Mage Class Changes for Shadowlands (Patch 9.0.2)

Last updated on Nov 23, 2020 at 18:18 by Stan 4 comments

On this page, you will find a list of all Mage changes coming in Shadowlands.

In addition to the class changes listed here, Mages also gain access to class-specific Mage Covenant Abilities that can be used anywhere in the open world, Legendary Powers obtained through Runecarving, Soulbind Conduits, and Anima Powers that only work in Torghast.

1.

General Changes

  • New Ability: Teleport: Oribos Icon Teleport: Oribos is learned at level 52.
  • New Ability: Portal: Oribos Icon Portal: Oribos is learned at level 58.
  • Mirror Image Icon Mirror Image is no longer a Talent and is learned by all Mages at level 44. Mirror Images damage has been greatly reduced, and Frostbolt was added to all Mirror Images. While your images are active, your damage taken is reduced by 20%. Taking direct damage will cause one of your images to dissipate.
  • All Mages now have access to the following abilities:
    • Arcane Explosion Icon Arcane Explosion — Causes an explosion of magic around the caster, dealing Arcane damage to all enemies within 10 yards.
    • Frostbolt Icon Frostbolt — Launches a bolt of frost at the enemy, causing Frost damage and slowing movement speed by 50% for 8 seconds.
    • Fire Blast Icon Fire Blast — Blasts the enemy for Fire damage.
2.

General Talent Changes

  • New Talent: Focus Magic Icon Focus Magic — Increases the target's chance to critically hit with spells by 5% for 30 minutes.
  • Shimmer Icon Shimmer cooldown increased to 25 seconds (was 20 seconds).
  • Rune of Power Icon Rune of Power now places a Rune of Power on the ground for 15 seconds (was 10 seconds) and has an additional effect — Casting Arcane Power Icon Arcane Power, Combustion Icon Combustion, or Icy Veins Icon Icy Veins will also create a Rune of Power at your location.
  • Ring of Frost Icon Ring of Frost Incapacitate duration in PvE increased by 50% and has an additional effect — When the incapacitate expires, enemies are slowed by 65% for 4 seconds.
3.

Arcane Mage

Arcane Mages get the most changes out of the three Mage specs in Shadowlands. Although there is not a single very large individual change, all of the smaller changes make Arcane quite different from 8.3. Below we have listed some of the key ones that impact your core rotation.

  • Touch of the Magi Icon Touch of the Magi is now an active ability, and gets the effect from Charged Up built into it. This reduces setup time for Arcane's burst.
  • Although not an Arcane specific change, Rune of Power Icon Rune of Power now automatically activates when you use Arcane Power Icon Arcane Power. This is especially big for Arcane, as Arcane struggled with setup time, and this further reduces the large setup time that Arcane had.
  • Mastery: Savant Icon Mastery: Savant now not only boosts the damage of spells benefitted by Arcane Charges, but also all other spells. This is especially big for Arcane Missiles Icon Arcane Missiles, as this will now be an actual hard hitting ability that is a big damage boost to cast when Clearcasting Icon Clearcasting procs.
  • Clearcasting Icon Clearcasting has been changed to stack an additional time, allowing Arcane Mages to hold onto procs for specific situations, like a high priority target, or damage buffs.
  • The new Covenant system, especially Night Fae with its class ability of Shifting Power Icon Shifting Power, has a meaningful impact on Arcane's rotation. On the Covenants, Soulbinds and Conduits page, we go in-depth into this new system and what to pick.
  • Additionally, Legendaries were introduced, which have various gameplay altering effects. On our Legendaries page, we go into what Legendary to pick for what situation. To be able to create these new Legendaries, you will have to do Torghast. On our Torghast page, we guide you on picking the best Anima Powers and how to play optimally in Torghast.
  • New Ability: Alter Time Icon Alter Time — Alters the fabric of time, returning you to your current location and health when cast a second time, or after 10 seconds. Effect negated by long distance or death.
  • Mastery: Savant Icon Mastery: Savant now has an additional effect — Increases all other Arcane damage.
  • Clearcasting Icon Clearcasting now has additional effects — Stacks up to 3 times and causes your Arcane Missiles Icon Arcane Missiles to fire 1 additional missile.
  • Arcane Power Icon Arcane Power cooldown reduced to 2 minutes (was 3 minutes).
  • Touch of the Magi Icon Touch of the Magi is no longer a Talent and is learned by all Arcane Mages at level 33. Touch of the Magi has been redesigned — Applies Touch of the Magi to your current target, accumulating 25% of the damage you deal to the target for 8 seconds, and then exploding for that amount of Arcane to the target and reduced damage to all nearby enemies. Generates 4 Arcane Charges on cast and has a 45-second cooldown.
  • Arcane Power Icon Arcane Power no longer has a global cooldown.
4.

Arcane Mage Abilities Learned Above Level 50

4.1.

Arcane Mage Talent Changes

4.2.

Arcane Mage Talent Tree

Below is the current talent tree for Arcane Mages.

4.3.

Arcane Mage Shadowlands Guide

5.

Fire Mage

The biggest change for Fire is around the new Covenant system. The Night Fae and their class ability Shifting Power Icon Shifting Power has an especially large impact on how Fire plays and changes it from a relatively long-cooldown, high-burst spec into a lower-cooldown, more consistent damage spec. On the Covenants, Soulbinds and Conduits page, we go in-depth into this new system and what to pick.

Additionally, Legendaries were introduced, which have various gameplay altering effects. On our Legendaries page, we go into which Legendary to pick for each situation. To be able to create these new Legendaries, you will have to do Torghast. On our Torghast page, we guide you on picking the best Anima Powers and how to play optimally in Torghast.

  • Mastery: Ignite Icon Mastery: Ignite now causes your Phoenix Flames Icon Phoenix Flames to spread your Ignites to 8 nearby enemies. Ignite no longer spreads to a nearby enemy every 2 seconds.
  • Phoenix Flames Icon Phoenix Flames is now baseline, learned by all Fire Mages at level 19. The spel now has a 25-second recharge time (was 30), damage increased by 15%, and no longer guarantees a critical strike. The ability deals reduced damage on secondary targets.
  • Enhanced Pyrotechnics is now Fireball Icon Fireball (Rank 2).
6.

Fire Mage Abilities Learned Above Level 50

  • Flamestrike Icon Flamestrike (Level 52) — Damage increased by 15%.
  • Pyroblast Icon Pyroblast (Level 54) — Deals additional Fire damage over 6 seconds.
  • Combustion Icon Combustion (Level 56) — Duration increased by 2 seconds.
  • Alter Time Icon Alter Time (Level 58) — Alters the fabric of time, returning you to your current locationa and health when cast a second time, or after 10 seconds. Effect negated by long distance or death. Costs 100 Mana, instant-cast, 1-minute cooldown.
6.1.

Fire Mage Talent Changes

  • New Talent: From the Ashes Icon From the Ashes — Increases Mastery by 2% for each charge of Phoenix Flames Icon Phoenix Flames off cooldown and your direct-damage critical strikes reduce its cooldown by 1 second.
  • Blast Wave Icon Blast Wave damage increased by 5% and duration increased to 6 seconds (was 4 seconds).
  • Alexstrasza's Fury Icon Alexstrasza's Fury now always critically strikes for 50% increased critical strike damage and has an additional effect — Damage done by your next Pyroblast Icon Pyroblast or Flamestrike Icon Flamestrike is increased by 35%.
  • Kindling Icon Kindling now reduces the remaining cooldown on Combustion Icon Combustion by 1.5 seconds (was 1 second).
  • Pyroclasm Icon Pyroclasm now increases Pyroblast Icon Pyroblast bonus damage by 250% (was 225%).
  • Living Bomb Icon Living Bomb now deals reduced damage on secondary targets.
6.2.

Fire Mage Talent Tree

Below is the current talent tree for Fire Mages.

6.3.

Fire Mage Shadowlands Guide

7.

Frost Mage

Frost, while receiving just one spec-specific change in Shadowlands, has changed how the spec plays to nearly the complete opposite of BfA's predominant playstyle almost entirely because of that single change.

Winter's Chill Icon Winter's Chill now instead of being a small window of opportunity, generates 2 charges of Winter's Chill, each consumed upon spell impact. While this does not sound like much, it increased the amount of Ice Lance Icon Ice Lances cast into each window by double, meaning that Thermal Void Icon Thermal Void gained significantly over Glacial Spike Icon Glacial Spike. Combined with the removal of Corruption, this means Frost has pivoted entirely towards an Ice Lance-centric playstyle.

Shadowlands itself has brought many new systems to all players. Torghast is a randomly generated dungeon that can be attempted with 1-5 people, and will have a variety of powers available to earn and play with. It rewards the currency to craft legendary items. Legendaries are the newly craftable legendary items. Covenants are a new expansion-level system that allows you to improve your character's power outside of the constraints of your spec.

  • Flurry Icon Flurry now reduces the target's movement speed by 80% (was 70%).
  • Icy Veins Icon Icy Veins no longer has a global cooldown.
  • Frozen Orb Icon Frozen Orb is now capped at 8 targets.
8.

Frost Mage Spells Learned Above Level 50

  • Blizzard Icon Blizzard (Level 52) — Damage increased by 15%.
  • Cold Snap Icon Cold Snap (Level 54) — Cooldown reduced by 30 seconds.
  • Icy Veins Icon Icy Veins (Level 56) — Duration increased by 3 seconds.
  • Alter Time Icon Alter Time (Level 58) — Alters the fabric of time, returning you to your current locationa and health when cast a second time, or after 10 seconds. Effect negated by long distance or death. Costs 100 Mana, instant-cast, on a 1-minute cooldown.
8.1.

Frost Mage Talent Changes

  • Frigid Winds Icon Frigid Winds additional movement speed reduction is now 10% (was 15%).
  • Ice Nova Icon Ice Nova now deals reduced damage on secondary targets.
8.2.

Frost Mage Talent Tree

Below is the current talent tree for Frost Mages.

8.3.

Frost Mage Shadowlands Guide

9.

More Patch 9.0.1 Class Changes

You can find other Patch 9.0.1 class changes linked below.

10.

Changelog

  • 23 Nov. 2020: Updated with Oribos spells.
  • 16 Nov. 2020: Updated for Shadowlands release.
  • 15 Oct. 2020: From the Ashes fixed.
  • 11 Oct. 2020: Updated for Shadowlands Pre-Patch.
  • 16 Aug. 2020: Arcane and Fire Mage changes based on Beta Build 35522.
  • 20 Jun. 2020: Reviewed for Alpha Build 34821.
  • 15 Jun. 2020: Shimmer and Alexstrasza's Fury changes.
  • 09 Jun. 2020: Phoenix Flames is now baseline.
  • 02 Jun. 2020: Updated intro with links to Anima Powers and Covenant Abilities.
  • 25 May 2020: Reviewed for Alpha Build 34490
  • 15 May 2020: Reviewed for Alpha Build 34365.
  • 08 May 2020: Reviewed for Alpha Build 34278.
  • 30 Apr. 2020: Reviewed for Alpha Build 34199.
  • 28 Apr. 2020: Updated for Alpha Build 34137.
  • 21 Apr. 2020: Page added.
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