Snapshot
- Roles: Ranged DPS (Arcane, Fire, Frost)
- Armor: Cloth
- Resource: Mana
- Available factions: Alliance and Horde (Skyborne Mage is Alliance High Order only)
- Playable races: Human, Gnome, Skyborne (Alliance High Order), Orc, Undead, Troll
- Not available: Dwarf, Night Elf, Tauren, Horde Skyborne (Windshaper)
- New in Forever: Orc Mage; Alliance Skyborne Mage
Specs and roles
Forever keeps the classic Mage trio. All three are ranged DPS; AoE, sheep, and portals define the support side of the class.
- Arcane: Ranged DPS. Burst windows, mana discipline, and classic Arcane pressure when gear and consumables line up.
- Fire: Ranged DPS. Crit chains, Ignite-style fantasy, and strong open-world clear when Fire is in season.
- Frost: Ranged DPS. Control, water elemental flavor where applicable, and the safe leveling default for many players.
Mages stay on cloth for the whole game. Mana, food and water crafting, and Crowd Control are as central as raw spell damage.
Playable races
- Human (Alliance) start in Elwynn Forest
- Gnome (Alliance) start in Dun Morogh
- Skyborne (Alliance High Order only) start in Zephras Isle
- Orc (Horde) start in Durotar (new Forever combo)
- Undead (Horde) start in Tirisfal Glades
- Troll (Horde) start in Durotar
Dwarf, Night Elf, Tauren, and Horde Windshaper Skyborne cannot be Mage.
Race picks that matter
Orc Mage is the big Forever unlock on Horde: Blood Fury now sits on a caster that Classic never allowed for Orcs. Gnome remains the Alliance intellect and Escape Artist favorite. Human brings The Human Spirit and Will to Survive for durable casting. Undead keep Will of the Forsaken and Underwater Breathing on a strong PvP and open-world caster. Troll Berserking is still one of the cleanest caster burst racials. Alliance Skyborne High Order Mage pairs Walk on Air and Read Ley Line with cloth casting from Zephras Isle. Windshaper Skyborne cannot take this class; they take Shaman instead. Exact racial numbers live on the Forever racial traits page and on each race guide.
Related Forever pages
- World of Warcraft Forever hub
- Forever racial traits
- Forever at BlizzCon 2026
- Human
- Gnome
- Skyborne
- Orc
- Undead
- Troll
