Spell damage drives this set. Nearly every piece carries it, a few add crit, and the pieces with 1 % hit take you from Suppression's 5 % to 9.0 %. Our gear search picked it from what you can reach before the first raids (dungeons, quests, crafts, reputations and vendors), counting only items whose Forever stats are published. It averages item level 62.6.

Pre-raid gear

Under each item are the ones closest behind it, with the DPS you would lose by swapping on this fight. A "level" entry means the two sit inside the simulation's noise of each other.

Weapons

Your race decides how much the main hand matters. Sageblade is a sword, and a Human's Sword Specialization adds 2 % crit to every spell while you hold one, so for a Human the next best, Sageclaw, a dagger, costs 17.7 DPS on three minutes. A Horde warlock loses far less with Mindfang: 2.6 DPS. Blacksmiths make Sageblade, and it binds only when equipped, so one can make it for you.

Against one boss, Therazane's Touch and Tome of Shadow Force are level: 31 spell damage against 34 Shadow damage. Against three, where Immolate's Fire does more of your damage, the Tome falls 3.6 DPS behind. Both bind when picked up, and Wowhead lists Therazane's Touch for sale in Alterac Valley.

The main hand carries no enchant. The +30 spell power weapon enchant comes from a Molten Core formula, which the pre-raid pool leaves out.

Trinkets

No slot costs more to replace than Talisman of Ascendance: the next trinket is 22.8 DPS behind. It is a quest reward from Eastern Plaguelands that binds when picked up, and its use adds up to 40 spell damage over your next spells. Our simulator lets those stacks run the full 20 seconds without the item's six-spell limit, so its lead here is probably a little high.

Weakness Analyzer from Pix Xizzix in Stranglethorn Vale earns its place on 22 spell damage alone. We don't simulate its use, 5 % crit until your next direct crit, so it does a little better in game than here.

Tailoring pieces

Four pieces of the set are Tailoring crafts. Robe of the Void is a warlock-only robe that binds when picked up, so you have to be the tailor. The next robe, Robe of Winter Night, binds when equipped and costs 6.1 DPS. Mantle of the Timbermaw, Gloves of Spell Mastery and Belt of the Archmage also bind when equipped, so you can buy them.

Hit pieces

Besides Sageblade, three pieces carry 1 % hit each: Deathmist Mask, a quest reward and part of the Deathmist Raiment, Arcanoweave Cloak from Pix Xizzix, and Blessed Band of Light, also from Pix. The next helm costs 5.8 DPS.

Reputation pieces

The leggings come from your faction's quartermaster: Sentinel's Silk Leggings from Illiyana Moonblaze for the Silverwing Sentinels, Outrider's Silk Leggings from Kelm Hargunth for the Warsong Outriders. Brilliant Watcher's Signet needs The Watchers at Exalted, but the Revered version is within the noise of it, so you can wear that sooner.

Enchants

• Head and legs both take Arcanum of Focus.
• Neck: Spell Power. Necklaces take enchants in Forever.
• Chest and feet: Mystic Rugged Armor Kit, worth 6 spell damage plus 40 armor.
• Wrists: Healing Power, which carries 8 spell damage. The Spell Power bracer enchant isn't in Wowhead's Forever enchant list, so the pool leaves it out.
• Hands: Minor Haste on this fight. The sets take Minor Haste's 1 % casting speed on one boss and the armor kit on the longer three-boss fights, and the two are close. Wowhead tags Minor Haste "PTR Only", so it may not ship.
• Main hand: none, as above.

Consumables

Start with Flask of Supreme Power: its 150 spell damage is worth 12.6 % of your damage. Then Greater Arcane Elixir (3.0 %) and Elixir of Shadow Power (2.9 %). Our simulator lets you drink both with the flask, and Forever hasn't said whether they stack. For mana, bring Major Mana Potion (4.2 %) and Demonic Rune (2.4 %). The rune binds when picked up and costs health on top of Life Tap's.

The rest are small. Cerebral Cortex Compound is worth 1.8 % and binds when picked up, Runn Tum Tuber Surprise 0.8 % and Mageblood Elixir 0.1 %. Rumsey Rum Black Label's Stamina adds no damage.