Overview
The WoW Forever Mage keeps its three schools, but each one becomes a real damage spec. It also gains a system of its own: 
Comprehend Scroll lets it read scrolls found in the world, for various bonuses and effects. Some of them can backfire.
Base spell damage went down: the spell power on your gear matters from the first levels, with Tailoring pieces and dungeon and quest rewards. Wands scale with your spell power and are very strong while leveling. Hit was reworked: you can cap it at 17%, with no unavoidable 1% miss. 
Frostfire Bolt is in the spellbook, but its value is still to be confirmed.
Strengths and weaknesses
Strengths
- Unmatched area damageThe best area damage of the early levels.
- Very strong wandsThey scale with your spell power and carry your leveling.
- Comprehend ScrollBonuses only a Mage can read.
Weaknesses
- Weaker spellsTheir base damage is lower: spell power matters early.
- Small pulls, small edgeThe gap shrinks when the group only pulls 2 or 3 mobs.
Roles
The Mage plays DPS in all three specs. At level 20 on the beta, all three rank in tier S, thanks to unmatched area damage on large packs. The edge shrinks sharply when the group only pulls 2 or 3 mobs.
The three specializations
Arcane. 
Arcane Blast builds stacks, 
Arcane Missiles spends them: a real damage spec, weak for leveling. Arcane guide
Fire. 
Ignite and 
Improved Scorch become personal, and 
Hot Streak speeds up 
Pyroblast. Very dependent on critical strikes. Fire guide
Frost. 
Ice Lance and 
Fingers of Frost form a simple, reactive loop. The hardest Mage to kill. Frost guide
Key spells and talents
Recommended races
Every racial was reworked: it is too early to name the best race at max level. No option is bad, so pick what you like.
- AllianceHuman, Gnome, Skyborne. Skyborne, a Mage on the Alliance side only, spares you a lot of drinking while leveling thanks to Read Ley Line. The Gnome’s Eureka! lines up with
Combustion. - HordeOrc, Troll, Undead. Orc and Troll feel strong for raw damage. Will of the Forsaken is the most useful PvP racial for a Mage, and Cannibalize now restores mana too.
Recommended professions
- EngineeringItem upgrades for movement, and explosives for raids and PvP. No stat bonus.
- TailoringEmbroidery for your cloth pieces and good leveling gear.
- EnchantingEnchants for your own rings and a crafted wand at level 20.
The other professions have their bonus too: +5% health for Mining, +5% damage against Beasts and Dragonkin for Skinning, longer elixirs and flasks for Alchemy. How much each one is worth will depend on the final numbers, to be confirmed.
What’s new compared to Classic
- New spellsArcane Blast and Ice Lance (talents, level 20), Frostfire Bolt (level 40) and
Teleport: Dalaran (level 50). - Comprehend Scroll, unique to the Mage.
- Hit capped at 17%.
- Reworked
