Mage talent calculator and leveling order

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Other classes: Warrior, Paladin, Hunter, Rogue, Priest, Shaman, Warlock, Druid

Mages are pure ranged casters with strong AoE, crowd control and burst. Forever adds Arcane Blast (an Arcane talent: each cast stacks spell damage from your Intellect), Ice Lance (a Frost talent: 300% more damage on frozen targets) and Frostfire Bolt (a trainer spell at 40: a frost and fire hybrid bolt with a DoT and slow), plus Missile Barrage, Arcane Wrath, Heating Up and Fingers of Frost in the talent trees.

Plan your Mage talents for WoW Forever: click talents into the three trees and the calculator records the order you take them in, one talent per level, so you know what to pick at every level-up. Drag a level to move it, or click it to change its pick; every level is checked against the tree's tier and prerequisite rules. Share the build as a short link, load a recommended build in one click, and send the plan to the ForeverDB addon, which tells you where each new point goes in game.

Talent points in WoW Forever

From the Forever client (TraitCurrencySource): one talent point per level from 10 to 60, 51 in all. The Legacy perk Talented gives the same points up to 5 levels sooner (one more rank each at levels 9, 8, 7, 6 and 5). In each section a row needs 5 more points spent in the rows above it.

Mage talents compared with Classic

Of the 53 talents in Forever's Mage tree, 6 are new, 26 changed from Classic Era and 21 are the same. Classic talents Forever doesn't have: Piercing Ice (Frost tier 3).

Recommended Mage builds

• Arcane: Arcane Blast leveling (level 20)
• Arcane: Arcane dungeon (level 20)
• Arcane: Arcane PvP (level 20)
• Arcane: Arcane leveling with Missile Barrage (level 30)
• Arcane: Arcane dungeon (level 30)
• Arcane: Arcane PvP with Presence of Mind (level 30)
• Arcane: Arcane leveling with Arcane Power (level 40)
• Arcane: Arcane dungeon with Arcane Power (level 40)
• Arcane: Arcane PvP with Arcane Power (level 40)
• Arcane: Arcane leveling at 50 (level 50)
• Arcane: Arcane dungeon at 50 (level 50)
• Arcane: Arcane PvP at 50 (level 50)
• Arcane: Arcane leveling at 60 (level 60)
• Arcane: Arcane dungeon at 60 (level 60)
• Arcane: Arcane PvP at 60 (level 60)
• Fire: Fireball leveling (level 20)
• Fire: Fire dungeon (level 20)
• Fire: Fire PvP (level 20)
• Fire: Heating Up leveling (level 30)
• Fire: Fire dungeon (level 30)
• Fire: Fire PvP with Blast Wave (level 30)
• Fire: Fire leveling with Combustion (level 40)
• Fire: Fire dungeon with Combustion (level 40)
• Fire: Fire PvP with Combustion (level 40)
• Fire: Fire leveling with Impact (level 50)
• Fire: Fire dungeon at 50 (level 50)
• Fire: Fire PvP with Ignite (level 50)
• Fire: Fire leveling at 60 (level 60)
• Fire: Fire dungeon at 60 with Arcane Concentration (level 60)
• Fire: Fire PvP at 60 (level 60)
• Frost: Frostbolt and Ice Lance leveling (level 20)
• Frost: Frost dungeon (level 20)
• Frost: Frost PvP (level 20)
• Frost: Frost leveling with Shatter (level 30)
• Frost: Frost dungeon (level 30)
• Frost: Frost PvP with Ice Block (level 30)
• Frost: Frost leveling with Ice Barrier (level 40)
• Frost: Frost dungeon with Ice Barrier (level 40)
• Frost: Frost PvP with Ice Barrier (level 40)
• Frost: Frost leveling with Permafrost (level 50)
• Frost: Frost dungeon at 50 (level 50)
• Frost: Frost PvP with Winter's Chill (level 50)
• Frost: Full Frost leveling at 60 (level 60)
• Frost: Frost dungeon at 60 with Arcane Concentration (level 60)
• Frost: Frost PvP at 60 (level 60)

Popular builds

Seen in WoW Forever: 3 players (3 characters). How it works: signed-in players upload their Companion addon file (its Your talent builds setting records each character’s talents). Each character counts once per level range, at most 2 of one player’s, and no names are shown. A spec appears once 5 characters from 3 different players at that level range have uploaded, and a build once 2 players run it.

Levels 10–19

2 Mage characters at Levels 10–19.

• Arcane: Not enough players yet: 1 of the 5 characters needed, from at least 3 different players.
• Frost: Not enough players yet: 1 of the 5 characters needed, from at least 3 different players.

Levels 20–29

1 Mage character at Levels 20–29.

• Frost: Not enough players yet: 1 of the 5 characters needed, from at least 3 different players.

Arcane talents

• Tier 1: Wand Specialization (2 ranks, level 10+): Increases your damage with Wands by 25%.
• Tier 1: Improved Channeling (changed from Classic) (5 ranks, level 10+): 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. Classic: Gives you a 100% chance to avoid interruption caused by damage while channeling Arcane Missiles.
• Tier 1: Arcane Resilience (changed from Classic) (3 ranks, level 10+): Increases your Armor by an amount equal to 75% of your Intellect. Classic: Increases your armor by an amount equal to 50% of your Intellect.
• Tier 2: Arcane Subtlety (changed from Classic) (2 ranks, level 15+): Reduces your target's resistance to all your spells by 15 and reduces the threat caused by your Arcane spells by 30%. Classic: Reduces your target's resistance to all your spells by 10 and reduces the threat caused by your Arcane spells by 40%.
• Tier 2: Magic Absorption (changed from Classic) (2 ranks, level 15+): Increases all your resistances by 10 and causes all spells you fully resist to restore 2% of your total mana. Cannot trigger more often than 1 time per sec. Classic: Increases all resistances by 10 and causes all spells you fully resist to restore 5% of your total mana. 1 sec. cooldown.
• Tier 2: Arcane Concentration (5 ranks, level 15+): 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%.
• Tier 2: Missile Barrage (new in Forever) (2 ranks, level 15+): Gives your Arcane Blast spell a 40% chance, and your Arcane Wrath, Fireball, Frostbolt, 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.
• Tier 3: Arcane Geometry (changed from Classic) (2 ranks, level 20+): Increases the range of your Arcane spells by 6 yards. Classic: Increases the effect of your Amplify Magic and Dampen Magic spells by 50%.
• Tier 3: Arcane Impact (3 ranks, level 20+): Increases the critical strike chance of your Arcane spells by 6%.
• Tier 3: Arcane Blast (new in Forever) (1 rank, level 20+): Blasts the target with energy, dealing 30 to 34 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.
• Tier 4: Arcane Shielding (changed from Classic) (2 ranks, level 25+): Decreases the Mana lost per point of damage taken when your Mana Shield spell is active by 33% and increases the resistances granted by your Mage Armor spell by 50%. Classic: Decreases the mana lost per point of damage taken when Mana Shield is active by 20%.
• Tier 4: Improved Counterspell (changed from Classic) (2 ranks, level 25+): Your Counterspell also Silences the target for 4 sec. Classic: Gives your Counterspell a 100% chance to silence the target for 4 sec.
• Tier 4: Arcane Meditation (changed from Classic) (3 ranks, level 25+): Allows 50% of your Mana regeneration to continue while casting. Classic: Allows 15% of your Mana regeneration to continue while casting.
• Tier 4: Arcane Wrath (new in Forever) (1 rank, level 25+): Launches a projectile of pure Arcane energy at the enemy target, causing 108 to 132 Arcane damage. This spell gains additional Spell Damage equal to 5% of your maximum Mana.
• Tier 5: Presence of Mind (1 rank, level 30+): When activated, your next Mage spell with a casting time less than 10 sec becomes an instant cast spell.
• Tier 5: Arcane Mind (changed from Classic) (5 ranks, level 30+): Increases your Intellect by 10% and increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Arcane spells by 100%. Classic: Increases your maximum Mana by 10%.
• Tier 6: Arcane Instability (changed from Classic) (3 ranks, level 35+): Increases the damage done by your spells by 3% and your critical strike chance by 3%. Classic: Increases your spell damage and critical strike chance by 3%.
• Tier 7: Arcane Power (changed from Classic) (1 rank, level 40+): For the next 15 sec, your spells deal 30% more damage while costing 30% more mana to cast. Classic: When activated, your spells deal 30% more damage while costing 30% more mana to cast. This effect lasts 15 sec.

Fire talents

• Tier 1: Incineration (changed from Classic) (5 ranks, level 10+): Increases the critical strike chance of your Fire Blast, Ice Lance, Arcane Blast, and Scorch spells by 10%. Classic: Increases the critical strike chance of your Fire Blast and Scorch spells by 4%.
• Tier 1: Accelerant (5 ranks, level 10+): Reduces the casting time of your Fireball, Frostfire Bolt, and Arcane Wrath spells by 0.5 sec.
• Tier 2: Ignite (5 ranks, level 15+): Your critical strikes from Fire damage spells cause the target to burn for an additional 40% of your spell's damage over 4 sec.
• Tier 2: Flame Throwing (2 ranks, level 15+): Increases the range of your Fire spells by 6 yards.
• Tier 2: Impact (changed from Classic) (3 ranks, level 15+): Gives your Fire spells a 10% chance to stun the target for 2 sec. Classic: Gives your Fire spells a 10% chance to stun the target for 2 sec.
• Tier 3: Burning Soul (changed from Classic) (3 ranks, level 20+): Gives your Fire spells a 70% chance to not lose casting time when you take damage and reduces the threat caused by your Fire spells by 30%. Classic: Gives your Fire spells a 70% chance to not lose casting time when you take damage and reduces the threat caused by your Fire spells by 30%.
• Tier 3: Improved Flamestrike (3 ranks, level 20+): Increases the critical strike chance of your Flamestrike spell by 15%.
• Tier 3: Pyroblast (changed from Classic) (1 rank, level 20+): Hurls an immense fiery boulder that causes 95 to 125 Fire damage and an additional 44 Fire damage over 12 sec. Classic: Hurls an immense fiery boulder that causes 141 to 187 Fire damage and an additional 56 Fire damage over 12 sec.
• Tier 3: Improved Fire Blast (changed from Classic) (2 ranks, level 20+): Reduces the cooldown of your Fire Blast spell by 2 sec and increases its range by 15 yards. Classic: Reduces the cooldown of your Fire Blast spell by 1.5 sec.
• Tier 4: Improved Scorch (changed from Classic) (3 ranks, level 25+): Your Scorch spell has a 100% chance to cause your target to be vulnerable to Fire damage. This vulnerability increases all Fire damage you deal to your target by 3% and lasts 30 sec, stacking up to 5 times. Classic: Your Scorch spells have a 100% chance to cause your target to be vulnerable to Fire damage. This vulnerability increases the Fire damage dealt to your target by 3% and lasts 30 sec. Stacks up to 5 times.
• Tier 4: Improved Fire Ward (2 ranks, level 25+): Causes your Fire Ward to have a 20% chance to reflect Fire spells while active.
• Tier 4: Heating Up (new in Forever) (1 rank, level 25+): Non-periodic critical strikes with Fireball, Frostfire Bolt, Fire Blast, and Scorch reduce the cast time of your next Pyroblast cast within 20 sec by 25%, stacking up to 3 times. Fire Blast grants an additional stack every time it deals damage.
• Tier 4: Master of Elements (3 ranks, level 25+): Your Fire and Frost critical strikes will refund 30% of their base mana cost.
• Tier 5: Critical Mass (3 ranks, level 30+): Increases the critical strike chance of your Fire spells by 6%.
• Tier 5: Blast Wave (changed from Classic) (1 rank, level 30+): A wave of flame radiates outward from the caster, damaging all enemies caught within the blast for 148 to 178 Fire damage, and Dazing them for 50% reduced movement speed for 6 sec. Classic: A wave of flame radiates outward from the caster, damaging all enemies caught within the blast for 154 to 186 Fire damage, and dazing them for 6 sec.
• Tier 6: Fire Power (changed from Classic) (3 ranks, level 35+): Increases the damage done by your Fire spells by 3% per your Fire effects on the target, up to a maximum increase of 12%. Effects which mix multiple schools of magic do not qualify. Classic: Increases the damage done by your Fire spells by 10%.
• Tier 7: Combustion (1 rank, level 40+): When activated, this spell causes each of your Fire damage spell hits to increase your critical strike chance with Fire damage spells by 10%. This effect lasts until you have caused 3 non-periodic critical strikes with Fire spells.

Frost talents

• Tier 1: Frost Warding (changed from Classic) (2 ranks, level 10+): 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%. Classic: Increases the armor and resistances given by your Frost Armor and Ice Armor spells by 30%. In addition, gives your Frost Ward a 20% chance to reflect Frost spells and effects while active.
• Tier 1: Improved Frostbolt (5 ranks, level 10+): Reduces the casting time of your Frostbolt spell by 0.5 sec.
• Tier 1: Precision (3 ranks, level 10+): Improves your chance to hit with all spells by 6%.
• Tier 2: Ice Shards (5 ranks, level 15+): Increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Frost spells by 100%.
• Tier 2: Frostbite (3 ranks, level 15+): Gives your Chill effects a 15% chance to Freeze the target for 5 sec.
• Tier 2: Improved Frost Nova (2 ranks, level 15+): Reduces the cooldown of your Frost Nova spell by 4 sec.
• Tier 2: Permafrost (changed from Classic) (3 ranks, level 15+): Increases the duration of your Chill effects by 33% and reduces the target's speed by an additional 10%. Classic: Increases the duration of your Chill effects by 3 secs and reduces the target's speed by an additional 10%.
• Tier 3: Frost Channeling (3 ranks, level 20+): Reduces the mana cost of your Frost spells by 15% and reduces the threat caused by your Frost spells by 30%.
• Tier 3: Improved Blizzard (changed from Classic) (3 ranks, level 20+): Adds a Chill effect to your Blizzard spell. This effect lowers the target's movement speed by 40% for 1.5 sec. Classic: Adds a chill effect to your Blizzard spell. This effect lowers the target's movement speed by 65%. Lasts 1.5 sec.
• Tier 3: Ice Lance (new in Forever) (1 rank, level 20+): Deals 26 to 30 Frost damage to an enemy target. Deals 300% increased damage to Frozen targets.
• Tier 4: Arctic Reach (2 ranks, level 25+): Increases the range of your Frostbolt, Ice Lance, and Blizzard spells and the radius of your Frost Nova and Cone of Cold spells by 20%.
• Tier 4: Ice Block (1 rank, level 25+): You become encased in a block of ice, protecting you from all physical attacks and spells for 10 sec, but during that time you cannot attack, move, or cast spells.
• Tier 4: Shatter (changed from Classic) (3 ranks, level 25+): Increases the critical strike chance of all your spells against Frozen targets by 50%. Classic: Increases the critical strike chance of all your spells against frozen targets by 50%.
• Tier 5: Improved Cone of Cold (changed from Classic) (3 ranks, level 30+): Increases the damage dealt by your Cone of Cold spell by 35%. Classic: Increases the damage dealt by your Cone of Cold spell by 35%.
• Tier 5: Cold Snap (1 rank, level 30+): Finishes the remaining cooldown on all your other Frost spells.
• Tier 5: Fingers of Frost (new in Forever) (2 ranks, level 30+): Gives your Chill effects a 15% chance to grant you the Fingers of Frost effect, which treats your next 2 spells cast as if the target were Frozen. Lasts 15 sec.
• Tier 6: Winter's Chill (changed from Classic) (5 ranks, level 35+): Gives your Frostbolt and Fingers of Frost empowered Ice Lance spells a 100% chance to apply Winter's Chill, increasing the target's damage taken from your next Cone of Cold by 20% and it gains an additional 7% of your spell damage, stacking up to 5 times. Classic: Gives your Frost damage spells a 100% chance to apply the Winter's Chill effect, which increases the chance a Frost spell will critically hit the target by 2% for 15 sec. Stacks up to 5 times.
• Tier 7: Ice Barrier (changed from Classic) (1 rank, level 40+): Shield yourself, absorbing 431 (+10% of Frost spell power) damage and increasing your Frost damage by 15% for 1 min. While shielded, your Frost damage is increased by an additional 5% and you do not lose casting time when you take damage. Classic: Instantly shields you, absorbing 438 damage. Lasts 1 min. While the shield holds, spells will not be interrupted.

Best in slot gear at any level: Arcane, Fire, Frost

Mage abilities

• Fire Vulnerability
• Arcane Intellect (level 1)
• Chilled (level 1)
• Fireball (level 1)
• Frost Armor (level 1)
• Conjure Water (level 4, from the Classic class quest Arcane Refreshment (rank 1))
• Frostbolt (level 4)
• Conjure Food (level 6)
• Fire Blast (level 6)
• Arcane Missiles (level 8)
• Polymorph (level 8)
• Frost Nova (level 10)
• Dampen Magic (level 12)
• Slow Fall (level 12)
• Arcane Explosion (level 14)
• Flamestrike (level 16)
• Amplify Magic (level 18)
• Remove Lesser Curse (level 18)
• Blink (level 20)
• Blizzard (level 20)
• Evocation (level 20)
• Fire Ward (level 20)
• Mana Shield (level 20)
• Teleport: Ironforge (level 20)
• Teleport: Orgrimmar (level 20)
• Teleport: Stormwind (level 20)
• Teleport: Undercity (level 20)
• Frost Ward (level 22)
• Scorch (level 22)
• Counterspell (level 24)
• Cone of Cold (level 26)
• Conjure Mana Agate (level 28)
• Ice Armor (level 30)
• Teleport: Darnassus (level 30)
• Teleport: Thunder Bluff (level 30)
• Mage Armor (level 34)
• Conjure Mana Jade (level 38)
• Frostfire Bolt (level 40)
• Portal: Ironforge (level 40)
• Portal: Orgrimmar (level 40)
• Portal: Stormwind (level 40)
• Portal: Undercity (level 40)
• Conjure Mana Citrine (level 48)
• Portal: Darnassus (level 50)
• Portal: Thunder Bluff (level 50)
• Teleport: Dalaran (level 50)
• Arcane Brilliance (level 56)
• Conjure Mana Ruby (level 58)
• Felfire (level 60)
• Polymorph: Cow (level 60)

No longer trainer abilities in the live client

• Arcane Wrath
• Frost Blast

Data from the WoW Forever client, build 1.60.1.70862, extracted 2026-11-09.