5- Optimization

5.1 Races

For PVE this the ranking of the races :

5.2 Glyphs

Major:

Molten Armor

Fireball (The trade between the casting time reduction and the damage of the DoT is worth it)

Living Bomb

Minor :

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) until the Hit cap and then Potent Ametrine (12 SP + 10 Crit Rating)

Blue Socket (with a 9 SP bonus): Purified Dreadstone (12SP + 10 Spirit)

If the bonus is 7 SP you have 2 alternatives:

Blue Socket (5SP): Runed Cardinal Ruby

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) OR +27 SP (Springy Arachnoweave: Engenieering 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.

Hands: +28 SP OR Hyperspeed Accelerators -"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."

Waist: + 1 Gem slot (created by Blacksmith).

Legs: +50 SP +20 Spirit (created by a Tailor).

Feet: +12 SP +12 Hit rating OR +24 Crit Nitro Boots (required Engineer). 

5.5 Best In Slot Gear

How to gear yourself in Fire specialization : Take SP Crit 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: Robe of the Waking Nightmare (ilvl: 277h)

Wrist: Bracers of Fiery Night (ilvl: 284h)

Hands: Sanctified Bloodmage Gloves (ilvl: 277)

Belt: Crushing Coldwraith Belt (ilvl: 277h)

Legs: Sanctified Bloodmage Leggings (ilvl: 277)

Feet: Plague Scientist's Boots (ilvl: 277h)

Ring 1: Ashen Band of Endless Destruction (ilvl: 277)

Ring 2: Ring of Rapid Ascent (ilvl: 277h)

Trinket 1: Phylactery of the Nameless Lich (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: 337/341(Alliance),337/368(Horde)

NB:

Alliance : 

With this gear you are 4 points above the hit cap so you will have two choices to reach the cap: Use the feet enchant Ice Walker (12 Hit + 12 Crit) OR use a Veiled Ametrine (12 SP + 10 Hit) on a yellow gem slot.

Horde :

With this gear you are 31 points above the cap there are your choices:

5.6 Professions

"Tailoring: Effectively [73.75] Spell Power: 295 SP proc for 15 seconds and a 50% proc chance, this equates to roughly a consistant +[73.75] 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 23 haste 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 as a must have.

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)

As the second profession: I let you chose between 2.

First you can be Jewelcrafter it means 48 additionnal SP via you special gems.

Or you can be Tailor it give you Lightweave Embroidery which give you 295 SP with an uptime of 25%. This will remove your cloak enchant.

How to choses between Engineer+Jewelcrafting or Engineer+Tailoring: 

If you want more sustained dps choose Engineer + Jewelcrafting, because compare to Tailor it give you more statistics. Tailor give you effective 295*0.25 = 73.75  SP and remove the 27 SP gived by the engineer cloak. Other wise with Jewelcrafting you keep the 27SP bonus on the cloak and you get a bonus of 48 SP given by your gems so you get 75 SP, it's 1.25 more SP then the Embroidery, assuming she proc on icd (which is almost all time the case.) [Thanks to Khadgar on this point he made me asking my self on the point of being JC and that helped me a lot to figure that paragraph out]

If you want more burst chose Engineer+Tailoring, you will overall miss 1.25 SP. But you will gain a huge SP proc to combine with your other CD as Combustion and your Gloves.

I personnally use and prefer Engineer + Tailor, but this choice between Jewelcrafting and Tailoring is totally up to you !

  

In general you can also 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 a fire mage are the Molten Armor and the Arcane Brilliance.

Before buffing yourself Molten Armor, put 2 pieces T9 on you then buff yourself and then switch back to your 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.

You can also have 2T7 equiped and use a mana sapphire and switch back to you 4T10 just before the begining of the encounter, this way you will benefit from the 225 SP buff on your very first spells. (This seems to be a bug abuse but I don't know if he was or not authorize by Blizzard on retail, more infos can be appreciated). [Thanks to Khadgar on this point] [Fixed on Warmane]

5.8 Raid Buffs

You need to have in your raid at least one player who always slows the boss (attack slowing is enough), indeed that will trigger your talent Torment the Weak (+12% damage done by your Fireball and Pyroblast).

"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 (PI don't stack with Heroism/Bloodlust, be sure to benefit from it outside of Heroism/Bloodlust)

·         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 a skill of 450 in cooking.

 

Raid debuffs that improve your dps:

·         +3% Hit chance from Shadow Priests and Balance Druids (Misery & Improved Faerie Fire).

·         +3% Critical Strike chance from Assassination Rogues, Retribution Paladins and Elemental Shamans.

·         +5% Critical Strike from Fire Mages and Demonology or Affliction Warlocks

·         +13% Magic Damage Done from Unholy Death Knights, Balance Druids or Warlocks

*(Ebon Plague; AoE applicable; 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 in the Alliance try to have in your group a Draenei. They provide Heroic Presence to all party (not raid!) members.

5.9 Consumables

Potions : Wild Magic, Speed

I advise Wild Magic which is stronger than Speed, but my preferance goes to Speed as a "pre-pot" opening. Indeed, it make my encounter opening much faster. Which is someting resulting on a very good openning burst, because it make me more often time be able to use my combustion completely before my first LB explosion.

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 given by this scroll is more interesting than the one given by Scroll of Intellect). 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 with the other potions), 

Flame Cap (Rare and hard to farm- this is a must for the fire mage. This herb gives you a bonus of 80 Fire Spell Power for 1 minute, it doesn't trigger GCD,  and has an independent CD of 3 minutes).

Consumables availables during events :

"Wizardry" Cologne: +45 SP 

"Enchantress" Perfume: +45 SP 

Midsummer Sausage: +30 Haste

Toasted S'morc: +44 SP

I have verified that you cannot stack Love is in the Air Buffs, but I have no idea if you can do it with the buffs of the Midsummer Fire Festival.