The set below is what our gear search picked from the pre-raid pool: items from dungeons, quests, professions, reputation, battlegrounds and vendors whose Forever stats are published. It averages item level 61.9. Spell damage and hit decide most slots. Some pieces need you to have the profession: Tailoring for the robe on every fight, and Engineering or Enchanting for a head or trinket on some.

Pre-raid gear

The widget ranks the runners-up in each slot by what they cost on this fight. "Level" means the gap is under 2 DPS, inside the simulator's noise.

Weapons

Sageblade is a Blacksmithing craft that binds on equip, so you can buy it. It carries 94 spell damage and 1 % hit, and for a Human it is also the sword that turns on Sword Specialization's 2 % crit. The next main hand costs 5.2 DPS for the Horde (Mindfang) and 15.0 DPS for the Alliance (Sageclaw).

For the off hand, the gap between Therazane's Touch and Tome of the Ice Lord is level, so wear either.

Wand of Biting Cold counts for its stats only: the simulator never shoots a wand.

Chest and head

Robe of the Archmage is a Tailoring craft that binds when picked up, so only a mage who is a Tailor can wear it. It gives 1 % crit and 40 spell damage, and its use returns 375 to 625 mana. Without Tailoring the next chest, Robe of Winter Night, costs 11.5 DPS.

On two and three minutes against one boss the head is Spellpower Goggles Xtreme Plus, which needs Engineering 270 to wear. The next helm, Dreamweave Circlet, costs 2.7 DPS, so a mage without Engineering loses little. The three-boss sets wear Sorcerer's Crown, a quest reward.

Trinkets

Talisman of Ascendance is a quest reward and far ahead of anything else in the slot: the next trinket costs 21.4 DPS. Use it on cooldown. The second slot on two and three minutes is Weakness Analyzer, sold by Pix Xizzix in Stranglethorn Vale. Our simulator counts only its 22 spell damage: its use, 5 % crit until your next crit, isn't modelled yet, so it is worth a little more than shown. Frozen Heart of the Mountain is next (1.9 DPS), and it is an Enchanting craft that binds when picked up.

Cloak, legs and rings

Arcanoweave Cloak is a Pix Xizzix item, and the next cloak costs 10.3 DPS, one of the larger gaps in the set.

The legs come from battleground reputation: Outrider's Silk Leggings from the Warsong Outriders for the Horde, Sentinel's Silk Leggings from the Silverwing Sentinels for the Alliance. Brilliant Watcher's Signet needs Exalted with The Watchers. The Revered version is next (level), so wear it while you finish the reputation.

Enchants

• Head and legs: Arcanum of Focus.
• Neck: Spell Power. Necklaces take an enchant in Forever.
• Chest and feet: Mystic Rugged Armor Kit.
• Wrist: Healing Power, which adds 8 spell damage along with its 24 healing. The formula needs Revered with the Argent Dawn.
• Hands: Minor Haste, 1 % casting speed.
• Weapon: Winter's Might, now 15 Frost damage.

Consumables

The always-bring list: Flask of Supreme Power (10.4 %), Brilliant Wizard Oil (3.2 %), Greater Arcane Elixir (2.4 %) and Elixir of Frost Power (0.9 %). Our simulator lets the two elixirs stack. Cerebral Cortex Compound (0.3 %) and Runn Tum Tuber Surprise (0.2 %) add a little Intellect.

The mana items are worth nothing against one boss: Major Mana Potion, Demonic Rune and Mageblood Elixir each score under 1 DPS there. Against three bosses Arcane Explosion empties you, and the potion is worth 15 DPS on three minutes.