With the arrival of Cataclysm, the talent system received a massive overhaul, changing from the 71 talent points system to a more compact 41 points system. As such, many of the old talents were either completely removed or changed, resulting in fewer possible build variations. One key aspect of the new system is that you must use at least 31 points in your main specialization to use the remaining 10 points in a secondary specialization.
Talent Builds
You won’t see many variations in Fire Mage builds. The talents you see above are standard and most of the skipped talents are not worth taking for PvE content. The one exception may be Improved Fire Blast, which you might find valuable on movement-heavy fights. In that case you can swap the points out of either Impact or Improved Flamestrike, depending on whether you need AoE or not.
Glyphs
Prime Glyphs
- Glyph of Fireball
This glyph is standard for any Fire Mage build since it buffs one of your core abilities and helps you get Hot Streak and Ignite procs.
- Glyph of Pyroblast
Another straightforward buff to one of your core abilities that will help you get Hot Streak and Ignite procs.
- Glyph of Molten Armor
One more solid Crit buff that will help you get Hot Streak and Ignite procs. Most Fire Mages will want to have these three Prime Glyphs active at all times.
Major Glyphs
- Glyph of Evocation
This glyph gives you a way to heal yourself, which is something you don’t otherwise have. It’s recommended to always have this active.
- Glyph of Dragon’s Breath
Useful for AoE or if crowd control is needed.
- Glyph of Blast Wave
Another useful glyph for both AoE and crowd control.
- Glyph of Blink
A great default option if you don’t need one of the two AoE glyphs above.
- Glyph of Invisibility
This glyph can turn your Invisibility spell into an extra mobility cooldown if you don’t need either of the two AoE glyphs.
Minor Glyphs
- Glyph of Arcane Brilliance
This one reduces the mana cost of your buff spell so it’s not as costly if you need to rebuff someone during combat.
- Glyph of Conjuring
This glyph will save you a decent chunk of mana if you need to summon another Mana Gem in combat.
- Glyph of Slow Fall
You won’t need to worry anymore about whether you have Light Feathers in your bag when you cast Slow Fall.
- Glyph of Mirror Image
Not recommended because Fireball has a longer cast time than Frostbolt, so this glyph can actually lead to a DPS decrease for Fire Mages.
Â
About the Author
