Arcane is the glass cannon spec of mages, capable of putting out extreme amounts of damage in a very short period of time, but also the most susceptible to being killed in a swift burst due to a lack of survivability tools or escape mechanisms.

Arcane Mages often draw swift attention due to their high damage output and have very few ways of dealing with offensive pressure while simultaneously attempting to stack Arcane Blast so as to get out their damage.

Arcane’s greatest strength is in a battleground when it’s allowed to cast uninterrupted. Stay in groups and pick your fights.

Arcane Mage PvP Build

View this build on WoWhead

See below for stats, gems, and enchants.

Arcane Talents (31 Points)

1. Improved Counterspell – Rank 2/2 – Your Counterspell also silences the target for 4 sec.
2. Netherwind Presence – Rank 3/3 – Increases your spell haste by 3%.
3. Torment the Weak – Rank 3/3 – Your Arcane damage spells deal 6% more damage to snared or slowed targets.
4. Invocation – Rank 2/2 – You gain a 10% damage bonus for 8 sec after successfully interrupting a spell.
5. Improved Blink – Rank 2/2 – Increases your speed by 70% for 3 sec after casting the Blink spell.
6. Arcane Flows – Rank 2/2 – Reduces the cooldown of your Presence of Mind, Arcane Power and Invisibility spells by 25% and the cooldown of your Evocation spell by 2 min.
7. Presence of Mind – Rank 1/1 – When activated, your next Mage spell with a casting time less than 10 sec becomes an instant cast spell.
8. Prismatic Cloak – Rank 3/3 – Reduces all damage taken by 6% and reduces the fade time of your Invisibility spell by 3 sec.
9. Improved Polymorph – Rank 2/2 – When a target you’ve polymorphed is damaged, that target is stunned for 3 sec. This effect cannot occur more often than once every 10 sec.
10. Arcane Tactics – Rank 1/1 – Increases the damage of all party and raid members within 100 yards by 3%.
11. Incanter’s Absorption – Rank 2/2 – When your Mana Shield or Mage Ward absorbs damage your spell damage is increased by 20% of the amount absorbed for 10 sec. In addition, when your Mana Shield is destroyed, all enemies within 6 yards are knocked back 12 yards.
12. Arcane Potency – Rank 2/2 – Increases the critical strike chance of your next two damaging spells by 15% after gaining Clearcasting or Presence of Mind.
13. Slow – Rank 1/1 – Reduces target’s movement speed by 60%, increases the time between ranged attacks by 60% and increases casting time by 30%. Lasts 15 sec. Slow can only affect one target at a time.
14. Nether Vortex – Rank 2/2 – Gives your Arcane Blast spell a 100% chance to apply the Slow spell to any target it damages if no target is currently affected by Slow.
15. Improved Mana Gem – Rank 2/2 – Mana gained from your Mana Gem also increases your spell power by 2% of your maximum mana for 15 sec.
16. Arcane Power – Rank 1/1 – When activated, you deal 20% more spell damage and damaging spells cost 10% more mana to cast. This effect lasts 15 sec.

Fire (3 Points)

1. Burning Soul – Rank 3/3 – Reduces the casting time lost from taking damaging attacks by 70%.

Frost (7 Points)

1. Piercing Ice – Rank 3/3 – Increases the critical strike chance of your spells by 3%.
2. Shatter – Rank 2/2 – Multiplies the critical strike chance of all your spells against frozen targets by 3, and increases the damage done by Frostbolt against frozen targets by 20%.
3. Improved Cone of Cold – Rank 2/2 – Your Cone of Cold also freezes targets for 4 sec.

Glyphs

• Prime
  • Arcane Blast – Increases the damage from your Arcane Blast buff by 3%.
  • Arcane Barrage – Increases the damage of your Arcane Barrage spell by 4%.
  • Mage Armor – Your Mage Armor regenerates 20% more mana.
• Major
  • Polymorph – Your Polymorph spell also removes all damage over time effects from the target.
  • Invisibility – Increases your movement speed while Invisible by 40%.
  • Mana Shield – Reduces the cooldown of your Mana Shield by 2 sec.
• Minor
  • Armors – Increases the duration of your Armor spells by 30 min.
  • Slow Fall – Your Slow Fall spell no longer requires a reagent.
  • Pick a 3rd, any third.

Stats and Gear

Resilience > 4% hit > 195 Spell Penetration > Intellect > Haste > Mastery > Critical

•  You can get 196 Spell Pen from the Cloak Enchant and two +63 (Epic) gems.
• Reforge Crit, and then Mastery, into Haste.
• You’re squishy and they are coming for you. Resilience matters. If they’re focusing on the other guy then you don’t need so much.

Arcane Mage Gems

• Red:
  • Brilliant Chimera’s Eye: +67 Int, requires Jewelcrafting 500
  • Brilliant Queen’s Garnet: +50 Int
  • Brilliant Inferno Ruby: +40 Int
• Yellow:
  • Mystic Cogwheel: +208 Resilience, requires Engineering 525 and Engineering helm
  • Mystic Chimera’s Eye: +50 Resilience
  • Mystic Lightstone: +40 Resilience
• Blue:
  • Stormy Deepholm Iolite: +63 Spell Penetration
  • Stormy Ocean Sapphire: +50 Spell Penetration
• Meta: Burning Shadowspirit Diamond: +54 Int & +3% Crit damage. Requires 3 red gems

Enchantments

• Main Hand/Two-Handed:
  • Power Torrent
• Off-Hand:
  • Superior Intellect
• Helm:
  • Arcanum of Vicious Intellect: +60 Int and 35 resilience
• Shoulders:
  • Greater Inscription of Vicious Intellect: +50 Int and 25 Resilience
• Cloak:
  • Enchant Cloak – Greater Spell Piercing: +50 Spell Penetration
  • Enchant Cloak – Greater Intellect
• Chest:
  • Enchant Chest – Peerless Stats: +20 to all stats
  • Enchant Chest – Mighty Stats: +15 to all stats
  • Enchant Chest – Exceptional Resilience: +40 Resilience
• Bracers:
  • Enchant Bracer – Mighty Intellect
• Gloves:
  • Enchant Gloves – Haste
• Belt:
  • Ebonsteel Belt Buckle: Gem slot for +50 or +40 Int gem
• Leggings:
  • Powerful Ghostly Spellthread
• Boots:
  • Enchant Boots – Lavawalker
• Rings:
  • Enchant Ring – Intellect: +40 Int, requires Enchanting 475

   

 Pwn in the Arenas – Click here and get better!

Races for the PvP Arcane Mage

Not that race is a replacement for skill, but some have certain advantages.

• Humans: Escape ability allows use of two DPS trinkets.
• Gnome: Decent escape, bigger mana pool, small size helps (really.)
• Night Elves: A bit harder to hit.
• Dwarves: Ability washes away bleeds and take less damage.
• Draenei: +1 Hit and a small heal.
• Worgen: +1% crit, Sprint-like ability.
• Orcs: Blood Fury for increased burst, stun resistance, pet damage
• Undead: Remove Fear, Sleep, and Charm. Hold breath longer.
• Trolls: Berserk increases casting speed, less affected by roots & slows
• Goblins: 1% Haste, Rocket Jump.
• Blood Elves: Arcane Torrent restores some mana.
• Tauren don’t believe in Magery.

Like this page? How about recommending it and/or commenting?