Everything in this set can be had before the first raid. The search drew on dungeon bosses, quests, crafts, reputation quartermasters and vendors, and only on items whose Forever stats Blizzard has published. Across its slots the item level averages 60.9. Spell damage and whatever hit the slots can carry drive it, and its most valuable pieces are a staff, a relic and a trinket.

Pre-raid gear

Below every slot sit the next few items and the DPS each would cost here. "Level" marks a gap inside the simulator's noise.

Staff and relic

Ironbark Staff needs Exalted with The Defilers or, for the Alliance, The League of Arathor. Forever gives caster weapons a hidden spell damage bonus, and this one carries 94 of it plus 2 % crit. The vendor's Crackling Staff costs 1.5 DPS on one boss and takes the slot on the longer three-boss fights, where its 25 Intellect helps your mana.

The relic follows the target count. On one boss wear Totem of the Storm, a world drop that adds 33 damage to every Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning, and the next relic costs 12.4 DPS. Against three bosses wear Burning Totem, sold by Pix Xizzix in Stranglethorn Vale. It adds a fifth tick to Flame Shock, and the next relic there costs 23.0 DPS.

Trinkets

Talisman of Ascendance is hard to replace: the next trinket costs 15.6 DPS. It is a quest reward in Eastern Plaguelands. Weakness Analyzer comes from Pix Xizzix. The simulator credits its 22 spell damage and nothing for its use effect, 5 % crit until your next crit or for 20 seconds, once every 90 seconds. The table undervalues it.

Crafted pieces

In the one-boss, three-minute set the head, legs and hands are Leatherworking crafts and the shoulders and belt Tailoring ones. All of them bind when equipped, which means the auction house can supply them. Blue Dragonscale Helm and Ironfeather Leggings are the two armor slots with real gaps on one boss: swapping the helm costs 6.2 DPS, the legs 8.0 DPS.

On the hands, Storm Gauntlets and the item level 38 Gloves of the Greatfather are level on one boss, and the older gloves take the slot on the one-minute fight. Against three bosses for two or three minutes your faction's Exalted reputation gloves take the slot instead: Raider Handguards for the Horde, Theramore Handguards for the Alliance.

Hit

Five pieces in the one-boss, three-minute set carry 1 % hit each: the helm, Arcanoweave Cloak, the Storm Gauntlets, Blessed Band of Light and Greaves of Withering Despair. With no talent hit, those pieces are why the set looks the way it does, and the Greaves of Withering Despair from Blackrock Depths, item level 53, beats newer boots on that line alone.

Neck, rings, chest and wrists

Amulet of the Dawn and Chains of the Lich are close on one boss: wear either. The Watchers' Exalted ring, Brilliant Watcher's Signet, takes the longest to earn, and the rings behind it are within a few DPS. Vest of Elements drops from General Drakkisath in Blackrock Spire. Dryad's Wrist Bindings is a vendor item.

Enchants

• Weapon: Mighty Spell Power (+55 spell damage).
• Head and legs: Arcanum of Focus, the same arcanum for each.
• Neck: Spell Power, 6 spell damage.
• Hands: Natural Power, 20 Nature damage.
• Chest: Mystic Rugged Armor Kit on this fight. The set takes Major Intellect where mana runs short and the armor kit's 6 spell damage where it doesn't.
• Feet: Mystic Rugged Armor Kit. Wrists: Healing Power.

Consumables

Bring these to every fight: Flask of Supreme Power (12.5 %), Greater Arcane Elixir (2.9 %), Cerebral Cortex Compound (2.6 %) and Runn Tum Tuber Surprise (1.3 %). Forever's tuber gives 15 Intellect, and Mental Quickness turns part of every Intellect item into spell damage.

For mana, Major Mana Potion and Demonic Rune are worth 3.7 % and 1.6 % on a three-minute single-boss fight, and much more against three bosses: 9.5 % and 6.3 % over three minutes. On a one-minute fight they add nothing, because your mana lasts anyway. Mageblood Elixir follows the same pattern, 0.9 % on three bosses for three minutes.

Elixir of Fire Power is worth 0.1 %: only Flame Shock and your totems deal Fire damage.