Fire Mage WotLK Guide
Fire Mage DPS guide for WotLK 3.3.5a: rotation, cooldowns, the 18/53/0 talent build, glyphs, stat priority and BiS gear for ICC and Ruby Sanctum.
Fire is the sustained-damage Mage. It gives up some of Arcane's burst for damage that holds through long fights and through movement, because so much of it is instant: Pyroblast on a Hot Streak proc, Fire Blast and Living Bomb. It is the choice on fights longer than about two and a half minutes, like the Lich King and Halion.
This guide covers the rotation, the cooldowns, the two Fire builds, the talents and glyphs we run, the stats to reach and the mistakes that cost the most. It is written for Icecrown Citadel 25 and Ruby Sanctum on 3.3.5a. The short overview is in the class guide.
1.How the Fire Mage plays
The base is Living Bomb, Fireball and Pyroblast. You keep Living Bomb up, you cast Fireball as your main spell, and every time Hot Streak procs you cast an instant Pyroblast. Combustion is your burst, and Fire Blast gives you an instant button when you have to move.
There are two builds. The Torment the Weak build (18/53/0) is the standard one for most encounters, with a version that stacks spell power and a version that leans on critical strike for Halion. The Frostfire build (0/56/15) is viable at around 35 percent critical strike and above, but it helps only in some situations, for example the Valkyr on the Lich King.
2.Rotation and priorities
- Living BombKeep it on the target. It also spreads on multi-target fights.
- PyroblastEvery time Hot Streak procs. It is instant.
- FireballYour main spell. Most of your casts.
- CombustionWith your other cooldowns, for the burst window.
- Fire BlastAn instant, for movement.
Fire is a well-rounded spec: it has more instant spells than Arcane, and that gives it mobility. The Torment the Weak build gives you a large direct-damage advantage during phase transitions compared to the Frostfire build, which is why it is the standard.
3.Cooldowns and raid utility
Fire is about using its burst window well, and about staying mobile.
A burst of critical strikes and damage. Use it with your other cooldowns and Bloodlust.
Creates copies of you that cast at the target. A burst tool for the start of a fight.
The armor buff for damage. Keep it on, and it is one of the glyphs we run.
Increases the critical strike chance of another caster, and yours. The guides we read need around 47 percent critical chance with Focus Magic for the Fire builds.
Moves you a short distance, for the fights with a lot of movement.
Makes you immune for a short time. A survival tool, and on some fights a way to avoid a mechanic.
4.Talents and glyphs
Our recommended Fire builds are the 18/53/0 Torment the Weak build and the 0/56/15 Frostfire build in the calculator. The talents that define Fire are Living Bomb, Hot Streak, Combustion, Burnout, Empowered Fire and Pyromaniac.
The major glyphs are Living Bomb, Molten Armor and Fireball.
The target becomes a Living Bomb, taking 612 Fire Damage over 12 sec. After 12 sec or when the spell is dispelled, the target explodes dealing 306 Fire damage to all enemies within 10 yards.
Any time you score 2 spell criticals in a row using Fireball, Fire Blast, Scorch, Living Bomb, or Frostfire Bolt, you have a 100% chance the next Pyroblast spell cast within 10 sec will be instant cast.
When activated, this spell increases your critical strike damage bonus with Fire damage spells by 50%, and causes each of your Fire damage spell hits to increase your critical strike chance with Fire damage spells by 10%. This effect lasts until you have caused 3 non-periodic critical strikes with Fire spells.
Increases your spell critical damage bonus with all spells by 50% but your spell criticals cost an additional 5% of the spell's cost.
Increases the damage of your Fireball, Frostfire Bolt and Pyroblast spells by an amount equal to 15% of your spell power. In addition, each time your Ignite talent causes damage, you have a 100% chance to regain 2% of your base mana.
Increases chance to critically hit by 3% and allows 50% of your mana regeneration to continue while casting.
The periodic damage from your Living Bomb can now be critical strikes.
Your Molten Armor grants an additional 20% of your spirit as critical strike rating.
Reduces the casting time of your Fireball spell by 0.15 sec, but removes the damage over time effect.
5.Stats, gems and gear
Your priority is hit, then spell power, then critical strike and haste. The guides we read say Fire needs around 47 percent self-buffed critical strike chance with Focus Magic to be at its best, and less for the Frostfire build.
The best items are in the BiS list below.
- Hit
- Spell Power
- Critical Strike
- Haste
~368 rating (342 with Draenei)
Fire has no meaningful hit-reducing talent, so with only the 3% raid debuff it needs 14% from gear — noticeably more than Arcane or Frost.
Berserking (+20% cast haste for 10s) is a big burst window for Fire and Arcane. Blood Elf trades that for Arcane Torrent — mana back plus an AoE silence.
Expansive Mind (+5% maximum mana) helps mana longevity on long fights, and Escape Artist is handy utility. Human (The Human Spirit) is the minor alternative.
Bloodsurge, Kel'Thuzad's Blade of Agony
Shadow Silk Spindle
Nightmare Ender
Phylactery of the Nameless Lich
Dislodged Foreign Object
Sanctified Bloodmage Hood
Robe of the Waking Nightmare
6.Common mistakes
• Not using Pyroblast at once when Hot Streak procs.
• Letting Living Bomb fall off.
• Playing Arcane on a long fight with movement, when Fire would do better.
• Casting Fireball in a movement phase, where Fire Blast and instant spells work better.
• Using your cooldowns without lining them up with Bloodlust.
7.On the bosses
Fire is strongest on long fights with movement. A few notes:
The Torment the Weak build is the choice on this long fight. The Frostfire build helps with the Valkyr. See the Lich King guide.
The critical-strike version of the Torment the Weak build is the one the guides we read use. See the Ruby Sanctum guide.
Use your instant spells during the movement phases.
Stay mobile, and use Living Bomb on the target you are assigned.
8.Questions people ask
On long fights with movement, yes. On short stationary fights, Arcane is stronger.
The Fire build with 18 points in the Frost tree, named after a Frost talent. It is the standard choice for most encounters.
The Fire builds do best with a lot of critical strike, and Focus Magic helps you reach it.
Living Bomb, Molten Armor and Fireball.