GUIDE SCOPE
Built for repeatable Phase 3 raid execution
This searchable web edition is adapted from the original MCK Boost carrier handbook. It focuses on the included class, specialization and role only; it does not create placeholder coverage for missing specializations.
- Build
- 40 / 0 / 21
- Role
- DPS
- Raid tier
- Phase 3
- Source
- 24-page PDF
TALENT BUILD
40 / 0 / 21
Forty Arcane points scale Arcane Blast and Intellect; twenty-one Frost points supply filler damage, Icy Veins and Cold Snap.
The exact point allocation is documented in the chapters below. The linked calculator opens the correct TBC class tree for verification.
View chapter index
01 - Raid plan
Arcane is the Phase 3 damage answer
Fire remains a complete alternative; Frost is a control niche, not the max-output raid lane.
| Question | Arcane answer | Fire answer |
|---|---|---|
Personal ceiling | The current Wowhead guide calls Arcane the only truly relevant endgame PvE Mage spec; 2p and 4p T5 drive it. | Current Phase 3 BiS guide explicitly says Fire may not be optimal, but it remains functional and distinct. |
Resource tax | Very high. Fight length, Shadow Priest, Shaman mana, Innervate, gem, potion and Evocation change the rotation. | Moderate. Fire Blast raises cost; Flame Cap conflicts with Mana Emerald / Healthstone. |
Gear anchor | Keep four Tirisfal pieces; do not replace the set simply because T6 has higher item level. | Build four Tempest pieces; Fireball benefits directly from the 4pT6 bonus. |
Best use | Maximum boss damage with planned support and accurate burn windows. | Roster needs Scorch, Arcane support is unreliable, or player strongly prefers Fire. |
Hard failure | OOM before the kill, weak cooldown overlap, or capping only Arcane while heavy Frostbolt filler misses. | Scorch falls, Fire hit cap is missed, or haste gear is taken without a mana plan. |
| Ready in 60 seconds | Pass condition | Hard fail |
|---|---|---|
Arcane | 40/0/21; 4pT5; 76 Arcane hit package; filler-hit package named; Mana Emerald with 3 charges; support confirmed. | No kill-time estimate; no potion/gem timers; Evocation improvised. |
Fire | 2/48/11; 4pT6 plan; 163 hit before party support; Scorch tracker; Molten Armor; mana-safe Fire Blast rule. | Counting physical Improved Faerie Fire as spell hit; no 5-stack owner. |
ARCANE - PRIMARY
Highest Mage ceiling
Needs T5 and mana support
Two hit caps matter
Best carrier damage lane
FIRE - ALTERNATE
Playable, below Arcane
4pT6 endpoint
Scorch owner option
Simpler mana curve
FROST - NICHE
Do not pick for max DPS
Improved Blizzard control
Heroic / wave utility
Primarily PvP
Arcane's mana curve or explicitly assigns Improved Scorch. A good unsupported Arcane setup is still generally ahead of Fire according to the current overview.
02 - Raid plan
Race, access and professions
The racial winners are clear; profession value changes after early crafting tiers.
Draenei
1% spell hit for self/party; valuable if not otherwise supplied
Human
Small Spirit regeneration gain; below Gnome for throughput
Undead
Strong PvP utility; limited PvE damage value
| Gate | What to complete | Carrier verification |
|---|---|---|
Mount Hyjal | The Vials of Eternity chain using Lady Vashj and Kael'thas quest items. | Confirm the current Anniversary access rule and this character's actual raid eligibility. |
Black Temple | Akama / Medallion of Karabor chain through the required completion point. | Partial chain progress is not a usable unlock; verify at the raid portal. |
Gear | Train all level-70 ranks; finish Cenarion Expedition head enchant reputation; lock Aldor or Scryer shoulder path. | Bring separate Arcane-boss, Arcane-AoE, Fire and Shadow Resistance gear sets. |
| Profession | Phase 3 verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
Engineering | Best / near-mandatory | Super Sapper, Goblin Sapper and Adamantite Grenade add real full-raid damage; Holo-Gogs are an accessible bridge. |
Enchanting | Best second profession | Ring enchants total +24 spell damage. Current Wowhead overview places it ahead of Tailoring from Phase 2 onward. |
Tailoring | Craft then drop if desired | Wrath of Spellfire is an early bridge. Nimble Thought crafted pieces remain usable after dropping Tailoring where the item permits. |
Leatherworking | Roster assignment only | Take it if the raid requires your Drums slot; otherwise Engineering + Enchanting is the personal-output package. |
ALLIANCE - GNOME
Expansive Mind
Best Alliance PvE race; total Intellect scales Arcane
Escape Artist
Occasional root/snare removal; no direct DPS
- Best personal-output Alliance choice for both specs.
- Especially strong for Arcane: more mana plus Intellect-to-damage scaling.
- Draenei is the support alternative when its 1% party spell hit is genuinely missing.
HORDE - TROLL
Berserking
Best Horde PvE race; stack haste with the burn
Arcane Torrent
- Blood Elf is useful but the mana return is not large enough to beat Troll generally.
- Undead is primarily a PvP / fear-break utility choice.
03 - Talents
40 / 0 / 21 - the T5 engine
Forty Arcane points scale Arcane Blast and Intellect; twenty-one Frost points supply filler, Icy Veins and Cold Snap.
Arcane Focus - 5/5
10% hit to Arcane spells; creates the low Arcane Blast cap
Arcane Concentration - 5/5
Clearcasting improves the mana curve
Arcane Meditation - 3/3
30% Spirit regeneration continues while casting
Arcane Mind - 5/5
Raises Intellect; central to the spec
Arcane Instability - 3/3
Damage and critical strike multiplier
Arcane Potency - 3/3
Clearcasting also boosts critical strike chance
Arcane Power - 1/1
Primary burn cooldown; spend mana while it matters
Mind Mastery - 5/5
Converts a portion of Intellect into spell damage
Icy Veins - 1/1
Haste cooldown; stacks with Bloodlust / Heroism
Cold Snap - 1/1
Resets Icy Veins for a second planned window
| Adjustable points | Swap | Tradeoff |
|---|---|---|
Hyjal control | Move Frost damage/filler points into 3/3 Improved Blizzard and supporting slow talents if the raid assigns kiting. | Lower single-target Frostbolt filler damage; large wave-control value. |
Threat / range | Keep Arcane Subtlety and Magic Attunement unless a very specific roster plan says otherwise. | Arcane threat and range are real execution constraints in trash and spread fights. |
Arcane-Fire support | A niche Arcane-Fire build can maintain Scorch for many Fire Destruction Warlocks. | Large personal DPS loss; not the default Phase 3 carrier build. |
Frostbolt 5, Elemental Precision 3, Ice Shards 5, Piercing Ice 3, Icy Veins 1, Frost Channeling 3, Cold Snap 1.
Open the current Wowhead Mage talent guide
04 - Abilities
One character, two spell-hit targets
Arcane Focus affects Arcane Blast; Elemental Precision affects Frostbolt. Gear for the rotation you will actually cast.
| Spell package | Self-talented boss target | With 1% Draenei | With 3% Totem | With both |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Arcane Blast | 6% / 76 rating | 5% / 63 | 3% / 38 | 2% / 25 |
Frostbolt filler | 13% / about 163 | 12% / 151 | 10% / 126 | 9% / 113 |
Untalented school | 16% / 202 | 15% / 189 | 13% / 164 | 12% / 151 |
| Priority | Rule | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Reach the selected spell package target; do not pay for hit beyond the spells that matter. | A resisted cast deals zero damage, but excess cap is wasted for that school. | |
2. Spell damage | Strong direct throughput after hit; Arcane-only damage can be valuable but does not buff Frostbolt filler. | Complete-set value matters more than isolated EP. |
3. Intellect | Central Arcane stat: mana, crit, Arcane Mind and Mind Mastery scaling. | More burn casts and more damage per cast. |
4. Crit | Feeds damage and four-piece T5 spell-damage uptime. | Useful, but do not sacrifice cap or mana stability blindly. |
5. Haste | Very strong during burn but spends mana faster; current generic guide ranks it below Arcane's other core stats. | Its value changes sharply with kill time and external mana. |
Arcane Focus
Arcane spell hit only
Elemental Precision
Fire and Frost spell hit
Inspiring Presence
1% party spell hit
Arcane Mind
Intellect scaling
05 - Abilities
Burn, conserve, rebuild, burn again
The best Arcane rotation is a mana schedule aligned to the kill timer, not a fixed repeating sequence.
Arcane Blast
Core nuke; stacks speed and mana cost to 3
Frostbolt
Conserve filler while Arcane Blast stacks expire
Mana Emerald
Three charges; fuels Serpent-Coil Braid
Evocation
Plan a safe full channel; do not improvise it
| State | Cast rule | Exit condition |
|---|---|---|
OPEN / BURN | Spam Arcane Blast. Stack Arcane Power, Icy Veins, trinket, racial, Bloodlust / Heroism and Drums when assigned. | Leave only if a mechanic, threat, or the mana plan requires it. |
CONSERVE | At roughly 30-40% mana on a long fight, use 3 Arcane Blasts + 3 Frostbolts so the Blast stacks fall. | Gem/potion/external is ready or the next burn window begins. |
RECOVERY | Mana Emerald, Super Mana Potion, Evocation, Shadow Priest, Mana Tide and Innervate are scheduled resources. | Return to full Blast spam with enough mana to finish the planned window. |
MOVEMENT | Use Presence of Mind for an instant priority cast, reposition with Blink, or use an instant only when movement is forced. | Resume hard-casting immediately; do not turn movement into a loose instant rotation. |
| Time | Default action | Decision check |
|---|---|---|
-10s | Confirm Mage Armor, Intellect, Mana Emerald 3/3, potion and trinket cooldowns. | Exact pull timer and threat lead. |
-3s to pull | Pre-position; pre-pot only if the raid's rules and encounter timing make it safe. | Do not land before the tank has control. |
0-20s | Full Blast burn with approved cooldown stack. | Threat ceiling, Bloodlust timing, boss vulnerability. |
First 30-40% mana | Enter conserve only if fight length demands it; otherwise keep burning. | Remaining boss health versus remaining mana cooldowns. |
Second window | Cold Snap for a second Icy Veins; align with trinket / external if it will not cost a later use. | A delayed cooldown that never gets reused is lost damage. |
Execute to kill | Spend the remaining mana. Finishing with a large unused pool is a planning error unless survival required it. | Never go OOM before a forced movement / add phase that still needs casts. |
06 - Raid plan
Mana is damage only when it is timed
Every support promise should become a timestamp before the pull.
Arcane Power
Primary damage-for-mana conversion window
Icy Veins
Stacks with Bloodlust / Heroism
Cold Snap
Second Icy Veins when fight length supports it
Presence of Mind
Instant cast for burst or forced movement
Berserking
Troll: stack with a planned burn
Invisibility
Threat fade/wipe and recovery tool
| Kill length | Mana model | Cooldown model |
|---|---|---|
Under about 90s | Mostly full Arcane Blast spam; gem/potion early enough to gain value. | Front-load unless the boss has a stronger vulnerability or immunity later. |
90-180s | One conserve band is common; schedule one safe Evocation or a strong external. | Use major cooldowns early enough to obtain the second use. |
Over 180s | Multiple burn/conserve bands; a dual-school hit set gains value; protect the final burn. | Write AP, Icy Veins, Cold Snap, trinket, Bloodlust, gem, pot, Evocation and Innervate timestamps. |
| Support | Confirm before pull | If absent |
|---|---|---|
Shadow Priest | Expected mana-per-second and whether you remain in that party for the full fight. | Conserve earlier; value Intellect/spirit and do not assume full-spam logs are comparable. |
Shaman | Mana Spring, Wrath of Air, Mana Tide or Totem of Wrath; Bloodlust timestamp. | Rebuild hit and mana sets; do not count a theoretical aura. |
Innervate | Named Druid, timestamp, contingency if that player dies or must heal. | Plan Evocation and additional conserve rather than hoping. |
Paladin | Wisdom, Kings, Salvation priority. | Threat and mana budgets change; use Invisibility deliberately. |
| Failure | Log symptom | Fix |
|---|---|---|
Over-burn | OOM well before kill; long wand/idle section. | Enter conserve sooner or secure external mana. |
Under-burn | Large mana pool at death/kill; AP delayed without extra use. | Spend earlier; shorten conserve; pre-plan second cooldown. |
Broken Evocation | Channel clipped by damage/movement or ended early. | Assign a safe window; stop casting early enough to channel fully. |
Threat cap | Cast gaps while tank threat catches up or death to aggro. | Salvation, Subtlety cloak, Invisibility timing and less explosive opener. |
the current page text recommends using them together. Stack haste only when you have mana to convert the faster casts into real damage.
07 - Gear & items
Four-piece T5 is the non-negotiable anchor
Phase 3 is an optimization problem around Tirisfal, hit, mana support and single-target versus AoE goals.
| Set / slot | Default Arcane choice | Swap logic |
|---|---|---|
T5 core | Cowl, Mantle, Robes and Gloves of Tirisfal in the common package. | Tirisfal legs can become the fourth piece when Robes of the Tempest supplies needed hit. |
2pT5 | +20% Arcane Blast damage and mana cost; the increased cost applies to base cost. | This is the engine that makes Arcane dominant. |
4pT5 | Spell critical strikes grant up to 70 spell damage for 6 sec. | Crit and continuous casting help maintain value; preserve four pieces. |
Cloak + belt | Cloak of Illidari Council + Waistwrap of Infinity is the practical caster package. | Shroud of Highborne + Anetheron's Noose can edge single target but uses contested healer-haste loot. |
Wrists | Cuffs of Devastation or Bracers of Nimble Thought. | Nimble Thought is a crafted, purchasable AoE and strong single-target piece. |
Feet | Slippers of the Seacaller. | Blue Suede Shoes only when the hit package needs them. |
| Package | Use | Required checks |
|---|---|---|
Boss burn | Highest simulated single-target set; 4pT5; Arcane Blast cap; maximal mana conversion. | Kill time, exact support, trinket timing, Frostbolt share. |
Long boss | More Intellect/spirit and enough Frostbolt hit to improve conserve cycles. | Do not assume 76 rating is the best complete set. |
Hyjal AoE | Bracers / Mantle of Nimble Thought, Ashtongue Talisman, haste and safe Arcane Explosion / Blizzard tools. | Threat, AoE cap, assigned slow and survival. |
Mother Shahraz | Shadow Resistance target while keeping 4pT5 where possible. | Raid target is commonly 174 unbuffed from gear plus Prayer; follow raid lead. |
| Faction | Single target | AoE | Practical choice |
|---|---|---|---|
Aldor | Roughly 2-3 DPS ahead from shoulder enchant weighting. | Roughly 2-3 DPS behind Scryer. | Tiny difference; do not reroll faction solely for it. |
Scryer | Scryer's Bloodgem is a useful early hit bridge. | Slight AoE edge. | Choose for gearing convenience or existing progress. |
Anniversary simulator, model the real party and fight length, then compare. Arcane gear values move with mana support.
08 - Gear & items
Black Temple + Hyjal target sheet
Two equivalent weapon paths and several set packages exist; complete-set simulation breaks the tie.
| Slot | Phase 3 target | High-value alternative / note |
|---|---|---|
Head | Cowl of Tirisfal | Cowl of Illidari High Lord or Tempest only if the T5 package survives elsewhere. |
Shoulders | Mantle of Tirisfal | Mantle of Nimble Thought for the dedicated AoE set. |
Back | Cloak of the Illidari Council | Shroud of the Highborne with Anetheron's Noose; coordinate healer loot. |
Chest | Robes of Tirisfal | Robes of the Tempest as hit off-piece with Tirisfal legs in some Zhar'doom sets. |
Wrists | Cuffs of Devastation | Bracers of Nimble Thought; Vindicator's Silk Cuffs bridge. |
Hands | Gloves of Tirisfal | Mandatory common four-piece anchor. |
Waist | Waistwrap of Infinity / Anetheron's Noose | Pair belt with cloak; Belt of Blasting if hit-starved. |
Legs | Leggings of Tempest or Channeled Elements | Leggings of Tirisfal when they preserve 4pT5 in the hit package. |
Feet | Slippers of Seacaller | Blue Suede Shoes for hit; Vindicator's Silk Footguards bridge. |
| Slot | Phase 3 target | Decision rule |
|---|---|---|
Neck | Sun King's Talisman | Eye of the Night / Chain of Twilight Owl can win group performance when coordinated. |
Rings | Band of Eternal Sage + Ring of Ancient Knowledge | Do not take a second Ancient Knowledge automatically if hit/mana package breaks. |
Trinkets | Serpent-Coil Braid + Skull of Gul'dan | Ashtongue Talisman shines for AoE and no-ICD uptime; Icon is the bridge. |
Weapon | Zhar'doom or Tempest of Chaos | Tempest plus Chronicle of Dark Secrets can rival the staff; Zhar'doom is highly contested. |
Off-hand | Chronicle of Dark Secrets | Blind-Seers Icon if hit is missing. |
Wand | Eredar Wand of Obliteration | Wand of Forgotten Star when its hit enables better swaps. |
Open the current Arcane Phase 3 Wowhead BiS guide
09 - Consumables
Consumables, gems and enchants
Arcane favors Intellect and mana stability until extreme support makes pure Arcane damage consumables sustainable.
| Layer | Default | Conditional |
|---|---|---|
Battle + guardian | Adept's Elixir + Elixir of Draenic Wisdom | Current Wowhead guide places this about 15-20 DPS over flasks in normal support. |
Flask | Flask of Blinding Light | Use with exceptional mana support; Distilled Wisdom is a mana option; Supreme Power is universal. |
Food | Blackened Basilisk / Crunchy Serpent / Poached Bluefish | Same spell-damage and Spirit stats; choose by cost. |
Weapon oil | Expired Wizard Oil | Classic Brilliant Wizard Oil; generally beats TBC oil choices for this use. |
Potion | Super Mana Potion | Destruction Potion only when the kill and support prove mana-safe. |
Secondary | Kreeg's Stout Beatdown + allowed scrolls | Kreeg's is called borderline mandatory for Arcane in the current guide. |
Emergency | Nightmare Seed, Healthstone, bandage | Mana Emerald shares the secondary cooldown system with Healthstone-type items; plan survival. |
| Socket / slot | Arcane choice | Rule |
|---|---|---|
Meta | Chaotic Skyfire Diamond | Activate with two blue gems; 12 spell damage and 3% critical damage. |
Yellow / red | Brilliant Living Ruby (+Intellect) | Arcane stacks Intellect after cap unless a strong socket bonus changes the full-set result. |
Hit | Veiled Noble Topaz or equivalent | Only until the selected Arcane / Frost filler package target. |
Blue | Timeless Nightseye / Dazzling Chrysoprase | Use the minimum needed for meta and valuable socket bonuses. |
Heroic unique | Purified Tanzanite | Small edge for meta activation if you are truly pushing. |
| Slot | Enchant | Arcane note |
|---|---|---|
Head / shoulders | Arcanum of Power / Greater Discipline or Orb | Head includes hit; Aldor is marginal single target. |
Back / chest | Subtlety / Exceptional Stats | Threat reduction plus all-stat mana scaling. |
Bracers | Spellpower or Major Intellect | Spellpower for fast kills; Intellect is viable with moderate support / long kills. |
Gloves / legs | Major Spellpower / Runic Spellthread | No compromise unless a hit enchant is needed for an exact package. |
Boots | Boar's Speed | Movement prevents more lost casts than a tiny paper-stat gain. |
Weapon / rings | Sunfire / +12 spell damage per Enchanter ring | Despite the name, the current guide recommends Sunfire for Mage damage. |
10 - Abilities
Macros, trackers and log proof
A correct build is not min-maxed until threat, mana and stack state are visible without looking away from mechanics.
| Tracker | Must show | Action |
|---|---|---|
Arcane Blast | Stack count, remaining duration, cast time and next-cast mana cost. | Choose full burn or enough Frostbolts for the stack to fall. |
Mana timeline | Current mana, percentage, gem charges/CD, potion CD, Evocation CD, external timer. | Decide 10-15 sec before the resource is needed. |
Cooldown rail | Arcane Power, Icy Veins, Cold Snap, trinkets, racial, Bloodlust and Drums. | Stack only when fight length and mana convert it into extra casts. |
Threat | Target threat percent and tank lead. | Use Salvation / Invisibility; never solve threat by dying. |
Utility | Curse targets, interrupt cast, focus, Polymorph break timer. | Assignment response outranks one extra Arcane Blast. |
| Log audit | Healthy evidence | What to fix |
|---|---|---|
Mana at kill | Low but not prematurely empty; planned resources used early enough for value. | Large remainder = under-burn; long OOM gap = over-burn. |
Cast mix | Arcane Blast dominates; Frostbolt count matches fight length and support. | Random filler or Arcane Missiles without a modeled reason. |
Frostbolt misses | Consistent with selected dual-school hit package. | If long-fight filler misses are costly, test extra hit in the sim. |
Cooldown overlap | AP / Icy Veins / trinket / racial overlap planned vulnerability or Bloodlust. | Late usage that costs an entire second activation. |
T5 uptime | Frequent crits maintain the 4p spell-damage effect during casting. | Downtime from movement, target gaps or weak activity. |
COOLDOWN STACK
#showtooltip Arcane Power
/use 13
/use 14
/cast Arcane Power
/cast Icy Veins
/cast Berserking
STOPCAST FOCUS INTERRUPT
#showtooltip Counterspell
/stopcasting
/cast [@focus,harm,nodead][] Counterspell
MOUSEOVER DECURSE
11 - Raid plan
Build the party that your plan assumes
Arcane's best log is a group project; Fire still changes caps and mana behavior with every party slot.
| Lane | Ideal / premium support | Realistic carrier request | What to record |
|---|---|---|---|
Arcane | Restoration or Elemental Shaman, one or two Shadow Priests, Balance Druid, Mage. | One Shadow Priest + Shaman; named Innervate; Paladin blessings. More is a luxury. | Totems, Bloodlust time, Shadow Priest uptime/MPS, Innervate time, blessing package. |
Fire | Elemental Shaman, Shadow Priest, Balance Druid, Warlocks / another Fire caster. | Totem of Wrath or Mana Tide, one Shadow Priest, one Innervate if kill length demands. | True spell hit buffs, Scorch owner, Bloodlust, Flame Cap / gem package. |
| Support | Throughput | Non-negotiable nuance |
|---|---|---|
Elemental Shaman | Wrath of Air + Totem of Wrath; 3% spell hit; Bloodlust / Heroism. | If the Shaman swaps to Mana Tide support, recalculate the hit set. |
Restoration Shaman | Mana Spring, Mana Tide, Wrath of Air, Bloodlust / Heroism. | Stronger sustain, but no Totem of Wrath hit. |
Shadow Priest | Vampiric Touch mana and Misery spell-damage amplification. | Misery is damage taken, not a personal hit-cap substitute. |
Balance Druid | Moonkin crit; broad caster group value. | Improved Faerie Fire is physical hit, not Mage spell hit. |
Draenei | Inspiring Presence supplies 1% party spell hit. | Only count it if the Draenei remains in your party. |
Paladin | Wisdom / Kings / Salvation. | Threat-capped Arcane should not lose Salvation for a paper-stat preference. |
| Raid-lead question | Answer before zoning in |
|---|---|
Which Mage spec? | Arcane unless Fire / Scorch is explicitly required. |
Who owns Scorch? | One primary owner, one backup, target-change rule. |
Who owns interrupts / decurses? | Named targets, focus macro and backup order. |
Who owns Hyjal slow? | Dedicated Improved Blizzard build or no Mage slow; never assume mid-wave. |
Who gets Innervate / Mana Tide? | Timestamp and contingency, not a vague promise. |
What is the Mother SR target? | Use the raid's actual number; current Wowhead recommendation is commonly 174 from gear for non-tanks. |
Answer before zoning in Which Mage spec?
12 - Abilities
Utility that preserves the kill
The min-max Mage converts defensive and control tools into more living cast time for the entire raid.
Counterspell
Stopcasting focus interrupt; assigned casts first
Remove Lesser Curse
Mouseover raid frames; Archimonde Grip duty
Spellsteal
High mana and threat; use only on assigned buffs
Polymorph
Humanoid / beast control; track break timer
Ice Block
Immunity / debuff tool; does not replace mechanic execution
Invisibility
Threat fade and eventual wipe; damage can break it
Blink
Reposition, escape and cast-uptime tool
Slow Fall
Carry Light Feathers; never replace encounter items blindly
Fire Ward
Pre-ward known Fire damage when mana allows
Frost Ward
Pre-ward known Frost damage when mana allows
Amplify Magic
Raid-lead buff plan only
Dampen Magic
Raid-lead buff plan only
| Tool | Correct use | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-assigned immunity, lethal damage prevention, or mechanic recovery. | Blocking after the raid has already been endangered; assuming it wipes threat. | |
| Begin the fade before threat becomes lethal and when incoming damage will not break it. | Pressing after gaining aggro or during ticking damage. | |
| Cross a safe gap and regain a hard-cast window. | Blinking into Doomfire, volcano, beams, Fatal Attraction partners or bad terrain. | |
| Stop the named spell even if it costs a Fireball / Arcane Blast cast. | Padding while the wipe cast completes; forgetting the ability itself creates threat. | |
| Mark, focus and re-sheep with a break alert. | Sheeping a target being cleaved or one that cannot be polymorphed. |
13 - Encounter
Waves, Winterchill and Anetheron
Hyjal rewards repeatable AoE discipline more than one reckless wave parse.
| Wave rule | Mage assignment | Min-max behavior |
|---|---|---|
Eight waves | Each of the first four bosses follows eight fixed trash waves. | Pre-plan mana restoration across the wave set; do not enter the boss empty. |
Threat first | Wait for tank pickup and marks; Counterspell / Polymorph assigned casters. | Engineering and point-blank AoE only after control is stable. |
Control | Improved Blizzard slow only from the dedicated build and lane. | Do not Frost Nova packs into healers or break planned kiting paths. |
AoE cap | Flamestrike, Blizzard and Arcane Explosion value changes with pack size. | Favor safety, activity and the raid's kill order over a fixed spell script. |
Between waves | Drink immediately, refresh gem charges when safe, rebuff deaths, pre-position. | Every late drink loses the first casts of the next wave. |
| Boss | Mage plan | Do not |
|---|---|---|
Rage Winterchill | Spread. Move instantly from Death and Decay. Keep range, pre-ward Frost damage if useful, and resume casting after movement. | Finish a cast inside Death and Decay or stack near the raid during targeted effects. |
Arcane | Use a short-fight burn if the raid's kill time supports it; preserve enough mana for mechanics after movement. | Blink without checking ground or threat-open before tank control. |
Fire | Keep Scorch at five while move windows are approaching; use Fire Blast only as mana permits. | Let Scorch expire during a Death and Decay relocation. |
Anetheron | Spread for Carrion Swarm / Sleep patterns; switch to Infernal if assigned; protect healer line and range. | Stand in an Infernal aura or assume personal boss DPS outranks the add call. |
Cooldown | Use early enough for a second activation if kill time permits; do not count on a perfect late window after Sleep. | Delay every cooldown and lose a use. |
Blizzard
Wave damage / control when assigned
Flamestrike
Layered wave damage
Polymorph
Marked humanoid control
Counterspell
Stop dangerous wave casts
14 - Encounter
Kaz'rogal, Azgalor and Archimonde
Mana denial, silence and movement punish the Mage who treats every boss like a target dummy.
| Boss | Arcane plan | Fire plan | Kill condition |
|---|---|---|---|
Kaz'rogal | Burn early but keep a reserve. Mark drains mana and explodes you at zero; shift to a shorter planned curve. | Use mana-efficient Fireball; control Fire Blast use; potion/gem before zero. | If a Mark will empty you, move away per raid plan. Do not explode in the group. |
Azgalor | Pre-position for silence and Rain of Fire; use instant movement tools to restore cast time; switch Doomguard if assigned. | Refresh Scorch before a likely silence / move only when needed; burn execute with mana. | Range, spread and add assignment beat personal uptime. |
Archimonde | Plan short burn windows around Doomfire paths and Air Burst. Keep enough attention for decurse and Tears. | Maintain Scorch without standing still in danger; Fire Blast is a movement tool, not a panic spam button. | Survive. Remove Grip of the Legion. Use Tears of the Goddess correctly for Air Burst landings. |
Mana Emerald
Kaz'rogal: preserve mana above zero
Blink
Reposition only into verified safe ground
Remove Lesser Curse
Archimonde Grip of the Legion duty
Slow Fall
Carry feathers; Tears remains the encounter standard
Ice Block
Emergency survival only within raid rules
Invisibility
Threat recovery when damage will not break fade
| Archimonde checkpoint | Pass condition |
|---|---|
Doomfire | Camera wide, escape route chosen, Blink endpoint safe, no cast greed. |
Air Burst | Tears of the Goddess bound and tested; landing timing practiced. |
Fear | Know raid anti-fear plan; do not run through Doomfire. |
Grip of the Legion | Raid frames show curses; mouseover decurse works; backup assignment known. |
Soul Charge | Respect chain-death snowball; personal survival is a raid DPS cooldown. |
Final burn | Cooldown only if the next mechanic allows actual casting; no resources die unused. |
Encounter-specific items and server behavior are the authority; improvisation can turn a recoverable launch into a death.
15 - Encounter
Naj'entus through Teron Gorefiend
Early BT tests burst timing, movement and the willingness to stop padding for mechanics.
| Boss | Mage execution | Arcane / Fire adjustment |
|---|---|---|
High Warlord Naj'entus | Handle Impaling Spine assignments and raid recovery around Tidal Shield breaks. Keep Healthstone / Seed ready. | Do not enter a burn that forces you to ignore spine duty; Fire preserves Scorch across the shield cycle. |
Supremus | Max range in tank phase; move immediately from Molten Flame / volcanoes and kite correctly during gaze. | Blink creates uptime only if the endpoint is safe. Use instants while moving, then resume hard casts. |
Shade of Akama | Attack channelers / adds or boss exactly as assigned; wait for tank control before AoE. | Short burn favors Arcane front-load. Fire may not need a full long Scorch setup if the exposed boss dies instantly - follow roster plan. |
Teron Gorefiend | Stationary casting when alive; if Shadow of Death chooses you, execute the ghost sequence, not your Mage rotation. | Pre-plan cooldowns around the raid kill time; no cooldown can compensate for failed constructs. |
| Pre-boss switch | What to equip / confirm | Reason |
|---|---|---|
Naj'entus | Normal boss set plus survival consumables. | Raid-wide burst damage can kill a paper-capped caster. |
Supremus | Boar's Speed and safe Blink key; no special damage set needed. | Movement uptime dominates small paper upgrades. |
Akama | AoE set only if your assignment includes adds; otherwise boss burn set. | Different targets create different trinket and hit value. |
Teron | Ghost keybinds / UI memorized before pull. | The mechanic uses encounter abilities; panic causes a wipe. |
Blink
Supremus uptime and safe relocation
Fire Ward
Pre-ward predictable Fire damage when useful
Ice Block
Emergency, not a substitute for position
Arcane Blast
Short exposed-boss burn
16 - Encounter
Gurtogg through Illidan
Late BT changes damage rules by phase; resistance and special assignments can outweigh the normal set.
| Boss | Mage plan | Critical warning |
|---|---|---|
Gurtogg Bloodboil | Stand with the assigned ranged group and rotate Bloodboil correctly. During Fel Rage, follow the raid threat / damage plan. | Do not break group stacks for a cast; Ice Block use must match the raid strategy. |
Reliquary P1 | No healing aura: avoid every preventable point and use immunity only as planned. | Survival resources matter more than one extra cast. |
Reliquary P2 | Damage reflection and mana pressure: pace casts, watch health, Counterspell assigned Spirit Shock / Deaden calls. | Uncontrolled burst can kill you; stopcasting interrupt beats DPS. |
Reliquary P3 | Ramp damage and threat. Burn with the tank's lead, Salvation and Invisibility plan. | Aggro or a missed interrupt ends the phase. |
Mother Shahraz | Equip the raid's Shadow Resistance set; spread from Fatal Attraction partners; Blink only to safe separation. | Current Wowhead recommendation: 174 SR from gear for non-tanks, then Priest resistance. Follow raid lead. |
Illidari Council | Attack the assigned target, interrupt assigned heals/casts, and control positioning. If assigned to tank Zerevor, use the dedicated Mage-tank protocol. | A Zerevor tank is not playing the normal DPS handbook: Spellsteal / survival / threat rules take priority. |
Illidan | Respect every phase: parasite handling, beam lanes, Flames of Azzinoth targets, demon-phase control and final burn. | Do not carry cooldown logic across an immunity, air or movement transition without checking uptime. |
| Illidan phase | Arcane | Fire |
|---|---|---|
P1 / P3 | Boss burn with mana reserved for transitions and parasite movement. | Five Scorch stacks, Fireball; refresh before long transitions only as needed. |
P2 | Assigned Flame target: use the correct school / target and preserve safe beam movement. | Do not let boss-only Scorch logic distract from the assigned Flame. |
Demon | Control / kill Shadow Demons as assigned; use Frost Nova or burst only when the raid plan calls for it. | Instants help target response; do not stand in Shadow Blast zones. |
Final | Spend remaining mana under the last real uptime window. | Stack execute cooldowns if they were not lost by earlier delay. |
Counterspell
Reliquary / Council assignment
Spellsteal
Zerevor protocol only when assigned
Blink
Mother separation and phase relocation
Invisibility
Reliquary P3 / general threat plan
17 - Raid plan
Fourteen days from fresh 70 to carrier-ready
Guaranteed access, set anchors and execution controls come before contested end-boss loot.
| Window | Arcane work | Fire work | Shared work |
|---|---|---|---|
Days 1-2 | Train ranks; 40/0/21; build 76-hit and filler-hit draft sets. | Train ranks; 2/48/11; build 163-hit draft set. | Confirm access chains, raid eligibility, bags, bank, repair and spellbook names. |
Days 3-4 | Acquire / preserve 2p then 4p T5; Mana Emerald / Evocation UI. | Acquire hit bridges; plan 4pT6 slots; Scorch tracker. | Cenarion head enchant, Aldor/Scryer shoulders, full enchants and meta. |
Days 5-7 | Farm Serpent-Coil Braid and usable T5 off-tier package. | Farm Quagmirran / Icon bridges and spell-damage gems. | Engineering explosives, Enchanting rings, Boar's Speed, consumable stock. |
Days 8-10 | Sim short, medium and long kills with real support. | Sim haste/hit packages and Fire Blast rules. | Practice macros, interrupts, decurse, Polymorph, target swaps and movement. |
Days 11-12 | Build Arcane boss, long-fight, AoE and SR saved sets. | Build Fire boss, AoE and SR saved sets. | Reach raid's Mother SR target; buy Light Feathers, Nightmare Seeds, potions. |
Days 13-14 | Dummy-test burn / conserve; review mana timeline. | Dummy-test Scorch maintenance / execute plan. | Run a logged raid, fix UI and establish raid-lead assignments in writing. |
| Bag checklist | Minimum carrier stock |
|---|---|
Mana | Mana Emerald prepared; 20+ Super Mana Potions or injectors; raid-approved runes / externals plan. |
Damage | Elixirs or flasks for both specs, food, Expired Wizard Oil, Destruction Potions for proven short kills. |
Survival | Healthstones, Nightmare Seeds, bandages, resistance potions if assigned, Light Feathers, Tears of Goddess. |
Engineering | Sappers / grenades in legal quantity, repair bot if assigned, no untested first-use macro. |
Gear | Arcane boss, Arcane long, Arcane AoE, Fire, Mother SR; each saved and cap-checked. |
| Pre-pull card | Arcane | Fire |
|---|---|---|
Armor | Mage Armor | Molten Armor |
Cap | 76 AB / selected Frost filler target | 163 before true party spell hit |
Set | Four Tirisfal pieces | Four Tempest pieces at endpoint |
Consumable | Adept + Draenic Wisdom; mana potion default | Pure Death; mana or destruction by plan |
First resource | Gem / pot / Evocation / external timestamp | Scorch owner and Fire Blast mana rule |
Assignment | Interrupt, decurse, CC, AoE slow, special mechanic | Same, plus Scorch backup |
18 - Raid plan
Research map and verification notes
Current Phase 3 recommendations were checked on 21 July 2026; live hotfixes and raid rules remain authoritative.
| Topic | Source |
|---|---|
| Wowhead - updated 2 July 2026 | |
| Wowhead - updated 2 July 2026 | |
| Wowhead Mage talent guide - updated 13 May 2026 | |
| Wowhead rotation, cooldown and ability guide | |
| Wowhead stat priority guide | |
| Wowhead gems and enchants guide | |
| Wowhead buffs and consumables guide | |
| Wowhead Mage overview | |
| Wowhead Tier 5 overview / Tier 6 overview |
| Raid / tool | Source |
|---|---|
| Wowhead raid overview / trash guide | |
| Wowhead raid overview / trash guide | |
| Wowhead Shadow Resistance guide - updated 16 July 2026 | |
| Current WoWSims TBC Anniversary project - Mage support is labeled Alpha; validate assumptions. | |
| Warcraft Logs - BT / Hyjal - compare like support, kill time and assignment. |
Prepared for MCK Boost | TBC Anniversary Phase 3 | Arcane primary, Fire alternative
ORIGINAL MCK BOOST HANDBOOK
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Keep the original designed handbook for offline reference. It includes the full layout, linked identification references and printable preparation cards.
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