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PvP · Mage

Mage PvP in WoW Forever: Frost, Fire and Arcane builds and rotations against every class

Updated20 October 2026 · 51 min read · based on beta 1.60.1 and official news

As a Frost Mage, the setup matters as much as the burst: keep your distance, catch the target in Frost Nova and avoid getting locked out before you commit. Fire looks for a burst window; Arcane plays around Presence of Mind and Arcane Power. This guide covers level-60 builds, CC, fake casts and each class matchup using beta 1.60.1 data, with uncertain interactions flagged.

PvP shorthand: a quick glossary
Frost / Fire / Arcane
Mage specs. A Shatter combo uses the Shatter talent to land damage on a frozen target.
Cast / kick
Casting a spell / interrupting it. Players may say “kick” even when the interrupt is not the Rogue ability Kick.
Silence / school lockout
Silence prevents spellcasting; a school lockout blocks the interrupted school. They are different effects.
CC / DR
Crowd control / diminishing returns. Repeated control in the same DR category has a shorter duration.
Burst / cooldowns
A short damage window / abilities with a cooldown. “Use defensives” means spend defensive cooldowns.
DoT / HoT
Damage over time / healing over time.
Dispel / purge
Remove an effect. An offensive dispel, often called a purge, removes a buff from an enemy.
Kite / peel / fake cast
Keep an enemy at range / help a teammate shake off attackers / cancel your cast to bait an interrupt.
Opener / reset
Your opening sequence / disengaging to set up another attempt.

How to play Mage in WoW Forever PvP

Mage is the game's most fragile caster, and wins by keeping enemies out of reach. Frost Nova holds melee opponents in place, Polymorph takes one enemy out of the fight for a long time, Counterspell locks an entire spell school, and Blink moves you 20 yards away. While the enemy is frozen, hit them with instant spells.

Forever's biggest addition is instant Shatter damage. According to the tooltip, Ice Lance deals triple damage to a frozen target, while Fingers of Frost treats the target as frozen for two spells even without Nova. A Frost Mage can Nova, Lance, then Lance again without casting a single spell with a cast time. This has been one of the beta's hottest PvP topics: testers asked for nerfs, and on October 15 the Lance bonus against frozen targets dropped from 300% to 200%.

Mana is your resource, and long fights drain it. Every Nova, Blink and shield costs mana, and opponents are particularly keen to burn a Mage's mana compared with melee classes and healers. You therefore prefer short fights over drawn-out ones: fight where you can land the first hit, and leave while you still have the resources to escape.

Mage has three approaches, all usable in battlegrounds, world PvP and duels. Frost brings control, kiting and Shatter, the foundation of Mage PvP. Fire and Elemental offer burst and area damage, especially in battlegrounds. Arcane brings instant Polymorph and Arcane Power every 3 minutes. Below, each playstyle has advice for each setting.

Frost Blast is learned at level 24: a 1.5-second cast and a 40% slow, benefiting from Frostbolt talents. Use it for a quick slow instead of the old rank 1 Frostbolt trick. Winter's Chill now boosts your next Cone of Cold, which consumes the stacks; Wowhead's datamined tooltip gives +40% Cone damage per stack, up to 5 stacks. The first four targets hit by Cone receive an additional 10% slow and 3 extra seconds of slow duration. Firing a wand requires standing still for 0.5 seconds.

Specs: Classic versus Forever

Classic's main Mage PvP spec was deep Frost 17/0/34: Ice Barrier, Ice Block, Cold Snap and Frostbolt Shatter after Nova. Wowhead and WoW is Classic recommend it, while Icy Veins offers 21/0/30 with Presence of Mind. Well-geared battleground players used Elemental 0/24/27 with Blast Wave. PoM-Pyro 21/30/0 delivered one instant Pyroblast every 3 minutes: a familiar trick rather than a serious PvP spec.

Forever rebuilt Frost. Ice Block takes the 16th point instead of the 21st; Shatter has three ranks providing up to +50% critical strike chance against frozen targets; Cold Snap moved to the 21st point, and Ice Barrier now requires it instead of Block. New additions are Ice Lance at the 11th point and Fingers of Frost. Slows are weaker, however: Cone of Cold slows by 40% for 6 seconds instead of 50% for 8, while Improved Blizzard reaches 40% rather than 65%.

This is the major change for hybrids. Block, Shatter and Lance need only 19 Frost points, so they can now fit alongside Arcane Power or Combustion. Power and Cold Snap no longer fit together. Fire's base damage is lower: Pyroblast deals 24% less than Classic, Fireball 27% less and Scorch 28% less. In return, the new Heating Up talent reduces Pyroblast to a 1.5-second cast after three critical strikes, and all Mages gain Frostfire Bolt at level 40, benefiting from both Fire and Frost talents.

Arcane gained utility: Improved Counterspell now always applies a 4-second silence, Arcane Focus improves hit chance for Polymorph and Counterspell, Arcane Geometry extends their range to 36 yards, and Arcane Meditation allows 50% mana regeneration while casting. Arcane Power now requires only Presence of Mind.

Ratings from before October 15: at the beta's level 30 cap, Mobalytics places Mage in A tier for duels, but only because of Frost, which is far ahead of the others; it calls Fire and Arcane very weak in PvP. Supatease rates Frost A and Fire and Arcane as weak. RankedBoost, evaluating level 60 talent trees, puts Arcane in S and Fire and Frost in A. Our level 60 projection: Frost remains the foundation for duels and world PvP, while hybrids with Block become viable battleground options. These ratings predate the latest patch and are not an up-to-date class comparison.

SpecIn ClassicIn ForeverBest suited to
Frost 17/0/34Main PvP spec: Barrier, Block, ShatterAdds Ice Lance and Fingers of Frost; Block from level 25Duels, world PvP, battlegrounds
PoM-Frost 21/0/30Icy Veins variantInstant Polymorph or Frostbolt, Snap and Fingers, but no BarrierWorld PvP, duels, caster matchups
Battleground Frost 10/0/41Similar Winter's Chill buildsWinter's Chill boosts the next Cone; Barrier, Snap and FingersBattlegrounds, groups
Elemental 0/30/210/24/27 for well-geared playersFrostfire Bolt, Blast Wave and Block in one buildBattlegrounds, area damage
Power and Block 31/0/20Not possibleArcane Power and Ice Block together for the first timeBurst, niche option
PoM-Pyro 21/30/0A trick every 3 minutesHeating Up and Blast Wave, but no BlockWorld PvP ambushes, niche option

Choosing a race

Six races can be Mages in Forever. Alliance has Human, Gnome and High Order Skyborne; Horde has Undead, Troll and, for the first time, Orc. Crowd-control removal is particularly valuable in PvP: Gnomes remove roots and slows, Humans remove stuns, and Undead remove fear. This section includes the October 15 racial changes.

RaceWhat it offers a PvP MageWho it suits
GnomeEscape Artist instantly removes roots and slows and grants 3 seconds of immunity. Eureka! lasts 8 seconds without charges and also works with Power Word: Shield.Best Alliance choice against Nova, Cone and Hamstring
HumanWill to Survive removes stuns; Perception helps detect stealth. Ruthless gives +2% critical strike chance with any weapon.A second way out of a Rogue's stunlock
High Order Skyborne+3% attack and casting speed. Walk on Air every 90 seconds; the racial speed or recovery effect can be activated while moving.We consider it weaker for PvP than the alternatives
UndeadWill of the Forsaken removes fear, sleep and charm. Touch of the Grave has a 30% chance and a 25-second internal cooldown. The racial cannot remove Scatter Shot.Against Priests and Warlocks
TrollBerserking grants +10% casting speed for 10 seconds off the global cooldown. Rapid Regeneration restores 50% health over 6 seconds if you are not taking hits. Passive regeneration is increased by 20%.Burst and world PvP
OrcHardiness reduces stun duration by 20%. Savage gives +1% critical strike chance regardless of weapon. Blood Fury is available every 3 minutes. Shatter Curse removes curses and banes and reduces magic damage by 5% for 8 seconds, but grants no immunity.Against Warlocks and Rogues

Spell schools, mana and dispels

Mages have three spell schools, and they matter for more than damage. An interrupt locks the school you were casting for several seconds, including every ability in that school. Experienced Mages know which spells belong to each school and bait interrupts with spells they can afford to lose.

Abilities: what to press, when and why

Below are the level 60 Mage abilities grouped by purpose. The level indicates when a trainer teaches the spell or the earliest talent point at which it is available. A quick-reference table follows.

Crowd control

Polymorph turns a humanoid or beast into a sheep for 50 seconds after a 1.5-second cast. Damage breaks it, and the sheep rapidly regenerates health and mana. Use it to disable one enemy while fighting another or drinking, not to finish someone off. In the beta it lasts its full duration on players too, prompting a forum thread with a thousand posts asking for a reduction. Druids in form cannot be Polymorphed.

Frost Nova freezes nearby enemies for up to 8 seconds on a 25-second cooldown, or 21 with talents. Damage can break the freeze. Frostbite gives any chill a 15% chance to freeze the target for 5 seconds; this freeze has no diminishing returns, so it lasts fully after Nova. Cone of Cold slows by 40% for 6 seconds, weaker than in Classic.

Counterspell interrupts a cast and locks the entire school for 10 seconds, with a 30-second cooldown, off the global cooldown. A Paladin locked out of Holy loses their bubble, Freedom and Hammer; a healer loses healing; a Warlock loses Fear and Death Coil. Improved Counterspell also adds a 4-second silence, preventing spells from every school.

Fire has its own control: Blast Wave hits nearby enemies and slows them by 50% for 6 seconds, cannot be dispelled and has no diminishing returns. Impact gives Fire spells a 10% chance to stun for 2 seconds.

Escapes and defenses

Blink moves you 20 yards forward and removes stuns and roots, on a 15-second cooldown. It does not remove slows or escape Sap, Polymorph, Blind or fear. In Classic you could Blink directly out of Kidney Shot; this is not yet verified in Forever.

Ice Block makes you immune to everything for 10 seconds, but you cannot move or use abilities. Its cooldown is 5 minutes. It removes debuffs, protects against burst and can be canceled early. Block belongs to Frost, so it works during an Arcane lockout. Cold Snap resets every Frost spell cooldown, giving another Nova or Block. It has a 10-minute cooldown and is off the global cooldown.

Frost's Ice Barrier absorbs 835 damage on a 30-second cooldown; while it holds, damage neither interrupts nor delays casts. Mana Shield absorbs 570 physical damage at a mana cost. Fire Ward and Frost Ward each absorb 913 damage of their school and share a 30-second cooldown: useful against other Mages, Warlocks and Shamans.

Armors: Ice Armor grants armor and slows attackers, making it best against melee; Mage Armor grants resistances and 50% mana regeneration while casting, useful against casters. Evocation restores almost all your mana over 8 seconds on an 8-minute cooldown. Slow Fall lets you escape melee opponents by jumping from a cliff.

Frost damage

Ice Lance is instant, has no cooldown, costs 160 mana and, according to the tooltip, deals triple damage to frozen targets. It is weak against normal targets, around 150 damage at level 60, so use it after Nova or Frostbite, or with Fingers of Frost. Lance travels faster than Frostbolt, so a Frostbolt followed immediately by Lance lands almost simultaneously.

Fingers of Frost has a 15% chance to trigger from any chill, granting 2 charges: your next two spells treat the target as frozen even while it is moving. A Druid's form does not prevent this either. Shatter adds +50% critical strike chance against frozen targets, including Fingers charges. One uncertainty remains: the Russian buff text specifies Frost spells, while the English text says any 2 spells.

At level 60, Frostbolt deals 470-506 damage and slows by 40% for 9 seconds; talented, it casts in 2.5 seconds. Blizzard and Cone of Cold are useful in battlegrounds: with talents, each Blizzard tick can freeze enemies and proc Fingers.

Fire and Arcane damage

Pyroblast has a 6-second cast and hits hard, but deals 24% less damage than in Classic. Cast it during Polymorph or instantly with Presence of Mind; after three critical strikes, Heating Up reduces its cast to 1.5 seconds. Fire Blast is an instant finisher with an 8-second cooldown, reduced to 6 with talents. From level 40, Frostfire Bolt has a 3-second cast, slows by 40% and benefits from both Fire and Frost talents.

Presence of Mind makes your next spell with a cast time below 10 seconds instant: Polymorph, Pyroblast or Frostbolt. Arcane Power grants +30% damage and +30% mana cost for 15 seconds; Combustion increases Fire critical strikes until you have scored three. All three have a 3-minute cooldown.

Arcane Blast is a new Arcane ability: each Blast (a 1.5-second cast) grants spell damage equal to 15% of your Intellect, stacking up to 4 times for 15 seconds, but also costs more. Arcane Explosion hits every enemy within 10 yards and reveals nearby stealthed Rogues and Cats.

Quick reference

AbilityLevelCooldownPvP use
Polymorph8-Disable an enemy, healer or pet
Frost Nova1025 sec (21 sec talented)Freeze nearby melee enemies
Fire Blast68 sec (6 sec talented)Instant finisher
Blink2015 secEscape stuns and roots
Mana Shield20-Absorb physical damage
Fire Ward2030 secAbsorb Fire damage
Frost Ward2230 secAbsorb Frost damage
Counterspell2430 secLock a school for 10 sec
Cone of Cold2610 secSlow a group
Evocation208 minRestore mana
Frostfire Bolt40-Dual-school damage and a slow
Ice Lancetalent, 20-Triple damage against a frozen target
Ice Blocktalent, 255 min10 sec of immunity
Cold Snaptalent, 3010 minA second Nova or Block
Presence of Mindtalent, 303 minInstant Polymorph or Pyroblast
Blast Wavetalent, 3045 secNearby damage and slow
Ice Barriertalent, 4030 secShield and protection from cast pushback
Arcane Powertalent, 403 min+30% damage for 15 sec

Combos: building a fight

  • Shatter: Nova, move 10 yards away, Frostbolt and immediately Lance while the bolt is traveling, then another Lance while the freeze holds.
  • Frostbite: if a bolt or Cone procs it, Lance immediately. It has no diminishing returns, so it still lasts fully after Nova.
  • Fingers: instant Cone, Fingers proc, then two Lances into the moving target. If charges appear while you are casting Frostbolt, cancel it and Lance.
  • Cold Snap: a second Nova, Cone or Block in one fight. In duels it is more often used for a second Shatter than a second Block.
  • Sheep, bandage, water: Polymorph an enemy, bandage or drink, then start again. This works less well against healers because Polymorph also restores their mana.
  • Counterspell and sheep: lock the healer's school, then Polymorph. With the talent, they also suffer 4 seconds of silence.
  • PoM-Pyro: Presence of Mind and your off-global racial, instant Pyroblast, Fire Blast, Cone. Add Arcane Power only in the 31/20/0 variant that takes it; the 21/30/0 build does not have it. Neither of these builds takes Ice Lance.
  • Block: use it during burst or Kidney Shot, cancel when the enemy reaches melee range, then Nova immediately.

Diminishing returns

Repeated control of the same category on one target lasts less time: in Classic, 100%, then 50%, 25% and immunity, resetting after roughly 15-20 seconds. Forever's categories come from client 1.60.1 data, which does not specify reset timers, so these are likely the same as Classic. The key point for Mages: Frostbite does not share diminishing returns with Nova, while Polymorph shares with Sap and Freezing Trap.

CategoryMage abilityShared with
RootsFrost NovaEntangling Roots, Nature's Grasp, Hunter's Entrapment
IncapacitatePolymorphSap, Gouge, Freezing Trap, Scatter Shot, Repentance
SilenceImproved Counterspell silenceSilence, Kick and Shield Bash silences
Random stunsImpactBlackout, Improved Concussive Shot; not Cheap Shot
No diminishing returnsFrostbite, slows, Blast WaveEnemy abilities: Blind, Death Coil, Spell Lock

Builds: which talents to take and why

Below are six level 60 builds: three Frost variants, Elemental, Forever's new Power-and-Block hybrid and PoM-Pyro. Each includes an in-game-style talent tree, an explanation of every talent and a leveling order. The number in an icon's upper-left corner is the level at which you take its first point.

There is currently one published Forever Mage PvP build: RankedBoost's Frost build, which is very close to our first build. The others are our conclusions from the talent tree, Classic equivalents and beta players' choices. Talents unlock at level 10 and can be reset at your class trainer; dual specialization arrives at 40. These builds account for the October 15 Lance nerf and talent changes.

Three numbers such as 20/0/31 show talent points in the three trees, from left to right: Arcane, Fire, Frost. They are not character levels.

Frost: Barrier and silence (17/0/34)

The main Mage PvP build, descended from Classic's 17/0/34. Ice Barrier, Ice Block and Cold Snap provide defense; Nova and Frostbite set up Shatter; Lance and Fingers supply damage. Arcane adds hit chance and range for Polymorph and Counterspell, plus a 4-second silence. Strengths: the best melee kiting and the toughest Mage setup. Weaknesses: no Presence of Mind or Winter's Chill, and difficult Priest and Warlock matchups.

17/0/34Open in calculator →
Arcane 17
5/5442/2494/5512/2552/2572/259
Fire 0
Frost 34
5/5103/5415/5243/3212/2183/3151/1202/2361/1253/3262/3381/1302/2311/140
Why each talent matters
  • Improved Frostbolt 5/5Frostbolt casts in 2.5 seconds instead of 3.
  • Frostbite 3/3Any chill has a 15% chance to freeze the target for 5 seconds, with no diminishing returns. An opening for Lance.
  • Improved Frost Nova 2/2Frost Nova every 21 seconds instead of 25.
  • Ice Lance 1/1Instant, no cooldown, triple damage against frozen targets. Frost's defining ability in Forever.
  • Permafrost 3/3Slows last 33% longer and reduce movement speed by an additional 10%.
  • Ice Shards 5/5Frost critical strikes deal double rather than 1.5 times damage. A critical Lance against a frozen target delivers burst.
  • Ice Block 1/110 seconds of immunity on a 5-minute cooldown. In Forever it takes the 16th point, available from level 25.
  • Shatter 3/3+50% critical strike chance for all spells against frozen targets and with Fingers charges.
  • Cold Snap 1/1Resets Frost cooldowns: a second Nova or Block. A 10-minute cooldown, off the global cooldown.
  • Fingers of Frost 2/2Chill effects have a 15% chance to grant 2 charges: your next two spells treat the target as frozen even while it moves.
  • Arctic Reach 2/2Frostbolt reaches 20% farther, up to 36 yards; Nova and Cone cover a wider area.
  • Improved Cone of Cold 2/3+23% Cone of Cold damage.
  • Ice Barrier 1/1An 835-damage shield every 30 seconds; while it holds, damage cannot interrupt or delay your casts.
  • Elemental Precision 3/5+3% Fire and Frost spell hit chance. Missing a player hurts more than missing a mob.
  • Arcane Focus 5/5+5% Arcane spell hit chance, including Polymorph and Counterspell. A missed sheep can lose the fight.
  • Arcane Subtlety 2/2Targets resist all your spells less effectively.
  • Arcane Concentration 4/5An 8% chance for your next damaging spell to be free.
  • Arcane Resilience 2/2Armor increases by half your Intellect. A noticeable benefit for cloth against melee.
  • Arcane Geometry 2/2Polymorph and Counterspell gain 6 yards of range, reaching 36 yards.
  • Improved Counterspell 2/2Counterspell always applies an additional 4-second silence.
Level-by-level order
  1. 10–14Improved Frostbolt 5/5
  2. 15–17Frostbite 3/3
  3. 18–19Improved Frost Nova 2/2
  4. 20Ice Lance 1/1
  5. 21–23Permafrost 3/3
  6. 24Ice Shards 1/5
  7. 25Ice Block 1/1
  8. 26–28Shatter 3/3
  9. 29Ice Shards 2/5
  10. 30Cold Snap 1/1
  11. 31–32Fingers of Frost 2/2
  12. 33–35Ice Shards 5/5
  13. 36–37Arctic Reach 2/2
  14. 38–39Improved Cone of Cold 2/3
  15. 40Ice Barrier 1/1
  16. 41–43Elemental Precision 3/5
  17. 44–48Arcane Focus 5/5
  18. 49–50Arcane Subtlety 2/2
  19. 51–54Arcane Concentration 4/5
  20. 55–56Arcane Resilience 2/2
  21. 57–58Arcane Geometry 2/2
  22. 59–60Improved Counterspell 2/2

PoM-Frost: instant Polymorph (21/0/30)

An equivalent to the Icy Veins build. Presence of Mind replaces Ice Barrier: instant Polymorph on a healer, instant Frostbolt for Shatter, or instant Frostfire Bolt. Arcane Meditation adds mana sustain. Block, Snap, Fingers and silence remain. Strengths: more control and burst. Weaknesses: without Barrier, you are easier to disrupt and kill.

For more damage, a variant takes 5 points in Winter's Chill instead of Elemental Precision, Arctic Reach and one Permafrost point: open in the calculator →.

21/0/30Open in calculator →
Arcane 21
5/5402/2455/5472/2521/2542/2553/3571/160
Fire 0
Frost 30
5/5103/5375/5243/3212/2183/3151/1201/2361/1253/3261/1302/231
Why each talent matters
Level-by-level order
  1. 10–14Improved Frostbolt 5/5
  2. 15–17Frostbite 3/3
  3. 18–19Improved Frost Nova 2/2
  4. 20Ice Lance 1/1
  5. 21–23Permafrost 3/3
  6. 24Ice Shards 1/5
  7. 25Ice Block 1/1
  8. 26–28Shatter 3/3
  9. 29Ice Shards 2/5
  10. 30Cold Snap 1/1
  11. 31–32Fingers of Frost 2/2
  12. 33–35Ice Shards 5/5
  13. 36Arctic Reach 1/2
  14. 37–39Elemental Precision 3/5
  15. 40–44Arcane Focus 5/5
  16. 45–46Arcane Subtlety 2/2
  17. 47–51Arcane Concentration 5/5
  18. 52–53Arcane Resilience 2/2
  19. 54Arcane Geometry 1/2
  20. 55–56Improved Counterspell 2/2
  21. 57–59Arcane Meditation 3/3
  22. 60Presence of Mind 1/1

Battleground Frost (10/0/41)

Frost for group damage and control: Winter's Chill stacks a bonus for your next Cone of Cold, with full Improved Cone of Cold, plus Barrier, Snap and Fingers. Arcane supplies only hit chance and Clearcasting. Strengths: more damage and group control than 17/0/34. Weaknesses: no silence or long-range sheep, making it weaker in duels than the first build.

A variant without Arcane, 0/5/46: Incineration adds 6% critical strike chance to Lance and Fire Blast, while Frost gains Piercing Ice and Frost Channeling: open in the calculator →.

10/0/41Open in calculator →
Arcane 10
5/5512/2563/558
Fire 0
Frost 41
5/5103/5475/5243/3212/2183/3151/3501/1202/2451/1253/3263/3421/1302/2315/5351/140
Why each talent matters
Level-by-level order
  1. 10–14Improved Frostbolt 5/5
  2. 15–17Frostbite 3/3
  3. 18–19Improved Frost Nova 2/2
  4. 20Ice Lance 1/1
  5. 21–23Permafrost 3/3
  6. 24Ice Shards 1/5
  7. 25Ice Block 1/1
  8. 26–28Shatter 3/3
  9. 29Ice Shards 2/5
  10. 30Cold Snap 1/1
  11. 31–32Fingers of Frost 2/2
  12. 33–34Ice Shards 4/5
  13. 35–39Winter's Chill 5/5
  14. 40Ice Barrier 1/1
  15. 41Ice Shards 5/5
  16. 42–44Improved Cone of Cold 3/3
  17. 45–46Arctic Reach 2/2
  18. 47–49Elemental Precision 3/5
  19. 50Piercing Ice 1/3
  20. 51–55Arcane Focus 5/5
  21. 56–57Arcane Subtlety 2/2
  22. 58–60Arcane Concentration 3/5

Elemental: Frostfire Bolt and Blast Wave (0/30/21)

The successor to Classic's 0/24/27, but Forever fits Block, Shatter, Lance and even Snap into 21 Frost points. Frostfire Bolt becomes your main spell at level 40: it benefits from both Ignite and Ice Shards, and Blizzard's example suggests a 280% critical hit. Nova, Cone and Blast Wave handle groups; sheep and Pyroblast handle single opponents. Strengths: battleground area damage and burst. Weaknesses: no Fingers, Barrier or silence.

A 0/31/20 variant takes Combustion instead of Cold Snap: open in the calculator →.

0/30/21Open in calculator →
Arcane 0
Fire 30
5/5315/5392/2483/3363/3451/1441/1503/3513/5551/1543/358
Frost 21
5/5105/5212/2183/3151/1201/1253/3261/130
Why each talent matters
  • Elemental Precision 5/5+5% Fire and Frost hit chance: this build needs both schools.
  • Frostbite 3/3Chills have a 15% chance to freeze the target for 5 seconds.
  • Improved Frost Nova 2/2Frost Nova every 21 seconds.
  • Ice Lance 1/1Instant, dealing triple damage against frozen targets.
  • Ice Shards 5/5Frost critical strikes deal double damage, including Frostfire Bolt.
  • Ice Block 1/110 seconds of immunity every 5 minutes, from level 25.
  • Shatter 3/3+50% critical strike chance against frozen targets.
  • Cold Snap 1/1A second Nova or Block.
  • Improved Fireball 5/5Fireball and Frostfire Bolt cast 0.5 seconds faster.
  • Impact 3/3Fire spells have a 10% chance to stun for 2 seconds.
  • Ignite 5/5Fire critical strikes burn the target for an additional 40% damage over 4 seconds.
  • Pyroblast 1/1A 6-second cast and a huge hit: use during Polymorph or with Heating Up's cast-time reduction.
  • Burning Soul 3/3A 70% chance that damage will not delay Fire casts.
  • Flame Throwing 2/2Fire spells gain 6 yards of range.
  • Heating Up 1/1Critical Fireballs, Frostfire Bolts, Fire Blasts and Scorches reduce the next Pyroblast cast by 25%, reaching 1.5 seconds at three stacks. The talent does not yet have a Russian name.
  • Master of Elements 3/3Fire and Frost critical strikes refund 30% of the spell's mana cost.
  • Blast Wave 1/1Damages nearby enemies and slows them by 50% for 6 seconds, with a 45-second cooldown. Cannot be dispelled.
  • Critical Mass 3/5+6% Fire critical strike chance.
  • Fire Power 3/3Each of your Fire effects on the target increases Fire damage by 3%, up to +12%.
Level-by-level order
  1. 10–14Elemental Precision 5/5
  2. 15–17Frostbite 3/3
  3. 18–19Improved Frost Nova 2/2
  4. 20Ice Lance 1/1
  5. 21–24Ice Shards 4/5
  6. 25Ice Block 1/1
  7. 26–28Shatter 3/3
  8. 29Ice Shards 5/5
  9. 30Cold Snap 1/1
  10. 31–35Improved Fireball 5/5
  11. 36–38Impact 3/3
  12. 39–43Ignite 5/5
  13. 44Pyroblast 1/1
  14. 45–47Burning Soul 3/3
  15. 48–49Flame Throwing 2/2
  16. 50Heating Up 1/1
  17. 51–53Master of Elements 3/3
  18. 54Blast Wave 1/1
  19. 55–57Critical Mass 3/5
  20. 58–60Fire Power 3/3

New in Forever: Power and Block (31/0/20)

This build was impossible in Classic: Arcane Power needed 31 Arcane points and Block 21 Frost points. Forever puts Block at the 16th point, fitting Block, Shatter and Lance alongside Power. Your burst window: Power, Presence of Mind and a bolt, Nova and Lance into a frozen target, then fast Missiles from Missile Barrage. Strengths: the strongest burst every 3 minutes, silence and long-range sheep. Weaknesses: no Snap, Fingers or Barrier; everything depends on 3-minute cooldowns. Its supporting evidence is RankedBoost's high Arcane rating; Power is not yet available at level 30.

31/0/20Open in calculator →
Arcane 31
5/5101/2312/2155/5172/2221/2242/2253/3271/1305/5323/3371/140
Fire 0
Frost 20
5/5415/5522/2493/3461/1511/1563/357
Why each talent matters
Level-by-level order
  1. 10–14Arcane Focus 5/5
  2. 15–16Arcane Subtlety 2/2
  3. 17–21Arcane Concentration 5/5
  4. 22–23Arcane Resilience 2/2
  5. 24Arcane Geometry 1/2
  6. 25–26Improved Counterspell 2/2
  7. 27–29Arcane Meditation 3/3
  8. 30Presence of Mind 1/1
  9. 31Missile Barrage 1/2
  10. 32–36Arcane Mind 5/5
  11. 37–39Arcane Instability 3/3
  12. 40Arcane Power 1/1
  13. 41–45Improved Frostbolt 5/5
  14. 46–48Frostbite 3/3
  15. 49–50Improved Frost Nova 2/2
  16. 51Ice Lance 1/1
  17. 52–55Ice Shards 4/5
  18. 56Ice Block 1/1
  19. 57–59Shatter 3/3
  20. 60Ice Shards 5/5

PoM-Pyro: instant Pyroblast (21/30/0)

The classic ambush setup. Presence of Mind into instant Pyroblast, followed by Fire Blast and Cone before the enemy can react. In Forever, Heating Up lets you prepare three critical strikes and cast a second Pyroblast in 1.5 seconds. Fire Blast every 6 seconds, Blast Wave and Counterspell silence round it out. Strengths: a powerful opening hit in world PvP or against a flag carrier. Weaknesses: no Block or Lance, Pyroblast deals 24% less than Classic, and after the volley you are vulnerable for 3 minutes. Since October 15, Fire Blast always grants one Heating Up stack, or two on a critical strike; an instant Presence of Mind Pyroblast does not consume stacks.

The all-in variant, as Icy Veins calls it, is 31/20/0 with Arcane Power: open in the calculator →.

21/30/0Open in calculator →
Arcane 21
5/5402/2455/5472/2521/2542/2553/3571/160
Fire 30
2/2133/3105/5152/2273/3213/3241/1201/1293/3313/5341/1303/337
Frost 0
Why each talent matters
Level-by-level order
  1. 10–12Incineration 3/3
  2. 13–14Improved Fire Blast 2/2
  3. 15–19Ignite 5/5
  4. 20Pyroblast 1/1
  5. 21–23Impact 3/3
  6. 24–26Burning Soul 3/3
  7. 27–28Flame Throwing 2/2
  8. 29Heating Up 1/1
  9. 30Blast Wave 1/1
  10. 31–33Master of Elements 3/3
  11. 34–36Critical Mass 3/5
  12. 37–39Fire Power 3/3
  13. 40–44Arcane Focus 5/5
  14. 45–46Arcane Subtlety 2/2
  15. 47–51Arcane Concentration 5/5
  16. 52–53Arcane Resilience 2/2
  17. 54Arcane Geometry 1/2
  18. 55–56Improved Counterspell 2/2
  19. 57–59Arcane Meditation 3/3
  20. 60Presence of Mind 1/1

Which build to choose

  • Duels, world PvP and an all-round Mage: Frost 17/0/34.
  • Want instant Polymorph on a healer and more burst? PoM-Frost 21/0/30.
  • Playing battlegrounds with a group? Frost 10/0/41 or Elemental 0/30/21.
  • Enjoy area damage and Frostfire Bolt? Elemental 0/30/21.
  • Want the strongest burst and accept 3-minute cooldowns? Power and Block 31/0/20.
  • Hunting lone players in the world? PoM-Pyro 21/30/0, but remember that it has no Block.
  • At level 40, get dual specialization: for example Frost for duels plus Elemental for battlegrounds, or a PvP build plus Fire for dungeons.

Frost: control, kiting and Shatter

Battlegrounds: protecting your healer and hunting targets

A Mage is an excellent bodyguard for their healer. If melee reach your healer, Nova everything within 10 yards, then Cone and Frostbolt the biggest threat. Sheep a humanoid Rogue or Warrior beside the healer and avoid area damage nearby. If an enemy caster targets your healer, Counterspell Polymorph, Fear or a heal. You cannot remove an enemy Polymorph from an ally. A Priest or Paladin can dispel it with the appropriate ability; the ally can also break it by activating their own PvP trinket.

The PvP trinket is an equipped accessory you activate to break control on yourself. In the beta tooltip, the Greater Insignia of the Horde and Alliance versions remove stuns, fear, slows and other loss-of-control effects; they do not grant immunity to the next CC. Rank 2 means your PvP rank, not character level; the exact launch reward still needs confirmation.

Offensively, prioritize the enemy healer, then the flag carrier, then low-health targets. Disable a healer with Polymorph or Counterspell a long heal, but remember that Druids in form cannot be sheeped. Against groups, use group Shatter: Nova the pack and Lance the weakest target. Do not break friendly crowd control: area damage wakes your own sheep, a teammate's Sap and a Hunter's trap.

Remove Lesser Curse clears a curse from your healer or flag carrier, and in Forever also removes Warlock banes. Amplify Magic on a flag carrier helps against melee, while Dampen Magic helps against casters.

World PvP: kiting and ambushes

Kite melee with a maximum-range Frostbolt, a second bolt, Nova, a step away or Blink, Lance while frozen, then Cone when they break free. Ice Armor slows attackers. Against a Warrior, Nova after Charge, then move away or sheep to draw Intercept; save Blink until Intercept is on cooldown. A bolt or Lance from 30-36 yards puts the Warrior in combat, preventing Charge.

Frost ambushes: Fingers lets two spells treat a target as frozen without Nova. Nova and Cone cannot control someone under a Free Action Potion; rely on sheep, Block and distance. Fingers charges still work against the potion.

Escape using Blink against stuns and roots, Block for 10 seconds of immunity, and Slow Fall from cliffs. After fighting, make your own water, Conjured Cinnamon Rolls and a new Mana Ruby. Conjured items disappear after 15 minutes offline.

Duels

Before the duel, apply Barrier and Mana Shield, choosing Ice Armor against melee or Mage Armor against casters. Then use maximum-range Frostbolt, Nova, Blink or a step away, Lance or Frostbolt, and Cone. Save Snap for another Nova or Block. Hold Counterspell for healing, Fear and Polymorph. Cancel Block as soon as the danger passes.

Against healers, sheep-and-drink is less effective because Polymorph restores their mana too. Block (5 minutes) and Snap (10 minutes) are almost always cooling down across repeated duels, so agree on potion and insignia rules beforehand. At the beta's level 30 cap, Frost is considered one of the strongest duelists, and Mages are expected in the finals of the October 17-18 Forever Open.

Fire and Elemental: burst and area damage

Fire's base damage is weaker in Forever: Pyroblast deals 24% less than Classic, Fireball 27% less and Scorch 28% less. Level 30 testers call pure Fire very weak in PvP, so at 60 it is usually mixed with Frost. Elemental gains Block and Lance, while Frostfire Bolt at level 40 benefits from both schools' talents.

Fire excels at opening hits and group damage. Sheep, Pyroblast during it, Fire Blast and Lance after Nova form Elemental's single-target kill sequence. Around objectives, use Nova, Cone and Blast Wave, which cannot be dispelled and has no diminishing returns. Heating Up reduces Pyroblast to 1.5 seconds after three critical strikes, bringing a second volley sooner than enemies expect. Since October 15, Fire Blast always grants one Heating Up stack, or two on a critical strike; an instant Presence of Mind Pyroblast does not consume stacks.

The weaknesses are mana and long casts. A 6-second Pyroblast gives every enemy time to interrupt, so cast it only during sheep or with Presence of Mind. Burning Soul prevents damage pushback, not interrupts. Forever allows one Flamestrike ground effect per Mage: a second does not stack with the first.

Arcane: Power and instant Polymorph

Arcane in Forever provides utility and burst. Even Frost builds take Arcane Focus (+5% hit for Polymorph and Counterspell), Arcane Geometry (36-yard range) and Improved Counterspell (a guaranteed 4-second silence). These are your best tools against healers.

Deep Arcane revolves around Arcane Power: +30% damage for 15 seconds every 3 minutes. Combined with Presence of Mind and an off-global racial, it provides the Mage's strongest burst, and Forever lets you take Block alongside it for the first time. Its downside is the same as PoM-Pyro: after the volley, you spend three minutes as an ordinary Mage without Snap or Fingers. Level 30 testers rate Arcane poorly, but it has no Power at 30, so a full judgment must wait until 60.

Darkspear Islands

The beta has one battleground: Darkspear Islands, 15 versus 15, available from level 30. It has four bases and a central flag delivered to any base your faction controls. Cover is scarce, elevation changes are common and the center is exposed: your range exceeds most classes', but every Hunter can see you. Against casters, use the structures around the Abandoned Tower and Camp.

The flag carrier's route is short, so stopping them for 3-5 seconds matters more than chasing: Nova, Frostbite, Blast Wave, Cone and Frostbolt. Polymorph probably works on the carrier, but quickly heals them, making it a delay until allies arrive. Save Counterspell for a Druid or Paladin carrier's healing.

Client data does not give the Islands flag the drop-on-immunity condition found on Warsong flags, so a Mage may be able to Block without dropping it. This has not been tested in game. At bases, Nova and talented Blizzard catch players running to the flag; Arcane Explosion reveals nearby Rogues and Cats. Slow Fall lets you jump down from high ground toward a base.

Against every class

Below is a level 60 plan against each class. Ratings are conclusions drawn from Classic guides, Forever data and beta tier lists, not level 60 gameplay experience. The main advice is for Frost in duels and world PvP, with separate notes for Fire, Arcane and battlegrounds.

ClassFrostFire and ArcaneKey point
MageevenevenFirst freeze and Lance; do not let Frost get locked
Warrioreasy or evenevenNova after Charge; insignia now removes sheep
Paladineasyeasy or evenCounterspell Holy: no bubble or Freedom
Huntereven or difficultdifficultCombat traps under the Hunter, Viper Sting; sheep the pet
Rogueeveneven or difficultKick on sheep locks Blink; potion before the opener
WarlockdifficultdifficultFear from 20 yards, Spell Lock, Devour Magic
ShamanevenevenPurge, Grounding Totem; Counterspell Nature
Priesteven or difficulteven or difficultDispel removes Fingers and Barrier; Plague
Druideven or difficulteven or difficultForms cannot be sheeped; Counterspell healing

Mage

Mage mirrors are chess: both have Nova, Lance, sheep, Counterspell and Block. Frost Ward absorbs Lance and can reflect some Frost damage with talents; Gnomes remove Nova and gain 3 seconds of immunity; Fingers allows Shatter without Nova. Above all, avoid a Frost lockout: if Counterspell catches your bolt, you lose Nova and Block for the entire lockout.

Bait Counterspell with Fire or Arcane and cast Frost once it is cooling down. Do not waste Lance or Fingers into Block. Blink out of Nova. Block before Polymorph lands: you cannot use it while sheeped, and only your insignia breaks sheep. Try Nova, silencing Counterspell to prevent Blink, then two Lances or Cone.

Fire and Arcane: Fire Ward against Pyroblast; use PoM-Pyro after Counterspell is spent. Battlegrounds: enemy Mages root your melee with Nova; your Priest or Paladin must dispel it.

Warrior

A Warrior needs to reach you, and your toolkit is designed to prevent it. Charge works only out of combat; Intercept has a 30-second cooldown; Pummel locks a school for 4 seconds; Hamstring slows by 50% and Blink does not remove it. Berserker Rage does not protect against sheep.

After Charge's stun ends, Nova immediately, move away and sheep. Do not Blink early: wait for Intercept, then Blink and sheep. Follow with Nova, Cone, Fire Blast and kiting. If Hamstrung, Block, then Nova or Blink if Intercept is cooling down. Stay beyond 25 yards; a bolt or Lance from 30-36 yards puts the Warrior in combat and prevents Charge.

Forever's Warrior insignia removes sheep, unlike the Classic version. Free Action Potion gives 30 seconds without Nova roots; use sheep, Blink and Fingers instead. Fire and Arcane: Blast Wave and Nova. Battlegrounds: immediately sheep a Mortal Strike Warrior on your healer.

Paladin

Paladin threats include Hammer of Justice for 6 seconds, Repentance, Blessing of Freedom for 10 seconds on only a 20-second cooldown, Divine Shield for 12 seconds and Cleanse to remove Nova. They cannot remove your buffs, though: Fingers and Barrier are safe.

Your key tool is Counterspell on any Holy cast: 10 seconds without bubble, Freedom, Hammer, Repentance, Cleanse or healing. This is your Shatter window, since Nova cannot be cleansed. Do not waste it into Voice of Truth, which gives 6 seconds of immunity to silences and interrupts. Save Blink for Hammer; wait out Freedom and bubble at range, bandage and start again.

Fire and Arcane: use PoM-Pyro or Power during a Counterspell window; Freedom does not prevent damage. Battlegrounds: Freedom saves flag carriers from your kiting, Cleanse removes Nova, and Divine Shield cannot be dispelled.

Hunter

Hunter threats include Viper Sting, which drains mana and has a 15-second cooldown in Forever, or 9 with talents; Freezing Trap placed under the Hunter in combat; Entrapment; Scatter Shot; and the pet. Their range is 35 yards, or 41 talented, beyond your base 30.

The plan: Blink close, Nova, sheep the pet, and use instant spells at close range. Do not step onto the trap beneath the Hunter: Nova from its edge and Lance when Fingers of Frost procs. Short fights favor you; prolonged ranged fights favor the Hunter. Save insignia for a trap or Scatter Shot; a Restorative Potion removes both the trap and the sting.

Fire and Arcane: with weak gear, Elemental and PoM-Pyro can work better by shortening the fight; Blast Wave hits both Hunter and pet. Battlegrounds: many Hunters cover the Islands' open center, so stay near structures.

Rogue

Sap does not break the Rogue's stealth in Forever, letting them Sap, recover Energy, then open with Cheap Shot and Kidney Shot. Next come Blind for 10 seconds, Kick and Vanish. Kick on sheep locks Arcane, including Blink.

Apply Barrier and Mana Shield beforehand, and use Arcane Explosion to search for nearby stealth. After the opener, Blink away, sheep, then Fireball to apply a DoT that disrupts Vanish, Frostbolt and kite. Do not cast sheep in melee range: Kick will leave you without Blink. Nova first, since it is Frost, then step away and sheep at range. If Blind prevents your sheep, use Block, Nova and kite again.

Save insignia for Kidney Shot or Blind; drink Free Action Potion before the opener. Restorative Potion removes Blind. Humans get a second stun escape through Will to Survive. Battlegrounds: sheep or Nova a Rogue attacking your healer.

Warlock

Your hardest opponent. Fear has a 20-yard range, Death Coil has no diminishing returns, and the Felhunter's Spell Lock locks a school for 8 seconds. Every 8 seconds, Devour Magic can eat Fingers, Barrier or your shield. Warlocks also apply a bane and a curse simultaneously, and Curse of Tongues increases your cast times by 60%.

Stay 21-30 yards away, outside Fear's range. When you see Fear being cast, Counterspell: for 10 seconds the Warlock loses Fear, Coil, Shadow Bolt and curses. Bait Spell Lock with Scorch, then Shatter while it is on cooldown. Spend Fingers immediately before the Felhunter eats it. Remove Lesser Curse also clears banes, one effect at a time.

Undead remove fear with Will of the Forsaken; Orcs remove all curses with Shatter Curse. Fire and Arcane: long casts invite Spell Lock; burst only when the Felhunter is not nearby. Battlegrounds: Devour Magic removes your sheep from the Warlock's allies.

Shaman

Purge removes two effects from you at once: Barrier, Fingers or a shield. Earth Shock locks a school for 2 seconds, while Grounding Totem absorbs one spell, such as sheep, Counterspell or Lance, and is then destroyed; its cooldown is 15 seconds. However, Shamans cannot dispel magic from themselves, so Nova and sheep stick.

Destroy Grounding Totem with something cheap before using sheep or Counterspell. Counterspelling Nature removes healing, lightning, Earth Shock, Purge and new Grounding Totems, but Frost Shock and Flame Shock belong to other schools and remain available. Keep Enhancement Shamans beyond 20 yards, outside Frost Shock range, and kite.

Forever's Shaman insignia removes both sheep and Nova. Fire and Arcane: Grounding Totem will eat Pyroblast, so destroy it before casting. Battlegrounds: kill totems with Fire Blast or Lance.

Priest

Dispel Magic removes two of your buffs, including Fingers and Barrier, while removing Nova and sheep from the Priest's allies. Mana Burn attacks your mana; Psychic Scream fears within 8 yards; Silence prevents casting; Devouring Plague heals the Priest. Vampiric Embrace is a curse, so you can remove it yourself.

Stay outside Scream's 8-yard range. Counterspell on Holy denies shields, healing and Dispel for 10 seconds, giving you a Shatter window. Spend Fingers and Lance immediately before they are dispelled. Against Discipline, burst during the window when the shield cannot be reapplied. Save insignia or your Undead racial for Scream.

Fire and Arcane: Mana Burn hurts even more under Power because everything costs 30% extra; use PoM-Pyro after Counterspelling Holy. Battlegrounds: a healing Priest is your first sheep and Counterspell target.

Druid

Druids in form cannot be Polymorphed, and shifting removes Nova, Frostbite and slows. Bear Charge interrupts casting and roots you for 4 seconds; Cats leap behind you; Blink removes Bash. Druids cannot dispel magic, though: Fingers and Barrier are safe, and Fingers treats them as frozen in any form.

When a Druid leaves form to heal, Counterspell Nature: 10 seconds without healing or roots. Nova, silencing Counterspell, then two Lances. Each Nova forces another form shift, costing 55% base mana. Cast long spells after Bear Charge, which has a 15-second cooldown, and save Blink for Pounce or Bash.

Fire and Arcane: Blast Wave and Nova against Cats; Power during a Counterspell window against healers. Battlegrounds: Druid carriers shift out of slows, so rely on damage and Counterspell their healing.

World PvP tricks and culture

  • Choose the terrain. Against melee, you want open ground and distance; against casters, walls and pillars. The classic Mage death is Blinking into Blackrock lava or off a cliff.
  • Sheep is the ultimate insult. Even the Warcraft III manual described Polymorph that way. In the beta it lasts its full duration on players, and a thread asking for a reduction drew over a thousand posts in a day.
  • Block, Snap, Block. Forever has no Hypothermia, so a Mage with Cold Snap can remain immune for about 20 seconds, just like old Classic.
  • Ice Lance. A major beta PvP controversy: the 'Nerf mages already' thread reached 445 posts, and another called for a 75% Lance nerf. Opponents of a nerf argued that streamer clips show Mages with healers and top gear. Blizzard subsequently reduced the frozen-target damage bonus from 300% to 200% on October 15.
  • Mage versus Warrior. The eternal Frostbolt-kiting joke lives on. Charge still requires being out of combat, while a Mage can tag a Warrior from 30 yards.
  • PoM-Pyro. One huge hit every 3 minutes: plenty of one-shot memes, but never considered a competitive spec.
  • Vending machine. Mages also provide water, food and portals. Beta water is conjured in stacks of 20, so requests for water are not going away.
  • First Aid. Heavy Runecloth Bandages restore 2000 health over 8 seconds after sheep. Outside First Aid, you have no standard way to remove poisons and bleeds: see the table in the Rogue guide.
  • Cliff escape. Slow Fall turns a jump off Thunder Bluff or a Thousand Needles ledge into a clean escape from a melee fighter while they look for a way down. You can cast it on other players too, so a Mage can take the whole group off the cliff. Keep Light Feathers in your bag: the legacy reagent bonus does not cover them, and one troll Mage who ran out of feathers on Thunder Bluff found the bottom the hard way.
  • Ice Block before landing. Players say that if you jump from a height and enter Ice Block right before you land, you take no fall damage. It is faster than floating down, but test it on a low cliff first. And remember that Ice Block drops the flag in Warsong Gulch.
  • Nova and home. Frost Nova holds an enemy for 8 seconds and Teleport takes 10 to cast, so get some distance first and then start the Teleport: against a melee fighter you can make it out. Against a Hunter or a Warlock it will not work, they can reach you from range.

Consumables

Mages have two separate 2-minute consumable cooldowns. Potions share one; mana gems share the other with Healthstones and runes. You can therefore use a Mana Ruby and mana potion back to back, but not a ruby and Healthstone. When focused in a battleground, a Healthstone matters more than a ruby.

Useful food and elixirs include Nightfin Soup, which grants +22 spell power in Forever, Greater Arcane Elixir and Brilliant Wizard Oil. For First Aid items that remove poisons and bleeds, see the Rogue guide.

ItemEffectNote
Mana Ruby1000-1200 manaConjured; shares its cooldown with Healthstones
Major Mana Potion1350-2250 manaShares a cooldown with other potions
Major Healthstone1440 healthShares a cooldown with the ruby
Free Action Potion30 seconds of immunity to stuns and movement impairing effectsUse beforehand against Rogues and Warriors
Living Action PotionRemoves stuns and movement impairing effects and grants 5 seconds of immunityEscape directly from a stunlock
Restorative PotionFor 30 seconds, removes one magic, curse, poison or disease effect every 5 secondsAgainst Warlocks, Priests and Blind
Limited Invulnerability Potion6 seconds of immunity to physical attacks; you can still castAgainst Rogues and Warriors
Greater Frost Protection PotionAbsorbs 1950-3250 Frost damageMage duels
Greater Shadow Protection PotionAbsorbs 1950-3250 Shadow damageAgainst Warlocks and Shadow Priests
Major Spellblasting Potion+47 spell power for 30 secondsNew Forever potion from level 55; burst at the cost of your potion cooldown
Heavy Runecloth Bandage2000 health over 8 secondsAfter sheep
Gnomish Net-o-Matic ProjectorA 10-second net with no diminishing returnsEngineering; can sometimes catch you instead
Greater Insignia of the Horde, Greater Insignia of the AllianceRemoves movement impairing and loss-of-control effects; a 5-minute cooldownRank 2 reward; the launch version remains unknown

Macros

Mage macros let you act on focus or mouseover targets without changing your target, leave Block with one press and combine burst abilities. Below are common Mage PvP macros from Classic and Forever guides.

Commands and bracketed conditions use English; spell and item names must match your game client's language exactly. The examples below use the English client. Shift-clicking a spell from your spellbook into the macro window is the easiest way to get its name right. Alt is the default self-cast modifier, so these macros use only Shift and Ctrl.

Focus is a separately saved target: select an enemy and type /focus before using a focus macro. An @focus macro acts on that saved enemy without changing your current target.

Mouseover means the unit under your cursor, including its unit frame. Hover over the intended target before pressing an @mouseover macro.

Focus and mouseover Polymorph
#showtooltip Polymorph /cast [mod:shift,@focus,harm,nodead][@mouseover,harm,nodead][] Polymorph

With Shift, sheep your focus; otherwise use a mouseover enemy or your current target. Disable a healer without switching away from your damage target. Do not add /stopcasting: repeated presses would cancel and restart sheep.

Counterspell with Block cancellation
#showtooltip Counterspell /stopcasting /cancelaura Ice Block /cast [mod:shift,@focus,harm,nodead][@mouseover,harm,nodead][] Counterspell

Stops your cast, leaves Block and interrupts your focus, mouseover or current target. Counterspell is off the global cooldown, so it can be used immediately.

Counterspell and instant sheep
#showtooltip Polymorph /stopcasting /stopmacro [@target,noharm][@target,dead] /cast [@target] Counterspell /cast Presence of Mind /cast [@target] Polymorph

For Presence of Mind builds. Interrupt a heal and immediately sheep the healer. If another spell was already being cast, sheep may require a second press.

Ice Block; Ctrl to leave
#showtooltip Ice Block /stopcasting [nomod:ctrl] /cancelaura [mod:ctrl] Ice Block /cast [nomod:ctrl] Ice Block

A normal press enters Block; Ctrl cancels it. This prevents accidentally canceling Block with a second press. Leave when Nova is ready or your healer arrives.

Blink out of Block
#showtooltip Blink /stopcasting /cancelaura Ice Block /cast Blink

Leave Block and Blink immediately. Blink follows your character's facing and stops at obstacles, so avoid facing a wall or cliff.

Frost Nova; Ctrl for Blink
#showtooltip /stopcasting /cast [mod:ctrl] Blink; Frost Nova

Kiting on one button: Nova, or Blink with Ctrl. Both trigger the global cooldown, so a single press cannot use both.

Mouseover Ice Lance
#showtooltip Ice Lance /stopcasting /cast [@mouseover,harm,nodead][] Ice Lance

Cancels Frostbolt as soon as a target freezes or Fingers procs, then fires Lance. The same template works for Fire Blast.

Mouseover Fire Blast
#showtooltip Fire Blast /stopcasting /cast [@mouseover,harm,nodead][] Fire Blast

An instant finisher on your mouseover or current target. Useful for finishing runners or killing totems without switching targets.

One-button burst
#showtooltip Pyroblast /stopmacro [@target,noharm][@target,dead] /cast Blood Fury /cast Arcane Power /cast Presence of Mind /cast [@target] Pyroblast

Your racial, Power and Presence of Mind are off the global cooldown, allowing an instant Pyroblast with one press. This version is for Orcs: Trolls use Berserking, Gnomes use Eureka! If your build lacks Power, remove that line; Frost builds can replace Pyroblast with Frostbolt.

Remove curse
#showtooltip Remove Lesser Curse /cast [mod:shift,@player][@mouseover,help,nodead][help,nodead][@player] Remove Lesser Curse

Removes a curse or bane from a mouseover ally, your friendly target, or yourself with Shift or no valid target. Remove Curse of Tongues immediately.

Mana and health
#showtooltip /use [mod:shift] Major Healthstone; Mana Ruby /use [mod:ctrl] Major Mana Potion

No modifier uses a ruby; Ctrl uses a ruby and mana potion together because their cooldowns differ. Shift uses a Healthstone instead of the ruby, since those share a cooldown.

Sheep or bandage
#showtooltip /use [mod:ctrl,@player] Heavy Runecloth Bandage /cast [nomod,@mouseover,harm,nodead][nomod] Polymorph

Sheep, then hold Ctrl to bandage with the same button. In a duel, bandaging can be more useful than drinking, since sheep rapidly restores the enemy's mana too.

Armors on one button
#showtooltip /cast [mod:shift] Mage Armor; [mod:ctrl] Frost Armor; Ice Armor

Ice Armor against melee; Shift for Mage Armor against casters. Armor lasts 30 minutes but can be dispelled, so keep the button handy.

What is new in Forever

  • Ice Lance and Fingers of Frost: instant Shatter without Nova; according to its tooltip, Lance deals triple damage to frozen targets.
  • Ice Block is the 16th Frost point, available at level 25. Cold Snap is the 21st point and is required for Ice Barrier. There is no Hypothermia, so Block, Snap and Block provide 20 seconds of immunity.
  • Frostbite does not share diminishing returns with Nova, while Shatter provides up to +50% critical strike chance across three ranks without requiring Improved Frost Nova.
  • Cone of Cold slows by 40% for 6 seconds, and Improved Blizzard reaches 40%: group control is weaker than in Classic.
  • Improved Counterspell always applies a 4-second silence, Arcane Focus improves Polymorph and Counterspell hit chance, and Arcane Geometry extends them to 36 yards.
  • Mage Armor and Arcane Meditation each allow 50% mana regeneration while casting.
  • Fire has lower base damage, but gains Heating Up, Improved Fire Blast and Blast Wave without requiring Pyroblast. Each Mage can maintain one Flamestrike ground effect.
  • New spells: Frostfire Bolt from level 40, benefiting from both schools' talents, and Arcane Blast with Missile Barrage in Arcane.
  • Lower ranks barely trigger talent effects: rank 1 Frostbolt at level 60 cannot proc Frostbite.
  • Orcs and High Order Skyborne can now be Mages.
  • PvP critical strikes are no longer reduced (October 8), and the Greater Insignia removes sheep for every class.
  • There is no Invisibility, Spellsteal, Dragon's Breath or Water Elemental.

Common mistakes

  • Lancing an unfrozen target without Fingers: roughly 150 damage for your mana.
  • Point-blank Frostbolt after Nova: damage may break the freeze before Lance arrives.
  • Casting sheep in melee range of a Rogue: Kick locks Arcane and Blink with it.
  • Casting Frostbolt into an available interrupt: a locked Frost school also locks Block.
  • Using Cold Snap when Block and Nova are ready: a wasted 10-minute cooldown.
  • Sheeping a Druid in form, or a target taking damage from your own DoTs.
  • Area damage beside your sheep, a teammate's Sap or a Hunter's trap.
  • Using a mana gem when you need a Healthstone: they share a cooldown.
  • Rank 1 Frostbolt for a cheap slow: it does not proc freezes in Forever.
  • Blinking into a wall, lava or off a cliff.

Frequently asked questions

Which Mage spec is best for WoW Forever PvP: Frost, Fire or Arcane?

Frost 17/0/34 suits duels, world PvP and all-round play. PoM-Frost 21/0/30 offers instant sheep; Frost 10/0/41 and Elemental 0/30/21 work better in organized battleground groups. At the beta's level 30 cap, Frost is one of the strongest duelists, while testers rate Fire and Arcane poorly.

How strong is Ice Lance in Forever?

Its tooltip indicates triple damage against frozen targets, instantly and without a cooldown. Fingers of Frost treats the target as frozen for two spells even without Nova. Against a normal target it is weak, around 150 damage at level 60. On October 15, the frozen-target damage bonus was reduced from 300% to 200%.

How long does Polymorph last on players in Forever?

Client data gives it the full duration, up to 50 seconds, without a shortened PvP duration. Diminishing returns apply: a second consecutive sheep, or one after Sap or a trap, lasts half as long. Damage immediately breaks sheep.

Can you take Ice Barrier and Presence of Mind together?

No: they require 52 points, and level 60 provides 51. In Forever, however, Presence of Mind fits with Block, Snap and Fingers, while Arcane Power fits with Block, Shatter and Lance.

Which race should a PvP Mage choose?

For Alliance, Gnome: Escape Artist instantly removes roots and slows. Humans remove stuns. For Horde, Undead are good against Priests and Warlocks, Trolls provide casting speed, and Orcs offer spell power and curse removal. Blizzard has said racials will be reviewed.

Which opponents are hardest for a Mage?

Warlocks: Fear, Death Coil, Spell Lock and the Felhunter's Devour Magic. Hunters with combat traps and Priests who dispel your shields are also difficult. Paladins and Warriors are generally easiest.

What does Ice Block remove, and can you use it while controlled?

Block grants 10 seconds of immunity and removes debuffs. In Classic it could be used during Kidney Shot, but not while sheeped. Its use during stuns and fear in Forever has not yet been verified, so using it beforehand is safer.

How can a Mage avoid running out of mana in PvP?

Use Mage Armor against casters, take Arcane Meditation, use a Mana Ruby and mana potion back to back on their separate cooldowns, and save Evocation for a break. Lance costs half as much as Frostbolt, but do not waste it without a freeze.

Changelog

  • 20 October 2026: New just-for-fun tricks in the world PvP section; a second check against the October 15 patch using the Wowhead datamine.
  • 17 October 2026: Updated for the October 15 beta patch: racials, abilities and talents per the official notes. Builds checked against the new talent trees. English version published.
  • 15 October 2026: Guide published for level 60: talent tree builds, abilities, how to fight every class and macros.

Related reading

Mage in WoW Forever: class, talents and racesUndead Mage leveling 1–30PvP in WoW Forever: battlegrounds, honor and ranksWarrior PvP: how Warriors chase MagesMage talent calculator