Arcane Mage Overview & Changes

Arcane Mage overview

Choose Arcane if you want to control how much mana you spend on a damage window. Shorter Blast sequences and free Missiles preserve mana for a long fight; Arcane Power lets you spend harder when a priority target needs to die. Keep enough mana and a clear position for the finisher instead of treating four stacks as a requirement on every enemy.

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The biggest changes from Classic

Blast does not buff itself: Each Arcane Blast adds damage to your other spells and raises Blast's own mana cost. Another Blast extends the setup rather than buffing that Blast's own hit.
Free Missiles still need a casting window: Missile Barrage removes Arcane Missiles' mana cost and halves its channel duration. Start it where you can stand still; the proc does not let you channel while running.
Check the finishing school's talents: Arcane Focus improves Arcane hit and Arcane Subtlety reduces Arcane threat. A Fireball finisher gets neither benefit, even when Arcane casts built the buff it uses.

Arcane Mage

Ranged DPS

Original Classic's Arcane Power raid build commonly spent its damage casts on Frostbolt. Forever gives you Arcane Blast and Missile Barrage to build around Arcane-school damage itself.

Build your talents

Build Blast stacks for a chosen finisher

Arcane Blast increases the damage of all your other spells by 10% each time you cast it. The effect stacks up to four times and lasts eight seconds or until any other damage spell is cast. Blast's own damage does not receive this bonus: each cast prepares the next different spell rather than making that Blast hit harder.

The same effect increases Arcane Blast's mana cost by 175% each time you cast it, so every extra stack is a mana decision as well as a damage one. Check the next cast's cost before continuing: building a bigger bonus is wasted if you cannot afford the spell meant to spend it.

Pick your finisher before you start. Arcane Missiles keeps the sequence in Arcane; Fireball gives you a Fire finisher, while Frostbolt adds a slow against susceptible enemies. An instant Fire Blast can land damage before you move, but it also spends the setup you might have wanted for Missiles.

Spend the stacks before the eight seconds run out. If movement or an enemy ability cuts the window short, use a smaller setup instead of squeezing in another Blast and losing the bonus. You do not need four stacks before every finisher.

Use Missile Barrage without fishing indefinitely

Missile Barrage gives Arcane Blast a 40% chance to proc. Fireball, Frostbolt and Frostfire Bolt each have a 20% chance. Those are the named triggers: Fire Blast, Scorch and Arcane Explosion are not additional ways to fish for it.

The proc cuts the next Arcane Missiles channel's duration by 50% and its mana cost by 100%, and makes missiles fire every 0.5 seconds. The damage lands sooner and costs nothing, which is a strong reason to stop stacking costly Blasts when you need to save mana.

If Barrage does not proc, check whether the next Blast is affordable before casting it. A different damage spell can end the stacking effect without a proc. Fishing until it appears can leave you empty even though every cast looked like a reasonable chance.

Fireball and Frostbolt can proc Barrage while you cast outside an expensive Blast sequence. Take those procs when you can finish the channel; a proc does not mean you have to abandon a needed slow, interrupt or escape to start Missiles right away.

Change the setup for adds and short pulls

On a low-health add, use damage that lands before it dies. Several casts spent building a bigger finisher can lose the kill to the rest of the group and still leave you with the mana bill. If one direct cast will finish the enemy, the next pull gains more from the mana you saved than from unused stacks.

Against a durable priority add that must die before a dangerous cast, spend your mana and cooldowns on damage that fits the deadline. Do not delay the required hit just to reach the same stack count you used on the boss.

When the tank is about to collect another pack, avoid ending this one with no mana for the next assignment. A free Missiles channel or an earlier finisher can leave you able to help with a loose enemy instead of sitting to drink at once. Tell the tank when you need recovery rather than starting a pull and relying on a Barrage proc to fund it.

Recover mana before the next damage window

Arcane Concentration can grant Clearcasting after a damage spell hits, reducing your next damage spell's mana cost by 100%. Spend it on damage you need: it is a chance to save a spell's cost, not a reason to add casts to an enemy already dying.

Arcane Meditation lets some mana regeneration continue while casting; at rank 1, it allows 17%. Mage Armor also regenerates mana while you cast. Neither removes the escalating cost of a long Blast setup.

Use a safe break in target access for Evocation when your mana is low enough to need it. It is a channel: step out of incoming damage first, and do not start it while a nearby enemy can force you to stop. Drinking between pulls beats entering the next fight empty and spending its opening recovering.

Watch Mana Shield when melee enemies reach you. It drains mana as it absorbs physical damage, so repeated hits can spend the mana you had reserved for your next attack or escape. Arcane Shielding reduces that drain; creating distance still prevents both the damage and the extra mana loss.

Mage talent trees

Hover, focus or tap a talent to read its effects. Each badge shows the talent's maximum rank; this is the full tree, not a suggested build.

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Spend your 51 points, try different paths and share your build in the talent calculator.

Build your talents

Read all talent descriptions

Arcane

Wand Specialization Maximum rank 2

Rank 1
Increases your damage with Wands by 13%.

Rank 2
Increases your damage with Wands by 25%.

Passive

Arcane Focus Maximum rank 5

Rank 1
Improves your chance to hit with Arcane spells by 1%.

Rank 2
Improves your chance to hit with Arcane spells by 2%.

Rank 3
Improves your chance to hit with Arcane spells by 3%.

Rank 4
Improves your chance to hit with Arcane spells by 4%.

Rank 5
Improves your chance to hit with Arcane spells by 5%.

Passive

Improved Channeling Maximum rank 5

Rank 1
Gives you a 20% chance to avoid interruption caused by damage while channeling Arcane Missiles and a 14% chance while casting Arcane Blast.

Rank 2
Gives you a 40% chance to avoid interruption caused by damage while channeling Arcane Missiles and a 28% chance while casting Arcane Blast.

Rank 3
Gives you a 60% chance to avoid interruption caused by damage while channeling Arcane Missiles and a 42% chance while casting Arcane Blast.

Rank 4
Gives you a 80% chance to avoid interruption caused by damage while channeling Arcane Missiles and a 56% chance while casting Arcane Blast.

Rank 5
Gives you a 100% chance to avoid interruption caused by damage while channeling Arcane Missiles and a 70% chance while casting Arcane Blast.

Passive

Arcane Subtlety Maximum rank 2

Rank 1
Reduces your target's resistance to all your spells by 8 and reduces the threat caused by your Arcane spells by 15%.

Rank 2
Reduces your target's resistance to all your spells by 15 and reduces the threat caused by your Arcane spells by 30%.

Passive

Magic Absorption Maximum rank 2

Rank 1
Increases all your resistances by 5 and causes all spells you fully resist to restore 1% of your total mana. Cannot trigger more often than 1 time per sec.

Rank 2
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.

Passive

Arcane Concentration Maximum rank 5

Rank 1
Gives you a 2% 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%.

Rank 2
Gives you a 4% 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%.

Rank 3
Gives you a 6% 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%.

Rank 4
Gives you a 8% 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%.

Rank 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%.

Passive

Arcane Resilience Maximum rank 2

Rank 1
Increases your Armor by an amount equal to 25% of your Intellect.

Rank 2
Increases your Armor by an amount equal to 50% of your Intellect.

Passive

Arcane Geometry Maximum rank 2

Rank 1
Increases the range of your Arcane spells by 3 yards.

Rank 2
Increases the range of your Arcane spells by 6 yards.

Passive

Arcane Impact Maximum rank 3

Rank 1
Increases the critical strike chance of your Arcane spells by 2%.

Rank 2
Increases the critical strike chance of your Arcane spells by 4%.

Rank 3
Increases the critical strike chance of your Arcane spells by 6%.

Passive

Arcane Blast Maximum rank 1

Rank 1
Blasts the target with energy, dealing 57 to 65 Arcane damage. Each time you cast Arcane Blast, the damage of all your other spells is increased by 10% and the mana cost of Arcane Blast is increased by 175%. Effect stacks up to 4 times and lasts 8 sec or until any other damage spell is cast.

15% of base mana | 30 yd range | 2.5 sec cast

Arcane Shielding Maximum rank 2

Rank 1
Decreases the Mana lost per point of damage taken when your Mana Shield spell is active by 17% and increases the resistances granted by your Mage Armor spell by 25%.

Rank 2
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%.

Passive

Improved Counterspell Maximum rank 2

Rank 1
Your Counterspell also Silences the target for 2 sec.

Rank 2
Your Counterspell also Silences the target for 4 sec.

Passive

Arcane Meditation Maximum rank 3

Rank 1
Allows 17% of your Mana regeneration to continue while casting.

Rank 2
Allows 33% of your Mana regeneration to continue while casting.

Rank 3
Allows 50% of your Mana regeneration to continue while casting.

Passive

Missile Barrage Maximum rank 1

Rank 1
Gives your Arcane Blast spell a 40% chance, and your 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.

Passive

Presence of Mind Maximum rank 1

Rank 1
When activated, your next Mage spell with a casting time less than 10 sec becomes an instant cast spell.

Instant | 3 min cooldown

Arcane Mind Maximum rank 5

Rank 1
Increases your Intellect by 2% and increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Arcane spells by 20%.

Rank 2
Increases your Intellect by 4% and increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Arcane spells by 40%.

Rank 3
Increases your Intellect by 6% and increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Arcane spells by 60%.

Rank 4
Increases your Intellect by 8% and increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Arcane spells by 80%.

Rank 5
Increases your Intellect by 10% and increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Arcane spells by 100%.

Passive

Arcane Instability Maximum rank 3

Rank 1
Increases the damage done by your spells by 1% and your critical strike chance by 1%.

Rank 2
Increases the damage done by your spells by 2% and your critical strike chance by 2%.

Rank 3
Increases the damage done by your spells by 3% and your critical strike chance by 3%.

Passive

Arcane Power Maximum rank 1

Rank 1
For the next 15 sec, your spells deal 30% more damage while costing 30% more mana to cast.

Instant | 3 min cooldown

Fire

Wake of Fire Maximum rank 2

Rank 1
Reduces the cooldown of your Fire Blast spell by 1 sec. Killing a non-trivial target increases the critical strike chance of your next Fire Blast cast within 20 sec by 25%.

Rank 2
Reduces the cooldown of your Fire Blast spell by 2 sec. Killing a non-trivial target increases the critical strike chance of your next Fire Blast cast within 20 sec by 50%.

Passive

Incineration Maximum rank 3

Rank 1
Increases the critical strike chance of your Fire Blast, Ice Lance, Arcane Blast, and Scorch spells by 2%.

Rank 2
Increases the critical strike chance of your Fire Blast, Ice Lance, Arcane Blast, and Scorch spells by 4%.

Rank 3
Increases the critical strike chance of your Fire Blast, Ice Lance, Arcane Blast, and Scorch spells by 6%.

Passive

Improved Fireball Maximum rank 5

Rank 1
Reduces the casting time of your Fireball and Frostfire Bolt spells by 0.1 sec.

Rank 2
Reduces the casting time of your Fireball and Frostfire Bolt spells by 0.2 sec.

Rank 3
Reduces the casting time of your Fireball and Frostfire Bolt spells by 0.3 sec.

Rank 4
Reduces the casting time of your Fireball and Frostfire Bolt spells by 0.4 sec.

Rank 5
Reduces the casting time of your Fireball and Frostfire Bolt spells by 0.5 sec.

Passive

Ignite Maximum rank 5

Rank 1
Your critical strikes from Fire damage spells cause the target to burn for an additional 8% of your spell's damage over 4 sec.

Rank 2
Your critical strikes from Fire damage spells cause the target to burn for an additional 16% of your spell's damage over 4 sec.

Rank 3
Your critical strikes from Fire damage spells cause the target to burn for an additional 24% of your spell's damage over 4 sec.

Rank 4
Your critical strikes from Fire damage spells cause the target to burn for an additional 32% of your spell's damage over 4 sec.

Rank 5
Your critical strikes from Fire damage spells cause the target to burn for an additional 40% of your spell's damage over 4 sec.

Passive

Flame Throwing Maximum rank 2

Rank 1
Increases the range of your Fire spells by 3 yards.

Rank 2
Increases the range of your Fire spells by 6 yards.

Passive

Impact Maximum rank 3

Rank 1
Gives your Fire spells a 3% chance to stun the target for 2 sec.

Rank 2
Gives your Fire spells a 7% chance to stun the target for 2 sec.

Rank 3
Gives your Fire spells a 10% chance to stun the target for 2 sec.

Passive

Burning Soul Maximum rank 3

Rank 1
Gives your Fire spells a 23% chance to not lose casting time when you take damage and reduces the threat caused by your Fire spells by 10%.

Rank 2
Gives your Fire spells a 47% chance to not lose casting time when you take damage and reduces the threat caused by your Fire spells by 20%.

Rank 3
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%.

Passive

Improved Flamestrike Maximum rank 3

Rank 1
Increases the critical strike chance of your Flamestrike spell by 5%.

Rank 2
Increases the critical strike chance of your Flamestrike spell by 10%.

Rank 3
Increases the critical strike chance of your Flamestrike spell by 15%.

Passive

Pyroblast Maximum rank 1

Rank 1
Hurls an immense fiery boulder that causes 101 to 131 Fire damage and an additional 44 Fire damage over 12 sec.

125 Mana | 35 yd range | 6 sec cast

Improved Scorch Maximum rank 3

Rank 1
Your Scorch spell has a 33% 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.

Rank 2
Your Scorch spell has a 67% 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.

Rank 3
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.

Passive

Improved Fire Ward Maximum rank 2

Rank 1
Causes your Fire Ward to have a 10% chance to reflect Fire spells while active.

Rank 2
Causes your Fire Ward to have a 20% chance to reflect Fire spells while active.

Passive

Hot Streak Maximum rank 1

Rank 1
Your non-periodic critical strikes with Fireball, Frostfire Bolt, Fire Blast, and Scorch grant Hot Streak for 15 sec. Hot Streak reduces the cast time of Pyroblast by 25%, stacking up to 3 times.

Passive

Master of Elements Maximum rank 3

Rank 1
Your Fire and Frost critical strikes will refund 10% of their base mana cost.

Rank 2
Your Fire and Frost critical strikes will refund 20% of their base mana cost.

Rank 3
Your Fire and Frost critical strikes will refund 30% of their base mana cost.

Passive

Critical Mass Maximum rank 3

Rank 1
Increases the critical strike chance of your Fire spells by 2%.

Rank 2
Increases the critical strike chance of your Fire spells by 4%.

Rank 3
Increases the critical strike chance of your Fire spells by 6%.

Passive

Blast Wave Maximum rank 1

Rank 1
A wave of flame radiates outward from the caster, damaging all enemies caught within the blast for 154 to 184 Fire damage, and Dazing them for 50% reduced movement speed for 6 sec.

215 Mana | Instant | 45 sec cooldown

Fire Power Maximum rank 5

Rank 1
Increases the damage done by your Fire spells by 2%.

Rank 2
Increases the damage done by your Fire spells by 4%.

Rank 3
Increases the damage done by your Fire spells by 6%.

Rank 4
Increases the damage done by your Fire spells by 8%.

Rank 5
Increases the damage done by your Fire spells by 10%.

Passive

Combustion Maximum rank 1

Rank 1
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 4 non-periodic critical strikes with Fire spells.

Instant | 3 min cooldown

Frost

Frost Warding Maximum rank 2

Rank 1
Increases the Armor and resistance given by your Frost Armor and Ice Armor spells by 15%. In addition, gives your Frost Ward a 10% chance to reflect Frost spells and effects while active.

Rank 2
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.

Passive

Improved Frostbolt Maximum rank 5

Rank 1
Reduces the casting time of your Frostbolt spell by 0.1 sec.

Rank 2
Reduces the casting time of your Frostbolt spell by 0.2 sec.

Rank 3
Reduces the casting time of your Frostbolt spell by 0.3 sec.

Rank 4
Reduces the casting time of your Frostbolt spell by 0.4 sec.

Rank 5
Reduces the casting time of your Frostbolt spell by 0.5 sec.

Passive

Elemental Precision Maximum rank 5

Rank 1
Improves your chance to hit with Frost and Fire spells by 1%.

Rank 2
Improves your chance to hit with Frost and Fire spells by 2%.

Rank 3
Improves your chance to hit with Frost and Fire spells by 3%.

Rank 4
Improves your chance to hit with Frost and Fire spells by 4%.

Rank 5
Improves your chance to hit with Frost and Fire spells by 5%.

Passive

Ice Shards Maximum rank 5

Rank 1
Increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Frost spells by 20%.

Rank 2
Increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Frost spells by 40%.

Rank 3
Increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Frost spells by 60%.

Rank 4
Increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Frost spells by 80%.

Rank 5
Increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Frost spells by 100%.

Passive

Permafrost Maximum rank 3

Rank 1
Increases the duration of your Chill effects by 11% and reduces the target's speed by an additional 3%.

Rank 2
Increases the duration of your Chill effects by 22% and reduces the target's speed by an additional 7%.

Rank 3
Increases the duration of your Chill effects by 33% and reduces the target's speed by an additional 10%.

Passive

Improved Frost Nova Maximum rank 2

Rank 1
Reduces the cooldown of your Frost Nova spell by 2 sec.

Rank 2
Reduces the cooldown of your Frost Nova spell by 4 sec.

Passive

Frostbite Maximum rank 3

Rank 1
Gives your Chill effects a 5% chance to Freeze the target for 5 sec.

Rank 2
Gives your Chill effects a 10% chance to Freeze the target for 5 sec.

Rank 3
Gives your Chill effects a 15% chance to Freeze the target for 5 sec.

Passive

Piercing Ice Maximum rank 3

Rank 1
Increases the damage done by your Frost spells by 2%.

Rank 2
Increases the damage done by your Frost spells by 4%.

Rank 3
Increases the damage done by your Frost spells by 6%.

Passive

Frost Channeling Maximum rank 3

Rank 1
Reduces the mana cost of your Frost spells by 5% and reduces the threat caused by your Frost spells by 10%.

Rank 2
Reduces the mana cost of your Frost spells by 10% and reduces the threat caused by your Frost spells by 20%.

Rank 3
Reduces the mana cost of your Frost spells by 15% and reduces the threat caused by your Frost spells by 30%.

Passive

Ice Lance Maximum rank 1

Rank 1
Deals 28 to 32 Frost damage to an enemy target. Deals 300% increased damage to Frozen targets.

45 Mana | 30 yd range | Instant

Improved Blizzard Maximum rank 3

Rank 1
Adds a Chill effect to your Blizzard spell. This effect lowers the target's movement speed by 15% for 1.5 sec.

Rank 2
Adds a Chill effect to your Blizzard spell. This effect lowers the target's movement speed by 25% for 1.5 sec.

Rank 3
Adds a Chill effect to your Blizzard spell. This effect lowers the target's movement speed by 40% for 1.5 sec.

Passive

Arctic Reach Maximum rank 2

Rank 1
Increases the range of your Frostbolt and Blizzard spells and the radius of your Frost Nova and Cone of Cold spells by 10%.

Rank 2
Increases the range of your Frostbolt and Blizzard spells and the radius of your Frost Nova and Cone of Cold spells by 20%.

Passive

Ice Block Maximum rank 1

Rank 1
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.

15 Mana | Instant | 5 min cooldown

Shatter Maximum rank 3

Rank 1
Increases the critical strike chance of all your spells against Frozen targets by 17%.

Rank 2
Increases the critical strike chance of all your spells against Frozen targets by 33%.

Rank 3
Increases the critical strike chance of all your spells against Frozen targets by 50%.

Passive

Improved Cone of Cold Maximum rank 3

Rank 1
Increases the damage dealt by your Cone of Cold spell by 12%.

Rank 2
Increases the damage dealt by your Cone of Cold spell by 23%.

Rank 3
Increases the damage dealt by your Cone of Cold spell by 35%.

Passive

Cold Snap Maximum rank 1

Rank 1
Finishes the remaining cooldown on all your other Frost spells.

Instant | 10 min cooldown

Fingers of Frost Maximum rank 2

Rank 1
Gives your Chill effects a 15% chance to grant you the Fingers of Frost effect, which treats your next 1 spell cast as if the target were Frozen. Lasts 15 sec.

Rank 2
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.

Passive

Winter's Chill Maximum rank 5

Rank 1
Gives your Frost damage spells a 20% chance to apply the Winter's Chill effect, which increases the chance your Ice Lance and Frostbolt spells will critically hit the target by 2% for 15 sec. Stacks up to 1 times.

Rank 2
Gives your Frost damage spells a 40% chance to apply the Winter's Chill effect, which increases the chance your Ice Lance and Frostbolt spells will critically hit the target by 2% for 15 sec. Stacks up to 2 times.

Rank 3
Gives your Frost damage spells a 60% chance to apply the Winter's Chill effect, which increases the chance your Ice Lance and Frostbolt spells will critically hit the target by 2% for 15 sec. Stacks up to 3 times.

Rank 4
Gives your Frost damage spells a 80% chance to apply the Winter's Chill effect, which increases the chance your Ice Lance and Frostbolt spells will critically hit the target by 2% for 15 sec. Stacks up to 4 times.

Rank 5
Gives your Frost damage spells a 100% chance to apply the Winter's Chill effect, which increases the chance your Ice Lance and Frostbolt spells will critically hit the target by 2% for 15 sec. Stacks up to 5 times.

Passive

Ice Barrier Maximum rank 1

Rank 1
Instantly shields you, absorbing 447 damage. Lasts 1 min. While the shield holds, your spellcasts will not be interrupted or delayed from taking damage.

305 Mana | Instant | 30 sec cooldown

Arcane Power and Presence of Mind

Arcane Power increases spell damage by 30% and mana costs by 30% for 15 seconds, on a three-minute cooldown. Use it after the tank has control and when you can keep attacking. Popping it just before a forced stop burns the duration without landing the casts you wanted.

Have the mana for the whole damage window before pressing it. Blast already gets more expensive as its effect stacks, and Arcane Power adds another mana burden. If you have to stop and recover halfway through, a shorter setup or recovering mana before you press it would have left more time for damage.

Presence of Mind makes your next Mage spell with a cast time below ten seconds instant, also on a three-minute cooldown. Use it for a cast that needs to land now: a damage finisher before moving, or Polymorph on an enemy that must be controlled immediately. An instant Blast builds the effect sooner; an instant finisher spends it sooner. Pick the job you need.

Presence of Mind and Arcane Power do not have to be used together every time. Saving the instant cast for an approaching control assignment can matter more than adding it to your damage cooldown. Missile Barrage remains your way to accelerate Arcane Missiles; do not treat Presence of Mind as permission to run through its channel.

Arcane damage talents and off-school choices

Arcane Blast sits in the third row and Missile Barrage in the fourth. You can start using their interaction before reaching Arcane Power. Arcane Impact increases Arcane crit chance, while Arcane Mind increases Intellect and the critical strike damage bonus of Arcane spells. That strengthens the bonus damage on a crit, not the whole hit.

Arcane Instability increases all spell damage and all-attack crit chance, so it supports a Fire or Frost finisher more broadly than the Arcane-only crit talents. Arcane Power requires Presence of Mind, and Arcane Meditation requires Arcane Concentration. Keep those prerequisite routes when choosing between extra damage, recovery and utility.

For spare points outside Arcane, Elemental Precision helps Fire and Frost spells hit. Improved Frostbolt supports repeated Frostbolt casts, while Incineration increases crit chance for Arcane Blast, Ice Lance, Fire Blast and Scorch. It does not add crit to Arcane Missiles or Fireball. A point that helps your setup can still leave the finisher untouched.

For solo play or PvP, Improved Counterspell adds silence and Improved Channeling helps you complete your core damage spells under incoming hits. These points can preserve a cast that an extra damage talent would never let you finish. If you rarely take damage and another player covers control, the direct damage or mana talents get more opportunities to work.

The Mage Classic comparison covers the old raid builds without assuming Forever has the same encounter resistances. The parent's removed-talent list separates retired Classic talents from their renamed replacements.

Hit and threat when you change schools

Treat hit and threat as separate checks. Arcane Focus adds Arcane hit; at rank 1 it adds 1%. Elemental Precision adds Fire and Frost hit, also 1% at rank 1. Reliable Blast hits do not mean your Fireball finisher has the same hit support.

Arcane Subtlety has two different scopes. Its resistance reduction applies to all your spells, but its threat reduction applies only to Arcane spells. At rank 1 those effects are eight resistance and 15% Arcane threat reduction. The all-school resistance does not extend the Arcane-only threat reduction.

For Fire damage, Burning Soul supplies school-specific threat reduction; for Frost, Frost Channeling does. Without that support, a large off-school finisher can produce more threat than your Arcane sequence led you to expect. Let the tank establish the new target before starting the burst, especially after a target swap.

Arcane Explosion benefits from Arcane threat support but still damages enemies around you. Wait until the tank has gathered them, stay clear of the Polymorph target, and avoid moving into uncontrolled melee just to finish your stacks with AoE. Shared interrupt and curse-removal duties are covered in Mage group play.

Movement, range and PvP casting

Arcane Geometry extends Arcane spell range. Position within reach of your planned finisher as well as Blast: a Fire finisher uses its own range, and Flame Throwing is the talent that extends Fire spells. Standing at the edge of one school's reach can force you to move before casting another.

Under melee pressure, Improved Channeling gives a chance to avoid damage-induced interruption on Arcane Missiles and casting-time loss on Arcane Blast. At rank 1, those chances are 20% and 14% respectively. It does not protect either spell from an enemy interrupt ability or silence. Use Blink, distance and control to create a window before committing to a channel.

In PvP, an opponent moving behind cover can deny your finisher even after you complete the setup. Start from a position where you can maintain line of sight, or use a ready instant cast before they reach cover. When you need Polymorph to stop a second attacker, give that control priority over preserving damage stacks; losing the buff is cheaper than staying exposed until you die.

Gear for the setup, finisher and mana bill

General spell damage supports both Arcane casts and a Fire or Frost finisher. Arcane-only damage strengthens Blast and Missiles but does not strengthen Fireball. Before trading general SP for a bigger school-specific number, check the item's school restriction against the casts you actually use.

Crit works with Arcane Impact and Arcane Mind, but hit remains separate. A missed finisher loses the damage you spent casts preparing. Compare hit, SP and crit together rather than choosing a crit item solely because the tree has critical-damage talents.

Intellect supplies a larger mana pool and benefits from Arcane Mind's Intellect increase. Regeneration helps sustain repeated casts through Arcane Meditation. If you keep running out before the dangerous part of a fight, weigh the mana stats a damage upgrade costs you and cut wasteful Blast sequences before assuming you need to stop casting longer.

Forever's shared hit and crit item stats broaden the gear worth checking; they do not make AP or weapon DPS increase your spell damage. Compare a one-hander with its off-hand, and retain enough Stamina to survive the pressure you expect while channeling. The Mage gearing overview covers caster weapons and healing-item conversion; Mage races covers the weapon-dependent racials and recovery options.

Arcane Mage questions

Can I use Missile Barrage without casting Arcane Blast first?

Yes. Fireball, Frostbolt and Frostfire Bolt each have a 20% chance to trigger Missile Barrage. Those casts can supply free, accelerated Arcane Missiles without building Blast stacks first. You still need the talent and enough stationary time to use the channel.

Can Arcane Power and Fingers of Frost fit in one build?

No. Arcane Power needs at least 31 Arcane points and the first point of Fingers of Frost needs at least 21 Frost points. That is 52 points in a 51-point budget. If you want the Frost proc, you must give up Arcane Power rather than assume every mixed-school talent fits together.

Does Arcane Subtlety also make my Fire spells safer for threat?

Its resistance reduction helps all your spells, but its threat reduction is Arcane-only. A Fire finisher needs its own threat allowance, with Burning Soul providing Fire threat support if you invest in it.

Does Arcane Mind increase Fireball's critical damage?

No. The critical strike damage bonus from Arcane Mind applies to Arcane spells. Its Intellect increase still helps your mana pool, but switching to Fireball does not carry the Arcane critical-damage effect into Fire.

Arcane Mage overview

The biggest changes from Classic

Arcane Mage

Build Blast stacks for a chosen finisher

Use Missile Barrage without fishing indefinitely

Change the setup for adds and short pulls

Recover mana before the next damage window

Mage talent trees

Arcane

Fire

Frost

Arcane Power and Presence of Mind

Arcane damage talents and off-school choices

Hit and threat when you change schools

Movement, range and PvP casting

Gear for the setup, finisher and mana bill

Arcane Mage questions

Mage spec guides

Plan the rest of your character