From xenowiki

Hit Cap Information

202 (16%) hit cap Normally. The hit cap is actually 16.02% - but the closest calculation of this is 202 Hit rating. Because of this slight variation, many casters prefer getting 163 hit rating instead of 164 with elemental precision listed below.

Lowering Hit Cap for Fire and Frost spells.
189 (15%) hit cap with 1 points in Elemental Precision.
177 (14%) hit cap with 2 points in Elemental Precision.
164 (13%) hit cap with 3 points in Elemental Precision.
(The above values are rounded with the closest calculations.)

Note: Elemental Precision is currently (and has been for some time) working not as intended. It actually is currently lowering the Frost Hit Cap by 6% instead of 3% - Making the hit cap 126 for frost only with 3/3 Elemental Precision.

Lowering Hit Cap for Arcane spells.
177 (14%) hit cap with 1 points in Arcane Focus.
151 (12%) hit cap with 2 points in Arcane Focus.
126 (10%) hit cap with 3 points in Arcane Focus.
101 (8%) hit cap with 4 points in Arcane Focus.
76 (6%) hit cap with 5 points in Arcane Focus.
(The above values are rounded with the closest calculations.)

Passive Haste Items (Sorted by Haste)

[Fetish of the Primal Gods] (Off-Hand) (17 Haste)
[Runed Spell-cuffs] (Bracer) (25 Haste)
[Footpads of Madness] (Feet) (25 Haste)
[Loop of Cursed Bones] (Neck) (27 Haste)
[Bracers of Nimble Thought] (Bracer) (28 Haste)
[Mana Attuned Band] (Ring) (29 Haste)
[Blade of Twisted Visions] (1H-Sword) (29 Haste)
[Ring of Ancient Knowledge] (Ring) (31 Haste)
[Shroud of the Highborne] (Cloak) (32 Haste)
[Waistwrap of Infinity] (Belt) (32 Haste)
[Mantle of Ill Intent] (Shoulder) (33 Haste)
[Robe of Departed Spirits] (Chest) (35 Haste)
[Mantle of Nimble Thought] (Shoulder) (38 Haste)
[Pantaloons of Arcane Annihilation] (Legs) (45 Haste)
[Zhar'doom, Greatstaff of the Devourer] (Staff) (55 Haste)

Haste Enchants Currently, Blizzard does not offer us any Spell-Haste enchants or improvements in the game. Melee has a small haste for melee/ranged to Gloves enchant, but nothing for casters. However, at Blizzcon 2007, Blizzard suggested that with the upcoming WoLK Expansion, the new profession Inscription might offer haste improvements to both melee and spell abilities.

Haste Ratings

Haste helps all spells with cast time. Although casts are not able to benefit much through global cooldowns in PvE, in PvP getting a cast off faster allows for faster attacking and more time being able to move, after all, as a Mage, we move around a lot to avoid our the enemy.

15.7 Haste = 1% Haste (1% Cast Time Reduction)
157 Haste = 10% Haste (9% Cast Time Reduction)
785 Haste = 50% Haste (33% Cast Time Reduction)
1570 Haste = 100% Haste (50% Cast Time Reduction)

Calculations for spell haste can be made with the chart below: (Thanks to Zeonec for information.)

   zeonec wrote:

   Think of the relation as

   distance                                              miles
   --------- = velocity          in familiar units:   ---------- = mph        tongue
     time                                                 hour

   Where the distance is constant (the length of your castbar doesn't change) and it's not important, time is the time it takes to cast the spell and velocity is the velocity of which your castbar is filled. We don't care about the actual numbers of the velocity but only the increase in terms of +% haste .
   the relation is

       1
   --------- = cast speed
   cast time

   now, take for example 10% haste:

        1 
   ---------- = cast speed * 1.1   
   cast time

   the new cast time becomes:

        1           1                        1
   ------------  * ---- = cast time     and ---- = 0.909 ~ 9% cast time reduction
   cast speed      1.1                      1.1

Example: 100% Haste improvement from 1570 haste would turn a 5 second cast into a 2.5 second cast.

Haste Use or Item-Proc Improvements (Under Construction & Research) The following haste improvements do not include any passive spell haste. Area of Effect spells are not included.

---

{Spell: Icy Veins}-----

Arcane Blast: 2.08 / 1.8 / 1.53 / 1.25 Sec.
A-Missiles: 4.17 Sec. (One Missile Every 0.83)
Scorch: 1.25 Sec.
Fireball: 2.92 Sec. (Imp Fireball: 2.5 Sec.)
Pyroblast: 5 Sec.
Frostbolt: 2.5 Sec. (Imp Frostbolt: 2.08 Sec.)
Evocation: 6.67 Sec.

---

{Spell: Bloodlust/Heroism}-----

Arcane Blast:
A-Missiles:
Scorch:
Fireball:
Pyroblast:
Frostbolt:
Evocation:

---

{[Mind Quickening Gem]}-----

Arcane Blast: 2.07 / 1.79 / 1.51 / 1.24 Sec.
A-Missiles: 4.14 Sec. (One Missile Every 0.83 Sec.)
Scorch: 1.24 Sec.
Fireball: 2.89 Sec. (Imp Fireball: 2.48 Sec.)
Pyroblast: 4.96 Sec.
Frostbolt: 2.48 Sec. (Imp Frostbolt: 2.07 Sec.)
Evocation: 6.62 Sec.

---

{[Quagmirran's Eye]}-----

Arcane Blast:
A-Missiles:
Scorch:
Fireball:
Pyroblast:
Frostbolt:
Evocation:

Talent Suggestions for PvE
Arcane
Deep Arcane/Fire (Slow Spec): (47/14/0)
Deep Arcane/Frost (Slow Spec): (47/0/14)

Fire
Full Fire (Clearcast Spec): (10/48/3) Spec

Frost
(Looking for more info, please submit)

Mixed
Arcane/Frost: (40/0/21) Spec

Talent Suggestions PvP
Arcane
(Looking for more info, please submit)

Fire
(Looking for more info, please submit)

Frost
Arcane/Frost (Elemental/Silence +Survival Spec) (17/0/44)

Mixed
Arcane/Fire Survival Spec: (33/28/0)

Mage PvE DPS Spreadsheets

Vontre: http://www.homegirlsguild.com/mage_dps.zip

All Caster-Type Meta Gems
[Chaotic Skyfire Diamond] (PvE & PvP Oriented)
[Mystical Skyfire Diamond] (PvE & PvP Oriented)
[Insightful Earthstorm Diamond] (PvE Oriented)
[Imbued Unstable Diamond] (PvP Oriented)
[Swift Starfire Diamond] (PvP Oriented)
[Powerful Earthstorm Diamond] (PvP Oriented)
[Destructive Skyfire Diamond] (PvP Oriented)

Recommended Trinkets
Below is a list of trinkets that are recommended for situations. Trinkets are sorted by their Teir Value (T1-T6). Although not all trinkets are part of a Teir set, they are all associated by strength to a teir.

========PvE Raiding Trinkets========
[Ashtongue Talisman of Insight] (T6)
[The Skull of Gul'dan] (T6)
[Serpent-Coil Braid] (T5)
[Hex Shrunken Head] (T5)
[Scryer's Bloodgem] (T4 - Scryer Faction Only)
[Icon of the Silver Crescent] (T4)
[Eye of Magtheridon] (T4)
[Quagmirran's Eye] (T4)
[Arcanist's Stone] (T4)
[Mind Quickening Gem] (T2)
[Neltharion's Tear] (T2)
[Darkmoon Card: Crusade] (Quest Reward - Darkmoon Faire)
[Talisman of Ascendance] (Quest Reward - Argent Dawn)

========PvE Grinding Trinkets========
[Serpent-Coil Braid] (T5)
[Sextant of Unstable Currents] (T5)
[Hex Shrunken Head] (T5)
[The Lightning Capacitor] (T4)
[Figurine - Living Ruby Serpent] (T4 - Jewelcrafters Only)
[Alchemist's Stone] (T4 - Alchemists Only)
[Oculus of the Hidden Eye] (Dungen Set 3)
[Power Infused Mushroom] (Quest Reward)
[Mark of Defiance] (Quest Reward)

========PvP Trinkets========
[Medallion of the Horde]/[Medallion of the Alliance](T4) (Highly Recommended)
[Sextant of Unstable Currents] (T5)
[Battlemaster's Depravity] (http://thottbot.com/i34162) (T5 - Badge Reward)
[Battlemaster's Audacity] (T5 - Badge Reward)
[Spyglass of the Hidden Fleet] (T5)
[Icon of the Silver Crescent] (T4)
[The Lightning Capacitor] (T4)
[Alembic of Infernal Power] (T4)
[Talisman of the Horde]/[Talisman of the Alliance] (T4)
[Shiffar's Nexus-Horn] (T4)
[Goblin Rocket Launcher] (T4 - Engineers Only)
[Alchemist's Stone] (T4 - Alchemists Only)
[Runed Fungalcap] (Dungen Set 3)
[Commander's Badge] (T4 - Quest Reward)

Mage Tips & Tricks

Faster Water/Food Instead of conjuring your regular food/water, waiting for mana.... You can enter a 3v3 or 5v5 arena skirmish game and conjure up your portal, take as much biscuits as you want, and even conjure all your mana gems, Free of mana cost. Than /afk out and keep it all. (Credit: Alia)

Surviving a Boss Wipe You might notice that most bosses keep you in combat even if you go invisible. However, the boss still can't directly target you. If you're invisible when the wipe occurs, meaning everyone else is dead, the boss can't target you, and will reset. You survive, everyone else dies. This works on many bosses, but not all. Some bosses give agro pulses, or other Area effects that will keep you with threat even while invisible, keeping you from surviving. Sometimes, if you are the last person left, an effect, a boss, or one of it's creatures can still find and attack you even while under invisibility. It always worth a try though when you know your group is moments from a wipe. (Credit: Venorize, and others who contributed with posts below.)

Killing the Enemy.... In Town! To kill your faction enemy in the middle of a neutral town, throw up a portal to any city. Now kill your target. Obviously once the attack begins, guards will come after you, just keep going. If you drop too much health from guards, take the portal. You could kill your enemy and then be safely in another city without taking any durability loss, no matter if you won or loss. (Credit: Alia)

Instant Ice Block/Remove Block - To Remove Debuffs A while back, blizzard put a cooldown on spamming iceblock twice (Cast once to go ice block, press twice to instantly remove it), which many Mages did just to remove their debuffs, not to sit in immunity. This is still achievable. Make a macro that contains the following: /cancelaura Ice Block /cast Ice Block And use that when you ice block. If you press it once, you'll go ice block. If you press it again, you'll cancel Ice Block no matter how long you've been blocked. Pressing it twice will basically remove all your debuffs while barley hindering your movement at all. (Higher latency might require you to spam it more than twice to get it off right away). (Credit: Venorize)

Break Ice Block Early - Avoid Getting Cought If you are in a sticky situation, don't ice block the full duration. Many people have mods that countdown your Ice Block, and they will have a cast or attack on you the moment its off. Break it a second or two early to catch them unprepared from your early release. (Credit: Jamesmor)

Spell Reflection? No Problem Spell reflection doesn't reflect Area of Effect spells, such as Arcane Explosion, Cone of Cold, Flamestrike, Blizzard, Frost Nova. You can use any of these without fear of reflection in combat. Also, if you're low health against a target that has spell reflection up, use sheep. Sheep reflected on you is like giving yourself free health. (Credit: Klatz)

Falling without Light Feathers Out of slowfall feathers? Not a problem, there is two ways extra to stay alive. Blink, which if timed correctly will blink you to the ground even from the air. If not, you'll just blink in place, and reset your speed of falling, which can still save you. Also, since patch 2.3 all objects fall to the ground no matter what. This means you can ice block in mid-air, and you'll keep falling as ice block and land on the ground as ice block. You'll take no damage if you fall from any height and hit the ground while in Ice Block. (Credit: Venorize & Klatz)

CC'ing Flying Mounts Did you know that players are only immune to CC effects such as sheep, ONLY while in mid-air? Even if they are on a flying mount, as long as they are landed, you can nova or sheep them accordingly, to get them off their mount. Once they're airborne however, the immunity returns. (Credit: Venorize)

The Wonders of Spellstealing

Shaman) In Arena with shamans, and playing an opposite faction, you can spellsteal Heroism/Bloodlust, and have both. This means +60% Casting Speed. With Icy Veins, you can turn that to +80%. Also, their Shamanistic Rage is a magic effect too, meaning -30% damage done to you if you get a hold of it!

Mage) You can spellsteal another mage's Arcane Power, or PoM before they have a chance to use it, how? As soon as you see Arcane Power or PoM or both go up, silence them. While silenced, take their buffs. Hopefully you're lucky enough to spellsteal one or both of them, lowering their damage, and increasing yours!

Paladin) Paladin's melee-immunity shields dont make them immune to spellsteal! Steal it, and become immune yourself, and allow other melee classes to attack the paladin! Also, their Blessing of Freedom is Godly for a mage if you steal that.

Warlock) Fel Armor is a great thing to steal because it gives you over 100 extra spell damage, and increases your own healing effects (Bandages, Potions, Charged Crystal Focus, Heals from Healers).

Priest) Power Word: Shield, Power Infusion, Heals, all great from a normal priest. As far as shadow priests go, most shadow priests actually have Shadow Protection on, spellsteal that, and you basically have 70 resistance to all their spells, stacked with mage armor and with dampen magic on, that priest is toast.