WoW: Forever Mage Class Guide: Best Spec, Talents, Leveling

• Talent points: the first arrives at level 10 and you hold 51 at level 60. The Talented Legacy perk can bring points up to 5 levels earlier.
• Frost milestones: Ice Lance needs 10 points in the tree, Shatter and Ice Block 15, Cold Snap and Fingers of Frost 20, Ice Barrier 30.
• Respec: done at a class trainer in a major city. Blizzard says the price climbs quickly and resets once per week.
• Dual spec: unlocks at level 40.
• Training: abilities from 1 to 60 cost 206-207 gold in total, per Blizzard's launch development notes.
• Exact build: plan it in our WoW: Forever Talent Calculator.

These picks are our recommendations, not Blizzard's.

Leveling helpWoW: Forever Leveling BoostSuits Mages short on time who want a vetted human player's help through a chosen level range.from 9 EURSee options

Which Mage spec should you level with?

Frost is the most forgiving Mage leveling spec in WoW: Forever. Blizzard says a solo player needs roughly 10-15 seconds for an ordinary creature, so a spec that keeps enemies off you during those seconds saves food, deaths and walks back.

The loop is simple: Frostbolt to slow, Frost Nova or a Frostbite proc to freeze, then Ice Lance. Fire is the honest alternative if you prefer big hits, with Incineration and Accelerant at the top of the tree and Pyroblast at 10 points, but you give up most of your kiting. Arcane is the compromise pick while leveling, since every Arcane Blast raises its next mana cost by 100%.

Which talents should a Mage take at each stage?

Take Frost talents in the order that gives you speed first, then control, then burst. Use our WoW: Forever Talent Calculator for the point-by-point build.

Levels 10-20: what comes first?

Improved Frostbolt comes first: 5 ranks with no tree requirement cut the cast by 0.5 sec. Five points in the tree open Frostbite (3 ranks) and Improved Frost Nova (2 ranks). Ice Lance needs 10 points, so it lands around level 20.

Levels 20-40: what should you buy next?

Buy Frost Channeling next, since 3 ranks cut Frost mana costs by 15% and threat by 30%. Then take Shatter (3 ranks, needs 15) and Ice Block (needs 15), followed by Fingers of Frost (2 ranks, needs 20) and Cold Snap (needs 20). Ice Barrier needs 30 points, which means level 40 at the earliest without Talented.

Levels 40-60: where do the last points go?

Fill the remaining Frost gaps first, such as Precision (3 ranks, 6% hit) and Improved Cone of Cold (3 ranks, needs 20). Spend what is left in Arcane on Arcane Concentration (5 ranks, needs 5) and Arcane Meditation (3 ranks, needs 15).

What changed for Mages from Classic?

Forever Mages have a much larger spell kit and more stat crossover than Classic Mages. Hit and crit are now single stats shared by every school of attack, and caster weapons grant spell damage and healing.

• New talent spells: Ice Lance, Arcane Blast and Arcane Wrath, the last of which scales with 5% of maximum Mana.
• New talent milestones: a 16-point medal joins the usual 11, 21 and 31.
• Damage and health: Blizzard raised class damage and raised higher-level creature health to compensate.
• Removed before launch: Frost Blast and Piercing Ice, per Blizzard's launch development notes.
• Procced roots: Frostbite now has diminishing returns.

Which races are best for a Mage?

Race is a small edge, so pick your faction and look first. Orc Mage is a new combo, and High Order Skyborne are the only Skyborne who can be Mages.

What is a Mage's job in a group?

A Forever Mage brings AoE damage and crowd control. Blizzard says crowd control and threat still matter in dungeons, so Polymorph stays useful.

Which spec fits dungeons and raids?

Frost fits dungeons because Blizzard, Cone of Cold and Frost Nova handle packs while Improved Blizzard slows them. Raids open December 9, so nobody has logs, and any damage ranking today is a guess. Our provisional raid pick is Fire because its kit rewards long fights, with Improved Scorch stacking on the target and Combustion on demand.

Which spec fits PvP?

Frost fits PvP because Ice Block, Cold Snap and Ice Barrier stack up survival tools. Ice Barrier can be dispelled, per the Crix interview summarized by Wowhead. Mages won only 25% of matches in the beta Forever Open tournament, per Wowhead, but that was a level 30 event, where 21 talent points cannot reach Ice Barrier.

What mistakes do Forever Mages make?

Most early mistakes come from Classic habits that no longer work.

1. Forgetting new ranks. Newly learned spells are not added to action bars automatically, so drag them on after every trainer visit.
2. Spamming a low-rank Frostbolt. Beta notes said ranks far below your level get less benefit from Spell Damage, and a Rank 1 Frostbolt at 60 cannot trigger Frostbite.
3. Wasting Ice Lance. Its 300% bonus only applies to Frozen targets, so wait for a freeze or Fingers of Frost.
4. Over-stacking Arcane Blast. The cost rises 100% per stack and drains your mana bar fast.
5. Relying on repeated freezes. Diminishing returns shorten Frostbite on the same target.

If you would rather have a vetted human player help with the climb, PewPewShop offers play-together leveling, with the 30-45 Riverglades stretch at from 41 EUR.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Mage spec in WoW: Forever?

Frost is our recommended spec for leveling, dungeons and PvP thanks to its slows, freezes and low mana cost. Fire is a provisional raid choice because its talents reward long fights. Raids open December 9, so no raid logs exist, and this is our recommendation rather than Blizzard's.

Is Mage a good class in WoW: Forever?

Mage is a strong all-round choice for now, with AoE, crowd control and freezes. Per Wowhead, the first five players to reach level 60 used Mages to AoE large pulls. Blizzard plans a large tuning pass after it has data past level 30, so class strength can still move.

Can Orcs be Mages in WoW: Forever?

Yes. Orc Mage is one of the six new race and class combinations. Orcs keep Blood Fury on a 2-minute cooldown, though the Command racial only boosts Hunter and Warlock pets. High Order Skyborne can also be Mages, while Windshaper Skyborne on the Horde side cannot.

When can a Mage get Ice Block in WoW: Forever?

Ice Block is a Frost talent that needs 15 points in the tree, so a Mage going straight down Frost can take it around level 25. The Talented Legacy perk can bring talent points up to 5 levels earlier.

Can you change Mage spec in WoW: Forever?

Yes. Talents are changed at a class trainer in a major city, and Blizzard says the respec price climbs quickly and resets once per week. Dual specialization unlocks at level 40, which is the better option if you switch between leveling, dungeon and raid setups.