It used to be baseline, but many frost mages (myself included) hated having a permanent pet.
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Why you dont even have to press anything also you can just play a different spec
I’ll just say that I enjoy frost more without a permanent pet since I didn’t create a mage to be a pet class. I don’t mind having it as an option for those who like it.
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You say that, but there were times in the past when people were using the pet when it was still a pain because of the pet AI or other mechanics.
It could often sit there doing nothing, even when told to attack. If an attack macro was used, it could sometimes interrupt its cast to move 0.5cm and would do this repeatedly on some bosses. It could easily get out of range of the things you are attacking, and on some bosses like Thok would get out of range and despawn. There was also the problem on AoE-heavy fights where it would die because heals didn’t target it. Also good luck doing skips etc in dungeons because it was massively derpy. All of those are dps losses and required pet management, especially when things like Water Jet and Nova were part of our dps.
At this point it is just easier to remove it and make it a cooldown like it was in WC and early WoW. The 17 people who have used the talent since Legion will have to learn to deal with it. The only legitimate complaint is from PvPers who will likely lose a ranged nova.
With everything there is a balance that can be made here:
If they kept the Permanent Elemental a talent and instead of balancing it with Lonely Winter, balancing it with the Icy Veins Elemental. Both parties get what they want.
Though, one big thing they should do, is during Icy Veins, the Elemental’s jet and bolt should act like AoE spells.
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Don’t take my friend away, we love hanging out 'n throwing snowballs at each other.
Let me keep my water elemental<3
Got stuff to fix? That’s great, but leave the options alone.
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I’m not a fan of the water elemental as a permanent pet, but I am a fan of keeping it as an option for those who like Mister Bubbles.
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I hate this change. I don’t play hunters or locks because I don’t want a pet class. I have always used lonely winter to remove this unwanted gaming eyesore. They should make an option so that we can hide the pet and still get whatever bonus they give. or no bonus at all. I don’t need a pet 
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Icey veins is a two minute cd now.
Yes I know and IV and the Elemental feels powerfull now.
It’s powerful but boring. People like it because it makes your damage go up by a massive amount. This effect could have been tied to Frozen Orb or Blizzard or anything and people would claim they love it.
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Exactly. I really prefer to have it permanent.
Blizz could have make it mimmick your spells during IV (as in Heroes of The Storm) that would be more interesting, but I take what we have.
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Yes. Jaina’s elemental in HotS shows far more creativity than the new version of the icy veins elemental. I want them to use that as a possible source of inspiration.
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This coming from a Monk, if you wish to talk about mage thing then get on your mage and come back.
I mean, people have favored forum characters. But other people do come off as “I have nothing to do with this class, I just want to start arguments.”
Icey Veins & Ice Form are Pet Summoning Spells Now = YUCK! (Carebear kids will like their pet however)
TOTAL GARBAGE TO DIRECT DPS!
No, not for the entire 60 second duration of Icy Veins. The water elemental is there for 15 seconds only. I timed it several times, perhaps a bit longer if you are mobbed, don’t know. Before finding out what happened, I caught a glimpse of him and wondered why. Now I know. And before anyone jumps in here to berate me or argue that WEs are worthless (as was done in another thread), I stand firm that they are NOT and I should not have to justify that to anyone who doesn’t play WE, just as I shouldn’t have to justify to anyone what candidate I vote for. Seems we have a pretty argumentative group of mages in here. Well, there is NOT only one way to play mage (which would make it boring and take out any and all creativity) and my way may be different from yours, which I make no apology for. I have mastered it rather well without the help of any tutorials or any other mages. This whole argument has been brought on by the devs who never updated the WE (for YEARS) to be competitive with LW. And I will also say that I never considered the WE a pet. I considered him to be a spell. And try playing with the actual WE pet, who disappears when you cast your first spell. I vote for freedom of choice and now we really don’t have any. (And before you tell me to “go get my mage and come back” I AM on my mage in the game, but for some reason Bliz chooses to use a DK profile from a classic toon I don’t even play).