Frost Mage (PvE Guide)

[vrevolvr]

vrevolvr's Guide to a Frost Mage


Talents/Builds/Glyphs:

Like most classes in World of Warcraft, the Frost Mage can be tweaked to your heart's content. Below, you can find some standard builds to help guide you to the finish line:

Standard:
IMG: http://i.imgur.com/pkNGEXM.png


Cleave:
Author Note: The beauty of this build is that you have ONE (1) extra talent point that you get to toy with to discover where you want your mage to be.
IMG: http://i.imgur.com/VaRqPBY.png


Pest Control:
Author Note: You should only ever use this build if adds need to be controlled. You're switching points out of Piercing Chill for Improved Cone of Cold.
IMG: http://i.imgur.com/bqrAtOk.png[/b]


Rotations/Spell Priorities/Cooldowns:

The Frost Mage spell priority is pretty simple. It shouldn't take too long for you to master the ways of the Frost Mage.

Single Target:

1) Deep Freeze (only when Fingers of Frost is active)
2) Flame Orb
3) Freeze (the Water Elemental ability)
4) Frostfire Bolt (only when Brain Freeze and Fingers of Frost are active)
5) Ice Lance (only with two charges of Fingers of Frost)
6) Frostfire Bolt (when Brain Freeze is active, but Fingers of Frost isn't proccing)
7) Ice Lance (when you have one charge of Fingers of Frost and it's almost diminished)
8) Frostbolt (this is a filler ability)

Multiple Target:

If the adds will survive for some time and will remain stationary you should use:

1) Flamestrike
2) Blizzard

If the adds have small health pools, then you should use:

1) Cone of Cold

If the adds are going to be sporadic, then you will want to use for mana efficiency:

1) Arcane Explosion

Cooldown Usage:

1) Icy Veins - This is a huge DPS cooldown. Icy Veins should be used whenever possible. The player chooses when they want to use it. Ideally, this ability should be combined with Heroism/Bloodlust.
2) Cold Snap - This is a huge DPS cooldown. Cold Snap will provide extreme burst damage at least once per fight. It can be used twice in a fight if the fight lasts long enough.
3) Mirror Image - This is a moderate DPS cooldown. Mirror Image provides a minor DPS increase, so; therefore, it should be used on cooldown.
4) Evocation - Many, many mages don't use this ability properly. Evocation should be used whenever your mana dips below 35%. On that same note, whenever your mana dips below 90,000 you should use your conjured Mana Gem.

Armors:

1) Molten Armor - Molten Armor has priority over Mage Armor thanks to its critical strike bonus.
2) Mage Armor - A mage should only ever cast Mage Armor if they're struggling with conserving mana during a fight.


Statistic Priority:

1) Intellect
2) Hit Rating - You should aim for 17%.
3) Critical Strike Rating - You should aim for 33%.
4) Haste Rating
5) Mastery Rating
6) Critical Strike Rating - At this point, you can exceed the 33% cap.


Gems/Enchants/Consumables:

Gems:

Meta: Burning Shadowspirit Diamond
Red: Brilliant Inferno Ruby
Yellow: Brilliant Inferno Ruby (only use this if the socket bonus isn't at least +10 to Intellect), otherwise Potent Ember Topaz
Blue: Brilliant Inferno Ruby (only use this if the socket bonus isn't at least +10 to Intellect), otherwise Veiled Demonseye

Enchants:

Head: Arcanum of Hyjal
Shoulder: Greater Inscription of Charged Lodestone
Back: Greater Intellect
Chest: Peerless Stats
Wrist: Mighty Intellect or Precision
Hands: Haste or Greater Mastery
Waist: Ebonsteel Belt Buckle
Legs: Powerful Enchanted Spellthread
Feet: Enchant Boots - Lavawalker or Haste or Precision
Weapon: Power Torrent or Hurricane
Off-Hand: Superior Intellect

Consumables:

1) Flask of Draconic Mind
2) Severed Sagefish Head or Fortune Cookie or Seafood Magnifique Feast


GOOD LUCK MASTERING THE FROST MAGE!

[Picco]

Huh? Frost? PvE? Cata?