Mage • Frost • PVP

Frost Mage (PVP)

Control-heavy PvP spec with strong survivability and consistent pressure.

DPSPVP

Aldor vs Scryer

When you first reach Shattrath City at level 60 or higher, you are given a choice between two factions: The Aldor and the Scryers. This decision affects which rewards you can purchase, which quest lines you can pursue, and which faction strongholds you can access in Shadowmoon Valley. While it is possible to switch later, it is best to avoid making a haphazard choice. For Mages in PvP, the Aldor versus Scryer decision has an extremely small impact. PvE-oriented items from either faction are largely irrelevant in PvP, leaving shoulder enchants as the only meaningful difference.

Before you choose

Here are the only things you need to know before picking a side.

PvE items do not matter in PvP

Trinkets and rings offered by the factions are primarily PvE-oriented and do not meaningfully affect Mage PvP performance.

Enchant difference is tiny

The difference between the Aldor and Scryer shoulder enchants is well under 1% and will not decide PvP outcomes.

Applies to all Mage PvP specs

Arcane, Fire, and Frost Mages all follow the same logic for this decision in PvP.

Execution matters more

Positioning, cooldown usage, and control will always outweigh minor stat differences from faction choice.

Aldor vs Scryer

Side-by-side comparison of early highlights, pros, and cons.

Neither choice is permanent, but your early gearing experience can feel very different depending on which faction you choose

Aldor

Recommended

Slightly better enchantConsistent damageBest PvP min-max

Highlights

Greater Inscription of Discipline is very slightly stronger than the Scryer alternative
Provides a small but consistent damage increase in PvP
Works equally well for all Mage PvP specs

Cons

The advantage over Scryer is extremely small and difficult to notice in practice
Provides no additional PvP-specific rewards beyond the enchant

Best if you want to min-max PvP damage, even if the gain is very small.

Scryer

Playable optionLower costMinimal downside

Highlights

Greater Inscription of the Orb is very close in value to the Aldor enchant
Scryer reputation turn-ins are often cheaper due to lower faction popularity

Cons

Provides slightly less overall value for PvP compared to Aldor
PvE-focused Scryer rewards do not meaningfully impact PvP performance

A completely viable choice if you prefer Scryer or already committed to it.

Recommendation for Mage PvP

We recommend choosing Aldor as a Mage for PvP in TBC Classic. - Greater Inscription of Discipline is very slightly stronger than Greater Inscription of the Orb. - PvE faction rewards are not relevant for PvP, leaving the shoulder enchant as the only factor. The difference is extremely small—well under 1%—and Mages will perform well in PvP regardless of faction choice.