Returning. How is mage solo and in group and raid? Are they still very versatile and worth while? Would be doing heroic and have all access on a 2002 account so should get as boost.
Solo & group: quite OK, there are 'mercs' now, you will most likely be hiring a healer. You should block the slow heals on the pet, and do the merc upgrade quest. (You get it when you upgrade to Heroic, it is in Feerot, the Dream). There are many classes who are more powerful, but the mage has its charm, and it is fun to use the mage tools in a smart way when grouping. Most groups will be built around a tank and a healer, and in such a group a mage will be dps, but quite far from top dps. In a group without a tank, a mage pet can tank, if there is Crowd Control - CC -, and if proper healing and runing is being applied. No AE aggro, so you need to be quick with what is called swarm pets, temporary secondary pets, when there is an add, untill the CCer gets it under control. A 'normal' group will always prefer a tank over a pet, and will as a general rule be more capable and get more xp. Mages are OK. They are not OP, they are not broken. Some might say they are a bit too simple to play, which is not necesarily false... Quite a lot do ˋboxingˋ, either alone or in groups, for more fun. I box a bard and an enchanter, even when I play with friends. If so, there are some permitted tools you should look into, but I would not start with that, playing with a single toon will be more than enough to begin with.
