Which spec to level
Level Frost. This is the advice of Warcraft Tavern, Mobalytics and Icy Veins: Frostbolt slows, Frost Nova holds the enemy in place, and Ice Lance on a frozen target hits several times harder. Enemies rarely reach you. In the leveling tier list it is S.
Fire costs less mana but depends on crits. Arcane depends on procs and mana. According to Tavern, both specs are better in dungeons than in the open world.
| Spec | When to take it | Downside |
|---|---|---|
| Frost | Solo and groups, the whole way to 60 | Needs luck with procs, a lot of water |
| Fire | Dungeons, fans of crits | Without crits, damage drops |
| Arcane | Dungeons, burst | Burns mana fast |
Talents by level
Icy Veins order for Frost (updated Oct 16). Levels 31–60 are closed on the beta: this is the source’s plan, and we will check it on live after Nov 4.
| Levels | Talent | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 10–14 | Improved Frostbolt | 5 |
| 15–17 | Frostbite | 3 |
| 18–19 | Ice Shards | 2 |
| 20 | Ice Lance | 1 |
| 21–22 | Missile Barrage | 2 |
| 23 | Frost Channeling | 1 |
| 24–26 | Ice Shards | 5/5 |
| 27–29 | Shatter | 3 |
| 30 | Ice Block | 1 |
| 31 | Arctic Reach | 1 |
| 32–33 | Fingers of Frost | 2 |
| 34–35 | Frost Channeling | 3/3 |
| 36 | Cold Snap | 1 |
| 37–41 | Winter's Chill | 5 |
| 42 | Ice Barrier | 1 |
| 43–45 | Improved Cone of Cold | 3 |
| 46 | Arctic Reach | 2/2 |
| 47–49 | Incineration | 3 |
| 50 | Improved Blizzard | 1 |
| 51–52 | Permafrost | 2 |
| 53–55 | Elemental Precision | 3 |
| 56–58 | Arcane Focus | 3 |
| 59–60 | Arcane Subtlety | 2 |
TipMobalytics (Oct 18) does not take Missile Barrage, Frost Channeling and Ice Block before level 30: instead Piercing Ice 3/3 and Improved Blizzard, and Fingers of Frost already at 30. The Legacy Talented perk gives talents up to 5 levels earlier.
Abilities and trainer
| Level | What to take | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fireball, Frost Armor, Arcane Intellect | Damage until level 4, armor, a buff |
| 4 | Frostbolt, Conjure Water | The main spell, your own water |
| 6 | Conjure Food, Fire Blast, Comprehension | Food, an instant strike, reading scrolls |
| 8 | Polymorph, Arcane Missiles | Control of a dangerous enemy |
| 10 | Frost Nova | Freeze and step away |
| 14 | Arcane Explosion | Area damage around you |
| 20 | Blink, Evocation, Blizzard, Mana Shield, a teleport to a capital city | Retreat, mana, area damage |
| 24 | Counterspell | An interrupt |
| 40 | Portals, Frostfire Bolt, riding, dual specialization | — |
- 1Before the fight
Frost Armor and Arcane Intellect; Frost Armor can trigger Frostbite on an attacker.
- 2Opening
Frostbolt from maximum range.
- 3In the fight
Frostbolt; Ice Lance when the enemy is frozen or Fingers of Frost procs. If the enemy gets close, Frost Nova and step away; if it is on cooldown, Cone of Cold.
- 4Finishing
with the wand: that way mana builds up for the next enemy.
Gather several enemies, freeze them (Frost Nova), step away, then Blizzard; Cone of Cold buys time to retreat, and Arcane Explosion finishes them off. Area damage costs a lot of mana, and in Forever it is weakened for leveling. In dungeons, don’t start before the tank.
Solo, duo, group
Before a fight, keep a stack of food and water. Always keep mana for Frost Nova and Blink: that is your way out of a bad fight. Get a wand as early as possible: Lesser Magic Wand from level 5 (Icy Veins).
Conjure food and water for your partner. Polymorph takes one enemy out of the fight while the two of you hit the other.
Blizzard and Arcane Explosion easily pull threat off the tank: start after them. From level 20, a teleport to a capital city; from 40, portals for the group.
Stats and gear
Mobalytics: spell power, Intellect (spell crit and mana), Spirit, Stamina. Get a wand as early as possible. Buy reagents: Rune of Teleportation and Light Feather for spells (Mobalytics). A Mana Gem and Evocation let you go longer without water.
Class profession pairings and camp objects are in the professions guide.
How Forever differs from Classic
| What | In Forever |
|---|---|
| Frost | New talents: Ice Lance (several times stronger against a frozen target), Fingers of Frost. |
| Fire and Arcane | New talents Hotstreak and Arcane Blast. |
| Frostfire Bolt | From level 40. |
| Arcane Meditation | Up to 50% mana regeneration in combat (it was 15%). |
| Area damage | Weakened for leveling. |
| Comprehension | A new skill from level 6: reading scrolls. |
| Dual specialization | From level 40. |
Questions
Which Mage spec should I level in WoW Forever?
Frost: Warcraft Tavern, Mobalytics and Icy Veins recommend it.
Can I level by area damage as in Classic?
You can, but in Forever area damage is weakened for leveling and expensive in mana. The main route is fighting one enemy at a time: Frostbolt, Ice Lance.
When does Ice Lance appear?
It is a Frost tree talent: Icy Veins takes it at level 20.
Where does a Mage get food and water?
It conjures them itself: water from level 4, food from level 6.
When do teleports and portals open?
A teleport to a capital city from level 20, portals for the group from 40.
