Frost Mage 6.2

[Guest mellario]

Would the synergy between Icy Floes and Rune of Power offset the disadvantage of RoP in movement fights enough to make it worthwhile? I haven't tried it in a raid yet and I was just curious if anyone had.

[Oltier 471]

Would the synergy between Icy Floes and Rune of Power offset the disadvantage of RoP in movement fights enough to make it worthwhile? I haven't tried it in a raid yet and I was just curious if anyone had.

Depends on how frequently you'd have to recast the Rune.

[Guest monk3ym4jik]

Is that a typo that Comet Storm is our best Tier 7 ability? The guide says it is by far the best single target dps boost, but Comet Storm is more of an AOE ability, no?

 

Did you guys mean Thermal Void?

 

Thanks for the guide btw. And for updating it so quickly after patch.

[Oltier 471]

Is that a typo that Comet Storm is our best Tier 7 ability? The guide says it is by far the best single target dps boost, but Comet Storm is more of an AOE ability, no?

 

Did you guys mean Thermal Void?

 

Thanks for the guide btw. And for updating it so quickly after patch.

CS is not an AoE ability, and with the recent buff in patch 6.1 it has become a very decent single target ability bringing it on par with PC and actually even better than PC unless the given circumstances are given as explained in the guide.

 

TV is the best Multiple Target choice.

 

The reason why CS is not an aoe ability is: that it's damage is SPLIT between the enemies.

[Guest Gnome]

Hey folks! Long time reader, first time poster. I was wondering if someone could answer questions or help solve an issue I'm running into.  The higher my ilvl, the lower my dps seems to be going. At the standard 640 (with everything enchanted with multistrike), I was doing killer DPS in normal Highmaul. However, with an ilvl of 650, most of the gear that seems to be dropping from raids, world bosses, and garrison missions are booting multistrike for mastery, and I've lost over 4% MS and have gained 4% in mastery. My dps has dropped nearly 2k... Is there a reason gear is pushing Frost mages towards using mastery vs multistrike? Half the time I just put on my 640 gear and enjoy the top DPS meter slot.  Any insight would be greatly appreciated. I'm a casual raider, so I'm not in heroic raiding yet, but I do want to ensure I'm pushing the most dps so the progression group I'm in can be successful at our own pace.  Thanks for your time!

[Oltier 471]

Hey folks! Long time reader, first time poster. I was wondering if someone could answer questions or help solve an issue I'm running into.  The higher my ilvl, the lower my dps seems to be going. At the standard 640 (with everything enchanted with multistrike), I was doing killer DPS in normal Highmaul. However, with an ilvl of 650, most of the gear that seems to be dropping from raids, world bosses, and garrison missions are booting multistrike for mastery, and I've lost over 4% MS and have gained 4% in mastery. My dps has dropped nearly 2k... Is there a reason gear is pushing Frost mages towards using mastery vs multistrike? Half the time I just put on my 640 gear and enjoy the top DPS meter slot.  Any insight would be greatly appreciated. I'm a casual raider, so I'm not in heroic raiding yet, but I do want to ensure I'm pushing the most dps so the progression group I'm in can be successful at our own pace.  Thanks for your time!

Before switching an item on your character, you chould check whether that item is indeed an upgrade or not. www.askmrrobot.com is a great tool for this.

[Guest Leah]

Is there a weak auras for tracking icicles? It's hard to see them when you're stacked.

[Oltier 471]

Is there a weak auras for tracking icicles? It's hard to see them when you're stacked.

I don't know of any weak auras like this, but I also can't see any reason why you would need one.

[Guest sawboss]

hi where can i find out what talent and rotation and stats to chooce wen i got 4 piece tier 18 and profecy and class trinket?

[Oltier 471]

hi where can i find out what talent and rotation and stats to chooce wen i got 4 piece tier 18 and profecy and class trinket?

The talents don't change. The rotation is on the rotation tab.

[Guest Mathiasp]

Hi, i have a question about Prismatic crystal and Frozen orb. PC has 1.5 min cd and FO has only 1 min. So during my opening sequence i can use both at the same time, but 1 min later FO comes out of cd and PC is still on a 30s cooldown. Should i wait for my PC to recharge or should i use FO on cd? 

[Oltier 471]

Hi, i have a question about Prismatic crystal and Frozen orb. PC has 1.5 min cd and FO has only 1 min. So during my opening sequence i can use both at the same time, but 1 min later FO comes out of cd and PC is still on a 30s cooldown. Should i wait for my PC to recharge or should i use FO on cd? 

Wait for PC. :)

[Guest Referiat-Drakkari]

Why mastery it's under versatility? It's an useless stat for PvE

[Oltier 471]

Why mastery it's under versatility? It's an useless stat for PvE

Because we trust in simcraft, rather than a simple opinion: "it's useless".

 

[Blaze78 1]

Here and there I revisit this guide and I've always wondered why you prioritize using Freeze over Water Jet (with the prerequisite circumstances written) at all or at least with more specification.

 

Clearly there are rare circumstances where you'd gain more from having a successful freeze on add-like mobs. Maybe you'd go for some kind of shatter combo with Ice Nova or something. Or perhaps (if a shatter combo isn't a factor,) you'd need some kind of ultra burst (if you wanted to get those Ice Lances out right then and no later) on a target near death preferring such over more total damage after another few seconds via Water Jet. Maybe you need the root/crowd control for the sake of your raid and fight mechanics, but that isn't specified. None of it is specified.

 

Otherwise I don't see the purpose of using Freeze with such little justification, even if there are adds up. Adds or no adds, Water Jet does more damage, and you still get the Fingers of Frost charges, always at least two charges, even. Water Jet is just a simple DPS increase if you aren't concerned about any of those extremely rare circumstances for Freeze.

I'm curious if you disagree. If you do, please explain. If you agree then I think you should specify some of this when noting the usage of Freeze in the priority list of the rotation.

 

Cheers!

[Blaze78 1]

I regret writing that all now. I finally just now saw the bottom note concerning basically what I explained. xD

[Blaze78 1]

With the opening sequence you state, for good reason, that you should cast Frost Bomb before Icy Veins. That's good. Don't you feel you should follow the same idea when casting Mirror Image? The GCD is the same amount of time as the Frost Bomb cast and during that GCD you're doing nothing. I personally cast Icy Veins after Mirror Image, then I'm all set.

 

This isn't as big an issue (it's all so miniscule) if you use Thermal Void, considering you'd aim for having 100% uptime on Icy Veins during Mirror Image's duration. I can kind of understand why you'd not want to do that using Thermal Void, but Icy Veins isn't on GCD so that's not really an issue either, you can still wait half a second or more (if not the entire GCD and cast Icy Veins with your next GCD) before casting Icy Veins and your Mirror Images shouldn't lose DPS.

What I'm suggesting is especially the case if you do end up not using the talent Thermal Void. Total upside!

[Blaze78 1]

I feel confident about recommending the following in regards to the adaptations to the rotation with the Tier 18 4-piece bonus, this also kind of includes the Tome of Shifting Words adaptation as well, but that's not nearly as important:

Anyway, I recommend just the same, except I believe it's a good idea to start the Frostbolt Ice Lance cast cycle at one less Fingers of Frost charge (at least), three instead of four.

Obviously I understand that casting Frostbolt with Water Jet going at four charges already isn't going to waste your new charge acquired by the Frostbolt hitting with Water Jet.

However, we've already got quite a decent chance at getting Fingers of Frost charges from every Frostbolt cast alone. I'd really not like to have four, cast Frostbolt and Ice Lance, and get two charges and waste one.

I can't personally see a downside at this moment.

Obviously the Frostbolt Ice Lance cycle is only restricted to the Tome of Shifting Words trinket. Otherwise, there could be times where instead of starting the cycle early and continue, you dump Ice Lance charges early and continue.

If you really wanted to be safe you could start the cycle/dump even sooner, so long as you get as many charges (without waste) out of your Water Jet, perhaps you'd only spam Frostbolt toward the end of Water Jet.

Theoretically I believe you could cast the successive Frostbolts at any time and the cycle/dump at any time as long as you aren't getting extra-wasted charges of Fingers of Frost.

All in all I think this will vary depending on temporary buff procs you may or may not have up over the duration of your Water Jet channel. I believe that would be a large enough factor in you adjusting the order you cast your Frostbolts and Ice Lances during Water Jet (always while abiding by the Tier 18 4-piece bonus and trinket if possessed).

[Guest Bóomtastic]

Heya, first time posting here or in fact anywhere tbh and not sure why I super cared but went to read this out of curiosity and I was just wondering what the targeted audience is. As a high end frost mage myself largely working off my own intuition and instinct I find quite alot of this information wrong due to the fact that it simplifies the spec to a degree where you do not account for procs in terms of ring, trinkets, weapon etc and when you use your procs: i.e. Brain freeze and ice lance procs at all. I am not sure if it is too much to ask the average player looking here to be able to consider procs and their implications as it totally changes the gameplay, if it is then fair enough and ignore me but if you want a more in depth complicated guide that is much more satisfying in my opinion then let me know and I would be interested in helping out as I personally would hate to play frost in the sub optimal way cited in this guide but it if it is aimed for a selective player base then fair enough.

[Guest Sawboss]

Im wondering with the 4 piece and the class trimmer isnt iT smarter to cast waterjet and 3x frostbolt and after the 3 frostbolt icelance frostbolt icelance frostbolt as you can multistrike a frostbolt what can create 2 fofs? And also If you have 4 fofs is iT than smart to cast 4x icelance with icyveins up or frostbolt icelance frostbolt icelance etc ? Or 2 quick icelances and than frostbolt icelance Brian freez Braun freez single target rotarian?

[Damien 1,514]

With the opening sequence you state, for good reason, that you should cast Frost Bomb before Icy Veins. That's good. Don't you feel you should follow the same idea when casting Mirror Image? The GCD is the same amount of time as the Frost Bomb cast and during that GCD you're doing nothing. I personally cast Icy Veins after Mirror Image, then I'm all set.

 

This isn't as big an issue (it's all so miniscule) if you use Thermal Void, considering you'd aim for having 100% uptime on Icy Veins during Mirror Image's duration. I can kind of understand why you'd not want to do that using Thermal Void, but Icy Veins isn't on GCD so that's not really an issue either, you can still wait half a second or more (if not the entire GCD and cast Icy Veins with your next GCD) before casting Icy Veins and your Mirror Images shouldn't lose DPS.

What I'm suggesting is especially the case if you do end up not using the talent Thermal Void. Total upside!

 

I'm going to change that, but I'll check with Kuni first.

 

I feel confident about recommending the following in regards to the adaptations to the rotation with the Tier 18 4-piece bonus, this also kind of includes the Tome of Shifting Words adaptation as well, but that's not nearly as important:

Anyway, I recommend just the same, except I believe it's a good idea to start the Frostbolt Ice Lance cast cycle at one less Fingers of Frost charge (at least), three instead of four.

Obviously I understand that casting Frostbolt with Water Jet going at four charges already isn't going to waste your new charge acquired by the Frostbolt hitting with Water Jet.

However, we've already got quite a decent chance at getting Fingers of Frost charges from every Frostbolt cast alone. I'd really not like to have four, cast Frostbolt and Ice Lance, and get two charges and waste one.

I can't personally see a downside at this moment.

Obviously the Frostbolt Ice Lance cycle is only restricted to the Tome of Shifting Words trinket. Otherwise, there could be times where instead of starting the cycle early and continue, you dump Ice Lance charges early and continue.

If you really wanted to be safe you could start the cycle/dump even sooner, so long as you get as many charges (without waste) out of your Water Jet, perhaps you'd only spam Frostbolt toward the end of Water Jet.

Theoretically I believe you could cast the successive Frostbolts at any time and the cycle/dump at any time as long as you aren't getting extra-wasted charges of Fingers of Frost.

All in all I think this will vary depending on temporary buff procs you may or may not have up over the duration of your Water Jet channel. I believe that would be a large enough factor in you adjusting the order you cast your Frostbolts and Ice Lances during Water Jet (always while abiding by the Tier 18 4-piece bonus and trinket if possessed).

 

I'll ask Kuni what he thinks.

Heya, first time posting here or in fact anywhere tbh and not sure why I super cared but went to read this out of curiosity and I was just wondering what the targeted audience is. As a high end frost mage myself largely working off my own intuition and instinct I find quite alot of this information wrong due to the fact that it simplifies the spec to a degree where you do not account for procs in terms of ring, trinkets, weapon etc and when you use your procs: i.e. Brain freeze and ice lance procs at all. I am not sure if it is too much to ask the average player looking here to be able to consider procs and their implications as it totally changes the gameplay, if it is then fair enough and ignore me but if you want a more in depth complicated guide that is much more satisfying in my opinion then let me know and I would be interested in helping out as I personally would hate to play frost in the sub optimal way cited in this guide but it if it is aimed for a selective player base then fair enough.

Thank you for your post. I realise that this type of information can be useful, but I don't think it's as crucial as you think and Kuni, who raids at a similar level as you, seems to have always agreed with me on that (he never pushed for this to be added to the guide).

 

Im wondering with the 4 piece and the class trimmer isnt iT smarter to cast waterjet and 3x frostbolt and after the 3 frostbolt icelance frostbolt icelance frostbolt as you can multistrike a frostbolt what can create 2 fofs? And also If you have 4 fofs is iT than smart to cast 4x icelance with icyveins up or frostbolt icelance frostbolt icelance etc ? Or 2 quick icelances and than frostbolt icelance Brian freez Braun freez single target rotarian?

I'll go back to that part of the guide after I spoke to Kuni. We wrote it the day after they changed the 4-piece bonus (before, it only lasted 8 seconds), so we were not sure how things would turn out and I simply forgot to come back to it.

[Magepuppy 0]

Would the weapon enchant Mark of the Thunderlord be better than Frostwolf especially if your are far from the crti cap and the two stats are close together in stat priority?  Also I was wondering where is the threshold of using a lower ilvl item with optimal stats vs a higher ilvl item with not so optimal of stats?  

[Guest Hotsuma]

As of now this section is no longer accurate for the frost trinket:

 

4.7. Tome of Shifting Words

 Tome of Shifting Words, your class trinket from Archimonde, causes  Frostbolt to empower your next  Ice Lance (+94% with the Normal trinket, all the way to +131% with the Mythic Warforged version).

The trinket dmg was lowered i believe three weeks after 6.2 release.

[Guest Frosttorch]

Hey guys, i have created an addon to track Icicles(Frost Mage Mastery), its on curse.

 

http://www.curse.com/addons/wow/icicles

 

Please, give use your feedback and report any bug you find on it.

[Guest Shadedemon]

Either Bliz has adjusted something and the guide stat priority testing is outdated, or it's too variable for a general list to even be useful.

Couldn't get through silver proving grounds in Frost how I was set up.  Watched Pennyproblems on youtube, adjusted to her second video specs.  Still couldn't do enough damage, and some consensus that Arcane is better, so started changing gear for Mastery.  Even still in Frost spec things are dying noticeably faster in the Arcane stats weighted gear.  A bit more Mastery/Haste and I expect I'll get through in Frost without even switching to Arcane..

  IOW even in Frost, try the Arcane stat priority and see if things don't get better.  The improvement is already obvious and I've only changed the weapon and a few other pieces, still a lot of gear to change, mostly baleful for reference..