The Magician's Tower

I hope I can provide some valuable insight. I've boxed druid with melee and caster classes. They're awesome with both. I box a mage with melee and casters, they're awesome with both. Druids in my era is really a weak wizard DD who can emergency heal.

Specifically for your druid and mage combo, rather I should say your mage druid combo. Here are my mage hotkeys:

/xtar 1 (or /assist puller)
/pause 3
/pause 30, /pet attack *see note 1 below
/pause 40, /cast quick low mana dd *see note 2
/cast RS

*1* be sure to give the pet a few seconds to build some aggro, so put in a pause before the next line of attack.

*2* Assuming this is an efficient group that is not leaving you at full mana ever, I use a low mana dd to proc a Gift of Mana before using the RS mana drain. This line[4] can be swapped with /cast RS. BUT, big but, your tank needs a few seconds to build aggro to get the full lifespan benefit of the RS pet. I found that if I cast RS too soon the mob will kill it in 10 seconds, missing out on 8 seconds of DPS. (But I'm also hasting the RS pet with a chanter or bard -- so it makes a difference).

More often, when I have too much mana, I use this:

/xtar 1 (or /assist puller)
/pause 3
/pause 50, /pet attack
/pause 40, /cast RS
/cast DD

I also have a hotkey for quick prep:
/pet target (or /target tank_name)
/pause 3
/pause 40, /cast Burning_Aura_xx
/cast Pyrilien_skin_xx

It's a nice way to save on key mashing.

I also use RS pet to offtank with:

/xtar 2
/pause 3
/pause 3, /cast RS
/cast RS

For my druid, I only debuff with Hand of Ro (yes the level 61 one) and Hoar Frost [L74]. Cumulatively they reduce mobs' atk by 213 and AC by 40. This is almost like (stress almost) giving everyone in the group an AC boost of 213, and raising atk by 40. I found that it turns some difficult challenges to managable ones. Back when my paladin was 72 I was able to duo Carprin Deatharn without any heals. Was a joke. Also reduces FR by 72, making it much easier to nuke as you already know. And the mana is fractional.

The druid main hotkey is simply:

/pause 3, /assist tank
/pause 50, /cast HoR (BoR is just fine)
/pause 50, /cast HF
/cast Vengence DoT (30sec)
/cast Rain -or-
/alt act Entrap (for runners)

And this priceless one which I am constantly mashing is:

/target tank
/pause 3
/pause 20, /cast Fernspur_xx (insta cast 8 hit big-DS)
/alt act Wrath of the Wild (3min recast, not always up)
/cast Reptile_skin_xx (don't use with a paladin)

My druid uses the rain spell by targeting main tank right after the above.

I would imagine the mage and druid big DS stacks up to something monumental for some nice indirect damage.

Personally I wouldn't give up the druid for a shaman. Slows are only so great, you can get the buffs anytime. Most mobs mitigate slows now. And your Beast Pet can manage on his own if you got the skills, and you sound like you do.

Not to mention, one of the mage-druid combo's biggest attributes is your DS stacking. Why use slows to mitigate your own strength? More mobs hit mean more indirect DS damage.

smurf you Vincentt. The others had me convinced to go shaman but now I am torn again. All that advice was awesome, so thanks for that.

Time to ponder the meaning of life...

Kray,

The fact is either Druid or Shammy would make a good compliment to a Mage. So would a Bard, Chanter, Nec, or a 2nd Mage.

I happen to prefer Shammy over Druid because (a) I have one and (b) I'm more familiar with them. The fact that I have one is the main factor. It would take me quite some time to get another toon up to the level I have my Shammy at.

Since you have both a Druid and a Shammy, try both and see which one you like better.

They are both good choices, but Shammies are not just slows, sorry. They are probably the most diverse class in the game.

Using DS as a reason for not slowing isn't a point. The bigger bonuses are on hit limited DSes and will wear off before your recast in either case. I am pretty sure the passive amount of damage you can gain from a shammy pup (yes I use one) with lynx line and pet weapons on it would do more damage than a druid DS without you havign to chain cast anything. Plus if you haste you RSes, than shammy can do that as well. I am not saying I hate druids but I find your reasoning behind why they are better than shaman kind of weak. You mentioned using your druid to debuff with their lines, and then you tell someone you don't need slow? I may just be miss reading something but seems an odd way to say something is better.

In the long run both classes can be nice. I would prefer Shaman overall just because they do almost everything at a good level if not great. Try them both see what works. I have both though not on same account, so I can tinker with using both at same time.

I've played nec, bard, druid and shammy (I'm new to the mage class). They all have their benefits but it boils down to what you want out of a toon to help your own game play. We can give you advice til we're blue in the face. With that said, I'll give my two cents.

Druid is a very good option. The ports would be enough for me to use them and their buffs help mages more than shammy (imo).

Shammy is a better option. The dps is impressive and their utility is hard to beat. The CC is also decent. THe ADPS is where they shine as well.

Nec is even better. Their dps is amazing and you bot them with 1 or two hotkeys. Pulling is amazing combined with a mage.

Bard is best. The slows (so so but it helps) and the ADPS is game changing for you and pulling is nearly the best in the game, if not the best. Travel is amazing if you have to run through zones. The best part for having a bard is the fact that you can just sit them there and boos tyour dps by 30% without touching the toon makes it the best option. Mana regen is smurf good as well. You name it they do it other than straight dps, which is weak but you dont need them to attack a mob. I like simple. The less I have to work at a game the better. IF I want to tear crap up, I can by pushing myself.

I've played almost all the classes and the reason I stop playing one is that they need too much attention to be a factor. Thats my game play but everyones is different. Good luck with your choice.

Thanks all, this has been a great thread in helping me. I am moving forward with the shaman for now.

But rock always beats scissors!

I'd never say druid > shm. I'm just bored of shm I guess, played one duod for 9 years. Too slow (pardon the pun) a class for me now. I'm into quick keying chaos, and a ranger/mage combo is making me happy atm.
Hell I don't even play the druid that often really. But I did notice that the ATK debuff is almost as good as a slow. In some cases it is superior when the mobs mitigate slow --- they don't mitigate the ATK debuff and almost no blows land when it's on. Just my 2cp.

Goodluck K, I'm sure you'll have lots of fun with the shm/mage! Don't forget to make a hotkey with a fast casting haste to target your RS pet. Get some serious dmg in there.

Here's the haste hotkey I highly recommend to auto target your RS pet and give it a haste:

/tar Kraymerica`s pet {use ` left of the 1 key, not ' appostrophe}
/pause 3
/pause 3, /cast Quickness
/cast Quickness

With max spell haste, Quickness (level 26 shm 30% haste, 3.1 sec cast) can be fired in 1.6 seconds. SLtW is 8 sec (4 sec max) and is a 60% haste. How much dps would you lose in those 2.4 seconds on a quadding monster gargoyle? Maybe 2 rounds, so up to you which haste you want to use.

That is good info, Vincentt. I never even thought to cast haste on an RS pet. The mana cost of a level 26 spell is probably next to nothing. I'll have to go digging back in my spell book, lol.

Yes, i like to use my chanter/mage sometimes and with the chanter's 64% haste (Aanya's Quickening) the RS mows through any mob. But I do have to put in a delay to allow the Main Pet to build up aggro, otherwise RS gets insta aggro and is demolished in 6-10 seconds.