Arcane Mage DPS Nerub-ar Palace Raid Guide — The War Within (Season 1)

Last updated on Sep 29, 2024 at 12:10 by Dutchmagoz 65 comments
General Information

On this page, you will find tips, tricks, and strategies tailored to your Arcane Mage for each boss of the following raid: Nerub-ar Palace. All our content is updated for World of Warcraft — The War Within (Season 1).

1.

Introduction

Below, you can find class and spec-specific advice for every fight in Nerub-ar Palace. If you are looking for a general overview of the Raid that is not spec-specific, check out our dedicated Nerub-ar Palace guides.

This page assumes that you already understand most of the mechanics of each encounter. These can be found on the full raid guide, so what is contained here are details specifically tailored toward Arcane Mage and how you can deal with each fight as best as possible.

All recommendations are progression-based tips and will not necessarily be the best for an overall DPS ranking.

2.

Nerub'ar Palace Boss Guides for Arcane Mage

2.

Nerub'ar Palace Raid Builds, Tips, and Tricks for Arcane Mage

Ulgrax the Devourer The Bloodbound Horror Sikran Rasha'nan Broodtwister Ovi'nax Nexus-Princess Ky'veza The Silken Court Queen Ansurek
3.

Tips for Ulgrax the Devourer for Arcane Mage

2.1.

Defensive Tips

  • Using Mass Barrier Icon Mass Barrier can be a great option right after Venomous Lash Icon Venomous Lash goes out. It will reduce the damage taken by your allies, but it will also heal you during the damage over time effect that comes out after the initial hit, via Diverted Energy Icon Diverted Energy. However, you can also use it for Carnivorous Contest Icon Carnivorous Contest. Use it depending on which mechanics your group is struggling with more.
  • If you are full health before Hungering Bellows happens, use Alter Time Icon Alter Time and then re-activate it after Hungering Bellows has gone out and you are low hp. You can delay it a bit for the damage over time ticks that follow, but do not delay it too long as it might cause healers to waste heals on you when you can make yourself hull health again.
  • In general, you have many defensives to deal with the various types of mechanics happening; do not be afraid to use them often; you do not need to hold any specific defensive for any specific mechanic.
2.2.

Cooldown Usage

  • First set of cooldowns on pull
  • Second set as they become available (~1:20)
  • The third set either immediately as they become available (~2:45), or delay ~25 seconds until the boss is back (~3:10). Generally, delaying is safer, as getting a second set out before the boss goes away is very tight.
  • The rest of cooldowns simply as they become available.
2.3.

Mechanical Tips

  • There are no real mechanical tips or tricks you can apply on this fight.
2.4.

Best Talents

Be sure to make use of the 'Export Talents' button to import the build directly into your game!

3.

Tips for Bloodbound Horror for Arcane Mage

2.5.

Defensive Tips

  • Mass Barrier Icon Mass Barrier is great for Gruesome Disgorge Icon Gruesome Disgorge as it lowers the damage allies take and heals you during the damage over time portion via Diverted Energy Icon Diverted Energy.
  • Although generally not advisable, if you really need to take Gruesome Disgorge Icon Gruesome Disgorge twice in a row (for example, if other people died and you do not have enough people left in the other group to kill the adds), you can use Ice Cold Icon Ice Cold + Greater Invisibility Icon Greater Invisibility to survive the hit of taking Gruesome Disgorge while having Unseeming Blight Icon Unseeming Blight up.
  • Using Alter Time Icon Alter Time right before Crimson Rain Icon Crimson Rain can be a good insurance policy in case healers are not able to remove the debuff quickly, as Alter Time can still heal you to full health even while the heal absorb is up.
  • You can cast Alter Time Icon Alter Time before Goresplatter Icon Goresplatter goes out, while still on the inside platform, then Shimmer Icon Shimmer to the outside platform. After the damage has gone out, and the inside platform is safe again, re-activate Alter Time to heal to full and place yourself safely on the inside platform again. If you do not have Alter Time ready, simply position yourself normally for this mechanic and use either Greater Invisibility Icon Greater Invisibility or Ice Cold Icon Ice Cold.
2.6.

Cooldown Usage

  • Generally, the adds do not live long enough for you to apply your Touch of the Magi Icon Touch of the Magi to them, especially on non-Mythic difficulty.
  • Due to this, I recommend using your cooldowns on cooldown.
2.7.

Mechanical Tips

  • Make sure you face your camera somewhere between the boss and the adds when both are up to ensure Arcing Cleave Icon Arcing Cleave will actually cleave to both the adds and the boss.
  • Generally, you should use Touch of the Magi Icon Touch of the Magi on the boss. However, the moment Touch of the Magi is over; you can switch to the adds with the remaining duration on Arcane Surge Icon Arcane Surge to quickly kill them.
  • You can cast Alter Time Icon Alter Time before Goresplatter Icon Goresplatter goes out while still on the inside platform, then Shimmer Icon Shimmer to the outside platform. After the damage has gone out, and the inside platform is safe again, re-activate Alter Time to heal to full and place yourself safely on the inside platform again.
  • You can Shimmer Icon Shimmer through Spewing Hemorrhage Icon Spewing Hemorrhage (Heroic and up only) to avoid having to move in circles around the boss. Just make sure to watch your range to your healers if you drop low.
2.8.

Best Talents

Be sure to make use of the 'Export Talents' button to import the build directly into your game!

3.

Tips for Sikran for Arcane Mage

2.9.

Defensive Tips

  • If you get either Phase Blades Icon Phase Blades or Decimate Icon Decimate, use Alter Time Icon Alter Time before running away from the group. After Phase Blades or Decimate has gone out, re-activate Alter Time to heal back to full health and get back into the group. If you do not have Alter Time or are not full health, ensure you use a defensive when targeted. At the very least, Prismatic Barrier Icon Prismatic Barrier, but do not be afraid to use a bigger defensive.
  • There are no specific defensive tips aside from that. Simply use your defensives for any mechanic if you are not full health. You have plenty of available defensives compared to the amount of mechanics that go out, so do not be stingy with them. When the shadowy adds are alive (Cosmic Simulacrum Icon Cosmic Simulacrum) raid damage can get especially high if you are also targeted for Phase Blades Icon Phase Blades or Decimate Icon Decimate, in which case, make sure you use Ice Cold Icon Ice Cold or Greater Invisibility Icon Greater Invisibility.
2.10.

Cooldown Usage

  • On cooldown.
2.11.

Mechanical Tips

  • No mechanic tips available for this fight.
2.12.

Best Talents

Be sure to make use of the 'Export Talents' button to import the build directly into your game!

3.

Tips for Rasha'nan for Arcane Mage

2.13.

Defensive Tips

  • Use Mass Barrier Icon Mass Barrier for Web Reave Icon Web Reave to lower the damage taken by the group soaking it. Depending on the number of people soaking it, you might also want to pop another defensive while soaking it, like Greater Invisibility Icon Greater Invisibility.
2.14.

Cooldown Usage

  • Use cooldowns as they become available. It is especially important on this fight to not delay your cooldowns at all. If you consistently use your cooldowns immediately as they become available, you will automatically avoid using cooldowns as the boss teleports away. If you do end up delaying your cooldowns at some point, keep an eye on the energy of the boss. If the energy is almost full, delay your cooldowns until after the boss has teleported away. You can use Evocation Icon Evocation while moving towards the new location so you can immediately start burning as you get there.
2.15.

Mechanical Tips

  • If you get targeted by Spinneret's Strands Icon Spinneret's Strands, activate Alter Time Icon Alter Time and then Shimmer Icon Shimmer away. Then, re-activate it after the web is placed to immediately break the web and avoid all damage. You can also simply Shimmer out without using Alter Time, but Alter Time also prevents you from taking any damage and ensures you do not risk running out of Shimmers.
  • Shimmer Icon Shimmer away with Corrosion Icon Corrosion. Make sure to Shimmer to the correct side so that the waves that follow move away from the raid.
2.16.

Best Talents

Be sure to make use of the 'Export Talents' button to import the build directly into your game!

3.

Tips for Broodtwister Ovi'nax for Arcane Mage

2.17.

Defensive Tips

  • If you are targeted by a Blood Parasite, use a defensive. Ice Cold Icon Ice Cold is very strong for this, although it is probably overkill depending on how quickly your group kills these adds. Simply using Alter Time Icon Alter Time right as you get, it works as well, but usually, healers will keep healing you during it, making it mostly useless unless you can communicate this clearly with your healers, or they actively check for Alter Time.
  • When the boss is about to cast Ingest Black Blood Icon Ingest Black Blood, activate Alter Time Icon Alter Time, if you drop low during this debuff, you can re-activate Alter Time to heal to full again, even through the heal absorb. Mass Barrier Icon Mass Barrier is also very good to use during this, as it will not only provide a safety blanket for nearby allies, it also heals you (and thus lowers the heal absorb) via Diverted Energy Icon Diverted Energy.
2.18.

Cooldown Usage

  • Use on cooldown.
2.19.

Mechanical Tips

  • You can Shimmer Icon Shimmer out with Sticky Web Icon Sticky Web until you get dispelled.
2.20.

Best Talents

Be sure to make use of the 'Export Talents' button to import the build directly into your game!

3.

Tips for Nexus-Princess Ky'veza for Arcane Mage

2.21.

Defensive Tips

  • If you get Queensbane Icon Queensbane (Heroic+ only), activate a defensive. Simply using Prismatic Barrier Icon Prismatic Barrier is usually enough, but you can also use Greater Invisibility Icon Greater Invisibility in an emergency.
  • If your group does not kill the boss before Eternal Night Icon Eternal Night, you need to cycle your defensives very aggressively, as this phase does a very large amount of damage. Generally, I suggest starting off with Alter Time Icon Alter Time until you drop very low and then use Prismatic Barrier Icon Prismatic Barrier + Mirror Image Icon Mirror Image into Ice Cold Icon Ice Cold into Greater Invisibility Icon Greater Invisibility into a final Alter Time. This will keep you alive for a decent amount of time, but you will eventually die in this phase as it is mostly unhealable.
  • There are limited other mechanics to use your defensives for, so just use them if you ever drop low.
2.22.

Cooldown Usage

  • On cooldown.
2.23.

Mechanical Tips

  • If you are targeted by Twilight Massacre Icon Twilight Massacre, use Alter Time Icon Alter Time at your current position, and then Shimmer Icon Shimmer to the image you are targeted by and aim it away properly. After it shoots the beam at you, re-activate Alter Time.
2.24.

Best Talents

Be sure to make use of the 'Export Talents' button to import the build directly into your game!

3.

Tips for The Silken Court for Arcane Mage

2.25.

Defensive Tips

This fight has lots of on-going damage, although none of it very burst oriented. Due to this, you will generally have to align cooldowns with your group to fill in the gaps where your healers are using fewer cooldowns. Below, we list some recommended usages, but ensure you align with your group if you are doing this boss on Mythic difficulty, but even at heroic it is also already hard to survive, so coordinate accordingly.

  • Using Mirror Image Icon Mirror Images before the pull is highly recommended to avoid using a global cooldown on it, as the Images will last through the first bunch of hard-hitting mechanics, like Venomous Rain Icon Venomous Rain.
  • Use Prismatic Barrier Icon Prismatic Barrier and Mass Barrier Icon Mass Barrier aggressively, generally on cooldown, outside of your DPS cooldowns.
  • Use your other cooldowns like Ice Cold Icon Ice Cold and Greater Invisibility Icon Greater Invisibility whenever you are not full health and a mechanic is incoming, like Venomous Rain Icon Venomous Rain.
  • If your group fails to properly Ensnare the boss when it is charging the wall, you can survive the hit via Ice Cold Icon Ice Cold on normal or heroic difficulty. On Mythic difficulty, this will wipe the entire group regardless of your personal defensives, so there is not much point to even try to survive it.
2.26.

Cooldown Usage

Note that "cooldowns" in the timers below refers to when you press Arcane Surge Icon Arcane Surge. Evocation Icon Evocation should be pressed 5 seconds earlier to ensure you can use Surge at the timers listed.

There are 2 sets of cooldowns, depending on your group's Time Warp Icon Time Warp / Bloodlust Icon Bloodlust timings.

2.26.1.

Time Warp Icon Time Warp on pull

  • Use your first cooldowns on the pull.
  • 1:30: Delay your cooldowns until 1:30 and use them on Anub'arash, who will take bonus damage.
  • 2:50: Use your cooldowns after the first intermission ends.
  • 4:30: Delay your cooldowns by around 10 seconds until ~4:30 and use them on Skeinspinner Takazj who will take bonus damage.
  • 5:50: Use your cooldowns after the second intermission ends.
  • 7:20: Delay your cooldowns until ~7:20 and use them on Skeinspinner Takazj who will take bonus damage.
2.26.2.

Time Warp Icon Time Warp at 40 seconds

With these timings, you will have to use your cooldowns immediately as they become available in various circumstances (see below). Ensure you do not delay them at all, or you will not be able to fit in your cooldowns at the required timings. This also means that your mini-burn Touch of the Magi Icon Touch of the Magi has to be used immediately in between big burns, or it risks delaying your big burns.

  • 0:40 Use your first cooldowns at 40 seconds on Anub'arash, who will take bonus damage.
  • 2:00: Use your cooldowns as quickly as possible.
  • 3:20: Use your cooldowns as quickly as possible.
  • 4:40: Use your cooldowns on Skeinspinner Takazj, who will take bonus damage.
  • 6:00: Use your cooldowns as quickly as possible.
  • 7:20: Use your cooldowns on Skeinspinner Takazj, who will take bonus damage.
2.27.

Mechanical Tips

  • Use Alter Time Icon Alter Time when webbed by Web Vortex Icon Web Vortex, before being pulled in. Then, after being pulled in, simply re-activate it to get back to your original position. If you do not have Alter Time ready, you can use Shimmer Icon Shimmer instead of being pulled in, but keep in mind that the circle is slightly bigger than the Shimmer range, you will still have to move a bit.
2.28.

Best Talents

Be sure to make use of the 'Export Talents' button to import the build directly into your game!

3.

Tips for Queen Ansurek for Arcane Mage

2.29.

Defensive Tips

  • Defensive usage on this fight is highly dependent on your strategy and coordination with healers. More generalized tips will follow shortly.
2.30.

Cooldown Usage

  • Phase 1: Use on cooldown, so on pull and at 1:20.
  • Intermission: Use it as it becomes available (~2:40). Generally, Evocation Icon Evocation can be used during the initial big pullback and then the rest afterward.
  • During Phase 2:
    1. Your exact timings will vary depending on how quickly you kill the adds on each floor; below are just recommendations based on average kill timings. The general rule to keep in mind is: use Evocation Icon Evocation when walking one of the floor to the next and then Arcane Surge Icon Arcane Surge as you reach it. Usually, this means you will end up casting Evocation on the end of the first floor and then Arcane Surge on the second, but depending on your group's timings, it might be a different floor.
    2. Your cooldowns will not be available at the start of the first platform. Delay Evocation Icon Evocation slightly until the first platform is over (~4:10), and then use Evocation while walking towards to second platform. Use Arcane Surge Icon Arcane Surge on the second platform's mini-boss. (~4:20)
    3. Depending on how quickly you kill the mini-bosses, Evocation Icon Evocation might come up on the third platform. In this case, delay it until the next phase.
  • Phase 3: If Evocation Icon Evocation is up as Phase 2 ends, use Evocation while being knocked to the final phase platform. If not, simply use it as soon as available, and afterward use your cooldowns as soon as they are available.
2.31.

Mechanical Tips

  • During Phase 2, make sure you target the high health adds and cleave to the rest.
2.32.

Best Talents

Be sure to make use of the 'Export Talents' button to import the build directly into your game!

2.33.

General Defensive Usage Notes

Arcane Mage has several defensive spells that you should plan to use and rotate throughout mechanics. You should opt to use the smaller cooldown spells often as needed with incoming mechanics and save bigger cooldowns like Ice Cold Icon Ice Cold for large incoming damage.

  • Prismatic Barrier Icon Prismatic Barrier
  • Mass Barrier Icon Mass Barrier
  • Alter Time Icon Alter Time, although technically does not reduce damage, it is an incredible tool to heal yourself to full health after a big hit
  • Mirror Image Icon Mirror Image
  • Greater Invisibility Icon Greater Invisibility
  • Ice Cold Icon Ice Cold / Ice Block Icon Ice Block
2.34.

General Cooldown Usage

Arcane Mage has a few cooldowns to think about using   optimally on the fights in Nerub-ar Palace:

  • Evocation Icon Evocation + Arcane Surge Icon Arcane Surge — Our main 1.5 minute cooldowns. Slightly lower in practice due to Shifting Power Icon Shifting Power
  • Touch of the Magi Icon Touch of the Magi — Our "mini-burn" 45 cooldown, slightly lower in practice due to Shifting Power Icon Shifting Power.

In addition to the general rotation, you want to keep in mind that your goal is to use your cooldowns as often as possible during an encounter. With that in mind, your secondary goal is to use them at the correct time.

I highly suggest using some Addon or WeakAura to track the estimated time to die of your target/boss target. Method Raid Tools has this as an option if you are already using this addon. By tracking time to die, if you know that you can only fit one more cycle of your cooldowns in before the boss dies, you can choose to hold these cooldowns to better line up with Bloodlust Icon Bloodlust, your Potion, or even your other cooldowns, trying to look for opportunities to stack all of them.

3.

Changelog

  • 20 Sep. 2024: Added more tips to multiple bosses, added exact cooldown usage to various bosses and added cooldowns outline for Queen Ansurek.
  • 09 Sep. 2024: Guide added.
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