WoW Forever Mage Arcane Build
Looking for the best WoW Forever Mage build for PvE? This Arcane plan is a starting point for arcane spell cycle. Compare its conditions and alternatives below; it is not a measured performance winner or a BiS gear list.
A pve planning route for Mage Arcane, built around Arcane Power, Arcane Blast, Missile Barrage, Presence of Mind using the November 3 reviewed snapshot.
Editorial planning guide, grounded in the supplied beta talent descriptions. The allocation and point order have been checked for legal ranks and prerequisites. Combat performance has not been simulated or game-tested.
When to use this plan
Read the core effects below for weapon, target, form and cooldown requirements. The exact current tooltips are shown at the selected ranks. Test the interaction in your intended activity before committing to a respec.
What you give up
This allocation commits to Arcane with support from Frost; it cannot also reach every other capstone. Compare alternative plans and equipment requirements for your activity.
Why these core choices?
Missile Barrage
Gives your Arcane Blast spell a 40% chance, and your Arcane Wrath, Fireball, Frostbolt, Frost Blast, and Frostfire Bolt spells a 20% chance to reduce the channeled duration of your next Arcane Missiles spell by 50%, reduce the Mana cost by 100%, and missiles fire every 0.5 sec.
Selected rank 2 of 2.Arcane Blast
Blasts the target with energy, dealing 34 to 38 Arcane damage. Each time you cast Arcane Blast, you gain 12% of your Intellect as Spell Damage and the mana cost of Arcane Blast is increased by 100%. Effect stacks up to 4 times and lasts 18 sec from time of initial application.
Selected rank 1 of 1.Presence of Mind
When activated, your next Mage spell with a casting time less than 10 sec becomes an instant cast spell.
Selected rank 1 of 1.Arcane Power
For the next 15 sec, your spells deal 30% more damage while costing 30% more mana to cast.
Selected rank 1 of 1. Requires Presence of Mind.Complete allocation
All 18 selected talents are listed below. Expand any talent to see the exact supplied description at the rank used by this plan.
Arcane · 31 points
Improved Channeling 5 / 5
Gives your Arcane Missiles spell a 100% chance and your Arcane Blast and Arcane Wrath spells a 70% chance to not lose casting time when you take damage.
Row 1. Read every rank →
Arcane Concentration 5 / 5
Gives you a 10% chance of entering a Clearcasting state after any damage spell hits a target. The Clearcasting state reduces the mana cost of your next damage spell by 100%.
Row 2. Read every rank →
Missile Barrage 2 / 2 Core choice
Gives your Arcane Blast spell a 40% chance, and your Arcane Wrath, Fireball, Frostbolt, Frost Blast, and Frostfire Bolt spells a 20% chance to reduce the channeled duration of your next Arcane Missiles spell by 50%, reduce the Mana cost by 100%, and missiles fire every 0.5 sec.
Row 2. Read every rank →
Arcane Impact 3 / 3
Increases the critical strike chance of your Arcane spells by 6%.
Row 3. Read every rank →
Arcane Blast 1 / 1 Core choice
Blasts the target with energy, dealing 34 to 38 Arcane damage. Each time you cast Arcane Blast, you gain 12% of your Intellect as Spell Damage and the mana cost of Arcane Blast is increased by 100%. Effect stacks up to 4 times and lasts 18 sec from time of initial application.
15% of base mana | 30 yd range | 1.5 sec cast
Row 3. Read every rank →
Arcane Meditation 3 / 3
Allows 50% of your Mana regeneration to continue while casting.
Row 4 · Requires maximum Arcane Concentration. Read every rank →
Arcane Wrath 1 / 1
Launches a projectile of pure Arcane energy at the enemy target, causing 122 to 146 Arcane damage. This spell gains additional Spell Damage equal to 5% of your maximum Mana.
140 Mana | 30 yd range | 3.5 sec cast | 6 sec cooldown
Row 4 · Requires maximum Arcane Blast. Read every rank →
Presence of Mind 1 / 1 Core choice
When activated, your next Mage spell with a casting time less than 10 sec becomes an instant cast spell.
Instant | 3 min cooldown
Row 5. Read every rank →
Arcane Mind 5 / 5
Increases your Intellect by 10% and increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Arcane spells by 100%.
Row 5. Read every rank →
Arcane Instability 3 / 3
Increases the damage done by your spells by 3% and your critical strike chance by 3%.
Row 6. Read every rank →
Arcane Power 1 / 1 Core choice
For the next 15 sec, your spells deal 30% more damage while costing 30% more mana to cast.
Instant | 3 min cooldown
Row 7 · Requires maximum Presence of Mind. Read every rank →
Frost · 20 points
Frost Warding 1 / 2
Increases the Armor and resistances granted by your Frost Armor and Ice Armor spells by 15%, gives your Frost Ward a 10% chance to negate the warded damage spell, and increases the amount absorbed by your Ice Barrier and Frost Ward by 10%.
Row 1. Read every rank →
Improved Frostbolt 5 / 5
Reduces the casting time of your Frostbolt and Frost Blast spells by 0.5 sec.
Row 1. Read every rank →
Ice Shards 5 / 5
Increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Frost spells by 100%.
Row 2. Read every rank →
Permafrost 3 / 3
Increases the duration of your Chill effects by 33% and reduces the target's speed by an additional 10%.
Row 2. Read every rank →
Frost Channeling 3 / 3
Reduces the mana cost of your Frost spells by 15% and reduces the threat caused by your Frost spells by 30%.
Row 3. Read every rank →
Three valid adjustments
Each option below is a separate one-point change to the original plan. It preserves the point budget, row gates and prerequisites. Choose an effect you need; the options are not a damage ranking and should not be applied together without rechecking.
Frost Channeling → Frost Warding
Move one point: Frost Channeling 3 → 2; Frost Warding 1 → 2.
Effect after this change
Frost Channeling: Reduces the mana cost of your Frost spells by 10% and reduces the threat caused by your Frost spells by 20%.
Frost Warding: Increases the Armor and resistances granted by your Frost Armor and Ice Armor spells by 30%, gives your Frost Ward a 20% chance to negate the warded damage spell, and increases the amount absorbed by your Ice Barrier and Frost Ward by 20%.
Frost Channeling → Frostbite
Move one point: Frost Channeling 3 → 2; Frostbite 0 → 1.
Effect after this change
Frost Channeling: Reduces the mana cost of your Frost spells by 10% and reduces the threat caused by your Frost spells by 20%.
Frostbite: Gives your Chill effects a 5% chance to Freeze the target for 5 sec.
Frost Channeling → Improved Frost Nova
Move one point: Frost Channeling 3 → 2; Improved Frost Nova 0 → 1.
Effect after this change
Frost Channeling: Reduces the mana cost of your Frost spells by 10% and reduces the threat caused by your Frost spells by 20%.
Improved Frost Nova: Reduces the cooldown of your Frost Nova spell by 2 sec.
Level-by-level point order
This route reaches the complete allocation without a respec. It follows this guide’s core choices and prerequisites, rather than claiming an optimal speed-leveling route. Talented changes the level when each point becomes available, not the 51-point limit.
First point at level 10; all 51 points at level 60.
Use a Talented rank your character has actually unlocked in the Legacy system. This control models its point timing, not the rest of your Legacy allocation.
Show all 51 steps
| Level | Add one point | New rank | Tree |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Improved Channeling | 1 / 5 | Arcane |
| 11 | Improved Channeling | 2 / 5 | Arcane |
| 12 | Improved Channeling | 3 / 5 | Arcane |
| 13 | Improved Channeling | 4 / 5 | Arcane |
| 14 | Improved Channeling | 5 / 5 | Arcane |
| 15 | Missile Barrage | 1 / 2 | Arcane |
| 16 | Missile Barrage | 2 / 2 | Arcane |
| 17 | Arcane Concentration | 1 / 5 | Arcane |
| 18 | Arcane Concentration | 2 / 5 | Arcane |
| 19 | Arcane Concentration | 3 / 5 | Arcane |
| 20 | Arcane Blast | 1 / 1 | Arcane |
| 21 | Arcane Concentration | 4 / 5 | Arcane |
| 22 | Arcane Concentration | 5 / 5 | Arcane |
| 23 | Arcane Impact | 1 / 3 | Arcane |
| 24 | Arcane Impact | 2 / 3 | Arcane |
| 25 | Arcane Wrath | 1 / 1 | Arcane |
| 26 | Arcane Impact | 3 / 3 | Arcane |
| 27 | Arcane Meditation | 1 / 3 | Arcane |
| 28 | Arcane Meditation | 2 / 3 | Arcane |
| 29 | Arcane Meditation | 3 / 3 | Arcane |
| 30 | Presence of Mind | 1 / 1 | Arcane |
| 31 | Arcane Mind | 1 / 5 | Arcane |
| 32 | Arcane Mind | 2 / 5 | Arcane |
| 33 | Arcane Mind | 3 / 5 | Arcane |
| 34 | Arcane Mind | 4 / 5 | Arcane |
| 35 | Arcane Mind | 5 / 5 | Arcane |
| 36 | Arcane Instability | 1 / 3 | Arcane |
| 37 | Arcane Instability | 2 / 3 | Arcane |
| 38 | Arcane Instability | 3 / 3 | Arcane |
| 39 | Wand Specialization | 1 / 2 | Arcane |
| 40 | Arcane Power | 1 / 1 | Arcane |
| 41 | Improved Frostbolt | 1 / 5 | Frost |
| 42 | Improved Frostbolt | 2 / 5 | Frost |
| 43 | Improved Frostbolt | 3 / 5 | Frost |
| 44 | Improved Frostbolt | 4 / 5 | Frost |
| 45 | Improved Frostbolt | 5 / 5 | Frost |
| 46 | Precision | 1 / 3 | Frost |
| 47 | Precision | 2 / 3 | Frost |
| 48 | Precision | 3 / 3 | Frost |
| 49 | Ice Shards | 1 / 5 | Frost |
| 50 | Ice Shards | 2 / 5 | Frost |
| 51 | Ice Shards | 3 / 5 | Frost |
| 52 | Ice Shards | 4 / 5 | Frost |
| 53 | Ice Shards | 5 / 5 | Frost |
| 54 | Permafrost | 1 / 3 | Frost |
| 55 | Permafrost | 2 / 3 | Frost |
| 56 | Permafrost | 3 / 3 | Frost |
| 57 | Frost Channeling | 1 / 3 | Frost |
| 58 | Frost Channeling | 2 / 3 | Frost |
| 59 | Frost Channeling | 3 / 3 | Frost |
| 60 | Frost Warding | 1 / 2 | Frost |
Compare other Mage plans
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A pve planning route for Mage Fire, built around Combustion, Heating Up, Pyroblast, Master of Elements using the November 3 reviewed snapshot.
Read choices & leveling route →Load this buildFreeze and defensive resets
A pvp planning route for Mage Frost, built around Ice Barrier, Cold Snap, Ice Block, Ice Lance, Fingers of Frost using the November 3 reviewed snapshot.
Read choices & leveling route →Load this build