The third phase of the WoW Season of Discovery is scheduled for release on April 4th, bringing with it a new Epic Sunken Temple raid and introducing the new level 50 bracket with various fresh content. However, to fully capitalize on this update, it’s imperative to acquire the best-in-slot gear from Gnomeregan. Without such gear, gaining entry to raids in the initial week will prove to be exceedingly challenging.

Review Of Gnomeregan

A pressing issue arises from the fact that there are only 3 lockouts left before reaching Sunken Temple. Given this limited timeframe, ensuring success in Pick-Up Groups (PUGs) within Gnomeregan becomes paramount.

Another underwhelming raid performance, whether four out of six or five out of six, is simply not feasible. This raid poses as one of the most daunting challenges in the history of Classic WoW PUGs. It’s uncommon for Trade Chat PUGs to emerge successful in clearing this raid. Hence, insider tips and strategies are essential to secure significant victories in our remaining lockouts. However, overcoming these challenges should be manageable, right?

If you’re part of a guild, raiding seems straightforward and routine at present. This is because each week, the same individuals return, employing identical strategies and tactics. However, this experience is not typical for the average PUG participant. The mechanics of these raids are often too intricate for most groups. Final bosses are particularly punishing, leading to frequent wipes. Failing on these final bosses means missing out on valuable loot, resulting in a frustrating experience. Consequently, some players opt out of raiding altogether, which is unsustainable as we require full BiS gear for Phase 3.

Fortunately, there are tips and tricks available for PUGs to ensure success, especially in the final days of Phase 2. To demonstrate this, we conducted 2 distinct Gnomeregan runs this week, implementing lesser-known strategies to achieve perfect six out of six raid completions.

PUG Runs At Gnomeregan

Initially, we organized a PUG through Trade Chat, mainly comprising random players. Employing covert tactics, we ensured the group’s success without any possibility of failure. Subsequently, we assembled a team consisting solely of Rogues to demonstrate that with appropriate strategies, any raid composition can achieve success. Let’s delve into the most effective strategies and tactics to optimize your performance in Gnomeregan with any group.

The key to success in any PUG lies in establishing a robust healing core. In our flawless six out of six Trade Chat PUG, we prioritized this aspect. Recognizing that PUG runs typically endure heightened damage, we ensured the presence of an adept Priest as the primary tank healer. Regarding the secondary healer, the choice is flexible, allowing for options such as a Restoration Shaman.

A significant factor contributing to success in Gnomeregan is the inclusion of off-healers alongside primary healers. Both Boomkins and Shadow Priests can substantially augment raid healing, allowing the primary healers to focus on tank healing, which is less taxing on mana. In the world’s current fastest speedrun, a Shadow Priest delivered nearly 150 heals per second on Thermaplugg, while the fourth fastest run witnessed a Boomkin achieving 120 heals per second on Menagerie solely through Wild Growth. Integrating 2 healers with 2 off-healers significantly enhances consistency without compromising damage output.

With the foundational core established, attention turns to tank selection. While I personally favor Shaman tanks as a member of the Horde, Warlock tanks also exhibit commendable performance. More crucial than the specific tank class is the tank’s comprehension of raid strategies. Additionally, an experienced off-tank is advisable for encounters like Menagerie. Given my Horde allegiance, I appreciate the versatility of having a Shaman DPS transition to an off-tank role when necessary.

In terms of DPS, conventional methods involve scrutinizing logs to form groups. However, an alternative approach involves analyzing low percentile data on Warcraft Logs. This data reveals that classes like Melee Hunters, Shamans, Shadow Priests, Warlocks, and Mages consistently perform well, even in the hands of less seasoned players. These classes offer reliability in achieving flawless six out of six raids in a PUG setting, particularly given the advantageous positioning they enjoy in the most challenging encounters, Menagerie and Thermaplugg.

Furthermore, unconventional strategies can yield success. Our Trade Chat PUG, despite adhering to a conventional composition, does not preclude the effectiveness of alternative class configurations. To illustrate, we executed a full Rogue group, completing the raid within an hour. Ultimately, the composition of your group is secondary to the presence of a skilled tank and adequate healing resources, which are essential for navigating the challenges presented in raids.

Preparations For PUGs

Now, let’s discuss the preparations you can undertake to ensure maximum success for your group before the raid commences.

First and foremost, it’s crucial to ensure that your raid members bring consumables, and it’s advisable to bring extras as a precautionary measure. In our Trade Chat PUG, I personally invested about 8 SoD Gold in acquiring protection potions to facilitate smoother fights. While many participants may already possess these potions, it’s prudent to consider stocking up for future raids.

Additionally, I strongly recommend acquiring the Gnomeregan buff and reserving it exclusively for use during the encounter with Thermaplugg. Once everyone has familiarized themselves with the tactics involved, activating this buff can significantly expedite progress through the fight.

Furthermore, I suggest utilizing 2 essential WeakAuras specifically designed for Gnomeregan. The first is the Gnomeregan WeakAura developed by Fedthaar, which provides timely alerts regarding crucial abilities, target changes, and interrupts. The second is the Thermaplugg Bomb Map, a tool that vastly simplifies the intricate button mechanics associated with the encounter. Ensuring that every member of your PUG has access to these resources can greatly enhance coordination and efficiency during the raid.

Strategies To Achieve Success In PUGs

Now that we’ve covered the necessary groundwork, we’re ready to discuss PUG strategies aimed at maximizing our success.

The essential element for achieving success in PUGs within Gnomeregan lies in employing strategies tailored to each encounter, ensuring effectiveness even in scenarios of poor coordination and limited experience. To exemplify this approach, I’d like to delve into 2 distinct yet successful PUG runs conducted this week. Rather than employing uniform strategies for every boss encounter, we tailored our approach based on the composition of our raid group.

Beginning with Grub, distributing and utilizing Nature Protection Potions prior to engaging in combat significantly alleviates healing challenges. Employing 2 tanks greatly facilitates the encounter, mitigating the threat posed by Chopper to our casters. Additionally, it’s imperative to instruct your Priest to prioritize dispelling Petrify, as neglecting this mechanic can pose a substantial risk to the raid’s success.

Transitioning to Viscous Fallout, our Trade Chat PUG prioritized AoE damage, ensuring that pre-potted Nature Protection Potions were readily available to address any healing concerns. Furthermore, we instructed our Boomkin to promptly utilize Wild Growth when the raid’s health was low. However, our approach with the Rogue team, attempting to bypass the adds and focus solely on the boss, proved to be less effective due to the potential for unnecessary casualties despite our considerable damage output.

For Crowd Pummeler, effective execution hinges on designating a vigilant volunteer to serve as a reference point for positioning and avoiding being knocked off the edge. Although both raids successfully managed this mechanic, an unfortunate instance occurred when lag caused a participant to inadvertently fall off the platform.

Conversely, our approach to handling Electrocutioner 6000 in the Trade Chat PUG involved organizing two groups of three players equidistant from the boss. Each group alternated between maintaining maximum distance from the boss during static mechanics, thereby streamlining the encounter and minimizing complications. This strategy underscores the efficacy of trusting in the competence of 2 players, simplifying the encounter dynamics.

All Rogues Gnomeregan

Regarding the Rogue group, our approach mirrored that of the previous encounters, albeit with a slight adjustment in which the Rogues maintained a closer proximity to the boss, inducing a heightened sense of apprehension. Remarkably, despite featuring a significant number of melee participants, this tactic proved highly effective.

Transitioning to the Menagerie encounter within the Trade Chat PUG, we opted for a two-tank setup. The key to overcoming the Menagerie challenge in a PUG setting lies in the efficient management of healing resources and mana. I prefer to include a Shadow Priest among the tanking contingent for this encounter, as the tanks bear the brunt of the damage. Additionally, it's crucial to ensure that Boomkins contribute by deploying numerous Wild Growths, given their capacity to provide substantial healing while maintaining competitive damage output.

In terms of healing distribution, I advocate for assigning each healer to a separate tank. This allocation allows for concentrated attention on specific targets, minimizing the risk of fatalities due to delayed healing.

For the Rogue group tackling the Menagerie, we anticipated significant difficulty. To address this, the Rogues preemptively consumed Free Action Potions at the outset to swiftly dispatch the Sheep.

Thermaplugg presents a formidable challenge, particularly in Phase 1, where proficient tank maneuvering is essential. Ideally, participants should consume Fire Protection Potions beforehand, with Free Action Potions ideally available for Phase 2.

A noteworthy recommendation for Trade Chat PUGs is to include the Shadow Priest within the tanking ensemble. Conversely, the strategy for the Rogue group necessitated a notable shift, requiring the assignment of a Rogue rotation responsible for defusing bombs and activating buttons.

In conclusion, we've covered various aspects, including group compositions, preparation guidelines, and optimal strategies. Armed with this knowledge, you can assemble a group equipped with ample healing capabilities to overcome every encounter. Through meticulous preparation, you can substantially enhance your group's likelihood of success, particularly in challenging battles like Thermaplugg. By striking a balance between innovative and traditional approaches, success is attainable irrespective of the composition of your group.

This guide will illustrate how I achieved the second-highest DPS globally in the WoW Classic Season of Discovery Phase 2 Gnomeregan raid as a Fire Mage.

Talents

You should put 29 points in Fire for this build:

• Improved Fireball (5 points)
• Ignite (5 points)
• Incinerate (2 Points)
• Pyroblast (1 point)
• Burning Soul (2 Points)
• Improved Scorch (3 points)
• Master of Elements (3 points)
• Critical Mass (3 points)
• Blast Wave (1 point)
• Fire Power (4 points)

Also, you should put 2 points in Frost for this build:

• Elemental Precision (2 Points)

The rationale behind this is the challenge Fire Mages face with hit accuracy. To address this, until you reach 5% hit with your equipment, you'll require assistance from the Elemental Precision talent in the Frost tree.

Runes

For runes, you should choose from the following 5:

• Living Bomb
• Hot Streak
• Living Flame
• Spell Power
• Burnout

Gear

You're primarily stacking 5% hit, spell power, spell crit, intellect, and MP5.

While leveling, I recommend doing BFD every 3 days as it gives you great experience and most of the items will be pre-BiS going into Gnomeregan.

When you hit 40, I highly recommend purchasing these items off the Auction House:

• Red Mageweave Pants
• Star Belt,
• Dreamweave Gloves
• Dreamweave Vest

The Blood Moon event in STV will give you the Bloodrot Cloak (cape) and the Emberblood Seal (ring).

Besides, the Mage quest line will give you the Celestial Orb (offhand) and the Ragefire Wand.

You can get all of these items in just a few hours and then go straight into Gnomeregan.

Single Target Rotation

1. Cast Pyroblast before the pull
2. Living Bomb on CD
3. Living Flame on CD
4. Scorch x 5
5. Instant Pyroblast on Hot Streak procs
6. Fire Blast always just before death
7. Scorch to fill

Multi-Target Rotation

1. Cast Pyroblast before the pull
2. Living Flame to target with the highest health that's near the most amount of mobs (For example, the chicken on the menagerie fight is a great Living Flame target.)
3. Living Bomb every target on CD
4. Scorch to fill

Ideally, you would maintain 5 stacks of Scorch on every target and Living Bomb for the highest DPS. I recommend a weak aura to track your Living Bomb uptime and Hot Streak procs.

Race

Choose Gnome for Alliance because of the increased Intellect and Troll for Horde because of Berserking, which gives you Haste.

Professions

I suggest opting for Tailoring and Engineering to acquire the helmet and hit belt.

However, it's important to note that these items are presently quite costly if purchased from the auction house. You would require approximately 250+ WoW SoD Gold solely to obtain the materials needed for crafting the tailoring helmet.

As for the 20 spell power Sigil of Innovation from Enchanting, I advise against it at the moment. This is because the spell power it provides doesn't stack with Arcane Elixir. We're optimistic that this will be addressed in the near future.

Consumables

Here are some consumables you must bring:

• Firepower
• Lesser Arcane Elixir
• Lesser Wizard Oil
• Sagefish Delight
• Greater Mana Potions

Currently, Firepower and Lesser Arcane Elixir are stacking, so make sure to grab both.

That's all for my Fire Mage level 40 guide tailored for WoW SoD Phase 2.

Welcome to the guide for WoW Season of Discovery, a rendition of classic WoW brimming with significant choices as you traverse Azeroth. 

Today, I'm here to steer you clear of common pitfalls and missteps, ensuring you save both time and SOD Gold along the way. Let's delve into the 7 mistakes to avoid in Season of Discovery Phase 2.

1. Underestimate The Importance Of Professions

Let's begin by discussing professions. 

Since the release of Phase 1, Blizzard has placed significant emphasis on professions in Season of Discovery. They aim to make professions feel meaningful and integral to the game, akin to other core systems.

In Phase 1, we witnessed the introduction of substantial items across all professions, often serving as best-in-slot gear or contributing significantly to character progression. Phase 2 continues this trend, with Blizzard further enhancing crafting professions such as leatherworking, blacksmithing, and tailoring by introducing formidable items.

Moreover, Phase 2 extends this focus to traditionally consumable professions like Alchemy or Enchanting, providing compelling items tailored to practitioners of these trades. It's likely that more additions await these professions in subsequent phases.

The key takeaway here is to not underestimate the importance of professions. They have played a crucial role in the past and are poised to remain significant in the future. 

However, it's essential to conduct thorough research to determine which profession aligns best with your character's needs. While Blizzard has bolstered professions, they have also somewhat restricted players' choices, with certain classes now favoring specific professions—blacksmithing for warriors, leatherworking for hunters, and so forth.

Nonetheless, there is one profession that has consistently held value since Vanilla and is arguably the optimal secondary profession for all players.

2. Blindly Choose Engineering

Now, let's discuss engineering. 

Engineering has consistently been regarded as the premier profession for maximizing your performance in various aspects of the game, including PvP, raiding, and dungeons. Engineers have long benefited from access to an array of powerful and unique items, spanning from classic WoW through TBC, Wrath of the Lich King, and now into Season of Discovery.

Regrettably, opting for engineering often limits your choice of secondary profession. However, if achieving optimal damage output is your priority, engineering paired with a complementary main crafting profession tailored to your class is the optimal path to pursue.

Of course, if your focus lies elsewhere and you prioritize other aspects such as personal preference or wealth accumulation in Season of Discovery, feel free to select a profession accordingly. For instance, on my main character, I've opted for enchanting as it aligns with my preference for disenchanting items I no longer require.

Ultimately, the decision between engineering and other professions hinges on your priorities and playstyle preferences. If maximizing damage output is paramount, engineering stands as the clear choice, supplemented by a suitable secondary crafting profession.

3. Overlook PvP Reputations

Let's delve into reputations.

In classic WoW, reputations played a relatively minor role in the game. Apart from specific attunements or acquiring niche pre-BiS (Best in Slot) items, reputation grinding was often considered optional. However, in Season of Discovery, this paradigm is shifting significantly.

Phase 1 introduced PvP reputations such as Silverwing Sentinel and Warsong Outriders, which held considerable significance. These factions not only unlocked exclusive mounts, but also offered potent gear pieces and even a weekly world buff. PvP events fueled ongoing conflicts between the Horde and Alliance, further emphasizing the importance of these reputations.

Phase 2 introduces quests to earn Arathi Basin reputation tied to the Stranglethorn PvP event. While the current items associated with Arathi Basin are beyond our level range, future updates may introduce level 40 items to this reputation's rewards. Additionally, future phases are likely to introduce PvP events that grant reputation with Alterac Valley, which boasts its own array of formidable items.

It's crucial not to overlook PvP reputations in Season of Discovery.

Furthermore, Season of Discovery introduces a new reputation: the Azeroth Commerce Authority/Durotar Supply and Logistics. This reputation, initially honored in Phase 1 and potentially reaching revered in Phase 2, offers a rune for each class locked behind its progression.

Ensuring you unlock every rune is essential in Season of Discovery. Unlike classic WoW, where classes remained relatively static, Blizzard frequently adjusts classes, often utilizing runes to do so. A rune that may seem lackluster presently could become optimal for your class with a single hotfix.

4. Leave Crates Unattended In Your Bags

Regarding the supply reputation, progression involves turning in Waylaid Supplies found throughout the world. 

These supplies can be turned in as is for reduced reputation gain or filled with requested items for greater rewards. Given Blizzard's adjustment to increase experience gained from turning in Waylaid Supplies, promptly delivering these items to a capital city becomes even more critical in Phase 2.

While it's uncertain whether filling supplies impacts the XP gained, prioritizing this activity ensures efficient reputation gain. Even if filling crates proves costly, it's advisable to do so whenever feasible. 

Leaving crates unattended in your bags risks missing out on obtaining new ones.

5. Careless With Gold

Let's address the issue of financial management, particularly the oversight of gold.

In Phase 2 of Season of Discovery, reaching level 40 marks a significant milestone synonymous with obtaining a mount. In classic WoW, acquiring a mount was a substantial investment, with the level 60 mount costing a staggering 1,000 gold. Even at level 40, mounts demanded 100 gold, a considerable sum that required prudent spending to amass.

Fortunately, in Season of Discovery, mount costs have considerably decreased. For players not Honored with their race faction and below PvP Rank 3, the combined cost of the skill and mount is now merely 50 gold instead of 100. Achieving Honored status and Rank 3 reduces this cost further to 40 gold. Accumulating 40 or 50 gold by level 40 is far more achievable than the previous 100 gold requirement.

In classic WoW, obtaining a mount at level 40 was crucial due to the substantial remainder of levels before reaching endgame, significantly enhancing travel efficiency. However, in Season of Discovery Phase 2, the endgame itself is level 40, diminishing the urgency of acquiring a mount immediately upon reaching this level.

While having a mount promptly in Season of Discovery remains advantageous, the difference between reaching a location in 10 versus 15 minutes is relatively minor. Moreover, the economic landscape of Season of Discovery differs significantly from classic WoW, with gold acquisition being notably swifter.

Nevertheless, exercising caution with gold expenditure to ensure adequate funds for a mount by level 40 remains prudent. While it is less critical than before, prudent financial planning remains beneficial, albeit with the understanding that gold acquisition at max level through completing quests is notably expedited.

6. Not Aware Of The Impact Of Quest Selection On Rewards 

Discussing quests, the level cap of 40 in Phase 2 signals the onset of significant decisions regarding quest rewards. 

Now, let's briefly touch upon well-known items that should never be discarded. Carrot on a Stick, a vital item for enhancing travel efficiency, should always be kept and is obtainable at level 40. School of Impending Doom serves PvP players by breaking CC effects, also available at level 40. Similarly, Nifty Stopwatch proves useful in PvP scenarios. 

However, the primary focus here is on quest reward selections, which may hold considerable value for your class but could be chosen inadvertently, potentially resulting in overlooking a pre-raid Best in Slot (BiS) gear piece. The Whirlwind Axe for Warriors exemplifies this, likely to be pre-raid BiS in Phase 2. While other weapons remain viable, the axe stands out as the optimal choice. Although this is just one instance, similar choices may arise for your class as you approach maximum level.

Gnomeregan is expected to house most, if not all, of the best-in-slot pieces at level 40, underscoring that quest rewards discussed here are, at best, pre-BiS. Nonetheless, if an item qualifies as pre-BiS for your character, exercise careful consideration when selecting it.

A helpful guideline to follow is to tailor your item choices to your intended specialization as you near level 40. Whether you plan to be a healer or DPS, prioritize items aligned with your chosen role. Adhering to this principle should help mitigate the risk of selecting unsuitable gear. Ultimately, while quest rewards may influence your character's progression, their impact is limited, making the choice less consequential in the grand scheme of things.

7. Not Understand The Volatility Of Runes

Earlier in this guide, I emphasized the significance of unlocking all available runes. To underscore this importance, let's examine how classes have been managed in Season of Discovery thus far.

Despite Blizzard's initial intent to maintain a hands-off approach to class adjustments in Season of Discovery, the reality has been quite different. We've witnessed numerous alterations to every class in the game, indicating the evolving nature of SoD. Continuous class tweaking is essential to prevent destabilization within the game. In SoD, Blizzard frequently implements these adjustments through rune modifications.

Phase 1 saw significant changes to runes, with some transitioning from top-tier to obsolete overnight, and vice versa. Understanding the volatility of rune dynamics underscores the necessity of unlocking all available runes. Doing so not only enhances your class versatility but also ensures you remain informed about prevailing meta trends, should that align with your interests.

Let's delve into the most efficient and rapid prep for WoW Season of Discovery Phase 2. 

The Importance Of Phase 2 Preparation

Firstly, let's emphasize the importance of Phase 2 prep. 

While Phase 2 is approaching, there is still ample time for last-minute preparations. With proper planning, you can streamline tasks that would otherwise be necessary in Phase 2, such as leveling alts from 1 to 25 or securing flight paths. Engaging in Phase 2 Pre-BiS farming is something you could already be doing.

Consider Phase 2 prep as an investment of time now to create flexibility later. The time you save can be dedicated to activities like battling for Arena Grand Master trinkets, participating in Arathi Basin, and clearing the new Gnomeregan Raid.

Acquiring Runes In Phase 2

However, Phase 2 prep can be overwhelming. To maximize efficiency within our time constraints, we need a clear plan for the shortest possible execution. Let's begin with actively leveling your character and obtaining runes. If your SoD Phase 2 characters haven't reached level 25, now is the time.

RFC and Stockades boosting become essential here. For less than 15 SOD Gold, you can swiftly boost a character from level 8 to 19 in just a few hours. This is crucial as it allows you to begin accumulating Rested XP at level 25 with the new patch while focusing on your main.

Simultaneously, seize the opportunity to swiftly collect all the remaining runes. Summoning services are now available for nearly every rune location, and acquiring any individual rune won't take more than a few minutes, with a few exceptions like Metamorphosis. Utilize the LFG Group Bulletin Board to promptly identify who is selling summons at each location.

On the addon front, use GatherMate 2 as you travel to locate chests swiftly, enabling you to collect Waylaid Supplies. Avoid the hassle of returning to all your alts in Phase 2 to build Waylaid Supply reputation.

Preparation For Gearing In Phase 2

Discussing the necessity of revisiting and obtaining items for the upcoming phase, let's shift our focus to gear.

The quickest preparation you can undertake for Phase 2 involves bags. Acquire a Darkmoon Storage Box for just 5 to 6 gold by purchasing it from the vendor. Subsequently, secure 12-slot bags for your remaining slots. Currently, obtaining an additional 10 bag slots will require around 25 gold in total. If I manage to gather about 30 stacks of silk and some greens while leveling, I'll effortlessly cover the cost of the bags.

Another swift action you can take is utilizing 60 upgrades to progress on your Pre-BiS list at present. This will save you time compared to doing it when the phase officially launches. In my case, numerous Pre-BiS pieces are already accessible in BFD, and acquiring them now will result in substantial time savings in Phase 2.

Items such as the Rot of the Ancient Sleepwalker and the Invoker's Void Pearl trinket are improbable to have substitutes in Phase 2.

Read More: Discover This 10 Novel Class Builds In WOW Season Of Discovery

Simultaneously, I'm already focused on specific items for Phase 2 Pre-BiS. Interestingly, obtaining items like the Dark Hooded Cape now, before others start farming them, can actually save you time. 

Alternatively, in my situation, PvP items like the Advisor's Ring (Legionnaire's Brand) are a priority. I'm not urging you to pursue Exalted Warsong immediately. Nevertheless, dedicating a few minutes to Ashenveil every few hours can yield some exceptionally good Pre-BiS gear.

SoD Gold Preparation

In addition to preparing your reputation gear, you'll also need 45 WoW SoD Gold for your mount and training if you're Honored. 

Caution: This method will be bannable after February 8th. Avoid using it beyond this date.

One of the quickest ways to amass that gold is through GDKPs. While GDKPs can be a topic of debate, if you find yourself in need of some last-minute gold, it can be highly beneficial. Simply utilize your lockouts to generate 20 to 30 gold in about 45 minutes.

With fewer players currently pursuing gear, you can either secure numerous gear for yourself at favorable prices or acquire free gold.

Another avenue for earning gold is pre-questing. The advantage of pre-questing is that you'll receive some free gold from the early stages of the quest chains and save time by completing the quests before the phase officially begins.

Yet another reason to pre-quest is to obtain all the flight paths for Phase 2. Personally, I invested in the World Tour package for my alt, obtaining all the relevant flight paths for about 5 gold. This significantly saves time compared to gradually navigating to every flight path.

Necessary Items For Phase 2

Another swift preparation tip is that the materials in demand for Phase 2 are no secret.

By visiting your preferred profession site, like Wowhead or WoW Professions, you can pinpoint the specific items required to reach a skill level of 225.

Now that we've leveled up, farmed Pre-BiS gear, acquired gold, and have a substantial stack of quests ready to go. I hope you can experience WoW SoD Phase 2 more smoothly!

Looking to tackle hordes of mobs on your own, amass SOD Gold, and become the quickest leveler in WoW Season of Discovery? While some might think it's too good to be true, I say, welcome to the Mage AOE guide!

Talents

You'll be putting all of your points into Arcane for this build.

• Put 5 points in Arcane Focus, which is the most important talent because it increases the hit chance of your Living Flame.
• Put 5 points in Arcane Concentration. Arcane Concentration to proc Clear Casting will let you cast spells for zero Mana.
• Put 3 points Improved Arcane Explosion for more damage.
• Put 1 point in Arcane Resilience for more armor.
• Put 1 point in Arcane Subtlety.
• Put 1 point in Arcane Meditation for the 5% Mana regeneration.
• Put 1 point in Wand Secialization.
• Put 1 point in Improve Mana Shield.

Runes

The 3 runes you'll be using for this build are Living Bomb, Regeneration, and Living Flame.

Living Flame is easy to get at level 7, but Living Bomb and Regeneration you might want to level your character to level 12 first. Or you can get some help and bring along a higher level friend who can help you get it sooner.

You may even have some luck asking someone nearby for help. But be warned, if you go to get this rune, you have to kill level 14 mobs in order to get it.

Rested XP is a very helpful addon that has all the rune locations built into it. I highly recommend downloading this addon if you're interested in where you can get all the runes for your class.

Also Read: Unmissable Farming Locations To Earn Massive Gold In WOW Season Of Discovery Phase 3

Gear

We're primarily stacking intellect, stamina, and spell power.

While you're leveling, I recommend purchasing green of the Eagle Gear off the Auction House to give you more stamina and intellect.

At level 25, proceed to aim for the BiS gear in the raid:

• Rakkamar's Tattered Thinking Cap
• Jagged Bone Necklace
• Invoker's Mantle
• Flowing Scarf
• Twilight Invoker's Robes
• Fingerbone Bracers
• Rod of the Ancient Sleepwalker
• Black Fingerless Gloves
• Invoker's Cord
• Soul Leech Pants
• Extraplanar Spidersilk Boots
• Signet of the Twilight Lord
• Lorekeeper's Ring
• Invoker's Void Pearl
• Rune of Perfection
• Deadlight

Rotation

Cast Regeneration before the pull. You only need one tick of it, so there's no need to channel the full duration. Living Bomb 5 to 6 different targets and then cast Living Flame. Jiggle the targets back and forth to make sure all of them have the Living Flame debuff while casting Arcane Explosions. If you do this right, you should heal back all the damage that you're taking and kill all the enemies before they start running away.

Now let's talk about pulling 2 different camps together. Cast Regeneration before the pull. You should Living Bomb 2 to 3 targets from one side and start running towards the other side. Use Frost Nova when these mobs get close to you to stall them in place and reset the leash. Cast Living Bomb on 2 to 3 more targets from the other side and then run towards the middle. Then, Living Flame and do the jiggle back and forth while Arcane exploding. This technique is a little more advanced but it will allow you to pull more enemies so you can level up quicker.

Race

Troll for the Alliance because of the increased intellect and troll for the Horde because of Berserking, which essentially gives you more haste.

Grind Spots

Most of the easy hyperspawn spots are in the Alliance side, so Horde might have some trouble.

Here's a list of all the grind spots that Mages can use to level up quickly in classic World of Warcraft.

1. 10-14 Murlocs (Elwynn Forest)
2. 14-20 Crabs (Westfall)
3. 20-25 Knowles (Wetlands)

Just remember that some of these farm spots in the open world might be contested by other Mages, so you might have to try and layer hop or just take turns farming with them if the spot is in a hyperspawn location.

In this guide, I’m going to reveal my gold making blueprint, the way I’ve made over 900 gold in WoW Season of Discovery so far. These are methods that, if you do them, not only will result in consistent gold, fast gold, sales of 12 gold, 30 gold, 40 gold, 50 gold in your mailbox day after day after day. These methods should continue to work for a very long time.

I’m going to share methods that do not require open world farming. They don’t require you to go to RFK and solo it by yourself or boost people in RFC. These are methods you can do with any character, and they’re things I do every single day. I’m going to share my absolute best gold making secrets, so stick around and let’s make some WoW SoD Gold together.

First 100 Gold

Before we get into the meat and potatoes, the methods that are going to make you so much money, we’ve got to have at least a little of money to play around and buy recipes from the vendors, flip on the Auction House.

So, the methods I would recommend when you’re just getting started, you just hit level 25.

Questing

First of all, of course, questing.

Questing when you are level 25, you get bonus gold based on the XP you would have gotten from the quest. So, that’s a great way to start up your nest egg and your money-making journey.

Dark Iron Ordinance Farming

After doing some questing, I would also recommend Dark Iron Ordinance farming. So, you can make between 6 to 8 gold per hour from this farm. It’s just like the Winterfall Echo farming.

This is how I made my first 100 gold. And the more money you start with, the more you can do on the Auction House, the more you can do with the vendors. It just snowballs your money-making process so much.

Vendor Camping

On top of the Dark Iron Ordinance farming, I also did something that you Vendor Camping can do right now, which is the DMF vendor camping. And it has made me over 200 gold very easily.

Just park a bunch of level 1 alts at the Darkmoon Faire. You can layer swap, camp, set timers for yourself, and buy all the Scrolls of Strength & the Scrolls of Agility. There are so many good items at the Darkmoon Faire.

What’s cool is you could just send a character over there with like 30 silver and come back later that day. You have 30 gold worth of items to sell.

Once you’ve built up a stack of gold, this is where you can do some really cool money-making flips involving people being really lazy in the game.

Chronoboons Displacer

The first one is the Chronoboons Displacer flip.

In places like Orgrimmar on my high-level character, I can get Chronoboons for 18 silver each. During the peak hours, these consistently can sell for 28 to 30 silver each. I’ve sold over a 100 Chronoboons across all of my characters. And it is a consistent moneymaker.

You might think nobody is lazy enough to get a Chronoboons on the Auction House. But trust me, even myself knowing where the vendor is, I was too lazy one day. I bought 3 Chronoboons at the Auction House.

If you really think about it, people aren’t buying that many consumables on the Auction House, but one thing they have to have when they go in the raid is the Chronoboon. You don’t want to lose your Darkmoon Faire buff with your 10% damage. And you don’t want to lose that insane Boon of Blackfathom buff either.

Some people are going to do stupid things. They’re going to overbuy Chronoboons and they’re going to put them for like 18 silver on the Auction House. But trust me, most days you can sell these for a 10 silver profit margin very consistently.

Nightcrawlers

Another infinite item you can get is Nightcrawlers. People need Nightcrawlers for the Aquadynamic Fish Attractor.

Believe it or not, most people in the game are fishing right now, so that’s a very quick selling item to make. Making the Aquadynamic Fish Attractor is great, but just selling the Nightcrawlers alone can make you a three times profit margin as well.

There are so many items from vendors with unlimited stocks that you can flip all day long, and they’re consistently going to sell.

Heavy Crocolisk Stew

Another example of that would be the Heavy Crocolisk Stew recipe. Of course, most people know the Heavy Crocolisk Stew is the best food in the game because of the 8 Spirit and the 8 Stamina. But the recipe from Dustwallow Marsh is kind of pain again.

On the Horde side, you can flip that for anywhere from two to three times profit margin, getting maybe 60 to 80 silver per recipe. On the Alliance side, though, people are so desperate, so you can sell these on the neutral Auction House for more profit. Sometimes they can sell for even 3 to 4 gold each.

Invoker’s Mantle

Another example of an unlimited item flip would be the new Invoker recipes - Invoker’s Mantle. You can get these from Orgrimmar or Darnassus, and people really don’t know where to get them.

I’ve been making 10 to 15 silver profit margin on these recipes, and they sell pretty quickly.

To me, though, you shouldn’t just copy these items. You should find your own items out there that people are buying consistently, and you can flip them for a big profit.

Waylaid Supply Arbitrage

Once you’ve got a nice consistent driver, like the Chronoboon flips, I also recommend the Waylaid Supply Arbitrage.

So, by now, you probably know about the Waylaid Supplies. You get the Waylaid Supply from maybe a chest in the open world, maybe a mob, and then you turn it in for some reputation.

The thing about this is if you fill in the box, of course, you get more reputation. So, a lot of people are out there. They don’t want to waste time going back and getting more boxes. They want to get the additional reputation. They’re going to fill these boxes out no matter what the price is.

There is so much money to be made in Waylaid Supplies right now. The secret is to not just know which items fill the boxes, but exactly the amounts that fill the boxes.

Smoked Bear Meat

An example of this would be the Smoked Bear Meat.

Now, cooking Smoked Bear Meat typically would not be very profitable, but when you sell them in stacks of 20 for the Waylaid Supplies, you can make 2 to 3 silver per Bear Meat.

Heavy Wool Bandage

Another example would be the Heavy Wool Bandage.

You might think you should sell them in stacks of 20, but the actual correct amount is 15. You can easily make 15 to 20 gold a day just from doing this kind of flip, and it’s really easy.

Ornate Spyglass

Another really good example is the Ornate Spyglasses.

These typically have a 20 silver profit margin, and people are always buying them for the Waylaid Supply Crate.

My recommendation would be to have characters with every single profession. I’m currently working on alts for all the professions, and I highly recommend you do the same thing as well.

To sum up, all of these methods have made me hundreds of gold.

Darkmoon Storage Box

But I want to give you my very best method right now. This is the method that has made me over 400 gold very easily. The solution is Darkmoon Faire Storage Boxes.

Now, people really aren’t buying consumables when they raid. They’re kind of just saving their gold. But one thing people do, especially gold buyers, is they will always want to have maximum size bags.

So, people are going in they’re buying bags and the Darkmoon Faire box is a 14-slot bag that is really easy to get. You can do these repeatable quests and there’s no limitation to how many times you can do them.

The way it works is basically you turn in crafted items and then you get Darkmoon Faire tickets. With 50 tickets, you can buy a Darkmoon Storage Box and sell it on the Auction House.

The key here is that you can only have 1 box in your inventory at the same time. However, you can have unlimited in the mailbox.

Sometimes you can get a Darkmoom Storage Box for 5 gold using these items and then you can flip it for 15 gold or even more than that. I’m consistently making 6 to 7 gold per box every single day and I sell anywhere from 10 to 15 a day.

The big secret is to only put them in for 2 hours at a time. That way, you can cancel an undercut you always want to be the top box on the Auction House.

So, the Darkmoon box strategy is a really good way to make money. And if you follow all of these methods, you can easily make hundreds of gold per week.

One of the most profitable gold farms in WoW Season of Discovery involves the Big Iron Fishing Pole, which is currently the best possible pole that you can obtain during Phase 1, providing a whopping +20 skill bonus. If you master this method, it will be very easy for you to earn a lot of WoW SoD Gold!

Intro

Big Iron Fishing Pole is significantly stronger than all other options, making it extremely valuable to any player interested in fishing. 

However, actually getting your hands on one of these poles is much easier said than done. The item has a 1% chance to drop from Shellfish Traps in Desolace, which can be found underwater in this part of the zone. 

Since this area is directly below Shadowpre Village, Horde players have a clear advantage for this farm. But Alliance players can still get here fairly easily by flying to Feathermoon Stronghold and then swimming north along the coast.

Challenges Of Accessing The Shellfish Traps For Big Iron Fishing Pole Farming

Reaching the farm spot is the easy part, though as actually opening up these Shellfish Traps is extremely deadly. 

For starters, this entire section of the zone is swarming with level 35 mobs. And since you’re underwater, it’s really hard to escape if you accidentally pull a few mobs. 

In addition to having hard-hitting auto-attacks, many of these hostile Makura will also Frost Shock you, which reduces your speed and makes it even more difficult to escape.

While many of these patrolling mobs can easily be avoided, there’s still a 50% chance for a hostile crab to spawn directly on top of you whenever you attempt to open a Shellfish Trap. This means that even if you perfectly avoid pulling extra Makura, you’ll still have to deal with these high enemies and their nasty abilities. 

These mobs are the primary reason why farming a Big Iron Fishing Pole is so difficult, as many classes simply don’t have any good ways to deal with them.

The positive side to this is that a huge chunk of the player base won’t be able to reliably do this farm without dying constantly, and this is a good way of keeping competition low. 

Additionally, if you’re able to consistently escape from the crabs without dying, you’ll be able to farm traps much faster, increasing the profit that you’ll be making from this farm.

Quick Tips

With that being said, here are a few quick tips that I’ve been using to survive the crabs and increase my farming efficiency. 

First and most obviously, Druids are the undisputed kings of the Big Iron Fishing Pole farm. You don’t need to be a Druid to participate in this, but if you have one as an alt, you should probably be using that character. 

Aquatic Form is extremely powerful both for moving between different traps and escaping the hostile Makura.

It is still technically possible to die while swimming away as a Druid. But by using your self-heals and abilities like Nature’s Grasp, you can usually escape from the mobs before they manage to kill you. 

Another crucial buff to consider is Water Breathing. And while Druids, Warlocks, and Shamans can achieve this with spells, other classes will need to rely on Elixir of Water Breathing.

You can technically get away without using this by swimming to various air vents on the ocean floor. But this runs the risk of pulling additional mobs, so I wouldn’t recommend it. 

For pet classes, such as Hunters or Warlocks, you can also use your pet as a distraction while you swim in the opposite direction.

I’ve sometimes run into issues when my pet is unable to land a hit, and the mob continues to chase me down. But in most cases, I can swim a far enough distance away before the Makura finishes off my pet and hunts me down. 

Finally, you could rely on Swim Speed Potions to quickly escape from the mobs. But I would only recommend doing this if you’re consistently dying without them.

The cost to craft these things can be a little pricey if you’re using one to escape from a crab every single time. But they are nice to have if all else fails. 

As a final note, while no section of the subzone is truly safe from the mobs, I’ve generally found that the traps directly below the docks of Shadowpre Village are the easiest to farm, especially if you’re a Horde player. This section of the water contains relatively few patrolling Makura. And if you’re fast enough, you can try to run into town and get the guards to help you out.

Options After Obtaining The Big Iron Fishing Pole

Once you finally manage to loot a Big Iron Fishing Pole, you’re left with 2 options. 

You can either sell it for a small fortune to an enterprising fisher, or you can use it yourself to make even more money by fishing in high-level areas across the world. 

In this guide, I’m going to talk about how to get the Furbolg Form in WoW Classic Season of Discovery. 

The Furbolg Form comes from a quest item called Dartol’s Rod of Transformation. It is a 3-minute transmog buff that has a 1-minute cooldown. You can use it while running. That looks super cool. 

Now, this is unfortunately an Alliance-only item. But for you Alliance out there, we’re going to go over to Ashenvale and start the quest chain. Now, as a little bonus, we’re also going to talk about how to get the Snowman form, so stick around.

Steps To Get Furbolg Form

The first thing we need to do is locate Raene Wolfrunner in Ashenvale. She’s going to be located in Astranaar, and we can begin our Raene’s Cleansing chain. 

The first quest will have you traveling west out of Astranaar to the small lake, locating Teronis’ Corpse. Once there, you will be tasked with the next part, which requires you to kill the surrounding murlocs until you receive a Glowing Gem. If you have enough WoW SOD Gold, you can equip yourself with some good armor and weapons in advance. This way you can beat them more easily!

Then, take the journal (Teronis’s Journal) that you found on Teronis and the Glowing Gem back to Wolfrunner in Astranaar.

From here, we head up north to find Shael’dryn. Once locating her, we will need to find the Wooden Key to open up a chest that is located further to the north, and retrieve the Iron Shaft. 

Now, on our way to that chest, we can find these Treant mobs, and killing these will drop the Wooden Key. Open the chest and return to Shael’dryn.

Then, for the final piece, the Iron Pommel is going to require us to head a bit southeast to kill these Slimes. Upon killing these Slimes, they have a small chance to drop an Iron Lockbox that you can loot for the Iron Pommel. Go ahead and kill them until you get the box and the pommel, and then, once again, we return to Shael’dryn.

Now, for the final stretch, you can grab Reconstructed Rod by running to a bit of a hidden path. This rod is provided to the Hidden Shrine and you can re-enchant it. Of course, this process will consume a certain amount of your gold, so please prepare some in advance! Finally, you will get a Dartol’s Rod. 

Now, it should be noted that after this, you should not continue in the quest chain or you will lose the quest item. And turn this quest in and keep the rod. You do not have to accept the next part of the quest. It will just stay in your bags, and there are no charges, so you can use it as much and as often as you want.

How To Get Snowman Disguise?

And just as promised, just as a bonus, if you want to get the Snowman disguise, you must unlock the Winter Veil Disguise Kit. 

All you have to do is get a raid group together, talk to Greatfather Winter, go into Alterac Mountains, and kill the Grinch.

Then, wait 24 hours, and your disguise kit will arrive in the mail.