Arcane Mage

Ranged damage

Stack Arcane Blast, spend it on free Arcane Missiles from Missile Barrage, and watch your mana. The spec that gained most, and the top of early tier lists.

Arcane builds stacks of Arcane Blast: each 1.5 s cast gives you 15% of your Intellect as extra spell damage, up to four times, for 15 seconds from the first stack, and raises Blast's own cost by 175% each time. Missile Barrage gives every Blast a 40% chance (Fireball, Frostbolt and Frostfire Bolt 20%) to make your next Arcane Missiles twice as fast and free, and the Missiles then spend the stacks. Arcane Meditation keeps half your mana regeneration going while you cast, Arcane Concentration gives free casts, and Presence of Mind (from 30) and Arcane Power (from 40) are your burst. The whole spec is a mana decision: stop stacking before you run dry.

Strengths and weaknesses

Arcane strengths and weaknesses

Strengths	Weaknesses
Top of the early tier lists, with Arcane Blast stacks building the damage	The whole spec is a mana decision, as each stack raises Blast's own cost
Missile Barrage gives free, faster Arcane Missiles that spend the stacks	Missile Barrage needs you to stand still for the channel
Arcane Meditation keeps half your mana regeneration going while you cast	Stacking four on a mob that two casts will kill costs more than it adds
Presence of Mind from 30 and Arcane Power from 40 give burst	Arcane Power and Fingers of Frost cannot share a build
Arcane Subtlety cuts Arcane threat by 30% for dungeons	Intellect and spell power are both needed, so gear matters

Stat priority

1. Spell power
2. Hit
3. Intellect
4. Crit
5. Haste
6. Spirit

Rank spell power > hit > haste > Intellect > crit > Spirit > MP5. Alternatively, put Arcane damage and spell power first and Intellect higher than for Fire or Frost, because Arcane Mind adds 10% Intellect and each Blast costs more. Spirit is also valued highly for regeneration with Arcane Meditation and Mage Armor. Arcane Focus gives Arcane hit only.