Arcane Mage DPS Liberation of Undermine Raid Guide — The War Within (11.1.0)

Last updated on Mar 20, 2025 at 16:57 by Dutchmagoz 70 comments
General Information

On this page, you will find tips, tricks, and strategies tailored to your Arcane Mage for each boss of the following raid: Liberation of Undermine. All our content is updated for World of Warcraft — The War Within (11.1.0).

1.

Introduction

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

On this page, you will find tips and tricks specifically tailored toward Arcane Mages and its toolkit based on the recommended talent build. It does not include general tips for mechanics, which are included in the full raid guide instead, whereas this page assumes that you are already familiar with most of the major mechanics of each encounter.

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

2.

Liberation of Undermine Boss Guides for Arcane Mage

2.

Liberation of Undermine Raid Builds, Tips, and Tricks for Arcane Mage

Vexie Fullthrottle Cauldron of Carnage Rik Reverb Stix Bunkjunker Sprocketmonger Lockenstock One-Armed Bandit Mug'Zee Chrome King Gallywix
3.

Tips for Vexie Fullthrottle for Arcane Mage

2.1.

Defensive Tips

  • Activating Alter Time Icon Alter Time right as Exhaust Fumes Icon Exhaust Fumes goes out and then re-activating it near the end is a great way to avoid all of the damage and minimize healing required on you.
  • Make sure to use Prismatic Barrier Icon Prismatic Barrier if you get targeted for Incendiary Fire Icon Incendiary Fire.
  • Otherwise simply rotate using your defensives during the bonus damage phase to minimize the healing you need.
2.2.

Cooldown Usage

  • Use your cooldowns right at the start of the fight, but after that hold your cooldowns until each bonus damage phase. You can use 1 Touch of the Magi Icon Touch of the Magi in-between each bonus damage phase.
  • Make sure to channel Evocation Icon Evocation a few second before each damage bonus phase begins to ensure you are not wasting time during the bonus damage phase on Evocation.
2.3.

Mechanical Tips

  • Use Alter Time Icon Alter Time if you get Spew Oil Icon Spew Oil, after which you can use Shimmer Icon Shimmer to drop the oil, and then re-activate Alter Time.
  • Make sure to align yourself so that any Arcane Orb Icon Arcane Orbs (either manual or from Orb Barrage Icon Orb Barrage) will hit as many adds as possible.
2.4.

Best Talents

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

3.

Tips for Cauldron of Carnage for Arcane Mage

2.5.

Defensive Tips

  • While on the Flarendo side, you should rotate your cooldowns for each Scrapbomb Icon Scrapbomb. Ice Cold Icon Ice Cold for one, Greater Invisibility Icon Greater Invisibility for the second and Prismatic Barrier Icon Prismatic Barrier + Mirror Image Icon Mirror Image for the third.
2.6.

Cooldown Usage

  • Generally you can use your DPS cooldowns as they become available. However, keep an eye out of the boss energy bar. If it is close to full, you should hold your cooldowns a few seconds to align it with the intermission to get cleave damage out of your cooldowns. This will align pretty well naturally, only having to delay cooldowns a few seconds.
2.7.

Mechanical Tips

  • This is a relatively straightforward boss from a mechanical standpoint. Make sure to use Shimmer Icon Shimmer aggressively to avoid losing uptime when dealing with the mechanics.
2.8.

Best Talents

If your group requires it, you can spec out of Ice Cold Icon Ice Cold to be able to solo soak Scrapbomb Icon Scrapbomb.

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

3.

Tips for Rik Reverb for Arcane Mage

2.9.

Defensive Tips

  • If targeted by Sound Cannon Icon Sound Cannon, make sure to use a defensive like Mirror Image Icon Mirror Image + Prismatic Barrier Icon Prismatic Barrier.
2.10.

Cooldown Usage

  • Use your main DPS cooldowns as they become available, unless the intermission is about to come up, then hold on to it for after the intermission. This should naturally occur if you are not holding your cooldowns for other reasons, but if you did hold your cooldowns for other reasons, make sure not to waste them in the intermission.
  • Save your Arcane Orb Icon Arcane Orb cooldown for when the fireworks land down to quickly AoE them down.
2.11.

Mechanical Tips

  • During the intermission, if you cannot make it to an Amplifier in time for the shockwave, or if you are doing other things (like channeling a different Amplifier), you can use Shimmer Icon Shimmer or Alter Time Icon Alter Time to safely make it through the shockwave. Shimmer can be used to simply go through it. If using Alter Time, you have to place down Alter Time and then move away from your Alter Time, and then re-activate it after the shockwave moved over your snapback position.
2.12.

Best Talents

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

3.

Tips for Stix Bunkjunker for Arcane Mage

2.13.

Defensive Tips

  • Use one of your defensives if targeted by Incinerator Icon Incinerator.
  • There are no real hard hitting specific mechanics on this fight (assuming the mechanics are done properly) to activate specific defensives for, so I recommend simply rotating your defensives whenever the rot damage starts being high (Toxic Fumes Icon Toxic Fumes) or your healers are struggling.
2.14.

Cooldown Usage

  • You will want to align your big cooldowns with when the adds are rolled into the boss and take bonus damage. When this happens depends on your strategy and how effective the players in the raid who are doing the garbage rolling are at the rolling. Generally, I recommend starting off with using Arcane Surge Icon Arcane Surge on cooldown, and as your guild gets into a more consistent pattern, slightly delay your cooldowns when it can align with the adds being dragged into the boss. You should not delay Arcane Surge and related cooldowns more than 10 seconds or so to achieve this.
  • Arcane Orb Icon Arcane Orb can always be delayed for when the adds are up as holding onto it is a minimal damage loss on single target.
  • Touch of the Magi Icon Touch of the Magi should be used shortly before the adds are pulled into the boss to ensure that it explodes as the adds are on top of the boss.
2.15.

Mechanical Tips

  • Make sure to use Counterspell Icon Counterspell on Scrap Rockets Icon Scrap Rockets (from the Scrapmasters).
2.16.

Best Talents

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

3.

Tips for Sprocketmonger Lockenstock for Arcane Mage

2.17.

Defensive Tips

  • Rotate defensives on Unstable Explosion Icon Unstable Explosions (the explosion after a Foot-Blaster is soaked). Generally a single minor defensive like Prismatic Barrier Icon Prismatic Barrier or Mirror Image Icon Mirror Image will do, but if it overlaps with Sonic Ba-Boom Icon Sonic Ba-Boom, make sure to use either Greater Invisibility Icon Greater Invisibility or Ice Cold Icon Ice Cold.
  • If you are soaking rockets from Rocket Barrage Icon Rocket Barrage, make sure to always have up either Prismatic Barrier Icon Prismatic Barrier or some other defensive. It is not worth using Ice Cold Icon Ice Cold on this unless you absolutely have to soak it and you are low health, as you should keep it for nasty overlaps of mechanics like described above.
  • If you are soaking a Foot-Blaster, activate Alter Time Icon Alter Time right before moving out of the group to the one you will soak, but then after soaking it, do not immediately re-active it. Instead, wait a few seconds until the damage over time effect is (almost) gone before re-activating.
2.18.

Cooldown Usage

  • Use everything on cooldown.
2.19.

Mechanical Tips

  • To minimize damage loss, make sure to use Shimmer Icon Shimmer during Mega Magnetize Icon Mega Magnetize to move away from the pull in.
  • Activate Alter Time Icon Alter Time right before the boss reaches 100 energy and casts Beta Launch Icon Beta Launch, then re-activate it immediately after the boss pulled you away.
2.20.

Best Talents

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

3.

Tips for One-Armed Bandit for Arcane Mage

2.21.

Defensive Tips

  • Note that Alter Time Icon Alter Time does not heal you through the heal absorb of Foul Exhaust Icon Foul Exhaust, but it does count as healing, so will lower the remaining absorb.
  • For the Flame and Coin Token effect of Reward: Flame and Coin Icon Reward: Flame and Coin, make sure to cycle defensives. Greater Invisibility Icon Greater Invisibility only lasts about half the effects, so use it after a few seconds and not right at the start. Ice Cold Icon Ice Cold lasts the entire duration so is a great defensive to use for it.
2.22.

Cooldown Usage

  • Use on cooldown. If the adds are about to spawn, you can delay a few seconds if needed, but generally you should use on cooldown and only delay a few seconds at most.
2.23.

Mechanical Tips

  • Make sure to use Counterspell Icon Counterspell on the Overload! Icon Overload! casts from the assistants.
  • If the Shock and Coin Tokens are inserted and the boss casts Reward: Coin and Shock Icon Reward: Coin and Shock, you can activate Alter Time Icon Alter Time while far away from the pull in effect and then re-active it when you get close.
2.24.

Best Talents

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

3.

Tips for Mug'Zee for Arcane Mage

2.25.

Defensive Tips

  • During phase 1, the Zee phase is generally higher damage taken, so try to save most of your defensives for this part of phase 1.
  • You can soak multiple overlapping circles dropped by soaked mines by using either Ice Cold Icon Ice Cold or Greater Invisibility Icon Greater Invisibility.
2.26.

Cooldown Usage

  • Timings vary greatly on this fight due to the different available strategies, where you can move to the different sides at multiple different timers, and depending on which side you start on. Try to align your Arcane Surge Icon Arcane Surge with the start of any Zee phases, so maximize cleave damage with the add that spawns at the start of it. Do not delay your cooldown more than 20 seconds or so to achieve this though.
  • Make sure to hold your cooldowns so that they are available when the boss reaches 40% health. Activate Evocation Icon Evocation as the boss is around 41% health so that it finishes as the boss goes into the intermission.
2.27.

Mechanical Tips

  • If you get targeted by Frostshatter Spear Icon Frostshatter Spear, you can get into position through the slippery effect easily via Shimmer Icon Shimmer.
  • You can soak the Zee phase mines effectively by activating Alter Time Icon Alter Time right before walking into them and then immediately re-activating it after hitting the mine. It will cancel the falling and heal you to full. You can then follow it up by a minor defensive like Prismatic Barrier Icon Prismatic Barrier and soak the fire circle it leaves behind, or a bigger defensive like Greater Invisibility Icon Greater Invisibility and soak multiple overlapping circles.
  • During the intermission, after the white arrow soak (Storming Impact Icon Storming Impact) the boss goes into its rotating mechanic (Bulletstorm Icon Bulletstorm). During this, you can minimize movement by using Shimmer Icon Shimmer to move through the Bulletstorm. However, this can be a bit risky as the Bulletstorm is quite big, so a safer approach if you do not feel comfortable doing this, is to activate Alter Time Icon Alter Time, then Shimmer away alongside the way the boss is rotating, and then re-activate Alter Time after the Bulletstorm has passed your original Alter Time position.
2.28.

Best Talents

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

3.

Tips for Chrome King Gallywix for Arcane Mage

2.29.

Defensive Tips

  • You can activate Alter Time Icon Alter Time before Scatterblast Canisters Icon Scatterblast Canisters and then immediately re-activate it after it went off. The Alter Time heal will not heal you through the heal absorb from Mechengineer's Canisters Icon Mechengineer's Canisters, but it will pretty much entirely get rid of the absorb so other healing will work on you almost immediately after the hit.
  • Use Mirror Image Icon Mirror Image right before the boss reaches 50% health so it will last the entire intermission.
  • There are many high damage moments on the fight, and which ones you need to use cooldowns on heavily depends on how your group assigns healer cooldowns. However, it is important to keep at least some cooldowns for the intermission, and towards the end of phase 3.
  • You can solo soak the phase 3 Tick-Tock Canisters Icon Tick-Tock Canisters with Ice Cold Icon Ice Cold if needed. You can also survive it with smaller cooldowns, but if it overlaps with anything else you are at high risk of dying.
2.30.

Cooldown Usage

  • Cooldown usage depends largely on your group's damage, as the boss goes into the intermission at 50%. You want to use your cooldowns on cooldown early on, but make sure you have Evocation Icon Evocation + Arcane Surge Icon Arcane Surge ready for the intermission. Generally, this means your first 3 sets of Evocation Icon Evocation into Arcane Surge Icon Arcane Surge should simply be on the pull and then on cooldown, and then your 4th set can be used during the intermission. However, keep an eye out on the boss health and if the boss is close to 50%, delay your cooldowns until 50%.
  • Other than that, if possible, you can try to align your cooldowns with adds, but this will depend how fast they are grouped up, so generally I recommend just using them on cooldown and maybe delaying a few seconds if adds are about to spawn.
2.31.

Mechanical Tips

  • If you are carrying a bomb to the coils, you can use Alter Time Icon Alter Time before using Shimmer Icon Shimmer, so you can re-activate Alter Time to get back in position and refund a Shimmer charge, since Shimmer charges are really valuable, especially in phase 3.
  • There are a lot of things to dodge in this fight, but none of them require any special tricks to handle them properly. Make sure to make good use of the free mobility you get from Slipstream Icon Slipstream to move, so you can keep your Shimmer Icon Shimmers only when you really need them.
2.32.

Best Talents

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

2.33.

General Defensive Usage Notes

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

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

General Damage Cooldown Usage

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

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

Since Evocation Icon Evocation can be used during movement or even if the target cannot be damaged, you can use it in as preparation for when you actually want to damage the boss. For example, right at the end of an intermission, while the boss is becoming active, you can cast Evocation so that it finishes right as the boss becomes targetable.

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

3.

Changelog

  • 20 Mar. 2025: Removed unneeded sections.
  • 16 Mar. 2025: Updated alter Time usage on healing absorbs due to Alter Time healing changes.
  • 13 Mar. 2025: Added Gallywix tips and updated some boss tips based on live kills.
  • 01 Mar. 2025: Added tips based on PTR.
  • 20 Feb. 2025: Guide added.
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