TBC Classic Arcane Mage Pre-Raid Gear

This gear collection list is considered the to be the best gear you can get outside of raids and includes gear and badges from (Heroic) TBC dungeons, gear from PvP, and gear from Tailoring.

The list below is following the stat priority of Spell Hit until cap > Spell Damage = Intellect > Spell Haste > Spell Crit > Spirit and assumes no Hit chance raid buffs.

If your character is ready to jump into Phase 5 / Tier 6 content, then see our current best in slot list. If you wish to go through the content of Tiers 4 or 5 instead, then please see their respective lists below.

The craftable pieces are either tradeable or their recipes/patterns are. For your gems, you should look to use Chaotic Skyfire Diamond to increase your damage output in battle, Glowing Shadowsong Amethyst in Blue or Red sockets (you need two of these to activate your Meta gem), Brilliant Lionseye in Yellow sockets, and Runed Crimson Spinel in Red sockets. Glowing Nightseye, Brilliant Dawnstone, and Runed Living Ruby are the low-budget alternatives to these Epic-quality gems. The uncut Epic gems can be bought for 15 Badge of Justice per unit. While it might look tempting, it is usually not worth going after the yellow-blue(-red) socket bonus, except for activating your meta gem. In that case, just use yellow gems in every slot, except for two blue/green/purple gems in blue slots.

Slot	Item	Source
Helm	Annihilator Holo-Gogs	Engineering
Neck	Pendant of Sunfire Shattered Sun Pendant of Acumen Guardian's Pendant of Subjugation Vindicator's Pendant of Subjugation Charlotte's Ivy (set)	Jewelcrafting Eldara Dawnrunner Isle of Quel'Danas, Shattered Sun Offensive Exalted PvP reward PvP reward World Drop
Shoulders	Fel-tinged Mantle	Vexallus in Heroic Magister's Terrace
Back	Cloak of Arcane Alacrity Cloak of the Betrayed	G'eras in Shattrath, 60 Badge of Justice Priestess Delrissa in Magister's Terrace
Chest	Sunfire Robe Shroud of the Lore`nial (hit gear) Tormented Demonsoul Robes	Tailoring Smith Hauthaa of the Isle of Quel'Danas, 100 Badge of Justice Smith Hauthaa of the Isle of Quel'Danas, 100 Badge of Justice
Wrists	Bracers of Nimble Thought	Tailoring
Hands	Sunfire Handwraps Enslaved Doomguard Soulgrips	Tailoring Smith Hauthaa of the Isle of Quel'Danas, 75 Badge of Justice
Waist	Belt of Blasting	Tailoring
Legs	Legwraps of Sweltering Flame (hit gear) Corrupted Soulcloth Pantaloons	Smith Hauthaa of the Isle of Quel'Danas, 100 Badge of Justice Smith Hauthaa of the Isle of Quel'Danas, 100 Badge of Justice
Feet	Boots of Incantations (hit gear) Boots of Blasting (hit gear) Guardian's Silk Footguards Vindicator's Silk Footguards	Smith Hauthaa of the Isle of Quel'Danas, 75 Badge of Justice Tailoring PvP reward PvP reward
Rings	Loop of Forged Power (hit gear) Fused Nethergon Band (hit gear) Ring of Cryptic Dreams Yor's Collapsing Band Lola's Eve (set)	Jewelcrafting Smith Hauthaa of the Isle of Quel'Danas, 60 Badge of Justice G'eras in Shattrath, 25 Badge of Justice Yor in Heroic Mana Tombs World Drop
Trinkets	Sorcerer's Alchemist Stone Quagmirran's Eye Icon of the Silver Crescent	Alchemy Quagmirran in Heroic The Slave Pens G'eras in Shattrath, 41 Badge of Justice
Weapons	Brutal Gladiator's Spellblade Vengeful Gladiator's Spellblade Brutal Gladiator's Battle Staff Vengeful Gladiator's Battle Staff Scryer's Blade of Focus	PvP Arena Reward PvP Arena Reward PvP Arena Reward PvP Arena Reward Smith Hauthaa of the Isle of Quel'Danas, 150 Badge of Justice
Off-Hand	Fetish of the Primal Gods	G'eras in Shattrath, 35 Badge of Justice
Wand	Carved Witch Doctor's Stick	G'eras in Shattrath — 25 Badge of Justice

While the list above contains the absolute best gear set up it can be extremely difficult, expensive, or generally unrealistic to obtain it in a timely manner. Below are alternatives. You may also use these alternative items if you find yourself not hit capped.

Slot	Item	Source
Helm	Gladiator's Silk Cowl Mana-Etched Crown Demonfang Ritual Helm Evoker's Helmet of Second Sight Mag'hari Ritualist's Horns	PvP Arena Reward Aeonus in Black Morass The Black Stalker in Heroic The Underbog Teron Gorefiend, I am... quest in Shadowmoon Valley Hero of the Mag'har quest in Nagrand (Horde)
Neck	Natasha's Ember Necklace Torc of the Sethekk Prophet Chain of the Twilight Owl Eye of the Night	The Hound-Master quest in Blades Edge Mountains Brother Against Brother quest in Sethekk Halls Jewelcrafting; 10 charges; extremely strong group buff Jewelcrafting; 10 charges; extremely strong group buff
Shoulders	Mana-Etched Spaulders Mantle of Three Terrors Spaulders of the Torn-heart	Quagmirran in Heroic The Slave Pens Chrono Lord Deja in Black Morass The Cipher of Damnation - The Third Fragment Recovered quest in Shadowmoon Valley
Back	Ogre Slayer's Cover Sethekk Oracle Cloak Cloak of the Black Void	Cho'war the Pillager quest in Nagrand Talon King Ikiss in Sethekk Halls Tailoring
Chest	Anchorite's Robes Robe of the Crimson Order Will of Edward the Odd Auchenai Anchorite's Robe Mana-Etched Vestments Gladiator's Silk Raiment	The Aldor vendor in Shattrath, The Aldor Honored World Drop World Drop Everything Will Be Alright quest in Auchenai Crypts Epoch Hunter in Heroic Old Hillsbrad Foothills PvP Arena Reward
Wrists	Crimson Bracers of Gloom Bracers of Havok	Omor the Unscarred in Heroic Hellfire Ramparts Tailoring
Hands	Studious Wraps Gems: 2x Brilliant Lionseye Tempest's Touch Mana-Etched Gloves Gladiator's Silk Handguards Gloves of the Deadwatcher	G'eras in Shattrath — 60 Badge of Justice Return to Andormu quest in Caverns of Time Omor the Unscarred in Heroic Hellfire Ramparts PvP Arena Reward Shirrak the Dead Watcher in Heroic Auchenai Crypts
Waist	Voodoo-woven Belt Girdle of Ruination Belt of Depravity Glyph-Lined Sash Akama's Sash A'dal's Gift	G'eras in Shattrath — 60 Badge of Justice Tailoring Harbinger Skyriss in Heroic Arcatraz Nexus-Prince Shaffar in Heroic Mana Tombs Akama's Promise quest in Shadowmoon Valley How to Break Into the Arcatraz quest in Arcatraz
Legs	Spellstrike Pants Gems: 3x Brilliant Lionseye Aran's Sorcerous Slacks Kirin Tor Master's Trousers Breeches of the Occultist Mana-Etched Pantaloons (for the set bonus) Khadgar's Kilt of Abjuration	Tailoring Lieutenant Drake in Heroic Old Hillsbrad Foothills Murmur in Heroic Shadow Labyrinth Aeonus in Heroic Black Morass The Black Stalker in Heroic The Underbog Temporus in Black Morass
Feet	Marshal's Silk Footguards Shattrath Jumpers Extravagant Boots of Malice	PvP Battlegrounds Into the Heart of the Labyrinth in Shadow Labyrinth Tavarok in Heroic Mana Tombs
Rings	Ryngo's Band of Ingenuity Scintillating Coral Band Band of the Guardian Seal of the Exorcist Seer's Signet	Wrath-Scryer Soccothrates in Arcatraz Hydromancer Thespia in Steamvault Hero of the Brood quest in Caverns of Time Spirit Shard vendors at Alliance/Horde bases in Terokkar The Scryers vendor in Shattrath, The Scryers Exalted
Trinkets	Scryer's Bloodgem Shiffar's Nexus-Horn Xi'ri's Gift Arcanist's Stone Mark of Defiance	The Scryers vendor in Shattrath, The Scryers Revered Harbinger Skyriss in Arcatraz The Shat'ar vendor in Shattrath, The Sha'tar Revered Epoch Hunter in Heroic Old Hillsbrad Foothills Bought for 30 Mark of Honor Hold / Mark of Thrallmar in Zangarmarsh at Alliance / Horde Field Scout
Staves	Gladiator's War Staff Auchenai Staff Terokk's Shadowstaff	PvP Arena Reward The Aldor vendor in Shattrath, The Aldor Revered Talon King Ikiss in heroic Sethekk Halls
One-Handed Weapons	Eternium Runed Blade Stormcaller Blade of the Archmage Continuum Blade Greatsword of Horrid Dreams	Blacksmithing Thrallmar vendor, Thrallmar Exalted (Horde) Honor Hold vendor, Honor Hold Exalted (Alliance) Keepers of Time vendor, Keepers of Time Revered Murmur in Shadow Labyrinth
Off-Hand	Talisman of Kalecgos Manual of the Nethermancer Star-Heart Lamp Lamp of Peaceful Radiance	G'eras in Shattrath, 25 Badge of Justice Nethermancer Sepethrea in Mechanar Temporus in Black Morass Harbinger Skyriss in Arcatraz
Wand	Nether Core's Control Rod Nethekurse's Rod of Torment Rod of Dire Shadows Wand of the Netherwing	Dalliah the Doomsayer in Arcatraz Turning the Tide quest (Alliance) in Honor Hold The Will of the Warchief quest (Horde) in Thrallmar Blackheart the Inciter in Shadow Labyrinth

For each of these gear sets, make sure to be Spell Hit capped. The Arcane Mage stat priority and hit cap can be found in our Arcane Mage PvE Stats section.

If you have further questions about gemming and enchanting these items, our Arcane Mage Enchants and Gems page below provides more information.