Arcane Mage DPS Rotation & Cooldowns

DPS Rotation & Cooldowns

This rotation offers a general priority list for Arcane Mage abilities, along with key cooldowns at the bottom. It's based on a standard build and is here to help while we work on a smarter, build-aware system. Updated for the latest patch in World of Warcraft: The War Within (11.1).

Single Target

Ensure Evocation, Arcane Surge, and Touch Of The Magi are ready before starting.

Start for Intellect buff and Clearcasting.
Consume Clearcasting and gain Nether Precision.
If < 2 Arcane Charges.
Use after activating trinkets or racials.
Use after Arcane Barrage if possible.
Use with 4 Arcane Charges or during Arcane Soul.
Use with Clearcasting or 3 stacks of it.
Use as filler.

Begin with Evocation and Arcane Surge for buffs, then prioritize Touch Of The Magi and Arcane Barrage with 4 charges. Use Arcane Missiles with Clearcasting and Arcane Blast as filler.

AoE

Ensure Evocation, Arcane Surge, and Touch Of The Magi are ready before starting.

Start for Intellect buff and Clearcasting.
Consume Clearcasting and gain Nether Precision.
If < 2 Arcane Charges.
Use after activating trinkets or racials.
Use after Arcane Barrage if possible.
Use with 4 Arcane Charges for AoE.
Use with < 3 Arcane Charges.
Use as filler.

Start with Evocation and Arcane Surge, then prioritize Touch Of The Magi and Arcane Barrage with 4 charges for AoE. Use Arcane Explosion with low charges and Arcane Blast as filler.

Cooldowns

Use to restore Mana and gain Clearcasting.
Use for burst damage and Mana regeneration.
Use during cooldown phases for max DPS.
Use to reduce cooldowns when no other cooldowns are active.

Use Evocation for Mana and Clearcasting, Arcane Surge for burst, and Touch Of The Magi during cooldown phases. Use Shifting Power to reduce cooldowns when others are inactive.