Arcane Mage 101
This will be a short guide on how I personally play Arcane Mage.  Not everything will be similar to other mages but it is how I interpret the spec and class.  I’m not “perfect” so if anyone has comments I’m open to them!

Spec & Glyphs
57/3/11
When hard modes are released I plan on speccing into Magic Absorption because it will be useful on many fights in ICC that has magical damage.  This was similar in Ulduar where speccing into Magic Absorption helped on fights like Hodir, Thorim, Mimiron, and etc. 

Glyph of Molten Armor
Glyph of Arcane Blast
Glyph of Arcane Missiles
No question about choosing different glyphs

Rotation
The regular rotation of an Arcane Mage is
AB-> AB-> AB->AB->AM (Assuming Missile Barrage proc)
Missile Barrage usually procs because it has a 40% proc rate but if it doesn’t you have three options:
1. Use Arcane Barrage if you need to move right very soon or right away. 
2. Keep casting Arcane Blast until MB procs and use AM.  You only want to resort to this if you have the mana to keep spamming AB because a 4 stack AB debuff = 1720 mana per Arcane Blast.  Remember, only do this if you have an evocation or mana gem up + you won’t run oom before the fight ends.  No mana = no dps
3. Cast AM right after your 4th AB because it still yields more damage per minute even without Missile Barrage proccing

Cooldowns
Even though everyone talks about how Arcane Mages are a no skill easy class, to do competitive DPS is about managing your CD’s well (in my opinion).  With ICC gear(900-1300 haste) + 2pct10/4pct10 it changes on how I normally run my cool downs. Before that you can macro everything into a one “I win” button but now it’s different.
Since I’m an Engineer-Troll this is how I normally manage my cool downs for fights:
Pre-pull: Potion of Speed right before the pull to get my AB stacks rolling at a quicker speed
If we are lusting early:
Mirror Image(4pct10, 30 percent extra damage), Arcane Power, + Hyperspeed Accelerator
After lust is over:
Berserking + Icy Veins +Potion of Wild Magic when Black Magic comes back up to yield me 1 second AB/AM.
Then just use CD’s as they come back up.  I generally try to line up my Beserking/IV/Hyperspeed with Mirror Image since it yields me extra damage with 4pct10.  If the fights are short then I generally pop them on CD. 

If we lust late then I’d start the fight with the pre-pull Potion of Speed into an ABx4->MB (2pct10) -> Mirror Image (4pct10) ->AP/Hyperspeed Gloves ->Icy Veins -> Berserking (When Hyperspeed Accelerator/Black Magic drop off).  After that I just try to align lust with MI/AP/Gloves/Black Magic/Potion of Wild Magic.  I do not use IV/Berserking with lust because it drops my GCD down to lower than a second and that will just result in a loss of DPS. 

Gear stats
Hit > Spell power > Haste > Crit > Spirit
Hit: 210 (Arcane Focus + Precision + Shadow Priest/Boomkin).  289 without an SP/Boomkin.
Spell power/Haste: After 3000 Spell Power, haste will be really good stat.  You never gem full haste gems because by the end of ICC heroic gear you will generally have 1200-1300 haste. 
Crit/Spirit: Sucks but if you had a choice go for Crit.

Gem
I normally follow the rule of
Red: Runed
Orange: Reckless
Blue: Purified

Very well written.  It’d be interesting if you went into more intricate detail about high end mage play as opposed to a short, sweet, vanilla guide on how to play our class. 

Personally I don’t use the hit talents, I use pushback.  And I sometimes wonder why some mages use it, and some mages don’t. 

There are certain fights (Such as the Lich King, the way I hear it), that are going to possibly force you to choose either a more mana efficient spec, (whether that be Arcane with mage armor, Frostfire Bolt, etc) or play the spec you currently have more efficiently.  Would having some spirit/haste gear make a difference just for those fights?  (For mana regen) 

I’d be curious to hear your thoughts on some of these issues.  I don’t visit Elitist Jerks and while I’m good at math, I hate it.  I just like my class alot and I like discussing it with other mages.  :)

In terms of mana you would probably want spirit/crit, haste is the enemy of mana conversation. But I don’t think gearing for that would be a good idea, between evocation, mana gems, and the occasional innervate from your best friend, the feral druid.

enemy of mana conversation

Is it really boring or something?

diaf

I have feral druid macros, but what I really need is a disc priest that is skilled enough to hymn of hope on a whim so I can super-evocate.  :P

And yes. All gear must have haste.  But I think the current argument is (or should be), how many pieces should be crit/haste, and how many pieces should be spirit/haste, if you’re having mana problems?  Iono.  Right now I’m not feeling the crunch, but my guild hasn’t fought the Lich King.

Just a thought—on late BL i use Speed pre-pull, then MI one GCD before combat, but I wait to use AP/Zerking/IV until 1 or 2 ABs in, to give Lightweave/Frostforged Sage/Black Magic a chance to proc and also to have a stack or two of Cultivated Power up from Muradin’s Spyglass.

As for a high end tip: Try using Evocate after 2 or 3 ABs, making sure you have Missile Barrage up. That way you’re not wasting PtL and you can cast the hasted MBAM on the last second or so of your Missile Barrage buff.