Macros for Mages

[TeaLeaf]

Here's a list of some of the macros I currently use on my mage.  None of it is rocket science, but I hope people find something useful in the list!

TL.

Notes:
/stopcasting
This is still an invaluable tool for any attack with a cast time.  Using an addon like Quartz (which shows your server lag time as a visible bar at the end of your castbar) you can start the cast of your next spell before the casting line has reached the end of the cast bar.  If your latency is showing as 100ms and you are casting a 2.5 second fireball then using a /stopcast macro will give you up to 4% increase in DPS.  The higher your latency the bigger the improvements.

Fireball macro:
replaces the standard fireball button and uses both stopcasting and triggers the named trinket if the cooldown is up.

Code Select Expand

/script UIErrorsFrame:Hide()
/use Icon of the Silver Crescent
/script UIErrorsFrame:Clear()
/script UIErrorsFrame:Show()
/stopcasting
/cast fireball

Polymorph Focus Target Macro:
replaces sheep button (use sheep or pig as alternate spells) and creates a focus target so you do not need to be targeting the focus target to sheep.  Use Ctrl to sheep a non-focus target or to clear the focus target.

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/clearfocus [modifier:ctrl]
/clearfocus [target=focus,dead]
/clearfocus [target=focus,noexists]
/focus [target=focus,noexists]
/cast [target=focus] Polymorph: turtle
/stopmacro [nogroup]

Scorch macro:
replaces standard scorch button and uses stopcasting

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/stopcasting
/cast scorch

MA Macro
I like to be able to hit a button and to find myself targeting the MA's target.  I use this all the time and edit it for the name of the MA for each raid.

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/assist

[Sandrion]

The usefullness of /stopcasting as a DPS increasing tool completely depends on your latency though. If you only have < 20ms ping times (like I usually do), you'll likely cancel your spell early by accident (and it will just be a royal pain in the rear end). On the other hand if you have high ping times, you can potentially gain a lot of extra DPS :norty: .
 
I hear just about every serious mage saying this is a must have, but I don't really get it ... are they all still using dail-up connections or something :unsure: ?
 
It is a pretty usefull macro though, since you can use it for chaining spells together as well (like POM + Pyro for example) and it enables you to cancel spells without any negative sideeffects (like the GCD).

[TeaLeaf]

That's because no casting class has a 20ms ping - and remember it's latency related to the server action.  And if your measured latency (not the ping number in a DOS box) is that low then Blizz' code is loose enough to not cancel the first cast.  The latency being measured is the gap between the point that you are irrevocably commited to making that spell cast and the point at which your screen renders it as complete.That often has little relation to your 'ping'.  Trust me, every caster who uses /stopcasting understands why and recognises the benefit.  Try it.

I have a 12ms ping usually.  I have yet to see a 12ms ping in game, it's usually up around 80-100 of in-game ping between server committed and the end of the cast bar.  If every serious mage tells you the same thing, then maybe there's some truth to it?

TL.

[Bob]

If every serious mage tells you the same thing, then maybe there's some truth to it?

Nah, we druids know what's best! Listen to the bear :flirty:

[Sandrion]

I know. For the same reason you sometimes get an autoattack while you've already started casting a spell.
 
I'm not questioning it's benefit; I'm just saying it you won't nessasarily gain anything from this if you consistently have very low ping times.
 
It did sound promising, so I gave it a try anyway (Quartz + /stopcasting /cast shadowbolt marco). But it doesn't really work for me, even on a busy evening, my latency is just too low :sad: :
 

 

 
I'm still going to use it though, since you sometimes click a button right before the bar lights up, when you're a bit over-eager, and you have to press it a second time.
 
I love the Quartz mod btw :thumb: . The swing timer is especially nice for my Warrior (I'm leveling him as 2h fury / slam), it is just what I was looking for.

[TeaLeaf]

I think you're damn lucky to have those latency levels - most people sit at double that or more most nights.  But aye Quartz is a nice piece of work.

TL.

[sheepy]

u lucky sob sand

[Sandrion]

Aye, I guess I am lucky then .

[Sandrion]

Here is something I found on the Blizz boards regarding /stopcasting macros:
 

FYI, we're working on something for 2.3 to help make /stopcasting lag workarounds unnecessary.

From: http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=388011140&pageNo=1&sid=1#8
 
Good news for everyone (if they really put in patch 2.3 and it works, that is).

[TeaLeaf]

Aye, I suspect I'll keep my stopcasting macro until their solution is shown to work.  If it is anything like as successful as in-game voice comms............:roflmao:

TL.

[TeaLeaf]

Polymorph Focus Target Macro:
replaces sheep button (use sheep or pig as alternate spells) and creates a focus target so you do not need to be targeting the focus target to sheep.  Use Ctrl to sheep a non-focus target or to clear the focus target.

Code Select Expand

/clearfocus [modifier:ctrl]
/clearfocus [target=focus,dead]
/clearfocus [target=focus,noexists]
/focus [target=focus,noexists]
/cast [target=focus] Polymorph(Rank 1: Turtle)
/stopmacro [nogroup]

This now works again - they renamed the spell - although I am trying to figure out what thye might do with a Rank 2 Turtle?

TL.

[Bastet]

I you use /cast polymorph does it use a random one perhaps? And ranks of polymorph make it last longer i think.

[sheepy]

/cast polymorph will just cast sheep. its only the other spells that needsummin else

[TeaLeaf]

Now that we have Icy Veins I've updated my macro:

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/script UIErrorsFrame:Hide()
/use Icon of the Silver Crescent
/cast combustion
/cast icy veins
/script UIErrorsFrame:Clear()
/script UIErrorsFrame:Show()
/cast fireball