Frost Mage DPS Spell Summary in Battle for Azeroth (BfA) 8.0.1

Table of Contents

• +Introduction
  • 1. Class Overview
  • 2. Patch 8.0.1 Changes for Frost Mage
  • 3. Frost Mage Strengths
  • 4. Frost Mage Weaknesses
  • 5. Contents
  • 6. Changelog
• +Easy Mode
  • 1. Foreword
  • 2. The Basics for Frost Mage
    • 2.1. When Playing Without Lonely Winter
  • 3. Talent Choice for Frost Mage
  • 4. Stat Choice for Frost Mage
  • 5. Basic Rotation for Frost Mage
• ×Spell Summary
  • 1. Frost Mage Spell Summary
  • 2. Main Resource for Frost Mage
  • 3. Basic Abilities for Frost Mage
  • 4. Important Procs for Frost Mage
  • 5. DPS Cooldowns for Frost Mage
• +Builds and Talents
  • 1. Talent Choices for Frost Mage
  • 2. Talent Cheat Sheets for Frost Mage
    • 2.1. Single Target
    • 2.2. Heavy Cleave/AOE
  • 3. Tier 1 (Level 15) Talents for Frost Mage
  • 4. Tier 2 (Level 30) Talents for Frost Mage
  • 5. Tier 3 (Level 45) Talents for Frost Mage
  • 6. Tier 4 (Level 60) Talents for Frost Mage
  • 7. Tier 5 (Level 75) Talents for Frost Mage
  • 8. Tier 6 (Level 90) Talents for Frost Mage
  • 9. Tier 7 (Level 100) Talents for Frost Mage
  • 10. Frost Mage PvP Talents
  • 11. Changelog
• +Azerite Traits and Armor
  • 1. Outer Ring Traits for Frost Mage
    • 1.1. Generic Outer Ring Traits
    • 1.2. Frost Mage-specific Outer Ring Traits
  • 2. Middle Ring Traits for Frost Mage
  • 3. Inner Ring Traits for Frost Mage
  • 4. Azerite Traits Rotation Changes and Details for Frost Mages
  • 5. Relative Strength of Azerite Traits for Frost Mage
    • 5.1. Single Target Azerite Traits Comparison for Frost Mage
      • 5.1.1. Outer Ring
      • 5.1.2. Middle Ring
    • 5.2. AoE/Cleave Azerite Traits comparison for Frost Mage
      • 5.2.1. Outer Ring
      • 5.2.2. Middle Ring
    • 5.3. Inner Ring Trait Comparisons for Frost Mage
  • 6. Find Azerite Armor By Trait/Power
  • 7. Changelog
• +Rotation, Cooldowns, and Abilities
  • 1. Single Target Ability Priority List for Frost Mage
    • 1.1. The Basics
    • 1.2. The Rotation
    • 1.3. With Glacial Spike Talented
  • 2. Multiple Target Priority for Frost Mage
  • 3. Core Concepts for Frost Mage
    • 3.1. Cooldown Overlap and Maximizing Cleave
    • 3.2. Movement Management
    • 3.3. Opening Sequence for Frost Mage
    • 3.4. Tier 3 Talents
      • 3.4.1. Rune of Power
      • 3.4.2. Mirror Image
      • 3.4.3. Incanter's Flow
  • 4. Changelog
• +Mythic+ Tips
  • 1. Frost Mage in Mythic+
    • 1.1. Frost Mage Mythic+ Rotation
    • 1.2. Frost Mage Utility
  • 2. Mythic+ Talents for Frost Mages
  • 3. Mythic+ Affixes
    • 3.1. Tier One Affixes
    • 3.2. Tier Two Affixes
    • 3.3. Tier Three Affixes
    • 3.4. Seasonal Affix
  • 4. Mythic+ Azerite Traits
  • 5. Changelog
• +Common and Worst Mistakes
  • 1. Having High Downtime
  • 2. Not Utilizing Winter's Chill Properly
  • 3. Putting Yourself Above The Raid
  • 4. Not Knowing How To Sim Yourself
  • 5. Analyzing Your Mistakes As A Frost Mage
• +Frequently Asked Questions
  • 1. Battle for Azeroth Frequently Asked Questions for Frost Mage
    • 1.1. Glacial Spike's Brain Freeze Usage
    • 1.2. "How do you Shatter Glacial Spike?" and Other Winter's Chill Questions
    • 1.3. Cancelling Frostbolt on Brain Freeze Generation
  • 2. Changelog
• +Boss by Boss Strategies
  • 1. Disclaimer
  • 2. Frost Mage in Uldir
    • 2.1. Talent Cheatsheet
  • 3. Taloc
    • 3.1. Suggested Talents for Frost Mage on Taloc
    • 3.2. Frost Mage Tips for Taloc
  • 4. M.O.T.H.E.R.
    • 4.1. Suggested Talents for Frost Mage on M.O.T.H.E.R.
    • 4.2. Frost Mage Tips on M.O.T.H.E.R.
  • 5. Fetid Devourer
    • 5.1. Suggested Talents for Frost Mage on Fetid Devourer
    • 5.2. Frost Mage Tips on Fetid Devourer
  • 6. Zek'voz, Herald of N'Zoth
    • 6.1. Suggested Talents for Frost Mage on Zek'voz, Herald of N'Zoth
    • 6.2. Frost Mage Tips on Zek'voz, Herald of N'Zoth
  • 7. Vectis
    • 7.1. Suggested Talents for Frost Mage on Vectis
    • 7.2. Frost Mage Tips on Vectis
  • 8. Zul, Reborn
    • 8.1. Suggested Talents for Frost Mage on Zul, Reborn
    • 8.2. Frost Mage Tips on Zul, Reborn
  • 9. Mythrax the Unraveler
    • 9.1. Suggested Talents for Frost Mage on Mythrax the Unraveler
    • 9.2. Frost Mage Tips on Mythrax the Unraveler
  • 10. G'huun
    • 10.1. Suggested Talents for Frost Mage on G'huun
    • 10.2. Frost Mage Tips on G'huun
  • 11. Changelog
• +Stat Priority
  • 1. The Basics of Stats for Frost Mage
  • 2. Frost Mage: Getting a Better Understanding
    • 2.1. Stat Explanations
    • 2.2. How Exactly Icicles Work
      • 2.2.1. Glacial Spike
    • 2.3. Critical Strike Cap
  • 3. Changelog
• +Gems, Enchants, and Consumables
  • 1. Gems for Frost Mage
  • 2. Enchants for Frost Mage
  • 3. Consumables for Frost Mage
  • 4. Changelog
• +Macros and Addons
  • 1. Addons for Frost Mage
    • 1.1. ElvUI
    • 1.2. Weak Auras
    • 1.3. Boss Mods
      • 1.3.1. BigWigs Bossmods
      • 1.3.2. Deadly Boss Mods
    • 1.4. Name Plates
      • 1.4.1. KUI Nameplates
      • 1.4.2. TidyPlates
    • 1.5. Damage Meters
      • 1.5.1. Skada
      • 1.5.2. Details
    • 1.6. Extra AddOns
      • 1.6.1. Decursive
      • 1.6.2. Mik's Scrolling Battle Text
      • 1.6.3. DeathNote
      • 1.6.4. Doom CooldownPulse
      • 1.6.5. Angry Assignments
  • 2. Macros
    • 2.1. Generic Macros for Mages
      • 2.1.1. Stopcast Blink
      • 2.1.2. 1-Button Block
      • 2.1.3. Block Cancel
    • 2.2. Specific Macros for Frost Mages
      • 2.2.1. Water Elemental
  • 3. Changelog
• +Gear and Best in Slot
  • 1. Azerite Gear for Frost Mage
  • 2. Evaluating Upgrades
  • 3. Trinket Notes for Frost Mage
    • 3.1. Single Target Trinket Simulations
    • 3.2. AoE/Cleave with Prioritized Single Target
  • 4. Changelog
• +Simulations
  • 1. How to Simulate your Frost Mage

General Information

On this page, we list the spells that you will often use as a Frost Mage.

The other pages of our Frost Mage guide can be accessed from the table of contents on the right.

About Our Author

This guide has been written by Kuni, one of the best Frost Mages in the world, who raids in Midnight Sanctuary.

1. Frost Mage Spell Summary

If you are new to Frost, it is recommended you read this before proceeding! In this section we will discuss what abilities you have, what they are used for within the specialization, and how they interact with important cooldowns. If you have played this spec before or have already achieved a level of comfort playing this spec in a practical environment, it is recommended you skip this section and move on to the rest of the guide.

2. Main Resource for Frost Mage

Frost Mage does not rely on a primary resource. Like the other Mage specs you have a Mana bar, however, Frost relies more on generating procs through your basic spells to fuel damage output. You will never run into a situation where you find your Mana bar fully depleted by casting damaging combat spells.

3. Basic Abilities for Frost Mage

These abilities are available no matter what talents you chose, and form the bread and butter of this specialization.

Frostbolt is your main filler. While Frostbolt does fairly weak damage on its own, it is essential to your overall damage output as it triggers both of your important procs, Brain Freeze and Fingers of Frost, and is also the primary source of Mastery: Icicles.

Ice Lance is an instant cast nuke that deals solid damage when it is empowered by Fingers of Frost. Ice Lance should generally only be cast when the target is considered frozen, aside from as a last-ditch movement spell.

Flurry is a nuke with a lengthy cast time. The Brain Freeze proc allows this cast to be instant while also dealing 50% more damage, and as such Flurry should only be cast while Brain Freeze is active.

Frozen Orb travels forwards in the direction you are facing, slowing drastically when it first deals damage. The orb generates 1 charge of Fingers of Frost on initial impact, and has a 10% chance to generate Fingers of Frost each time it ticks. This ability deals moderate single target damage, where it is primarily used for generating Fingers of Frost procs, and heavy AoE damage.

Summon Water Elemental grants you a pet that deals damage. In addition, the Water Elemental has the unique ability Freeze which helps both with kiting, and DPS on lesser mobs through Shatter.

4. Important Procs for Frost Mage

Fingers of Frost is your main source of burst damage output. Fingers of Frost has a 15% chance to proc off of Frostbolt and 10% chance off of Frozen Orb. Fingers of Frost causes your next Ice Lance to be considered frozen, granting both the triple damage bonus of Ice Lance and benefit from Shatter.

Brain Freeze has a 25% chance to proc off of a Frostbolt cast, and causes your next Flurry to be an instant, deal 50% extra damage, and apply Winter's Chill to the target for 1 second. Winter's Chill causes the target to behave as if it was frozen, allowing you to benefit from Shatter. You should follow up your Brain Freeze-buffed Flurry casts with an Ice Lance to exploit this.

5. DPS Cooldowns for Frost Mage

Icy Veins increases your Haste by 30% for 20 seconds. This is your main DPS cooldown and is generally best used on cooldown.

Time Warp increases Haste by 30% for 40 seconds for all party and raid members within 100 yards. This ability debuffs everyone with a debuff that prevents the possibility of benefiting from Time Warp, Shaman's Heroism and Bloodlust, or Hunter's Primal Rage for the next 10 minutes.