WoW Forever Frost Mage Guide

Frost Mage in WoW Forever: who it is for and what changed

Frost suits you if you want one Mage spec for everything. It is our pick for leveling, for dungeons and for PvP, so you keep the same spells on your bars from the first quest to the last dungeon.

If you want the biggest single hits, look at Fire, which grows with every point of crit on your gear, or Arcane, which burns its mana in short bursts. Frost is for players who would rather keep a pull under control.

Editorial

• Fingers of Frost makes your next 2 spells treat the target as frozen, a boss included, so Ice Lance and Shatter get their bonus in boss fights too. In Classic, Shatter did nothing against a boss you could not freeze.Beta dataClassic
• Ice Lance deals 300% more damage to frozen targets again, but at launch it has an 8 sec cooldown that it shares with Fire Blast. No more two Ice Lances back to back.AnnouncedBeta data
• Winter's Chill now stacks only from Frostbolt and Ice Lance with Fingers of Frost, up to 5 times, and each stack gives your next Cone of Cold 20% more damage and 7% of your spell damage. In Classic every Frost spell stacked it, and it raised the crit chance of Frost spells for every Mage hitting the target.AnnouncedBeta dataClassic
• Ice Barrier now also raises your Frost damage by 15% for 1 min and by another 5% while the shield holds. Piercing Ice, which gave Frost spells up to 6% more damage in Classic, is gone from the tree, and Ice Barrier takes over that job.AnnouncedBeta dataClassic
• Improved Blizzard slows far less than in Classic, 40% at 3 of 3 ranks instead of 65%. That makes kiting big pulls harder, and beta players report the same.Beta dataPlayer reportClassic

Frost Mage build at level 60

You slow whole packs with Blizzard, freeze whatever gets loose and hit bosses with Frostbolt and Ice Lance.

Open this build in the Talent CalculatorEvery point, ready to change and share

EditorialBeta dataThe ready dungeon build of our Talent Calculator from the Talent Path, talent texts from the beta client. When to take each point: Talent Path.

Frost Mage rotation and priority

• Cast Ice Barrier before the pull and again every minute, so its Frost damage bonus never runs out. The Rotation Trainer starts the fight with it up.Editorial
• On packs, let the tank hold them for a few seconds, then cast Blizzard. Blizzard does not stack Winter's Chill, only Frostbolt and Ice Lance with Fingers of Frost do, so your Cone of Cold hits hardest on the target you have been bolting.Beta dataEditorial
• Frost Nova only freezes what can be frozen. Against a boss that cannot be, skip it and go from your Fingers of Frost charges straight back to Frostbolt.Editorial
• If enemies turn on you, Frost Nova them and step away, and keep Ice Block for real emergencies. Cold Snap gives you Frost Nova and Ice Barrier back at once.Editorial

Practice it in the Rotation TrainerFrost at level 60 · Staff, about 400 spell power, the Frost PvE build with Fingers of Frost and Ice Barrier

Beta dataPriority and numbers from our Rotation Trainer, with the level 60 ranks of the client tooltips.

Frost Mage stats and hit cap

Stat order

1. 1

   Hit ChanceBosses resist more spells than normal enemies. Add hit until your spells stop missing.

2. 2

   Spell PowerRaises every spell. Items with Frost damage count too.

3. 3

   Crit ChanceShatter and Ice Shards both build on crits.

4. 4

   IntellectA bigger mana pool for long pulls.

5. 5

   SpiritFaster mana between pulls, and from 34 Mage Armor keeps half of it while you cast.

6. 6

   StaminaOnly as much as you need to survive a stray hit.

SkipStrength, Agility and Attack Power

EditorialThe order of the Talent Path plan, our call.

• With Precision you are already capped against targets of your level. Against raid bosses you still need 11% from your gear.Beta dataEditorial
• Intellect raises your spell crit chance as well as your mana, so it feeds Shatter and Ice Shards too.Beta data
• Fire and Arcane damage on an item do nothing for Frostbolt, Ice Lance or Blizzard. Frostfire Bolt, new at level 40, uses the higher of your Fire and Frost bonuses, so Cloak of Fire in the gear list only pays off when you cast Frostfire Bolt.Beta data

Frost Mage BiS gear at level 60

Our pick for every slot before the raids open on December 9: dungeon drops, dungeon quests, Dungeon Set 2 and crafted gear from the Forever data.

Slot	Our pick	Where it comes from	Also good
Head	Deathmist MaskiLvl 60 · +16 spell power · 1% hit · +24 Intellect · +24 Stamina	Dungeon Set 2: Saving the Best for Last	Virtuous CrownSorcerer's Crown
Shoulder	Mantle of the TimbermawiLvl 61 · +17 spell power · 1% crit · +13 Intellect	Tailoring 300, pattern from a vendor	Argent ShouldersShroud of the Nathrezim
Back	Cloak of FireiLvl 55 · +14 Fire damage	Tailoring 275, pattern from Overmaster Pyron
Chest	Robe of the ArchmageiLvl 62 · +40 spell power · 1% crit · +12 Intellect	Tailoring 300, pattern from Firebrand Pyromancer (Blackrock Spire)	Robe of Winter NightDeathmist Robe
Wrist	Virtuous BracersiLvl 65 · +9 spell power · +8 Intellect · +2 mana per 5 sec. · +8 Stamina	Dungeon Set 2: An Earnest Proposition	Sorcerer's BindingsDeathmist Bracers
Hands	Deathmist WrapsiLvl 55 · +13 spell power · 1% hit · +13 Intellect · +16 Stamina	Dungeon Set 2: Just Compensation	Sorcerer's GlovesVirtuous Gloves
Waist	Sorcerer's BeltiLvl 65 · +14 spell power · +14 Intellect · +12 Stamina · +7 Spirit	Dungeon Set 2: Just Compensation	Deathmist BeltVirtuous Belt
Legs	Sorcerer's LeggingsiLvl 66 · +16 spell power · +22 Intellect · +17 Stamina · +10 Spirit	Dungeon Set 2: Anthion's Parting Words	Virtuous SkirtDeathmist Leggings
Feet	Sorcerer's BootsiLvl 60 · +21 spell power · +16 Intellect · +14 Stamina · +10 Spirit	Dungeon Set 2: Anthion's Parting Words	Omnicast BootsVirtuous Sandals
Ranged	Brilliant WandiLvl 60 · +9 spell power · +7 Intellect	Enchanting 320, formula from a vendor

The Forever data has no item from level 50 for neck, finger, trinket, main hand and held in off-hand yet. We add them once the dungeons are run at level 60 in the live game.

Plan on in the Gear PlannerYour gear slot by slot, with this spec

Beta dataEditorialItem stats and sources from the Forever client, the order inside a slot is our call by the stats the spec wants. Set bonuses are not counted.

Consumables and professions for the Frost Mage

• 
  Greater Arcane ElixirAlchemy 285 · recipe drop · level 47
• 
  Elixir of Frost PowerAlchemy 190 · recipe drop · level 28
• 
  Mageblood ElixirAlchemy 275 · recipe from a vendor · level 40
• 
  Major Mana PotionAlchemy 295 · recipe from a vendor · level 49
• 
  Brilliant Wizard OilEnchanting 300 · recipe from a vendor · level 45
• 
  Runn Tum Tuber SurpriseCooking 275 · recipe drop · level 35

Beta dataEditorialRecipes from the crafting data of the Forever client, the pick is ours. Hover a name for its tooltip.

Professions

The profession pair for your class: Tailoring and Enchanting. Cloth crafting plus your own enchants. Best professions for your class.

Crafted in your gear list: Tailoring: Mantle of the Timbermaw (300), Cloak of Fire (275), Robe of the Archmage (300) · Enchanting: Brilliant Wand (320)

Where Frost ranks in our tier lists

EditorialOur verdicts from the tier lists. We rank again for level 60 as level 60 results come in.