Gnome Mage 1–60: Frost with Ice Lance and Shatter

• 1–9: Fireball until level 4, then Frostbolt. Conjure your own water from level 4 and your own food from level 6. Get a wand (a ranged weapon that fires automatically).
• 10–19: Frost Nova from the trainer at 10. Talents: Improved Frostbolt 5/5, Frostbite 3/3, Ice Shards 2/5.
• 20–29: Ice Lance (talent) at 20, Frost Channeling 3/3, Shatter 3/3 at 27, Ice Block at 28. From the trainer at 20: Blink, Evocation, Blizzard, Mana Shield.
• 30–40: Cold Snap, Fingers of Frost, Winter's Chill 5/5 and Ice Barrier at 40. 0/0/31 at 40. Dual spec and riding unlock at 40.
• 41–60: Permafrost, Improved Cone of Cold, Precision, then Arcane for Missile Barrage and Arcane Concentration. 12/0/39 at 60.
• Rule: one enemy at a time, shoot from max range, freeze it when it reaches you and always keep mana for a Frost Nova.

1. Level 4: Frostbolt slows the target by 40% for 5 s. From now on it is your main spell. You get Conjure Water at the same level.
2. Level 6: Conjure Food, and Fire Blast (instant, 8 s cooldown) as a finisher.
3. Level 8: Polymorph turns a Beast or Humanoid into a sheep for up to 20 s. Damage breaks the effect.
4. Level 10: Frost Nova freezes everything next to you in place for up to 8 s (25 s cooldown). Step back and keep shooting.
5. Level 10–14: Improved Frostbolt 5/5 shortens Frostbolt by 0.5 s.
6. Level 20: Ice Lance from the talent tree – instant, 300% more damage to frozen targets. From the trainer: Blink, Evocation and Blizzard.
7. Level 27: Shatter 3/3 gives +50% crit chance against frozen targets. The combination is Frost Nova → Frostbolt → Ice Lance.
8. Level 34: Mage Armor lets 50% of your mana regen continue while you cast.
9. Level 40: Ice Barrier – a shield that also raises your Frost damage by 15% for 1 min.
10. All the way: fill your bags with your own water and food before you leave a safe spot. They disappear if you are logged out for more than 15 minutes.

Strategy	Talents at 40	Upside	Downside	For you?
A. Frost, one enemy at a time	0/0/31 (12/0/39 at 60)	Control, safe pulls, Ice Barrier at 40, the same playstyle all the way	Partly proc-dependent; your mana does not cover sloppy pulls	Recommended
B. Frost for AoE pulls	0/0/31 with other picks	Many enemies per pull when it goes well	Needs the right spot, the right mobs and practice; deaths cost a lot of time	If you already know AoE leveling
C. Arcane start with Missile Barrage	Arcane-leaning	Free Arcane Missiles early	Less control, later Ice Lance and Shatter	If you want to try Arcane

Why A: both Warcraft Tavern and Method name Frost as the usual leveling choice – Tavern because Ice Lance and Fingers of Frost kill quickly, Method for survivability, kiting and freezes. Slow, root and shield sit in the same tree as the damage. There are no published, controlled 1–60 tests showing whether A, B or C is fastest in Forever. Warcraft Tavern also recommends Arcane for soloing the open world, so the sources do not fully agree.

Note: Frost in Forever is not Frost in Classic. Ice Lance, Fingers of Frost and Missile Barrage are in the tree, and Winter's Chill strengthens Cone of Cold instead of granting crit. Trust the talent tree on the site, not a Classic guide.

The guide is written for a Gnome, but the build works for every race that can be a Mage (Human, Gnome and Skyborne in the Alliance; Orc, Undead and Troll in the Horde). The only class abilities that differ in the data are the teleport and portal spells, which follow the faction (Horde gets Orgrimmar, Undercity and Thunder Bluff instead of Ironforge, Stormwind and Darnassus). Otherwise the difference between the races lies in the racials. Values from client data 1.60.1.70862.

Why Gnome: Expansive Mind gives +5% max mana, the only racial that directly stretches the time between drink breaks. Escape Artist also solves the most dangerous situation for a Mage – being stuck in place with an enemy in melee.

Gnome tips

Expansive Mind gives +5% max mana. Eureka! makes non-periodic damaging abilities (Frostbolt, Ice Lance, Fire Blast) 10% stronger for 8 s (2 min cooldown); the tooltip mentions "Energy cost", so check whether the cost part applies to mana. Escape Artist breaks slows and roots and gives 3 s of immunity (2 min cooldown). Engineering Specialization only matters if you pick Engineering.

Human tips

The Human Spirit (+10% Spirit) gives more mana regen between pulls, and Ruthless gives +1% crit. Will to Survive removes stuns (3 min cooldown) and Perception reveals stealthed mobs.

Skyborne tips

Read Leyline raises health and mana regen by 50% for 15 s (2 min cooldown); if you stand near a leyline you become Attuned for 1 hour and the effect is doubled. Wind Blessed gives 2% haste on casts, Elemental Insight +5% damage against Elementals, and Walk on Air lets you glide downward for 10 s. Skyborne Mages exist only in the Alliance (High Order).

Orc tips

Horde: Blood Fury (+10% Spell Power for 15 s, 2 min cooldown) in a hard fight, Shatter Curse removes Curses and Banes, and Hardiness shortens stuns by 20%. Orc Mage is a new combination in Forever.

Undead tips

Horde: Cannibalize on Humanoid or Undead corpses restores 7% health and mana every 2 s for 10 s – a free drink break. Will of the Forsaken breaks fear, charm and sleep, and Touch of the Grave gives a 20% chance to drain health.

Troll tips

Horde: Berserking (+10% casting speed) in a hard fight, Rapid Regeneration (50% health over 6 s without moving) instead of food, and Beast Slaying (+5% against Beasts).

Your resource is not just mana – it is time

A Mage kills quickly but has thin armor and no heal. Every pull costs mana, and every mistake costs health that only food, bandages and potions give back. The best leveling pace is therefore not the highest damage in a single fight, but the most kills per drink break.

Three situations:

• Green pull: one enemy at or below your level, plenty of room behind you. Frostbolt from max range until it dies.
• Yellow pull: two enemies, a caster (an enemy that casts spells), a cramped spot or a patrol nearby. Polymorph on one of them, Frost Nova ready, plan the retreat first.
• Red pull: three or more, an elite (a reinforced enemy with a dragon frame), a higher level or low mana. Abort. Frost Nova, Blink (from 20) and run. Surviving is faster than a corpse run (running back to your body as a ghost).

Food and water – your own supplies

You conjure your own food and water and never need to buy them. Ranks 1–6 give 2 per cast and rank 7 gives 10, according to the ability texts in the client data. The items disappear if you are logged out for more than 15 minutes.

The ability texts only name the kind (for example "fresh water" and "loaves of rye") – the table pairs each rank with the item of that name. The values are the items' own. The items also have level requirements of their own (1, 5, 15, 25, 35, 45 and 55), so a lower-level player you share with may need a lower rank.

Level	Rank	Water	Mana	Level	Rank	Food	Health
4	1	Conjured Water	151 over 18 s	6	1	Conjured Muffin	61 over 18 s
10	2	Conjured Fresh Water	437 over 21 s	12	2	Conjured Bread	244 over 21 s
20	3	Conjured Purified Water	835 over 24 s	22	3	Conjured Rye	552 over 24 s
30	4	Conjured Spring Water	1,345 over 27 s	32	4	Conjured Pumpernickel	875 over 27 s
40	5	Conjured Mineral Water	1,992 over 30 s	42	5	Conjured Sourdough	1,392 over 30 s
50	6	Conjured Sparkling Water	2,934 over 30 s	52	6	Conjured Sweet Roll	2,148 over 30 s
60	7	Conjured Crystal Water	4,200 over 30 s	60	7	Conjured Cinnamon Roll	3,180 over 30 s

Routine:

• Train the new rank the day it becomes available – it is the cheapest upgrade you have.
• Conjure a couple of stacks in a safe place (an inn, right after the trainer), not in the middle of enemies. Each cast takes 3 s and costs mana.
• Eat and drink at the same time. Sit down as soon as the fight is over, not after you have looted and run on.
• Hand out water and food in a group – it only costs you mana and is always appreciated.

The mana tools in order

Level	Tool	What it does (client data)
4	Conjure Water	Water between pulls – the foundation of everything
20	Evocation	Channeled for 8 s with +1,500% mana regen; 8 min cooldown
21–23	Frost Channeling (talent)	−15% mana cost on Frost spells
28	Conjure Mana Agate	Mana Agate restores 375–425 mana instantly
34	Mage Armor	50% of your mana regen continues while you cast
38	Conjure Mana Jade	Mana Jade restores 550–650 mana
48	Conjure Mana Citrine	Mana Citrine restores 775–925 mana
54–55	Missile Barrage (talent)	Frostbolt has a 20% chance to make the next Arcane Missiles free and twice as fast
56–60	Arcane Concentration (talent)	10% chance for Clearcasting: the next damage spell costs no mana
58	Conjure Mana Ruby	Mana Ruby restores 1,000–1,200 mana

Rules:

• Evocation is not a panic button, it is a drink break. Use it when it is ready and your mana is low after a fight, and you save one water break every eight minutes. You have to stand still for 8 s, so don't do it with an enemy on you.
• The mana gem is your emergency mana. Conjure a new one as soon as you have used it. It is unique, so you can only carry one of each kind. Whether the gems share a cooldown with each other or with potions is not in the data.
• Clearcasting is an effect, not a button. It comes from the talent Arcane Concentration and cannot be trained. When it lights up: spend it on your most expensive damage spell.
• Mana Shield (20) eats mana. Rank 1 absorbs 120 physical damage and drains 2 mana per point absorbed. It is a way to survive, not a way to save.
• The five-second rule: in Classic, Spirit-based mana regen only starts five seconds after your last spell (assumed from Classic – check in Forever). A Mage casts all the time, so don't count on regen during the fight before Mage Armor.
• Wand instead of one last spell: if the target has little health left and your mana is low, finish with the wand.

Frozen, Chill and Shatter – how they fit together

Three words drive the whole Frost tree:

• Chill is a slow effect from your Frost spells, such as the 40% from Frostbolt. It is an effect on the target, not an ability you train. The client data also has an effect called Chilled ("Chills the target for 1.5 sec"), but it does not say which spells count as Chill effects – check in game whether Cone of Cold and the armor slow from Frost Armor do.
• Frozen means the target is stuck in ice: from Frost Nova (up to 8 s) or from Frostbite (talent: 15% chance for a Chill effect to freeze the target for 5 s).
• Fingers of Frost (talent, 31–32) gives your Chill effects a 15% chance to let your next 2 spells count as if the target were frozen, for up to 15 s.

Against a frozen target (or with Fingers of Frost) two things happen: Ice Lance deals 300% more damage, and Shatter 3/3 gives all your spells +50% crit chance. Ice Shards 5/5 also doubles the crit bonus of Frost spells.

The combination: cast Frostbolt at the frozen target and press Ice Lance the moment the cast finishes, so that both land while the target is frozen. Ice Lance has an 8 s cooldown in the client data, so that is one per freeze.

Damage can break Frost Nova. The tooltip says "Damage caused may interrupt the effect". Don't count on all 8 seconds.

Kiting – keep your distance

Kiting means damaging the enemy while it never gets to reach you. The tools, with values from the client data:

Tool	Level	Effect
Frostbolt	4	−40% movement speed for 5 s, 30 yard range
Frost Nova	10	Freezes enemies next to you in place for up to 8 s, 25 s cooldown
Blink	20	20 yards forward, 15 s cooldown, breaks stuns and roots
Cone of Cold	26	−40% for 6 s in a cone in front of you, 10 s cooldown
Frost Armor / Ice Armor	1 / 30	Whoever hits you may get −30% movement and 25% slower attacks for 5 s
Permafrost (talent)	34, 41–42	Chill effects last 33% longer and slow 10% more at 3/3

The basic pattern against a melee mob:

1. Frostbolt from max range. The mob comes toward you slowed.
2. Frostbolt again while it walks. Every hit refreshes the slow.
3. When it reaches you: Frost Nova, take a few steps back (don't run far – you still want it in range).
4. Frostbolt + Ice Lance at the frozen target.
5. If it is still alive: Fire Blast, Cone of Cold or the wand.

Mistakes that cost time: backing into the next group of enemies, casting Frost Nova before the mob has arrived, and standing in melee casting through pushback (every hit lengthens your cast until you have Ice Barrier).

AoE – when it pays off

Your AoE spells according to the client data: Arcane Explosion (14, instant, 10 yards around you), Flamestrike (16, 3 s cast), Blizzard (20, channeled for 8 s, 320 mana at rank 1), Cone of Cold (26) and Frost Nova (10).

This build is a single-target build that can AoE now and then. Use AoE when:

• you have pulled two or three weak enemies by mistake: Frost Nova → step back → Cone of Cold or Arcane Explosion,
• a pack of low-level mobs stands close together and you have full mana: Frost Nova → step back → Blizzard,
• you have five stacks of Winter's Chill on a target and more enemies stand in the cone.

Be careful: Blizzard does not slow enemies without the talent Improved Blizzard, which is not part of this build. AoE drains mana quickly, and Warcraft Tavern points out that you should keep mana for a Frost Nova and a Blink. Planned AoE leveling with big pulls is alternative B and has not been shown to be faster in Forever.

Wand plan

The wand is your backup when you are out of mana and a way to finish an almost dead mob for free. For a Mage it is not the main weapon, and Method calls Wand Specialization optional. DPS according to the site's item database.

Your level	Wand	DPS	How to get it
1	Novice's Practice Wand	4.3	Enchanting 1, buy from a player or the Auction House
5	Lesser Magic Wand	11.4	Enchanting 10, or buy
13	Greater Magic Wand	17.7	Enchanting 70, or buy
26 / 30	Lesser Mystic Wand / Greater Mystic Wand	25.3 / 29.2	Enchanting 155/175 or buy
37	Twisted Nether Wand	34.2 (Shadow)	Enchanting 185 (Forever recipe) or buy
43	Dreambough Wand	39.3	Enchanting 215 (Forever recipe) or buy
49	Lesser Eternal Wand	45.8	Enchanting 245 (Forever recipe) or buy
55	Greater Eternal Wand / Brilliant Wand	53.4 / 59.9	Enchanting 275. Brilliant Wand is BoP – only if you have Enchanting yourself

The wand is fired with Shoot. Stand still until the first shot goes off.

One talent point per level from 10; 31 points at 40 and 51 at 60. The order is shown in the talent tree above and is validated by the site. The percentages are the talents' own texts in client data 1.60.1.70862.

• 10–14 Improved Frostbolt 5/5: −0.5 s cast time on Frostbolt. Your main spell goes from 1.5–3.0 s (rank 1–5) to 1.0–2.5 s. The most damage per point early on.
• 15–17 Frostbite 3/3: 15% chance for a Chill effect to freeze the target for 5 s. Before 20 it is a free root; after 20 every freeze is an empowered Ice Lance.
• 18–19 Ice Shards 2/5: +40% crit bonus on Frost spells, and the two points needed for tier 3.
• 20 Ice Lance: instant Frost damage, 300% more against frozen targets. Requires 10 points in Frost. Higher ranks are bought from the trainer (28, 34, 42, 48, 56).
• 21–23 Frost Channeling 3/3: −15% mana cost and −30% threat on Frost spells. Warcraft Tavern notes that Frost runs out of mana quickly without it; Method skips it.
• 24, 29, 33 Ice Shards to 5/5: +100% crit bonus on Frost spells. The points go where they are needed to reach the next tier.
• 25–27 Shatter 3/3: +50% crit chance against frozen targets. From 27, Frost Nova → Frostbolt → Ice Lance is your strongest opener at close range.
• 28 Ice Block: 10 s of immunity to physical attacks and spells, but you cannot do anything. An emergency brake when a pull goes wrong. The cooldown is not in the data.
• 30 Cold Snap: resets the cooldown of your other Frost spells – a second Frost Nova or a second Ice Block. Required for Ice Barrier.
• 31–32 Fingers of Frost 2/2: 15% chance per Chill effect for your next 2 spells to count as cast on a frozen target. Requires Ice Lance.
• 34 Permafrost 1/3: the 25th Frost point, which opens tier 6. A slightly longer and stronger slow.
• 35–39 Winter's Chill 5/5: Frostbolt (and Ice Lance empowered by Fingers of Frost) puts a stack on the target, up to 5. The stacks raise the damage the target takes from your next Cone of Cold by 20% and add 7% of your spell damage to it. The chance is 20% per talent point (100% at 5/5), so the stacks come unevenly during 35–38. How the values scale per stack is not clear from the text – test it. Both sources take the talent before Ice Barrier.
• 40 Ice Barrier: absorbs damage (the amount is missing from the data), +15% Frost damage for 1 min, another +5% while the shield holds, and no pushback from hits. Requires 30 points in Frost and Cold Snap. Higher ranks from the trainer (46, 52, 58).
• 41–42 Permafrost 3/3: Chill effects last 33% longer and slow 10% more.
• 43–45 Improved Cone of Cold 3/3: +35% damage on Cone of Cold, which is now your finisher after the Winter's Chill stacks.
• 46–48 Precision 3/3: +6% hit chance with all spells. Worth more the more enemies are above your level. Method takes it early; we wait in order to get the control first. Not shown which is better.
• 49–51 Arcane Resilience 3/3: armor equal to 75% of your Intellect. Mainly the road to tier 2 in Arcane.
• 52–53 Improved Channeling 2/5: 40% chance for Arcane Missiles not to be pushed back by hits. Fills the five points that tier 2 requires.
• 54–55 Missile Barrage 2/2: Frostbolt has a 20% chance to make the next Arcane Missiles free, halve the channel time and fire a missile every 0.5 s.
• 56–60 Arcane Concentration 5/5: 10% chance for Clearcasting after a damage spell hits – the next damage spell costs no mana.

Talent split at 60: 12/0/39 (Arcane 12: Arcane Resilience 3, Improved Channeling 2, Missile Barrage 2, Arcane Concentration 5; Frost 39). The picks for 41–60 are our own theorycraft. Method also goes to Arcane after Frost, with Improved Channeling 5/5, Arcane Concentration, Missile Barrage, Arcane Subtlety, Arcane Blast and Arcane Meditation.

Optional tweaks (not shown to be faster):

• Improved Frost Nova 2/2 (−4 s cooldown) instead of Permafrost 2–3 if you would rather freeze more often than slow for longer.
• Arctic Reach 2/2 (+20% range on Frostbolt, Ice Lance and Blizzard) instead of Precision if you rarely miss.
• Frost Warding 2/2 (+20% absorb on Ice Barrier) if you take a lot of damage after 40.

Legacy points: according to Warcraft Tavern, the Legacy talent "Talented" can give talent points up to 5 levels earlier. If you have it: follow the same order, just earlier. Check in game.

Goal: level 4, one enemy at a time.

• You start with Fireball and Frost Armor. Keep Frost Armor up (30 min) – it slows whoever hits you.
• Arcane Intellect is available from level 1 in the data. Put it on yourself; it lasts 1 hour.
• The quests in your race's starting zone (see the race box). Collect several quests in the same area before you go back.
• Sell gray loot. Keep cloth if you want First Aid or Tailoring.

Gnome tips

You start in Coldridge Valley in Dun Morogh (according to the site's race data). Level 5–10 in Dun Morogh around Kharanos, then Ironforge for trainers and the Auction House. We have not checked where the Mage trainers stand – ask a guard.

Human tips

You start in Northshire in Elwynn Forest. Level 5–10 around Goldshire, then Stormwind for trainers and the Auction House.

Skyborne tips

You start on Zephras Isle (according to the site's race data). The zone is new in Forever and we have no verified route from there – follow the quests and check the map.

Orc/Troll tips

Horde: Valley of Trials in Durotar according to Classic. The zone plan in this guide is Alliance – Horde goes Durotar → The Barrens.

Undead tips

Horde: Deathknell in Tirisfal Glades according to Classic. The zone plan in this guide is Alliance – Horde goes Tirisfal → Silverpine Forest.

Enchanting tipsShow profession tips

Enchanting 1: Novice's Practice Wand (4.3 DPS) from Simple Wood and Mote of Magic – a wand already at level 1.

First Aid tipsShow profession tips

Linen Bandage (First Aid 1, one Linen Cloth). You have no heal, so bandages are your cheapest healing throughout leveling.

Goal: getting used to the Frostbolt loop, and bags full of your own supplies.

• Level 4: Frostbolt and Conjure Water. Switch main spell right away – the slow gives you an extra cast before the mob arrives.
• Level 6: Fire Blast, Conjure Food and Fireball rank 2.
• Level 8: Polymorph, Arcane Missiles and Frostbolt rank 2.
• Standard pull: Frostbolt from max range → Frostbolt until it dies → Fire Blast as a finisher when it is close.
• Polymorph works on Beasts, Humanoids and Critters. The sheep heals quickly, so use it to park an extra enemy, not on the target you are damaging.
• Fireball has a 35 yard range against 30 for Frostbolt. It can open a fight, but it does not slow.

Enchanting tipsShow profession tips

Enchanting 10: Lesser Magic Wand (L5, 11.4 DPS) from Simple Wood + Lesser Magic Essence.

Cooking tipsShow profession tips

Cooking 25 (Forever recipes): Tasty Raptor Bites (Intellect food) and Peace Tea. Your conjured food gives no Well Fed buff according to the item text – cooked food does.

Tailoring tipsShow profession tips

Tailoring 50–60 (Forever recipes): Azure Stormsewn Cuffs, Azure Stormsewn Vest and the other Azure Stormsewn pieces (level requirement 5–7) give a little Intellect, Spirit and Stamina early.

Checkpoint level 9: Do you have water and food for at least ten pulls? Can you kill three normal mobs in a row without drinking?

Goal: Frost Nova on a good key and Improved Frostbolt on its way to 5/5.

• Level 10: Frost Nova, Frost Armor rank 2 and Conjure Water rank 2. The first talent point goes into Improved Frostbolt.
• Level 12: Conjure Food rank 2, Fireball rank 3, Slow Fall and Dampen Magic.
• New standard pull: Frostbolt → Frostbolt → the mob reaches you → Frost Nova → step back → Frostbolt → Fire Blast.
• Practice stepping back just far enough: outside melee, inside 30 yards.

Gnome tips

Put Escape Artist and Eureka! on keys now. Eureka! fits when a tough mob has to go down fast; Escape Artist when you are the one stuck in place.

Skyborne tips

Read Leyline after a fight gives 50% more regen for 15 s – press it when you sit down to drink.

Tailoring tipsShow profession tips

Tailoring 50: Novice Arcanist's Sash (L10, BoP, spell power/Int/Sta) – requires 2 Minor Mana Potion.

Enchanting tipsShow profession tips

Enchanting 70: Greater Magic Wand (L13, 17.7 DPS).

Checkpoint: Do you land Frost Nova only when the mob is actually standing next to you?

Goal: Improved Frostbolt 5/5 at 14, Frostbite 3/3 at 17.

• Level 14: Arcane Explosion, Frostbolt rank 3, Fire Blast rank 2 and Arcane Intellect rank 2.
• Level 16: Flamestrike and Arcane Missiles rank 2.
• Level 18: Remove Lesser Curse, Amplify Magic and Fireball rank 4.
• Frostbite: when the target freezes on its own – take a step back and keep casting. It is a free Frost Nova.
• Level 18–19: Ice Shards 2/5, so that Ice Lance can be taken at 20.
• Quest where the enemies are around your level. Prioritize real quest density, not a fixed zone list.

First Aid tipsShow profession tips

First Aid 55: Lesser Healing Potion. First Aid 110: Healing Potion (L12). In Forever, First Aid makes healing potions – your only fast healing in the middle of a fight.

Alchemy tipsShow profession tips

Minor Mana Potion (L5) and Lesser Mana Potion (L14) are extra emergency mana before the mana gems arrive at 28. The Alchemy skill the recipes require is missing from our data.

Checkpoint: Are you drinking after every normal mob? Then you are fighting targets that are too hard, or casting spells on mobs the wand could have finished.

Goal: Ice Lance on a key, Blink and Evocation practiced.

• Level 20 at the trainer: Blink, Evocation, Blizzard, Mana Shield, Fire Ward, Frostbolt rank 4, Frost Armor rank 3, Conjure Water rank 3 and Polymorph rank 2.
• Level 20: Teleport: Ironforge and Teleport: Stormwind. They save a lot of travel time. Classic requires one Rune of Teleportation per cast (assumed from Classic – read the tooltip).
• Level 20, talent: Ice Lance. Press it right after a Frostbolt on a frozen target.
• Level 21: the first point in Frost Channeling.
• Blink moves you 20 yards forward and breaks stuns and roots. Turn away from the enemy first.

Enchanting tipsShow profession tips

If you have Enchanting: disenchant green items you don't use. The next wand upgrade comes at 26.

Checkpoint: Can you do Frost Nova → step back → Frostbolt → Ice Lance without looking at your keys?

Goal: Frost Channeling 3/3 at 23, Shatter 3/3 at 27, Ice Block at 28.

• Level 22: Frost Ward, Scorch, Conjure Food rank 3, Arcane Explosion rank 2 and Fire Blast rank 3.
• Level 24: Counterspell (30 s cooldown, locks the school for 10 s) – your answer to caster mobs.
• Level 26: Cone of Cold, Frost Nova rank 2 and Frostbolt rank 5. Rank 5 has a 3.0 s cast in the data, 2.5 s with Improved Frostbolt.
• Level 28: Conjure Mana Agate, Ice Lance rank 2, Blizzard rank 2, Mana Shield rank 2 and Arcane Intellect rank 3.
• From 27: every freeze is a damage window. Frostbolt + Ice Lance against a frozen target have +50% crit chance each.
• Cone of Cold is expensive (210 mana at rank 1). Use it as a finisher or when several enemies stand in the cone, not in every fight.

Tailoring tipsShow profession tips

Tailoring 115–125: Azure Silk Pants (L23), Azure Silk Hood (L24) and Azure Silk Vest (L25) all have Frost damage. They bind on equip, so they can also be bought.

Enchanting tipsShow profession tips

Enchanting 140: Orb of Mystic Insight (off-hand, L25, BoP, Int + spell power). Enchanting 155: Lesser Mystic Wand (L26, 25.3 DPS).

First Aid tipsShow profession tips

First Aid 155: Greater Healing Potion (L21).

Checkpoint: Do you have a Mana Agate in your bags? Do you use Evocation every time it is ready?

Goal: more freezes per fight and a better mana economy. Theory from here on.

• Level 30: Ice Armor (replaces Frost Armor), Teleport: Darnassus, Conjure Water rank 4, Arcane Explosion rank 3 and Fire Blast rank 4. Talent: Cold Snap.
• Level 31–32: Fingers of Frost 2/2. When the effect shows up: Frostbolt + Ice Lance, exactly as against a frozen target.
• Level 32: Frostbolt rank 6 and Conjure Food rank 4.
• Level 34: Mage Armor, Cone of Cold rank 2 and Ice Lance rank 3.
• Mage Armor or Ice Armor? Only one armor at a time. Mage Armor gives mana regen while casting plus magic resistance; Ice Armor gives armor and slows whoever hits you. Rule of thumb: Mage Armor when your kiting works and the mob rarely reaches you, Ice Armor against hard-hitting melee mobs and when you pull several. Not measured in Forever.
• Cold Snap is saved for situations where a second Frost Nova rescues the pull.

Enchanting tipsShow profession tips

Enchanting 175: Greater Mystic Wand (L30, 29.2 DPS, +spell power).

Checkpoint: Are you losing Fingers of Frost effects because you don't see them? Move the effect to a visible spot on your screen.

Goal: Winter's Chill 5/5 at 39 and Ice Barrier at 40.

• Level 35–39: Winter's Chill. At 5/5 every Frostbolt builds a stack (20% chance per talent point before that); finish with Cone of Cold when the mob has arrived and has several stacks.
• Level 36: Blizzard rank 3 and Mana Shield rank 3.
• Level 38: Conjure Mana Jade, Frostbolt rank 7, Arcane Explosion rank 4 and Fire Blast rank 5.
• Level 40 at the trainer: Frostfire Bolt, Portal: Ironforge, Portal: Stormwind, Frost Nova rank 3, Ice Armor rank 2, Conjure Water rank 5 and Polymorph rank 3.
• Level 40, talent: Ice Barrier. Put it up before every pull – the 15% damage bonus lasts the whole minute.
• Frostfire Bolt has a 3.0 s cast and is not shortened by Improved Frostbolt (it belongs to Fire in the data). Frostbolt remains the main spell in this build.
• Dual spec: unlocks at level 40 from the class trainer according to Warcraft Tavern. The cost is not in our data. An AoE or dungeon spec is then an alternative to a respec.
• Riding: Apprentice Riding at 40 according to Warcraft Tavern. The cost is not in our data – save gold from 30.
• Portals require a Rune of Portals in Classic (assumed from Classic).

Enchanting tipsShow profession tips

Enchanting 185: Twisted Nether Wand (L37, 34.2 DPS) – a Forever recipe.

First Aid tipsShow profession tips

First Aid 215: Superior Healing Potion (L35).

Checkpoint: water and food of the highest rank, a Mana Jade, trained ranks, gold for riding.

Goal: Permafrost 3/3 at 42 and Improved Cone of Cold 3/3 at 45.

• Level 42: Cone of Cold rank 3, Ice Lance rank 4, Conjure Food rank 5, Arcane Intellect rank 4 and Frost Ward rank 3.
• Level 44: Frostbolt rank 8, Blizzard rank 4 and Mana Shield rank 4.
• The loop now: Ice Barrier → Frostbolt until the mob arrives (stacking Winter's Chill) → Frost Nova → Frostbolt + Ice Lance → Cone of Cold as a finisher.
• Zones according to Warcraft Tavern: Shen'dralas, Tanaris and The Hinterlands at 40, Searing Gorge at 43, Azshara, Felwood and Blasted Lands at 45. Check the quest levels on site.

Enchanting tipsShow profession tips

Enchanting 215: Dreambough Wand (L43, 39.3 DPS). Enchanting 220: Truesilver Conduit (off-hand, L45, BoP, Int/Sta/spell power).

Checkpoint: Does your mana last for more kills per water break than at 39? If not: fewer Cone of Cold, more wand at the end.

Goal: Precision 3/3 at 48 and the first Arcane points.

• Level 46: Ice Barrier rank 2, Mage Armor rank 2, Arcane Explosion rank 5 and Fire Blast rank 6.
• Level 48: Conjure Mana Citrine, Ice Lance rank 5 and Arcane Missiles rank 6.
• Level 49–50: Arcane Resilience.
• Level 50: Frostbolt rank 9, Cone of Cold rank 4, Ice Armor rank 3, Conjure Water rank 6, Teleport: Dalaran, Portal: Darnassus and Frostfire Bolt rank 2.
• Zones according to Warcraft Tavern: Un'Goro Crater at 48, Burning Steppes and Western Plaguelands at 50.

Tailoring tipsShow profession tips

Tailoring 210–215: Frostweave Tunic (L46, Int + Frost damage), Frostweave Robe (L46, Spirit + Frost damage) and Frostweave Gloves (L47). Bind on equip.

Enchanting tipsShow profession tips

Enchanting 245: Lesser Eternal Wand (L49, 45.8 DPS).

Checkpoint: Do you often miss mobs above your level? Then Precision is doing its job. If not: see the optional tweaks in the talent section.

Goal: five Arcane points at 53 and Missile Barrage 2/2 at 55.

• Level 51: Arcane Resilience 3/3. Level 52–53: Improved Channeling 2/5.
• Level 52: Ice Barrier rank 3, Blizzard rank 5, Conjure Food rank 6 and Mana Shield rank 5.
• Level 54: Frost Nova rank 4, Arcane Explosion rank 6 and Fire Blast rank 7. The first point in Missile Barrage.
• From 55: when Missile Barrage triggers – cast Arcane Missiles right away. They are free and finish in half the time. Make sure Arcane Missiles is trained to the highest rank; until now you have barely used it.
• Zones according to Warcraft Tavern: Winterspring and Eastern Plaguelands at 53, Silithus and Deadwind Pass at 55.

Tailoring tipsShow profession tips

Tailoring 235: Frostweave Pants (L51, Spirit + Frost damage).

Checkpoint: Are your free Arcane Missiles being interrupted by hits? Cast them while the mob is slowed or frozen, not in melee.

Goal: Arcane Concentration 5/5 at 60.

• Level 56: Frostbolt rank 10, Ice Lance rank 6, Arcane Missiles rank 7, Arcane Intellect rank 5 and Arcane Brilliance (group buff).
• Level 58: Conjure Mana Ruby, Cone of Cold rank 5, Ice Barrier rank 4 and Mage Armor rank 3.
• Level 60: Frostbolt rank 11, Blizzard rank 6, Conjure Water rank 7, Conjure Food rank 7, Ice Armor rank 4 and Polymorph rank 4.
• Clearcasting: spend the free spell on Cone of Cold if the mob has arrived, otherwise on Frostbolt.
• At 60: this is a leveling build. For dungeons and raids there are other choices – Method, for example, puts its last points into Arcane Blast and Arcane Meditation. Zone according to Warcraft Tavern: Mount Hyjal.

Enchanting tipsShow profession tips

Enchanting 275: Greater Eternal Wand (L55, 53.4 DPS) and Brilliant Wand (L55, 59.9 DPS, BoP).

Checkpoint: all ranks trained, a Mana Ruby in your bags, a decision on respec or dual spec for the endgame.

A. Normal melee mob, level 4–19

1. Arcane Intellect and Frost Armor active.
2. Stand so that you have a way out behind you.
3. Frostbolt from max range, and again until the mob arrives.
4. Frost Nova (from 10) when it stands next to you. Take a few steps back.
5. Frostbolt, then Fire Blast as a finisher.
6. The wand if your mana is low and the mob is almost dead.

B. Normal melee mob, level 20–39

1. Frostbolt from max range.
2. If the target freezes (Frostbite) or Fingers of Frost shows up: Frostbolt + Ice Lance.
3. If the mob reaches you without a freeze: Frost Nova → step back → Frostbolt + Ice Lance.
4. From 35: Cone of Cold as a finisher when the target has several stacks of Winter's Chill.
5. Fire Blast or the wand for the last few percent.

Warcraft Tavern describes the same priority: Frostbolt as the base, Ice Lance on a freeze or Fingers of Frost, Frost Nova + Ice Lance when no procs come.

C. With Ice Barrier, level 40–60

1. Ice Barrier before the pull; refresh it when it is ready and the shield is gone.
2. The same loop as B. The shield lets you finish casts even while the mob is hitting you.
3. From 55: Arcane Missiles when Missile Barrage triggers.
4. From 56: Clearcasting on your most expensive spell.
5. Evocation after the fight when your mana is low and it is ready.

D. Caster mob

• A caster often does not run toward you. Frost Nova does not help against someone who stands still and casts.
• From 24: Counterspell on a dangerous cast. It locks that school for 10 s, and many casters then run up to you.
• Polymorph (Beasts and Humanoids) buys you time to drink a potion or pull back.
• Fire Ward (20) and Frost Ward (22) absorb damage of their school. Dampen Magic (12) lowers the spell damage you take, but also healing.
• Use line of sight (break the line behind an obstacle) so that the caster has to come closer.

E. Two enemies by mistake

• Beast or Humanoid: Polymorph on one, kill the other, then take the sheep. Don't damage the sheep by mistake with Cone of Cold or Arcane Explosion.
• Otherwise: Frost Nova on both, step back, kill the weaker one with Frostbolt + Ice Lance. Cold Snap (30+) gives you a second Frost Nova.
• If it goes wrong: Blink away and run. Ice Block (28) if you cannot get away – but the mob is still there when the ice lets go.

Gnome tips

If you are stuck in a root or slow: Escape Artist and then Blink.

Human tips

If you get stunned with two enemies on you: Will to Survive, then Frost Nova.

F. Elite or hard quest

• Full health and mana, a Mana Agate or better in your bags, Evocation ready.
• Check whether the target can be slowed and rooted before you count on kiting it.
• Kite in a wide circle in a spot you have already cleared: Frostbolt, Frost Nova when it reaches you, Blink when the nova is on cooldown.
• If it feels like a gamble: find a group, come back a level later, or skip it.

G. Three or more weak enemies

1. Let them come to you. Frost Nova when all of them are within reach.
2. Step out of melee.
3. Cone of Cold if they stand in a cone in front of you, otherwise Blizzard over the pack. Arcane Explosion only if you are standing in the middle of them anyway.
4. When the nova lets go: Blink away, and decide whether you have the mana to finish or should run.

This is an emergency measure and a bonus, not the basic loop. See AoE – when it pays off.

Key	Ability	Why
1	Frostbolt	Used all the time
2	Ice Lance (from 20)	Right after Frostbolt on frozen targets
3	Fire Blast	Instant finisher
4	Cone of Cold (from 26)	Finisher and slow
5	Arcane Missiles	Missile Barrage from 55
6	Shoot	The wand when mana is low
Q	Frost Nova	Must be reachable without thinking
E	Blink (from 20)	Escape
R	Polymorph	Park an enemy
F	Counterspell (from 24)	Interrupt casters
G	Ice Barrier (from 40)	Before every pull
Shift+Q	Ice Block (from 28)	Emergency brake
Shift+E	Cold Snap (from 30)	A second Frost Nova
Shift+R	Evocation (from 20)	Mana after the fight
Shift+F	The mana gem	Emergency mana
Shift+1, Shift+2	Your racials	See the race box
Shift+4	Blizzard	Packs
Shift+5	Arcane Explosion	In the middle of a pack

Put Conjure Water, Conjure Food, the conjure spells for the mana gems, the armor spells and Arcane Intellect on a side bar – they are used out of combat.

Gnome tips

Shift+1 Escape Artist (break a slow/root), Shift+2 Eureka! (damage window).

Human tips

Shift+1 Will to Survive (break a stun), Shift+2 Perception.

Skyborne tips

Shift+1 Read Leyline (regen after a fight), Shift+2 Walk on Air.

Orc tips

Shift+1 Blood Fury, Shift+2 Shatter Curse.

Undead tips

Shift+1 Will of the Forsaken, Shift+2 Cannibalize after kills.

Troll tips

Shift+1 Berserking, Shift+2 Rapid Regeneration.

Wand macro (test in Forever):

#showtooltip Shoot
/cast !Shoot

!Shoot keeps repeated presses from turning the wand off (assumed from Classic). If it does not work: drag the wand attack straight onto the action bar.

Priority: Intellect (a bigger mana pool) and Spell Power or Frost damage, then Stamina and Spirit. You only wear cloth.

Decision rules:

1. If you drink after almost every fight: more Intellect, and review how you play before you change gear.
2. If mobs die slowly: more Spell Power or Frost damage.
3. If you are often close to dying: more Stamina, an earlier Frost Nova, easier enemies.
4. If there is a long wait between pulls despite bags full of water: more Spirit only helps out of combat (and while casting with Mage Armor).
5. The wand is the lowest priority – replace it when a better one is cheap.

There is no verified stat weight for Forever – hence rules, not numbers.

• Run dungeons when you have several quests and a sensible group. Water, Polymorph and AoE make you welcome.
• Items with Frost damage (such as Azure Silk Vest and Frostweave Tunic) suit the build better than the same amount of another school.

If you choose professions on the site, boxes with profession-specific tips appear in the level plan above.

Camping (new in Forever): at a campfire the professions can set out camp items with buffs (client data). Herbalism's Incense Candle gives Intellect but, according to its own text, is mutually exclusive with Arcane Intellect, so it gives a Mage nothing. Leatherworking's Camp Tent gives rested XP. Method also mentions a camp buff for mana regen ("Mana Well") – we have not found it in the data.

Tip: professions are not required for the build. You already have food and water.

A skeleton, not a minute-optimized route. New quests and Legacy bonuses can change the best path. The 40–60 zones come from Warcraft Tavern and are not play-tested; the 1–40 zones are assumed from Classic.

Judge by XP per real minute including travel, drink breaks and deaths. Change zone when the quests thin out. Pick mobs that fight in melee and are not immune to Frost – which ones are in Forever, we do not know.

Before every pull: Any adds (extra enemies nearby)? A clear path behind you? Frost Nova ready? Mana for a nova and a Blink? Water left?

• The mob is hitting you: Frost Nova and step back. Don't stand there casting through pushback.
• Two enemies: Polymorph or nova first, damage second.
• Nova on cooldown: Cone of Cold slows, Blink creates distance, Cold Snap gives you a new nova.
• Low health: a potion, Ice Block or flight. You have no heal – every point of health costs time to get back.
• Out of mana: the mana gem, then the wand. Don't take a new pull without mana for a Frost Nova.
• Evocation mid-fight: only if the target is frozen or in Polymorph – you stand still for 8 s.
• After Ice Block: the enemy is waiting. Have a plan for the second the ice lets go (Cold Snap → Frost Nova → Blink).

Gnome tips

Rooted or slowed: Escape Artist when it actually opens up the retreat.

Human tips

Stunned: Will to Survive – save it for situations where the stun would otherwise kill you.

Skyborne tips

After a tough fight: Read Leyline when you sit down, and Walk on Air if the escape goes off a cliff.

Undead tips

Feared or charmed: Will of the Forsaken.

Troll tips

After a tough fight: Rapid Regeneration instead of eating (it is canceled if you move or take damage).

Small tests that make you faster

When you get a new rank or talent: compare two ways of playing (for example Mage Armor against Ice Armor, or Cone of Cold as a finisher against the wand) on 6–10 identical mobs. Note the mana left after five kills, the number of drink breaks and the damage you took. Pick what works best over many pulls, not on a single enemy.

Source hierarchy: client data before guides; then independent leveling guides; explicit theorycraft last.

1. Client data 1.60.1.70862 (the site's talent, ability, racial, recipe and item data): talent tiers and requirements, talent texts, ability levels 1–60, cooldowns and mana costs, racial texts, the values of the conjured items, wand DPS and profession recipes.
2. Warcraft Tavern – Mage Leveling (undated, read 2026-11-10): Frost as the standout leveling spec, Arcane for soloing the open world, the priority list for Frost, AoE advice, zones 40–60, dual spec and riding at 40, the Legacy talent "Talented". https://www.warcrafttavern.com/forever/guides/mage-leveling/
3. Method – WoW Forever Mage Leveling Guide (updated November 10, 2026): Frost as the first choice, talent order 10–60 with Arcane after 42, an early wand, camp buffs. https://www.method.gg/wow-forever/wow-forever-mage-leveling-guide-and-talents

Icy Veins and Mobalytics blocked automated fetching, so their Mage guides could not be compared. No text is copied from any source. Where the sources and the client data disagree, the client data wins. The talent picks for 41–60 and the order Frost Channeling before Shatter are our own theorycraft.

To be tested after launch

• ☐To do: The 10–60 talent order can be clicked in the live client.
• ☐To do: Which spells count as Chill effects for Frostbite and Fingers of Frost (Frostbolt, Cone of Cold, Frost Armor/Ice Armor, Blizzard?).
• ☐To do: Winter's Chill: how much each stack raises Cone of Cold, and whether the stacks are worth an expensive Cone of Cold on a single mob.
• ☐To do: Ice Lance has an 8 s cooldown (the client data says so) and lands in the same freeze as a Frostbolt.
• ☐To do: Ice Barrier: how much it absorbs, and whether the +15% Frost damage stays for the whole minute even after the shield has broken.
• ☐To do: The cooldown of Ice Block and Cold Snap.
• ☐To do: How long Frost Nova holds when you damage the target.
• ☐To do: Each rank of Conjure Water and Conjure Food gives the item in the table, and the items' level requirements when you share with lower-level players.
• ☐To do: The mana gems: do they share a cooldown with each other and with potions?
• ☐To do: Eureka! lowers the mana cost for Mages (the tooltip says "Energy").
• ☐To do: The five-second rule applies in Forever, and Mage Armor against Ice Armor in practice.
• ☐To do: The teleport and portal spells require Rune of Teleportation and Rune of Portals.
• ☐To do: The trainer levels are right and no ability requires a quest (in Classic the Polymorph variants were quest-bound).
• ☐To do: Frost Channeling before Shatter gives fewer drink breaks than the other way around.
• ☐To do: Precision at 46–48 against taking it early like Method.
• ☐To do: Missile Barrage and Arcane Concentration give noticeably fewer breaks during 54–60.
• ☐To do: AoE with Blizzard without Improved Blizzard: does it work at all on mobs of your level?
• ☐To do: Which mob types are immune to Frost or to roots in Forever.
• ☐To do: Dual spec and riding at 40: cost and requirements.
• ☐To do: Shen'dralas and the other 40–60 zones: actual quest levels.

What this guide does not claim

• It has not been play-tested – neither on live nor on the beta.
• It has not shown the best XP/hour against Arcane, Fire or AoE Frost.
• It does not promise that a particular quest, zone or recipe is unchanged from Classic.

• 1.0 (2026-11-10): first version. Talents, abilities, racials and items checked against client data 1.60.1.70862; the approach compared with Warcraft Tavern and Method.

• Warcraft Tavern – Mage Leveling
• Method – WoW Forever Mage Leveling Guide (2026-11-10)