How It Feels
Arcane is magic in its purest form. No fire, no ice, but raw, violet energy that you keep charging until it explodes in a massive release. The Arcane Mage is the scholar among Mages, calculating their power precisely.
It feels methodical. You manage charges and mana, prepare your strongest moments and then unload everything in a few seconds. When it works, there is hardly anything more satisfying. When it does not, you briefly sit there out of mana.
How Arcane Works
The Arcane Mage uses mana and Arcane Charges:
- Charge up: Arcane Blast generates an Arcane Charge. Each charge makes the next Arcane Blast stronger, but also more expensive.
- Release: Arcane Barrage consumes all charges for a hit that grows with each one.
- Clearcasting: when it procs, you can cast Arcane Missiles, five waves of arcane energy.
- Burst phase: Arcane Surge spends all your mana on a huge hit and then strongly raises your spell damage and mana regeneration. Touch of the Magi gathers damage on the target and makes it explode.
- Recover mana: Evocation quickly refills your mana.
Key Abilities
- Arcane Blast: your basic spell, builds Arcane Charges.
- Arcane Barrage: consumes all Arcane Charges for a strong hit.
- Arcane Missiles: five waves of arcane missiles when Clearcasting procs.
- Arcane Surge: spends all your mana on an enormous hit and empowers you afterward.
- Touch of the Magi: gathers damage on the target and releases it as an explosion.
- Evocation: quickly refills your mana.
Lore: Dalaran and the Kirin Tor
Arcane is the magic of the Kirin Tor, the council of mages of Dalaran. Their best-known members are Antonidas, the great archmage who fell in the Third War, and Khadgar, apprentice of the Guardian Medivh, who later became an archmage and leader himself.
In Legion, Arcane Mages chose the staff Aluneth, an ancient weapon with a mind of its own that concentrates arcane energy. Arcane magic originally came from the Night Elf Highborne and was later carried by the High Elves to Quel'Thalas, the setting of WoW Midnight.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
- enormous damage in burst phases,
- lots of depth for players who like to optimize,
- Blink and crowd control for safety,
- an unmistakable arcane look.
Weaknesses
- demanding mana and charge management,
- cloth, very vulnerable to direct hits,
- weaker when the timing of the burst phase is off.
Who Is the Arcane Mage For?
A good fit if you …
- like managing resources and planning,
- love big, prepared burst moments,
- are drawn to the fantasy of the learned archmage.
Probably not if you …
- want an easy start, in which case Frost is the better pick,
- like reacting to random procs, in which case Fire fits.
Arcane, Fire or Frost?
Fire lives on critical strikes and chain reactions, Frost on control and easy-to-read procs. Arcane is the Mage for planners.
More about the class on the Mage in WoW Midnight page. How it compares with the Warlock: Mage vs Warlock.
Images: © Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. Source: worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com
