If you’re looking for a solid ranged DPS class, you can’t go wrong with a Mage.
Mages are versatile and mobile damage dealers that come with a heap of useful abilities, and each of the Mage specializations is useful for different sections of the game. Whether you enjoy throwing spells at ferocious bosses, exploring old raids for interesting transmog, or battling foes in PVP arenas, there’ll be a mage specialization to suit you.
To help you pick out the best Mage spec in World of Warcraft: Dragonflight, I’ve put together this guide breaking down the different uses for Mages in the game and advising which one would suit your preferred play style the best.
It’s worth noting that the most important thing above all else is to pick a spec (and class) that feels the most fun to you. These are recommendations based on my experiences and research, but if you find Arcane Mages to be a drag to play, for example, then it’s not worth you picking that, no matter what any guides say.
Here’s a guide to finding the best Mage spec in Dragonflight. What do you think about my picks? Please feel free to tell me in the comments section below. If you want more ranged class guides, check out my guide to the best Warlock specs in Dragonflight.
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Best Mage Spec for Solo Leveling
While all three Mage specs are pretty great for leveling up and getting geared, I’d personally recommend sticking to a Frost Mage for quick, easy leveling. They have some great abilities that help with solo content, and the rotation is decently easy to pick up.
That’s not to say Frost Mages are easy, by any means. But if you’re new to ranged DPS and you want a spec to learn that will feel rewarding while you level, Frost Mage is one of the coolest specs to sink your time into.
One of the best things about leveling with a Frost Mage is that the spec has heaps of movement control and mob management abilities. This means that if you get into any sticky situations while leveling up, you can hit a group of mobs with Frost Nova or Cone of Cold, and Blink away to a safe distance.
There are plenty of damage mitigation choices on offer in the Frost Mage talent tree that are great for leveling up and staying alive, too. Being able to use Alter Time alongside spells like Ice Barrier and Ice Block is great for staying alive while doing dungeons to level or while pulling large groups of mobs for a fetch quest.
The movement, mitigation, and survivability skills that Frost Mages have make them incredible for leveling, especially when you consider the standard mage benefits like being able to Blink, conjure food, buff, and teleport, too.
Again, you can level comfortably with any Mage spec. But from my personal experience, playing a Frost Mage gives you great control and survivability while you’re leveling.
Best Mage Spec for PVP Arenas
Mages have always been a popular choice for arenas, especially when paired with a strong melee partner. If you’re looking to jump into some arenas in Dragonflight, my personal recommendation would be to opt for an Arcane Mage.
Arcane Mages can pull some incredible numbers when playing through arenas, and if you’re looking to hop into the solo shuffle queue as a ranged DPS, they’re one of the main specs that I’d recommend playing as.
Aside from the punchy damage, Arcane Mages now have access to some wicked abilities like Dragon’s Breath that give them extra freedom during arena matches. When paired with a strong melee for 2s or a powerful melee and a talented healer for 3s, Arcane Mages can do a ridiculous amount of damage. They also have good survivability.
The damage potential alone is great but if you combine it with the various abilities that offer extra utility and mobility, along with the potential for powerful comps, Arcane Mage is absolutely worth checking out for Arenas.
Best Mage Spec for PVP Battlegrounds
Arguably all of the Mage specs are suitable for Battlegrounds in World of Warcraft to some extent, but my personal recommendation is to opt for Frost if you want to maintain a good level of control over your enemies. Fire is a close second, as the mobility it offers is unmatched.
The main reason I’d recommend Frost Mages for Battlegrounds is the wide variety of snares, roots, and damage mitigation options. They’ve also got some great AoE abilities which are useful if you’re rushing a particular location or if you end up on your own.
Splitting Ice is another useful ability to have on hand in a Battleground. Being able to split your damage when fighting in a team situation is a great asset and can help to make the difference between winning and losing.
The addition of Dragon’s Breath to the Frost Mage rotation has given them extra utility in PVP, in a similar fashion to Arcane Mages. While Fire and Arcane Mages can certainly pull off some incredible feats in Battlegrounds, Frost Mages stand out as being the most versatile and suitable for this particular kind of PVP.
If you’re hunting for more Battleground-friendly specs to play, take a look at my guide to picking the best Rogue spec in Dragonflight.
Best Mage Spec for PVE
As someone who mains a Fire Mage, it pained me to not be able to put them first for every category in this list. Fire Mages are a hell of a lot of fun, and they’re arguably the best spec for PVE content in World of Warcraft.
While this spec does have some fiddly timing requirements in terms of cooldowns, the Fire Mage rotation is hard to beat when it comes to stacked mobs or single target boss damage. Fire Mages have a fantastic rotation that works well in a raid or dungeon encounter, with various options for high damage and increased mobility.
One of the main reasons I suggest checking out a Fire Mage for PVE content is their survivability. While they don’t have as much damage mitigation as, say, a Frost Mage, they do have the killer combination of Cauterize and Blazing Barrier to help keep them steady in difficult encounters.
Fire Mages also have some great abilities relating to movement that are very handy during PVE encounters. I’ve personally found that having Scorch in my rotation during boss battles that require a lot of movement to be very helpful.
As with PVP content and leveling, it’s possible to do incredibly well with Arcane and Frost Mages in PVE, of course. It depends on your preferred style of play. If you want a high-impact, ranged character with good mobility and a cheat death ability, Fire Mage is the one to pick for your next raid.
Best Mage Spec for Soloing Old Content
If you’re a fan of tackling old content for rare mounts, pets, and transmogs, you should consider playing an Arcane Mage. They’re the most suitable Mage type for soloing old content, and they can help make your single player runs a lot smoother.
One of the main reasons that Arcane Mages are great for soloing old content is that they have the Arcane Familiar ability, which summons a cute wisp that helps to do damage. Having a pet handy is always great for solo work, as they can help pull aggro and survive tricky encounters, too.
Arcane Mages have particularly good burst damage, which is useful for burning down old bosses quickly. They’ve got great mobility options too, making it much easier to zip about different raids and work on larger mob pulls.
FAQs
Which mage spec is best? ›
Although each specialization has strengths and weaknesses, we recommend Frost as the best Mage leveling spec. Frost Mages have a lot of control from snares and roots and can easily kite mobs while having significant burst damage from using the triple damage component of Ice Lance to stay healthy.
Will Frost mage be good in Dragonflight? ›Dragonflight Frost Mage Raid and Mythic+ Talent Build. Frost is arguably the weakest of the three Mage specs at the moment, but that shouldn't discourage you from playing it. Frost Mages are great for leveling and have good AoE potential along with some powerful single-target spells.
Which mage spec is highest DPS? ›Best boss DPS (in perfect settings)Frost Mage achieved 62.5% more maximum boss DPS than Arcane Mage when there was no movement or lag. Best boss DPS (in realistic settings)Frost Mage achieved 64.7% more maximum boss DPS than Arcane Mage when dealing with occasional movement, lag and crowd-control.
What mage spec is best for raiding? ›What is the best mage spec to raid with? Kyrian Arcane is probably the best (though Fire is very close) when you've done a fight enough to have every mechanic/downtime telegraphed in your head.
Is Mage good in Dragonflight? ›If you're looking for a solid ranged DPS class, you can't go wrong with a Mage. Mages are versatile and mobile damage dealers that come with a heap of useful abilities, and each of the Mage specializations is useful for different sections of the game.
Who is the best Mage champion? ›- 8/10 Lux.
- 7/10 Seraphine.
- 6/10 Brand.
- 5/10 Twisted Fate.
- 4/10 Morgana.
- 3/10 Ahri.
- 2/10 Ziggs.
- 1/10 Orianna.
Fire is more bursty damage; frost is more sustained. In a long fight, frost pulls out ahead. In medium-duration fights, fire is a little ahead, and in short fights, frost pulls out again (because so much fire damage is the Ignite DoT effect, so in fights too short for Ignite to really soak in, you lose overall DPS).
Who is the leader of the Dragonflight? ›Alexstrasza the Lifebinder - Also known as the Life-Binder or the Dragon Queen, is the leader of the Red Dragonflight.
Who is the leader of the Infinite Dragonflight? ›| Infinite dragonflight | |
|---|---|
| Major leader(s) | Murozond † |
| Secondary leaders | Aeonus † |
| Character classes | Mage, Warlock, Warrior (presumed) |
| Racial capital | Caverns of Time (presumed) |
- 7/12 Flemeth (Known By Other Names, Too), Dragon Age.
- 6/12 Magus, Chrono Trigger.
- 5/12 The Mage Of Zamorak, Runescape.
- 4/12 Vivi, Final Fantasy IX.
- 3/12 Mordenkainen, Dungeons & Dragons Franchise.
- 2/12 Yennefer Of Vengerberg, The Witcher 3.
- 1/12 Gotoh, Fire Emblem.
What is the highest class of Mage? ›
An established power system for mages troughout the continent. With 1th Class as the basic requirement to be acknowledged as a Mage and 8th Class being the highest Class ever reached by a human (reached by Ian Page).
What is the best PvE Mage? ›- Human Mage.
- Gnome Mage.
- Troll Mage.
- Undead Mage.
- Research your spec. ...
- Hit the training dummies. ...
- Optimize your gear. ...
- Integrate useful addons. ...
- Learn the fights.
Mechanically, Arcane Mage is a caster who specializes in heavy burst damage output in short windows, boasting great defensives and offensive tools for most situations. On top of high burst damage, Mages are one of the most defensive spell-casting classes in the game.
Is Frost or Arcane easier? ›They're both workable in M+ though Frost is easier to slot in and more affix-flexible and is bothered less by some affixes that really annoy Arcane.
Which mage spec is best for dungeons? ›Frost is and remains the preferred leveling spec for Mages due to higher survivability and crowd control. AoE damage combines crowd control as well, so this makes it a great choice for AoE dungeon farming. Frost also excels at kiting mobs, which makes it a more soloable build than the other choices.
Will Ysera return in Dragonflight? ›Though she died during the events of Legion, she returned in Shadowlands, albeit tied to the afterlife realm of Ardenweald. However, evidence has suggested Ysera will almost certainly return in World of Warcraft: Dragonflight. In Shadowlands Patch 9.2.
What should I level up as a mage? ›Best Leveling Spec for Mage in Dragonflight
We recommend Frost for most of your Mage Leveling needs. This is because almost all spells of Frost will slow or root your targets, allowing you to kite very easily. It also has a lot of burst damage for low health enemies which allow you to quickly kill most quest mobs.
The Mage King is a boss from Grandia. It is encountered inside the Spirit Sanctuary. The Mage King body appears alongside Wand which together form the whole monster. The Mage King body has the ability to cast Divide Beam and Howlnado.
Who is the best mage follower? ›Although she wouldn't necessarily consider herself a mage, Serana consistently proves herself to be the best all-around caster companion in terms of usefulness, versatility, damage, and interesting conversation. After that, J'zargo and Teldryn Sero can be considered the best unlockable caster followers in Skyrim.
Who is the strongest mage in lol? ›
- Orianna.
- Ryze. ...
- Syndra. ...
- Twisted Fate. Twisted Fate is a prominent pick throughout all the different League of Legends ranked divisions because of his simple playstyle. ...
- Ziggs. Ziggs is the first name on our list and deservingly so. ...
Arcane Mage is the strongest spec to play in the pre-season of Dragonflight, as it does the best damage in the early Mythic dungeons.
Is fire or arcane Mage better? ›Best AoE DPS (in perfect settings)Fire Mage achieved 53.45% more AoE DPS than Arcane Mage when there was no movement or lag. Least affected by movement (single-target)Fire Mage's single-target DPS was -266.44% less affected by increased movement compared to Arcane Mages.
What race is best for fire Mage? ›The 2 clear winners for fire are Tauren for horde players and Dwarf for alliance. Consolation prizes go to Troll and Orc for the Horde thanks to their on use racials, as well as Gnome and Nightborne for the alliance.
Is the Lycanwing dragon real? ›The Lycanwing is one of four "mythical" dragons, with the other three being the Boneknapper, the Smothering Smokebreath, and the Foreverwing. Of the four, it is the only one that has no proof of its existence. It is unknown why the Lycanwing is in the Dragon Eye, even though it doesn't exist.
Will there be Legendaries in Dragonflight? ›Legendaries Will Work Within Shadowlands Zones Only in Dragonflight Pre-Patch - News - Icy Veins.
How old is Lessa Dragonflight? ›According to the books, Lessa was 11 turns (years) old at the time of the attack, although in DragonFlight, F'lar guesses she could not have been over 10 years old at the time. Lessa was already headstrong and independent.
Which Dragonflight wants the Hour of Twilight? ›Neltharion, The Earth-Warder (former)
Failing in his goal to enslave the other dragonflights, he aimed to bring about the Hour of Twilight, the unmaking of all creation.
This cabal of shamans and drakes serve as the primary antagonists for Dragonflight, and are led by the Primal Incarnates: massive, elementally charged proto-dragons who oppose the Aspects and their subservience to the will of the Titans in World of Warcraft.
Will Dragonflight come with a boost? ›What Dragonflight Editions Include a Boost? Dragonflight Base edition does NOT include a character boost. A level 60 character boost is included in Dragonflight Epic and Heroic editions. If you buy the Epic edition first and then you upgrade to the Heroic edition, you do NOT receive a second boost.
Who is the weakest mage in ML? ›
Gord is the weakest mage hero because he has low durability. If the player fails to stun the enemy, Gord will quickly die due to his low durability. In addition, Gord doesn't have the ability to escape, so it will be more difficult to use these weak heroes.
Who is the most famous mage? ›MERLIN. Probably the most famous wizard in all of popular culture—yes, even eclipsing Harry Potter—Merlin's greatest feat was helping Arthur Pendragon find a very nice sword (Excalibur) and an even nicer cup (the Holy Grail).
Who is the supreme mage? ›Lith Verhen is the main character of Supreme Magus, the First Tiamat, and the Father of All Demons. Having died twice in two separate worlds, he lost everyone and everything he ever cared about. He currently lives in the world of Mogar seeking a solution to his reincarnation problem.
What do you call a powerful mage? ›Sorcerer/Sorceress – From latin Sors, lot or fate. Originally a diviner. Now often a learned or scholarly magician. May be used as a more powerful or respected version of Wizard in some media.
How old can a mage live? ›Barring fatal accidents (or less commonly "accidents"), most mages live well past their nineties, even despite their horrible Big Eater habits — though it's Age Without Youth and feels even longer. Windle Poons dies at 130 years of age and spent half his life infirm. Implied in the Dragaera novels.
Who is the strongest mage in Final Fantasy? ›At the conclusion of Final Fantasy 6, Kefka manages to transform himself into the literal God of Magic, a feat that places him comfortably at, or at least near, the top of a list of the strongest mages in Square Enix games.
What is the best profession for a mage? ›Herbalism and Alchemy are fairly useful for the Mage. Herbalism allows the gathering of various herbs and the Alchemy profession allows the creation of various potions.
Is dexterity good for mages? ›It is recommended to invest in dexterity, but it really depends on your future subclasses. If you wish to be a sorcerer, you will have access to more magic abilities meaning investing in intelligence may be a smarter move since all your ability damage comes from intelligence.
Is Blue Mage DPS? ›Or you can become one of the 10 normal damage dealing “DPS” classes, killing the enemies you encounter with ease. However, there is one class that exists outside of such paltry roles—a class that is Tank, Healer, and DPS in one: Blue Mage.
What attributes for Mage build? ›...
- Vigor: 35.
- Mind: 35.
- Endurance: 9.
- Strength: 12.
- Dexterity: 18.
- Intelligence: 60.
- Faith: 7.
- Arcane: 9.
Is Arcane hit or flop? ›
Arcane has a 9.3/10 score on IMDB with 99,000 ratings in. Again, the highest of any Netflix original series to date. It puts in in the top 5 scripted shows ever on that site, alongside Breaking Bad, Band of Brothers, Chernobyl and The Wire.
Why Arcane is a masterpiece? ›The main visual draw of Arcane lies within its character animation. Their faces display startlingly human nuances with infinitesimal microexpressions that imbue a scene with dense emotion. Each character design, formed from a unique fusion of 2D painting on 3D models, captures lifelike detail and energy.
What age is Arcane aimed at? ›Who can watch this really depends on maturity level, but I think 13-14 is a safe age cutoff.
Is Frost Death Knight easy? ›Frost Death Knights are a melee DPS specialization deals strong single-target and AoE damage and which have a fairly simple and approachable play style.
Was arcane successful? ›The success of Riot Games' Arcane on Netflix (which became a runaway hit and earned nine Annie nominations) has certainly opened a new chapter in the history of gaming-inspired animated content .
Is Frost Mage good for solo? ›You should be able to solo quest just fine as frost in Shadowlands. As long as the elite you are fighting is not immune to slows, and doesn't have powerful and spammable ranged attacks you can kill them too. Just barrier on CD and run away and reset if things get bad. It should be relatively safe in general.
Is frost or fire Mage better? ›Best boss DPS (in realistic settings)Frost Mage achieved 12.24% more maximum boss DPS than Fire Mage when dealing with occasional movement, lag and crowd-control. Best AoE DPS (in perfect settings)Frost Mage achieved 45.39% more AoE DPS than Fire Mage when there was no movement or lag.
Which Mage class is best in WoW? ›Troll is the best Classic WoW Horde Mage race for PvE, and Undead is the best Classic WoW Horde Mage race for PvP. The key benefit of picking a Troll is the Berserking racial. This passive provides a substantial damage boost, especially when low on health.
What is the best profession for a Mage? ›Herbalism and Alchemy are fairly useful for the Mage. Herbalism allows the gathering of various herbs and the Alchemy profession allows the creation of various potions.
Which is better for Mage Aldor or Scryer? ›According to the data, melee and tanks generally edged towards Aldor while casters and healers went for Scryers. But there are a few outliers. Priests and Paladins chose Aldor, and Druids picked Scryers. In the end, the choice is yours.
Is Mage better than warlock? ›
Visuals overall go to warlock, mage is more cd reliant, but also more mobile. If you dont like only having damage in cd windows, you'll probably like warlock more.
What is the top DPS in wow? ›- 8/8 Fire Mage.
- 7/8 Enhancement Shaman.
- 6/8 Outlaw Rouge.
- 5/8 Shadow Priest.
- 4/8 Unholy Death Knight.
- 3/8 Beast Mastery Hunter.
- 2/8 Fury Warrior.
- 1/8 Demonology Warlock.
Both are fine to main, depends what spec (lol). Mage has the portals/teleports, and range-convenience. Rogues have other utilities but them and M+ go hand in hand.
Who is the strongest mage in ML? ›1. Valentina. At the top of this month's list of the best Mages in Mobile Legends, we have Valentina, a Mage with a unique ability. With her Ultimate, Valentina can steal an opponent's Ultimate.
Is engineering good for mages? ›Engineering is and always has been a pretty useful choice for a Mage to level with. As you level, you'll have access to a number of items that will make your life significantly easier.
Who is the highest damage mage in smite? ›- 8/8 Raijin.
- 7/8 Eset.
- 6/8 Ah Puch.
- 5/8 Hera.
- 4/8 Merlin.
- 3/8 Agni.
- 2/8 Kukulkan.
- 1/8 Olorun.
You can turn in the Sunfury Signet to one of two people, but not both. You can turn them into Magistrix Fyalenn in Shattrath City or Battlemage Vyara in the Sanctum of the Stars in Shadowmoon Valley, but as soon as you make a turn in to one of them, the other becomes a blue question mark repeatable quest for rep only.
How many scryer turn ins for exalted? ›Without doing any of the Scryers quests, you would require some combination of a maximum of 1,320 Sunfury Signet (132 10-item turn-ins) OR a maximum of 95 (94.2) Arcane Tomes to get from Honored to Exalted. However, it's likely you'll be doing a combination since these are farmed in many of the same places.
How many Aldor turn ins for exalted? ›Getting from Honored to Exalted means earning a total of 33,000 reputation. Without doing any of the Aldor quests, you would require some combination of a maximum of 1,320 Mark of Sargeras (132 10-item turn-ins) OR a maximum of 95 (94.2) Fel Armament to get from Honored to Exalted.