WoW Forever Mage Overhaul: Arcane Wrath, Frost Blast and a New Arcane Blast

Frost Blast is a new spell trained at level 24: a 1.5-second cast that deals Frost damage and slows the target's movement by 40%. Every talent that improves Frostbolt improves it too; the beta client lists three ranks, and Improved Frostbolt and Arctic Reach name it in their tooltips.

Blizzard explains why it exists. Spells cast at ranks far below your level get less benefit from spell damage and a lower chance to trigger talents; the October 1 build spelled this out, noting that rank 1 Frostbolt at level 60 has no chance to trigger Frostbite. Frost Blast brings back the quick slow that players used rank 1 Frostbolt for. It costs more mana than that old trick and deals a little more damage.

Arcane Blast is redesigned. It is now a 1.5-second cast, and each cast grants you 15% of your Intellect as spell damage, stacking up to four times. As before, each stack also raises Arcane Blast's mana cost, but the stacks now last 15 seconds from the first cast instead of falling off with your next spell. In exchange, its damage and spell power coefficient are cut by 40%.

Arcane Wrath is the new 16-point Arcane talent: a 3.5-second cast with a 6-second cooldown that deals damage similar to Fireball, plus spell damage equal to 5% of your maximum mana.

• Missile Barrage moves to the first row as a 2-point talent, and Arcane Missiles hits can now trigger it too.
• Presence of Mind is consumed by spell casts again, and Missile Barrage no longer discounts a second Arcane Missiles.

Together these changes tie Arcane's damage to Intellect and maximum mana: Arcane Blast turns Intellect into spell damage, and Arcane Wrath grows with your mana pool.

Winter's Chill no longer raises your critical strike chance. Instead, each stack on the target, up to five, makes your next Cone of Cold deal 40% more damage, and that Cone of Cold consumes the stacks.

Blizzard's notes describe Winter's Chill twice, the second time with different numbers. The tooltip in the current beta client matches the version above: 100% chance to apply from Frost damage spells and 40% more Cone of Cold damage per stack.

• Cone of Cold slows its first four targets by an extra 10% for 3 seconds longer. Blizzard limited the bonus to four targets so the spell can't control large packs as strongly.
• Ice Lance deals 200% extra damage to frozen targets (was 300%).
• Frost Channeling now reduces your threat as its tooltip says, and Frostbite and Fingers of Frost can now trigger from Ice Armor and Frost Armor.

Clearcasting no longer rolls once for every target a spell hits, and it can't be triggered by Dampen Magic, Amplify Magic or spells cast outside combat. Area spells that hit many targets now give no more chances to proc it than single-target spells.

• Rebuild your talents in the Mage talent calculator, which uses the current beta trees: Missile Barrage, Arcane Wrath, Critical Mass and Fire Power all moved or changed size.
• Level Frost with Frost Blast instead of rank 1 Frostbolt when you only need the slow.
• Value Intellect higher as Arcane. Both of Arcane's main damage spells now scale with it, directly or through your mana pool.
• Check exact numbers for every rank in Mage spells, and compare builds in Theorycrafting.