Fire Mage Beginner's Guide

This is intended to be a simple guide to the basic rotation and dynamics of the spec that gets you up and running without requiring more advanced optimization.

Information on hero talents will be coming soon, but in general know that overall they add a minor layer on top of how each spec plays, and most of what’s here should be applicable regardless.

Talent Build #

This is a simplified talent build designed to avoid complex interactions and skip unnecessary abilities. While not optimal in all cases, it should be a great way to get started learning the spec and should work reasonably well in world content, delves, dungeons, and raids. Abilities and talents not chosen in this build are not described here, and the rotation information assumes you’ll be using the build.

Copy the text below to import the recommended build:
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Wowhead Link

Resources #

Fire mages have a mana bar but generaly don’t need to think too actively about it.

Heating Up and Hot Streak! — This is the primary rotational interaction for fire mages. Whenever you crit with a fire spell you’ll gain Heating Up, which does nothing by itself, but if you then get a second crit you’ll “convert” heating up into Hot Streak!, which makes your next Pyroblast or Flamestrike instant. Note that if you fail to get a crit with a fire spell while you have heating up you’ll lose it and have to start over.

  • Firestarter — Fireball and Pyroblast have a guaranteed crit on enemies above 90% health - letting you jump-start the heating-up/hot-streak process more easily on new targets.

Core Abilities #

Fireball - Medium length cast to deal fire damage to a target. Mainly used to try to get Heating Up.

Pyroblast — Long cast to deal fire damage to a target. Usually used with Hot Streak! to remove the cast time.

Flamestrike - Longer cast to deal fire damage to a targeted area and slow enemies inside it. Usually used with Hot Streak! to remove the cast time.

Fire Blast — Instant cast fire damage with a 12s cooldown. Always does a critical strike, which makes it an excellent way to convert Heating Up into Hot Streak!. Gains two additional charges with Flame On

Scorch — Short cast that deals fire damage to the target. Guarantees a crit (and grants a movement speed boost) when used on enemies with less than 30% health, letting it serve as an additional Hot Streak! converter when enemies are almost dead. Can be cast while moving.

Phoenix Flames — Instant cast fire damage to the target and lesser damage to surrounding enemies - 25s cooldown and 2 charges. Gains a third charge and always crits with Call of the Sun King, making it an alternative way to convert Heating Up.

Cooldowns #

Combustion – 2min cooldown. Makes all spells crit for 10s. This makes it very easy to get Hot Streak!, so be ready to maximize your Pyroblast or Flamestrike casts after using it. With Spontaneous Combustion will also reset your Fire Blast and Phoenix Flames lining you up well to gain a number of Hot Streak! procs.

Shifting Power — 1m cooldown. Channels for 4s to do AoE damage and reduce other cooldowns by 12s. Most valuable to speed up the cooldown of Combustion but also worth trying to use it when you’re out of Fire Blast and Phoenix Flames charges.

Effects #

These are some of the more notable effects, interactions, and passive talents that you should be aware of. It’s not covering effects (even if they’re very strong) that provide flat bonuses or that don’t require much thought to use, and it only includes those used in our recommended build.

Mastery: Ignite - Your core fire abilities apply a dot that does more damage with more points in mastery - Fire Blast will spread any active dots from the target to 3 nearby enemies.

Lit Fuse — As you gain and use Hot Streak!, you’ll occasionally get a buff that makes your next Fire Blast turn the target into a bomb that explodes after 2s, dealing fire damage and lesser damage to surrounding targets. The bomb effect then spreads to up to 3 nearby enemies as well (but won’t spread further after that). This fits fairly naturally into your rotation, mainly just watch out for the Lit Fuse buff and then prioritize using Fire Blast to trigger it, especially when there’s multiple higher-health enemies nearby.

Rotation Overview #

This is an overview of the core rotation. It’s not a strict priority order but rather an outline of how the different abilities interact and are used. It assumes you’re using the recommended talent build above.

Single Target:

AoE:

Defensives #

Blazing Barrier - Applies a 1min shield and deals fire damage to attackers.

Mirror Image - Creates decoys that distract enemies and grants a 20% damage reduction.

Ice Block - Negates all damage and effects for 10s, but prevents you from moving or acting.

Crowd Control #

Snare Frostbolt - Ranged snare, not used for damage for non-frost mages

Interrupt Counterspell - Interrupts the target’s cast.

Snare Cone of Cold - Slows targets in front of you

Incapacitate Polymorph - Incapacitates for 1min, but target regenerates health. Damage breaks the effect.

Root Frost Nova - Roots enemies in a ring around you.

Mobility #

Blink — Teleport forwards a short distance.

Ice Floes — Allows moving while casting for your next cast, can be used mid-cast.

Utility #

Buff Arcane Intellect — Grants intellect to you and your party.

Lust Time Warp — Bloodlust-alike.

Slow Fall - Reduces your or an ally’s falling speed for 30s, making falls non-lethal.

Invisibility — Takes 3s to make you undetectible and untargetable by enemies for 20s.

Purge Spellsteal — Removes a buff from an enemy and gives it you.

Alter Time — Cast once to “remember” your location and health level. Return to that location and health level when cast again or after 10s.

Quality of Life #

Teleport and Portal — Transports you or your party to a major city.

Conjure Refreshment — Creates food/drink for you and your party.

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