Arcane Mage PvP Stat Priority, Gear, and Trinkets — The War Within (11.1.0)
Choosing your gear carefully is important for your Arcane Mage in PvP. We give you a stat priority to help you choose items with the right stats that will make PvP a little easier for Arcane Mages.
This page is part of our Arcane Mage PvP Guide.
Stat Priority for Arcane Mages in PvP
The stat priority for Arcane Mage in PvP is as follows:
- Intellect;
- Haste;
- Versatility;
- Mastery;
- Critical Strike.
Intellect is the best stat in all situations. Haste is the best secondary
stat. This stat will reduce your global cooldown and the cast times of
important spells like Polymorph, as well as overall damage spells.
This is followed by Versatility, which will reduce the damage you take while
also increasing the damage you deal. Finally, Mastery will be the next targeted
stat as it will increase your damage.
Gear Recommendations
In general, Arcane Mages want to get trinkets that line up well with
Arcane Surge or
Touch of the Magi. These trinkets can have a
passive or on-use effect. The stat you want to prioritize increases to is Intellect. This is due to the fact Intellect drastically increases your overall
damage output. Please refer to our dedicated page for more information
about Arcane Power and your rotation in PvP.
Below, you will find our current BiS list.
- Head:
Aspectral Emissary's Crystalline Cowl
- Neck:
Algari Competitor's Amulet - Crafted with Versatility & Haste
- Shoulders:
Aspectral Emissary's Arcane Vents
- Cloak:
Prized Warmonger's Cloak
- Chest:
Aspectral Emissary's Primal Robes
- Wrists:
Prized Warmonger's Bindings
- Hands:
Prized Warmonger's Gloves
- Waist:
Consecrated Cord - Crafted with Versatility & Haste
- Legs:
Aspectral Emissary's Trousers
- Feet:
Prized Warmonger's Slippers
- Ring 1:
Algari Competitor's Signet - Crafted with Versatility & Haste
- Ring 2:
Algari Competitor's Signet - Crafted with Versatility & Haste
- Trinket 1:
Prized Gladiator's Medallion
- Trinket 2:
Prized Gladiator's Insignia of Alacrity
- 2H Weapon:
Prized Gladiator's Staff
Note: It is essential that you wear two PvP trinkets. This will give you a Stamina and stat boost that will in turn increase your survivability.
Arcane Mage Tier Set
As noted above, acquiring both your 2-set and 4-set bonus is crucial. It is important to note that all tier sets are nerfed by 50% in PvP. Although this nerf is significant, tier sets are still important to acquire to maximize your chances to win. For Arcane Mages, this is your tier set:
- 2-set: Your spells and abilities have a small chance to hit a Jackpot! granting you
Clearcasting and 5% increased spell damage for 12 sec. Casting
Touch of the Magi always hits a Jackpot!
- 4-set: When you hit a Jackpot!, you also gain
Aether Attunement at 100% effectiveness.
4-set is not required for Arcane Mages, but getting 2-set is recommended.
Arcane Mage Embellishments
Embellishments are bonuses that can be put on crafted gear. These effects can have a drastic impact on the game. You are only allowed to have two Embellishments equipped at the same time. Here are the recommended Embellishments for Arcane Mage:
Elemental Focusing Lens. This Embellishment causes your damaging spells and abilities to have a chance to deal damage to your target. This is a flat increase to your overall damage output. Craft this on both rings or your neck.
Ascendance/
Writhing Armor Banding. While in combat,
Ascendance grants 89 of a random secondary stat, stacking up to 10 times.
Writhing Armor Banding doubles this affect. Overall, this is a good embellishment, but not the best.
Gems and Enchants
Here are the best enchants for an Arcane Mage:
- Cloak:
Enchant Cloak - Chant of Burrowing Rapidity
- Chest:
Enchant Chest - Crystalline Radiance
- Bracers:
Enchant Bracer - Chant of Armored Speed
- Legs:
Sunset Spellthread
- Boots:
Enchant Boots - Scout's March
- Rings:
Enchant Ring - Radiant Haste
- Weapon:
Enchant Weapon - Authority of Radiant Power
Versatile Emerald is the best gem you can use. You also get access to a single Meta Gem. Using
Cognitive Bloodstone is ideal for the meta slot.
Changelog
- 03 Apr. 2025: Updated recommended gear.
- 07 Mar. 2025: Updated recommended enchants.
- 03 Mar. 2025: Updated recommended gear for Season 2 of The War Within.
- 24 Feb. 2025: Reviewed for Patch 11.1.
- 15 Dec. 2024: Reviewed for Patch 11.0.7.
- 25 Nov. 2024: Updated recommended embellishments.
- 21 Oct. 2024: Updated for Patch 11.0.5.
- Updated Recommended Gear.
- Updated Recommended Gems.
- 16 Sep. 2024: Updated Recommended Gear.
- Updated Recommended Embellishments.
- Updated Recommended Enchants.
- 09 Sep. 2024: Reviewed for The War Within Season 1.
- 21 Aug. 2024: Updated for The War Within.
- 23 Jul. 2024: Updated for The War Within Pre-Patch.
- 07 May 2024: Reviewed for 10.2.7.
- 22 Apr. 2024: Reviewed for Season 4.
- 18 Mar. 2024: Reviewed for Patch 10.2.6.
- 15 Jan. 2024: Reviewed for Patch 10.2.5.
- 06 Nov. 2023: Updated for Patch 10.2
- 04 Sep. 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
- 10 Jul. 2023: Updated for Patch 10.1.5
- 09 May 2023: Updated for Dragonflight Patch 10.1.
- 21 Mar. 2023: Updated for Patch 10.0.7.
- 30 Jan. 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 11 Dec. 2022: Updated for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 22 Nov. 2022: Updated for Dragonflight Pre-patch.
- 31 Jul. 2022: Updated for Shadowlands Season 4.
- 31 May 2022: Reviewed for Patch 9.2.5.
- 28 Feb. 2022: Page updated for Patch 9.2.
- 17 Nov. 2021: Page reviewed for Patch 9.1.5.
- 04 Jul. 2021: Updated for Patch 9.1 of Shadowlands.
- 19 Mar. 2021: Updated for Patch 9.0.5.
- 17 Oct. 2020: Removed Corruption sections.
- 03 Jul. 2020: Updated Corruptions.
- Added Recommended Corruptions section.
- 19 May 2020: Updated Corruptions section.
- 08 Apr. 2020: Updated Recommended Items.
- 11 Feb. 2020: Added Corruption Gear section. Updated Recommended Gear and best enchant sections.
- 20 Jan. 2020: Updated PvP gear to be Season 4 Corrupted gear.
- 26 Dec. 2019: Page added.
Other PvP Guides
This guide has been written by Mysticall, a seasoned PvP player who has repeatedly achieved 3000 rating. You can watch his stream on Twitch, and you can also check out his YouTube channel.
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