Before we break down the Wizard’s
beta toolset, let’s get
one thing straight.  You
are not the
Sorceress.  There are tons of differences, but three really stand out.

• You
  don’t
  have infinite mana. Arcane
  Power is a
  fast recharging resource but it has a low ceiling, which prevents super
  spell spamming.
• Teleport has a cooldown so you’re not going to make it to Baal in 45 seconds.
• Your
  spell damage is based on your weapon
  damage.  You're not killing people naked anymore!

All of these add up to a different
kind of build necessary
to thrive and survive in Diablo 3. style="">  The wizard is still a
spell slinging
powerhouse, but you have much more to decide on and use as you slay. style="">  His or her spells are
split into two major
schools – signature and high powered. 
Academic
spells are super cheap on arcane power, and as you level, eventually
become
free to cast.  The
big spells will always
deplete your reserves in a hurry, but give you results that are both
flashy and
devastating.

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alt="The Diablo 3 Wizard's Academic Spells don't mean 'weak'. Just cheap!"
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/196327">

Academic
does not mean weak or lame looking.  

Diablo 3 Wizard Academic Spells

Magic Missile – Flinging a single
target burst at long
range, the Wizard keeps himself out of harms way and does decent single
target
damage.  You start
with it and you’ll
probably end with it.

Shock Pulse – Essentially Charged
Bolt, it releases 3 random
pulses of lightning. Keeps groups down and does good damage if all 3
hit.

Spectral Blade - Slashes very quickly
in front of you, dealing
great damage in a hurry.  When
I say in
front of you though, I mean at melee range. 
This is not typically where a Wizard wants to be!

Electrocute – While it drains you
very quickly, this deals
with groups and single targets very effectively.  It
will eventually become efficient, just not
at these beta levels!

Diablo 3 Wizard Offensive Spells

Wave of Force – A Nova that says “get
outta here!”, dealing
good damage, reflecting projectiles and sending enemies reeling. style="">  Has a medium cooldown
however, so use with
caution.

Arcane Orb – Toss hot death that
explodes on contact ,
dealing fantastic aoe splash damage to packs. 
Will deplete your arcane power very quickly, but has no
cooldown.  If you
want to make a room melt before they
can even agro you, here’s your spell.

Energy Twister – Slinging wind as
well as water and
lightning, the Wizard creates storm force winds that deal good damage
over
time.  Efficient and
powerful, but won’t
instagib anything.

Disintegrate – A beam of pure energy
does huge arcane damage
per second and leaves nothing in its wake. 
If there are resurrectors nearby, this will make sure
they’re bored and
can’t do their job.

Explosive Blast – A delayed explosion
that does big damage
around you after a second, and requires you to be in the fray for that
second.  Risky, but
high reward.

Hydra – A Diablo 2 favorite returns
and is still fairly safe
to fling and forget, but it isn’t a strong spell by itself and is
expensive.  Useful
for kiting and battles
of attrition.  You’ve
got better spells
to deal with small fry though.

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src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/196328">

One
of the things you'll notice is that your wizard isn't afraid to get
into his spells.  He/she isn't as flatfooted as the Diablo 2
Sorceress!

Diablo 3 Wizard Utility Spells

Frost Nova – Damn it, you got WoW in
this class too
Blizzard?  A ring
freezes all nearby
enemies in place for some time, including most bosses, and does damage. style="">  Has a decent cooldown, so
you have to make it
count.

Ice Armor 
- Chill
out, enemies!   This
will make you much
beefier and make it very easy to kite, much like the mage/sorceress
equivalent.

Magic Weapon – For those of us that
like to bring the pain
personally, this grants a solid damage boost to your weapon. style="">  It’s not Enchant, but
it’ll do.

Diamond Skin – A wonderful ‘oh shit’
button that makes you
immune to all but the most grievous of damage for 5 seconds. style="">  Super high cooldown, but
If you want to sit
on a boss and cast without worry, this will let you do so. style="">  Don’t leave hardcore
without it!