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InWorld of Warcraft, Mages have long been a classic pick for PvP due to their incredibly strong single-target and AoE abilities. However, in terms of high damage potential, one specialization reigns as the king above the rest, and that honor goes toArcane Mage.
Related:World Of Warcraft: Dragonflight - Fire Mage PvP Guide
While somewhat squishy, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better burst damage class in the game than Arcane Mage. Fueled by constant spells and exponentially increasing DPS as you delve further into your rotation, you can wipe the enemy team in seconds flat, leaving them to wonder what just happened. If that sounds like your style of PvP, then here’s everything you need to know.
Getting Started
Arcane Mage is often considered one of themost complex class specializations, especially compared to Fire or Frost Mage. Instead of flat damage numbers, you’ll have to juggle sliding calculations due to how yourdamage is tied to how much mana you spendper attack.
However, this complexity doesn’t go unrewarded. Because of thehigher skill ceiling, Arcane Mage also boastsmuch more potential, and in the right hands, this specialization can join the highest echelons of PvP classes.
Racial Abilities
Human
Enhanced secondary stats and active ability to break out of stuns.
Enhanced resource pool and able to negate speed debuffs.
Can easily restore mana and can dispel opponents.
Enhanced magical damage and can snare opponents.
Undead
Can easily restore health and mana, and can remove some stunning effects.
Although Dragonflight ensured thatany race in the game can be a Mage, there are a few optimal picks if you’re looking to take Arcane into PvP.
Stat Priority
As an Arcane Mage,your primary stat is going to be Intellect, as that will fuel the majority of your damage. You should be able to find Intellect stats on mostcloth armorthat you come across in the Dragon Isles.
However, the secondary stat that you should prioritize above all else is your Mastery. This not only influences yourmaximum mana and how fast it regenerates, but it alsoincreases the damage of your Arcane spellswith the more Arcane Charges you currently have. On top of this,Versatilityis your next best stat because of thefurther boost to your damage.
Gearing Up For PvP
Although you can level to max through the lower brackets of arena skirmishes or random battlegrounds,the real battle will begin once you reach level 70. Before you jump into the fray, you’ll want toproperly gear yourselfto offer the best chance at winning against the competition.
World Quests and crafting professionsoffer a fantastic way to increase yourItem Level, or ilvl, straight out of the gate. Not only can you obtainbaselineilvl 320 to 340gear, but these sources can scale with your progression,rewarding 370 to 380pieces of equipment as you become more geared.
Dungeon gearis another reliable way to start getting ready for the fight, offering anywhere fromilvl 320 gear from normals to ilvl 380 and above from Mythic+.
However, while these sources are fine to begin with, this gear will not be your ultimate set. That luxury is bestowed upon the equipment obtained fromSeltherex and Calderax, the Honor and Conquest vendors found within theGladiator’s Refuge in Valdrakken, as these boost yourPvP ilvl to 410and beyond.
If you’re unfamiliar with these currencies, you can obtainHonor from any PvP related content, whether that be battlegrounds, arenas, rated PvP, or War Mode. Its bigger sibling,Conquest, is a rarer form of Honor that’s usually obtained fromrated PvP.
Once you have enough Honor or Conquest, you’ll see multiple pieces of equipment that you can pick up.Prioritize the gear that promises Mastery and Versatility, supplementing these stats with pieces ofCritical Strike and Versatility.
Gems And Enchants
The gearing doesn’t stop at just equipment, either. If you’re looking for more secondary stats, you canenchant and slot specific gemsinto your armor just to your liking.
Bolsters your primary stat and resource pool.
Bolsters Intellect and Mastery.
Bolsters Mastery and Versatility.
Bolsters Versatility and Mastery.
Related:World Of Warcraft: Dragonflight - Marksmanship Hunter PvP Guide
Arcane Mage PvP Talent Tree
While there are countless ways to build a talent tree in Dragonflight, your PvP tree should center aroundhow much damage you deal and your ability to Clearcast, which is an empowered buff for your spells. Your specialized tree should reflect this accordingly and stick to the right side of the tree, and yourgeneral tree should provideplenty of escapes and backup utility.
Arcane Mage Rotation
Arcane revolves around the idea of a fluctuating mana pool. As you gain your class resource,Arcane Charges, your spells will become more expensive to cast, andas your mana usage increases, so does your damage. You’ll want to take advantage of this as much as possible while restoring your mana through your other abilities.
Utility Tips
Despite outward appearances, Arcane Mage has more up its sleeve than just its pure damage. Don’t forget about yourlimited utility kitwhenever you’re in a bind, as the number of escape options available to you may be surprising.
