Best in slot gear for Arcane Mage at level 30 (PvP)

The best item for each slot for a level 30 Arcane Mage in PvP, with the next two picks, where each comes from and how easy it is. Change the level (1 to 60) and switch PvE or PvP on the page; filters leave out dungeon drops, crafted items, world drops or PvP rewards, or keep only items players have seen in Forever.

Every slot

Head: Filigreed Pearly Circlet, score 24: +12 Stamina, +14 Arcane Damage Done, 38 armor. Crafted: Tailoring (Forever client). Learn it at skill 1. Easy: craft it or buy it from a crafter. Next best: Filigreed Pristine Circlet, Pearly Circlet.
Neck: Scorn's Icy Choker, score 15.6: +7 spell power, +5 Stamina, +6 Intellect. Drops from Scorn, 33.3% (Classic data). Some effort: farm the creature. Next best: Souvenir Sea Shell, Seal of the Expedition.
Shoulder: Seared Grove Shoulderpads, score 16.8: +8 Stamina, +7 crit, +3 Intellect. Where it comes from isn't known yet: the Companion and Helper addons record it when players get one. Not known: where it comes from isn't known yet. Next best: Moonlit Amice, Fairywing Mantle.
Back: Caretaker's Cape (Horde: Battle Healer's Cloak), score 11.3: +6 Stamina, +4 spell damage, +4 Spirit. Sold by Illiyana Moonblaze in Ashenvale (61.5, 83.9) for 1g 7s 72c (Classic data). Easy: buy it. Next best: Sergeant's Cape, Expeditionary's Cape.
Chest: Pearly Gown, score 22.3: +13 Arcane Damage Done, +6 Stamina, +7 Intellect. Crafted: Tailoring (Forever client). Learn it at skill 1. Easy: craft it or buy it from a crafter. Next best: Pristine Gown, Death Speaker Robes.
Wrist: Knife-Polishing Rag, score 9.2: +5 spell power, +4 Intellect, +7 Spirit. Where it comes from isn't known yet: the Companion and Helper addons record it when players get one. Not known: where it comes from isn't known yet. Next best: Stonecloth Bindings, Tabitha's Cuffs.
Hands: Tattered Mittens, score 13.8: +8 Stamina, +4 spell damage, +6 Spirit. Where it comes from isn't known yet: the Companion and Helper addons record it when players get one. Not known: where it comes from isn't known yet. Next best: Pearly Gloves, Nightsky Gloves.
Waist: Highlander's Cloth Girdle (Horde: Defiler's Cloth Girdle), score 18.6: +11 spell power, +4 Stamina, +3 Intellect. Sold by Samuel Hawke in Arathi Highlands (46, 45.2) for 72s 7c (Classic data). Easy: buy it. Next best: Ghamoo-ra's Bind, Warsong Sash.
Legs: Pearly Leggings, score 24.2: +14 Arcane Damage Done, +7 Stamina, +7 Intellect. Crafted: Tailoring (Forever client). Learn it at skill 1. Easy: craft it or buy it from a crafter. Next best: Pristine Leggings, Necromancer Leggings.
Feet: Golden Slippers, score 22.1: +13 Arcane Damage Done, +6 Stamina, +7 Intellect. Crafted: Tailoring (Forever client). Learn it at skill 1. Easy: craft it or buy it from a crafter. Next best: Gilded Slippers, Highlander's Cloth Boots.
Finger: Philanthropist's Ring, score 13: +10 spell power, +5 Intellect. Where it comes from isn't known yet: the Companion and Helper addons record it when players get one. Not known: where it comes from isn't known yet. Next best: Curl of Life, Dark Horde Band.
Finger: Lorekeeper's Ring (Horde: Advisor's Ring), score 12: +7 spell power, +4 Stamina, +2 mana per 5 sec. Sold by Illiyana Moonblaze in Ashenvale (61.5, 83.9) for 2g (Classic data). Easy: buy it.
Trinket: Talisman of Arathor (Horde: Defiler's Talisman), score 6: +6 Stamina. Sold by Samuel Hawke in Arathi Highlands (46, 45.2) for 72s 30c (Classic data). Easy: buy it. Next best: Rune of Duty, Roogug's Severed Head.
Trinket: Rune of Perfection, score 4: +4 Stamina. Sold by Illiyana Moonblaze in Ashenvale (61.5, 83.9) for 2g (Classic data). Easy: buy it.
Main hand: Clever Expeditionary's Spellblade (Horde: Darkspear Insurgent's Spellblade), score 8.2: +4 Stamina, +6 Intellect, +3 Spirit. Needs Revered with Theramore Expeditionary Force (Forever client: who sells it isn't known yet). Hard: Revered with Theramore Expeditionary Force. Next best: Swinetusk Shank, Hardened Iron Shortsword.
Off hand: Insurgent's Manifesto (Horde: Tome of the Darkspear Prophecy), score 12.4: +8 Stamina, +4 Intellect, +2 spell power. Needs Revered with Theramore Expeditionary Force (Forever client: who sells it isn't known yet). Hard: Revered with Theramore Expeditionary Force. Next best: Orb of Mystic Insight, Bouquet of Auberdine Flowers.
Ranged or relic: Starfaller, score 7.2: +6 Arcane Damage Done, +4 Intellect. Inside Iron Lockbox (Classic data). Some effort: open the container. Next best: Thunderwood, Wand of Eventide.

A one-hander and an off-hand beat the best two-hander here.

Stat weights (PvP)

Stamina 1, spell power 1, spell damage 1, crit 0.9, Arcane Damage Done 0.8, hit 0.8, haste 0.8, Intellect 0.6, mana per 5 sec 0.5, Spell Penetration 0.4, Spirit 0.2, armor 0.02. These are ForeverDB's own PvP weights, not Blizzard's. The Arcane Mage PvP guide uses the same weights and names the same gear.

How the PvP weights work

Blizzard publishes no PvP stat weights, so these are ForeverDB's own. One set per spec picks the gear on the best in slot pages and in the class PvP guides, so the two always agree.
Each spec's weights are set by hand in its PvP guide, next to the guide's stat priority and why: Feral Druids are weighted for Cat Form and Stamina rather than Defense, Protection Warriors and Paladins put Stamina first and Defense well down, healers weigh healing and Stamina alike with less mana regeneration.
They follow the same reasoning for every spec: Stamina near the main stat or above it, because players focus you and you have to live through their burst; Hit worth less than against dungeon bosses, because players are your own level, not three above; mana per 5 sec worth less, because PvP fights are short; armour counted for every spec that wears it.
Where a guide leaves a stat out (Haste and Expertise for Arms and Fury, armour for cloth casters), a rule fills it in: Stamina 90% of the main stat, Hit and Expertise 80% of their PvE value, mana per 5 sec 70%, armor at least 0.02 per point, everything else as in PvE. A spec without a PvP guide yet uses the rule for every stat.
An item with nothing on it but armour still counts in PvP and for tanks: at low levels, where a plain mail or leather helmet is the only one there is, it is still the pick.

Every item is scored with the spec's stat weights, for what the class can wear at that level (armour and weapon skills come from the Forever client, so Hunters and Shamans get mail at 40 and Warriors and Paladins plate at 40). Untouched Season of Discovery leftovers are left out.

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