In short
- Forever is not Classic: Blizzard slows less and Cone of Cold is shorter, so huge kited pulls are over.
- What works: packs of 3 to 7 melee enemies with Frost Nova, Flamestrike, Cone of Cold and Arcane Explosion. From level 14.
- Mana decides the pack size. Arcane Concentration (free spells) helps, but since 15 October an area spell has only one chance to trigger it, not one per enemy.
- A new Forever spot for the Horde: the spiders on the plateau northwest of Thunder Bluff (levels 27 to 29).
AoE farming means gathering several enemies and killing them all at once with area spells. It is one of the Mage’s specialties. In Forever it still works, but differently from Classic.
What changed from Classic
Blizzard deliberately cut Mage mass farming, because it was used for fast gold and experience at little risk: Official
- Improved Blizzard slows by 40% at most (65% in Classic).
- Permafrost extends Chill effects by a percentage, not by flat seconds.
- Cone of Cold lasts less. In the beta data, it slows by 40% for 6 s. Community Since 15 October, the first 4 targets it hits are slowed by an extra 10% for 3 extra seconds: Blizzard wants it to keep its power against 4 enemies or fewer. Official
- Low spell ranks get less from your spell damage and trigger your talents less often, Arcane Concentration included.
- Clearcasting (from Arcane Concentration) no longer rolls for every enemy hit (15 October build).
What it means in practice. In Classic you chained Frost Nova, two Blizzards and Cone of Cold, and by the time the enemies reached you Frost Nova was ready again. Now they leave Blizzard sooner, reach you sooner, and there are gaps where they hit you. Big Classic pulls, like the Zul’Farrak one, are no longer viable. Analysis
Two ways to farm
Short rotation (from level 14)
The most reliable one, according to the guides that played the beta. It does not need Blizzard, so it works with any tree. Community
Short rotation · packs of 3 to 7
Community- Pull a small pack of 3 or 4 enemies (with your wand, standing still 0.5 s before it shoots, or with a spell) and bring them to you so they arrive together.
- Shield up: Mana Shield, or Ice Barrier if you have it. You will take hits.
- Frost Nova when they are on top of you, then step away.
- Flamestrike on the frozen pack. With Shatter, it has more crit chance against frozen enemies.
- Cone of Cold to slow them when they break free and Arcane Explosion to finish them.
You get Arcane Explosion at level 14 and Flamestrike at 16. With Cone of Cold (level 26) the rotation is complete. One guide uses it for packs of up to seven enemies at higher levels. Community
With Blizzard (from level 22)
The classic way, now tighter. It needs the Frost AoE build with Improved Blizzard 3/3. With the mana you have at these levels, count on one full Blizzard per pull. Community
With Blizzard · Frost
Community- Gather the enemies with an Arcane Explosion so they bunch up.
- Frost Nova and get as far away as you can.
- Start Blizzard in the last second of the Nova, where the enemies have to walk through it.
- When it ends, Cone of Cold to keep them slowed until Frost Nova is back.
- Second Nova, Flamestrike on the frozen pack, Cone of Cold and two Arcane Explosions to finish.
Frost AoE farming (experimental)
Key talents: Improved Blizzard · Permafrost · Improved Frost Nova · Elemental Precision · Arctic Reach
Arcane Concentration
Arcane Concentration gives you a chance that your next spell costs no mana. In Classic it triggered “after any damage spell hits a target”, so an area spell that hit 7 enemies had 7 chances. Classic ref.
Not in Forever. Since the 15 October build, Clearcasting no longer rolls for every target hit: an area spell gets a single chance, as against one enemy. It also no longer triggers out of combat. Official It still saves mana, but it is no longer the talent that defines AoE farming. Analysis
The Classic trick that no longer works the same. Casting rank 1 Arcane Explosion to trigger Arcane Concentration cheaply and then spending it on a high rank. In Forever, spells of a rank far below your level trigger it less often. Official Use high ranks. Analysis
It sits in row 2 of Arcane. The Frost AoE build does not take it; a hybrid or Arcane build does. Analysis
Where to farm
Pick the spot by your spell ranks, not by enemy color: what matters is whether your area spells kill them fast. And once the spot turns green, move on. Community
| Levels | Zone | Enemies | Faction | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10-20 | The Barrens | Lions and plainstriders | Horde | Community |
| 10-20 | Darkshore | Furbolgs | Alliance | Community |
| 14-20 | Westfall | Defias camps | Alliance | Community |
| 20-30 | Hillsbrad Foothills | Farmers in Hillsbrad Fields | Horde | Community |
| 20-30 | Wetlands | Mosshide gnolls | Alliance | Community |
| 20-30 | Duskwood | Raven Hill cemetery and Nightbane worgen | Alliance | Community |
| 23-30 | Mulgore, plateau northwest of Thunder Bluff | Gloomrise spiders (27-29) · new in Forever | Horde | Community |
| 30-40 | Arathi Highlands | Azurelode Mine, Dabyrie’s Farmstead, Go’Shek Farm | Both | Pending |
| 30-40 | Dustwallow Marsh | Murlocs | Both | Pending |
| 40-50 | Tanaris | Pirates (Lost Rigger Cove) and Wastewander | Both | Pending |
| 50-60 | Felwood and the Plaguelands | Trolls and Scarlet camps | Both | Pending |
From 30 to 60, the spots come from Classic and nobody has tested them in Forever: the beta stops at level 30. Pending
The Thunder Bluff spiders
The AoE spot seen most in the beta. Take the north elevator down from Thunder Bluff and climb the slope to the northwest: the camp is around (33, 22) in Mulgore and the spiders, at the north end of the plateau, around (33, 11). There are five quests from level 23. Gather three nearby hatchling packs, kill them, drink and repeat. Do not pull Broodmother Valraxx: she is a level 30 elite. Community
According to a beta video, each pull gave about 1,600 experience at level 29. Community
Choosing your enemies
- Melee enemies only. Casters interrupt you and shoot you from range: Polymorph them or leave them out of the pull. Community
- No fears, knockbacks or ranged attacks, and open ground, with no obstacles that split the pack. Analysis
- On PvP realms, contested spots attract Rogues waiting for you to run out of mana. Analysis
Mana and survival
- Drink after every pack. Mana sets the size of the pull. Analysis
- Keep at hand your mana gem (level 28), mana potions and, with Engineering, bombs or grenades for big pulls. Community
- If Frost Nova is resisted, reset the pull: do not try to save it. Blink away; Ice Block if everything goes wrong. Community
- Skip Frostbite in an AoE build: its random freezes split the pack. Community
- Undead: Touch of the Grave can break Frost Nova, according to one guide. Community See Races.
What we do not know yet
Not documented yet
- Why it is missing
- There is no experience-per-hour data for Forever, no damage values for the area spells and no spots for levels 31 to 60.
- What we will do
- After launch we will compare farming with questing and test the spots for each level range.
Frequently asked questions
Can Mages AoE farm in WoW Forever?
Yes, but with smaller packs than in Classic: 3 to 7 melee enemies, with Frost Nova, Flamestrike, Cone of Cold and Arcane Explosion. Huge Blizzard pulls no longer work.
Community
From what level can I AoE farm?
From level 14, with Arcane Explosion and small packs. The Blizzard rotation needs Improved Blizzard 3/3, which the AoE build reaches at level 22.
Community
Why does it not work like in Classic?
Blizzard cut Improved Blizzard’s slow from 65% to 40%, shortened Cone of Cold and changed Permafrost, to rein in mass farming for gold and experience.
Official
What is the best AoE farming spot?
In the beta, the most popular is the spiders on the plateau northwest of Thunder Bluff (Horde, levels 23 to 30). For the Alliance, the Wetlands gnolls and Duskwood.
Community
More context in the leveling guide, in Combat and in the Frost changes.