WoW Forever Mage changes, new talents and adjustments

In short

Filter by tree (Baseline, Arcane, Fire, Frost) and by change type, or search by name.
Filters live in the URL, so you can share exactly what you are looking at.
Each card separates the official change from our reading of it (“What it means”) and shows when it was last updated.

How to use the explorer

Tree: “Baseline” covers changes for every Mage (spells, armours and systems). Arcane, Fire and Frost are the talents of each tree.
Type: New, Redesigned (does something different), Renamed, Moved (changes row), Adjusted (same effect, different values or cost), Prerequisite (changes what you need first) and Now baseline (no longer a talent).
Text: search by name or by concept (crit, mana, slow…).

Cards marked Updated changed during a weekly review; the link takes you to the changelog entry that explains it.

Change explorer

Showing 48 of 48 changes

New baseline spell learned at level 40. Counts as both Fire and Frost: 3 s cast, a large upfront hit (like Fireball) and a damage-over-time debuff with a movement slow.

Uses the higher of your Fire or Frost spell damage bonus and the lower of the target's Fire or Frost resistance.
Official example: with Ignite and Ice Shards a critical strike deals 200%, plus 40% of that as Ignite: 280% in total.
According to Blizzard, most talents that affect either Fire or Frost also benefit it.

What it means

AnalysisBecause it benefits from talents in both trees, it is the centrepiece of hybrid Fire/Frost builds. Work out the multiplier under Tools.
AnalysisAgainst enemies that strongly resist one of the two schools (e.g. fire elementals) it should outperform Fireball or Frostbolt.

New baseline spell learned at level 24. 1.5 s cast: deals Frost damage and slows the target's movement by 40%. It is affected by every talent that affects Frostbolt.

Blizzard added it to restore what Rank 1 Frostbolt used to offer (a quick, cheap slow), now that downranking is penalised. It costs a little more mana than that rank 1 and deals a little more damage.
It can apply Winter's Chill, like Frostbolt.

What it means

CommunityIn the beta data, rank 1 costs 40 mana, deals 28-31 damage and slows for 9 s; rank 2 comes at level 36. It has no Spanish name in the client yet.
AnalysisIt is your tool to keep an enemy at range (kiting) without spending a full Frostbolt, and since talents treat it like Frostbolt it can also trigger Frostbite and Fingers of Frost.

New Mage-only minor tradeskill to read and decipher scrolls dropped by creatures. Used through Comprehend Scroll in the General tab of the spellbook.

Blizzard has not detailed the rewards and leaves them for players to discover.
Scrolls received another balance pass and can no longer be cast while moving (1 October build).

Duration reduced against kiting and mass farming, but the first 4 targets hit are slowed by an extra 10% for 3 extra seconds.

Blizzard explains it aims to make it harder for people chasing fast gold and experience to pull huge packs of creatures with repetitive, low-risk mechanics.
According to Blizzard, the cut was driven by controlling huge numbers of targets; against 4 or fewer it seems reasonable for it to keep that power (15 October).
Winter's Chill now increases its damage.

What it means

AnalysisTogether with the Improved Blizzard change, Classic-style large-pack farming is less effective, but against packs of up to 4 enemies Cone of Cold still controls well.

Increased Spirit-based mana regeneration.

Checks line of sight only once, at the start of the channel: if the target moves out of sight during the channel, the missiles keep firing.

Ranks 1–3 were rebalanced on 8 October so every new rank is always an upgrade.

Ranks far below your level get less benefit from spell damage and a lower chance to trigger class abilities and talents.

Official example: Rank 1 Frostbolt at level 60 has a 0% chance to trigger Frostbite. You choose between a cheap, quick slow and a spell that can trigger the talent.
On 8 October the low ranks of Frostbolt and Fireball (1–5) and Arcane Missiles (1–3) were rebalanced so every new rank is always an upgrade.
So that the cheap rank 1 Frostbolt slow is no longer needed, the Frost Blast spell (level 24) was added on 15 October.

What it means

AnalysisDownranking to save mana is still possible but loses much of its appeal, especially for Fire and Frost, which rely on procs.

Wands now require you to stand still for 0.5 s before shooting, as in early versions of World of Warcraft. It applies to every class.

What it means

AnalysisFinishing with your wand still saves mana, but you can no longer shoot while moving or repositioning: stop, then shoot.

No longer an Arcane talent; it is now part of the baseline class.

Now costs 2 points for the same effect.

Redesigned: increases your chance to hit with Arcane spells.

Formerly Improved Arcane Missiles. Now also protects Arcane Blast from damage-based interruption.

Moved from row 1 to row 2. Its resistance-ignoring effect is slightly stronger and its threat reduction slightly weaker.

Its effect now has a 1 s cooldown.

Lower trigger chance when casting spells of a significantly lower rank.

Clearcasting no longer rolls for every target a spell hits: an area spell rolls only once (15 October build).
It also no longer triggers from Dampen Magic and Amplify Magic, or from abilities cast out of combat.

What it means

AnalysisPenalises the classic trick of using low ranks to fish for free procs cheaply.
AnalysisIt triggers much less while AoE farming: Arcane Explosion on a pack of 6 is no longer 6 chances, just one.

Moved from row 3 to row 2, no longer a milestone talent, and now costs 2 points for the same effect.

New row 3 talent: increases the range of Arcane spells.

Formerly Improved Arcane Explosion. Now increases the critical strike chance of all Arcane spells.

11-point milestone talent, redesigned on 15 October. 1.5 s cast. Each cast grants you Spell Damage equal to 15% of your Intellect and raises its own mana cost.

The effect stacks up to 4 times and lasts 15 s from when it is first applied: it no longer fades when you cast another spell.
Its damage and Spell Damage coefficient are both reduced by 40%; the mana cost is unchanged.
Before 15 October it was a 2.5 s cast that increased the damage of your other Mage spells and lasted 8 s or until another spell was cast.

What it means

OfficialBlizzard wants you to use other spells after building stacks. With the redesign, the Spell Damage bonus stays up for 15 s even while you cast other spells.
CommunityIn the beta data, each stack raises its mana cost by 175%.
AnalysisThe natural play is to build 2-4 stacks and spend the 15 s on Arcane Wrath, Arcane Missiles or other boosted spells.

Formerly Improved Mana Shield. Improves Mana Shield's mana cost reduction further and also increases the resistances granted by Mage Armor.

At 1 point, Counterspell always applies a shorter Silence instead of a 50% chance to Silence.

What it means

AnalysisMakes the control reliable rather than random: more valuable in PvP and in dungeons with dangerous casters.

Increased Spirit mana regeneration while casting. Now requires Arcane Concentration.

New 16-point milestone talent (15 October). A 3.5 s cast spell with a 6 s cooldown and base damage similar to Fireball, which also adds Spell Damage equal to 5% of your maximum mana.

It replaces Missile Barrage as the 16-point milestone; Missile Barrage moves down to row 1.

What it means

CommunityIn the beta data, it has a 20% chance to trigger Missile Barrage. The official notes do not mention it.
AnalysisIt scales with maximum mana: Intellect, Arcane Mind and Expansive Mind (Gnome) add to its damage. It fits as the big hit during Arcane Blast stacks.

New 2-point talent in row 1 (formerly the 16-point milestone). Arcane Blast, Fireball, Frostbolt, Frostfire Bolt and, since 15 October, Arcane Missiles hits themselves can make your next Arcane Missiles channel twice as fast and cost no mana.

The chance is higher for Arcane Blast.
A bug was fixed where it could reduce the cost and duration of a second Arcane Missiles cast (15 October).

What it means

CommunityIn the beta data: 40% from Arcane Blast, 20% from Arcane Wrath, Fireball, Frostbolt and Frostfire Bolt, and 10% per Arcane Missiles hit (at 2/2).
CommunityOn the beta forum, several players say Arcane Missiles hits do not trigger it yet, so for now it would only come from other spells. It may be a bug.
AnalysisBeing in row 1, any Mage can take it with their first Arcane points, including Fire or Frost builds.

Redesigned: increases Intellect instead of maximum mana, and also Arcane spell critical strike damage. No longer requires Arcane Resilience.

No longer requires Presence of Mind.

Now requires Presence of Mind.

Named Improved Fire Blast again (it was Wake of Fire in the beta until 15 October). Moved from row 2 to row 1, has 2 points, reduces Fire Blast's cooldown and increases its range by 8/15 yards.

It no longer grants any bonus when you kill a target: Wake of Fire's Fire Blast crit boost after each kill is gone.

What it means

CommunityIn the beta data, at 2/2 it reduces Fire Blast's cooldown by 2 s.
AnalysisAt 35 yards, Fire Blast can pull enemies and finish fleeing ones from far away.

Formerly Incinerate. Moved from row 3 to row 1. Besides Fire Blast and Scorch, it now also increases the critical strike chance of Ice Lance and Arcane Blast.

What it means

AnalysisA cheap, early talent that boosts spells from the other two trees: a clear nod to mixed builds.

Now also reduces the cast time of Frostfire Bolt.

Each Mage now applies their own Ignite instead of sharing one. Damage is no longer lost when critical strikes land close together.

No longer double dips on percentage damage modifiers (24 September build).

What it means

AnalysisSeveral Fire Mages in the same group no longer get in each other's way with Ignite.

Casting low-rank spells lowers its trigger chance.

On 8 October a bug was fixed: Impact could trigger from Flamestrike's periodic damage.

Now costs 3 points for the same effect.

Its debuff now only benefits the casting Mage.

Its Fire Vulnerability no longer makes a second resist roll (1 October build).

What it means

AnalysisA single Mage can no longer maintain Fire vulnerability for the whole group.

New row 4 talent that requires Pyroblast. Non-periodic critical strikes from Fireball, Frostfire Bolt, Fire Blast and Scorch reduce your next Pyroblast's cast time by 25%, stacking up to 3 times.

At 3 stacks, Pyroblast casts in 1.5 s.
The buff lasts 20 s (raised from 15 s in the beta on 24 September).
It was called Hot Streak in the beta until 1 October; Blizzard renamed it because it no longer depends on a streak of crits.
Every Fire Blast always grants an extra charge, so a Fire Blast critical strike grants 2 charges (15 October).
It is no longer consumed if you cast Pyroblast with Presence of Mind active.

What it means

AnalysisTurns Pyroblast from a slow opener into a crit-window payoff: build stacks with your fillers and cast it at 3.

It now has 5 points, for 10% more critical strike chance with Fire spells in total.

In Classic it had 3 points (6% in total).

No longer requires Pyroblast.

Redesigned with 3 points: your Fire spells deal 1/2/3% more damage for each of your Fire effects on the target, up to 12% more.

Ignite, Improved Scorch, Fireball, Pyroblast and Impact count. Effects that mix schools do not: Frostfire Bolt does not add to it, but it does benefit from it.
In Classic it had 5 points (+10% Fire damage).

What it means

AnalysisIt rewards keeping several Fire effects on the target: Fireball's damage over time, Ignite and Improved Scorch together already give +9% at 3/3.

Now increases your chance to hit with Fire and Frost spells instead of reducing the target's chance to resist them.

Increases Chill durations by 11/22/33% instead of a flat 1/2/3 s, so it no longer over-extends Improved Blizzard.

Moved from row 4 to row 3.

New 11-point milestone talent. Instant cast with low damage, increased by 200% against Frozen targets (or targets treated as Frozen by Fingers of Frost).

The bonus against Frozen targets was lowered from 300% to 200% on 15 October.

What it means

AnalysisOnly worth it on a Frozen target: after Frost Nova or with Fingers of Frost charges. Otherwise it is a movement filler.

Slows less: the maximum goes from 65% to 40%.

According to Blizzard, it reduces the power of Frost Mage AoE farming, which was used for fast gold and experience and disrupted the economy.

What it means

AnalysisTogether with Cone of Cold, it weakens the classic kite-and-farm AoE grinding.

Moved from row 5 to row 4 and is now the 16-point milestone talent.

No longer requires Improved Frost Nova.

Moved from row 3 to row 5, becomes the 21-point milestone talent, and its cooldown rises from 5 to 10 minutes.

New row 5 talent. Your Chill effects have a chance to grant 1/2 charges of Fingers of Frost. Each charge makes your spells treat the target as if it were Frozen.

The official text calls it “Pre-requisite of Ice Lance”. Since Ice Lance is an 11-point milestone (row 3), Fingers of Frost most likely requires Ice Lance rather than the reverse. Awaiting confirmation.
Since 15 October it also triggers from the Chill of Frost Armor and Ice Armor (a bug prevented it), as does Frostbite.

What it means

AnalysisThis is what makes Ice Lance playable outside Frost Nova: apply Chill with Frostbolt and spend charges on Ice Lance.

Redesigned on 15 October: it no longer increases critical strike chance. It now sets up Cone of Cold: Frostbolt, Frost Blast and Fingers of Frost-empowered Ice Lance apply stacks (up to 5) that your next Cone of Cold consumes to deal more damage.

At 1/2/3/4/5 points, a 20/40/60/80/100% chance to apply it. Each stack increases the damage the target takes from your next Cone of Cold by 5% and adds 7% of your Spell Damage to it.
The official notes also describe it as 40% more Cone of Cold damage per stack; that figure matches the beta data but contradicts the detailed description. Awaiting confirmation.
It still only benefits the Mage who applies it.

What it means

AnalysisIt turns Cone of Cold into a finisher: 5 Frostbolts (or Frost Blasts), then Cone of Cold. It sits in row 6, so it is out of reach until about 25 points in Frost.

Known discrepancies

Fingers of Frost and Ice Lance: the official text calls Fingers of Frost a “Pre-requisite of Ice Lance”, but Ice Lance is an 11-point milestone (row 3) while Fingers of Frost sits in row 5. The consistent reading is that Fingers of Frost requires Ice Lance. We will mark it confirmed once it can be checked in game.
Magic Attunement: some sites list it as “removed”. According to Blizzard it becomes a baseline ability.

Sources for this page

Source:World of Warcraft: Forever Class Deep Dives — Mage & Shaman WoW Forever Beta Development Notes Warcraft Tavern Zockify