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Out of every Mage specialization inWorld of Warcraft, Arcane is often considered the hardest to master. Much of the challenge comes down to managing your mana usage for maximum damage. But once you get the hang of it, Arcane has some of the highest potential of any DPS class in the game.
Related:World Of Warcraft: Dragonflight - Fire Mage Complete Guide
In Dragonflight, things are only exacerbated by the new talent trees and class reworks. The skill ceiling is higher because of the integration of new abilities, but it also cements Arcane as a highly sought-after specialization for raids and Mythic+ dungeons. If you want to learn how to become one of the best, here’s everything you need to know.
Class Overview
Arcane Mage is one of the few DPS classes in the game that has topay attention to their mana. Put simply, as they gain their class resource,Arcane Charges, they graduallyspend more mana per attack to make those attacks stronger.
Therein lies the challenge of Arcane. You have to knowwhen you should deal increased damageat higher mana usages, andwhen you should expend your Chargesto recover that precious resource. Luckily, by pickingkey talents and the right race, you can make things significantly easier.
Bigger mana pool and speed debuffs are less effective.
More secondary stats and can free themselves from stunning effects.
Active abilities to restore mana and dispel creatures.
Undead
Active abilities to restore health and mana and can break out of charms and fears.
Nightborne
Boosted magical damage with an active ability to snare creatures.
While it is possible to be any race in the game and still be a Mage in Dragonflight, there are limited choices if you want to have thebest synergy with Arcane.
Stat Priority
Yourprimary stat will be Intellect. Since Arcane Mage is a spellcaster, Intellect will grant you thevast majority of your spell damage, and it can be found on almostany cloth armor or staffin the new expansion.
Past your primary stat, you shouldfocus on boosting your Masterywhenever possible. This dictates how much your Arcane Charges tune up your damage while influencing yourmaximum mana and how fast it can regenerate. Your third priority should beVersatilitydue to how much it canincrease your DPS.
Arcane Mage Rotation
There are several spells in an Arcane Mage’s arsenal, andthe core rotation can changedepending onhow much mana you have left, if you have stacks ofClearcasting, and how many enemies there are.
If you gain a stack of Clearcasting, which can buff your abilities, make sure to use it withArcane Missilesbecause of theAmplificationtalent.
Alternatively, instead of waiting for natural regeneration, you can use your cooldowns ofEvocation or Arcane Surgeto artificially boost your regeneration rate for a limited time.
Along with these abilities, think about hotkeying several useful cooldowns likeRadiant Spark,Prismatic Barrier, orTouch of the Magi.
When it comes to leveling as an Arcane Mage, you have more free rein to change the talents as you see fit. However, you should generally follow the guidelines of yourArcane tree buffing your core rotation.
Although the talents that restore more mana, likeEvocation or Conjure Mana Gem, may be tempting to take, they aren’t needed for world content or leveling because you can simply benefit fromConjure Refreshmentsafter every fight.
Related:World Of Warcraft: Dragonflight - Frost Mage Complete Guide
Gearing Up
After you hitmax level, there are a few different avenues that canoffer you better gearbefore you begin your endgame journey.
The first sources that can reward you with a better Item Level areworld quests and storyline quests, whether they be the main or optional stories. Not only do these grantgood starting gear, but theyscale to give better piecesas you become stronger yourself.
Next, you can pick up acrafting professionor even commission orders from other crafters through theArtisan’s Consortium. Because of the new quality mechanic, gear made by crafters can range fromminor upgrades to rivaling endgame gear.
Lastly, you may benefit from theGreat Vault, which dropshigh-quality gear once every week. In order to activate the Vault’s rewards, you’ll have to take part inraids, Mythic+ dungeons, or rated PvPlike ranked arenas or battlegrounds, which only makes this option viable once you’ve geared sufficiently for those activities.
Gems And Enchants
Along with boosting your Item Level as much as you can, you cansocket gems or enchantpieces of your gear to give youmore mana and more secondary statslike Mastery and Versatility.
Raises Intellect and Mastery.
Raises Mastery and Versatility.
Raises Versatility and Mastery.
Raises Intellect and maximum mana pool.
In endgame content like raids and Mythic+, you’ll beswapping out your self-heals and utility spellsfor more damage, as you’ll be working with tanks and healers.
Generally, you’ll want to focus on asingle-target buildto be able toburst down bosses faster, though you’ll still have some AoE in the form of Arcane Orb and Arcane Explosion.
When it comes to boss fights, you’ll want to open with Arcane Surge, as it not only grants youadditional spell damage, but it gives you a freeRune of Power. PopMirror Imagesas well to ensure a maximum DPS output.
Addons likeDetails! Damage Meter or DeadlyBossModsare often used by endgame players to see how much damage they’ve dealt and how to avoid some boss mechanics.
Utility Tips
While a big focus of Arcane Mage is just how much damage you may do,don’t underestimate the utility toolsyou still have available to you.
