol guest writer program that WoW.joystiq.com/tag/write-for-WoW-insider”>brings your words to WoW Insider’s pages.

I have to admit (although somewhat shamefacedly) that the only raid instance I saw before Wrath launched was Karazhan. Even worse, I was only watching my roommate running around this fantastic place, slaying beasts and praying (yes, he was actually praying) for the purples to come his way. At the time, I had abandoned my first toon, a level 23 orc warrior, and I had made amazing strides leveling my holy paladin to the grand status of level 61 before taking a break. As a result, I never raided when there were massive 40-man raids or when raiding was “hard,” as those BC/vanilla veterans will say, so I can’t say that I’ll miss some of those raids that might disappear as Cataclysm reshapes the world as we know it. As for the zones getting hit hardest by Cataclysm, I can truthfully say I’m quite fond of bidding most of them farewell. Will anyone other than die-hard Chuck Norris fans really miss The Barrens?

So what is it about WoW that I will miss when the game changes for Cataclysm? It’s the fast-paced content, the extreme value of a global cooldown. Many players stress at the thought of tanks getting killed in two to three hits from a raid boss, while I thrive on the risk. During our initial attempts at Festergut, the challenge of being able to time a ridiculously strong Holy Light in between swings from the abomination to keep the tanks alive was exhilarating. As a ret paladin in PVP, I love being jumped by a rogue in a battleground. If he couldn’t kill me during his initial stun, I’d probably burst him down to nothing during mine. With the dramatically increase health pools and lower comparative healing/damage planned for Cataclysm, there won’t be as many hair-trigger reactions needed to stay alive. I’m pretty sure I’m going to miss the current model, in which a single GCD no longer means life or death for someone in my raid.

When Cataclysm hits, most players will miss a specific zone or instance. What do you think you’ll miss? A particular ability or general function? Or are you among those who think change is good, that paladins shouldn’t have bubble/hearth and it’s OK if mages can bloodlust?

Filed under: WoW.joystiq.com/category/breakfast-topics/” rel=”tag”>Breakfast Topics, WoW.joystiq.com/category/cataclysm/” rel=”tag”>Cataclysm, WoW.joystiq.com/category/guest-posts/” rel=”tag”>Guest Posts

WoW.joystiq.com/2010/09/30/breakfast-topic-what-will-you-miss-most-from-the-wrath-era/”>Breakfast Topic: What will you miss most from the Wrath era? originally appeared on WoW.joystiq.com”>WoW Insider on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

WoW.joystiq.com/2010/09/30/breakfast-topic-what-will-you-miss-most-from-the-wrath-era/” rel=”bookmark” title=”Permanent link to this entry”>Permalink | WoW.joystiq.com/forward/19650954/” title=”Send this entry to a friend via email”>Email this | WoW.joystiq.com/2010/09/30/breakfast-topic-what-will-you-miss-most-from-the-wrath-era/#comments” title=”View reader comments on this entry”>Comments