Mages are one of the most legendary classes in World of Warcraft history, and recently, they were made available to all races.
Ahead of the launch of Dragonflight, the Mage class was made fully available to every race in WoW, with only the exception of the newly-added Dracthyr. This change made it so all of the game’s historic and longstanding races can play as one of its most recognizable classes, and as a result, the door has been opened for some quirky combinations.
Whether you’re making a Mage as an alt or are looking to dive into the class as you venture into WoW for the first time, your race is an important piece of both flavor and gameplay. Each race in WoW has unique abilities, most of which are passive (though some are active, too), and many of these abilities line up very nicely with Mages’ kits.
Human
Humans are quite possibly the most versatile race in WoW, as they have no outlandishly bad race/class combinations. This is largely thanks to the racial passive called “The Human Spirit,” which passively increases all of your secondary stats (Haste, Mastery, Versatility, and Critical Strike) by a percent-scaling amount. As you continue to stack stats in the later stages of the endgame, the Human racial could put your DPS over the edge.
Nightborne
Nightbornes are some of the most intriguing Allied Races for Mages, as their racial passive, Magical Affinity, passively increases all magic damage that you deal. As one would figure, all of the damage dealt by Mages is classified as magic damage, so this boost is one that definitely comes in clutch for Mage players, regardless of your specialization.
Related: What is the best race for Warlocks in WoW Dragonflight?
Lightforged Draenei
The Lightforged Draenei are most valued for the Light’s Judgment active ability, which calls down a pillar of holy energy on your target. That ability is a strong addition to any classes’ rotation, but can be a particularly good filler choice for Mages.
Blood Elf
Blood Elves are the most popular race in WoW, and thankfully, they’re a strong choice for players looking to roll a Mage. The race’s active ability, Arcane Torrent, is a welcome sight in any raid or Mythic+ group, while Blood Elves’ passively increased Critical Strike chance is extremely beneficial, particularly for burst-focused Frost and Fire Mage builds.
Gnome
Gnomes have always been one of the best races for Mages in WoW dating back to the Classic days. Gnomes’ increased maximum Mana is good for the Arcane spec, which runs through Mana at an increased rate, while the race’s Nimble Fingers passive passively increases your Haste.
