Mage • Arcane • PVE
Arcane Mage (PVE)
High-burst PvE spec built around mana management and cooldown stacking.
Talents
This is the standard Arcane Mage PvE build in The Burning Crusade, commonly referred to as Arcane/Frost or “40/0/21 (Arcane IV)”. It is designed to maximize burst damage while maintaining the best possible mana efficiency for sustained encounters. The core of this build revolves around converting Intellect and mana cooldowns directly into damage. Arcane talents such as Arcane Concentration, Arcane Power, Spell Power, and Mind Mastery dramatically increase the effectiveness of Arcane Blast, while the Frost tree provides Icy Veins and Cold Snap to further amplify burst windows. This setup excels in raids, heroics, and any content where controlled burst, strong AoE, and efficient mana usage are required. Mana and cooldown management are fundamental to success with this build.
Build Overview
Arcane IV is built around burst damage through Arcane Blast during stacked cooldown windows. Arcane Power and Icy Veins are used together whenever possible, often aligned with Bloodlust or Heroism and trinket procs. Cold Snap allows you to reset Icy Veins, enabling two high-impact haste windows in a single encounter. Outside of burn phases, Frostbolt is used as a filler spell to stabilize mana consumption and extend fight longevity.
Arcane Mage (PvE) — Standard Arcane/Frost (40/0/21)
This is the default Arcane PvE build for raiding. It focuses on Arcane Blast burst during Arcane Power and Icy Veins, using Frostbolt as a filler spell outside of burn phases.
Arcane Mage (PvE) — Arcane Improved Blizzard Variant
This variant trades Piercing Ice and Ice Shards for Improved Blizzard and Permafrost, slightly reducing single-target filler damage in exchange for significantly stronger AoE control. It is most useful in raid encounters or trash-heavy environments where reliable slows and mob control reduce wipe risk. Damage loss is minimal in situations where Frostbolt is rarely cast, making this build viable for progression, undergeared groups, or encounters with dangerous add waves. It is not recommended for pure single-target optimization, but can be the safer choice when control and consistency matter more than peak DPS.
Key Talents
Arcane Blast
The core damage spell of the spec. Arcane Blast stacks increase damage and mana cost, requiring careful decision-making to balance burst and sustainability.
Arcane Power
A massive damage cooldown that increases spell damage at the cost of higher mana consumption. Proper timing defines Arcane Mage performance.
Icy Veins
Provides a large cast speed increase and immunity to pushback. Used during burst phases to dramatically increase damage output.
Cold Snap
Resets the cooldown of Icy Veins, allowing Arcane Mages to access two haste windows per fight, significantly boosting both single-target and AoE damage.
Mind Mastery
Converts Intellect directly into spell damage, making Intellect one of the most valuable stats for Arcane Mages.
Arcane Concentration
Clearcasting procs reduce mana costs and help smooth out Arcane Blast usage over longer encounters.
Alternative Builds
The Improved Blizzard variant is occasionally used in raids where additional control and safety are more valuable than maximum single-target DPS. Permafrost and Improved Blizzard improve AoE slowing and consistency at the cost of Piercing Ice. Other Arcane variants such as Arcane Fire or Deep Arcane are generally not recommended. Arcane Fire sacrifices Icy Veins and Cold Snap for Improved Scorch support, which is rarely worth the personal and raid DPS loss. Deep Arcane requires very specific gear, long fights, and heavy external support to outperform Arcane IV, while also losing key defensive and burst tools. For the vast majority of PvE content, Arcane/Frost remains the strongest, most flexible, and most reliable Arcane Mage build.