Arcane Mage DPS Rotation, Cooldowns, and Abilities (Legion 7.3)

Table of Contents

• +Introduction
  • 1. Class Overview
  • 2. Patch 7.3 Changes
  • 3. Patch 7.2.5 Changes
  • 4. Strengths
  • 5. Weaknesses
  • 6. Viability in the Current Patch
  • 7. Contents
  • 8. ChangeLog
• +Easy Mode
  • 1. The Basics
  • 2. Talent Choice
  • 3. Stat Choice
  • 4. Basic Rotation
    • 4.1. "Burn"
    • 4.2. "Conserve"
  • 5. ChangeLog
• +Spell Summary
  • 1. Spell Summary
  • 2. Main Resources
  • 3. Basic Abilities
  • 4. Important Procs
  • 5. DPS Cooldowns
  • 6. ChangeLog
• +Builds and Talents
  • 1. Talent Choices
  • 2. Talent Cheat Sheets
    • 2.1. Raid Encounters
      • 2.1.1. Heavy Cleave/AOE
    • 2.2. For General Use
  • 3. Tier 1 (Level 15) Talents
  • 4. Tier 2 (Level 30) Talents
  • 5. Tier 3 (Level 45) Talents
  • 6. Tier 4 (Level 60) Talents
  • 7. Tier 5 (Level 75) Talents
  • 8. Tier 6 (Level 90) Talents
  • 9. Tier 7 (Level 100) Talents
  • 10. ChangeLog
• +Artifact Traits and Relics
  • 1. Artifact Progression — First 35 Points
    • 1.1. Early Point Investment
    • 1.2. Second Golden Trait
    • 1.3. Third Golden Trait
      • 1.3.1. Mythic Raid Progression/Single Target Focused
      • 1.3.2. Mythic+ Dungeons/AoE Focused
    • 1.4. Final Point Investment
  • 2. Patch 7.2: 35+ Trait Path
  • 3. Relic Choice
  • 4. ChangeLog
• +Netherlight Crucible Relic Paths
  • 1. General Optimization Advice
  • 2. Tier 2 Upgrade Priority
  • 3. Tier 3 Upgrade Priority
  • 4. ChangeLog
• ×Rotation, Cooldowns, and Abilities
  • 1. Ability Priority List
    • 1.1. Conserve Phase
    • 1.2. Burn Phase
  • 2. Important Notes
    • 2.1. Arcane Charges: Understanding Your Mana Pool
      • 2.1.1. Aluneth's Avarice
    • 2.2. Spells That Benefit From Arcane Charges
    • 2.3. Truncating Arcane Missiles
    • 2.4. Effectively Handling AoE
    • 2.5. Rune of Power
    • 2.6. Arcane Orb
    • 2.7. Prismatic Barrier
  • 3. Core Concepts
    • 3.1. Mana Management During Conserve Phase
    • 3.2. Executing the Burn Phase Consistently
    • 3.3. Movement Management
      • 3.3.1. Quiet Movement
  • 4. Resonance Opening Sequence
  • 5. Charged Up Opening Sequences
  • 6. ChangeLog
• +Stat Priority
  • 1. Basics
  • 2. Getting a Better Understanding
    • 2.1. Statistics Explanations
  • 3. ChangeLog
• +Gems, Enchants, and Consumables
  • 1. Gems
  • 2. Enchants
  • 3. Consumables
  • 4. ChangeLog
• +Macros and Addons
  • 1. Addons
    • 1.1. ElvUI
    • 1.2. Weak Auras
    • 1.3. Boss Mods
      • 1.3.1. BigWigs Bossmods
      • 1.3.2. Deadly Boss Mods
    • 1.4. Name Plates
      • 1.4.1. KUI Nameplates
      • 1.4.2. TidyPlates
    • 1.5. Damage Meters
      • 1.5.1. Skada
      • 1.5.2. Details
    • 1.6. Extra AddOns
      • 1.6.1. Mik's Scrolling Battle Text
      • 1.6.2. DeathNote
      • 1.6.3. Doom CooldownPulse
      • 1.6.4. Angry Assignments
  • 2. Macros
    • 2.1. Generic Macros for Mages
      • 2.1.1. Stopcast Blink
      • 2.1.2. 1-Button Block
      • 2.1.3. Block Cancel
    • 2.2. Specific Macros for Arcane Mages
      • 2.2.1. Stopcast Displacement
  • 3. ChangeLog
• +Gear, Legendaries, and Best in Slot
  • 1. Tier 20 Set Bonus
  • 2. Best in Slot List
    • 2.1. Trinket Notes
  • 3. Evaluating Upgrades Using Stat Weights
  • 4. Racial Bonuses
  • 5. Legendaries
  • 6. Loot Competition
  • 7. ChangeLog

General Information

On this page, we list your Arcane Mage core abilities and how they should be used together (rotation) in World of Warcraft Legion 7.3. We also explain when to use your various cooldowns. Then, we go deeper and present all the subtleties that you will need to know if you want to excel at playing an Arcane Mage.

The other pages of our Arcane Mage guide can be accessed from the table of contents on the right.

About Our Author and Reviewer

This guide has been reviewed and approved by Blixius, a top Arcane Mage who raids in Bird is the Word.

1. Ability Priority List

The rotation of an Arcane Mage is outlined in the following priority list. The concept is to maintain a high and stable Mana pool during your "conserve" phase, biding time until your cooldowns are available. As soon as your cooldowns are ready, you enter the "burn" phase where you siphon all your Mana into damage. After the burn phase concludes, you recoup your entire Mana pool using Evocation.

1.1. Conserve Phase

The conserve phase is deceptively straightforward, but it mercilessly punishes mistakes. Once Evocation is on cooldown, the only way to regain your Mana is by waiting for it to slowly regenerate, so paying close attention to it is of crucial importance. Your goal is to stay relatively healthy on Mana throughout the conserve phase, so that when your Arcane Power comes off cooldown you are able to burn as much Mana as possible within that window for optimal output.

1. Use Rune of Power if it has 2 charges.
2. Cast Mark of Aluneth on cooldown.
   • Always save a Rune of Power charge for Mark of Aluneth.
3. Cast Arcane Orb (if talented) and you currently have no Arcane Charges.
4. Apply Nether Tempest (if talented) with 4 stacks of Arcane Charge.
5. Refresh Nether Tempest (if talented) with 4 stacks of Arcane Charge if it has less than 4 seconds remaining. Apply it if absent.
6. Cast Arcane Missiles if
   • you have 3 charges of Arcane Missiles or
   • you are not at 100% Mana and you have 4 Arcane Charges.
7. Cast Charged Up when you need to quickly generate Arcane Charges.
8. Cast Supernova (if talented).
9. Cast Arcane Barrage if you need to regenerate Mana.
10. Cast Arcane Explosion if you will hit 3 or more targets.
11. Cast Arcane Blast.

Once again, the goal is to save enough Mana for your burn phase to still last for all of Arcane Power while still dealing enough damage to be effective. The more Mastery you currently have, the more 4 Arcane Charge casts you will be able to manage without destroying your Mana pool entirely.

1.2. Burn Phase

The burn phase commences at the start of the encounter, and whenever Arcane Power is off cooldown thereafter. It is important to ensure you will not be interrupted during the burn phase, so avoid entering this part of the rotating during heavy movement or when volatile mechanics are active.

1. Ensure you have 4 Arcane Charges.
2. Place Rune of Power (if talented).
3. Activate Arcane Power.
4. Activate Presence of Mind.
5. Cast Arcane Missiles if you are below 100% Mana or have 3 charges.
6. Cast Arcane Blast.

If there is AoE or cleave and you are talented into Resonance, it is ideal to cast Arcane Barrage right at the end of Arcane Power for the increased cleave damage.

If you are talented into Charged Up, you can cast Arcane Barrage after Arcane Power ends for some extra damage, then used Charged Up and continue your burn.

To reiterate, the goal of the burn phase is to maximize damage during Arcane Power. Arcane Power and Evocation both share a 90-second cooldown, so it is logical to burn all your remaining Mana during this period. Once Arcane Power ends, and you no longer have the Mana to cast Arcane Blast, you should activate Evocation and fully channel it to restore your Mana to 100%. After this is done, the conserve phase resumes. You should save your Arcane Missiles for after Evocation if you reach 0 Mana and Arcane Power is over.

See our Opening Sequence for instructions on what to cast when the fight starts.

2. Important Notes

2.1. Arcane Charges: Understanding Your Mana Pool

If you are unfamiliar with Arcane, managing your Arcane Charges can be a bit confusing at first. Arcane as a specialization is fundamentally very straightforward, but also stands apart from many specializations in the respect that you have full control over your damage output and resource at all times. Ultimately, the only wild card in the Arcane rotation is Arcane Missiles, and it alters the specialization in a unique way. Since Arcane Missiles does not cost any Mana to cast and also generates an Arcane Charge, it functions as a way to regenerate Mana without having to cast Arcane Barrage. Every time you do a new pull on a boss, you will reorganize your abilities into a different sequence due to the randomness of Arcane Missiles procs. Ultimately this results in a very reactive playstyle revolving around the basic Arcane Charge system.

For each Arcane Charge you have, you deal more damage with your basic spells, however, the Mana cost is also increased by 100% per charge. It is not possible the maintain a stable Mana pool by casting spells at 4 Arcane Charges, and therefore you will have to often clear your charges with Arcane Barrage during the conserve phase. While it is technically ideal to generate another 4 Arcane Charges before clearing them with Arcane Barrage, this will not always result in a net Mana gain if Arcane Missiles does not proc. When you drop below 70% Mana during the conserve phase, it is beneficial to instead generate between 1 and 3 Arcane Charges before clearing with Arcane Barrage. Since the Mana multiplier is considerably lower, this will result in much more Mana gained during the charge generation and dumping cycle.

It is best to use your charges of Arcane Missiles when you are high on Arcane Charges, or about to clear with Arcane Barrage. The reason for this is that Arcane Missiles has no Mana cost, and it is best to take advantage of the increased damage multiplier from your Arcane Charges for as long as possible before you clear (without adversely affecting your Mana pool). During the burn phase, it is still preferable to cast Arcane Missiles over Arcane Blast, as Arcane Missiles does more damage and is also a faster cast (higher DPET or Damage Per Execution Time).

In conclusion, your Mana pool and Arcane Charges have inverse synergy. The longer you remain at higher stacks of Arcane Charge, the faster your Mana bar will deplete, but the more burst damage you will deal. The shorter you remain at higher stacks of Arcane Charge, the easier it will be to maintain a stable Mana pool (or possibly regenerate Mana), though you will deal less burst damage. Arcane Missiles serves as a tool to allow you to remain at high stacks for an increased period without penalty, but occurs randomly, keeping you on your toes. Finally, during the burn phase the intent is to permanently remain at maximum Arcane Charges until your Mana pool is entirely depleted.

2.1.1. Aluneth's Avarice

A new Artifact trait, Aluneth's Avarice, was added in Patch 7.2. Once you have acquired this trait, Mark of Aluneth will restore 20% of your maximum Mana when it detonates. Outside of the opener, it is important to always maximize the Mana return so you are never wasting any of the resource return.

2.2. Spells That Benefit From Arcane Charges

• Arcane Barrage
• Arcane Blast
• Arcane Missiles
• Arcane Explosion
• Nether Tempest

Evocation is no longer affected by Arcane Charges, but it is still preferable to ensure you do not clear your charges with Arcane Barrage before casting Evocation. The reason for this is that you will finish Evocation with 100% Mana and 4 Arcane Charges, allowing you to immediately cast a 4 charge Arcane Blast instead of Mana capping for a few seconds.

2.3. Truncating Arcane Missiles

Many channelled basic spells, such as Drain Soul, benefit from truncating (or "clipping") the channel after the penultimate tick, allowing you to immediately lead into the next cast without delay. Arcane Missiles, however, fires off an extra missile every time it ticks throughout the channel, making it extremely beneficial to fully complete your channel before queuing up the next spell. Many players will accidentally clip the last tick of the channel, cancelling the final missile and robbing them of a noticeable amount of damage. This can be solved by using !nochannel macros, which prevents you from interrupting a channelled spell with another cast. This induces slight input lag, causing a slight delay between the end of your channel and the beginning of a new cast, so it is not recommended. For players that want maximum results, the best solution is AddOns. The easiest way to avoid missile clipping is by installing Gnosis, a cast bar AddOn specifically designed to make channelled ticks easily identifiable. Unlike the in-game castbar or most other AddOns, it updates dynamically with latency so your true tick rate is always displayed. This is the castbar used almost unanimously by all high level players, but it is especially beneficial for Arcane Mage due to the importance of Arcane Missiles.

2.4. Effectively Handling AoE

As a specialization that is typically known for single target damage, AoE is a bit of a foreign concept to some Arcane Mages. It is possible, however, to deal effective AoE damage as Arcane. Arcane Power does technically affect your AoE spells, however, it is extremely inefficient to dedicate your burn phase to AoE damage (generally speaking), however, there are some exceptions to this rule. For example, in a dungeon environment where you know your cooldowns will be up in time for the boss, it makes sense to use your cooldowns to help clear the trash in a more timely fashion.

To effectively deal AoE damage, you should cast Arcane Orb to quickly generate Arcane Charges and Arcane Missiles. Apply a 4-charge Nether Tempest to a central target, and spam Arcane Explosion. Use your charges of Arcane Missiles as needed to help regenerate Mana and single out priority targets. Essentially, perform the rotation per normal, replacing Arcane Blast with Arcane Explosion. If you are talented into Resonance, your conserve phase will also pack a noticeable punch on AoE due to the increased damage from Arcane Barrage.

If you are playing with Charged Up and Arcane Orb, you can drop your stacks with Arcane Barrage and instantly rebuild them without effort.

If you are performing AoE on a raid boss, it is important to continue to pay close attention to your Mana bar. Arcane Explosion is very expensive, and it can be easy to quickly consume a full Mana bar if you are not careful.

2.5. Rune of Power

Rune of Power is a medium length cooldown that is best used to apply significant pressure during its duration. You should always overlap Rune of Power and Arcane Power, as this will result in the maximum possible burst. Start by casting Rune of Power, and immediately activating Arcane Power at the end of the cast), so they will both end at the same time. You should also ensure your Rune of Power is always available for Mark of Aluneth, as it boosts the damage significantly. Rune of Power does have 2 charges, allowing you to save the second for a usage of your choice. Good times to use your second rune charge:

• For Mark of Aluneth if it is desynced with Arcane Power;
• after Arcane Power ends and you have enough Mana to last another 10 seconds in the burn phase;
• to push a damage check;
• when several advantageous procs overlap;
• during a period of zero movement;
• with excess Mana in the conserve phase at 4 Arcane Charges;
• on AoE.

2.6. Arcane Orb

Arcane Orb is an extremely flexible ability that can be used in almost any way you prefer. Generally, it is best to use it to help generate Arcane Charges efficiently and help procure Arcane Missiles. It can also be used to help maintain Mana stability at 4 stacks of Arcane Charge by casting it on AoE to help with the generation of Arcane Missiles. It is best left to contextual judgement to determine the optimal usage. If in doubt, use it on AoE opportunities to generate Arcane Charges and deal damage.

2.7. Prismatic Barrier

Do not forget to cast this any time you have to slightly reposition and Blink/ Shimmer is either unavailable or would move you too far to be useful. It lasts for 30 seconds, and has a 30-second cooldown, meaning you can keep a 100% uptime on the magic damage reduction if magic damage taken is heavy. You can and should cast it before the start of every engagement.

3. Core Concepts

Arcane Mage is an elementary enough specialization to perform on a target dummy, but there are a few key factors that will separate the good from the great. Learning to focus on what is important and master the core concepts of a specialization is what leads to strong overall performance on the damage charts. There are 3 major concepts that form the central trinity of optimizing for success:

1. Mana management during the conserve phase;
2. flawless execution during the burn phase;
3. movement management.

Managing movement is a fundamental skill shared by all the caster classes in World of Warcraft. The highly mobile nature of the Mage class allows flexible and creative ways to move during combat, making it of supreme importance that you give this the proper respect.

3.1. Mana Management During Conserve Phase

It is highly recommended you develop an instinct for your Mana regeneration rate by practicing on a target dummy or in LFR. The more Mastery you have, the faster you will regenerate Mana in combat, making this regeneration highly variable depending on your level of gear.

It is important to have a good sense of the interplay between your Arcane Charges and your current Mana pool. On encounters with cleave and AoE, pay close attention to your timers if you plan on capitalizing on the extra targets. If you need to unleash a little extra burst in the conserve phase for an important add, AoE opportunities, or to push a damage check, ensure you correctly budget Mana and a Rune of Power charge in advance.

Mana regens at fixed 1.5% of max Mana per second, increased to 1.364% if using Arcane Familiar. Evocation however, does benefit from the extra 10% Mana from Arcane Familiar. This is further increased through stacking Mastery, which will dampen the amount of pooling and lower the number of Arcane Barrage casts per fight, allowing you to stay at 4 Arcane Charges longer.

If you have an AddOn that allows you detach your Mana bar, it is highly recommended you put it somewhere near the lower centre of your screen so you can easily keep track of your current resource level. Newer players tend to overburn during the conserve phase and are unable to execute a complete burn phase because of this. Remember to use Arcane Missiles on 4 Arcane Charges whenever possible to cheat the Mana multiplier but exploit the damage buff.

3.2. Executing the Burn Phase Consistently

Since 75% of Arcane gameplay (the conserve phase) is about setting up the burn phase, it is of paramount importance that you consistently and flawlessly execute it once it begins. Arcane Power should be used on cooldown wherever possible, though you do want it to overlap with any other major damage buffs (such as the legendary ring and Rune of Power). You should cast Evocation immediately upon hitting 0 Mana and save your Arcane Missiles charges until after Evocating, so the Evocate cooldown will be up as soon as possible later in the fight.

Pay close attention to the burn phase priority list posted at the top of this page. This seems very straightforward on the surface, but a surprising number of players will stutter in the execution. Make sure you are prepared before entering the burn phase!

3.3. Movement Management

While it is difficult to describe the best ways to position and move during a dungeon or raid encounter, it is essential to your success as an Arcane Mage.

Try and use Blink for "urgent" movement — when you need to travel from one place to another as quickly as possible. Prismatic Barrier is a good choice when you only need to take a few steps, as it only costs a single GCD. Shimmer is a great talent as it is off GCD and does not interrupt your current cast.

Displacement is incredibly underutilized by a lot of players, but is an essential part of your mobility kit. This spell is fantastic for mechanics that force you to run out of the raid and return moments later. It is also great for dealing with dance mechanics — after the "dance" ends you can return to your original location without delay. Do not underestimate Displacement and do not be afraid to get creative with how you use it! It should be noted that when using Shimmer, your casts are also uninterrupted by Displacement in addition. The Shimmer talent is very strong overall, allowing you to stay in line of sight mid cast if the boss moves, or quickly dodge a mechanic without interruption.

Always try to position yourself in a location central to fight movement. For example, if the boss is being moved in a circle, try to stay on the inside of the kite path to ensure minimal movement.

3.3.1. Quiet Movement

Many players will unconsciously move during fights, despite it being unnecessary. For example, sometimes the boss or adds will be moved by the tank a couple yards, and though you are still in range to cast, you subconsciously mirror that movement, costing you global cooldowns. Consciously work to "quiet" your movement, and reduce unnecessary movement to a minimum. The best way to see this in action is to take a video of your raid, then watch yourself play. Most players will be surprised by the amount of wasted movement they commit. When you are forced to move, make use of the tips above, and make your path as direct and decisive as possible.

4. Resonance Opening Sequence

1. Use Potion of Prolonged Power 2 sec before the pull.
2. Cast Mark of Aluneth.
3. Place Rune of Power.
4. Activate Arcane Power and any racial cooldowns or on-use trinkets.
5. Activate Presence of Mind and cast Arcane Blast twice (unless Arcane Missiles has 3 charges, in which case reverse this step with the next one).
6. Cast Arcane Missiles if you have 3 charges or are below 100% Mana.
7. Cast Arcane Blast to stay under 100% Mana. Cast Arcane Missiles whenever you have 3 charges or are below 100% Mana.
8. Cast Arcane Blast as a filler.
9. Place Rune of Power again when Arcane Power ends (only if Bloodlust was used).
   • Spam Arcane Blast.
   • Use Arcane Missiles when available.
10. Cast Evocation when your Mana is empty and commence conserve phase.

5. Charged Up Opening Sequences

1. Use Potion of Prolonged Power.
2. Precast Mark of Aluneth 1.5 seconds before the pull.
3. Activate Charged Up.
4. Place Rune of Power.
5. Activate Arcane Power and any racial cooldowns or on-use trinkets.
6. Activate Presence of Mind.
7. Spam Arcane Blast.
8. Use Arcane Missiles whenever you have 3 charges or are below 100% Mana.
9. Place Rune of Power again when Arcane Power ends (only if Bloodlust was used).
   • Spam Arcane Blast.
   • Use Arcane Missiles when available.
10. Cast Evocation when your Mana is empty and commence conserve phase.

6. ChangeLog

+ show all entries - show only 10 entries

• 29 Aug. 2017: No changes needed for patch 7.3.
• 20 Jul. 2017: Updated some text from the opener/APL to match each other more clearly.
• 12 Jun. 2017: Updated Resonance opener.
• 30 Mar. 2017: Slight updates for both openers to maximize Aluneth's Avarice. Added section dedicated to Aluneth's Avarice.
• 29 Mar. 2017: Opener remains the same as it is inefficient to delay Arcane Power in order to fully benefit from Aluneth's Avarice.
• 27 Mar. 2017: No changes needed for Patch 7.2. Might need to update the opener at a later time once we figure out how the Mana restoration from Aluneth's Avarice can be best put to use.
• 20 Mar. 2017: Added an additional opener and updated sections regarding Charged Up.
• 09 Jan. 2017: Updated for 7.1.5 — APL, Prismatic Barrier, Movement Management, and Opener.
• 25 Oct. 2016: Arcane Charge paragraph was updated following the Patch 7.1 increase in Mana cost per charge (now 125%, up from 100%).
• 15 Sep. 2016: Updated opener.
• 29 Aug. 2016: Updated for Legion's launch.
• 19 Jul. 2016: Many min-maxing improvements throughout the page.
• 18 Jul. 2016: Updated for the Legion pre-patch.