Heya! See, this is what happens when I'm away too long: the world is turned up-side down. But I really need the money to pay for all the stuff from IKEA to fill my new apartment! Oh, and some change for that little trip I'm going on next weekend. ;) But back to the blog...
The idea behind these posts is of course to give an in-debth image of the mage. Hopefully this will give you some inspiration.
This first article will deal with the most common and famous mages from Azeroth and Outland as well as a few mage types. I will of course try to give you the info on how you can dress like some of the mage NPCs.
I will also use some of these mages to show you a few item sets that are avaliable to mages.
I will also use some of these mages to show you a few item sets that are avaliable to mages.
In the upcoming articles you can look forward to more mage rp outfits representing each specialization; Arcane, Fire and Frost. I will also try to give you a few pointers on how to create an outfit for a frostfire mage.The plan is to also finish this little series with an 'All The Little Things' article that will present you with a summary of all the rings, necks, trinkets, tomes, off-hand frills, mounts, spells, glyphs and pets that can make your mage more interesting. And then when I'm done...I'll get annoyed at all the new stuff that's come out in Cata that I haven't added. But first things first...
The Mage and Mage Dress Code
The Mage and Mage Dress Code
Whatever one's opinion might be of the mage, it is easy to observe that these are the people that take dressing very seriously. Perhaps because we are a cloth wearing class with the least amount of protection? "If I have to die, at least I'll die in style and looking my best!" is my mage motto.
As you can see in the picture of the lovely miss Jaina Proudmore, mages are naturally a flashy and elegant class. Not only is her outfit amazing, but she has also managed to obtain some purple nail polish and eye shadow to make the whole outfit complete. Vanity, thy name is Jaina...
Conclusion: A mage can only be seen in rags if he or she has accidentally sent the fireball in the wrong direction. Even the lowest mage apprentices are clad in above average outfits.
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| There is no equvalent to Suzanne's robe. |
Mage dress code?
Almost all mages in WoW wear robes - always. Locking the entire class to cloth and robes has, however, not stopped the mages. For instance, mages find ways to personalize outfits with colorful and detail rich robes and accessories such as weapons. Weapons that mages can carry are wands, staves, daggers, one handed swords, along with tomes and other kinds of off-hand frills. A mage will often wear a pointy hat, hood, circlet or a collar. The robe however is the one piece of clothing that is a constant.
If this has your head spinning...Typical dress code for the mage class consists of the following items: a robe, a hat, a wand and a staff. It can be that simple.
Mage Trainers and Racial Differences
Here are some more mages I've run into.
If you are a Human, your first mage trainer will be this guy: Khelden Bremen. His robes are actually quite unusual for a lower level trainer and I have not seen any other mage trainer dressed quite like him. The robe he is wearing is the Spellbinder Robe, which should be easy enough to find on the AH. Another alternative is the Spider Web Robe and is a quite simple farm from low level spiders in Tirisfal Glades. The Spider Web Robe is a sleeveless version of the Spellbinder Robe but it is also a common quality level four item. - making it more accesible to any alt you may have. I've personally farmed a whole closet of these. So, it is not soulbound, extremely low level, good looking and easy to get. Go farm.
Another Human mage of note is Archmage Malin. The outfit he is wearing is very nice looking and interesting. I would recommend it to Human mages.
He is wearing the Flarecore Robe/Infernoweave Robe with red boots. I'd suggest the Imperial Red Boots and Gloves.
If you want to make this outfit a little more special, add Imperial Red Mantle and replace the dull belt with Angelista's Grasp.
As with any class, there are geographical and racial differences in style. Horde mages and mage trainers often reflect this quite well by wearing a variety of outfits - from tribal inspired Troll mages such as the Orgrimmar mage trainer Deino and Thunder Bluff Birgitte Cranston to the flashy Blood Elf trainers of Silvermoon. Most Undead mages tend to follow Human style of course. Miss Cranston seems to have struck a balance between the tribal style of Troll culture and her Human roots.
The robe Deino is wearing is the Brightcloth Robe.
Birgitte is wearing a combination of the leather leather Big Voodoo Robe - in kilt form - and the Darkmist Armor. The shoulders are the Shadoweave Shoulders.
The robe Deino is wearing is the Brightcloth Robe.
Birgitte is wearing a combination of the leather leather Big Voodoo Robe - in kilt form - and the Darkmist Armor. The shoulders are the Shadoweave Shoulders.
In Silvermoon you will find some impossible to get outfits - usually mixtures of mage tier items and dungeon sets, kilt forms and so on - while other outfits will be very easy to put together. Of the easily attainable items the most notable ones are the Blood Elf mage starter robe and the mage quest Manaweave Robe (no longer avaliable). You will see more of these two in the upcoming posts.
Another robe I found interesting in the mage part of Silvermoon was this version of the craftable Imbued Netherweave Robe. This robe also works well for mages who are interested in dressing like the Scryer loremasters and mages. For a fire mage, the red version of this very same robe is the Magister's Terrace Heroic drop: the Scarlet Sin'dorei Robes.
Speaking of Burning Crusade influences, most mage trainers in Exodar can be seen in Anchorite's Robes. These robes can be bought at the Aldor quartermasters if you have a reputation level of honored. They represent both the Aldor faction and Exodar mage trainers very well. An alternative is the golden version, Draenic Silk Robes. Works well as part of a unique outfit for fire mages or priests.
You can also try dressing up like Lunaraa. She is the portal trainer in Exodar and is wearing the Robe of the Magi along with Shadoweave Shoulders. This outfit works very well for alternative arcane magi.
Robe of the Magi can be a little pricy on the auction house as the drop rate is quite low. I still think it's worth the gold as there is no other robe like it, the coloring is really interesting and it looks good on any race (I'd recommend it to Blood Elf arcane mages)
For fire and frost mage equivalents of this model, keep reading. ;)
Last out among mage trainers are the Gnomes. Cutest of them all are found in the Mystic Ward in Ironforge. I'm talking about Juli Stormkettle and the adorable pair; Bink and Dink. They are all wearing classic Vanilla cloth armor.
Juli's outfit consists of Crimson Silk Shoulders and Crimson Silk Robe.
Bink is wearing the blue version of the Crimson Silk Robe and its name is the Abjurer's Robe. This robe is one of my all time favorites.
Dink's outfit is only slightly more complicated. The robe is the Royal Gown, the shoulders are the Azure Shoulders but I cannot find that purple belt. All I know is that it is a purple version of the Gossamer belt.
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| Bink and Dink |
New class - race combinations have now made it possible to have a Night Elf, Dwarf, Orc, Worgen and Goblin mage. Though these races are 'new' to the mage class, there is precedence. Orc mages will most likely follow the traditional Troll and Orc wear. Dwarf mages have been seen wearing pretty much the same as Gnome mages.
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| Ironforge mage to the left. |
Night Elven mages already have some interesting outfit suggestions in Highborne and Shen'dralar items such as the Sorcerer item set (which has now also been introduced as the starting robe for all Night Elf mages) and the Archmage Robe - a robe that all Shen'dralar wear.
Worgen mages generally follow Human dress code with a Gilnean flavor, while the Goblins tend to have a more Gnomish/Goblin dress code with their very own tribal twist.
Burning Crusade - The Isle of Quel'Danas
Moving on to some other locations with a high content of mages... Isle of Quel'Danas! Aside from the Scryer and Aldor tiers in Shattrath, the Isle of Quel'Danas is a good place to visit for mage inspiration.
Those of you who raided Sunwell, have visited these guys often. Located on a ship in the Isle harbor, you can find Archmage Ne'thul and his advisors. Ne'thul himself is wearing the good old BC BOJ Tormented Demonsoul Robes or the Black Temple drop Robe of the Shadow Council with priest Swiftheal Mantle. The robe comes in two more colors - brown and green. My first badge armor acquisition back in BC was the brown Shroud of the Lore'nial. Later on I upgraded to the black Demonsoul Robes. So yes, though they may not be 'typical' mage robes, they will surely hold memories for characters who were a part of Outland battles. I know they do to me.
Ne'thul's three advisors are all wearing the Tempest Regalia. The Tempest Regalia is an amazing set for mages, yet somehow it is rarely seen among roleplayers. The helm is a one of a kind, and the coloring perfect for any pure arcane mage. I am actually planning on getting rid of most of the baggage on Hanuma in order to farm this set soon.
For more outfits, visit Magisters' Terrace or Sunwell Plateau. There you will see Archmages, Magisters and Keepers, all in mage tier armors.
Northrend and Dalaran
On your way to Dalaran, more specifically in Westguard Keep, you will run into Mage-Lieutenant Malister. Mister Malister is wearing the Glacial Robe with blue Incanter's Pauldrons and blue Handwraps of Flowing Thought. Neither the shoulders nor the gloves are avaliable to players, I am sorry to say. The belt is the Talonite's Belt and is leather so nothing good to report there either.*sighs*
However, you can match your Glacial Robe with the Midrealm Hat to make an amazing, yet simple set. Try also adding the Stormwind Tabard and Lieutenant Commander's Silk Mantle.
And then there is Dalaran... The city itself holds plenty of mages from which to draw inspiration. I've chosen to focus on a few.
If you want to dress like a Dalaran mage, please take a look at my previous post on the subject because I will not cover it here.
If you want to dress like a Dalaran mage, please take a look at my previous post on the subject because I will not cover it here.
What I have previously not given much attention though, are the mage gladiators in Dalaran's Underbelly. These are all similarly dressed, but do not wear the usual Kirin Tor uniforms. In stead they wear the Brutal Gladiator's Regalia.
(Have you noticed that these mages no longer have the same 'name' - but have now been given proper names?)
Another Underbelly mage wearing a noteworthy outfit is miss Nixi Fireclaw - water vendor. Her outfit consists of the Tirisfal Regalia and the Crown of Endless Knowledge.
Her looks have been changed since I took this picture, but the outfit is still the same.
Aside from the obvious mages scattered across the city, the most famous is without a doubt the Kirin Tor leader Rhonin. He is also the poster boy for pant loving magi, and an annoyance to me. I have never been a fan of the mage T8 Conqueror's Kirin Tor Garb and I doubt I ever will be.
But...if you are, that's what he's wearing. Also, if you like this set, check out the brown Valorous Kirin Tor Grab.
More interesting to me are the Horde mages in Sunreaver's Sanctuary. Clad in classical and BC mage gear, they represent mage fashion from my point of view. And only now did I realize how incredibly stuck in my ways I am... *looks into the mirror only to see a grey haired mage who has clearly been too busy with her own books and ideas to notice that the world around her has changed*
I'm still writing about them though... :P
To the left: Magister Brasael in his gorgeous Evoker's Silk Battlegear - also known as the red version of the Incanter's Regalia. LOVE this one!
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| Magister Surdiel is wearing the BOP tailor crafted Sunfire Robe/Robes of Ghostly Hatred with Shoulderpads of Knowledge's Pursuit. |
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| Magister Sarien; wearing the recolored version of the Arcanist Regalia. This yummy red set is avaliable from Outland instances. |
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| Looking for more Vanilla classics? Magistrix Lambriesse can be seen wearing many of them: Robe of Doan, Magister's Crown, Sunderseer Mantle (or Exquisite Sunderseer Mantle). |
Then there is Magistrix Vesara in a (slightly recolored?) pant version of the Sorcerer's Dungeon Set 2 from Vanilla. This outfit is not avaliable to players as a whole, and perhaps that's just as well. *giggles*
Oh and neither is the DS2 acvaliable to players since the sundering it seems - the quest lines for the dungeon set upgrades have been removed from the game.
Oh and neither is the DS2 acvaliable to players since the sundering it seems - the quest lines for the dungeon set upgrades have been removed from the game.
Her off-hand is the Master Dragonslayer's Orb. Not sure about the blade though... I looks pretty simple, so an enchant on a weapon like the Sinister Scimitar should do the trick?
Of the five remaining Dalaran mages of interest, two can be found in the Violet Gate - the room you teleport to from Crystalsong Forest. Greeting you is Archmage Celindra. She is the portal trainer and is wearing the Merciless Gladiator's Regalia. Her helm is a green version of the Crown of Endless Knowledge, but I don't really know if this is avaliable to players.
The scowling mage trainer behind her is Warcaster Fanoraithe. He is wearing a Shadoweave Robe/Robes of the Lich, Hallowed Pauldrons, Belt of Dark Mending and Incanter's Cowl. 
Next on the list is Archmage Lan'dalock, who is wearing a very interesting outfit. I am adding him because this is exactly how I want the Kirin Tor Garb to look on us mages. The rest of the outfit is the same as the regular Kirin Tor Garb but in stead of a tunic and pants, this mage is wearing a robe. *envy*
His weapon is the purple version of the Apostle of Argus staff. The jobless Archmage Timear is wearing a blue robe set version of the Kirin Tor Garb and is actually carrying the Apostle of Argus.
Inside the Violet Hold, Lieutenant Sinclari (why do I think of Clarice Starling from Silence of the Lambs here??) is wearing what appears to be the Netherwind Regalia.
The gloves and shoulders are from the set. However, the lower part of the robe does not match at all. Though it looks familiar to me, I cannot figure out what it could be. Leave a comment if you know the answer to this little puzzle. ;)
The gloves and shoulders are from the set. However, the lower part of the robe does not match at all. Though it looks familiar to me, I cannot figure out what it could be. Leave a comment if you know the answer to this little puzzle. ;)
And last but in no way least, Archmage Vargoth. I believe I once promised to put together a lookalike outfit for this famous mage, and now I'm delivering - but I am too late.
I am really sorry to have to say this, but unless you already have the DS2 Sorcerer's Regalia there is no way you can complete this outfit.
As mentioned, the quest chains for the dungeon set one upgrade have been removed from the game with the most recent changes and there are no alternative items out there that share this coloring.
For those of you who have held on to your Sorcerer's Regalia, here is what you need:
Sorcerer's Robes, Mantle and Boots. In stead of the Crown, Vargoth is wearing a Violet Hat. His gloves are, oddly enough, the Imperial Red Gloves. I have had these red gloves in my bags for a very long time, but I never would have thought that a mage of Vargoth's stature would wear something this simple. Aaanyways... Last bit of gear you need is the purple cloak and you can buy one just like it from your major city PVP quartermasters:
Again, I feel really bad for not posting this information sooner. Sorry!
A Few Other Mages Types
Among the mage NPCs we also find some of the most prominent deviant mage types. You often battle rogue, cultist, and pirate/Defias evokers and mages. All of these are types that I have met ingame as roleplaying characters. People generally pick a faction to belong to and even some mages of my own guild have taken 'radical' paths, meaning we have some trading/pirate mages and one presumed techno mage in our ranks. This makes roleplaying a mage quite interesting.
It is a bit of an irony though, that the robe the Bloodsail and Defias mages are wearing is BOP and only avaliable to the Horde: High Robe of the Adjudicator. My only suggestion is the Cindercloth Robe paired up with a Stylish Red Shirt, Red Swashbuckler's Shirt, or as in the screenshot above a Scarlet Filigreed Doublet. The Bloodsail mages are also wearing Grom'tor's Bloodied Bandage and Durable Shoulders.
However, if you want something simpler and easier to get you can dress like a Defias Rogue Mage. What you need is a Brown Linen Robe, a red mask, light colored shoes or boots and a belt similar to the Apprentice Sash.
Almost all Defias and Bloodsail mages carry very simple staves. My advice would be a simple wooden tribal staff or a quarterstaff.
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| Zapblast - a techno mage? |
Though they are mentioned in the lore, I have not seen any Goblin, Gnome, Draenei or even Dwarf mages that can clearly be defined as a techno mage.
In the simplest sense, a techno mage would be a tinkering mage. But...it's not qute that simple. By definition, a techno mage combines his magical powers with technology to enhance his own spells - the technology is almost an extension of the magician. Take Torben Zapblast for example. Unlike most other transporter operators, he stands out as a 'teleportation specialist'. But, we do not know for sure that he is a mage, though he is a mana user. He also refers to himself as an engineer so odds are not in our favor. I have no idea. I would like to think that there is a chance of him being a mage and a techno mage, but I have no proof. So what does a techno mage look like? If you know something I don't, please share it. ;)
What do you wear?
