The set below is the search's best from what you can collect before the raids open: dungeons, quests, crafts, reputation and vendors, limited to items whose Forever stats are published. Its average item level is 62.3. Spell damage and hit drive it, and two items lead it: the Sageblade and the Talisman of Ascendance.

Pre-raid gear

Under each slot are the runners-up and the DPS each would cost on this fight. "Level" means the gap is inside the noise.

Weapons

Sageblade is a Blacksmithing craft that binds on equip, so you can buy it. It carries 94 spell damage and 1 % hit.

For the Horde, Mindfang from The Defilers at Exalted comes close, at 4.4 DPS less. The Alliance's copy of it, Sageclaw, has the same stats but costs a Human 15.3 DPS. It is a dagger, and Sword Specialization's 2 % spell crit only works with a sword in hand.

In the off hand Therazane's Touch and Tome of Arcane Domination are close: the swap costs level. Either works.

Trinkets

Talisman of Ascendance is a quest reward in the Eastern Plaguelands and the most valuable item in the set: the next trinket costs 25.1 DPS. Read that lead with care. In game its stacks end after six spells. Our simulator keeps them for the full 20 seconds and adds one for every Arcane Missiles missile, so the real gap is likely smaller.

Weakness Analyzer is sold by Pix Xizzix in Stranglethorn Vale. Our simulator counts only its 22 spell damage, not its 5 % crit on use, so in game it is worth a little more than shown.

The Tailoring crafts

Robe of the Archmage is a Tailoring craft that binds when picked up, so only a tailor can wear it. It is worth 17.8 DPS over the next chest, and its use restores mana. Belt of the Archmage and Mantle of the Timbermaw are Tailoring crafts too, but they bind on equip, so anyone can buy them.

Back, head and legs

Arcanoweave Cloak is sold by Pix Xizzix and adds 1 % hit. The next cloak costs 10.3 DPS.

Your helm is Sorcerer's Crown. Some fights' sets wear Spellpower Goggles Xtreme Plus instead, which need Engineering 270 to put on. For the legs, the single-boss sets take the battleground factions' silk leggings and the three-boss sets Magister's Leggings, which drops from Baron Rivendare in Stratholme.

Rings

The rings are Brilliant Watcher's Signet (The Watchers Exalted reputation) and Blessed Band of Light (sold by Pix Xizzix). Blessed Band of Light, the Pix Xizzix ring every set wears, adds another 1 % hit.

Enchants

• Head and legs: Arcanum of Focus in both slots.
• Neck: Spell Power. Necklaces take enchants in Forever.
• Hands and feet: Mystic Rugged Armor Kit, which adds spell power and armor. Chest: Mystic Rugged Armor Kit.
• Wrist: Healing Power, which adds 8 spell damage along with its healing.
• Weapon: Winter's Might, 15 Frost damage for Frost spells only. The Molten Core formulas (Spell Power, Healing Power, Mighty Intellect) are left out of our item pool, so it is the best weapon enchant the search could pick.

On this fight you cast no Frost spell, so it adds nothing. Any spell damage enchant beats it.

Consumables

Bring the three spell damage items every time: Flask of Supreme Power (11.2 %), Brilliant Wizard Oil on your weapon (3.4 %) and Greater Arcane Elixir (2.6 %). None of them needs a profession to use.

Cerebral Cortex Compound (0.4 %) and Runn Tum Tuber Surprise (0.2 %) add Intellect and little else.

The mana items depend on the fight. On one boss Major Mana Potion, Demonic Rune and Mageblood Elixir are worth next to nothing, because the build never runs short. Against three bosses for three minutes the potion is worth 2.2 % and the rune 1.8 %, which also costs you health.