This is not a BIS discussion (far from it), but I did some excel number crunching to see just how high a crit chance a mage can reach in currently available gear. My results were rather amusing (if I did the math correctly):

In currently available gear, mages can reach over 100% critical strike chance on the fireball spell. I calculated the crit ceiling (give our take 1% margin of error) to be 101.44%. The gear set required to reach this rate, however, would be well under hit cap and at a pretty low haste rating (<200).

The gear set I compiled to reach the highest base crit rate before talents and buffs is linked here: http://www.wowhead.com/?compare=47524;47758;47762;47759;47760;47694;45493;47587;45236;47977;49234;47237;49486;45518;47946;45170

The methodology with this gear set is to load up only on items that have both Crit rating as well as Spirit (boosts crit rating with Molten Armor). There are a couple of pieces in here that do not fit this methodology, but must be put in to fit an essential set bonus.

That said I'm going to make a hybrid build model off of this template and attempt to reach as close to 100% crit as I can while being hit capped in 25m raids + at a respectable haste rating (~450), and might start using some NRP towards this set. I wouldn't be going for this necessarily as a "main" raiding spec.

The base crit rate offered by the 100% gear set is 65.44% (on Fireball). This 65.44% includes:

• 2PC T9 Bonus - which, when used with Molten Armor, provides 70% of your spirit as critical strike rating


• Human Racial - +3% spirit


• Student of the Mind 3/3 - +7% Spirit


• Typical 25M Static and % Stat Buffs including Arcane Intellect, Imp MotW, Divine Spirit, BoKings, Earth and Moon / Elemental Oath


• Every Single one of the 13 gem slots being filled with +20 crit or +34 crit dragon's eyes for JC's

Additional Buffs/Debuffs/Talents that boost Fireball Crit Chance from 65.44% to 101.44% include:

• Glyph of Fireball (5%): http://www.wowhead.com/?item=42739


• 4PC T9 Bonus (5%)


• Improved Scorch Talent (3%): http://www.wowhead.com/?spell=12873


• Critical Mass (6%): http://www.wowhead.com/?spell=11368


• Pyromanic (3%): http://www.wowhead.com/?spell=34296


• Focus Magic Trade with Mage (5-6%): http://www.wowhead.com/?spell=54646


• Improved Scorch Debuff (5%): http://www.wowhead.com/?spell=12873


• Heart of the Crusader (3%): http://www.wowhead.com/?spell=20337

I wonder what kind of rotation this would entail...I guess it would be Scorch, Fireball, Hot Streak, Hot Streak, Hot Streak, Hot Streak, etc, etc, etc....

BIG @SS EDIT: In the gear set above, I forgot a very important component - enchants.

These are the ideal enchants to boost crit rate:

• Arcanum of Burning Mysteries (20 rating): http://www.wowhead.com/?item=44159


• Greater Inscription of the Storm (15 rating): http://www.wowhead.com/?item=44135


• Brilliant Spellthread (20 spirit = 24 spirit after % stat boosters = 18 rating) http://www.wowhead.com/?item=41602


• Icewalker (12 rating): http://www.wowhead.com/?item=38986


• Enchant Chest - Major Spirit (15 spirit = 18 spirit = 13 rating): http://www.wowhead.com/?item=38928

These enchants yield 1.83% critical strike chance, pushing the total to 101.44% + 1.83% = 103.27% - barring any boss level spell crit chance reductions (which I have found to be inconclusive)