Timeless Azeroth

Gear & Stats

Arcane Mage gearing revolves around converting mana into damage as efficiently as possible. Unlike Fire or Frost, Arcane scales extremely well with Intellect, making mana pool size, regeneration, and cooldown alignment just as important as raw spell damage. Your goal is to reach hit cap first, then balance Intellect and Spell Damage while layering Spell Haste to maximize damage per mana over the duration of a fight. Gear choices should always be evaluated in the context of fight length, raid support, and cooldown usage.

Arcane Pre-Raid Bis

Arcane BiS Phase 1

Stat Priority

Arcane Mage PvE Stat Priority

Spell Hit (to cap) > Intellect ≥ Spell Damage > Spell Haste > Spell Crit > Spirit > Stamina > MP5

Why This Priority Works

Arcane converts mana directly into damage. Reaching hit cap ensures consistency, while Intellect and Spell Damage fuel both burst and sustain. Spell Haste improves damage per mana by accelerating burn phases and reducing time spent channeling Evocation. Crit, Spirit, and secondary stats scale with raid support and fight length, but should not be prioritized over core throughput stats.

Stats Explained

Spell Hit Rating

Arcane Blast gains 10% hit chance from Arcane Focus, meaning Arcane Mages only need 6% hit from gear and buffs to reach the 16% boss cap. Depending on raid support, this translates to 76 hit rating with no buffs, 64 with Inspiring Presence, 39 with Totem of Wrath, and 26 with both. Spell Hit to cap is the single most valuable stat until capped.

Intellect and Spell Damage

Spell Damage directly increases the damage of all spells, but Arcane uniquely converts Intellect into damage through Mind Mastery while also increasing mana pool, regeneration, and Evocation value. Because Arcane spells are extremely mana-intensive, Intellect often matches or exceeds Spell Damage in value, especially in short fights or with strong external mana support.

Spell Haste

Spell Haste increases cast speed, allowing more Arcane Blasts during burst windows and reducing time spent channeling Evocation. The soft cap is just over 25% haste, which allows optimal Frostbolt filler cycles and near-global-cooldown Arcane Blast casts during Icy Veins. Avoid pushing Arcane Blast below a 1-second cast time.

Spell Critical Strike

Arcane spell crits deal reduced bonus damage compared to Frost and Fire, making Crit less efficient per point. Crit remains useful but is generally inferior to Intellect, Spell Damage, and Haste for Arcane PvE.

Spirit

Spirit significantly increases mana regeneration for Arcane Mages through Arcane Meditation and Mage Armor. Its value rises sharply with Innervate and Improved Divine Spirit support. In raid environments with strong mana cooldown usage, Spirit can outperform Spell Crit in overall value.

Stamina and MP5

Stamina is not a damage stat but improves survivability. It is occasionally required for specific encounters, such as High King Maulgar. MP5 provides flat mana regeneration but is rarely worth prioritizing over stronger stats due to itemization tradeoffs.

Gearing Advice

Mana Is a Damage Resource

Arcane Mage performance is defined by how efficiently you convert mana into damage. Ideal play ends a fight with near-zero mana as the boss dies. Gear should be evaluated holistically — small losses in Spell Damage can be outweighed by gains in Intellect, Haste, or Crit depending on fight length and raid composition.

Raid Support Matters

Shadow Priests, Innervates, Mana Tide Totem, and Improved Divine Spirit dramatically change stat values. Arcane gearing is not static — it shifts based on how much external mana support you receive.