Ranged class · S tier
Mage build guide
The fastest screen-clear in the game and three very different capstones. Punishes mistakes: you have the least health and no pets to hide behind.
Tier
S
Ease
#8 of 9
Damage ceiling
#3 of 9
Range
Ranged
Best race
Gnome / Undead / Troll
“The glass cannon. The biggest area damage in Azeroth, and nothing to hide behind.” The game's own pitch
Best Mage build
Recommended
Fire chain explosions
- Pyroclasm capstone
- free Pyroblast on Fire crits
- ignite
- crit chance passives
Kills explode into the next enemy, so crowds chain-detonate. Highest ceiling, lowest margin for error.
Alternative
Frost control (safer)
- Summon Water Elemental capstone
- Frostbolt splinter
- freeze chance
- Fortitude for health
Slows, roots and an elemental tank buy time. Recommended for a first Mage run.
Avoid: Skipping health and armor picks. One bad surround ends a Mage run.
Mage talents: capstones and milestones
A capstone rebuilds Mage around one idea, and you run one at a time. Milestones are the big mid-tree talents on the way there. Text below is the game's own. For every talent with its numbers, see all Mage talents.
Capstones
Pyroclasm
Start with Pyroblast; enemies killed by Fire spells explode for 25% of their max health within 6 yd (up to 3/sec).
Summon Water Elemental
Start with Frostbolt instead of Fireball; a Water Elemental fights for you and a free Frost Nova bursts every 8 sec.
Arcane Power
Start with Arcane Missiles instead of Fireball; spells strike twice 20% more often, and a lucky double strike can roll again, up to 3 more times in a row.
Milestones worth chasing
- Hot Streak: every fourth Fire crit casts a free Pyroblast (at most twice a second).
- Ignite: Fire crits ignite their target for 80% of the hit over 4 sec.
- Splitting Ice & Frostbite: Frostbolt splinters for 100% damage within 5 yd; Frost spells have a 40% chance to freeze for 1.5 sec.
- Arcane Concentration: Clearcasting gives every spell a 30% chance to set off a free Arcane Explosion.
- Presence of Mind: Arcane Missiles fires 2 more missiles that leap to another enemy for full damage.
Spells you will see
- Fireball
- Frostbolt
- Arcane Missiles
- Arcane Explosion
- Pyroblast
- Blast Wave
- Frost Nova
All Mage talents & planner (game 0.114.1)
All 39 talents in the three Mage trees, in the game's own words. A row opens after 5 more points in that tree, and you can spend up to 51 points in total with one capstone active. Numbers are for the first rank; click any talent below to plan a 51-point build and share the link.
Arcane 0 pts · 13 talents
Available at once
-
Arcane Focus
Arcane spells deal 5% more damage.
-
Arcane Subtlety
Increases your luck by 8%.
5 points in Arcane
-
Improved Arcane Explosion
Arcane Explosion reaches 12% farther.
-
Magic Absorption
Increases your maximum health by 4%.
10 points in Arcane
-
Arcane Concentration
Clearcasting: every spell you cast has a 30% chance to set off a free Arcane Explosion.
-
Arcane Meditation
Regenerate 0.6 more health per second.
15 points in Arcane
-
Arcane Mind
Your cooldowns recover 2.5% faster.
-
Improved Blink
Increases your movement speed by 3%.
20 points in Arcane
-
Presence of Mind
Arcane Missiles fires 2 more missiles, and each missile leaps on to another enemy for its full damage.
Requires Arcane Concentration
-
Arcane Instability
Increases all damage and your critical strike chance by 2%.
25 points in Arcane
-
Arcane Fortitude
Reduces all damage taken by 2.5%.
-
Arcane Reach
2.5% chance for any spell to strike twice.
30 points in Arcane
-
Arcane Power
You start every run with Arcane Missiles instead of Fireball, and your spells strike twice 20% more often. Your echoes cascade: a spell that strikes twice by chance rolls again to strike once more, up to 3 more times in a row.
Requires Presence of Mind
Fire 0 pts · 13 talents
Available at once
-
Improved Fireball
Fireball's cooldown is 4% shorter.
-
Impact
Your Fire spells have a 2% chance to stun what they hit for 1 sec.
5 points in Fire
-
Flame Throwing
Fire spells cover 6% more ground.
-
Improved Flamestrike
Flamestrike and Blast Wave deal 6% more damage.
10 points in Fire
-
Ignite
Your Fire critical strikes ignite the target for 80% of the hit over 4 sec.
-
Incinerate
Fire Blast deals 12% more damage.
15 points in Fire
-
Master of Elements
Increases your critical strike damage by 8%.
-
Critical Mass
Increases your critical strike chance by 1.5%.
20 points in Fire
-
Hot Streak
Every fourth Fire critical strike casts a free Pyroblast, at most twice a second.
Requires Ignite
-
Fire Power
Fire spells deal 4% more damage.
25 points in Fire
-
Burning Soul
Increases your maximum health by 3%.
-
Improved Blast Wave
Blast Wave and Pyroblast cooldowns are 8% shorter.
30 points in Fire
-
Pyroclasm
You start every run with Pyroblast, and enemies killed by your Fire spells explode for 25% of their maximum health on everything within 6 yd, at most 3 a second.
Requires Hot Streak
Frost 0 pts · 13 talents
Available at once
-
Frost Warding
Reduces all damage taken by 1%.
-
Improved Frostbolt
Frostbolt's cooldown is 4% shorter.
5 points in Frost
-
Elemental Precision
Increases all damage by 2%.
-
Ice Shards
Increases your critical strike damage by 6%.
10 points in Frost
-
Frostbite
Your Frost spells have a 40% chance to freeze what they hit in place for 1.5 sec.
-
Piercing Ice
Frost spells deal 5% more damage.
15 points in Frost
-
Shatter
You deal 5% more damage to frozen, stunned, slowed or fleeing enemies.
-
Arctic Reach
Frost Nova, Cone of Cold and Blizzard reach 10% farther.
20 points in Frost
-
Splitting Ice
Frostbolt splinters on impact: 100% of its damage to every enemy within 5 yd of its target.
Requires Frostbite
-
Frost Channeling
Your cooldowns recover 2.5% faster.
25 points in Frost
-
Permafrost
Increases your maximum health by 3%.
-
Improved Ice Barrier
Ice Barrier absorbs 20% more.
30 points in Frost
-
Summon Water Elemental
You start every run with Frostbolt instead of Fireball. A Water Elemental fights at your side, hurling Frostbolts, and a free Frost Nova bursts from you every 8 sec.
Requires Splitting Ice
Best rings, trinkets, amulets & gear for Mage
Arcane Power cascades every spell echo up to 3 extra times in a row, making Malice Stone Pendant (+20% echo) and Hand of Justice (+6% echo per rank) broken on Mage. Fire Pyroclasm/Hot Streak swaps in Master Dragonslayer’s Ring and Onyxia Tooth Pendant. See the full items, trinkets & Codex guide for every ring, trinket and amulet in game 0.120.4.
In-run · Codex jewelry
Best rings, trinkets & amulets
- Rings: Quick Strike Ring, Master Dragonslayer's Ring
- Trinkets: Hand of Justice, Blackhand's Breadth
- Amulets: Malice Stone Pendant, Onyxia Tooth Pendant
Between runs · Armory (Cloth)
Mage armor sets & weapons
- Armor sets (Common → Legendary): Apprentice's → Magister's → Arcanist → Netherwind → Frostfire
- Main hand: Apprentice's Staff → Magister's Staff → Arcanist's Staff → Staff of Dominance → Atiesh, Greatstaff of the Guardian
Best race for Mage
Default starting races: Human, Gnome, Undead and Troll. (In v0.120.0+, any other race can be unlocked for 100 achievement points on the Rewards tab.) Our pick: Gnome (luck, cooldowns), Troll (Berserking) or Undead (a 4-sec death immunity).
Cross-Race Unlock Tip: On the title screen's Rewards → Races tab (new in v0.120.0), any race can be unlocked for all classes for 100 achievement points. Bought races stay permanently unlocked through resets, enabling cross-race synergy builds.
Alliance
Human
- Perception: +15% damage for 10 sec, every 30 sec
- Diplomacy: +20% gold
- The Human Spirit: +10% experience
Recommended
Gnome
- Escape Artist: roots nearby enemies for 2 sec, every 20 sec
- Engineering Specialization: +20% luck
- Expansive Mind: -8% cooldowns
Recommended
Undead
- Will of the Forsaken: 4 sec of immunity near death (60 sec cooldown)
- Cannibalize: every kill heals 1 health
- Shadow Resistance: +4% damage reduction
Recommended
Troll
- Berserking: cooldowns 30% faster for 10 sec, every 35 sec
- Throwing Specialization: +3% crit
- Regeneration: +1.5 health per second
Zone path with Mage
Zones unlock per class: each win with Mage opens the next zone for your Mages only. Here is the road from the tutorial to the endgame, and who waits at the end of each run.
- 1 Elwynn Forest Final boss: Edwin VanCleef
- 2 Duskwood Final boss: Morbent Fel
- 3 Warsong Gulch Final boss: Lord Kazzak
- 4 Un'Goro Crater Final boss: King Mosh
- 5 Arathi Basin Final boss: Lord Aliden Perenolde
- 6 Feralas Final boss: King Gordok
- 7 Gurubashi Arena Final boss: Hakkar the Soulflayer
- 8 Scarlet Monastery Final boss: High Inquisitor Whitemane
- 9 Alterac Valley Final boss: Azuregos
- 10 Blackrock Mountain Final boss: Nefarian
- 11 Gates of Ahn'Qiraj Final boss: C'Thun
- 12 Naxxramas Final boss: Kel'Thuzad
Mage vs other classes
| Class | Tier | Range | Ease | Ceiling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warrior | A | Melee | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| Paladin | A | Melee | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| Hunter | S | Ranged | 4/5 | 5/5 |
| Warlock | S | Ranged | 4/5 | 5/5 |
| Druid | B | Hybrid | 4/5 | 3/5 |
| Shaman | A | Hybrid | 3/5 | 4/5 |
| Priest | B | Ranged | 3/5 | 4/5 |
| Mage | S | Ranged | 2/5 | 5/5 |
| Rogue | B | Melee | 2/5 | 4/5 |
Sorted by ease. Rankings are our opinion for game 0.120.4; see the full tier list for the reasoning.
Mage FAQ
Is Mage good in Azeroth Survivors?
Mage is S tier in our tier list: #8 of 9 for ease and #3 of 9 for damage ceiling. The fastest screen-clear in the game and three very different capstones. Punishes mistakes: you have the least health and no pets to hide behind.
What is the best Mage build?
Fire chain explosions: Pyroclasm capstone, free Pyroblast on Fire crits, ignite, crit chance passives. Kills explode into the next enemy, so crowds chain-detonate. Highest ceiling, lowest margin for error.
Alternative: Frost control (safer). Slows, roots and an elemental tank buy time. Recommended for a first Mage run.
What are the Mage capstone talents?
- Pyroclasm. Start with Pyroblast; enemies killed by Fire spells explode for 25% of their max health within 6 yd (up to 3/sec).
- Summon Water Elemental. Start with Frostbolt instead of Fireball; a Water Elemental fights for you and a free Frost Nova bursts every 8 sec.
- Arcane Power. Start with Arcane Missiles instead of Fireball; spells strike twice 20% more often, and a lucky double strike can roll again, up to 3 more times in a row.
You can only run one capstone at a time; respecs are free between runs.
How many talents does Mage have?
39 talents in three trees: Arcane (13), Fire (13), Frost (13). Each row of a tree opens after 5 more points in it: the first milestones at 10 points, the next at 20 and the capstones at 30. See every Mage talent.
What is the best race for Mage?
Gnome (luck, cooldowns), Troll (Berserking) or Undead (a 4-sec death immunity). Default starting races: Human, Gnome, Undead and Troll. (In v0.120.0+, any other race can be unlocked for 100 achievement points on the Rewards tab.) Starting in version 0.120.0, you can also unlock any race for 100 achievement points on the Rewards → Races tab. If cross-race unlocked, Gnome (+20% Luck, -8% cooldowns) is a premier scaling choice for proc and cooldown builds, while Orc (+35% Blood Fury damage) provides unmatched burst damage.
How do you unlock Mage talents?
Play Mage runs. Every run pays talent experience to the class you played, based on time survived, kills, bosses, a win and how hard the zone was. If Mage is behind your best class it earns bonus experience, so it catches up faster. Zones also unlock per class: beating Elwynn Forest with Mage opens Duskwood for Mage only.
More: Azeroth Survivors guide · builds for every class · items, trinkets & amulets · how to play · all zones and bosses