WoW SoD DPS Mage: Phase 4 BiS, Talents & Runes (2024)

WoW SoD Fire Mage Talents & Runes

Choose the following talents and runes as a Fire Mage for Phase 4 at level 60:

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Learn where to find each rune in our guide Mage Runes for Season of Discovery.

WoW SoD Frost Mage Talents & Runes

Choose the following talents and runes as a Frost Mage for Phase 4 at level 60:

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SoD Phase 4 DPS Mage BiS List

The following DPS Mage BiS list contains the best items you can get in Phase 4 of Season of Discovery to DPS in raids and dungeons:

• Head (Arcanum of Focus)
  Sorcerer's Crown ( Saving the Best for Last) ¹
  Sorcerer's Crown ( Saving the Best for Last) ¹
• Neck
  Choker of the Fire Lord (Molten Core)
• Shoulders (Atal'ai Signet of Mojo)
  Rugged Mantle of the Timbermaw (Timbermaw Hold – Revered & Tailoring) ³
• Back (Enchant Cloak - Greater Resistance)
  Drape of the Fire Lord (Molten Core)
• Chest (Enchant Chest - Greater Stats)
  Arcanist Robes (Molten Core)
• Wrist (Enchant Bracer - Greater Intellect)
  Arcanist Bindings (Molten Core)
• Hands
  Arcanist Gloves (Molten Core)
• Waist
  Knowledge of the Timbermaw (Timbermaw Hold – Honored & Tailoring) ⁵
• Legs (Lesser Arcanum of Voracity)
  Arcanist Leggings (Molten Core)
• Feet (Enchant Boots - Minor Speed)
  Sorcerer's Sandals ( Anthion's Parting Words) ²
  Sorcerer's Sandals ( Anthion's Parting Words) ²
• Rings
  Dragonslayer's Signet (Head of Onyxia)
  Band of Sulfuras (Molten Core)
• Trinkets
  Talisman of Ephemeral Power (Molten Core)
  Briarwood Reed (Upper Blackrock Spire)
• Weapon (Enchant Weapon - Spell Power)
  Azuresong Mageblade (Molten Core)
• Off-Hand
  Tome of Fiery Arcana (Alterac Valley – Exalted)
  
• Wand
  Nightmare Trophy (Sunken Temple)

¹ This quest requires Magister's Crown from Scholomance and Magister's Robes from Blackrock Spire to complete.
² This quest requires Magister's Boots from Stratholme, Magister's Leggings from Stratholme, and Magister's Mantle from Scholomance
³ You only need the reputation with Timbermaw Hold to craft the base item. If you buy the base item from another player, being Friendly with Timbermaw Hold is enough to upgrade the base item to the epic BiS version.

Fire Resistance for Heat Level 2 and Heat Level 3

To raid the more difficult heat levels in Molten Core you need to hit Fire Resistance thresholds. For Heat Level 2 you need at least 96 Fire Resistance and for Heat Level 3 you need at least 226 Fire Resistance. To increase your Fire Resistance you can equip gear, utilize enchantments, use consumables, and get buffs from your Druids, Shamans ¹, and Paladins ¹.

Use the following sources to increase your Fire Resistance to the required threshold:

• Mark of the Wild (up to 27 Fire Resistance if improved, does not stack with Fire Resistance Totem)
• Lesser Arcanum of Resilience (Head & Legs Enchants, Libram of Resilience)
• Blessed Flame Mantle of the Dawn (Argent Dawn – Exalted), Flame Mantle of the Dawn (Argent Dawn – Revered)
• Hydraxian Coronation (Hydraxian Waterlords – Honored)
• Juju Ember (Shardtooth E'ko at 61.8 38.2 in Winterspring)
• Magic Resistance Potion (does not stack with Mark of the Wild or Fire Resistance Totem)
• Miniaturized Fire Extinguisher (Demon Fall Canyon)
• Fine Flarecore Mantle (Lokhtos Darkbargainer in Blackrock Depths)
• Tidal Loop (A Hero's Reward)
• Dragonslayer's Signet (Head of Onyxia)
• Crimson Shocker (Molten Core)
• Miniaturized Combustion Chamber (Gnomeregan)
• Drakefire Amulet (Blackrock Spire)
• Wildfire Cape (Upper Blackrock Spire)

Using Fire Resistance items often results in a DPS loss in comparison to your BiS list. After you’ve acquired new raid items recalculate your Fire Resistance and re-optimize your gear loadout.

🔥 Since the boss Garr from Molten Core can dispel magic effects, you should make sure your Mage is hitting the Fire Resistance threshold without Mark of the Wild for that specific fight. This might require you to have some off-pieces for that boss fight.

¹ For most guilds, it is not recommended to rely on Shaman totems or Paladin auras to hit the minimum Fire Resistance thresholds. If the aura or totem is out of range or the player dies, you will lack Fire Resistance. Use the totems or auras as additional mitigation, but calculate your Fire Resistance without them.

SoD Phase 4 DPS Mage Pre-Raid BiS List

The following DPS Mage BiS list contains the best items you can get in Phase 4 of Season of Discovery before entering the endgame raids at level 60.

• Head (Arcanum of Focus)
  Sorcerer's Crown ( Saving the Best for Last) ¹
  Sorcerer's Crown ( Saving the Best for Last) ¹
  Spellweaver's Turban (Upper Blackrock Spire)
  Eye of Flame (World Drop)
  Lieutenant Commander's Silk Cowl ( PvP Rank 10)
  Champion's Silk Cowl ( PvP Rank 10)
• Neck
  Nacreous Shell Necklace (Stratholme Live)
  Orb of the Darkmoon (Darkmoon Faire)
  Star of Mystaria (Stratholme Live)
• Shoulders (Atal'ai Signet of Mojo)
  Rugged Mantle of the Timbermaw (Timbermaw Hold – Revered & Tailoring) ⁵
  Sorcerer's Mantle ( Anthion's Parting Words) ²
  Sorcerer's Mantle ( Anthion's Parting Words) ²
  Champion's Silk Mantle ( PvP Rank 10)
  Lieutenant Commander's Silk Mantle ( PvP Rank 10)
  Burial Shawl (Scholomance)
• Back (Enchant Cloak - Greater Resistance)
  Archivist Cape of Fiery Wrath (Stratholme Live)
  Mageflame Cloak (World Drop)
  Master's Cloak of Fiery Wrath (or similar with up to +21 Fire Damage, World Drop)
  Brilliant Chromatic Cloak (Leatherworking)
  Amplifying Cloak (Dire Maul – West)
  Hukku's Hex Cape (Sunken Temple)
• Chest (Enchant Chest - Greater Stats)
  Sorcerer's Robes ( Saving the Best for Last) ¹
  Sorcerer's Robes ( Saving the Best for Last) ¹
  Robe of the Archmage (Tailoring)
• Wrist (Enchant Bracer - Greater Intellect)
  Dryad's Wrist Bindings (Warsong Gulch – Exalted)
  Sorcerer's Bindings ( An Earnest Proposition) ³
  Sorcerer's Bindings ( An Earnest Proposition) ³
• Hands
  Inferno Gloves (Tailoring) ⁶
  Sorcerer's Gauntlets ( Just Compensation) ⁴
  Sorcerer's Gauntlets ( Just Compensation) ⁴
  Hands of Power (Lower Blackrock Spire)
• Waist
  Knowledge of the Timbermaw (Timbermaw Hold – Honored & Tailoring) ⁵
  Sorcerer's Belt ( Just Compensation) ⁴
  Sorcerer's Belt ( Just Compensation) ⁴
  Master's Belt of Fiery Wrath (or similar with up to +30 Fire Damage, World Drop)
  Cord of the Untamed (15 Wild Offering)
• Legs (Lesser Arcanum of Voracity)
  Master's Leggings of Fiery Wrath (or similar with up to +41 Fire Damage, World Drop)
  Legionnaire's Silk Legguards ( PvP Rank 8)
  Knight-Captain's Silk Legguards ( PvP Rank 8)
  Sorcerer's Leggings ( Anthion's Parting Words) ²
  Sorcerer's Leggings ( Anthion's Parting Words) ²
• Feet (Enchant Boots - Minor Speed)
  Sorcerer's Sandals ( Anthion's Parting Words) ²
  Sorcerer's Sandals ( Anthion's Parting Words) ²
  Fire Striders (Stratholme Live)
  Dragonrider Boots (Upper Blackrock Spire)
• Rings
  Burning Ring of Fire (Demon Fall Canyon)
  Rune Band of Wizardry (Upper Blackrock Spire)
  Flaming Band (Upper Blackrock Spire)
  Don Mauricio's Band of Domination (Scholomance)
  Loop of the Magister (sold for 50 Tarnished Undermine Real by Pix Xizzix in Booty Bay, Stranglethorn Vale)
• Trinkets
  Briarwood Reed (Upper Blackrock Spire)
  Eye of the Beast ( General Drakkisath's Demise in Upper Blackrock Spire)
  Eye of the Beast ( For The Horde! in Upper Blackrock Spire)
  Breadth of the Beast (12 Wild Offering)
  Burst of Knowledge (Blackrock Depths)
  Draconic Infused Emblem (Upper Blackrock Spire)
• Weapon (Enchant Weapon - Spell Power)
  Sageclaw ( Arathi Basin – Exalted)
  Mindfang ( Arathi Basin – Exalted)
  Hubris, the Bandit Brander (Sunken Temple)
• Off-Hand
  Tome of Fiery Arcana (Alterac Valley – Exalted)
  Drakestone of the Blood Prophet (Sunken Temple)
  Scepter of Interminable Focus (Stratholme – Live)
  
• Wand
  Nightmare Trophy (Sunken Temple)

¹ This quest requires Magister's Crown from Scholomance and Magister's Robes from Blackrock Spire to complete.
² This quest requires Magister's Boots from Stratholme, Magister's Leggings from Stratholme, and Magister's Mantle from Scholomance to complete.
³ This quest requires Magister's Bindings from Blackrock Spire to complete. Additionally, you need 15 Silithus Venom Sample from Stonelash Flayer and Rock Stalker in the southern half of Silithus as Horde player or 15 Winterspring Blood Sample from Frostsabers like Frostsaber Cub and Frostsaber Stalker in the northern corner of Winterspring as an Alliance player.
⁴ This quest requires Magister's Belt from Stratholme or Blackrock Spire and Magister's Gloves from Scholomance to complete.
⁵ You only need the reputation with Timbermaw Hold to craft the base item. If you buy the base item from another player, being Friendly with Timbermaw Hold is enough to upgrade the base item to the epic pre-BiS version.
⁶ If Sorcerer's Gauntlets would unlock the second or fourth set bonus, Sorcerer's Gauntlets becomes better than Inferno Gloves.

This P4 pre-BiS list is continuously being worked on. Please use the feedback button below to send us your thoughts and suggestions.

DPS Mage Rotation

The rotation for a DPS Mage depends on whether you play as fire or frost. At the start of Phase 4, the runes overlap so much that the used spells are identical. This might change in future patches again.

DPS Mage Consumables in SoD

The following list of consumables can be used by DPS Mage in endgame raids at level 60:

• Flask of Supreme Power
• Wizard Oil
• Greater Arcane Elixir / Arcane Elixir
• Elixir of Greater Firepower / Elixir of Firepower
• Nightfin Soup
• Major Mana Potion

SoD Phase 3 DPS Mage Pre-Raid BiS List

The following DPS Mage BiS list contains the best items you can get in Phase 3 of Season of Discovery before entering the raid Sunken Temple at level 50.

• Head (Lesser Arcanum of Voracity)
  Green Lens of Frozen Wrath ( Engineering)
  Eye of Flame (, World Drop)
  Green Lens of Fiery Wrath (, Engineering)
  Arachnidian Circlet of Fiery Wrath (, or similar item with +36 Fire Damage, World Drop)
  Green Lens of Arcane Wrath (, Engineering)
  Arachnidian Circlet of Arcane Wrath (, or similar item with +36 Arcane Damage, World Drop)
  Spellpower Goggles Xtreme Plus (Engineering)
  Gneuro-Linked Arcano-Filament Monocle (Tailoring)
• Neck
  Piston Pendant (Gnomeregan)
  Jagged Bone Necklace (Blackfathom Deeps)
  Ghostshard Talisman (Scarlet Monastery)
• Shoulders
  Mystical Mantle of Frozen Wrath ( or similar item with +26 Frost Damage, World Drop)
  Mystical Mantle of Arcane Wrath ( or similar item with +26 Arcane Damage, World Drop)
  Kentic Amice (Blackrock Depths)
  Rotgrip Mantle (Maraudon)
  Blood Guard's Dreadweave Mantle ( PvP Rank 7)
  Knight-Lieutenant's Dreadweave Mantle ( PvP Rank 7)
  Synthetic Mantle (Gnomeregan)
• Back
  Resplendent Cloak of Frozen Wrath ( with up to +20 Frost Damage, World Drop)
  Resplendent Cloak of Fiery Wrath ( with up to +20 Fire Damage, World Drop)
  Resplendent Cloak of Arcane Wrath ( with up to +20 Arcane Damage, World Drop)
  Sunborne Cape ( Disharmony of Fire in Blackrock Depths)
  Sunborne Cape ( Incendius! in Blackrock Depths)
  Cindercloth Cloak ( Tailoring)
  Spritecaster Cape (Blackrock Depths)
  Deep Woodlands Cloak ( Wanted: Vile Priestess Hexx and Her Minions in The Hinterlands)
  
• Chest (Enchant Chest - Stats)
  Duskwoven Robe of Fiery Wrath ( with up to +37 Fire Damage, World Drop)
  Duskwoven Robe of Arcane Wrath ( with up to +37 Arcane Damage, World Drop)
  Emerald Enchanted Robes (Nightmare Incursions – Honored)
  Stone Guard's Dreadweave Vest ( PvP Rank 7)
  Knight's Dreadweave Vest ( PvP Rank 7)
  Irradiated Robe (Gnomeregan)
  Cindercloth Robe (, Tailoring)
  
• Wrist (Enchant Bracer - Greater Intellect)
  Dryad's Wrist Bindings (Warsong Gulch – Exalted)
  Celestial Bindings of Fiery Wrath ( with up to +20 Fire Damage, World Drop)
  Celestial Bindings of Arcane Wrath ( with up to +20 Arcane Damage, World Drop)
  Phoenix Bindings (, Tailoring)
• Hands
  Councillor's Gloves of Fiery Wrath ( with up to +20 Fire Damage, World Drop)
  Earth Warder's Gloves (Winterfall Activity at 27.8 34.6 in Winterspring)
  Dreamweave Gloves (Tailoring)
  First Sergeant's Dreadweave Gloves ( PvP Rank 5)
  Sergeant Major's Dreadweave Gloves ( PvP Rank 5)
• Waist
  Bonecaster's Belt of Fiery Wrath ( or similar item with +26 Fire Damage, World Drop)
  Defiler's Cloth Girdle ( Arathi Basin – Honored)
  Highlander's Cloth Girdle ( Arathi Basin – Honored)
  Ban'thok Sash (Blackrock Depths)
• Legs (Lesser Arcanum of Voracity)
  Arachnidian Legguards of Fiery Wrath (, with up to +36 Fire Damage, World Drop)
  Spellshock Leggings (Random Drop in Zul'Farrak)
  Emerald Enchanted Pants (Nightmare Incursions – Honored)
  Stone Guard's Dreadweave Leggings ( PvP Rank 6)
  Knight's Dreadweave Leggings ( PvP Rank 6)
  Irradiated Trousers (Gnomeregan)
• Feet (Enchant Boots - Minor Speed)
  Arachnidian Footpads of Arcane Wrath ( with up to +26 Arcane Damage, World Drop)
  Vinerot Sandals (Maraudon)
  Cindercloth Boots ( Tailoring)
  Irradiated Boots (Gnomeregan)
  First Sergeant's Dreadweave Boots ( PvP Rank 5)
  Sergeant Major's Dreadweave Boots ( PvP Rank 5)
  Extraplanar Spidersilk Boots (Tailoring)
• Rings
  Freezing Band ( World Drop)
  Glacial Blood Band ( Stranglethorn Vale PvP event)
  Band of Boiling Blood ( Stranglethorn Vale PvP event)
  Bloodfocused Arcane Band ( Stranglethorn Vale PvP event)
  Roar of the Dream (Nightmare Incursions – Exalted)
  Cyclopean Band (Blackrock Depths)
  Hypercharged Gear of Conflagration (Gnomeregan)
  Advisor's Ring ( Warsong Gulch – Honored)
  Lorekeeper's Ring ( Warsong Gulch – Honored)
• Trinkets
  Miniaturized Combustion Chamber (Gnomeregan)
  Invoker's Void Pearl (Blackfathom Deeps)
  Breadth of the Beast (12 Wild Offering) *
• Weapons
  Blade of Eternal Darkness (Maraudon)
  Inventor's Focal Sword (Maraudon)
  Glimmering Gizmoblade (Gnomeregan)
  Narpas Sword (Use Scroll of the Blade ** on Hypnotic Blade)
  Dagger of Willing Sacrifice (Blackfathom Deeps)
  Charstone Dirk (Maraudon)
  Personal Spellbook (A Lesson in Literacy for rune Temporal Anomaly)
  Spirit of Aquementas (It's Dangerous to Go Alone, long quest chain starting with It's a Secret to Everybody at 63.1 68.5 in Un'Goro Crater)
  
• Wand
  Freezing Shard ( Random Drop in Razorfen Downs)
  Pyric Caduceus ( Blackrock Depths)
  Wizard's Hand of Arcane Wrath ( with up to +10 Arcane Damage, World Drop)
  Icefury Wand ( Mage's Wand from Tabetha in Dustwallow Marsh)
  Ragefire Wand ( Mage's Wand from Tabetha in Dustwallow Marsh)
  Nether Force Wand ( Mage's Wand from Tabetha in Dustwallow Marsh)
  Mechanostrider Gear Shifter (Gnomeregan)

Legend: Items marked with are BiS for the fire spec. Items marked with are BiS for the arcane spec. As a Frost Mage you only want to stack frost or fire damage, not both. Frostfire Bolt uses the higher spell power value of both schools. For more flexibility, it is okay to stack fire damage as a Frost Mage initially, especially if you already have fire gear.

* With 3 points in Elemental Precision, you’re already at the spell hit cap as a fire Mage. Therefore you’ll only profit from the spell crit on Breadth of the Beast, which makes it a little bit weaker than Invoker's Void Pearl.
** You have a low chance of getting Scroll of the Blade from deciphering scrolls like Scroll: TOPAZ YORAK and Scroll: PEATCHY ATTAX.

SoD Phase 3 BiS List for DPS Mages

The following DPS Mage best-in-slot list contains the best items you can get in Phase 3 of Season of Discovery. You need to get loot from the 20-man raid Sunken Temple and do PvP to get the best items in the game.

• Head (Lesser Arcanum of Voracity)
  Visage of the Exiled (Sunken Temple)
  Gneuro-Linked Arcano-Filament Monocle (Tailoring)
• Neck
  Jin'do's Lost Locket (Sunken Temple)
• Shoulders (Atal'ai Signet of Mojo)
  Fractured Mind Pauldrons (Tailoring)
• Back
  Hukku's Hex Cape (Sunken Temple)
• Chest (Enchant Chest - Stats)
  Garments of the Atal'ai Prophet (Sunken Temple)
• Wrist (Enchant Bracer - Intellect)
  Void-Powered Invoker's Vambraces (Engineering)
  Dryad's Wrist Bindings (Warsong Gulch – Exalted)
• Hands
  Atal'ai Hexxer's Gloves (Sunken Temple)
• Waist
  Bonecaster's Belt of Fiery Wrath (, or similar item with +26 Fire Damage, World Drop)
  Defiler's Cloth Girdle ( Arathi Basin – Honored)
  Highlander's Cloth Girdle ( Arathi Basin – Honored)
• Legs (Lesser Arcanum of Voracity)
  Malevolent Prophet's Leggings (Sunken Temple)
• Feet (Enchant Boots - Minor Speed)
  Malevolent Prophet's Sandals (Sunken Temple)
• Rings
  Freezing Band ( World Drop)
  Glacial Blood Band ( Stranglethorn Vale PvP event)
  Roar of the Dream (Nightmare Incursions – Exalted)
  Drakeclaw Band of the Harbinger (Sunken Temple)
  Band of Boiling Blood (, Stranglethorn Vale PvP event)
  Bloodfocused Arcane Band (, Stranglethorn Vale PvP event)
• Trinkets
  Atal'ai Blood Ritual Charm (Sunken Temple)
  Miniaturized Combustion Chamber (Gnomeregan)
• Weapon
  Hubris, the Bandit Brander (Sunken Temple)
  Drakestone of the Blood Prophet ( Sunken Temple)
  Drakestone of the Nightmare Harbinger ( Sunken Temple)
  Personal Spellbook (A Lesson in Literacy for rune Temporal Anomaly)
• Wand
  Nightmare Trophy (Sunken Temple)
  

Legend: Items marked with are BiS for the fire/frostfire spec. Items marked with are BiS for the arcane spec.

Use our Epic Crafting Guide for Phase 3 to learn how to craft Gneuro-Linked Arcano-Filament Monocle and Fractured Mind Pauldrons.

DPS Mage Stat Priority

As a DPS Mage you want to prioritize gear with the following stats:

1. Spell Critical Hit Chance.
2. Up to 16% Spell Hit Chance against level 60 raid bosses.
3. Spell Damage = Fire Damage (if fire spec) = Arcane Damage (if arcane spec).
4. Intellect.

After reaching the hit cap, more Hit Chance has no additional value. Due to the Spell Hit Chance from your finger runes and talents, you need less than 16% Spell Hit Chance from your gear.

Mage Macros in WoW Classic

You can write very useful macros for a Mage in WoW Classic to improve your gameplay. Find the most important macros in our guide “WoW Classic Mage Macros“. You’ll learn how to write macros yourself by reading through the examples, too.

Healer Build for Mages in Season of Discovery

To heal in dungeons and raids, use the WoW SoD Mage Healer Spec. This spec is optimized to heal your dungeon group and raid members.