PvE Fire Mage Talents & Builds

TBC Fire Mage PvE Talents

Mages will generally choose Fire as their main spec until later in the Expansion when they start obtaining better gear.

Below is the spec you will want to use at first until your gear allows you to have enough mana to sustain Icy Veins.

Below is the build we’ll be focusing on when we have enough mana to sustain Icy Veins to maximize our DPS potential.

 

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Kurathis

Long-time WoW enthusiast who can't say no to a good-old poutine.
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Kaus
Kaus
3 years ago

Hello mate! I’ve been wondering which spec to get while leveling on TBC, I think I won’t be doing much aoe farms, I’m currently using the boosted gear (which sucks), do you think fire is a good option? Or stay frost

Kaus
Kaus
Reply to  Kurathis
3 years ago

I see, thanks a lot for the answer! Yea, the rotation seems to be pretty “simple/straightforward” but I’m sure it isn’t.
I think I’ll give a try!

Oogedej
Oogedej
3 years ago

Hey, I’m pretty new to WoW and currently playing a lvl 60 Mage going into TBC. I’m duoing with a friend who’s a Paladin. I got to lvl 60 and some Classic pre-raid BiS gear a while back but never got around to raiding unfortunately.

Should I go fire spec for 60-70, or would that be too mana intensive in my Classic pre-raid gear whilst levelling? I’ve read your comment about ‘learning the spec you’ll play at 70’ so I’m thinking of ditching the frost spec for fire. Cheers, and keep up the great work!

Oogedej
Oogedej
Reply to  Kurathis
3 years ago

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply, incredibly informative. Currently he’s playing Holy as we venture around the world questing and doing dungeons, in which case (because he’s not tanking in those dungeons) I’ll try opting for a Fire build using the lvl 60 build you set out in another comment. Always a nice change to mix it up and get to know a different spec for my class too! Thanks again, cheers!

Avi
Avi
3 years ago

Quick question: Thinking of dropping arcane focus and arcane concentration, pyroblast, dragon’s breath, and blastwave, and putting the points toward improved blizzard. right now icey veins is just too thirsty for me, and I think the improved blizzard has more use is farming and heroics. I would keep my main fire single target damage, but gain blizzard. What do you think? It’s basically the fire+icey veins, (I think a point or two from improved fire blast needs to be taken as well).

Avi
Avi
Reply to  Kurathis
3 years ago

Thank you! I was still really on the fence with this, and this really put things into perspective. Thanks for taking the time, it’s really appreciated.

Oogedej
Oogedej
3 years ago

Hey , got another question for you! :p

After my last comment (about which spec Frost vs. Fire for levelling to 70) I’ve hit 70 and crafted my Spellstrike gear. However, as I’m now gearing for Raid I find myself having to commit to Fire or Frost spec due to Spellfire vs. Frozen Shadoweave. What would you recommend? On most, if not all PvE Mage guides I see Fire spec recommended. However I have a slight bias towards Frost spec, maybe because it’s the spec I’ve played most by far and I’m more comfortable with.

I’ve been Fire spec for a good few hours in-game but really don’t feel like I’m very strong, especially on dungeon bosses where I’m supposed to feel it. Given I’ve not done any heroics/raids yet so maybe I’ve not really tested the single-target damage capabilities, is there something I could be doing wrong? Have I not got strong enough gear, or am I jumping the gun and judging the spec way too soon? Currently only have the spellfire belt out of the Spellfire set with a ~26% fire crit chance and ~680 fire spellpower. Another reason fire may be better is I see that Arcane may become more viable later in the expansion (especially when obtaining 2 pieces of the T5 set) where Spellfire may play a part for it’s Arcane damage too, so not having to buy both Shadoweave and Spellfire would of course be ideal.

I see Frost also doing very well on WarcraftLogs in terms of DPS which makes me want to play Frost slightly too, but comparing WarcraftLogs’ DPS to someone playing casually seems like it may not be a good representation of the specs.

Here is my current build: https://www.warcrafttavern.com/tbc/tools/talent-calculator/mage?t=B11111554444488bbafffcccggghhhimmmmmoooqqpuuuuuxC2221166777bbb9

Thanks!

Oogedej
Oogedej
Reply to  Kurathis
3 years ago

Thanks so much for the informative reply as always, answered everything I needed to know.

Cheers!

Muhgu
Muhgu
3 years ago

After the site changed and the guide got updated I may ask again:

i never have played tbc, but I want to play it.
but from my modern perspective I don’t understand, why we waste 2 talentpoints in blastwave and dragons breath? I never go meele as mage

arcsine
arcsine
3 years ago

The link for the first build doesn’t show 5/5 in Arcane Concentration. The corrected link is: https://www.warcrafttavern.com/tbc/tools/talent-calculator/mage?t=A00111B111114444455688abbfffcccihhhgggmmmmmpqqooouuuuuxC222A66666

Anon
Anon
3 years ago

Why would you reduce frost bolt’s casting time, when you could put 2 points in frost warding, and 3 points in frostbite, I’m much more likely to use cone of cold, than frostbolt as a fire mage. What am I missing?

Random Mage
Random Mage
3 years ago

Hello! Quick question regarding Elemental Precision. Are you mainly choosing to take it for the mana reduction? It says it reduces chance to resist but I figured that would show in the form of Hit/SPen?

Aaron
Aaron
3 years ago

Why talent pyro? Im thinking im going to level through dungeons, so I would want that flame strike talent right? Maybe I can drop those 2 to put it into the flamestrike crit chance?

Asphyxiela
Asphyxiela
3 years ago

Hi kurathis, is there a way to know in which order should i put the talents? I dont wanna mess up anything and im following this guide so if you can tell me if there’s a order that would be amazing 😀

Broks
Broks
3 years ago

Hello! First, thank you for the guide(s) 🙂 You made me register and want to know more!

For leveling in TBC (I am almost certain to do dungeons to level), would fire be viable? I am thinking the CC build. What would you suggest to move from fire to get to CC in the Arcane tree? Or would you recommend a spec at 60?

Thanks again!

Broks
Broks
Reply to  Kurathis
3 years ago

You’re correct. ClearCasting = CC to me. Played a Sham for so long :P.

As for the 3 different specs, my thoughts are (as you said): Frost, I will survive more on the pulls and offer more to my group in terms of control. Fire, it’s just plain awesome damage and helping others due to Scorch. Arcane: Not my goal at this time, but great nonetheless.

As for your spec suggestions. If I do not pick Dragon’s Breath+Blast Wave. Blizzard would be the go to AOE since Flamestrike would pull aggro from AOE packs, correct?

Again, thank you!

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