World of Warcraft: Forever · class guide
Fire Mage: PvP
How Fire 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 9 of 28 on Open-World PvP
Fireball, instant
Fire Blast, 
Pyroblast and 
Combustion hit hard, but the casts can be interrupted and it has one escape. - While leveling
- Ranked 18 of 28 on Open-World PvP Leveling
The weakest solo mage at 30, with
Pyroblast at 26 and Combustion at 40, and the same Nova and 
Blink escapes as Arcane. - 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 | Arcane | 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 |
|---|---|
| Instant Fire Blast and Pyroblast | Cast-time spells are interruptible |
| Combustion | One reliable escape |
 Blast Wave slow | No stealth or speed |
 Counterspell and  Polymorph | Still drinks after fights |
Why it ranks where it does on Open-World PvP
Fire kills with Fireball, instant Fire Blast, Pyroblast and its DoT, 
Scorch and 
Ignite, and Combustion adds crits in a burst window. Critical strikes in PvP are no longer reduced, but the cast-time spells are interruptible. Control is Polymorph, 
Frost Nova and Counterspell, plus Blast Wave's 50% slow for 6 s and 
Impact's 10% chance of a 2 s stun.
Blink, Frost Nova, 
Fire Ward and 
Mana Shield give it one reliable escape, with no 
Ice Block, and it has no heal. Blast Wave, Nova and Blink make a flee against two, and 
Flamestrike and Blast Wave hurt both, but it cannot hold two. It opens with an instant Fire Blast or a 35 yd Fireball, with no stealth or speed. 
Master of Elements refunds mana but it still drinks, and it has Flamestrike, Counterspell and Polymorph for a group.
It is not A because it has one reliable escape and its casts can be interrupted, so survival scores 3 and it has no Frost resets to try again. 3.30 is 0.45 short of A.
While leveling
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| Polymorph at 8 | Weakest solo spec at 30 |
| Frost Nova at 10 and Blink at 20 | Combustion not until 40 |
| Fire Ward at 20 | Weak against two |
| Blast Wave at 30 | Drinks after fights |
| Counterspell at 24 |
Why it ranks where it does on Open-World PvP Leveling
Levels 1 to 9 are as every Mage, then Improved Fireball and Ignite from 10 to 20. Pyroblast arrives at 26, 
Heating Up and Blast Wave by 30, and Combustion at 40, and Fire is the weakest solo spec at 30. Control is Polymorph at 8, Frost Nova at 10, Counterspell at 24 and Blast Wave at 30.
It shares Frost Nova at 10, Blink at 20 and Fire Ward at 20 as its defense. In a two-on-one, Nova plus Flamestrike is weak. It engages only at range with no speed or stealth, and drinks after fights, with Master of Elements helping around 29. Counterspell at 24 and Polymorph at 8 are its objective tools.
It is not C because it is the weakest solo spec at 30 and has little for two players, so burst and outnumbered score 2. 2.65 is 0.10 short of C.
Leveling timeline
The level each of Fire’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 Blast Wave (talent)
- Level 40 Combustion (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.
- Combustion at 40,
Frostfire Bolt at 40 and the top ranks of Fireball and Pyroblast 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 Nova, or measured level-60 Fire damage against Arcane.
While leveling
Rated on assumptions:
- Combustion at 40 is past the beta cap of 30 and is projected.
- Master of Elements around 29 follows the own-tree order.
- Heating Up and Blast Wave timing is projected.
What would move it: Play past level 30 showing Combustion and Pyroblast changing its pace, or a measured gank survival.