Frost Mage guide for WoW Forever

The Frost Mage in WoW Forever slows and freezes its targets, survives better than the other Mage specs and shatters frozen enemies with huge crits. Two new talents, Ice Lance and Fingers of Frost, make it a damage spec for dungeons and raids too. This guide covers the build, rotation, kiting, mana and gear.

Role	Ranged damage with slows, freezes and burst
Build at level 30	21 points in Frost, Talented adds Missile Barrage
Key talents	Ice Lance, Fingers of Frost, Frostbite, Shatter, Ice Shards
Strength	Burst on Frozen targets, control, survival
Weakness	Depends on procs, mana
Leveling	Mage leveling guide
Talent order per level	Mage level build

What changes for Frost

• Ice Lance is new. A talent at level 20: instant, 45 mana, and 200% more damage to Frozen targets. It used to be 300%.
• Fingers of Frost is new. Your Chill effects have a 15% chance to treat your next 2 spells as if the target were Frozen. That works on targets you cannot freeze, such as most bosses.
• Missile Barrage is in reach. Missile Barrage sits in the first row of the Arcane tree. At 2/2 every Frostbolt has a 20% chance to make your next Arcane Missiles free and twice as fast.
• Frost Blast at level 24 is a weak, quick blast that slows the target by 40% for 9 seconds.
• Lower ranks proc less. A lower rank of a spell has a much smaller chance to trigger effects. Rank 1 Frostbolt still slows, but no longer fishes for Frostbite or Fingers of Frost.

Strengths and weaknesses

Strengths	Weaknesses
Huge crits on Frozen targets with Shatter	Your damage swings with Frostbite and Fingers of Frost procs
Slows and freezes keep enemies away	Area spells and Frostbolt spam drain your mana fast
The most survival of the Mage specs	Low health like every Mage
Arcane Intellect, Dampen Magic, Amplify Magic, food, water and portals	Ice Barrier only comes at level 40

The build at level 30

The build uses 21 points in Frost, the points you have at level 30. Open the build in the talent calculator.

Talent	Points
Improved Frostbolt	5/5
Elemental Precision	2/5
Ice Shards	5/5
Frostbite	3/3
Ice Lance	1/1
Ice Block	1/1
Shatter	3/3
Fingers of Frost	1/2

With 5 points in Talented from the Legacy system you have 26 points: Missile Barrage 2/2 in Arcane, Elemental Precision 3/5, Cold Snap 1/1 and Fingers of Frost 2/2. Open the Talented version.

There is no room for both Frostbite and Permafrost, so you choose between random freezes and longer, stronger slows. For less threat and cheaper spells in dungeons, take 1 point in Frost Channeling instead of Cold Snap. The Mage level build gives the talent for every level from 10 to 35.

What the key talents do

Talent	What it does in Forever
Improved Frostbolt	Frostbolt and Frost Blast cast 0.5 seconds faster at 5/5
Elemental Precision	1% more chance to hit with Frost and Fire spells per point. Needed against enemies above your level
Ice Shards	Doubles the critical strike bonus of your Frost spells at 5/5
Frostbite	Chill effects have a 15% chance to freeze the target for 5 seconds at 3/3
Ice Lance	Instant, 200% more damage to Frozen targets
Shatter	50% more critical strike chance against Frozen targets at 3/3
Ice Block	10 seconds immune to all attacks and spells, 5 minute cooldown
Fingers of Frost	15% chance on Chill to treat your next 2 spells as if the target were Frozen
Missile Barrage	20% chance per Frostbolt for a free, faster Arcane Missiles at 2/2

Rotation

One enemy

1. Keep Arcane Intellect and Frost Armor up.
2. Cast Frostbolt as your main spell.
3. Cast Ice Lance when Fingers of Frost procs, or when Frostbite freezes the target.
4. Cast Arcane Missiles when Missile Barrage procs.
5. When the enemy gets close: Frost Nova and Ice Lance until the freeze breaks.
6. Cone of Cold to slow or reposition when Frost Nova is on cooldown, Frost Blast when both are.
7. Fire Blast while you move, if the target is not frozen.
8. Counterspell on a dangerous cast, Polymorph on a dangerous extra enemy.

If you expect a proc from the Frostbolt you are casting, press Ice Lance right as it lands.

A pack of enemies

• In a dungeon, Blizzard from a safe distance.
• Frost Nova, then Flamestrike, and Cone of Cold or Arcane Explosion right as Flamestrike lands. Shatter also works on those spells while the pack is frozen.
• Spam Arcane Explosion when it is safe to stand close.

Cooldowns and utility

• Ice Block saves you from almost anything. You can also use it to drop out of a bad pull or to wait out a dangerous effect.
• Frost Nova is for attack and defense. Use it as often as you can.
• Cold Snap resets your Frost cooldowns, so you get a second Frost Nova and Ice Block.
• Remove Lesser Curse removes Curses and Banes. Use it fast on dangerous ones.
• Amplify Magic makes a group member take more damage from spells, but receive more healing. Good against physical damage.
• Dampen Magic lowers spell damage taken, but also the healing received. Use it against casters, not against enemies that burst you down.
• Polymorph a dangerous target in every group pull.

Kiting

Frost keeps enemies away. Besides your slows, the way you move matters. Fences, hills, buildings and trees break line of sight, and an enemy has to walk around them while it is slowed. That works well against elites. Strafing can also disturb the path of a melee enemy, but not of every enemy, and not of casters. Against a caster, break line of sight when Counterspell is on cooldown.

Frost Blast or rank 1 Frostbolt slow an enemy from a distance when you do not want it near you.

Mana

Out of combat Conjure Water gives you endless water. In combat you have three tools:

• Evocation from level 20 raises your mana regeneration by 1500% for 8 seconds, with an 8 minute cooldown. Save it for long fights. A High Order Skyborne can combine it with Read Leyline.
• Mana gems such as Conjure Mana Agate from level 28 restore 375 to 425 mana. Make one before a long fight.
• Mana potions restore a lot, but take the place of a damage potion.

Frost Channeling makes Frost spells 15% cheaper at 3/3. Mage Armor from level 34 lets 50% of your mana regeneration continue while casting. Do not cast Blink or Mana Shield when you do not need them.

Frozen and Shatter

Freezing a target and shattering it is the heart of the spec. Frost Nova is the only way to freeze on demand. Frostbite and Fingers of Frost do it by chance, and only Fingers of Frost works on bosses. Use as many Ice Lances as you can while a target is Frozen.

Your health stays low. Until Ice Barrier at level 40, you rely on freezes, Mana Shield and Blink. Elites and several enemies at once are where that matters.

Stats and gear

The exact priority at level 60 follows after the launch. These stats help a Frost Mage:

• Spell damage and Frost spell damage first. Frost spell damage only helps Frost spells.
• Haste makes every cast faster, which means more damage and more procs. It is rare at low levels.
• Critical strike chance, although Shatter already gives a lot against Frozen targets.
• Intellect for mana and critical strike chance, without giving up spell damage.
• Spirit and mana per 5 seconds in moderate amounts, more so once you have Mage Armor.
• Stamina comes on most gear. You do not need to look for more.

Armor. Cloth with spell damage, Intellect and Stamina. Violet Sorcerer’s Robes at level 27 is a new robe with 15 Intellect and spell damage.

Weapons. Weapons got a lot more spell damage in Forever, so every new staff or main hand is a real upgrade. Death Prophet Spine from Aggem Thorncurse in Razorfen Kraul gives 34 spell damage at level 26. Buzzer Blade at level 16 has no Intellect or Stamina, but 22 spell damage.

Wands. The new Enchanting wands carry you: Lesser Magic Wand and Greater Magic Wand early, Lesser Eternal Wand and Greater Eternal Wand later. Torch of Light waits at level 60. Look for spell damage and wand damage per second.

Races and professions

Faction	Race	Why
Horde	Orc	Blood Fury: 10% more spell power for 15 seconds. Savage: 1% more critical strike chance. Shatter Curse: 5% less magic damage taken
Horde	Troll	Berserking: 10% faster casts for 10 seconds. Rapid Regeneration heals 50% of your health over 6 seconds
Horde	Undead	Touch of the Grave drains health. Will of the Forsaken matters more in PvP
Alliance	Human	Ruthless: 2% more critical strike chance. The Human Spirit: 5% more Spirit, worth more once you have Mage Armor
Alliance	High Order Skyborne	Wind Blessed: 3% Haste. Read Leyline with Evocation. Elemental Insight: 5% more damage to Elementals
Alliance	Gnome	Expansive Mind: 5% more mana. Eureka! lasts only 8 seconds

Orc is the strongest pick in PvE, Troll the second. Gnome is the weakest for Frost, unless you take Engineering. None of it is strong enough to skip a race you like more.

Professions. Tailoring makes cloth sets with spell damage and Intellect, and pairs with Enchanting for your own wands and enchants. Engineering is the best partner for Tailoring if you want the most damage. Herbalism feeds Alchemy, which makes elixirs, potions and flasks.