Arcane Mage Leveling in WoW Forever: Arcane Blast and Wrath

Arcane Mage leveling in WoW Forever is built around a new Arcane Blast: you build up to four stacks of bonus spell damage, then spend them on other spells. Blizzard says this version "encourages Mages to make use of other spells in their toolkit" (Mage and Shaman deep dive), and it has been retuned twice since, most recently on November 2. Arcane also got a new nuke, Arcane Wrath. Frost stays the safer leveling spec; this page covers how Arcane works and when to pick it. The main class guide is our Mage leveling guide.

Arcane vs Frost and Fire for leveling

Spec	Leveling verdict	Why
Frost	Best (see the Mage guide)	Slows and roots keep mobs off you
Fire	Good	Heating Up and Frostfire Bolt; less control
Arcane	Situational	Strong burst with Arcane Blast stacks and Arcane Wrath, but mana-hungry and no slows of its own

How Arcane Blast works now

Version	Cast	Effect per stack	Duration	Mana cost increase per stack
Deep dive	2.5 s	More damage on all Mage spells	8 s or until another spell	Not stated
15 October	1.5 s	15% of Intellect as spell damage; damage cut 40%	15 s from first stack	As before
2 November (launch)	1.5 s	12% of Intellect as spell damage	18 s	100% (was 175%)

It stacks 4 times. With four stacks you have 48% of your Intellect as extra spell damage, but each Arcane Blast also costs much more mana, so the play is: build stacks, then cast your other spells while the buff lasts (15 October, November 2).

Arcane talents at launch

Talent	What it does in Forever	Source
Wand Specialization	Same bonus, now 2 points	Deep dive
Arcane Resilience (row 1)	3 points: armor up to 75% of Intellect	Nov 2
Improved Channeling (was Improved Arcane Missiles)	Pushback protection for Arcane Missiles and Arcane Blast	Deep dive
Missile Barrage (row 2)	Chance for a free, twice-as-fast Arcane Missiles; consumed when the channel starts	15 Oct, Nov 2
Arcane Geometry (new)	Longer range on Arcane spells	Deep dive
Arcane Impact (was Improved Arcane Explosion)	Crit chance for all Arcane spells	Deep dive
Arcane Concentration	Clearcasting; since Nov 2 not consumed by Arcane Missiles while Missile Barrage is up	Deep dive, Nov 2
Arcane Blast	See above	Nov 2
Arcane Meditation	More mana regeneration while casting	Deep dive
Arcane Wrath (16 points, new)	Fireball-like base damage, 3.5 s cast, 6 s cooldown, plus spell power equal to 5% of your max mana	15 Oct
Arcane Mind	Raises Intellect and Arcane crit damage	Deep dive
Arcane Power	Now requires Presence of Mind	Deep dive

Removed or moved: Magic Attunement is now baseline, and Arcane Focus was removed on November 2 (merged into Precision in the Frost tree). Fire's Incineration raises Arcane Blast crit chance, and Accelerant (was Improved Fireball) cuts Arcane Wrath's cast by up to 0.5 seconds.

An Arcane leveling plan

Blizzard publishes no build and the beta stopped at 30, so treat this as a plan:

1. Early levels: 2 points in Wand Specialization, then Arcane Resilience for armor. Fireball or Frostbolt, finish with your wand.
2. 11+ points: Improved Channeling, Arcane Concentration and Arcane Blast. Open with one or two Arcane Blasts, then spend the buff on Fireball, Frostbolt or Arcane Missiles.
3. 16 points: Arcane Wrath as your big hit every 6 seconds; Missile Barrage procs give free Arcane Missiles.
4. Mana: stop at two or three Arcane Blast stacks while questing; four stacks are for bosses and elites. Our AoE leveling guide covers Arcane Explosion pulls.

What isn't confirmed yet

• How Arcane Wrath's mana scaling feels at higher levels; the beta stopped at 30.
• Arcane Blast's exact rank 1 numbers after the November 2 changes.

Where RestedXP fits

An Arcane Mage drinks a lot, so the time you save between quests matters. RestedXP's Forever routes cover levels 1–35 now, with 35–60 after launch. Read our RestedXP review and get 10% off through our discount code page.

Frequently asked questions

Is Arcane Mage good for leveling in WoW Forever?

It's situational. The redesigned Arcane Blast, Arcane Wrath and Missile Barrage give Arcane real damage, but Arcane Blast stacks raise its mana cost and Arcane has no slows or roots of its own. Frost stays the safer leveling spec; Arcane works best in groups or with mana to spare.

How does Arcane Blast work in WoW Forever?

Since November 2: a 1.5-second cast that gives you 12% of your Intellect as extra spell damage per cast, stacking 4 times for 18 seconds. Each stack raises Arcane Blast's own mana cost by 100%. It's an Arcane talent, not a baseline spell.

What is Arcane Wrath?

Arcane's 16-point talent spell, added on October 15. It hits for base damage similar to Fireball with a 3.5-second cast and a 6-second cooldown, and deals extra damage as if you had spell power equal to 5% of your maximum mana. Accelerant in the Fire tree cuts its cast time by up to 0.5 seconds.

What does Missile Barrage do?

It gives Arcane Blast, Fireball, Frostbolt, Frostfire Bolt and Arcane Missiles hits a chance to make your next Arcane Missiles channel twice as fast and cost no mana. Since November 2 it's a row 2 talent, consumed when the channel starts, and it no longer eats Clearcasting.

Should I use Arcane for AoE leveling?

Arcane Explosion is a baseline Mage spell, so you don't need the Arcane tree for it. Frost is still the usual pick for AoE pulls because of its slows; our Mage AoE guide covers the method.