Broken.gg
Arcane is the Ranged DPS specialization of the Mage in WoW: Forever. This page summarizes its talent tree as it appears in the game client (build 1.60.1.70753); the role is the one stated by the Icy Veins guide for the specialization.
In our level-60 simulation (180 seconds on a stationary boss, raid buffs, best known gear), Arcane Mage ranks #16 of 20 DPS specs with 600 DPS. #1 is Affliction Warlock (907 DPS). A stationary boss does not tell everything: group utility and moving fights matter too.
Our simulator's build uses 51 points, split Arcane 31 / Fire 17 / Frost 3. The talents that weigh the most in the simulation: Arcane Wrath, Arcane Mind, Precision. Open this build in the talent calculator →
Without raid items, the best set the simulator finds gives 565 DPS, −5.9% against the set that includes raid items. Stat priority: Hit Chance > Spell Power > Intellect. Full gear and enchantments →
Opening: Arcane Missiles (channeled) and Arcane Wrath (3.5 s cast, 6 s cooldown) in turn: Wrath whenever it is ready, Missiles the rest of the time ; Arcane Power on cooldown ; Arcane Blast is not cast: the simulator estimates that its cost, which climbs by 100% with every charge, does not pay back compared with Wrath and Missiles. Full rotation →
The top race in our simulation: Gnome. All races of the class →
The first talent point comes at level 10, then one per level up to 51 at level 60. The guide gives the talent order step by step (derived from the level-60 build, not tested while leveling), the dungeons of each level band and the spec's best item in each. See the leveling →
Our dungeon finder shows, for every dungeon, the best item for this spec according to the simulator's stat weights. Best dungeon items →
Our level-60 simulator build (51 points), the one used for the ranking: talents, gear and rotation are on the ranking page.
Gear, rotation and damage by ability for this level-60 build: Mage Arcane →
The class's three trees, with the talents of the level-60 build (51 points) in colour and all the others in grey. The small number on the left of each row is the points you must have spent in the tree to reach it, and each talent's badge shows the points invested. This section is fixed: it does not move and does not depend on the calculator.
2
2/5
3/3
1/2
2
5/5
2/2
2
3/3
1/1
2
2
3/3
1/1
1/1
5/5
3/3
1/1
3/5
5/5
5/5
2
3
3
3
1
2/2
3
2
1
2/3
3
1
3
1
2
5
3/3
5
3
2
3
3
3
1
2
1
3
3
1
2
5
1
Rank 2/5: Gives your Arcane Missiles spell a 40% chance and your Arcane Blast and Arcane Wrath spells a 28% chance to not lose casting time when you take damage.
Rank 3/3: Increases your Armor by an amount equal to 75% of your Intellect.
Rank 1/2: Reduces your target's resistance to all your spells by 8 and reduces the threat caused by your Arcane spells by 15%.
Rank 5/5: Gives you a 10% chance of entering a Clearcasting state after any damage spell hits a target. The Clearcasting state reduces the mana cost of your next damage spell by 100%.
Rank 2/2: Gives your Arcane Blast spell a 40% chance, and your Arcane Wrath, Fireball, Frostbolt, Frost Blast, and Frostfire Bolt spells a 20% chance to reduce the channeled duration of your next Arcane Missiles spell by 50%, reduce the Mana cost by 100%, and missiles fire every 0.5 sec.
Rank 3/3: Increases the critical strike chance of your Arcane spells by 6%.
Rank 1/1: Blasts the target with energy, dealing 32 Arcane damage. Each time you cast Arcane Blast, you gain 12% of your Intellect as Spell Damage and the mana cost of Arcane Blast is increased by 100%. Effect stacks up to 4 times and lasts 18 sec from time of initial application.
Rank 3/3: Allows 50% of your Mana regeneration to continue while casting.
Rank 1/1: Launches a projectile of pure Arcane energy at the enemy target, causing 120 Arcane damage. This spell gains additional Spell Damage equal to 5% of your maximum Mana.
Rank 1/1: When activated, your next Mage spell with a casting time less than 10 sec becomes an instant cast spell.
Rank 5/5: Increases your Intellect by 10% and increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Arcane spells by 100%.
Rank 3/3: Increases the damage done by your spells by 3% and your critical strike chance by 3%.
Rank 1/1: For the next 15 sec, your spells deal 30% more damage while costing 30% more mana to cast.
Rank 3/5: Increases the critical strike chance of your Fire Blast, Ice Lance, Arcane Blast, and Scorch spells by 6%.
Rank 5/5: Reduces the casting time of your Fireball, Frostfire Bolt, and Arcane Wrath spells by 0.5 sec.
Rank 5/5: Your critical strikes from Fire damage spells cause the target to burn for an additional 40% of your spell's damage over 4 sec.
Rank 2/2: Reduces the cooldown of your Fire Blast spell by -2 sec and increases its range by 15 yards.
Rank 2/3: Your Fire and Frost critical strikes will refund 20% of their base mana cost.
Rank 3/3: Improves your chance to hit with all spells by 6%.
The first talent point comes at level 10, then one per level: 1 point at level 10, 11 at level 20, 21 at level 30, 31 at level 40, 41 at level 50 and 51 at level 60. A row of a tree opens for every 5 points spent in that tree.
Derived order: we computed it from our simulator's level-60 build, following the tree rules (rows, prerequisites) and taking at each point the talent the simulation values most. It was not tested while leveling a character: it is a starting point, not a proven leveling build, to be revisited with the released game's data.
Levels 1 to 9: no talent point yet, the first one comes at level 10.
Take: Precision. See the tree at this step →
Take: Precision ×2, Accelerant ×5, Incineration ×3. See the tree at this step →
Take: Improved Channeling ×2, Arcane Resilience ×3, Missile Barrage ×2, Arcane Concentration ×3. See the tree at this step →
Take: Arcane Impact ×3, Arcane Concentration ×2, Arcane Meditation ×3, Ignite ×2. See the tree at this step →
Take: Ignite ×3, Arcane Subtlety, Improved Fire Blast ×2, Arcane Blast, Arcane Wrath, Arcane Mind ×2. See the tree at this step →
Take: Arcane Mind ×3, Arcane Instability ×3, Master of Elements ×2, Presence of Mind, Arcane Power. See the tree at this step →
51 points: Arcane 31 / Fire 17 / Frost 3
The talents that weigh the most in the simulation: Arcane Wrath, Arcane Mind, Precision.
See the full tree →The best set the simulator finds among the known dungeon and profession items, raid excluded: 565 DPS, −5.9% against the set that includes raid items (600 DPS).
Full gear, enchantments included →
Figures come from our simulator, not from players: they move with patches.
| Stat | DPS gained | Relative value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hit per rating point | 0.694 | 1.6 | |
| Spell power per point | 0.434 | 1.0 | |
| Haste per rating point | 0.414 | 0.96 | |
| Intellect per point | 0.39 | 0.9 | |
| Crit per rating point | 0.332 | 0.77 | |
| Spirit per point | 0.069 | 0.16 | |
| Strength per point | -0.001 | no effect | |
| Agility per point | -0.001 | no effect |
Measured by the simulator on the character above: the DPS gained by one more point of each stat, with the same random draws on both sides. The relative value compares each stat with one point of spell power. Crit, hit and haste are counted per rating point, like Strength or Agility, so they compare directly; they respect the caps: hit at the cap adds nothing. A value near zero or negative is within the margin of error or tied to a limit (mana, cap).
DPS gained when points of each stat are added on top of the simulated gear. Click a stat (or its row in the table) to bring its curve forward; the ring marks the estimated cap, past which every point is worth less than 20% of what it gave at the start.
Our simulator's priority at level 60, set against what Icy Veins recommends. Their guides are written before launch, for level 30 and for leveling: we keep what everyone agrees on, adopt what the simulation confirmed at level 60 and say where the two differ.
Different, and measured: over a 3-minute boss fight Arcane Blast stacks cost too much mana (+175% per stack). A rotation of Arcane Blast then Missiles drops to 308 DPS, against 452 for Arcane Missiles + Arcane Power. Icy Veins' advice fits leveling (short fights, free drinking). Missile Barrage procs are not simulated.
Engineering guide 
Tailoring guide 
Herbalism
Alchemy guide 
Cooking guide 
Fishing
First Aid guide The gear our optimizer picks for this specialization among the items known so far (dungeons, the few raid items already known and crafted gear, which can be bought or made for you: prices and materials are not taken into account), with item effects simulated. Nothing is hand-picked: it is the result of the ranking's computation, and it will change as new items are discovered.
Enchantments up to skill 300, valued by the simulator when they give flat stats or flat weapon damage. The character does not need the profession: they can be bought or applied by an enchanter; Leatherworking armor kits (chest, legs, feet, hands) and Engineering scopes are counted too. A kit and an enchantment share the same permanent slot: a piece carries one or the other, and the legs, which have no enchantment, get the kit; spell-proc enchants (Crusader, Fiery Weapon...) and school damage are not simulated. The client data has no ring enchantment up to skill 300.
Icy Veins guide dated 2026-11-03, read on September 21, 2026.
The three best of each category, measured by the simulator on the character above. Only one scroll and one elixir or flask can be worn at a time: each gain is the DPS this consumable brings alone, compared with an empty slot, the rest of the set unchanged. Gains in the same category therefore do not add up. The row marked with a dot is the one in the simulated set.
These are the deepest talents in the tree: they require 30 points already spent in the specialization. Official game text, at maximum rank.
For the next 15 sec, your spells deal 30% more damage while costing 30% more mana to cast.
Open Mage in the talent calculator
Spend your 51 points, compare the three specializations and share your build by link.
Talent data comes from the game client. The level-60 build, gear, stats and rotation come from our simulator and are validated by DPS measurements; the rotation is compared with the Icy Veins guides, written before launch for level 30. Healing is not simulated. This data will change with future patches.
