World of Warcraft: Spellslinger Mage Hero Talents Guide for The War Within

Available to Arcane and Frost Mages, the Spellslinger specialization aims to embody the class fantasy rooted in the core elements of the Mage in World of Warcraft: The War Within. While it may not surpass the other Mage Hero Talent trees in power, there are still many appealing attributes in the current patch.

Hero Talents introduce a new layer of customization and viability to the existing talent system. These talents align with specializations, providing both passive effects and active abilities that allow for varied gameplay experiences, even among players using the same spec.

Balancing will be a complex challenge for developers as the seasons advance, but if executed well, it could revitalize the more demanding aspects of WoW. Each class features three Hero Talent trees (with the exception of Druid and Demon Hunter), allowing players to choose between two depending on their specialization.

Here’s a comprehensive overview of the Spellslinger Mage early on.

Spellslinger Mage Hero Talent Tree Overview

Hero Talent trees share a consistent structure. A Keystone Talent outlines the tree’s overall direction, while a Capstone Talent represents its pinnacle. Between these, there are three rows of talents featuring choice nodes that allow players to further customize their builds. The complete list of Hero Talents available to the Spellslinger Mage includes:

Spellslinger Mage Keystone Hero Talent

Splintering Sorcery: When you consume Nether Precision (Arcane) or Winter’s Chill (Frost), conjure a Splinter that targets your enemy.

Splinter: Creates a sharp projectile from raw magic that inflicts immediate damage and embeds itself into the target, dealing additional damage over 16 seconds. This effect can stack.

Spellslinger Mage First Row Hero Talents

Augury Abounds: Casting Arcane Surge (Arcane) or Icy Veins (Frost) conjures 8 Splinters. During Arcane Surge and Icy Veins, every time you conjure a Splinter, you have a 100% chance of conjuring an additional Splinter.

Controlled Instincts: Enemies affected by Nether Tempest (Arcane) or Winter’s Chill (Frost) will take 20% of the direct damage dealt by a Splinter on nearby enemies, with reduced effectiveness beyond 5 targets. Direct damage from Arcane Splinters resets Nether Tempest‘s duration.

Splintering Orbs: The first 8 instances of damage from your Arcane Orb (Arcane) or Frozen Orb (Frost) conjure a Splinter that targets the enemy hit. Damage from Arcane Orb and Frozen Orb is increased by 10%.

Spellslinger Mage Second Row Hero Talents

Choice Node: Slippery Slinging or Look Again.

Slippery Slinging: Increases movement speed by 40% during Alter Time.
Look Again: Extends the duration of Displacement by 50%, increases range by 25%, and leaves behind a Mirror Image.

Choice Node: Reactive Barrier or Phantasmal Image.

Reactive Barrier: Your Prismatic Barrier (Arcane) and Ice Barrier (Frost) can absorb up to 50% more damage based on your missing Health, reaching maximum effectiveness when below 50% health.
Phantasmal Image: Your Mirror Image summons one extra clone and reduces all damage taken by an additional 5%.

Choice Node: Volatile Magic or Unerring Proficiency.

Volatile Magic: When a Splinter is removed or recalled, it explodes, causing damage to nearby enemies, with reduced effectiveness beyond 5 targets.
Unerring Proficiency: Each time you conjure a Splinter, the damage of your next Supernova (Arcane) or Ice Nova (Frost) increases by 18% or 6%, respectively, stacking up to 30 times.

Spellslinger Mage Third Row Hero Talents

Shifting Shards: Casting Shifting Power fires a barrage of 8 Splinters at random enemies within 40 yards during its duration.

Spellfrost Teachings: Direct damage from a Splinter has a 5% chance to summon an Arcane Echo (Arcane) or Icy Comet (Frost), damaging nearby enemies and increasing the damage they take from you by 6% for 6 seconds.

Force of Will: Provides a 2% increase in critical strike chance and a 5% increase in critical strike damage.

Spellslinger Mage Capstone Hero Talent

Splinterstorm: When you have 8 or more active Embedded Splinters, a Splinterstorm automatically targets your enemy.

Splinterstorm: Recalls all Embedded Splinters, instantly dealing their remaining periodic damage. After a brief delay, releases a powerful barrage of Splinters that deal damage based on the number of Splinters in the Splinterstorm. This also provides Clearcasting (Arcane) or applies Winter’s Chill to the target (Frost).