Mage DPS Molten Core Gear and Best in Slot

This is the (Frost) gear we recommend you to chase while doing the first raids in the game: Molten Core and Onyxia's Lair.

Mage's Tier 1, Arcanist Regalia has some nice perks, the 3-set bonus gives you a Spell Damage boost, the 5-set is mostly forgettable and the 8-set bonus reduces your threat generation by 15%, which is really nice, but not enough to warrant using the full set, as there are much more powerful alternatives to most pieces.

We will be recommending the strongest pieces below, with the weaker ones having a remark that you should only use them if they will allow you to get an extra set bonus.

The list below contains gear from: raids, epic PvP sets (above rank 11) and world bosses, as well as some gear from dungeons and quests, when warranted.

Slot	Item	Source
Helm	Arcanist Crown Netherwind Crown	Garr in Molten Core Onyxia in Onyxia's Lair
Neck	Choker of the Fire Lord Orb of the Darkmoon	Ragnaros in Molten Core Darkmoon Faire 1200 Ticket reward
Shoulder	** Champion's Silk Mantle (for set bonus) Boreal Mantle Abyssal Cloth Amice of Sorcery Arcanist Mantle (for set bonus) Burial Shawl	Bought from the PvP Vendor at Rank 10 Warder Stilgiss in Blackrock Depths Baron Kazum Baron Geddon in Molten Core Side bosses in Scholomance
Cloak	Crystalline Threaded Cape * Archivist Cape (of Frozen Wrath) Sapphiron Drape * Master's Cloak (of Frozen Wrath)	Sack of Spoils reward from Bor Wildmane quests in Silithus Archivist Galford in (main-entrance) Stratholme Onyxia in Onyxia's Lair World drop BoE
Chest	Robe of the Archmage Robe of Volatile Power Freezing Lich Robes	Tailoring (Firebrand Pyromancer in Lower Blackrock Spire for pattern) Flamewalker Bosses in Molten Core Ras Frostwhisper in Scholomance
Wrists	Dryad's Wrist Bindings Arcanist Bindings * Master's Bracers (of Frozen Wrath) Abyssal Cloth Wristbands of Sorcery	Warsong Gulch Exalted Molten Core drop BoE World drop BoE High Marshal Whirlaxis
Gloves	Arcanist Gloves (for set bonus) Sandworm Skin Gloves Hands of Power Earth Warder's Gloves	Shazzrah in Molten Core Armaments of War in Silithus Quartermaster Zigris in Lower Blackrock Spire Winterfall Activity in Winterspring
Belt	Mana Igniting Cord Ban'thok Sash Defiler's Cloth Girdle Clutch of Andros	Various Bosses in Molten Core Ok'thor the Breaker in Blackrock Depths Arathi Basin Honored Kirtonos the Herald in Scholomance
Legs	Flarecore Leggings Netherwind Pants Arcanist Leggings Legionnaire's Silk Legguards	Tailoring Ragnaros in Molten Core Magmadar in Molten Core Bought from the PvP Vendor at Rank 8
Boots	Snowblind Shoes Blood Guard's Silk Walkers (for set bonus) Arcanist Boots	Azuregos World Boss Bought from the PvP Vendor at Rank 7 Lucifron in Molten Core
Rings	Ring of Spell Power Elemental Focus Band Freezing Band Songstone of Ironforge (Alliance) / Eye of Orgrimmar (Horde)	Flamewalker Bosses in Molten Core Prince Skaldrenox World drop BoE The Princess's Surprise (Alliance) / The Princess Saved? (Horde) in Blackrock Depths
Trinkets	Talisman of Ephemeral Power Briarwood Reed Eye of the Beast	Various Bosses in Molten Core Jed Runewatcher in Upper Blackrock Spire General Drakkisath's Demise (Alliance) / For The Horde! (Horde) in Upper Blackrock Spire
Two-Hand	High Warlord's War Staff Ironbark Staff Staff of Dominance Zulian Ceremonial Staff Amethyst War Staff	Bought from the PvP Vendor at Rank 14 Arathi Basin Exalted Golemagg the Incinerator in Molten Core Zul'Gurub drop BoE Azure Templar
One-Hand	High Warlord's Spellblade Fang of the Mystics Mindfang Azuresong Mageblade	Bought from the PvP Vendor at Rank 14 Azuregos World Boss Arathi Basin Exalted Golemagg the Incinerator in Molten Core
Off-hand	Tome of the Ice Lord High Warlord's Tome of Destruction * Drakestone (of Frozen Wrath) Spirit of Aquementas Fire Runed Grimoire	Alterac Valley Exalted Bought from the PvP Vendor at Rank 14 Green Dragon mini-bosses in Sunken Temple It's Dangerous to Go Alone in Un'Goro Crater Various Bosses in Molten Core
Ranged	Cold Snap Wand of Biting Cold Bonecreeper Stylus * Lunar Wand of Frozen Wrath	Azuregos World Boss Hero of the Frostwolf / Hero of the Stormpike in Alterac Valley Darkmaster Gandling in Scholomance World drop BoE

*These items have random suffixes. You will be looking for of Frozen Wrath, which gives +Frost Spell Damage. Since you need both the item and the correct suffix to drop, these are often hard to farm, so make sure you have reasonable alternatives until you can get the correct drop.

**While we are only listing the Horde versions of the PvP set and PvP reputation gear, equivalent versions can be found on the Alliance side, with the same requirements, cost and stats.

You can find more Mage BiS lists in our dedicated gear hub below.