WotLK WotLK [Guide] Frost Mage PvE

[Warlexx]

Most of you will say Frost Mage isn't for PvE! Well, the purpose of this guide is to make Frost PvE as viable as possible for information purposes. Though its literally the only spec I've been playing for like 4 years.
This spec can be insane in T7 and tends to fall off in T8.
Even then its still one of the best burst specs in the game.

1.Talents:

18/0/53
https://www.wowhead.com/wotlk/talent...1rj441rj551rj7

2.Stat priorities:

The stat priorities for Frost are a sort of mix from every spec. It goes

Hit to 11%/10% If in Draenei Group > SP > Haste >= Crit (to 34%/31% If you have 2 FM's)

Because your FoF procs are on a static proc of 15% per spell hit, so Haste becomes a much more valuable stat than Crit.

For the crit chance, you need 50% to make everything a guaranteed crit on frozen targets due to shatter. Scorch, Improved Shadowbolt, Winter's Chill gives 5%.Moonkin Aura / Elemental Oath give another 5%. Totem of Wrath / Heart of the Crusader give 3%. Focus Magic gives 3% and another if someone is casting it on you as well.

Haste Rating : 1% = 32,79
The GCD of a 2.5s Frostbolt is 1.5s which means, without any buffs, you need 50% Haste or 1639,5 Haste Rating to get a 1s GCD.

With Wrath of Air Totem and Swift Retribution (or Moonkin Form Aura) you will need 38,7% Haste/1268 Haste to get to 1s GCD ==> X (haste multiplier from haste rating) * 1.05 (haste multiplier from WoA) * 1.03 (haste multiplier from Moonkin Aura) = 1.5 ==> X = 1.387

More than 1268 haste will have less value because of that but will still be your best secondary stat because frostbolt will still have more than 1s cast. For it to have 1s cast you need:
1 = 2.5/(x*1.05*1.03)
X=2.312 ==> 131.2 % Haste ==> 4302 Haste Rating which is impossible

With Bloodlust you will need:
1 = 2.5/(x*1.05*1.03*1.3)
X = 1,779 ==> 77,9% Haste ==> 2555 Haste Rating which is impossible

With Bloodlust and Icy Veins you will need:
1 = 2.5/(x*1.05*1.03*1.3*1.2)
X=1.482 ==> 48.2% Haste ==> 1580 Haste Rating which is very close to the Haste you have with Full BiS

With Bloodlust, Icy Veins and Berserking you will need:
1 = 2.5/(x*1.05*1.03*1.3*1.2*1.2)
X=1.235 ==>23.5% Haste ==> 770 Haste Rating which is half of the Haste Rating you will have as Full BiS

So with this (while in Bloodlust) its more worth to just use Icy Veins than using Icy Veins and Berserking at the same time.

3.Rotation:

3.1.Opening:

Pre pot Potion of Wild Magic then go frostbolt and pet cast - Mirror Image - icy veins/berserking- frost bolt- If FoF procs- frostbolt - frostbolt + Deep Freeze - Cold Veins - Frostbolt if you dont have FoF, If you have 1 charge of FoF then frostbolt + Deep Freeze.... frostbolt and frostfire bolts (with Brain freeze) after this.
If you have a good tank with alot of MDs and ToTs you can pop Mirror Image before pre pot and icy veins/berserking for maximum burst.

3.2 Rotation In Geral:

If you have 2 charges of FoF -> Frostbolt, Frostbolt + Frostfire Bolt (if you have Brain Freeze) or Frostbolt, Frostbolt + Deep Freeze
If you have 1 charge of FoF -> Frostbolt + Frostfire Bolt (if you have Brain Freeze) or Frostbolt, Frostbolt + Deep Freeze
If you have 0 charges of FoF -> Frostbolt or Frostbolt + Frostfire Bolt (if you have Brain Freeze)

3.3 2nd Pot:

Potion of Haste -> Use it with another icy veins or with trinket procs but preferably both.
If the fight is not lasting for that icy veins just use it with trinket procs.

3.4.Important Stuff:
This spec stacks alot of haste and after some time you will have enough that you will get to 1.0s frostbolt casts with just BL + Wrath of Air Totem + Moonkin Aura + Icy Veins which means using berserking while you have those will be useless. Just save it till BL ends (which tends to end at the same time as your 2nd Icy Veins) to increase your burst phase (Like i said previously in the Haste Rating Tab).

4.Gems:

Meta:
Chaotic Skyflare Diamon +21 crit 3% increase critical damage

Red gems:
Runed Cardinal Ruby + 23 SP

Orange gems:
Reckless Ametrine + 12 Sp + 10 haste
Veiled Ametrine + 12 Sp + 10 hit

Purple gems:
Purified dreadstone = +12 sp, +10 spirit

6.Enchants and Professions:

Head: Arcanum of Burning Mysteries (Kirin Tor)
Shoulders: Greater Inscription of the Storm (Sons of Hodir exalted) or Master's Inscription of the Storm (only for Scribes)
Cloak: Lightweave Embrodiery (only for tailors) or Greated Speed
Chest: Powerfull Stats or 15 Spirit (generally the spirit one is better but its very minor)
Bracers: Superior Spellpower or Fur Lining - Spellpower (only for leatherworkers)
Hands: Exeptional Spellpower or Hyper speed accelerators (only for engineers)
Belt: Socket Bonus (Eternal Belt Buckle)
Leggings: Brilliant Spellthread
Boots: Ice Walker
Ring 1/2: Spellpower (only for enchanters)
Main Hand: 63 spellpower

I tend to go Enchanting and Tailoring but Tailoring and Engineering is Bis because of the proc and use effects which are better for DPS increase.

7.Minmax bull****:

Water elemental in Warmane (even with the glyph) is considered a guardian, which means, like army of the dead and fire elemental, it can be snapshottted. But the only thing your water elemental snapshots is the SP so you can get a super buffed Water elemental for the rest of the raid if you do not wipe (Because of the Glyph of Eternal Water). Try to summon the water elemental with all your procs+ pots + raid buffs including Demonic Pact. As it can increase your dps for at least 500 dps in ICC just from it.

Cracked Power Core:
https://www.wowhead.com/wotlk/item=2...ked-power-core
You can use once per lockout I guess... so save it for Patchwerk like fights or DPS race fights.

Flame Cap:
https://www.wowhead.com/wotlk/item=22788/flame-cap
Min max for frostfire bolt which is even worse than Cracked Power Core.

[vsetoq]

The minimum haste required to reach a 1 sec GCD is 1377. The 1748 haste is to get a 1.5 sec FB cast without raid buffs. With raid buffs it would be 1475 haste rating is needed to get FB to 1.5 second casting time, the same time as the normal GCD. Because your FoF procs are on a static proc of 15% per spell hit, so Haste becomes a much more valuable stat than Crit.

How did you come with these numbers and specifically the first one - 1377? If It's in the way I think it is, then rest of the numbers should be also wrong

[Warlexx]

They were indeed wrong.