Mage talent changes in WoW Forever

Compared with Classic Era, talent by talent: 5 added, 39 rewritten or moved, 0 removed, 10 untouched. Open the Mage calculator.

Mage discoveries

Untested ideas drawn from the current client build. Hypotheses, not verdicts — the builder is where you find out.

Reading the Mage trees…

Arcane

New in Forever

Missile Barrage · row 1 · 2 ranks
Gives your Arcane Blast spell a 40% chance, your Arcane Missile hits a 10% 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.
Arcane Blast · row 3 · 1 rank
Blasts the target with energy, dealing 32 Arcane damage. Each time you cast Arcane Blast, you gain 15% of your Intellect as Spell Damage and the mana cost of Arcane Blast is increased by 175%. Effect stacks up to 4 times and lasts 15 sec from time of initial application.

Rewritten or moved

Wand Specialization2 ranks · moved from row 2 to row 1
Increases your damage with Wands by 25%.
Arcane Focus5 ranks
Classic Era
Reduces the chance that the opponent can resist your Arcane spells by 10%.
Forever
Improves your chance to hit with Arcane spells by 5%.
Improved Channeling5 ranks
Classic Era
Gives you a 100% chance to avoid interruption caused by damage while channeling Arcane Missiles.
Forever
Gives you a 100% chance to avoid interruption caused by damage while channeling Arcane Missiles and a 70% chance while casting Arcane Blast or Arcane Wrath.
Arcane Subtlety2 ranks · moved from row 1 to row 2
Classic Era
Reduces your target's resistance to all your spells by 10 and reduces the threat caused by your Arcane spells by 40%.
Forever
Reduces your target's resistance to all your spells by 15 and reduces the threat caused by your Arcane spells by 30%.
Magic Absorption5 → 2 ranks
Classic Era
Increases all resistances by 10 and causes all spells you fully resist to restore 5% of your total mana. 1 sec. cooldown.
Forever
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.
Arcane Resilience1 → 2 ranks · moved from row 3 to row 2
Classic Era
Increases your armor by an amount equal to 50% of your Intellect.
Forever
Increases your Armor by an amount equal to 50% of your Intellect.
Arcane Geometry2 ranks
Classic Era
Increases the effect of your Amplify Magic and Dampen Magic spells by 50%.
Forever
Increases the range of your Arcane spells by 6 yards.
Arcane Impact3 ranks
Classic Era
Increases the critical strike chance of your Arcane Explosion spell by an additional 6%.
Forever
Increases the critical strike chance of your Arcane spells by 6%.
Arcane Shielding2 ranks
Classic Era
Decreases the mana lost per point of damage taken when Mana Shield is active by 20%.
Forever
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%.
Improved Counterspell2 ranks
Classic Era
Gives your Counterspell a 100% chance to silence the target for 4 sec.
Forever
Your Counterspell also Silences the target for 4 sec.
Arcane Meditation3 ranks
Classic Era
Allows 15% of your Mana regeneration to continue while casting.
Forever
Allows 50% of your Mana regeneration to continue while casting.
Arcane Mind5 ranks
Classic Era
Increases your maximum Mana by 10%.
Forever
Increases your Intellect by 10% and increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Arcane spells by 100%.
Arcane Instability3 ranks
Classic Era
Increases your spell damage and critical strike chance by 3%.
Forever
Increases the damage done by your spells by 3% and your critical strike chance by 3%.
Arcane Power1 rank
Classic Era
When activated, your spells deal 30% more damage while costing 30% more mana to cast. This effect lasts 15 sec.
Forever
For the next 15 sec, your spells deal 30% more damage while costing 30% more mana to cast.

2 talents in Arcane are unchanged.

Fire

New in Forever

Heating Up · row 4 · 1 rank
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.

Rewritten or moved

Improved Fire Blast3 → 2 ranks · moved from row 2 to row 1
Classic Era
Reduces the cooldown of your Fire Blast spell by 1.5 sec.
Forever
Reduces the cooldown of your Fire Blast spell by -2 sec and increases its range by 15 yards.
Incineration2 → 3 ranks · moved from row 3 to row 1
Classic Era
Increases the critical strike chance of your Fire Blast and Scorch spells by 4%.
Forever
Increases the critical strike chance of your Fire Blast, Ice Lance, Arcane Blast, and Scorch spells by 6%.
Improved Fireball5 ranks
Classic Era
Reduces the casting time of your Fireball spell by 0.5 sec.
Forever
Reduces the casting time of your Fireball and Frostfire Bolt spells by 0.5 sec.
Impact5 → 3 ranks · moved from row 1 to row 2
Gives your Fire spells a 10% chance to stun the target for 2 sec.
Burning Soul2 → 3 ranks
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%.
Pyroblast1 rank
Classic Era
Hurls an immense fiery boulder that causes 187 Fire damage and an additional 56 Fire damage over 12 sec.
Forever
Hurls an immense fiery boulder that causes 110 Fire damage and an additional 44 Fire damage over 12 sec.
Improved Scorch3 ranks
Classic Era
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.
Forever
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.
Master of Elements3 ranks
Classic Era
Your Fire and Frost spell criticals will refund 30% of their base mana cost.
Forever
Your Fire and Frost critical strikes will refund 30% of their base mana cost.
Critical Mass3 → 5 ranks
Classic Era
Increases the critical strike chance of your Fire spells by 6%.
Forever
Increases the critical strike chance of your Fire spells by 10%.
Blast Wave1 rank
Classic Era
A wave of flame radiates outward from the caster, damaging all enemies caught within the blast for 186 Fire damage, and dazing them for 6 sec.
Forever
A wave of flame radiates outward from the caster, damaging all enemies caught within the blast for 163 Fire damage, and Dazing them for 50% reduced movement speed for 6 sec.
Fire Power5 → 3 ranks
Classic Era
Increases the damage done by your Fire spells by 10%.
Forever
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.
Combustion1 rank
Classic Era
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 critical strikes with Fire spells.
Forever
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.

4 talents in Fire are unchanged.

Frost

New in Forever

Ice Lance · row 3 · 1 rank
Deals 28 Frost damage to an enemy target. Deals 200% increased damage to Frozen targets.
Fingers of Frost · row 5 · 2 ranks
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.

Rewritten or moved

Frost Warding2 ranks
Classic Era
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.
Forever
Increases the Armor and resistance 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.
Improved Frostbolt5 ranks
Classic Era
Reduces the casting time of your Frostbolt spell by 0.5 sec.
Forever
Reduces the casting time of your Frostbolt and Frost Blast spells by 0.5 sec.
Elemental Precision3 → 5 ranks
Classic Era
Reduces the chance that the opponent can resist your Frost and Fire spells by 6%.
Forever
Improves your chance to hit with Frost and Fire spells by 5%.
Permafrost3 ranks
Classic Era
Increases the duration of your Chill effects by 3 secs and reduces the target's speed by an additional 10%.
Forever
Increases the duration of your Chill effects by 33% and reduces the target's speed by an additional 10%.
Frostbite3 ranks
Classic Era
Gives your Chill effects a 15% chance to freeze the target for 5 sec.
Forever
Gives your Chill effects a 15% chance to Freeze the target for 5 sec.
Frost Channeling3 ranks · moved from row 4 to row 3
Reduces the mana cost of your Frost spells by 15% and reduces the threat caused by your Frost spells by 30%.
Improved Blizzard3 ranks
Classic Era
Adds a chill effect to your Blizzard spell. This effect lowers the target's movement speed by 65%. Lasts 1.5 sec.
Forever
Adds a Chill effect to your Blizzard spell. This effect lowers the target's movement speed by 40% for 1.5 sec.
Arctic Reach2 ranks
Classic Era
Increases the range of your Frostbolt and Blizzard spells and the radius of your Frost Nova and Cone of Cold spells by 20%.
Forever
Increases the range of your Frostbolt, Frost Blast, and Blizzard spells and the radius of your Frost Nova and Cone of Cold spells by 20%.
Ice Block1 rank · moved from row 5 to row 4
Classic Era
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.
Forever
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.
Shatter5 → 3 ranks
Classic Era
Increases the critical strike chance of all your spells against frozen targets by 50%.
Forever
Increases the critical strike chance of all your spells against Frozen targets by 50%.
Cold Snap1 rank · moved from row 3 to row 5
Classic Era
When activated, this spell finishes the cooldown on all of your Frost spells.
Forever
Finishes the remaining cooldown on all your other Frost spells.
Winter's Chill5 ranks
Classic Era
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.
Forever
Gives your Frost damage spells a 100% chance to apply the Winter's Chill effect, which increases the damage done by your Cone of Cold spell to the target by 40%, stacking up to 5 times.
Ice Barrier1 rank
Classic Era
Instantly shields you, absorbing 438 damage. Lasts 1 min. While the shield holds, spells will not be interrupted.
Forever
Instantly shields you, absorbing 431 damage. Lasts 1 min. While the shield holds, your spellcasts will not be interrupted or delayed from taking damage.

4 talents in Frost are unchanged.