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
- 2 / 48 / 11
- Role
- DPS
- Raid tier
- Phase 3
- Source
- 24-page PDF
TALENT BUILD
2 / 48 / 11
The build trades Arcane's mana engine for the complete Fire damage package and Icy Veins. The Arcane-Fire support variant is intentionally roster-specific.
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.
1% spell hit for self/party; valuable if not otherwise supplied
Small Spirit regeneration gain; below Gnome for throughput
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
2 / 48 / 11 - the complete alternative
Fire trades Arcane's mana engine for Scorch maintenance, Fireball scaling, haste and execute damage.
Faster primary filler
Critical strikes add a fire damage-over-time effect
Five stacks raise Fire damage taken
Critical strikes return mana
Damage increase with a survivability tradeoff
Fire spell critical strike chance
Burst critical-strike cooldown
20% more damage below 20% boss health
Improves Fireball spell-damage coefficient
Haste; stack with Combustion and Bloodlust
| Variant | When | Cost |
|---|---|---|
10/48/3 | Severe mana problems and no better fix; takes Arcane Concentration. | Loses Icy Veins and therefore meaningful burst damage. |
40/17/3 Arcane-Fire | Raid has 5-8+ strong Fire Destruction Warlocks and explicitly needs Scorch from a Mage. | Much lower personal damage; very niche Phase 3 roster tool. |
Deep Frost | PvP or a specific Improved Blizzard / control assignment. | Not the Phase 3 max-boss-DPS recommendation. |
Blast 1, Pyroblast 1, Burning Soul 2, Improved Scorch 3, Master of Elements 3, Playing with Fire 3, Critical Mass 3, Blast Wave 1, Fire Power 5, Pyromaniac 3, Combustion 1, Molten Fury 2, Empowered Fireball 5, Dragon's Breath 1.
Frost 11: Frost Warding 2, Elemental Precision 3, Ice Shards 5, Icy Veins 1.
04 - Raid plan
Cap hit, build Scorch, cast Fireball
Fire is mechanically simple, but debuff ownership, mana and cooldown timing separate a clean log from a weak one.
| Spell hit package | Gear target | With 1% Draenei | With 3% Totem | With both |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Fire spells with 3/3 Elemental Precision | 13% / about 163 | 12% / 151 | 10% / 126 | 9% / 113 |
Apply 5 Improved Scorch stacks; refresh before expiry
Primary filler and 4pT6 beneficiary
DPS gain, higher mana cost; use by rule
Default Fire armor for critical strike chance
Stack into the selected burst window
Stacks with Bloodlust / Heroism
| Priority | Action | Failure condition |
|---|---|---|
1 | Establish five Improved Scorch stacks as assigned; coordinate if multiple Fire Mages exist. | A second Mage assumes ownership or the debuff falls during a burst. |
2 | Maintain five stacks with enough buffer for movement / target swaps. | Refreshing too early wastes casts; refreshing too late loses raid Fire damage. |
3 | Cast Fireball continuously. | Idle time, weak queueing or avoidable movement. |
4 | Use Fire Blast on cooldown only when mana and encounter range make it a real gain. | Going OOM before Molten Fury erases the gain. |
5 | Stack Combustion, Icy Veins, trinket, racial, Bloodlust and Drums; prioritize below 20% when it does not cost a use. | Waiting for execute and losing an entire activation. |
| Fire stat order | Application |
|---|---|
Hit to cap | Mandatory for Scorch and Fireball consistency. |
Haste | Extremely strong in Phase 3 Fire sets, but accelerates mana use. |
Spell damage | Reliable throughput; Runed Living Ruby is the normal red gem. |
Crit | Feeds Ignite, Master of Elements and Combustion. |
Intellect | Mana and crit, but below direct throughput stats for Fire. |
Presence supplies 1%. Do not count Improved Faerie Fire as spell hit in TBC.
05 - Raid plan
Execute, movement and AoE rules
The last 20% is stronger, but only living, active casters reach it with mana.
| Window | Default | Adjustment |
|---|---|---|
Open | Five Scorches, then Fireball. Pre-cast only when tank threat and pull timer are certain. | If another owner builds stacks, begin Fireball after confirming the shared plan. |
Major burn | Combustion + Icy Veins + trinket + racial + Bloodlust / Drums. | Use early if that gains a second activation; otherwise align to sub-20% Molten Fury. |
Movement | Refresh Scorch if genuinely needed; Fire Blast while moving; Blink only when it creates more casting uptime. | Do not spam expensive instants until mana breaks. |
Sub-20% | Maximize uninterrupted Fireball casts under Molten Fury. | Arrive with mana and cooldowns; do not conserve so hard that the boss dies with resources unused. |
| Target count / task | Spell plan | Control / threat rule |
|---|---|---|
2 targets | Usually keep primary Fireball focus unless both live long enough for separate value. | Scorch the assigned kill target; do not dilute boss uptime casually. |
Stacked waves | Flamestrike opener, then Blizzard or Arcane Explosion based on assignment, safety and AoE cap. | Tank control first. Wait for threat; use Subtlety cloak and Salvation. |
Front-loaded burst | Blast Wave and Dragon's Breath add instant AoE if the talent build and position allow. | Both place you closer to danger; never trade a death for a meter spike. |
Kiting | Improved Blizzard belongs to a dedicated control build, not the default 2/48/11 boss build. | If assigned, control uptime is the success metric. |
Ground AoE with initial hit plus burn
Safe ranged AoE; control if talented
High activity, high proximity and threat
Instant point-blank AoE with control
Frontal instant AoE / disorient
Emergency root; coordinate before using
06 - Gear & items
Four-piece T6 plus haste and hit
Fire's Phase 3 endpoint is Tempest Regalia, not the Arcane four-piece T5 package.
| Slot | Phase 3 target | Alternative / package note |
|---|---|---|
Head | Cowl of Illidari High Lord | Cowl of Tempest if the 4p set cannot be completed elsewhere. |
Shoulders | Mantle of Tempest | Mantle of Nimble Thought is a strong AoE off-piece after 4p. |
Back | Shroud of Highborne | Cloak of Illidari Council is about 20 DPS behind in the current guide but less contested. |
Chest | Robes of Tempest | Vestments of Sea-Witch / Robes of Rhonin if four pieces exist elsewhere. |
Wrists | Bracers of Nimble Thought | Cuffs of Devastation, Mindstorm or Vindicator's are bridges. |
Hands | Gloves of Tempest | Set anchor; Aldor / Flowing Thought gloves bridge hit. |
Waist | Belt of Blasting | Cord of Screaming Terrors; use Waistwrap / Noose only if hit is solved. |
Legs | Leggings of Tempest | Channeled Elements after 4p; Spellstrike bridge. |
Feet | Slippers of Seacaller | Boots of Blasting supply early hit. |
| Slot | Target | Decision |
|---|---|---|
Neck | Hellfire-Encased Pendant | Translucent Spellthread if hit; Eye / Twilight Owl for coordinated group value. |
Rings | Two Ring of Ancient Knowledge | Band of Eternal Sage and Captured Storms are practical alternatives. |
Trinkets | Skull of Gul'dan + Serpent-Coil Braid | Ashtongue if no hit is needed; Quagmirran's is accessible. |
Weapon | Zhar'doom | Tempest of Chaos + Chronicle if hit / loot path makes it the available package. |
Wand | Wand of Forgotten Star | Prismatic Focus close behind; Tirisfal Wand is a hit bridge. |
Fire directly converts the four-piece bonus on its primary filler, which is why the set is the Phase 3 anchor.
Open the current Fire Phase 3 Wowhead BiS guide
07 - Consumables
Gems, consumables, controls and logs
Fire's simple rotation makes every missing Scorch stack, idle global and wasted execute cast visible.
| Layer | Fire choice | Rule |
|---|---|---|
Flask | Flask of Pure Death | 80 Fire/Frost spell damage; persists through death. |
Food / oil | Basilisk / Serpent / Bluefish + Expired Wizard Oil | Standard spell-damage package. |
Potion | Super Mana Potion or Destruction Potion | Use Destruction only when mana-safe. |
Secondary | Flame Cap | Fire damage for 1 min, but shares cooldown with Mana Emerald and Healthstone. |
Red gem | Runed Living Ruby | Use spell damage for Fire; do not copy Arcane's Intellect gem plan. |
Meta / blue | Chaotic Skyfire Diamond + two qualifying blue gems | Timeless Nightseye or heroic Purified Tanzanite. |
Enchants | Arcanum, shoulder inscription, Subtlety, stats, spellpower, Runic, Boar's Speed, Sunfire | Enchanting rings add +24 total spell damage. |
| Log metric | Pass | Fail / fix |
|---|---|---|
Scorch | Five stacks established quickly and maintained near-continuously while the target is attackable. | Assign one owner and a backup; refresh with a buffer. |
Activity | Fireball queueing resumes immediately after every forced move. | Use movement planning and Blink to create casts, not just travel. |
Fire Blast | Used according to a mana-tested rule. | If it causes OOM before execute, reduce it. |
Cooldowns | Combustion, Icy Veins, trinket and haste buffs overlap a useful window. | Do not wait for sub-20% if that loses a whole use. |
Molten Fury | High Fireball uptime below 20% with mana remaining to cast. | Reach execute with a planned reserve. |
Survival | No avoidable deaths, clean decurses and assigned interrupts. | A dead Mage has zero execute uptime. |
SCORCH FOCUS / TARGET
#showtooltip Scorch
/cast [@focus,harm,nodead][harm,nodead] Scorch
FIRE BURST
#showtooltip Combustion
/use 13
/use 14
/cast Icy Veins
/cast Combustion
/cast Berserking
Choose the trinket/secondary-consumable package before the pull; do not discover the conflict during
Combustion.
08 - 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?
09 - Abilities
Utility that preserves the kill
The min-max Mage converts defensive and control tools into more living cast time for the entire raid.
Stopcasting focus interrupt; assigned casts first
Mouseover raid frames; Archimonde Grip duty
High mana and threat; use only on assigned buffs
Humanoid / beast control; track break timer
Immunity / debuff tool; does not replace mechanic execution
Threat fade and eventual wipe; damage can break it
Reposition, escape and cast-uptime tool
Carry Light Feathers; never replace encounter items blindly
Pre-ward known Fire damage when mana allows
Pre-ward known Frost damage when mana allows
Raid-lead buff plan only
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. |
10 - 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. |
Wave damage / control when assigned
Layered wave damage
Marked humanoid control
Stop dangerous wave casts
11 - 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. |
Kaz'rogal: preserve mana above zero
Reposition only into verified safe ground
Archimonde Grip of the Legion duty
Carry feathers; Tears remains the encounter standard
Emergency survival only within raid rules
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.
12 - 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. |
Supremus uptime and safe relocation
Pre-ward predictable Fire damage when useful
Emergency, not a substitute for position
Short exposed-boss burn
13 - 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. |
Reliquary / Council assignment
Zerevor protocol only when assigned
Mother separation and phase relocation
Reliquary P3 / general threat plan
14 - 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 |
15 - 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
Download the complete PDF edition
Keep the original designed handbook for offline reference. It includes the full layout, linked identification references and printable preparation cards.
PDF - 24 pages - 306 KB