Midnight Season 2
Ranged DPS

Mage · Arcane

Arcane is a cooldown-and-resource caster built around Arcane Surge, Touch of the Magi, Arcane Barrage, Arcane Salvo stacks, Clearcasting, and Arcane Charges. Spellslinger is the default Midnight profile, using Arcane Orb and Arcane Splinters to build 20-stack Barrages.

Checked 5 Sept 2026· 12.1.0. Last checked 39 days ago. No patch has landed since, but it is due another look.Last checked 39 days ago. No patch has landed since, but it is due another look.

Built from Blizzard Game Data APIsWarcraft LogsSimulationCraft

Guide contents
Spec briefing

How Arcane Mage wins

Arcane is a cooldown-and-resource caster built around Arcane Surge, Touch of the Magi, Arcane Barrage, Arcane Salvo stacks, Clearcasting, and Arcane Charges. Spellslinger is the default Midnight profile, using Arcane Orb and Arcane Splinters to build 20-stack Barrages.

Role
Ranged DPS
Stat lead
Intellect then Mastery
Single target
Spellslinger
Cleave / AoE
Spellslinger
Patch 12.1.0Updated Sep 5, 2026

Strong when

Plan around

  • Punishing if Arcane Salvo, Arcane Charges, mana, or cooldown timing are mismanaged
  • Movement during Arcane Surge / Touch windows costs real damage
  • Spellslinger and Sunfury have different Barrage rules, so build confusion is expensive
Patch 12.1.0

What changed for this spec

Blizzard says Orb Mastery had overtaken Clearcasting and pushed Arcane Missiles out of the rotation, so Orb Mastery is redesigned to fire 2 additional orbs at 50% effectiveness, and a new Apex Talent, Prismatic Bolt, is added: Arcane Barrage has a 1% chance per Arcane Salvo stack consumed to trigger it, it generates 4 Arcane Charges, and its later ranks grant Clearcasting and increase Arcane Missiles damage. Arcane Pulse is redesigned as an area damage and charge-regain button: 2 second cast, 8 yard radius, 15 second cooldown, 1 Arcane Charge for each enemy struck, and 10% of base mana, with its cast time, radius, mana cost, and cast speed no longer affected by Arcane Charges, and Impetus and Prodigious Savant no longer affecting it. Touch of the Archmage is removed. Refractive Images is a new defensive talent. Amplification moved below Presence of Mind / Slipstream in the talent tree, and Improved Clearcasting moved above Arcane Pulse, where Amplification was previously located.

3 things on this page name abilities the patch changed

These are flagged, not corrected. Rewriting a priority list needs a source this page does not have, so what is shown is where the guide and the patch notes disagree.

  • Arcane Pulse (rotation) The notes say "Arcane Pulse has been redesigned": cast time 2 seconds (was 2.25), radius 8 yards (was 2), a new 15-second cooldown, generates 1 Arcane Charge per enemy struck, costs 10% of base mana, and its cast time, radius, mana cost and cast speed are no longer affected by Arcane Charges. The notes also say "Impetus no longer affects Arcane Pulse" and "Prodigious Savant no longer affects Arcane Pulse".
  • Arcane Pulse (talents) Same redesign: "Arcane Pulse has been redesigned - Cast time reduced to 2 seconds (was 2.25 seconds). Radius increased to 8 yards (was 2 yards). Now has a 15-second cooldown, generates 1 Arcane Charge for each enemy struck, and costs 10% of base mana." Its tree position also changed: "Improved Clearcasting moved above Arcane Pulse in the talent tree".
  • Orb Mastery (talents) The notes say "Orb Mastery has been redesigned - Casting Arcane Orb fires 2 additional orbs at 50% effectiveness", and the developers' note explains the change was made because "Orb Mastery overtaking Clearcasting usage and pushing Arcane Missiles out of the rotation has shown to have a negative impact on overall talent selection and excitement".

Source: Blizzard, Curse of Ula'tek content update notes (https://worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com/en-us/news/24293281). Transcript: docs/apps/wow-god/research/patch-12.1/12.1.0-CLASSES-section.txt

Not re-verified for Season 2. This ordering was checked for patch 12.0.7. Patch 12.1 raised max-level player health and creature damage by 25% and deliberately moved power out of cooldowns into steady-state damage, either of which can move secondary weights. Open question: no Season 2 sim source has been checked, so the order below is last season's and is shown unchanged rather than guessed at.

Character setup

Stat priority and consumables

Item level and effect strength still matter. Use this ordering to break close choices, then re-check it after major gear swaps.

  1. 1.Intellect
  2. 2.Mastery
  3. 3.Haste
  4. 4.Critical Strike
  5. 5.Versatility

Intellect is your primary stat. Mastery is the best secondary because it increases maximum mana, mana regeneration, and Arcane spell damage. Haste smooths casts and GCDs. Critical Strike and Versatility usually trail, but exact weights can move with trinkets, crafted gear, and the hero tree.

Consumables

Flasks, food, potions, weapon oils, and runes for this build.

6 rows
FoodHarandar CelebrationDefault feast.FlaskFlask of the MagistersDefault Mastery flask.Combat potionLight's PotentialDefault combat potion.Health potionSilvermoon Health PotionCarry for raid and keys.WeaponThalassian Phoenix OilDefault weapon oil.Augment runeVoid-Touched Augment RuneUse for progression and high keys.

Priority order is from patch 12.0.7 and has not been re-derived for 12.1. Individual lines naming an ability that 12.1 removed or redesigned are annotated above; lines that 12.1 only retuned are unchanged, because a damage number moving does not by itself reorder a priority list.

Combat

Opener and priority

Use these as decision priorities, not a rigid cast sequence. Re-evaluate whenever targets, resources, procs, or mechanics change.

Core principles

  • Mana management: running out of mana is fine, especially after your miniburn - just Arcane Barrage to clear your Arcane Charges, throttle your mana spend, and move on. Your cooldowns give you all the mana your burst windows need.
  • Arcane Charges are built by Arcane Blast, Arcane Explosion, Arcane Pulse, Arcane Orb, Touch of the Magi, and (with High Voltage) Arcane Missiles; only Arcane Barrage or Charged Missiles clear them. Spending charges makes Barrage hit harder and cleave, but charges also raise Blast and Pulse mana costs - in AoE you usually build 4 charges and then Barrage.
  • Arcane Salvo: usually Barrage at max stacks, or alongside a way to quickly refund Salvo or Arcane Charges - learn your hero tree's Salvo interactions.
  • Don't sit on cooldowns: Arcane Surge refunds a huge amount of mana, and holding it causes a cascade of failures downstream. The cooldowns are short - squeeze in as many uses as possible.
Spellslinger (Orb Build)The recommended build for everything. Runs Orb Mastery, so Arcane Orb generates Salvo and you stop spending Clearcasting on Arcane Missiles.

Single-target priority

  1. 1.Arcane Orb - whenever you have just cast Arcane Barrage and have Clearcasting
  2. 2.Arcane Barrage - with 4 Arcane Charges if you have 20 stacks of Arcane Salvo
  3. 3.Presence of Mind - to squeeze out a faster Arcane Blast when you have no Arcane Charges or better generators
  4. 4.Arcane Blast
  5. 5.Arcane Barrage - if you do not have enough mana for Arcane Blast

AoE priority

  1. 1.Arcane Orb - whenever you have just cast Arcane Barrage and have Clearcasting
  2. 2.Arcane Barrage - with 4 Arcane Charges at 20 Arcane Salvo - spent charges make Barrage hit harder and cleave
  3. 3.Arcane Pulse - with 3 or more targets
  4. 4.Arcane Blast
  5. 5.Arcane Barrage - if you do not have enough mana for Arcane Blast

Opener

  1. 1.Cast Arcane Blast 2 seconds before the pull.
  2. 2.Cast Arcane Orb and Time Warp (coordinate Time Warp with your group).
  3. 3.Cast Arcane Blast until you have 20 stacks of Arcane Salvo.
  4. 4.Use any potions, items, or trinkets that buff you for more than 15 seconds.
  5. 5.Cast Arcane Surge.
  6. 6.Use any potions, items, or trinkets with buffs of 15 seconds or less.
  7. 7.Cast Arcane Barrage, then Touch of the Magi while the Barrage is mid-air.
  8. 8.45 seconds later, when Touch of the Magi's cooldown finishes, repeat the Barrage-into-Touch step (your miniburn).
Spellslinger (Missile Build)Runs High Voltage so Arcane Missiles generates Arcane Charges. Currently behind the Orb build; uses the same Spellslinger opener.

Single-target priority

  1. 1.Arcane Barrage - with 4 Arcane Charges if you have 20 stacks of Arcane Salvo
  2. 2.Arcane Barrage - with 4 Arcane Charges if you have 5+ Arcane Salvo, Clearcasting, and Overpowered Missiles
  3. 3.Arcane Missiles - whenever you have fewer than 10 stacks of Arcane Salvo or fewer than 3 Arcane Charges
  4. 4.Arcane Orb - whenever you have fewer than 4 Arcane Charges
  5. 5.Arcane Pulse - if you have 2 or more targets
  6. 6.Arcane Blast
  7. 7.Arcane Barrage - if you do not have enough mana for Arcane Blast

AoE priority

  1. 1.Arcane Barrage - with 4 Arcane Charges at 20 Arcane Salvo
  2. 2.Arcane Barrage - with 4 Arcane Charges if you have 5+ Arcane Salvo, Clearcasting, and Overpowered Missiles
  3. 3.Arcane Missiles - under 10 Salvo stacks or under 3 Arcane Charges
  4. 4.Arcane Orb - under 4 Arcane Charges
  5. 5.Arcane Pulse - with 2 or more targets
  6. 6.Arcane Blast
  7. 7.Arcane Barrage - if out of mana
SunfuryCurrently behind Spellslinger. Leans into Arcane Missiles with High Voltage and Overpowered Missiles, and delays Touch of the Magi to late in Arcane Surge so it covers the Arcane Soul window.

Single-target priority

  1. 1.Arcane Barrage - if Arcane Soul is active
  2. 2.Arcane Missiles - if you have Clearcasting and Arcane Surge is about to end
  3. 3.Arcane Barrage - with 4 Arcane Charges if you just cast Touch of the Magi or it is about to end
  4. 4.Arcane Barrage - with 4 Arcane Charges if you have 25 stacks of Arcane Salvo
  5. 5.Arcane Barrage - with 4 Arcane Charges, under 19 Salvo, and a Clearcasting proc - or with 3+ enemies and an available Arcane Orb charge
  6. 6.Arcane Missiles - whenever you have Clearcasting
  7. 7.Arcane Orb - whenever you have fewer than 2 Arcane Charges
  8. 8.Arcane Pulse - if you have 2 or more targets
  9. 9.Arcane Blast
  10. 10.Arcane Barrage - if you do not have enough mana for Arcane Blast

AoE priority

  1. 1.Arcane Barrage - if Arcane Soul is active
  2. 2.Arcane Barrage - with 4 Arcane Charges if you just cast Touch of the Magi, it is about to end, or you have 25 Salvo stacks
  3. 3.Arcane Barrage - with 4 Arcane Charges, 3+ enemies, and an available Arcane Orb charge
  4. 4.Arcane Missiles - whenever you have Clearcasting
  5. 5.Arcane Orb - under 2 Arcane Charges
  6. 6.Arcane Pulse - with 2 or more targets
  7. 7.Arcane Blast
  8. 8.Arcane Barrage - if out of mana

Opener

  1. 1.Time stat potions, racials, and trinkets so they last through Touch of the Magi (a 15-second effect goes about 3 seconds before Touch).
  2. 2.Cast Arcane Surge - this can be your prepull cast.
  3. 3.Cast Time Warp and follow the rotation, but hold 25 Arcane Salvo stacks for Touch.
  4. 4.Cast Touch of the Magi when Arcane Surge has 4-6 seconds remaining - no Arcane Barrage precast (because of Sunfury Execution, Barrage comes after instead).
  5. 5.45 seconds later, when Touch of the Magi's cooldown finishes, use it again.

Pre-combat checks

  • Cast Arcane Intellect on your group.
  • Double-check Arcane Familiar - it despawns on load screens even though Arcane Intellect does not.
  • Pre-apply Prismatic Barrier before combat.
  • If aggro is a concern, talent Mirror Image and use it before the pull - zero threat while the images are active.

Major cooldowns

Arcane Surge

  • Spends all your mana for a burst that hits 5 targets, then buffs you for 15 seconds with 35% additional spell damage and 425% mana regeneration.
  • Spellslinger: Splinterstorm makes the Surge hit generate 8 Arcane Splinters and doubles Splinter generation during the buff - Splinters are the fuel that makes Spellslinger work.
  • Sunfury: casting Surge consumes your Spellfire Spheres into the buff, spawns an Arcane Phoenix, and when Surge ends you gain Arcane Soul and Ashes of Inspiration - which is why Sunfury casts Touch of the Magi late in the Surge window.

Touch of the Magi

  • Short 45-second cooldown that anchors your miniburns - use it essentially on cooldown and squeeze in as many casts as possible.
  • Spellslinger: cast Arcane Barrage first and press Touch of the Magi while the Barrage is mid-air.
  • Sunfury: skip the Barrage precast (Sunfury Execution) and Barrage after instead; delay Touch until Arcane Surge has 4-6 seconds left so it covers Arcane Soul.
  • Pick Touch targets that will survive the explosion and follow-up damage.

Advanced tips

Optimizing Damage as Arcane

  • Plan around Arcane Salvo: think a few seconds ahead - will adds spawn that need to die fast, or die before your spender lands? More adds generally means more damage, even to your main target, thanks to Resonance.
  • React quickly to mechanics: plan your Shimmer path and destination and combine it with stutter stepping to minimize downtime.
  • Prismatic Barrier is a must-cast defensive - it only takes 0.5 seconds now, and you cannot deal damage while dead.
  • Alter Time is a strong defensive, and double-tapping it also works as mobility to keep up with more mobile classes.
  • Your cooldown window only needs about 18 seconds for Spellslinger (up to 26 for Sunfury) and 18 seconds for miniburns - do not hold Touch of the Magi or Arcane Surge for long.

Always Be Casting

  • Stutter step: move in the gaps between casts rather than standing idle or interrupting casts - most damage problems are downtime problems.
  • Leave the spellqueue window at its default 0.4 seconds and always have the next spell queued before your current cast ends - seamless casting is worth far more than a shorter queue window.

Import strings were built for patch 12.0.7 and have NOT been re-verified for 12.1. Nobody authoritative publishes import strings, so none was rewritten here rather than invented. Patch 12.1 moved or removed talents in several trees, so a string may import a build that no longer exists. Check the listed key talents against the 12.1 changes above before importing.

Build

Talents and hero trees

Use Spellslinger for the single-target profile below and Spellslinger when cleave or adds make its toolkit more valuable.

Recommended starting profiles

Single-target: Spellslinger

Spellslinger is the recommended default, built around Arcane Splinters, Arcane Orb, Polished Focus, and 20-stack Arcane Barrages.

  • Spellslinger hero tree
  • Stat priority: Intellect > Mastery
  • Interrupt: Counterspell

Multi-target: Spellslinger

Spellslinger is also recommended for Mythic+ and cleave. Sunfury is playable, but its Arcane Soul and 25-stack Barrage rhythm is easier to desync.

  • Spellslinger hero tree
  • Prioritize AoE and add-swap talents
  • Interrupt: Counterspell

Talent builds and import strings

Start with the profile matching your content. Boss and dungeon tabs in the gear section show the exact loadout used for each ranked result. A build with no import string has not had one exported for this patch; the key talents below are the build.

Open talent calculator

Pure Single-Target - Spellslinger

Recommended single-target build. Arcane Orb and Arcane Splinters build Arcane Salvo so Arcane Barrage can be fired at the correct 20-stack threshold.

SpellslingerArcane SurgeTouch of the MagiArcane OrbOrb MasteryArcane SalvoPolished FocusArcane Barrage
In-game import string
C4DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYGGLzMzswMDamxAAAwAAgAmZmZZZmJWAAYbMzMjZbxyMzMmZMGzMjxCzMzMzAAMAAAmZBAMDAGG
Open in talent calculator →Raid BiS equipment ↓

Mythic+ / Raid Cleave - Spellslinger

Recommended cleave and dungeon build. Adds Arcane Pulse for 3+ targets while keeping the Spellslinger Salvo/Barrage engine intact.

SpellslingerArcane PulseArcane OrbOrb MasteryArcane SalvoPolished FocusTouch of the MagiArcane Barrage
In-game import string
C4DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMzwMLzMzsgZGamxAAAwAAgAmZmZZZmJWAAYbGzMjZzsMzMjZGjhZmZswMzMPwMAADAAgZWAAzAghB
Open in talent calculator →Live Mythic+ gear →

Optional - Sunfury

Playable if you prefer Arcane Phoenix and Arcane Soul, but it requires a different 25-stack Salvo rhythm and a delayed Touch setup near the end of Arcane Surge.

SunfuryArcane PhoenixArcane SoulArcane SurgeTouch of the MagiArcane MissilesArcane Barrage
Open in talent calculator →Raid BiS equipment ↓

Complete talent referenceshow

Every class, specialization, and hero-tree talent from Blizzard game data. Active and choice talents stay open; passive nodes remain searchable and expand on demand.

Build a custom loadout
Talent type

Mage class tree

Shared class talents, including throughput, control, defensives, and movement.

50 of 50 shown

Active and choice talents

Prismatic BarrierActiveShields you with an arcane force, absorbing 9,165 damage and reducing magic damage taken by 15% for 1 min. The duration of harmful Magic effects against you is reduced by 25%.Alter TimeActiveAlters the fabric of time, returning you to your current location and health when cast a second time, or after 10 sec. Effect negated by long distance or death.Ice BlockActiveEncases you in a block of ice, protecting you from all attacks and damage for 10 sec, but during that time you cannot attack, move, or cast spells. Causes Hypothermia, preventing you from recasting Ice Block for 30 sec.Time WalkChoiceAlter Time resets the cooldown of Blink and Shimmer when you return to your original location.Temporal RealignmentChoiceWhen your health is brought below 25%, your past self corrects your timeline if Alter Time is not on cooldown, instantly restoring 20% of your maximum health and healing you for an additional 30% over 6 sec. This effect places Alter Time on cooldown as if it had been cast.Mirror ImageActiveCreates 3 copies of you nearby for 15 sec, which cast spells and attack your enemies. While active, you generate significantly reduced threat. Taking direct damage will cause one of your images to dissipate.SpellstealActiveSteals a beneficial magic effect from the target. This effect lasts a maximum of 2 min.Dragon's BreathChoiceEnemies in a 12 yd cone in front of you take 281 Fire damage and are disoriented for 4 sec. Damage will cancel the effect.SupernovaChoicePulses arcane energy around the target enemy or ally, dealing 176 Arcane damage to all enemies within 8 yds, and knocking them upward. A primary enemy target will take 100% increased damage.Remove CurseActiveRemoves all Curses from a friendly target. ShimmerChoiceTeleports you 20 yds forward, unless something is in the way. Unaffected by the global cooldown and castable while casting.Improved BlinkChoiceBlink's cooldown is reduced by 2 sec.Greater InvisibilityActiveMakes you invisible and untargetable for 20 sec, removing all threat. Any action taken cancels this effect.Improved Frost NovaChoiceFrost Nova duration is increased by 2 sec.Ice WardChoiceFrost Nova gains an additional charge.Freezing ColdChoiceEnemies hit by Cone of Cold are frozen in place for 5 sec instead of snared. When your roots expire or are dispelled, your target is snared by 80%, decaying over 3 sec.Ice NovaChoiceCauses a whirl of icy wind around the enemy, dealing 582 Frost damage to the target and all other enemies within 8 yds, freezing them in place for 2 sec. Damage reduced beyond 8 targets.Ring of FrostChoiceSummons a Ring of Frost for 10 sec at the target location. Enemies entering the ring are incapacitated for 10 sec. Limit 10 targets. When the incapacitate expires, enemies are slowed by 65% for 4 sec.Mass PolymorphChoiceTransforms all enemies within 10 yds into sheep, wandering around incapacitated for 15 sec. While affected, the victims cannot take actions but will regenerate health very quickly. Damage will cancel the effect. Only works on Beasts, Humanoids and Critters.Mass InvisibilityActiveYou and your allies within 40 yards instantly become invisible for 12 sec. Taking any action will cancel the effect. Does not affect allies in combat.Spatial ManipulationChoiceBlink gains an additional charge.ReflectionChoiceAfter casting Blink, it is replaced with Reflection for 8 sec. Reflection Teleports you back to where you last Blinked. Castable while casting and unaffected by the global cooldown.

Passive talents

Master of TimePassive2 ranksAlter Time's cooldown is reduced by 10 sec. Winter's ProtectionPassive2 ranksIce Block's cooldown is reduced by 60 sec.Frost ConditioningPassiveHypothermia's duration is reduced by 10 sec.Arcane WardingPassive2 ranksMagic damage taken reduced by 8%.Inspired IntellectPassiveArcane Intellect grants you an additional 2% Intellect.Quick WittedPassiveCounterspell's cooldown is reduced by 5 sec.Improved ConjurationPassive2 ranksMirror Image's cooldown is reduced by 60 sec.Improved SpellstealPassiveSpellsteal repeats its effect after 4 sec, but it now has a cooldown of 4.0 sec.Improved CounterspellPassiveCounterspell prevents casting for an additional 1.0 sec.Overflowing EnergyPassiveEach time your Arcane Barrage fails to critically strike, it gains 10% increased critical strike chance. Critical strike bonus is removed when the affected spell critically strikes.Improved Remove CursePassiveCasting Remove Curse on a friendly target also casts it on yourself, but its cooldown is increased by 20 sec.Captured ThoughtsPassiveThe duration of Clearcasting is increased by 10 sec.Tome of RhoninPassiveCritical strike chance by 2%.Improved WardingPassiveDamage taken from area of effect attacks reduced by 4%.Tome of AntonidasPassiveHaste increased by 2%. Incantation of SwiftnessPassive2 ranksInvisibility increases your movement speed by 40% for 6 sec.Master of EscapePassiveInvisibility's cooldown is reduced by 60 sec.Charm of AegwynnPassiveThe critical strike damage of your spells is increased by 5%.BrainstormPassiveGaining Clearcasting increases your Intellect by 1% for 8 sec. Multiple instances may overlap.Flow of TimePassiveBlink's cooldown is reduced by 3 sec.Mana ConfluencePassiveYour mana costs are reduced by 5%.Charm of MedivhPassiveMastery increased by 3%.Permafrost BaublePassiveIce Block's cooldown is reduced by 30 sec.Time ManipulationPassiveThe cooldowns of your loss of control spells are reduced by 5 sec.Energized BarriersPassiveCasting Prismatic Barrier removes all snare effects.Barrier DiffusionPassiveWhen Prismatic Barrier is removed, its remaining cooldown is reduced by 5 sec.Ice ColdPassiveYour blood runs cold, reducing all damage you take by 70% for 6 sec. Does not incur the Global Cooldown. Causes Hypothermia, preventing you from recasting Ice Cold for 30 sec.Improved Prismatic BarrierPassivePrismatic Barrier gains an additional charge and further reduces magic damage taken by 5%.

Arcane specialization tree

Every Arcane talent currently exposed by Blizzard game data.

42 of 42 shown

Active and choice talents

Arcane MissilesActiveRequires Clearcasting Launches 5 waves of Arcane Missiles at the enemy over 2.2 sec, causing a total of 2,217 Arcane damage.Arcane PulseActiveA pulse of Arcane magic erupts from underneath your target, dealing 2,490 Arcane damage to all enemies within 8 yds. Damage reduced beyond 5 targets. Generates 1 Arcane Charge for each enemy struck.Arcane SurgeActiveExpend all of your current mana to annihilate your enemy target and nearby enemies for up to 3,844 Arcane damage based on Mana spent. Deals reduced damage beyond 8 targets. For the next 15 sec, your Mana regeneration is increased by 425% and spell damage is increased by 35%. Generates Clearcasting.Arcane OrbActiveLaunches an Arcane Orb forward from your position, traveling up to 40 yds, dealing 1,250 Arcane damage to enemies it passes through. Grants 1 Arcane Charge when cast and every time it deals damage.Presence of MindChoiceCauses your next 2 Arcane Blasts to be instant cast.SlipstreamChoiceArcane Missiles and Evocation can now be channeled while moving.Touch of the MagiActiveApplies Touch of the Magi to your current target, accumulating 20% of the damage you deal to the target for 12 sec, and then exploding for that amount of Arcane damage to the target and reduced damage to all nearby enemies. Generates 4 Arcane Charges.Aegwynn's TechniqueChoiceCasting Touch of the Magi grants Clearcasting.Arcane EchoChoiceDirect damage you deal to enemies affected by Touch of the Magi, causes an explosion that deals 42 Arcane damage to all nearby enemies. Deals reduced damage beyond 8 targets.EvocationChoiceIncreases your mana regeneration by 1,500% for 2.7 sec.Mana AdeptChoiceArcane Barrage grants you 2.0% of your maximum mana per Arcane Charge spent.High VoltageChoiceEach wave of Arcane Missiles has a 50% chance to grant you 1 Arcane Charge. Arcane Missiles damage increased by 20%.Charged MissilesChoiceEach wave of Arcane Missiles will consume an Arcane Charge to increase its damage by 40%.Prismatic BoltActiveArcane Barrage has a 1% chance per stack of Arcane Salvo consumed to replace your next Arcane Blast with Prismatic Bolt. Prismatic Bolt Devastates the target with overwhelming energy, dealing 16,708 Arcane damage to them and 10,564 Arcane damage to other nearby enemies. Damage reduced beyond 5 targets. Generates 4 Arcane Charges.

Passive talents

Concentrated PowerPassiveArcane Missiles channels 20% faster.Arcane SalvoPassiveEach wave of Arcane Missiles increases the damage of Arcane Barrage by 3%, up to 60%.Improved ClearcastingPassiveClearcasting can stack up to 2 additional times.Refractive ImagesPassive10% of damage you would take is instead dealt over 8 sec. Casting Mirror Image increases this effect to 30% for 15 sec.Arcing CleavePassiveFor each Arcane Charge, Arcane Barrage hits 1 additional nearby target for 40% damage.ReverberatePassiveArcane Pulse has a 50% chance to repeat its explosion at 30% effectiveness.Mana BombPassiveArcane Surge's damage is increased by an additional 50% based on your mana spent.Arcane FamiliarPassiveCasting Arcane Intellect summons a Familiar that attacks your enemies and increases your maximum mana by 10% for 1 hour.Charged OrbPassiveArcane Orb gains 1 additional charge. Arcane Orb damage increased by 15%.IntuitionPassiveUpon reaching maximum stacks of Arcane Salvo, your next Arcane Barrage deals 25% increased damage.AmplificationPassiveArcane Missiles fires 2 additional missiles.Energized FamiliarPassiveDuring Arcane Surge, your Arcane Familiar fires 4 bolts instead of 1. Damage from your Arcane Familiar has a 6% chance to restore 2% of your maximum mana.Expanded MindPassiveCasting Arcane Blast or Arcane Pulse grants 2 stacks of Arcane Salvo. Casting Arcane Orb grants 1 stack of Arcane Salvo. Casting Prismatic Bolt grants 4 stacks of Arcane Salvo.Consortium's BaublePassiveReduces Arcane Blast's mana cost by 5% and increases its damage by 8%.Arcane TempoPassiveHaste increased by 2%.Aether AttunementPassive2 ranksArcane Missiles now damages 4 additional targets at 50% effectiveness.ResonancePassiveArcane Barrage deals 8% increased damage per target it hits beyond the first.ImpetusPassiveArcane Blast generates an additional Arcane Charge.EnlightenedPassiveArcane damage dealt is increased based on your current mana, up to 6% at full mana. Mana Regen is increased based on your current mana, up to 20% when out of mana.Focusing CrystalPassiveEach wave of Arcane Missiles has a 50% chance to grant 1 additional stack of Arcane Salvo.Illuminated ThoughtsPassiveClearcasting has a 3% increased chance to proc.Prodigious SavantPassive2 ranksArcane Charges increase the damage of Arcane Blast and Arcane Barrage by an additional 20%.EurekaPassiveWhen a spell consumes Clearcasting, its damage is increased by 20%.Arcane SingularityPassive2 ranksArcane Salvo damage bonus increased by 4%. Arcane Salvo: Increases the damage of your next Arcane Barrage by 3%.Overflowing InsightPassiveThe damage of Arcane Blast and Arcane Pulse are increased by 15%, but their mana costs are increased by 25%.Overpowered MissilesPassiveGaining Clearcasting has a 25% chance to cause your next Arcane Missiles to be Overpowered, causing it to deal 100% increased damage, generate maximum stacks of Arcane Salvo, and strike 3 additional targets at 50% effectiveness.Orb MasteryPassiveCasting Arcane Orb fires 2 additional Arcane Orbs at 50% effectiveness.Orb BarragePassiveArcane Barrage has a 4% chance per stack of Arcane Salvo to launch an Arcane Orb in front of you at 100% effectiveness.

Sunfury

Sunfury hero talents, including every active, choice, and passive node exposed by Blizzard.

17 of 17 shown

Active and choice talents

Merely a SetbackChoiceThe bonuses provided by your Barrier spells persist at 100% effectiveness for an additional 8 sec after your Barrier is removed.Time TwistChoiceAlter Time's cooldown is reduced by 10 sec.Savor the MomentChoiceWhen you cast Arcane Surge, its duration is extended by 0.8 sec for each Spellfire Sphere you have, up to 2.4 sec.Sunfury ExecutionChoiceArcane Barrage deals 5% increased damage to enemies affected by your Touch of the Magi.Lessons in DebilitationChoiceYour Arcane Phoenix has picked up a few tricks, and will Spellsteal when it is summoned and when it expires.Explosive PotentialChoiceAfter casting Arcane Surge, your next Blink will cause a Blast Wave at your previous location, dealing 225 Fire damage, knocking enemies back 8 yds, and slowing them by 70% for 6 sec.

Passive talents

Ashes of InspirationPassiveEach time your Phoenix casts a spell, gain 1 stack of Mana Cascade. Exceptional spells grant 1 additional stack.Burden of PowerPassiveArcane Blast damage increased by 30%. Arcane Pulse damage increased by 20%.Codex of the SunstridersPassiveWhen your Arcane Phoenix is summoned, it consumes all your Spellfire Spheres. Each Sphere consumed increases your spell damage during Arcane Surge by 1% and causes your Arcane Phoenix to cast an exceptional Arcane or Fire spell over its duration.Memory of Al'arPassiveWhen your Arcane Phoenix expires it empowers you, granting Arcane Soul for 4.0 sec. Arcane Soul: Arcane Barrage grants Clearcasting and generates 4 Arcane Charges. Each cast of Arcane Barrage grants 5 stacks of Arcane Salvo and casting Arcane Barrage does not consume Arcane Salvo.Spellfire SpheresPassiveCasting a damaging spell has a 6% chance to conjure a Spellfire Sphere. While you're out of combat, you will slowly conjure Spellfire Spheres over time. Spellfire Sphere Increases your spell damage by 1.0%. Stacks up to 3 times.RondurmancyPassiveYour chance to generate a Spellfire Sphere is increased by 6%. Spellfire Spheres grant an additional 1% spell damage.Invocation: Arcane PhoenixPassiveWhen you cast Arcane Surge, summon an Arcane Phoenix to aid you in battle. Arcane Phoenix Your Arcane Phoenix aids you for the duration of your Arcane Surge, casting random Arcane and Fire spells.Mana CascadePassiveCasting Arcane Blast, Arcane Pulse, Arcane Barrage, or Prismatic Bolt grants you 0.5% Haste for 6 sec. Multiple applications may overlap.Spellfire SalvoPassiveArcane Salvo can stack 5 additional times. Meteorite damage increased by 15%.PyrocosmPassiveEach wave of Arcane Missiles has a 10% chance to summon a Meteorite. When a Meteorite lands, you have a 5% chance to gain Clearcasting.Glorious IncandescencePassiveArcane Barrage summons 1 Meteorite for every 5 Arcane Salvo stacks consumed. Meteorite Calls down a meteorite which lands at the target location after 3 sec, dealing 436 Fire damage to all enemies hit, reduced beyond 8 targets.

Spellslinger

Spellslinger hero talents, including every active, choice, and passive node exposed by Blizzard.

17 of 17 shown

Passive talents

SplinterstormPassiveCasting Arcane Surge conjures 8 Arcane Splinters. During Arcane Surge, your chance to conjure an additional Arcane Splinter is increased to 100%.Spellfrost TeachingsPassiveDirect damage from Arcane Splinters reduces the cooldown of Arcane Orb by 0.30 sec.Controlled InstinctsPassive40% of the direct damage dealt by an Arcane Splinter is also dealt to nearby enemies. Damage reduced beyond 5 targets.Signature SpellPassiveArcane Blast and Arcane Pulse damage increased by 15%. Casting Touch of the Magi conjures 4 Arcane Splinters.Archmage's WrathPassiveArcane Surge damage increased by 30%. Your chance to gain Clearcasting is increased by 3%.Splintering OrbsPassiveEnemies damaged by your Arcane Orb conjure 2 Arcane Splinters, up to 4. Arcane Orb damage is increased by 50%.Augury AboundsPassiveConjuring one or more Arcane Splinters has a 10% chance to conjure a burst of 8 Arcane Splinters.Force of WillPassiveCasting Arcane Barrage conjures an Arcane Splinter for every 5 Arcane Salvo stacks consumed.Splintering SorceryPassiveCasting Arcane Blast or Arcane Pulse conjures an Arcane Splinter. Arcane Splinter: Conjure raw Arcane magic into a sharp projectile that deals 225 Arcane damage. Polished FocusPassiveCasting Arcane Barrage while at 20 or more Arcane Salvo stacks refunds 3 Arcane Salvo stacks. Arcane Barrage damage increased by 15%.Infused SplintersPassiveDirect damage from Arcane Splinters has a 25% chance to grant 1 stack Arcane Salvo. Arcane Salvo Increases the damage of your next Arcane Barrage by 3%.

Frostfire

Frostfire hero talents, including every active, choice, and passive node exposed by Blizzard.

18 of 18 shown

Active and choice talents

Elemental AffinityChoiceBlizzard does not currently expose a description for this node.Flame and FrostChoiceIce Block and Ice Cold reset the cooldowns of your Fire spells. Cauterize resets the cooldown of your Frost spells with a base cooldown shorter than 4 minutes when it activates.Frostfire BoltActiveLaunches a bolt of frostfire at the enemy, causing 1,091 Frostfire damage, slowing movement speed by 50%, and causing an additional 102 Frostfire damage over 8 sec.Thermal ConditioningChoiceFrostfire Bolt's cast time is reduced by 10%.Severe TemperaturesChoiceFrostfire Empowerment stacks 1 additional time and it causes Frostfire Bolt to explode for an additional 20% of its damage.Imbued WardingChoiceBlizzard does not currently expose a description for this node.MeltdownChoiceYou melt slightly out of your Ice Block and Ice Cold, allowing you to move slowly during Ice Block and increasing your movement speed over time. Ice Block and Ice Cold trigger a Blazing Barrier when they end.Frostfire BoltActiveLaunches a bolt of frostfire at the enemy, causing 1,084 Frostfire damage, slowing movement speed by 50%, and causing an additional 102 Frostfire damage over 8 sec.

Passive talents

Flash FreezeburnPassiveMeteor's damage is increased by 25%. Meteor now grants Frostfire Empowerment.Dualcasting AdeptPassiveYour Frost and Fire spells deal 20% increased critical strike damage. Ice Lance and Pyroblast have their damage increased by 40%.Isothermic CorePassiveMeteor now also calls down a Comet Storm, dealing 2,762 Frost damage to nearby enemies. Comet Storm now also calls down a Meteor, dealing 2,690 Fire damage to nearby enemies.Blast RadiusPassiveThe damage of Meteor and Comet Storm is increased.Heat SinkPassiveFlurry and Fire Blast now deal Frostfire damage and their damage is increased by 15%.Frostfire InfusionPassiveFrostfire Bolt grants Brain Freeze 5% more often and its critical strike chance is increased by 15%. The damage of your Frost spells and Fire spells are increased by 4%.Frostfire EmpowermentPassiveCasting Frostfire spells has a 10% chance to activate Frostfire Empowerment, causing your next Frostfire Bolt to be instant cast, deal 60% increased damage, and explode for 60% of its damage to nearby enemies. Damage reduced beyond 5 targets. Damage from Frostfire Empowerment applies 1 stack of Freezing.Elemental ConduitPassiveMeteor and Pyroblast now apply Ignite. Haste increased by 2%.Molten ChillPassiveYour Frostfire spells apply Ignite at 10% increased effectiveness.DualityPassiveCasting Glacial Spike also casts a Pyroblast, dealing 3,766 Fire damage.
Gear

Boss and dungeon loadouts

Switch between raid and Mythic+ to inspect the top player for every available encounter: exact talents, source link, item level, enchant and socket counts, and the player's gear.

Season 2 class set

datamined. Read out of the game's spell data and republished by Wowhead. Blizzard does not publish set bonus text, so there is no first-party version to compare it against.
2-piece
Arcane Missiles fires 1 additional Missile and deals 5% increased damage.
4-piece
Each wave of Arcane Missiles increases the damage of your next Arcane Blast, Arcane Pulse, or Prismatic Bolt by 3%, up to 24%.

Source: Wowhead spell pages, retrieved 2026-09-05. spell 1296581, spell 1296582. Third party, not Blizzard. If one of these is wrong, check the overview page and tell us.

Loading verified raid results

Pulling the top Warcraft Logs result, exact talents, and equipment for each boss.

Editorial acquisition targets

Use these slot targets when planning drops and crafted pieces. The encounter explorer above remains the source for the exact gear worn by each ranked player.

Season 1 acquisition targets, not re-verified for Season 2. The rows below name Season 1 items at their Season 1 item levels and are accurate as that; they are not Season 2 recommendations. Season 2's raid is The Venomous Abyss (8 bosses, Nek'zali the Soulcoiler through Ula'tek). Confirmed Season 2 raid item levels run 279 (Raid Finder, first boss) to 344 (Mythic, last two bosses and Very Rare drops), with Normal 292-302, Heroic 305-315 and the Great Vault paying 292/305/318/334 by difficulty. Open question: per-slot best-in-slot for Season 2 needs a sim source, and none was reachable.

Raid acquisition targets

16 slots
Best tier helm or high-track cloth helm
Head
298
Tier or Mastery / HasteRune of Avoidance
Raid tier / catalyst
Best socketed neck
Neck
298
Mastery / HasteTelluric Eversong DiamondFlawless Quick Amethyst
Raid, Sporefall, dungeon, or crafted
Best tier shoulders
Shoulder
298
TierAmirdrassil's Grace
Raid tier / catalyst
Highest item-level cloak
Back
298
Mastery / Haste or Mastery / Crit
Raid, dungeon, or crafted
Best tier chest
Chest
298
TierMark of the Worldsoul
Raid tier / catalyst
Crafted or high-track cloth bracers
Wrist
298
Custom Mastery / HasteTailoring
Tailoring / dungeon
Best tier gloves
Hands
298
Tier
Raid tier / catalyst
High-track cloth belt
Waist
298
Mastery / Haste
Raid, dungeon, or crafted
Best tier legs or high-track cloth legs
Legs
298
Tier or Mastery / HasteArcanoweave Spellthread
Raid tier / catalyst
High-track cloth boots
Feet
298
Mastery / HasteLynx's Dexterity
Raid, dungeon, or crafted
Socketed Mastery / Haste ring
Finger
298
Mastery / HasteEyes of the EagleFlawless Quick Garnet
Raid, dungeon, or crafted
Socketed Mastery / Crit ring
Finger
298
Mastery / Critical StrikeEyes of the EagleFlawless Deadly Peridot
Raid, dungeon, or crafted
Best burst caster trinket
Trinket
298
Intellect / burst
Raid / Sporefall / vault
Best passive caster trinket
Trinket
298
Passive caster damage
Raid / dungeon / vault
Highest item-level caster weapon
Weapon
298
Intellect / Mastery / HasteAcuity of the Ren'dorei
Raid, dungeon, crafted, or vault
Highest item-level off-hand
Off-Hand
298
Intellect / Mastery / Haste
Raid, dungeon, crafted, or vault

Season 1 acquisition targets, not re-verified for Season 2. The dungeons named below are the Season 1 pool and are not in Season 2 rotation. Season 2 runs Altar of Fangs (new in 12.1), Murder Row, Den of Nalorakk, The Blinding Vale, Voidscar Arena, Temple of Sethraliss, Kings' Rest and Ruby Life Pools. Confirmed Season 2 keystone item levels: +2 through +3 pay 295 end-of-run and 305 in the vault, rising to 311 end-of-run and 318 in the vault at +10 and above. Open question: per-slot best-in-slot for Season 2 needs a sim source, and none was reachable.

Mythic+ acquisition targets

16 slots
Best tier helm or high-track cloth helm
Head
298
Tier or Mastery / HasteRune of Avoidance
Raid tier / catalyst
Socketed Mastery / Haste neck
Neck
298
Mastery / HasteTelluric Eversong Diamond
Dungeon, Sporefall, crafted, or vault
Best tier shoulders
Shoulder
298
TierAmirdrassil's Grace
Raid tier / catalyst
High-track cloak
Back
298
Mastery / Haste
Dungeon or crafted
Best tier chest
Chest
298
TierMark of the Worldsoul
Raid tier / catalyst
Crafted cloth bracers
Wrist
298
Custom Mastery / HasteTailoring
Tailoring
Best tier gloves
Hands
298
Tier
Raid tier / catalyst
High-track cloth belt
Waist
298
Mastery / Haste
Dungeon or vault
Best tier legs or Mastery legs
Legs
298
Tier or MasteryArcanoweave Spellthread
Raid tier / catalyst
High-track cloth boots
Feet
298
Mastery / HasteLynx's Dexterity
Dungeon or vault
Socketed Mastery / Haste ring
Finger
298
Mastery / HasteEyes of the EagleFlawless Quick Garnet
Dungeon or crafted
Socketed Mastery / Crit ring
Finger
298
Mastery / Critical StrikeEyes of the EagleFlawless Deadly Peridot
Dungeon or crafted
AoE burst caster trinket
Trinket
298
AoE / Intellect
Dungeon / vault
Passive Intellect trinket
Trinket
298
Passive caster damage
Dungeon / vault
Highest item-level caster weapon
Weapon
298
Intellect / Mastery / HasteAcuity of the Ren'dorei
Dungeon, crafted, or vault
Highest item-level off-hand
Off-Hand
298
Intellect / Mastery / Haste
Dungeon, crafted, or vault
Enhancements

Enchants

Choose enhancements after your equipment is settled. Secondary-stat enchant choices move with your current stat mix and the content you are preparing for.

Recommended enchants
7 recommendations
Acuity of the Ren'doreiWeapon enchant - +53 Primary Stat for 15 sec when Might of the Void triggersWeapon - Default weapon enchant.EnchantingRune of AvoidanceHelm - Default helm enchant.EnchantingAmirdrassil's GraceShoulders - Default shoulder enchant.InscriptionMark of the Worldsoul+50 Primary StatChest - Default caster chest enchant.EnchantingArcanoweave Spellthread+32 Intellect - +3% maximum ManaLegs - Caster leg enhancement.TailoringLynx's Dexterity+19 Avoidance - +232 StaminaBoots - Default boot enchant.EnchantingEyes of the Eagle+2% critical strike effectivenessRings - Default Arcane ring enchant.Enchanting
Enhancements

Gems

Socket into the current stat priority, then re-check after major equipment swaps rather than treating a gem choice as permanent.

Recommended gems
5 recommendations
Telluric Eversong Diamond+23 Primary Stat - +1% Maximum Mana per unique Midnight gem colorDefault unique diamond.JewelcraftingFlawless Deadly Peridot+16 Haste - +7 Critical StrikeCrit color-spread gem.JewelcraftingFlawless Quick Amethyst+16 Mastery - +7 HasteHaste color-spread gem.JewelcraftingFlawless Quick Garnet+16 Critical Strike - +7 HasteHaste color-spread gem.JewelcraftingFlawless Deadly Lapis+16 Versatility - +7 Critical StrikeCrit color-spread gem.Jewelcrafting
Crafting

Embellishments

Crafted effects are capped at two equipped embellishments. Lock these in only after deciding which crafted slots survive your next raid or Mythic+ upgrades.

Recommended embellishments
3 recommendations
Use two throughput embellishments once your crafted slots are settled.Throughput crafted embellishmentCrafted cloth - Choose after weapon, tier, and trinkets are settled; sim exact crafted pairs.TailoringStat-focused crafted slotCrafted armor - Use crafted stats to fix Mastery/Haste/Crit balance.Tailoring
Survival and control

Utility, defensives, and movement

Your Mage toolkit is part of the rotation whenever it prevents lost uptime, lethal damage, or an enemy cast.

Defensives

Utility & CC

Movement

Time Warp is a solo Bloodlust; Ice Block is a full immunity that also clears a lethal cast.

Interrupt: Counterspell - grab a focus-interrupt macro on the Arcane macros page.

Execution

Interface and macros

Use interface changes only when they expose a decision sooner: resources, procs, defensives, dispels, interrupts, and encounter assignments.

Better Blizzplates - cleaner, threat-colored nameplates with cast bars and cooldown text - the nameplate upgrade nearly every top player runs.
OmniCD - party and enemy defensive/utility cooldown tracking - the biggest information edge the base UI still does not show.
Mythic Dungeon Tools - build and follow pull-by-pull Mythic+ routes.
Details! (optional) - deep damage/healing breakdowns and Warcraft Logs uploads beyond Midnight's built-in meter.
Hekili - optional priority helper - great for learning a new spec's rotation.

Focus interrupt

#showtooltip Counterspell
/cast [@focus,harm,nodead][] Counterspell
Full addon guide →Arcane macros →Keybind setups →

Written for patch 12.0.7. Patch 12.1 increased max-level player health and creature damage by 25% and made crowd-control diminishing returns reset after 20 seconds instead of 16, so defensive timing and crowd-control advice on this page is the most likely to have moved. Source: Curse of Ula'tek content update notes, https://worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com/en-us/news/24293281.

Execution review

What improves results

  • Do not use the old Radiant Spark flow. Arcane's modern damage revolves around Arcane Surge, Touch, Salvo, Barrage, and hero-tree rules.
  • Spellslinger Arcane Orb should be paired with Clearcasting; otherwise you lose a major part of the triple-Orb value.
  • Track Arcane Salvo stacks. Barraging at 18 as Spellslinger or 23 as Sunfury is usually not 'close enough'.
  • Touch of the Magi target selection matters. If the target dies before the follow-up pulse finishes, you lose value.
  • Use Shimmer and Alter Time proactively so movement does not eat your Surge/Touch globals.
  • Polymorph breaks on any damage - keep your DoTs, pet, and AoE off a sheeped target or it pops instantly, and re-cast just before it fades to hold a target
Self-review

Common mistakes

Arena Talent Planning

Talents by enemy class

Pick an opponent to see the pressure your PvP build must answer. The baseline comes from this spec's current arena build when one is published.

Open full matchup guide
Their pressure

Grip setups, anti-caster pressure, and sustained melee uptime.

Talent focus

Mobility, anti-slow, and physical or magic mitigation.

Game plan

Keep an answer for grip-based isolation and do not spend movement before the Death Knight commits their control chain.

No reviewed PvP baseline is published for this spec yet. Use the live tree to apply the matchup focus above rather than treating a PvE build as an arena answer.

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