Mage PvP and Other Options

[Xame]

Thank you, everyone!  These are some great concrete strategies and I'm already starting to practice them as I can (and just to think about it all a bit differently too).  And I'm saving up for a respec!
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I'm currently living in the same PvP state as you.

Leveling: Stay off of the roads and stay away from Instances that higher level characters are traveling to.

Suprise encounters: Keep sheep on the fastest hot keyboard key you have. Your first move is always to sheep. Unless it is a mage were you must hit counterspell. Remember, first dmg in PvP is usually the winner with even levels. This resets the battle and gives you a sec to think about what to do next (running away and hiding is a very reasonable option!!).

Combat: If they don't have a trinket to break the sheep. You can setup the fight (you were running away right?). If you decide to fight, break the sheep with a
fireball/frostbolt and NEVER cast anything over 1.5 secs again. Your combat is pretty simple, fireblast, cone of cold and scotch when you get some distance. Use frost nova to root and blink to gain distance (use the blink second because most people will root/slow/stun after they have been sheeped, shot at, and then frost nova'ed) Remember to run around all the time!!!! and use instant AE to punish them while they chase you and you are waiting for your damage/roots to come up again. Use Arcane missles when you get ahead of the curve and then execute them with a fireblast + cone of cold + instant AE (the fast burst dps at the end is important to stop them from drinking a health pot).

Keyboard bindings:
Keypad 0: rear-view mirror. Set this to "flip" the camera. Flick it with your mouse
thumb to see if they are chasing you.
Middle mouse: fireblast (needs to be fast because shot at a 60deg angle to the enemy as you are turning a corner while kiting)
Shift middle mouse: cone of cold (also fast because it is also shot at an angle while turning and kiting)


Escapes: After the sheep keep running. If you decide to run for it, flip the rear-view
mirror and watch the sheep for a sec (while running!!). If they break sheep (trinket/shape shift etc). Stop and re-sheep (YOU DO NOT NEED TO FACE THE ENEMY). Run for cover, save your blink for stuns/roots and your frost nova for when they get close (don't waste these). Use cone of cold and look for cover. Remember to redo sheep if you get near mobs with the hope to wander the sheep into the mobs before they break the sheep again.

All fighters are easy for mages (keep away from them and kite like crazy, practice with mobs, kill the mob with 100% life, practice running the mage triangle "60 degree sharp turns while putting out damage on your turns from your fireblast/cone of cold).
Priests/warlocks - run away from them, most are shadow priests and will kill you with dots even if you win the fight you still die
Shaman - run in a linear pattern (away from their totems!) Your instant casts should do the trick to kill them. Keep away from arcane missles since they will just stop it.
Hunters - sheep the PET not the hunter. Get in close and start with the arcane missles. Most hunters are either beast or marksman. Getting in close gives you a huge dps advantage (remember pets don't get trinkets so have at it sheeping the pet)
Mages - sheep/counterspell wins and lucky crit wins. Go for arcane missles fast because is "interupts"/slows casting if they are dumb and go for a fireball/frostbolt.

Remember, 1. always keep moving (except for AM for the win and scorch when you get distance). 2. Blink is a common combat weapon like frost nova (USE IT). 3. Run away and gank them when they are with a mob questing and low on health (this is a PvP server :P red=dead) 4. mana/health = 2/1 for the mid levels. when picking what gear to buy at the AH (don't go for total int gear or total stam gear, 2/1 is a good balance).