Mastery

Mastery is a passive mechanic specific to each specialization from level 10 that can be increased with stats. Mastery effects are found in the character sheet, in addition to the Spellbook under each specialization tab. Each Mastery offers specific benefits which can vary but generally fall into one of three categories: increasing the effectiveness of specific abilities or types of damage dealt; becoming more effective when certain conditions are met; or providing bonus effects including DoTs, HoTs, free attacks, or free spellcasts. All mastery benefits are measured in percentages, whether in terms of a numerical improvement, the size of an effectiveness boost or bonus effect, or a proc chance.

Mastery also refers to the associated secondary stat rating, which increases the strength of the effect. Like other ratings, this can be increased by gear with mastery on it. Each mastery has a base percentage value; the mastery stat increases this percentage by a varying amount depending on spec and level. Therefore even characters with no mastery stat rating will benefit from their Mastery.

Mastery stat rating is unique as its percentage depends both on the player's level and the specific mastery associated with their spec, with each mastery having a different amount of rating required to increase its effects. For example, a warlock that changes from affliction to demonology will see a decrease in both their base mastery percentage and mastery gained from rating, as it takes more mastery rating to increase Mastery: Master Demonologist than it does for Mastery: Potent Afflictions. This can be shown by viewing the effects for inactive specializations in the spellbook. Numerous enhancements such as enchantments and gems increase mastery rating. In terms of stat weighting, the importance of mastery depends on the effect it grants the player, as well as the effectiveness of mastery rating on the spec's mastery percentage.

Below is a list of all Masteries, and the classes and specs to which they belong. Listed under 'Base effect' are the base percentage benefits granted to players regardless of their mastery stat. 'Rating per 1%' is the mastery rating required at level 60 to gain an additional 1% effect for that mastery's X value only (the displayed mastery percentage value in the paper doll frame). At lower levels, smaller amounts of mastery rating are required to gain the same benefit. Both base effects and ratios are often very specific and are sometimes difficult to determine precisely.

The following is a list of masteries that were removed from game. This list does not include the masteries that were previously removed and then re-added (such as Mastery: Total Eclipse), as these are still the current masteries in game. This list also does not include masteries that were redesigned but not renamed (such as Mastery: Harmony).

• Some of the original masteries in game were created from reworked talents in prior expansions, such as Combat's Hack and Slash (rogue talent) becoming Mastery: Main Gauche and Elemental's Lightning Overload becoming Mastery: Elemental Overload.
• Only a few of the original masteries added in Cataclysm have survived numerous expansions and remained as the spec's mastery at present (though some have been redesigned). The masteries added in Patch 4.0.1 that are still in use today are:
• Death Knight's Mastery: Blood Shield and Mastery: Frozen Heart.
• Druid's Mastery: Razor Claws
• Hunter's Mastery: Master of Beasts
• Paladin's Mastery: Divine Bulwark
• Priest's Mastery: Echo of Light
• Rogue's Mastery: Potent Assassin, Mastery: Main Gauche, and Mastery: Executioner
• Shaman's Mastery: Enhanced Elements and Mastery: Deep Healing
• Warlock's Mastery: Potent Afflictions and Mastery: Master Demonologist
• Warrior's Mastery: Unshackled Fury and Mastery: Critical Block
• The first mastery to be removed was the Unholy Death Knight's Blightcaller (death knight ability), replaced by Mastery: Dreadblade in Patch 4.0.6.
• This mastery also has the shortest lifespan in game, lasting just under four months before being removed.
• Mage is the only original class that has had all three of their spec's original masteries removed.
• Rogue is the only original class that has not had any of their spec's masteries removed, even after having one of their original specializations removed, as Outlaw retained Combat's mastery.
• Shadow priests currently hold the record for the spec that has had the largest amount of different masteries, having had a total of 5 different masteries since mastery was introduced.
• The only shadow priest masteries to survive after the expansions they were added in are Mastery: Madness (added in, removed in ) and Mastery: Shadow Weaving (added in , still active as of ).
• Mastery: Total Eclipse, Mastery: Hand of Light, and Mastery: Elemental Overload are the only three masteries that have been re-added to the game after previously being removed. These were also the three original masteries for their respective specializations (though Mastery: Hand of Light was redesigned when it was re-added).
• Mastery: Total Eclipse was eventually removed again.