5- Optimization
5.1 Races
For PVE this the ranking of the races :
Troll: Berserking (Haste) (Horde)
Gnome: Increased Intelligence (Crit+Mana Pool) (Alliance)
Blood Elf: Arcane Torrent (Mana) + a little bit Higher Base Intellect (Crit) (Horde)
Human: Increased Spirit (Mana + Crit-via MA-) (Alliance)
Undead: Will of the Forsaken (CC Breaker) (Horde)
Draenei: Increase the hit of the whole party by 1%. (Alliance).
5.2 Glyphs
Major:
Molten Armor
Arcane Blast
Arcane Missiles
Minors :
SlowFall
Arcane Brilliance
*Your Choice* (Personally I prefer Frost Ward)
5.3 Gems
Meta gem : Chaotic Skyflare Diamond
Red Socket: Runed Cardinal Ruby (23 SP)
Yellow Socket: Veiled Ametrine (12 SP + 10 Hit Rating) until the Hit cap. Then Reckless Ametrine (12 SP + 10 Haste Rating) until 1410 Haste Rating. Then Runed Cardinal Ruby.
Blue Socket (with a 9 SP bonus): Purified Dreadstone (12SP + 10 Spirit)
If the bonus is 7 SP you have 2 alternatives:
If one of the 2 sockets is Red : respect the colors as mentionned above.
If none of the 2 sockets is Red : Runed Cardinal Ruby on both sockets.
Blue Socket (5SP): Runed Cardinal Ruby
You can swap some Runed Cardinal Ruby to Reckless Ametrines in order to reach 1410 Haste, but my advice is to only do such things when you are really well geared near to BIS.
5.4 Enchants
Head: +30 SP +20 Crit. Required : Kirin Tor reputation revered.
Shoulders: +24 SP +15 Crit. Required : Sons of Hodir reputation exalted.
Back: +23 Haste OR Lightweave Embroidery (Tailoring required).
Chest: +10 all base stats.
Wrist: +30 SP.
Weapon: +63 SP. (You can use "Black Magic" as well, it will give you an average of 71 haste rating. It's a personal choice, according to your gameplay.) *Note: According to several field tests made by Royal Bloodline players (former well-known guild on Warmane-Icecrown) Black Magic seems to out value the 63 SP.
Hand: +28 SP OR "Permanently attaches hyperspeed accelerators to a pair of gloves, allowing a skilled engineer to increase their haste rating by 340 for 12 sec. The gloves can only be activated every minute."
Weist: + 1 Gem slot (created by Blacksmith).
Legs: +50 SP +20 Spirit (created by a Tailor).
Feets: +12 SP +12 Hit rating OR +24 Crit Nitro Boost (required Engineer).
5.5 Best In Slot Gear
How to gear yourself in Arcane specialisation : Take SP Haste Hit Items until you reach your Hit Cap and then Take SP Haste Crit items
BIS List:
Head: Sanctified Bloodmage Hood (ilvl: 277)
Neck: Blood Queen's Crimson Choker (ilvl: 277h)
Shoulder: Sanctified Bloodmage Shoulderpads (ilvl: 277)
Cloak: Cloak of Burning Dusk (ilvl: 284h)
Chest: Sanctified Bloodmage Robe (ilvl: 277)
Wrist: Bracers of Fiery Night (ilvl: 284h)
Hands: Sanctified Bloodmage Gloves (ilvl: 277)
Belt: Crushing Coldwraith Belt (ilvl: 277h)
Legs: Plaguebringer's Stained Pants (ilvl: 277h)
Feet: Plague Scientist's Boots (ilvl: 277h)
Ring 1: Ashen Band of Endless Destrustion (ilvl: 277)
Ring 2: Ring of Rapid Accent (ilvl: 277h)
Trinket 1: Dislodged Foreign Object (ilvl: 277h)
Trinket 2: Charred Twilight Scale (ilvl: 284h)
Weapon: Bloodsurge, Kel'Thuzad's Blade of Agony (ilvl: 284h)
Offhand: Shadow Silk Spindle (ilvl: 277h)
Wand: Corpse-Impaling Spike (ilvl: 277h)
Hit Rating: 237/184(Alliance),237/210(Horde)
NB: This gear grants you hit rating way above the soft cap required, so if someone has a solution to reduce hit to improve other statistics, let me now !
5.6 Professions
"Tailoring: Effectively 98 Spell Power: 295 SP proc for 15 seconds and a 50% proc chance, this equates to roughly a consistant +98 spell power assuming it procs right after the Internal Cooldown finishes (45 second ICD). This replaces the 23 haste enchant.
Jewelcrafting: Effectively 48 Spell Power: 3 Dragons Eye Gems (39SP, 34 Crit, 34 Haste). Generally SP dragons eyes are taken. This equates to 48 Bonus SP compared to normal epic gems.
Blacksmithing: Effectively 46 Spell Power: 2 bonus gem sockets, 1 on Wrists, 1 on Hands.
Enchanting: Effectively 46 Spell Power: 2 ring enchants (23x2)
Engineering: Effectively 68 Haste and 24 Crit with movespeed boost and 27 SP with (useless) parachute because of Mage Slow Fall: (Hyperspeed Accelerators) 340 Haste active with 20% uptime. This replaces the standard 28 SP enchant. (Nitro Boosts) 3 Minute CD movespeed boost along with 24 Crit rating. This replaces the standard 12 Crit rating 12 hit rating or 18 Spirit enchant. (Springy Arachnoweave) Parachute along with 27 SP cloak enchant. This replaces the standard 23 haste enchant.
Inscription: Effectively 46 Spell Power: This replaces the 24 SP and 15 crit rating enchant from Sons of Hodir.
Alchemy: Effectively 47 Spell Power: Mixology gives bonus SP on Flask of the Frost Wyrm.
Leatherworking: Effectively 46 Spell Power: Fur Lining - Spell Power (76 Spell power) replaces the standard 30 Spell power enchant.
Skinning: 40 Crit Rating: Master of Anatomy
Mining: Gives Stamina = NOT WORTH
Herbalism: Only gives a heal = NOT WORTH" *Directly quote from Faelarin thread on this forum.
I advise Engineering, and Tailoring.
In my mind Engineering is the most powerful DPS profession. Besides the traditional attributes people give to this profession (as stated above), this profession offers an explosive arsenal with Saronite bombs, and if you become Goblin Engineer you will also have Sapper Charges. These two attacks don't trigger GCD, so they are free Damage. Saronite bombs have a 1 minute CD shared with the Sapper Charges. Sapper Charges have a 5 minute CD shared with the Saronite bombs. They have both an AoE. Saronite Bombs have a range damaging AoE dealing approximately 2500 damage to every stricken target. Sapper Charges have a melee damaging AoE dealing 5000 damage to every stricken targets. Bombs and Charges' damage can be critical ! (Tips for newbies: you can find Saronite Bombs in Bombs Box that Engineers can craft)
In general you can combine Tailoring with Jewelcrafting or Enchanting (If you do it I recommend you Jewelcrafting for a bit more statistics).
5.7 Self Buffs
The two buffs to use as an Arcane mage are Molten Armor and Arcane Brilliance.
Before buffing yourself Molten Armor, put 2 pieces T9 on you then buff yourself, and after it come back to you 4T10, you will conserve the 15% bonus of spirit given to your crit. It's a bug authorized by Blizzard on retail so you can use it without any risk, abuse it ! [Fixed on Warmane]
And you need to Focus Magic another DPS.
5.8 Raid Buffs
You need to have in your raid at least one player who always slow the boss (attack slowing is enough), so that will trigger your talent Torment the Weak (+12% damage done by your Arcane Blast and Arcane Missiles).
"Raid buffs/auras which improve your dps:
This is not the list of all buffs in the game, but a list of buffs that increase YOUR dps. E.g. Fortitude buff doesn’t increase your dps, but it does increase spellpower for Demonology Warlock and therefore yours as well. Don’t forget to use your Flask of the Frost Wyrm and dps potion of choice!
· Arcane Brilliance: +60 Intellect, buffed by Mages (~0.36% crit increase; +9SP for Arcane)
· Prayer of Spirit: +80 Spirit, buffed by Priests (44 critical rating; 49 with Student of the Mind)
· Gift of the Wild: +51 all attributes from Druids
· Blessing of Kings: +10% all attributes from Paladins
· +3% haste from Balance Druids and Retribution Paladins (Moonkin Form & Swift Retribution)
· +5% spell haste from any Shaman (Wrath of Air totem)
· +5% Critical Strike aura from Balance Druids or Ele Shaman (Moonkin Form & Elemental Oath)
· +280 spellpower(+) from Elemental Shamans (fixed) and from Demonology Warlocks (depends on gear, it can climb to above 500sp) (Totem of Wrath, Demonic Pact)
· Heroism [A] / Bloodlust [H]: 30% casting, melee and ranged speed for 40sec; casted by Shamans
· Power Infusion: 20% haste (and 20% less mana cost) for 15 seconds; by Discipline Priests
· Tricks of the Trade: 15% damage done for 6 (or 10 if glyphed) seconds (every 30) via Rogue
· Focus Magic: +3% Critical Strike, casted by another mage on you [+3% you buffing him]
· (Improved) Concentration Aura: Reduces the pushback while casting spells by 35%. Talented it’s 50% reduction and further reduces silence effects by 30% (any Paladin, only Holy has it talented).
· Replenishment: 1% mana back every five seconds from Retribution Paladins and Shadow Priests (Survival Hunters and pure Destruction Warlocks give it as well, but they’re considered inferior raiding specs overall).
· Fish Feast: +46 Spell Power and +40 Stamina, delivered by anyone with 450 cooking.
Raid debuffs which improve your dps:
· +3% Hit chance by Shadow Priests and Balance Druids (Misery & Improved Faerie Fire).
· +3% Critical Strike chance from Assassination Rogues, Retribution Paladins and Elemental Shamans.
· +5% Critical Strike by Fire Mages and Demonology or Affliction Warlocks
· +13% Magical Damage Done from Unholy Death Knights, Balance Druids or Warlocks
*(Ebon Plague; AoE applyable; automatic) > (Earth and Moon; single target; automatic) > (Curse of Elements; single target; loses personal dps as Curse of Agony & Curse of Doom are warlock’s dps curses)." *Directly quote from Nazad & Firesong document here.
If you are Alliance try to have in your group a Draenei.
5.9 Consumables
Potions : Wild Magic, Speed (I advise you Speed).
Use the well-known "pre-pot" tips: Use your potion right before entering the fight so it will reload during the encounter, and you will be able to use another one during it. (Be aware that bugs exists on this CD: your invisibility will reset it when you change phases. When you are leaving the Frostmourne chamber, on some realms it will be reset too).
Scrolls : Scroll of Spirit VIII (The crit gived by this scroll is more interesting then the one who give intelligence). NB: You cannot stack both the Scroll and the Priest Buff.
Flask : Flask of the Frost Wyrm .
Food : Fish Feast.
Miscellaneous :
Potion/Mana Injector of health/mana (if you are not confident in your raid group - Warning: They share the same CD as the other potions),
Consumables availables during events :
Love is in the Air: (From the 10 to 24 February)
"Wizardry" Cologne: +45 SP
"Enchantress" Perfume: +45 SP
Midsummer Fire Festival: (From the 21 June to the 5 July)
Midsummer Sausage: +30 Haste
Toasted S'morc: +44 SP
I have verified that you can stack Love is in the Air Buffs, but I have no idea if you can with the buffs of the Midsummer Fire Festival.