World of Warcraft: Forever · class guide
Arcane Mage: PvP
How Arcane Mage fights other players in the open world: where it ranks on the PvP tier lists, and why.
Forecast. Rated from the client data and our research, before anyone has played it at this level on this build. Where the data stops, the write-up says what it assumed. Rated as of , build 1.60.1.70450.
Battlegrounds are not rated yet; builds, matchups and battleground roles are being written for this spec. Honor, ranks, gear and the battlegrounds themselves are on PvP in World of Warcraft: Forever.
Verdict
- At 60
- Ranked 8 of 28 on Open-World PvP
Arcane Blast stacks,
Presence of Mind and 
Arcane Power give high burst, but one Nova and 
Blink is all it has to leave. - While leveling
- Ranked 17 of 28 on Open-World PvP Leveling
Fireball and 
Frostbolt to 20 with 
Polymorph, Nova and Blink arriving one at a time, and Arcane Blast not until 30. - Battlegrounds
- Not rated yet.
Profile
The rubric the lists score on, 1 to 5 on each line, with the weight each line carries. The class’s other specs are shown at 60 for comparison.
| Criterion | Weight | At 60 | While leveling | Fire | Frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burst and kill pressure | 25 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Survival and escapes | 20 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| Control | 15 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| Fighting outnumbered | 15 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Choosing the fight | 10 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Sustain between fights | 10 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Group fights | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Weighted score | 3.30 | 2.65 | 3.30 | 3.80 |
Strengths and weaknesses
At 60
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| Arcane Blast, Presence of Mind and Arcane Power | No  Ice Block or  Ice Barrier |
 Counterspell with a 4 s silence | Mana empty after one fight |
| Polymorph removes one attacker | No stealth or speed |
 Arcane Brilliance and portals for a group | No heal |
Why it ranks where it does on Open-World PvP
Arcane's burst is Arcane Blast, a 1.5 s cast whose stacks add spell damage and raise its cost, with Presence of Mind making the next cast instant and Arcane Power adding 30% damage for 15 s. 
Arcane Mind and 
Arcane Instability raise crits, and critical strikes in PvP are no longer reduced. Control is 
Frost Nova, Polymorph, Counterspell with Improved Counterspell's 4 s silence, and baseline slows, with fewer chains than Frost.
It survives with Blink, Frost Nova and 
Mana Shield, but has no Ice Block or Ice Barrier and no heal. Against two it polymorphs one, then Novas and Blinks away, with 
Arcane Explosion for crowds. It engages with long-range casts and a Counterspell opener, but no stealth or speed, so it cannot refuse a faster class's chase. It is empty after one fight and drinks, while Arcane Brilliance, Counterspell on healers, Polymorph and portals help a group.
It is not A because its survival is one Nova and Blink and its mana is gone after one fight, so survival scores 3 and sustain 2. 3.30 is 0.45 short of A.
While leveling
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| Polymorph at 8 | Fireball and Frostbolt only to 20 |
| Frost Nova at 10 | Arcane Blast not until 30 |
| Blink at 20 | Nothing for two before 20 |
| Counterspell at 24 and Cone at 26 | Drinks after every fight |
Why it ranks where it does on Open-World PvP Leveling
Levels 1 to 9 are Fireball and Frostbolt only, so nothing special. 
Missile Barrage and Arcane Blast come around 30, and Arcane Power not before 40. Control is good: Polymorph at 8, Frost Nova at 10, Counterspell at 24 and 
Cone of Cold at 26.
Frost Nova at 10 and Blink at 20 are its only escapes, and Mana Shield comes at 20, so nothing helps before 10. Against two it has nothing before Nova and Blink at 20, with Arcane Explosion at 14 and Polymorph at 8 as its tools. It engages only at range, with no speed or stealth. It drinks after every fight, with 
Arcane Meditation around 27 to 30. Polymorph and Counterspell are its objective tools from early on.
It is not C because its burst waits on Arcane Blast near 30 and it has nothing for two players before 20, so burst and outnumbered score 2. 2.65 is 0.10 short of C.
Leveling timeline
The level each of Arcane’s PvP tools arrives. A talent shows at the earliest level a point can reach it; the Talented Legacy perk brings talents 5 levels sooner.
- Level 8 Polymorph
- Level 10 Frost Nova
- Level 18
Remove Lesser Curse - Level 20 Blink, Mana Shield,
Fire Ward - Level 22
Frost Ward - Level 24 Counterspell
- Level 26 Cone of Cold
- Level 30 Presence of Mind (talent)
- Level 40 Arcane Power (talent)
Races
The Mage’s races as Races PvP ranks them, best first.
Alliance
Human: Will to Survive is the only full stun break in the game, and 
Ruthless and 
Perception add steady crit and stealth detection.
Gnome: 
Escape Artist breaks roots and slows and its burst racial adds +10% damage, but Gnome lacks defense, mobility and class choice.
Skyborne (High Order): 
Wind Blessed gives steady haste, but High Order has no control break, no defensive and only a glide for mobility.
Horde
Undead: 
Will of the Forsaken breaks fear and charm and 
Touch of the Grave drains in combat, but it has the weakest burst and no mobility.
Orc: 
Blood Fury is the strongest burst cooldown of any race, and 
Hardiness and Shatter Curse give some breaks and defense, but no mobility.
Troll: 
Berserking is a burst for seven classes, but Troll has no control break or mobility and 
Rapid Regeneration works out of combat.
What we don’t know yet
At 60
Rated on assumptions:
- Everything at 60 is projected; nobody has played past the beta cap of 30.
- Arcane Power, Arcane Brilliance at 56 and portals at 40 and 50 are past the cap and are projected from client data.
- Diminishing returns on Polymorph, Nova and stuns are not stated for Forever.
- The PvP trinket's effect is not stated.
What would move it: Documented diminishing returns on Polymorph and Frost Nova, or measured level-60 Arcane Blast cost against fight length.
While leveling
Rated on assumptions:
- Arcane Power at 40 is past the beta cap of 30 and is projected.
- Improved Counterspell is a projected pick from the own-tree order.
- Arcane Meditation around 27 to 30 follows the own-tree order.
What would move it: Play past level 30 showing Arcane Blast, Arcane Power and Improved Counterspell arriving as projected.