Downranking spells in WoW Forever: how the rank decay works

A rank keeps its full share of your bonus for 17 levels after the level you learn it at. From the 18th level on, it loses 5% of that share for every level you gain. At 37 levels past it, nothing is left: the rank casts for its base amount only, however much spell power you have.

At level 60, a rank learned at 43 or later keeps its full bonus, and a rank learned at 23 or earlier keeps none.

Ranks far below your level also trigger your talents and class effects less often. A rank 1 Frostbolt at level 60 has no chance at all to trigger Frostbite, and the same rule covers Arcane Concentration, Impact and Elemental Focus. Spamming a cheap first rank to fish for procs no longer works.

The numbers below are average heals at level 60 with +300 healing, before talents.

Close to your level: as efficient as the top rank

Ranks inside the 17-level window keep their full bonus, so they heal for about as much per point of mana as your top rank, just less per cast. That is the whole point of downranking: pick the smallest heal that covers the damage.

Rank	Mana, heal and heal per mana
Flash of Light rank 4, learned at 42	Flash of Light: 90 mana for about 283, 3.1 per mana (it keeps 95% of the bonus).
Flash of Light rank 5, learned at 50	Flash of Light: 115 mana for about 363, 3.2 per mana.
Flash of Light rank 6, learned at 58	Flash of Light: 140 mana for about 437, 3.1 per mana.
Greater Heal rank 4, learned at 58	Greater Heal: 655 mana for about 2,054, 3.1 per mana.
Greater Heal rank 5, learned at 60	Greater Heal: 710 mana for about 2,217, also 3.1 per mana.

A Paladin can cast rank 4 Flash of Light for less than two thirds of the mana of rank 6 and lose nothing in efficiency. A Priest who doesn't need the extra 160 or so healing saves 55 mana on every rank 4 Greater Heal.

Further down: the top rank pulls ahead

Some spells heal a little less per mana on their lower ranks even with the full bonus, and past 17 levels the lost bonus drags those ranks down further.

Rank	Compared with the top rank
Healing Wave rank 8, learned at 48	Healing Wave: about 1,253 for 440 mana, 2.8 per mana, against 3.0 for Healing Wave. Still full bonus: a fair trade for a smaller heal.
Regrowth rank 6, learned at 42	Regrowth: 95% of the bonus, 4.0 per mana against 4.3 for Regrowth.
Renew rank 6, learned at 38	: 75% of the bonus, 2.4 per mana against 2.8 for .

While leveling

The same rule moves with you. At level 40, everything you learned from level 23 on keeps its full bonus, so most of your current ranks are fair game. Spells you learned in your first twenty levels fade fast after 35: by 50, a rank from level 13 or earlier has no bonus left.

• Stay inside 17 levels. A rank learned within 17 levels of your own heals as efficiently as your top rank. Use it whenever the top rank would overheal.
• Accept a little decay for a lot less mana. A rank 18 to 22 levels down still keeps 75% or more of the bonus. It suits quick top-ups.
• Stop at about 25 levels. Further down, the rank has lost most of its bonus and costs you more mana per point healed than the top rank.
• Damage spells follow the same rule. An old Frostbolt or Shadow Bolt rank loses its spell damage the same way, and rarely triggers your talents.
• Check your own numbers. Talents, gear and the exact heal you need change the answer. The downrank calculator compares every rank of your spells at your level and spell power.