Best race for a Mage in WoW Forever: every racial compared

A Mage is a Human, Gnome, or High Order Skyborne on the Alliance side and an Orc, Undead, or Troll on the Horde side. A Gnome has more maximum Mana and can activate Eureka! to make damaging spells cheaper and stronger. For more Spell Power on demand, play an Orc. For passive Haste, play a High Order Skyborne, which comes with the Skyborne Heroic Pack and the packs that include it; for a burst of casting speed, play a Troll.

What changes with the October 15 beta update?

The October 15 beta update changes these racials for a Mage's races. The racial texts further down are the versions before this update.

• Human: Sword Specialization is replaced by Ruthless: 2% more critical strike chance.
• Gnome: Eureka! now lasts 8 seconds and has no charges; its effect on damage and ability costs stays the same.
• High Order Skyborne: Wind Blessed now grants 3% Haste. The cooldown of Walk on Air drops to 90 seconds. Read Ley Line can be cast while moving and lasts at least 30 seconds.
• Orc: Axe Specialization is replaced by Savage: 1% more critical strike chance. The cooldown of Blood Fury rises to 3 minutes. Shatter Curse still dispels Curses and Banes but no longer grants immunity to them, and its Magical damage reduction drops to 5%.
• Undead: Touch of the Grave triggers more consistently: a 30% chance for a Mage, with an internal cooldown of 25 seconds. Its drain no longer grows with Shadow damage increases on you or the target, and no longer deals less damage when a lower rank of a spell triggers it. Will of the Forsaken can no longer be used while Scatter Shot is on you.
• Troll: The Health regeneration bonuses of Regeneration rise to 20%.

Which race gives a Mage what?

• Mana: Gnome. Expansive Mind: Maximum Mana increased by 5%. Eureka!: Your next 3 damaging abilities have their Mana cost reduced by 10% and deal 10% more damage. It does not affect damage over time; a channeled spell is not periodic, so it still benefits.
• Spell Power: Orc. Blood Fury: Increases Attack Power and Spell Power by 10% for 15 seconds.
• Haste: High Order Skyborne. Wind Blessed: Increases your spellcasting, melee, and ranged Haste by 1%.
• Health from damage: Undead. Touch of the Grave: Your spells and attacks have a 10% chance to drain Health from the target, up to 5% of your maximum Health.
• Mana regeneration: High Order Skyborne with Read Ley Line, and Undead with Cannibalize, which needs a nearby Humanoid or Undead corpse.
• Spellcasting speed: Troll. Berserking (Instant; cooldown: 3 minutes) increases your spellcasting and attack speed.

Which racial frees a Mage from which effect?

• Human: Will to Survive. Instantly removes all Stun effects.
• Gnome: Escape Artist. Instantly escape the effects of any movement impairing effect and gain immunity to those effects for 3 seconds.
• Undead: Will of the Forsaken. Instantly removes all Charm, Fear and Sleep effects.
• Orc: Shatter Curse. Instantly removes and grants immunity to all Curses and Banes, and reduces all Magical damage taken by 15% for 8 seconds.

What do the Alliance races give a Mage?

• Human
  • Perception: Dramatically increases stealth detection for 20 seconds.
  • Sword Specialization: Increases your critical strike chance with all spells and attacks by 2% while you have a sword or two-handed sword equipped.
  • The Human Spirit: Spirit increased by 5%.
  • Will to Survive: Instantly removes all Stun effects.
• Gnome
  • Eureka!: Your next 3 damaging abilities have their Mana cost reduced by 10% and deal 10% more damage.
  • Expansive Mind: Maximum Mana increased by 5%.
  • Escape Artist: Instantly escape the effects of any movement impairing effect and gain immunity to those effects for 3 seconds.
  • Engineering Specialization: Your gnomish ingenuity reduces the rate of engineering devices failing or backfiring when you use them by 20%.
• High Order Skyborne
  • Read Ley Line: Attempt to tap into the power of a nearby ley line, increasing your Health and Mana regeneration by 100%. Lasts 15 seconds if no ley line is nearby, and 15 minutes if one is found.
  • Wind Blessed: Increases your spellcasting, melee, and ranged Haste by 1%.
  • Walk on Air: Glide downward through the air for 10 seconds while controlling your direction of travel.
  • Elemental Insight: Damage dealt versus Elementals increased by 5%.

What do the Horde races give a Mage?

• Orc
  • Blood Fury: Increases Attack Power and Spell Power by 10% for 15 seconds.
  • Shatter Curse: Instantly removes and grants immunity to all Curses and Banes, and reduces all Magical damage taken by 15% for 8 seconds.
  • Hardiness: Duration of Stun effects on you reduced by 20%.
  • Axe Specialization: Increases your critical strike chance with all spells and abilities by 1% while you have an axe or a two-handed axe equipped. A Mage cannot equip axes, so this racial gives no bonus until the update above replaces it.
• Undead
  • Touch of the Grave: Your spells and attacks have a 10% chance to drain Health from the target, up to 5% of your maximum Health.
  • Cannibalize: When activated, regenerates 7% of total Health and 7% of total Mana every 2 sec for 10 seconds. Only works on Humanoid or Undead corpses within 5 yds. Any movement, action, or damage taken while Cannibalizing will cancel the effect.
  • Will of the Forsaken: Instantly removes all Charm, Fear and Sleep effects.
  • Underwater Breathing: Underwater breath lasts 300% longer than normal.
• Troll
  • Berserking (Instant; cooldown: 3 minutes): increases your spellcasting and attack speed.
  • Rapid Regeneration: Regenerate 50% of your maximum Health over 6 seconds. Any movement, action, or damage taken will cancel the effect.
  • Regeneration: Health regeneration rate increased by 10%. In addition, 10% of total Health regeneration will continue during combat.
  • Beast Slaying: Damage dealt versus Beasts increased by 5%.

What do you plan next as a Mage?

Spend points in the Mage talent planner and check spell ranks in the Mage spellbook. Alliance or Horde lists every race and class of both factions.