Warcraft lore is packed with Mage archetypes, but in game every Mage plays and looks almost the same regardless of race.

A racial archetype for every playable race, focusing on how we could distinguish them through race specific visuals (only visuals), unlockable through Glyphs, or a new customization option like a talent tree or something else. The outcome matters most, not the way of unlocking them.

This is a list combining lore and some of my ideas. Let me know if I missed some lore, or feel free to drop your own ideas. Or tell me it is a list of bllsht. For visual clarity, these customizations could be toggled off in rated PvP. Additionally players could choose to enable individual customization options rather than being forced into all of them at once.

Warning: because every playable race can be a mage this will be a long list ! !!

At the bottom of this post, you'll find links to my other race/class combinations, as well as a step by step breakdown of how I created these concepts.

Alliance

Human (Archmage)
Archmage Khadgar, Archmage Modera. A classical Kirin Tor inspired Mage. Nothing too much special about human mages, the visuals as they are now are very well suited for them.

• Flying mount: If you mount your flying mount you will be transformed into a flying arcane raven
• Barbershop: Great long beards for males or long hair types that stick out of your armour for females
• Critical strikes: summon for a brief time a kirin tor magical eye above you, arcane, frost or fire variant according to the casted spell.

Dwarf (Mystic)

Tymor, Mystic Ward in Ironforge. A more titanic magic mage, because dwarves study and sometimes revere the Titans. Their cold homeland makes them great frost mages.

• Frost spells: a more snow white colour
• Fire spells: frostfire spells colourization
• Arcane spells: more rectangular forms

 

Gnome (Mechano-Mage)

NPCs Gnomeregan Mechano-Mage, Gnome tech. A mix of a mage and an engineer (not a tinker). Also there is an official gnome organization called: Enlightened Assembly of Arcanology, Alchemy and Engineering Sciences

• Frost spells: added small mechanical containers with blue liquid 
• Fire spells: added small rockets into spells
• Arcane spells: added small clockwork into spells

Night Elf (Shen’dralar)

Archmage Mordent Evenshade. A mage of highborne descent, influenced also by the moonguard order of night elves.

• Frost spells: aquamarine moonwell colour 
• Fire spells: silver/purple lunar flame colour
• Arcane spells: added small arcane stars effect

Draenei (Augari)

NPCs Relaxing Augari. The draenei order of mages Augari made of the Wakeners and Consulate. Ancient powerful Eredar magic users.

• Frost spells: the ground freezes beneath the spells for a brief time
• Fire spells: powerful white fire swirls added (to not harm the surroundings)
• Arcane spells: added small arkonite crystals

Worgen (Royal Archmage)

Royal Archmage Arugal. Gilneans have archmages and Arugal was one of their most famous ones. Arugal enchanted his items, so the royal archmages have also this ability, and they are very proud of their possessions. 

• Barrier Spells (prismatic, blazing, ice): Instead of making a barrier around you, your armor gets enchanted by the respective school of magic, transforming it into fire/frost/arcane magical version of it
• Critical Strikes: Your critical strikes transforms your weapon into a magical artifact of the respective school of magic
• Time Warp: A big magical clock on a chain appears on your neck when the ability is active

Void Elf (Umbral Magister)

Magister Umbric. Void enhanced spells. because their mastery over void enables them to merge it with arcane.

• frost spells: shadowfrost visuals
• fire spells: shadowflame visuals
• arcane spells: dark cosmic arcane
• portals: look similar to void portals

Lightforged Draenei (Battlemage)

NPCs Lightforged Battlemage and Archmage Y'mera. Battle proven mages that fire spells from weapons.

• Spell cast: instead of casting your spells from your hands, they will manifest from your weapon, your weapon glows with the particular magic school’s magic for a brief time,
• Casting time: when you cast a spell you perform with your weapon a rotating battle movement, in the moment a projectile spell emits from your weapon, you point the weapon to the target.
• Barrier spells: instead of a barrier a draenei inspired spectral shield of the particular magic school appears on the back of your forearm.

Dark Iron Dwarf (Pyromancer)

Sorcerer-Thane Thaurissan, Pyromancer Flamehearth. Like everything with dark irons, they are good with fire.

• Fire spell criticals: If you land a critical with a fire spell you become slightly more transparent and red/yellow and a burning flame around you appears, the more criticals you land in a short time period the effect will become stronger visually, it then slowly dissipates after you stop to cast fire spells.
• Frost spells: Frostfire visuals (in direct opposition to the bronzebeard dwarf mystic concept)
• Arcane spells: Will get added arcane flame effect.

 

Kul Tiran (Hydromancer)

Zerx Hydromon WC3. Jaina Proudmoore (but she is not a hydromancer but is a Kul Tiran mage). I was considering the kul tiran tidesages but they are a mix of shaman/priest to me. So a kul tiran mage is an arcane spellcaster but their spells look more watery.

• Frost Spells: Will get a sea green colour visual
• Fire Spells: Will get a white burning steam visual
• Arcane Orb and Arcane Explosion: Gets an arcane tidal wave(s) form (bigger orb, smaller explosion)
• Arcane missiles and Arcane Barrage: Dripping arcane water drops form (bigger barrage, smaller missiles.

Mechagnome (Spellgunner)

None. Fully made up concept of mage that fires spells through magical guns.

• Fire Spells: You cast your offensive fire spells through a deployable magical flamethrower that dissipates after a while you don't use a fire spell
• Frost Spells: You cast your offensive  frost spells through a deployable magical cryo-gun that dissipates after a while you don't use a frost spell
• Arcane Spells: You cast your offensive  arcane through deployable magical shoulder mounted cannons that dissipates after a while you don't use an arcane spell

Neutral

Pandaren (Omnia Mage)
Fei Li, NPCs Omnia Mage. The Shado-Pan group of Omnia has mages and priests. I am adding an influence from the Lorewalkers and some martial art movements.

• Channeling spells: You perform them with an animation of reading of an ancient pandaren scroll
• Instant cast offensive spells: Performed through a backflip kick, or a fast front kick if more instant cast spells follow each other.
• Barrier Abilities: Taking on a form of swirling magical scrolls around you of the particular magical school.
• Out of Combat casting spells (Teleport, Portals, Conjure Refreshment): You cast these spells while you meditate and hover.

Dracthyr (Thaumaturge)

NPCs Dracthyr Thaumaturge. The Dracthyr have all of the five dragonflights power, so blue dragonflight with their arcane mastery will be dominant for these Dracthyr. And also the chrono magic of the bronze dragonflight.

• Spell casting: You cast your offensive spells out of your dracthyr mouth, casting time hand circling is replaced by a deep breath animation.
• Arcane Spells: Gets a bronze chrono magic colourization
• Fire Spells: Gets a blue arcane dragonfire visuals
• Frost Spells: Will get added white crystalline effects

Earthen (Runic Archivist)

Archivist Frunhil. The archivists are a group of earthen that preserve memories and knowledge. This is only a speculative concept and a lore stretch, but maybe with their vast knowledge of the titanic order magic enables them to cast spells like a mage.

• Spell casting: You cast your spells from your left hend while you read an earthen magical tome in your right hand.
• Instant cast spells: Gets an animation of a strong closing of the magical tome
• Barrier Spells: Take on a more rectangular titanic influenced shape
• Ice Block: Is replaced by a magical stasis chamber

Haranir (Aln-Weaver)

No lore stated. This is again only a speculation, but some of the Haranir use Alndust which is a Azerite in particle form and Azerite is arcane in nature.

• Arcane Spells: Take on a blue/gold Azerite colour visual
• Frost Spells: Added blue crystalized Azerite to them
• Fire Spells: Added gold Aln-dust effect

Horde

Orc (Arcweaver)
Arcweaver Kashra. The Kor’kron orcish mages that have been pardoned by Thrall for their crimes. Again only my speculation but their spells could be more rageful and raw than other mages.

• Fire Spells: Black smoldering fire effect added
• Frost Spells: Gets jagged ice elements added
• Arcane spell criticals: If you land a critical strike with your arcane spells you perform a quick victory roar with your eyes glowing with purple arcane energy for a brief time.
• Ice Block: if spec'd as fire it will get a molten rock visual, if spec’d as arcane it will get a rough arcane crystal appearance, for frost spec it will get more jagged ice elements.

Troll (Ritualist)

Uthel'nay. Totally made up, but I imagine a troll mage as an arcane wielder that is inspired by the loa.

• Pyroblast: Have a spectral fire dragonhawk form (Jan’alai)
• Arcane Barrage: Have a spectral arcane serpent form (Ksu’la)
• Flurry: A flurry of small spectral sleek ice sharks (Gral)
• Critical Strikes: a spectral tiki mask with the element according to your specialization float above you, the tiki mask will get more magical effect visuals the more critical strikes you land in a small time window.

Tauren (Runemaster)
Petunia Glimmerhoof. No particular lore, except a mention that tauren mages are runemasters, that see the ley lines as earth mothers veins. 

• Projectile offensive spells: (Like frostbolt, pyroblast, arcane barrage etc.): These spells are casted through a mighty stomp of your hoof instead of casting them with your hands
• Projectile offensive spells: (Like frostbolt, pyroblast, arcane barrage etc.): Instead of flying through air all time, these spells fly from the ground up firstly.
• Defensive and Out of combat spells (Ice block, barriers, portals): Summon a magical rune of the particular school of magic on the ground beneath you for a brief time.
• Critical strikes: Summon a magical rune of the particular school of magic on the ground beneath your target(s) for a brief time.

Undead (Dark Sorcerer)
Meryl Felstorm. The lore is that undead mages are what they were when they were humans. They however mostly prefer frost magic. There are also liches, but they are scourge beings and they use too much death magic in my opinion to be an mage archetype.

• Frostbolt, Fireball, Arcane Barrage: takes on a form of a frost/fire/arcane skull projectile
• Arcane Missiles, Flurry, Cinderstorm : takes on a form of small arcane/frost/fire skull projectiles
• Ice Block: Have a magical frost coffin appearance

Blood Elf (Magister)

Grand Magister Rommath. The lore is strong for the classic blood elf mage archetype. Influenced by the spheres and phoenixes of a blood mage.

• Icicles: Will have frost spheres visuals
• Water Elemental: Will have a frost phoenix appearance
• Arcane Familiar: Will have an arcane phoenix appearance
• Arcane Intelect: Summons also arcane spheres
• Pyroblast: Will have a great fast flying phoenix appearance
• Fire Critical Strikes: Will summon fire spheres (atop of your sunfury spellfire spheres)

Goblin (Magician)

The Great Akazamzarak. I imagine a goblin mage as a comical mage, with card looking spells and a magical hat.

• Spells: Thrown out of a summoned magical hat
• Frostbolt, Fireball, Arcane Barrage: takes on a form of a frost/fire/arcane card projectile
• Arcane Missiles, Flurry, Cinderstorm : takes on a form of small arcane/frost/fire card projectiles

Highmountain Tauren (Leywalker)

No lore. So I made up this: they recognize the arcane, the leylines as earth mothers veins, and they commune with it through shifting into the spirit realm, very similar but not the same as Spiritwalkers.

• Spell Criticals: If you land a critical strike, you summon spectral highmountain tauren spirit empowered by the magic of school you landed a critical strike with. This spirit will accompany you for a brief time and mimic your casted spells. These spells have no damage or additional power and the spirits cannot be targeted. Max two spirits at a time.
• Ice Block/Alter time/Invisibility: Shifts you into the spirit realm
• Blink: You perform a fast bull rush through the spirit realm
• Polymorph: You transfer the target into the spirit realm

Nightborne (Arcanist)
First Arcanist Thalyssra. Great lore and great mages, the best of arcane and chrono magic users.

• Fire Spells: The burning effect of fire spells will get a purple spellfire visual
• Frost Spells: The slowing effect of your frost spells look like a slowing chrono magic effect.
• Casting a Spell: Makes you levitate a little
• Portals: Will get a nightborne portal form
• Channeled Spells: You are levitating in a beam of arcane magic
• Mana: You get an arcane glow around you when you enter combat, the more mana you use the more your hands start to glow with arcane magic.

Mag’har Orc (Highmaul Arcweaver)

Taruka Flamehand. A mage that learned arcane arts from the Highmaul ogres in the alternate Draenor.

• Spell Casting: Your casting spells animation looks like preparing for a punch with your hands and then releasing the punch.
• Instant Casts: You perform a powerful clap of your palms 
• Channeled Spells: Highmaul arcane runes appear before you when you channel a spell.
• Time Warp: becomes an arcane bloodlust, when you are affected by it, a purple bloodlust icon appears above you.

Zandalari Troll (Arcanital)

Pakina. Arcanital Mara'kah. I decided between Illusionist and Arcanital, Illusionist sounds more interesting to me, but Arcanital won (on the second time).

• Fire Spells: A more golden colour of fire
• Frost Spells: A more grey colour of frost
• Arcane Spells: A teal colour of arcane
• Critical Strikes: Summons a spectral zandalari mask on your face for a brief time of the particular school of magic.

Vulpera (Conjurer)
Like everything with vulpera and their classes there is no lore at all. So I made up an archetype that a vulpera mage is fascinated by conjuring new things because they are so resourceful.

• Conjure Refreshment: Your refreshment table takes various races feasts visuals
• Offensive projectile spells (Pyroblast, Frostbolt, Arcane Barrage): Your spells can randomly be bigger, smaller or cast two of them at the same time, without any additional power.
• Blizzard reverse: Shards come from the ground up
• Flamestrike reverse: Falls from the sky down
• Arcane Missiles: The Missiles hit the target from various angles.

Shamans:

https://www.reddit.com/r/wow/comments/1wckcml/comment/p97d72q/?context=1&screen_view_count=4&ext-referrer=DIRECT
Paladins: https://www.reddit.com/r/wow/comments/1wdt6g7/comment/p9dodcd/?screen_view_count=5&ext-referrer=EXTERNAL
Druids:
https://www.reddit.com/r/wow/comments/1wj2i7d/druid_archetypes_visual_customizations_according/
Priests: 
https://www.reddit.com/r/wow/comments/1wmaria/priest_archetypes_visual_customizations_according/
Hunters: 
https://www.reddit.com/r/wow/comments/1wsbvsk/hunter_archetypes_visual_customizations_according/

Warriors:

https://www.reddit.com/r/wow/comments/1wxgve8/warrior_racial_archetypes_race_specific_visual/ 

My concept: step by step:

First I need to find a name for the archetype, because I have been a wow player for a long time and a lore junkie, some of the archetypes, like a blood elf magister are simple to find out.

Then comes the race/class combinations that blizz have established very little or any lore at all. There I was searching for an NPC to give me an anchor to what to do next. The best sources I use are wowwiki and some reddit posts.

When there is no NPC or lore figure at all, I continue to make up a name according to the characteristics of the race, like a mechagnome are great engineers and have mechanical body parts, vulpera are resourceful scavengers etc.

When I get the names and NPCs/Lore figures for every race, I do a small description text to every race/class combination, to help me imagine what the archetype should look like.

The next part is the hardest, the visual customizations. And here in most cases I need to run my imagination wild. In this Mage concept, the majority of the visuals are pure speculation with some lore or made up lore by me, to back it up.

There are some visual customizations that are really lore wise accurate and are not present in the game, like a night elf priest using holy light with a moonlight appearance, or a worgen warrior using claws instead of weapons. 

My idea is that every race/class combination can have these visual customizations, the lore of wow is so rich that it's a shame that its not present in the game.

The last part is to make an image, only to see an overview of the archetypes. So I use MS paint with downloaded images from the internet. I know I could use photoshop or something better for the image, but I really don't have the skills to do that.

If you read the post to the bottom, the next race/class combination post will be for rogues, and also I am waiting for the 12.2. patch to do a second version of the paladin concept, with added undead, night elf and troll paladin archetypes.  

Warcraft lore is packed with Warrior archetypes, but in game every Warrior plays and looks almost the same regardless of race.

A racial archetype for every playable race, focusing on how we could distinguish them through race specific visuals (only visuals), unlockable through Glyphs, or a new customization option like a talent tree or something else. The outcome matters most, not the way of unlocking them.

Warning: because every playable race can be a warrior this will be a long list ! !!

I did my best studying wowwiki wowpedia ( I am a lore junkue) and used Ms paint for the image, but feel free to correct me.

Abilities for race specific customization:

The archetypes of warriors have many forms, from a guard, to an elite cavalry, and also special archetypes like the orcish blademaster. I have been heavily influenced by the currently available glyphs, some of them are great, but I expanded them to be more in tune with the specific race. For warriors I am changing only the abilities from the basic toolkit and class talent tree of a warrior.

• Avatar: The basic ability makes you slightly bigger and brown, but it doesn't match the specific race nature . 
• Charge and Intercept: These abilities will leave a trail behind you or on the ground, like the currently available glyph of blazing trail. For some archetypes there will also be a special animation, mainly for the “cavalry” archetypes. I was thinking that a charge animation on a race specific mount, then dissipating on impact will break the game, but we see that the paladin’s Divine Steed works so why not for “charge” ?
• Heroic Leap: Adding trails behind you when you make your leap, different animations, or an effect when you land at your destination.
• Heroic Throw (Includes Wrecking and Shattering throw): Its logical you throw your weapon in current wow, but throwing a throwing weapon that is specific to your race makes more logic to me.
• Champion’s Spear: Like heroic throw, you can throw a more race specific spear or other weapon
• Shouts: For some races, the shouts will have added visual effects, or a different animation.

This is a list combining lore and some of my ideas. Let me know if I missed some lore, or feel free to drop your own ideas. Or tell me it is a list of bllsht. For visual clarity, these customizations could be toggled off in rated PvP. Additionally players could choose to enable individual customization options rather than being forced into all of them at once.

Alliance

Human (Knight)

When it comes to human warriors, there are many possibilities, but for me a human warrior is a knight, a classic Stormwind Knight. Sounds very simple, and we also have a pvp title of this sort, but a mounted knight, displaying his/her loyalty to the human kingdom of stormwind is what an archetype means to me. Anduin Lothar is a great example.

• Avatar: Makes you bigger and ads a stormwind banner on your back
• Charge and Intercept: Temporarily mounts you on an armored warhorse for its duration, on impact the mount vanishes. 
• Heroic Leap: You leap and on the impact destination you land on an armored warhorse that slams the ground with its hooves. 
• Heroic Throw: A short footman sword.
• Champion’s Spear: A lance with a stormwind banner
• Shouts: Royal blue ripples comes from you

Dwarf (Mountain King)

One of the most famous warrior archetypes. Muradin Bronzebeard is the most famous one. A stony avatar and lightning everywhere.

• Avatar: Makes you a bigger grey polished stone version of yourself.
• Charge and Intercept: Leaves a trail of lightning cracks on the ground behind you
• Heroic Leap: Leaves lightning cracks on the ground on the destination of your impact
• Heroic Throw: A dwarven mace
• Champion’s Spear: A dwarven axe that ripples lightning from it
• Shouts: Ads a lightning dwarven rune beneath you when you shout
• Thunder Clap: Ads a big lightning effect

Gnome (Steam Infantry)

My idea is that gnome warriors use various gnomish inventions to equalize their low stature. Some of the changes lean toward a tinker class.

• Avatar: Mounts you on a gnomish exoskeleton similar to those of Mekkatorque, for its duration.
• Charge and Intercept: You leave a trail of steam behind you, like you used thrusters to be so quick.
• Heroic Leap: You leave a trail of steam behind you, like you used thrusters to jump so high. 
• Heroic Throw: A targeting laser briefly locks onto the enemy, followed by the normal thrown weapon.
• Champion’s Spear: You throw a gnomish coil spear emitting electric shockwaves
• Shouts: You use a gnomish megaphone when you shout

Night Elf (Sentinel Warrior)

I considered more than one archetype for a night elf warrior. We got the Night Warrior, an Avatar of Elunes wrath, but it is bestowed only on a few individuals and is too OP. Next are the Watchers, where the Wardens are jailors and melee damage dealers but their ability toolkit is more of a rogue. We then have Kurthalos Ravencrest and Jarod Shadowsong, two male elven warriors but without any special archetype connections. The last one is the Sentinels. A Sentinel is more to me of a hunter, like we see on the hunter hero talent, and also my previous hunter racial archetypes. But the sentinels have also warriors, mounted warriors with glaives and the blessing of Elune, named in WC3 Huntresses. The archetype is great but the name is something I have changed to serve as a warrior name and also for male and female alike. Su'ura Swiftarrow is a night elf warrior that has a huntress archetype look.

• Avatar: You get bigger and bathed in moon light
• Charge and Intercept: Temporarily mounts you on an armored nightsaber for its duration, on impact the mount vanishes. 
• Heroic Leap: You leap and on the impact destination you land on an armored nightsaber that maims the surrounding with its claws. 
• Heroic Throw: A rotating sentinel glaive
• Champion’s Spear: A Sentinel glaive that emits moon fire
• Shouts: a small moon beam shines upon you when you shout

Draenei (Vigilant)

Draenei paladins and warriors can have the title of a vindicator, but this name and adding some holy light visuals will be too much similar to paladins. Also draenei warriors have NPC guards named the peacekeepers. But my concept is that of vigilants. Those are constructs with souls of great draenei warriors. And this is my speculation, that some warriors have the same battle techniques as vigilants. Using dual wielding shields, and enhancing their spirit.

• Avatar: Makes you a gold and silver metal version of yourself
• Transmogrification: You can transmogrify your weapons into shields.
• Charge and Intercept: Leaves a slight grey ghostly trail behind you
• Shield Block: Also adds a grey ghostly barrier before you
• Champion’s Spear: A vigilant shield that emits ghostly energies
• Shouts: a big gift of the naaru shines above you

Worgen (Gilnean Enforcer)

The Gilneans were great warriors even before the worgen curse. We get many references to it, in game but also in cinematics, like BfA cinematic, that worgen warriors are using their rage, and also attacking with claws instead of weapons. Darius Crowley is a worgen warrior, also their king Genn Greymane.

• Avatar: You become bigger, darker and your eyes begin to glow with a red rage
• Charge and Intercept: You perform it in a on all four (running wild) position
• Transmogrification (Claw Attacks): You can hide your weapon(s) and attack with your claws with special animations for different warrior abilities.
• Heroic Throw: A sonic blast from your maw
• Champion’s Spear: A spear with a gilnean lamp attached to it.
• Shouts: You make a howl to the sky

Void Elf (Riftblade)

Riftblade Maella is a former spellbreaker. The riftblades are void elf warriors. Like everything with void elves also the warriors will get visuals with void thematic.

• Avatar: You become bigger and cosmic void infused.
• Charge and Intercept: You partially vanish into the void when you use these abilities
• Heroic Leap: On impact a void explosion occurs
• Heroic Throw: A blade made of void
• Champion’s Spear: Will be a spear made of void magic
• Shouts: A circle of void beneath you appears when you shout.

Lightforged Draenei (Blademaster)

Though the blademasters are associated mostly with the burning blade clan of orcs, the draenei have also a long history of the ways of a blademaster. Blademaster Tealamon is Lightforged Draenei Blademaster. Also I am fully aware that the Lightforged Draenei and Orcs will have the same name for their archetypes, but Lighforged Blademaster (which I considered) looks very long in my opinion.

• Avatar: You become bigger and a Naaru shining flag appears on a pole on your back.
• Charge and Intercept: Leaves behind you a trail of holy light
• Heroic Leap: On impact a holy nova occurs
• Critical Strikes: When you deal a critical strike a holy light mirror image appears for a brief time to attack your target, it cant be targeted and deals no damage, max two mirror images can exist at the same time.
• Champion’s Spear: a light infused two handed sword
• Bladestorm: Gets visually bigger and enhanced with holy light swirls

Dark Iron Dwarf (Forgeguard)

Loyal warriors to the queen of the Dark Iron Dwarves. I imagine them as fiery stalwart protectors using magma enhanced attacks. The forgeguards are in game active during the battle for stromgarde

• Avatar: You become a magma version
• Charge and Intercept: Leaves a magma trail on the ground behind you.
• Heroic Leap: Leaves a magma blast on impact
• Heroic Throw: A hammer made of magma
• Champion’s Spear: A magma made spear
• Shield Block: Add a magma protective circle in front of your shield
• Thunder Clap: Leaves magma cracks on the ground

Kul Tiran (Marine)

Kul Tirans are great sailors, so its no surprise the best warriors are marines. They use shipboard tactics and water to their advantage, the greatest one is the late Daelin Proudmoore.

• Avatar: You become bigger, in a sea green colour with barnacles encrusted on you
• Charge and Intercept: Leaves a trail of water behind you
• Heroic Leap: On impact a water splash occurs
• Heroic Throw: A harpoon spear without a rope
• Champion’s Spear: An anchor that radiates water
• Shouts: during shouting also a small Kul Tiran flag appears above you

Mechagnome (Rustbolt Sentry)

Like the regular gnomes, they use their inventions to remove their stature disadvantages against the other “taller” races. Also their body mechanical parts can be augmented to become more dangerous.

• Avatar: You become a fully mechanical mechagnome 
• Barbershop: You can have more robust arm and leg mechanical parts
• Charge and Intercept: You fly low above ground with your electric charged leg thrusters
• Heroic Leap: You performed it with the help of your leg thrusters
• Heroic Throw: A small gnomish rocket that comes from your torzo.
• Champion’s Spear: A mechanical coil spear
• Shouts: Comes from a small satellite that briefly appears above your head.

Neutral

Pandaren (Blackguard)

Protector Yi is a representative of the Shado-Pan order called Blackguard. They are warriors that protect pandaren settlements from Mantind, Yuangol and other threats. My idea is that these warriors use special martial art movements very similar to a monk, but not the same one animations.

• Avatar: makes you bigger and shiny black (black steel)
• Charge and Intercept: a roll type animation
• Heroic Leap: you fly in the air in a kick position
• Heroic Throw: pandaren shurikens
• Champion’s Spear: a spear with a pandaren ribbon
• Shouts: You dont shout but ring a loud hand bell.

Dracthyr (Dragonward)

This is my made up concept. For the name I got inspired by the earth-warder, the name Deathwing (or Neltharion) used before he got corrupted. For abilities I made visuals that combine the physiology of a dracthyr and some black dragonflight earth abilities. 

• Avatar: You get a bulkier almost dragonsworn form
• Barbershop: You can have numerous jaw and face platings inspired by deathwing, on your dracthyr but also visage form.
• Charge and Intercept: You make a fast low above ground fly, if you are in your visage form you change to a dracthyr for these abilities
• Heroic Leap: You fly in the air, than land, if you are in your visage form you change to a dracthyr for this ability
• Champion’s Spear: A dracthyr halberd that emits a small earthquake 
• Shouts: You make a roar with your wings spread out, if you are in your visage form you change to a dracthyr for this ability

Earthen (Peacekeeper)

The famous earthen stormriders fly on the stormrooks to protect the isle of dornogal. They are a mix of a warrior and a shaman. But for me a better archetype of an earthen warrior is a peacekeeper. I combine some elements of the stomriders and peacekeepers together. Peacekeeper Aidda is an earthen warrior.

• Avatar: Changes you into a diamond like Thraegar (Muradin inspired)
• Charge and Intercept: Leaves a stony trail on the ground behind you
• Heroic Leap: On impact small stones jump from the ground 
• Heroic Throw: An earthen stormhammer
• Champion’s Spear: A stone spear with stormrook feathers
• Shouts: Instead of a shout, you clap with your stone hands

Haranir (Ironbark)

I didnt find any particular lore about Haranir Warriors, only the NPCs in Silvermoon, Rootway Guardians. So like anything else with haranir there are trees, roots, spores etc. For the name I made up the Ironbark, something that captures the essence of a haranir but also a heavy plated warrior. This concept is very speculative.

• Avatar: A brown barkwood form
• Charge and Intercept: You leave a trail roots on the ground behind you
• Heroic Leap: On impact splinters shoot from the ground 
• Heroic Throw: A rotating wooden axe
• Champion’s Spear: A petrified wood spear
• Shouts: A spore like ripples emits from you when you shout

Horde

Orc (Blademaster)

A tradition among the clan of the burning blade, the blademasters are well known warriors. I give them more options than other archetypes because their lore is vast. They use their fire enhanced swords and mirror images like in WC3. Some of the visual changes will seem to be weird, but bear in mind you can still swap only those that you like. Blademaster Ronakada is an orc blademaster, though the most famous one is currently Lantresor of the Blade, but he is a half orc half draenei.

• Avatar: You become bigger and an orcish clan shining flag appears on a pole on your back.
• Barbershop: You can have longer beards (male) or longer hairs (female)
• Barbershop: You can customize the flag of your avatar ability, to match a specific orcish clan
• Transmogrification: You can transmogrify your shield to twohanded swords, so you can block attacks against you with your sword mastery. Shield block becomes a parry, shield slam becomes a sword strike.
• Charge and Intercept: Leaves behind you a trail fire embers
• Heroic Leap: On impact a fiery nova erupts
• Critical Strikes: When you deal a critical strike a mirror image appears for a brief time to attack your target, it cant be targeted and deals no damage, max two mirror images can exist at the same time.
• Champion’s Spear: a blademaster two handed sword
• Bladestorm: Gets visually bigger and enhanced with fire ember swirls

Troll (Berserker)

Berserkers are furious warriors that willingly lack self-preservation to deal more havoc to their enemies. When it comes to troll berserkers, many of them are dire trolls, a big enhanced version of a troll. For my concept, the avatar ability can change you through a potion to a dire troll for a brief time.

• Avatar and Enrage: You become a dire troll with a fast animation of drinking a mojo potion
• Barbershop: You can have a more muscular stature, like the Amani has, still you are a jungle troll.
• Critical Strikes: Your critical strikes can make your weapons leave with a dripping blood effect.
• Rage: Your eyes have a bright raging orange glow the more rage you have in your rage bar.
• Heroic Throw: A dual wielded axe throw
• Champion’s Spear: A troll javelin 
• Shouts: Instead of a shout you perform a loud laugh

Tauren (Brave)

Brave is a title for a Tauren warrior, the guards of the Tauren settlements. For example Brave Lightninghorn and many other braves in mulgore. My idea is also to give them some visual aspects of the WC3 Tauren chieftain hero unit.

• Avatar: Becomes a bigger version made of earth
• Endurance Aura: You have a small orange aura around your feet reminiscent of the endurance aura of the Tauren Chieftain WC3 hero unit.
• Shockwave and Thunder Clap: You perform these abilities with a hoof stomp, leaving a small earthquake on the ground
• Charge and Intercept: Leaves cracked earth behind you
• Heroic Throw: A big tauren axe
• Champion’s Spear: A tall tauren totem
• Shouts: You blow a tauren horn

Undead (Executor)

The deadguards and dreadguards are protectors of the forsaken. These warriors also have commanders, and those are called executors. My concept is also connected to the royal apothecary society. Executor Zygand is a undead warrior.

• Avatar: You become a skeletal warrior reinforced with black steel
• Barbershop: Your visible bones can be reinforced with black steel
• Charge and Intercept: leaves a green blight gas behind you
• Heroic Leap: on impact a green gas cloud appears
• Heroic Throw: deathguard hatchet
• Champion’s Spear: A black steel spear with attached blight vials
• Execute: accompanied with a menacing laugh and your weapon leaves a shadowy trail behind it.

Blood Elf (Spellbreaker)

Iconic blood elf warriors that are specialized at dealing with spellcasters. Seranel Sunlash is/was a named spellbreaker. Also we have the WC3 unit spellbreaker

• Avatar: small phoenix wings appear on your back
• Transmogrification: You can transmogrify your weapons to a warglaive appearance of your collections.
• Shield Block and Spell Reflection: Also creates a yellow magical antimagic shell around you.
• Critical Strikes: if you land a critical strike on a target, the target will burn a little with a magical yellow fire (mana-burn).
• Heroic Throw: If you have transmogrified your weapon into a warglaive it will rotate fast when you use this ability
• Champion’s Spear: A spellbreaker glaive
• Shouts: Instead of a shout you unleash stolen magic from previous battles.

Goblin (Bruiser)

Bruisers are goblin warriors that uphold the law and fair trade in goblin cities. Bruiser Janx is a goblin warrior. They use their goblin ingenuity to overcome their small size. The bruisers are paid for their job, this also shows in their ability visuals.

• Avatar: You get slightly bigger and have a belt with pouches full of gold attached to it
• Charge and Intercept: Small goblin rockets on your feets help you charge or intercept.
• Heroic Leap: A goblin back rocket helps you to jump higher
• Heroic Throw: A golden brusier club
• Champion’s Spear: A kaja'mite spear.
• Shouts: A working megaphone is used

Highmountain Tauren (Warbrave)

Much like Kalimdor Taurens braves, the Highmountain Warbraves are great warriors. I also use the Ironhorn tribe that are legendary smiths of the highmountain taurens.  

• Avatar: You become bigger and your horns become made of shiny metal.
• Charge and Intercept: It has a similar animation to bull rush racial ability
• Heroic Leap: You catch a great eagle that helps you up
• Heroic Throw: A big tauren polearm
• Champion’s Spear: A Talonclaw (artifact weapon) inspired spear 
• Shouts: You don't shout but rhythmically stomp the ground with your hooves

 

Nightborne (Spellblade)

Combining the warrior with a mage, thats a spellblade. Spellblade Auriel of the Nightborne is an example of this archetype. Like everything about the Nightborne also the Spellblade will have arcane magic visuals.

• Avatar: Your weapons become made of pure arcane magic
• Charge and Intercept: You leave a trial of arcane sparks behind you
• Heroic Leap: On impact a small arcane nova occurs 
• Heroic Throw: the throwing weapon will have an arcane magic outlying
• Champion’s Spear: A spear made of arcane magic
• Shouts: Purple ripples of arcane emits from you when you shout

Mag’har Orc (Wolf Rider)

For the Mag’har orcs, I go with the wolf rider archetype. I know that Mag'har orcs also have blademasters, but I want to give Mag’har orcs a different archetype from regular orcs. So wolf riders, namely those of the Warsong Clan have a strong tradition among the orcs. I take some inspiration from the WC3 unit. For Mag’har orcs I found an NPC named Wolf-Rider Gaja, but also in the WoD cinematic, Gromash Hellscream appears to be a great wolf rider.

• Avatar: You become accompanied with an armored wolf (only visual, without dealing any damage)
• Charge and Intercept: Temporarily mounts you on an armored wolf for its duration, on impact the mount vanishes. 
• Heroic Leap: You leap and on the impact destination you land on an armored wolf that releases a mighty howl. 
• Storm Bolt: The projectile looks like a net and stun effect is accompanied by catching the target in it.
• Champion’s Spear: A great orcish axe
• Shouts: Your eyes glow with a red rage when you shout

Zandalari Troll (Blade Guard)

Bladeguard Kaja and many other Zandalari Bladeguards are the guards and warriors of the troll people. Like the majority of Zandalari, also the bladeguards get blessing from their Loa. This will also be present in my concept for them.

• Avatar: You become bigger and fully golden, blessed by a Loa
• Charge and Intercept: You leave heavy footsteps behind you, like you are blessed by the Direhorn Loa 
• Heroic Leap: A spectral avatar of an Ravasaur Loa appears briefly on the impact
• Heroic Throw : Your weapon gets small spectral pterrordax wings.
• Champion’s Spear: A golden bladeguard spear
• Shouts: You dont shout but play on a zandalari drum

Vulpera (Dervish)

The Vulpera still have no established lore for their classes, so I made up a Dervish concept according to the Sethrakk NPC: Faithless Dervish, which are near the homeland of the Vulpera, and also that the Dervish is listed in wow as an warrior. So a Vulpera dervish could be the desert warrior, a freedom fighter that battled the Sethrak and other threats of the dunes.

• Avatar: You become surrounded by swirls of sand
• Taunt: You throw sand into your target to taunt it 
• Charge and Intercept: You will have a small side to side jumping animation for these abilities.
• Heroic Leap: Instead of a great impact landing, you submerge into the ground (you are still targetable) for a brief time, leaving a small vortex around you that damages enemies.
• Champion’s Spear: A vulpera spear 
• Shouts: You perform a loud whistle

 

p.s. I am continuing from my first attempt on the shamans: https://www.reddit.com/r/wow/comments/1wckcml/comment/p97d72q/?context=1&screen_view_count=4&ext-referrer=DIRECT

Paladins: https://www.reddit.com/r/wow/comments/1wdt6g7/comment/p9dodcd/?screen_view_count=5&ext-referrer=EXTERNAL

Druids:

https://www.reddit.com/r/wow/comments/1wj2i7d/druid_archetypes_visual_customizations_according/

Priests: 

https://www.reddit.com/r/wow/comments/1wmaria/priest_archetypes_visual_customizations_according/

Hunters: 

https://www.reddit.com/r/wow/comments/1wsbvsk/hunter_archetypes_visual_customizations_according/

I’ve been thinking about how Holy Light and Shadow/Void spell visuals could be customized to fit the racial fantasy of different Priest and Paladin races. While some races have well-established lore behind their magic, others haven't received much.

I let my imagination run wild and came up with some concepts for each playable race. Keep in mind that some of these are strictly my own fan speculation. Let me know what you think, or if I missed any established lore.

Alliance

Human: Standard look fits well—bright yellow Holy Light and dark purple Shadow/Void magic.

Dwarf: Same as Humans, as they originally learned the teachings of the Holy Light from human priests.

Gnome: A more practical, medical approach could be here. Healing spells could feature a glowing red 'plus' symbol, styled after First Aid, while Shadow/damage spells could feature a 'minus' symbol utilizing green radiation effects, similar to Leper Gnomes.

Night Elf: The most obvious fit for a visual update. Holy spells should feature a silver/purple moonlight aura, representing Elune. Speculation: For Shadow, instead of traditional Void magic, damage spells could manifest as moonlight-infused spectral arrows shooted from a bow, leaning into the fantasy of the Priestesses of the Moon which wield bows and the Night Warrior a being who can chanel the elune's power as wrath against enemies.

Draenei: Holy Light remains classic or maybe in a crystal blue. Shadow magic could take on a grayish, ethereal spirit form, drawing inspiration from the Soul Priests of Auchindoun.

Worgen: Taught when they were Humans, but over time, their Light and Shadow magic could take on green accents to reflect their deep connection to nature and Goldrinn.

Void Elf: Void magic remains as is. Since Holy Light causes them physical pain, their healing spells should be reskinned as a twisted, restorative form of Void magic.

Lightforged Draenei: The opposite of Void Elves. Holy Light is standard, but their Shadow/Void spells could be as a blinding, scorching, zealot-style Light that burns enemies.

Dark Iron Dwarf: Similar to Bronzebeard Dwarves, though their Light could carry subtle fiery ash embers.

Kul Tiran: Tidesages revere the Tidemother, so their healing spells should feature fluid water visuals instead of pure Light, maybe in aquamarine colour. Shadow spells fit well, but could lean harder into Old God tentacle visuals.

Mechagnome: A technology-driven approach similar to gnomes. Healing could be delivered through targeted electrical shocks/defibrillators, while damage spells inflict flesh-and-metal rusting or radiation effects.

Neutral

Pandaren: Holy Light could feature a warm orange hue, as the August Celestial Chi-Ji which is the celestial of healing. Shadow spells could adopt the swirling black-and-white colour hue of the Sha.

Dracthyr: Healing spells could draw from the deep crimson flames of Alexstrasza as they also heal. Shadow spells could manifest as a volatile blend of Shadowflame, similar to Deathwing’s laboratory experiments.

Earthen: Light magic could feature a golden-blue Azerite glow, showing them drawing directly from Azeroth's World-Soul. Shadow magic could take on a dark, crystallized appearance mirroring the Void-corrupted Skardyn.

Haranir: Healing could feature a vibrant, leafy green visual reflecting their connection to World Tree roots. Shadow magic could use a deep crimson "Black Blood" aesthetic, representing the old god corruption they guard against.

Horde

Orc: Orc Priests follow the Lok'osh (as the lore says the "element within"). Holy magic could feature a fiery, blood-red inner spirit aura, while Shadow magic could take on a spirit-lightning look.

Troll: Two main paths here! Either a Witch Doctor aesthetic (using thrown alchemical potions, concoctions, and mojo totems), or a Loa Worshipper aesthetic, featuring brilliant teal/turquoise Holy Light.

Tauren: As Sunwalkers who worship An'she (the sun), their Holy Light should radiate bright solar fire/Sunfire. As the shadow is oposing the light, their Shadow spells could be themed around Moonfire/the moon.

Undead (Forsaken): Lore-wise, the Cult of Forgotten Shadow rules Forsaken priesthood and they use shadow dominantly. Casting Holy Light causes undead pain, so an option for Light-using Forsaken could allow them to adopt a "Lightbound Undead" visual style (similar to Calia Menethil), and I know that Calia is a unique unicorn, but maybe the forsaken could figure something out, with light themed Valkyries.

Blood Elf: Blood Elves blend Holy Light with their ancient Arcane (especially through the restored Sunwell). Their Holy and Shadow spells could have subtle, arcane-blue rune accents.

Goblin: Something practical like gnomes. Goblins can act more like Alchemists/Chemists (inspired by the WC3 Alchemist hero). Healing spells could be delivered via green chemical sprays, while damage spells use toxic red/purple sludge, as they also harvested the black blood.

Highmountain Tauren: Similar to regular Tauren, leaning heavily into Sunfire (An'she) visuals.

Mag'har Orc: Shares the same Lok'osh / ancestor-spirit background as standard Orcs.

Vulpera: This is fully made up. No lore, but Vulpera are about sand. Their magic could take on a sand-based structure—swirling golden sand for healing spells, and harsh, blinding dust-storms for Shadow/Void spells.

Zandalari Troll: Deeply connected to the Loa! Holy Light should be a brilliant golden-teal color, while Shadow magic takes on a dark, decaying green hue like Zandalari necromancy/Bwonsamdi.

Nightborne: Since they no longer worship Elune or very little, Nightborne Priests can draw heavy inspiration from their Arcan'dor mana tree, that healed them from the Nightfallen state when the revolution was during Legion. And they have also Botanists (as the boss in the raid). Their healing magic could combine Arcane and Nature aesthetics, appearing as glowing blue-green leaves and arcane runes. Maybe its too much Druid like but, see them as worshippers and healers, more than a shapeshifting hand of nature.