Looks aren’t everything, and sometimes it is best to go with function over form. For anyone looking to maximize their potential, picking the best race for mage is of vital importance. Let’s talk about the ups and downs of each race of the Alliance, and figure out the best ones for PvP and PvE.

Human is the first and probably most common choice for mage. For PvP, Every Man for Himself truly shines, along with the rogue and druid-busting Perception. Getting to equip two high-end PvE trinkets AND being better at catching stealthers? Humans are amazing for PvP.

For PvE, however, these abilities are less useful. Sure, they will occasionally allow you to break some form of CC and continue DPSing, but this is a situational ability and is easily overshadowed by other racials. So for PvE-centric players, I would skip Human as an option.

The second race up on the board is Gnome. They’re another great choice for PvP thanks to Escape Artist and a passive resistance to Arcane. And the 5% Intellect bonus racial, Expansive Mind, is an amazing racial for any mage, be it PvE or PvP. Gnomes make excellent mages for any purpose.

The last option for Alliance mage races is Draenei. Gift of the Naaru is handy, providing a bit of self-healing that mages lack. And it isn’t just good for PvP; being able to take some pressure off overtaxed healers, or survive when you normally wouldn’t, can be of great advantage in PvE.

Gift of the Naaru isn’t the big thing on the Draenei racial list though. Heroic Presence, a 1% hit bonus to yourself and your party, is what makes them worth rolling. Missing spells can prove fatal in PvP and gimp DPS in PvE, so being capped is vital…and this talent means you can stat more offensive stats instead of stacking hit. Rounding out their racial list is a 2% shadow resistance, all together making Draenei another good choice for mage.

So none of the Alliance races is really a bad option, except for humans for PvE…but what is the best race for mage? Human wins handily in the PvP category; being able to toss on two high-end trinkets and blast away is just too amazing to pass up.

How about for PvE? Well, Heroic Presence doesn’t stack, so if you are goign to be running with other Draenei then it is kinda useless. And Expansive Mind really is a great racial. So gnome is usually going to be the best PvE race for mage.

I hope this guide has helped you figure out which race to roll for your Alliance mage! I’ll be doing a write-up on Horde races soon, so keep an eye out for that.

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