Fire Mage: Races

Ruthless adds 2% crit, and with Ice Shards or Ignite spell crits are worth more than usual, about 1.5 to 2% more damage (an estimate). Will to Survive removes all stuns on a 3 minute cooldown, and Perception detects stealth for 20 seconds. Safety scores 3 of 5 for Fire Mage. The Human Spirit adds 5% Spirit, which helps regen a little. Leveling scores 2 of 5.

Ahead of it: Undead. The best, Undead, is 0.30 ahead because it is stronger on leveling (Cannibalize, 5 of 5 against 2) and safety (Will of the Forsaken, 4 of 5 against 3). This race wins on damage (Ruthless) but not by enough. That is within 0.50 of the best, so it stays in tier S.

Scores for Human for Fire Mage

Criterion	Weight	Score
The spec's job	55	●●●●○ 4
Survival and utility	25	●●●○○ 3
Leveling and downtime	20	●●○○○ 2

Weighted score 3.35, 0.30 behind the best race for this spec, which is S tier.

What would move it: It would lead outright if a test showed Ruthless worth more than the estimate now, or if Touch of the Grave on Undead lost value.

The Human race page

Wind Blessed adds 3% cast speed on Fireball, Scorch and Frostbolt, an estimated 2 to 3% more damage. Ignite ticks do not speed up. Walk on Air is a 10 second glide on a 90 second cooldown, and that is the whole safety kit. Safety scores 1 of 5 for Fire Mage. Read Ley Line doubles health and mana regen (15 minutes at a ley line, 30 seconds elsewhere) and can be cast while moving. Leveling scores 4 of 5.

Ahead of it: Undead and Human. The best, Undead, is 0.40 ahead because it is stronger on safety (Will of the Forsaken, 4 of 5 against 1) and leveling (Cannibalize, 5 of 5 against 4). This race wins on damage (Wind Blessed) but not by enough. That is within 0.50 of the best, so it stays in tier S.

Scores for Skyborne (High Order) for Fire Mage

Criterion	Weight	Score
The spec's job	55	●●●●○ 4
Survival and utility	25	●○○○○ 1
Leveling and downtime	20	●●●●○ 4

Weighted score 3.25, 0.40 behind the best race for this spec, which is S tier.

What would move it: It would lead outright if a test showed Wind Blessed worth more than the estimate now, or if Touch of the Grave on Undead lost value.

The Skyborne race page

Eureka! adds about 0.67% on direct damage (not on DoT components), and Expansive Mind adds 5% maximum mana. Escape Artist helps kiting. Escape Artist frees you from movement impairment and gives 3 seconds of immunity, every 2 minutes. Safety scores 3 of 5 for Fire Mage. Expansive Mind adds a larger resource pool, and Escape Artist helps with kiting. Leveling scores 3 of 5.

Ahead of it: Undead, Human, Skyborne (High Order) and 1 more. The best, Undead, is 1.20 ahead because it is stronger on damage (Touch of the Grave, 3 of 5 against 2), leveling (Cannibalize, 5 of 5 against 3) and safety (Will of the Forsaken, 4 of 5 against 3). Tier C covers up to 1.50 behind; tier B needs 1.17 or less.

Scores for Gnome for Fire Mage

Criterion	Weight	Score
The spec's job	55	●●○○○ 2
Survival and utility	25	●●●○○ 3
Leveling and downtime	20	●●●○○ 3

Weighted score 2.45, 1.20 behind the best race for this spec, which is C tier.

What would move it: Closing about 0.03 of weighted score, through a higher tested value for Eureka! or a change to Touch of the Grave on Undead, would lift it to tier B.

The Gnome race page

Breaks scores 4 of 5: Escape Artist frees you from any movement impairment and gives 3 seconds of immunity on a 2 minute cooldown. Burst scores 4 of 5: Eureka! adds 10% non-periodic damage and cuts costs 10% for 8 seconds on a 2 minute cooldown, but does nothing for DoTs or channels and fails in stealth. Eureka! covers Fireball, Pyroblast and Fire Blast, but Ignite, other damage over time and the periodic part of Combustion are excluded. Defensives scores 1 of 5: Gnome has no defensive racial. Mobility scores 2 of 5: Gnome adds only 5% more mana, energy or rage.

No race is ahead of it. Orc ties it on weighted score (2.85). The next race, Undead, is 0.45 behind and sits in tier S. It falls short on burst (Eureka!, 4 of 5, against Touch of the Grave, 2) and mobility (its resource bonus, 2 of 5, against 1 here).

Weighted score 2.85, the best for this spec, which is S tier.

What would move it: It would lose first place if testing which spells Eureka! covers (its text excludes periodic damage) went against it, or if its Escape Artist were cut in a patch. Undead is 0.45 behind, so it would take a large change.

The Gnome race page

Breaks scores 2 of 5: Will to Survive frees you from all stuns on a 3 minute cooldown. Burst scores 2 of 5: Ruthless adds 2% crit. Ruthless is the only crit racial an Alliance Mage can get. Defensives scores 1 of 5: Human has no defensive racial. Mobility scores 2 of 5: Perception is a 20 second stealth detection on a 3 minute cooldown, and Spirit is 5% higher.

It is 1.10 behind Gnome, the best race for this spec, and sits in tier B. The gap comes from breaks (Escape Artist, 4 of 5, against Will to Survive, 2) and burst (Eureka!, 4 of 5, against Ruthless, 2).

Weighted score 1.75, 1.10 behind the best race for this spec, which is B tier.

What would move it: Reaching Gnome means making up 1.10. One more point on breaks is worth 0.30, so settling how often stuns chain on Forever (diminishing returns there are undocumented) would not be enough by itself. It would take a patch to its racials.

The Human race page

Breaks scores 1 of 5: Skyborne has no break from control. Burst scores 3 of 5: Wind Blessed adds 3% haste at all times, and whether it speeds DoT ticks and channels is untested. The haste helps long casts and casts made while moving. Defensives scores 1 of 5: Skyborne has no combat defense, only Read Ley Line, which doubles health and mana regeneration out of combat. Mobility scores 2 of 5: Walk on Air is a 10 second glide on a 90 second cooldown, and Read Ley Line can be cast while moving.

It is 1.15 behind Gnome, the best race for this spec, and sits in tier B. The gap comes from breaks (Escape Artist, 4 of 5, against 1 here) and burst (Eureka!, 4 of 5, against Wind Blessed, 3).

Scores for Skyborne (High Order) for Fire Mage

Criterion	Weight	Score
Breaks and escapes	30	●○○○○ 1
Burst	25	●●●○○ 3
Defensives	25	●○○○○ 1
Mobility and detection	20	●●○○○ 2

Weighted score 1.70, 1.15 behind the best race for this spec, which is B tier.

What would move it: Reaching Gnome means making up 1.15. One more point on burst is worth 0.25, so settling whether Wind Blessed's 3% haste speeds channels and damage-over-time ticks would not be enough by itself. It would take a patch to its racials.

The Skyborne race page