Which playable race is most adept at using arcane magic?

[A Young Munch]

A lot of playable races can be mages, but there are some that have the potential to be incredibly devastating with arcane magic (fire and frost included) due to either their physiology, culture, or otherwise. What race do you think has the most potential (cue the human potential comments) to cause widespread destruction?

For me, Humans, Draenei, Nightborne, Blood Elves, Void Elves and even Night Elves (Shen'dralar) all come to mind, but I'd argue that Nightborne take the cake because of their biological transformation and their societal shift toward implementing arcane magic into the fabric of their lifestyle. I think you could make a good case for Draenei/Eredar, though, because they had an impressive magic-based society on Argus prior to their exodus. What do you think?

[Venziir]

Supposedly, all of the Titanforged races (or spawns of such) have a superior ability to use Arcane magic, because of their titanic origin. Which, ironically, means pretty much every race except elves and eredar, who were previously the masters of arcane magic... So yeah.

[huth]

I'd say they each have different specialties, rather than one just being flat-out better.

Humans have a lot of raw power, but due to their comparatively short lives lack experience.

Nightborne were stuck in a small bubble, so they have focused more on the civilian uses, but not much in the way of large scale offensive magic.

Draenei magic would be largely focussed on hiding from detection, warding against attacks like those used by the Legion and escaping from them.

Void Elves would be much like Blood Elves since the split is quite recent.

[Aeula]

Humans because potential.

[Khadgar]

Humans, my master Medivh, Jaina and myself are the three strongest mortal mages in existence.

[Varodoc]

Void Elves. They are former Blood Elves, so they already have a natural affinity with the Arcane. In addition, the bulk of Magister Umbric's faction was comprised of Mages. The Prennatural Calm that all Void Elves have (which is also reflected in the game) gives them an edge over the study and harnessing of the Arcane.

[ravenmoon]

Nightborne and Night elf shen'dralar, it ìs all the vast majority of their groups do, and no other race is noted as reaching quite the height they have with it , nor focused so intently on it as we are told about both the shen'dralar and nightborne.

They reached a level with it 10,000 years ago, no one else has come close since and kept studying it for the 10k years since the night elf empire ended

[A Young Munch]

Nightborne and Night elf shen'dralar, it ìs all the vast majority of their groups do, and no other race is noted as reaching quite the height they have with it , nor focused so intently on it as we are told about both the shen'dralar and nightborne.

They reached a level with it 10,000 years ago, no one else has come close since and kept studying it for the 10k years since the night elf empire ended

I agree. I would say the Blood/High Elves and by extension the Void Elves could rival that because they're essentially an extension of the original Highborne, since Dath'remar Sunstrider took a lot of the Highborne across the sea to found Quel'thalas.

I'd like to see if void-infusion hampers the Void Elves' focus at channeling arcane magic, similar to how Demon Hunters struggle to use arcane magic due to their fel corruption. Otherwise, they'd be just as skilled as Blood/High Elves.

[JohnnyMccrum]

Night Elf lore insinuates quite blatantly that they wanted to get those that practiced magic as far away as possible from other night elves.

This is the reason groups such as the high elves were banished from night elf society. The highborne were far greater in power because they had direct access to the unlimited potential of the well of eternity, and it was these vials from that same well of eternity that gave Ilidian, Kael'thas etc their power.

but the highborne has unlimited access to the well, which would be used to make other wells, such as the sunwell.

So the high elves became the sindorei after using fel magic and twisting the power of Mu'ru in the absence of the sunwell, and the sunwell was obviously but a fraction of the total power contained by the well of eternity.

the gradual rule and lesson being, as time has moved on, control over the arcane has actually dwindled greatly due to the lack of a source of power, or potential power.

Individuals such as Medivh essentially use their already immense power to find additional ways to find greater power, for instance, making portals to the past, communicating with demon princes from the twisting nether, Resurrection through arcane magic.

The most powerful were the highborne, then the night elves that didn't restrict their power, who became the high elves, who became the blood elves who learned the hard way to control their addiction to magic.

the highborne are the only racial group that continued and didn't care about control over the arcane, and they preserved much of their power, becoming naga.

Power ranking:
1) individuals.
2) Highborne
3) High elves
6) Kirin Tor
7) Sindorei
8) Karazhan

Legion lore would obviously retcon this and now "good highborne" and "remaining high elves" exist.

[Dellis0991]

Nightborne or blood elves.

[ravenmoon]

I agree. I would say the Blood/High Elves and by extension the Void Elves could rival that because they're essentially an extension of the original Highborne, since Dath'remar Sunstrider took a lot of the Highborne across the sea to found Quel'thalas.

I'd like to see if void-infusion hampers the Void Elves' focus at channeling arcane magic, similar to how Demon Hunters struggle to use arcane magic due to their fel corruption. Otherwise, they'd be just as skilled as Blood/High Elves.

I agree too, the night elf has an arcane essence, you don't get more arcane intuined or attuned than that, it's probably why in cataclysm they are shown to pick up the arcane knowledge from their shen'dralar kin at astonishing speedsas is mentioned, since we see them fighting in Azshara after only weeks of training quite effectively until a blood elf shows up.

And the reason night elves do nature so well is because the arcane really compliments nature, boosting it, enhancing it etc, their wondrous cities built with arcane knowledge wielded primarily by the highborne and druidsic knowledge wielded primarily by ancient trees (presumably because druidc knowledge hadnt peaked amongst nightnelves yet like it does when Malfurion starts learning).

Fel is an interesting relation, Sargeras and the Man'ari wield it in tandem with their great arcane mastery, almost like in order to effectively wield it you need a high level of order to counteract it. In the inscription quests you find out that arcane runes are essential in balancing the fel ones, the arcane is what the demon hunters use to bind the demon within to their will and command the fel with such astonishing mastery. Illidan is ranked as one of if not the greatest sorceror ever, this is Azshara, Medivh/Aegwyn level although if we are pedantic, the latter two are wizard and mage, nor sorceror (dunno what Azshara is classed as) nor has wow really explained the differences if any - which I assume they must be seeing that elves and arcane wielders and culture are very precise and specific in their nomenclature.

[huth]

I'd like to see if void-infusion hampers the Void Elves' focus at channeling arcane magic, similar to how Demon Hunters struggle to use arcane magic due to their fel corruption. Otherwise, they'd be just as skilled as Blood/High Elves.

Fel is directly opposed to Arcane. Fel is associated with Disorder, Arcane with Order. That's why they have so much trouble with it.

[Powerogue]

I would think nightborne. They literally live off the stuff.

Obviously actual mage power levels depend on the mage's training and whatnot, but for raw racial potential with arcane specifically I would think being fed from your baby bottle would make it come the most naturally.

[Kwento]

Humans. Because humans are best at everything. Pray that Anduin doesn’t become a mage too.

[Highwhale]

Serious answer - humans. Aegwynn, Medivh, Khadgar plenty examples of strong arcane mages.

[Aucald]

Hmmmm, most "adept" doesn't always mean "most powerful," or even "strongest examples." I would say that the Nightborne and Night/High/Blood Elves are probably the most adept at Arcane magic, both due to the fact that they've been at it for thousands of years and the fact the one of the most powerful Mages to ever live, Queen Azshara, is still around and kicking to this day. Humans would probably be a close second due to their natural facility and affinity for the Arcane, but as I've always seen it the Elves tend to be more versatile spellcasters where the Humans tend to favor raw power instead. A given Elven practitioner can probably run rings around a Human one in the mechanical sense, but if they get caught out by one of the Human Mage's salvos they're going to be in trouble.

[Kyphael]

I'd like to think gnomes because my gnome is like a ticking fire bomb. =P

Lore-wise, humans seem to be the most powerful casters as their sharpest to learn and supposedly learn even faster than elves who have studied and honed for thousands of years.

[Blizzard Moneybot]

Which ever race Warlocks decimate the easiest.

[Wyrt]

Humans for some god awful reason.

Should be blood elves or nightborne, but nope, it's humans.