The Mage Hero Talents explore advanced tiers of magic, introducing new gameplay mechanics and visuals to the class in The War Within. Each self-contained talent tree offers a distinct theme and flavor, becoming available at level 71.
There are three Mage Hero Talents, each accessible to two of the specializations: Frostfire, Spellslinger, and Sunfury. Here’s an overview of all three Mage Hero Talents in World of Warcraft: The War Within.
Mage Hero Talent: Frostfire
The beloved Frostfire Bolt returns with the Frostfire Hero Talent tree, allowing Frost and Fire Mages to harness opposing elements for greater power. This Hero Talent centers around building and maintaining Frostfire Mastery, which increases Haste and Mastery through Frost and Fire spells.
While it might seem necessary to weave both magic schools into the rotation, the tree offers passive talents that trigger free casts of the opposing element. Frostfire Infusion and Frostfire Empowerment make it easy to sustain maximum Frostfire Mastery without drastically altering the core rotation of either specialization. The capstone node, Frostfire Empowerment, also ensures maximum Frostfire Mastery during Combustion (Fire) and Icy Veins (Frost), the primary DPS cooldowns for each specialization.
Though Frostfire has minimal rotational impact, it offers a striking visual display with the blend of blue and red elements. Defensively, Imbued Warding is a great node choice, while the cooldown reduction from Elemental Affinity provides excellent utility for both Fire and Frost Mages.
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Frostfire |
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Keystone Node |
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Frostfire Mastery |
Your damaging Fire spells generate 1 stack of Fire Mastery and Frost spells generate 1 stack of Frost Mastery. Fire Mastery increases your haste by 1%, and Frost Mastery increases your Mastery by 1% for 14 sec, stacking up to 6 times each. Adding stacks does not refresh duration. |
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First Row |
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[Choice Node] Imbued Warding |
[Choice Node] Meltdown |
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[Fire] Blazing Barrier also casts an Ice Barrier at 25% effectiveness. [Frost] Ice Barrier also casts a Blazing Barrier at 25% effectiveness. |
You melt slightly out of your Ice Block and Ice Cold, allowing you to move slowly during Ice Block and increasing your movement speed over time. Ice Block and Ice Cold trigger a Blazing Barrier when they end. |
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Frostfire Bolt |
Launches a bolt of frostfire at the enemy, causing (110% of Spell power) Frostfire damage, slowing movement speed by 50%, and causing an additional (40% of Spell power) Frostfire damage over 8 sec. Frostfire Bolt generates stacks for both Fire Mastery and Frost Mastery. |
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[Choice Node] Elemental Affinity |
[Choice Node] Flame and Frost |
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[Fire] The cooldown of Frost spells with a base cooldown shorter than 4 minutes is reduced by 30%. [Frost] The cooldown of Fire spells is reduced by 30%. |
[Fire] Cauterize resets the cooldown of your Frost spells with a base cooldown shorter than 4 minutes when it activates. [Frost] Cold Snap additionally resets the cooldowns of your Fire spells. |
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Second Row |
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Isothermic Core |
Comet Storm now also calls down a Meteor at 100% effectiveness onto your target’s location. Meteor now also calls down a Comet Storm at 150% effectiveness onto your target location. |
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[Choice Node] Severe Temperatures |
[Choice Node] Thermal Conditioning |
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Casting damaging Frost or Fire spells has a high chance of increasing the damage of your next Frostfire Bolt by 10%, stacking up to 5 times. |
Frostfire Bolt’s cast time is reduced by 10%. |
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Frostfire Infusion |
Your Frost and Fire spells have a chance to trigger an additional bolt of Frostfire, dealing (30% of Spell power) damage. This effect generates Frostfire Mastery when activated. |
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Third Row |
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Excess Frost |
Reaching maximum stacks of Frost Mastery causes your next [Phoenix Flames/Flurry] to also cast Ice Nova at 125% effectiveness. When you consume Excess Frost, the cooldown of [Meteor/Comet Storm] is reduced by 5 sec. |
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Frostfire Empowerment |
Your Frost and Fire spells have a chance to activate Frostfire Empowerment, causing your next Frostfire Bolt to be instant cast, deal 50% increased damage, explode for 80% of its damage to nearby enemies, and grant you maximum benefit of Frostfire Mastery and refresh its duration. |
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Excess Fire |
Reaching maximum stacks of Fire Mastery causes your next [Fire Blast/Ice Lance] to apply Living Bomb at 150% effectiveness. [Fire] When this Living Bomb explodes, reduce the cooldown of Phoenix Flames by 10 sec. [Frost] When this Living Bomb explodes, gain Brain Freeze. |
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Capstone Node |
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Flash Freezeburn |
Frostfire Empowerment grants you maximum benefit of Frostfire Mastery and refreshes its duration. Activating Combustion or Icy Veins grants you Frostfire Empowerment. |
Mage Hero Talent: Spellslinger
Spellslinger Mages master the control of unstable and volatile magic, serving as the Hero Talent for Arcane and Frost specializations. This Hero Talent revolves around conjuring Arcane or Frost Splinters through various abilities to proc the capstone ability, Splinterstorm.
Though the conjuring and shattering of Splinters occur mostly passively, Spellslinger has a relatively bigger impact on talent choices and rotations compared to Frostfire. For example, Frost talents like Fractured Frost and Death’s Chill offer little interaction with the Hero Talent, while Ice Lance gains higher rotational priority due to increased Winter’s Chill uptime from Splinterstorm. In Arcane, talents like Orb Barrage and High Voltage become essential, even in single-target encounters, due to their interactions with the Spellslinger tree.
Defensively, Spellslinger provides strong options like Reactive Barrier and Phantasmal Image, alongside enhanced mobility through Slippery Slinging.
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Spellslinger |
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Keystone Node |
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Splintering Sorcery |
When you consume [Nether Precision/Winter’s Chill], conjure [2 Arcane Splinters/a Frost Splinter] that fire(s) at your target. [Arcane Splinter] Conjure raw Arcane magic into a sharp projectile that deals (23.2% of Spell power) Arcane damage. Arcane Splinters embed themselves into their target, dealing (16.56% of Spell power) Arcane damage over 18 sec. This effect stacks. [Frost Splinter] Conjure raw Frost magic into a sharp projectile that deals (20% of Spell power) Frost damage. Frost Splinters embed themselves into their target, dealing (18% of Spell power) Frost damage over 18 sec. This effect stacks. |
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First Row |
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Augury Abounds |
Casting [Arcane Surge/Icy Veins] conjures 8 [Arcane/Frost] Splinters. During [Arcane Surge/Icy Veins], whenever you conjure an [Arcane/Frost] Splinter, you have a 100% chance to conjure an additional [Arcane/Frost] Splinter. |
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Controlled Instincts |
[Arcane] For 8 seconds after being struck by an Arcane Orb, 20% of the direct damage dealt by an Arcane Splinter is also dealt to nearby enemies. Damage reduced beyond 5 targets. [Frost] While a target is under the effects of Blizzard, 30% of the direct damage dealt by a Frost Splinter is also dealt to nearby enemies. Damage reduced beyond 5 targets. |
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Splintering Orbs |
[Arcane] The first enemy damaged by your Arcane Orb conjures 2 Arcane Splinters. Arcane Orb damage is increased by 10%. [Frost] Enemies damaged by your Frozen Orb conjure a Frost Splinter, up to 4. Frozen Orb damage is increased by 10%. |
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Second Row |
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[Choice Node] Slippery Slinging |
[Choice Node] Look Again |
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You have 40% increased movement speed during Alter Time [and Evocation]. |
Displacement has a 50% longer duration and 25% longer range. |
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[Choice Node] Reactive Barrier |
[Choice Node] Phantasmal Image |
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Your [Prismatic Barrier/Ice Barrier] can absorb up to 50% more damage based on your missing Health. Max effectiveness when under 50% health. |
Your Mirror Image summons one extra clone. Mirror Image now reduces all damage taken by an additional 5%. |
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[Choice Node] Volatile Magic |
[Choice Node] Unerring Proficiency |
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Whenever an Embedded [Arcane/Frost] Splinter is removed, it explodes, dealing (10% of Spell power) [Arcane/Frost] damage to nearby enemies. Deals reduced damage beyond 5 targets. |
[Arcane] Each time you conjure an Arcane Splinter, increase the damage of your next Supernova by 16%. Stacks up to 30 times. [Frost] Each time you conjure a Frost Splinter, increase the damage of your next Ice Nova by 3%. Stacks up to 60 times. |
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Third Row |
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Shifting Shards |
Shifting Power fires a barrage of 8 [Arcane/Frost] Splinters at random enemies within 40 yds over its duration. |
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Force of Will |
Gain 2% increased critical strike chance. Gain 5% increased critical strike damage. |
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Spellfrost Teachings |
[Arcane] Direct damage from Arcane Splinters has a small chance to launch an Arcane Orb at 50% effectiveness and increase all damage dealt by Arcane Orb by 10% for 10 sec. [Frost] Direct damage from Frost Splinters has a small chance to reset the cooldown of Frozen Orb and increase all damage dealt by Frozen Orb by 20% for 10 sec. |
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Capstone Node |
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Splinterstorm |
Whenever you have 8 or more active Embedded [Arcane/Frost] Splinters, you automatically cast a Splinterstorm at your target. [Splinterstorm] Shatter all Embedded [Arcane/Frost] Splinters, dealing their remaining periodic damage instantly. Conjure an [Arcane/Frost] Splinter for each Splinter shattered, then unleash them all in a devastating barrage, dealing ([Arcane]: 23.2% / [Frost]: 20% of Spell power) [Arcane/Frost] damage to your target for each Splinter in the Splinterstorm. [Frost] Splinterstorm applies Winter’s Chill to its target. |
Mage Hero Talent: Sunfury
The Sunfury Hero Talent, available to Arcane and Fire specializations, embraces arcane flames and calls upon Arcane Phoenixes to aid in battle.
The core gameplay centers around conjuring Spellfire Spheres, which enhance spell damage and empower various abilities. Casting Combustion (Fire) or Arcane Surge (Arcane) summons an Arcane Phoenix that consumes these Spellfire Spheres to cast powerful Fire or Arcane spells and further buff the Mage’s spell damage.
Sunfury significantly impacts talent choices and rotations for both Arcane and Fire thanks to Memory of Al’ar and the interaction between Burden of Power and Glorious Incandescence. For Fire, instant-cast Pyroblasts become more frequent even outside of Combustion due to Hyperthermia from the class tree and the capstone ability. This allows Fire Mages to opt for Unleashed Inferno over Sun King’s Blessing for more frequent Combustions. Meanwhile, Arcane benefits from greatly increased Arcane Charge generation, changing and speeding up its overall rotation.
Sunfury offers an incredibly fun and challenging playstyle with powerful burst damage for both Arcane and Fire specializations. However, it provides less defensive utility compared to Frostfire and Spellslinger, making it a slightly more fragile option for Mages.
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Sunfury |
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Keystone Node |
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Spellfire Spheres |
[Fire] Every 6 times you consume Hot Streak, conjure a Spellfire Sphere. [Arcane] Every 6 times you cast Arcane Blast or Arcane Barrage, conjure a Spellfire Sphere. [Both] While you’re out of combat, you will slowly conjure Spellfire Spheres over time. [Spellfire Spheres] Increases your spell damage by [Fire: 1% / Arcane: 2%]. Stacks up to 3 times. |
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First Row |
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Mana Cascade |
[Fire] Consuming Hot Streak grants you 0.5% Haste for 10 sec. Stacks up to 10 times. [Arcane] Casting Arcane Blast or Arcane Barrage grants you 1.0% Haste for 10 sec. Stacks up to 10 times. [Both] Multiple instances may overlap. |
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Invocation: Arcane Phoenix |
When you cast [Combustion/Arcane Surge], summon an Arcane Phoenix to aid you in battle. [Arcane Phoenix] Your Arcane Phoenix aids you for the duration of your [Combustion/Arcane Surge], casting random Arcane and Fire spells. |
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Burden of Power |
[Fire] Conjuring a Spellfire Sphere increases the damage of your next Pyroblast by 15% or your next Flamestrike by 60%. [Arcane] Conjuring a Spellfire Sphere increases the damage of your next Arcane Blast by 30% or your next Arcane Barrage by 30%. |
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Second Row |
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Merely a Setback |
Your [Blazing Barrier/Prismatic Barrier] now grants 5% avoidance while active and 5% leech for 5 seconds when it breaks or expires. |
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[Choice Node] Lessons in Debilitation |
[Choice Node] Gravity Lapse |
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Your Arcane Phoenix will Spellsteal when it is summoned and when it expires. |
Your Supernova becomes Gravity Lapse. [Gravity Lapse] The snap of your fingers warps the gravity around your target and 4 other nearby enemies, suspending them in the air for 3 sec. Upon landing, nearby enemies take (50% of Spell power) Arcane damage. |
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Glorious Incandescence |
[Fire] Consuming Burden of Power causes your next cast of Fire Blast to call down a storm of 4 Meteorites on its target. Each Meteorite’s impact reduces the cooldown of Fire Blast by 1.0 sec. [Arcane] Consuming Burden of Power causes your next cast of Arcane Barrage to grant 4 Arcane Charges and call down a storm of 4 Meteorites on its target. |
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Third Row |
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[Choice Node] Savor the Moment |
[Choice Node] Sunfury Execution |
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When you cast [Combustion/Arcane Surge], its duration is extended by 0.5 sec for each Spellfire Sphere you have, up to 2.5 sec. |
[Fire] Scorch’s critical strike threshold is increased to 35%. [Arcane] Arcane Bombardment damage bonus increased to 130%. |
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Codex of the Sunstriders |
Over its duration, your Arcane Phoenix will consume each of your Spellfire Spheres to cast an exceptional spell. Upon consuming a Spellfire Sphere, your Arcane Phoenix will grant you Lingering Embers. [Lingering Embers] Increase your spell damage by [Fire: 1% / Arcane: 2%]. |
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[Choice Node] Rondurmancy |
[Choice Node] Ignite the Future |
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Spellfire Spheres can now stack up to 5 times. |
Generating a Spellfire Sphere while your Phoenix is active causes it to cast an exceptional spell. |
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Capstone Node |
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Memory of Al’ar |
While under the effects of a casted [Combustion/Arcane Surge], you gain twice as many stacks of Mana Cascade. When your Arcane Phoenix expires, it empowers you, granting [Hyperthermia for 2 sec/Arcane Soul for 3 sec], plus an additional 0.5 sec for each exceptional spell it had cast. [Fire: Hyperthermia] Pyroblast and Flamestrike have no cast time and are guaranteed to critically strike. [Arcane: Arcane Soul] Arcane Barrage grants Clearcasting and generates 4 Arcane Charges. |
