Hello,
Currently, there are two main issues with the Frost Mage playstyle:
- The AOE Rotation: Every time I go into keys with my Frost Mage, I find the AOE rotation to be quite clunky. It feels very repetitive and awkward, especially when moving into melee after Orb, Blizzard, Comet Storm, Cone of Cold, Comet Storm again, Orb + Blizzard, and then spamming some Ice Lances until I can use Glacial Spike, and then repeat.
I would really appreciate a fresh AOE playstyle for Frost Mages. This has been the same since Season 2 of Dragonflight! I enjoy using Blizzard, but it would be great if it could either: a) be possible to bind it to a single target, or b) be cast around the Mage. Additionally, it would be fantastic to have 1-2 new spells that could provide a different AOE experience. Here are a few ideas for new AOE spells:
- Frost Bomb - Frozen Detonation: Create a massive frost-infused bomb that you throw at a target, causing a huge explosion of cold damage in a very large radius. This explosion freezes all enemies hit, leaving them vulnerable to bonus Frost damage for a short time. The bomb would have an additional effect depending on how many enemies are hit: for each additional target, the damage of the explosion increases.
- Glacial Surge: You summon a wave of freezing energy that courses through the area, dealing Frost damage to all enemies within a large radius. If any of the targets are frozen, they take double damage from the surge. The wave also leaves behind a frozen ground effect that slows enemies and increases your Frost spell damage against them for a short time.
- Frostquake - Winter’s Fury: Unleash a massive shockwave of frost energy that travels outward from you, dealing AOE Frost damage and freezing all enemies hit for 2 seconds. The shockwave has a chance to deal bonus damage to targets that are already slowed or frozen, making it ideal for comboing with your other Frost abilities.
- Frost Nova - Frozen Pulse: Instead of just freezing a small area around you, Frozen Pulse sends out a pulse of freezing energy in all directions, dealing small Frost damage and stunning all enemies hit for 1-2 seconds. Enemies already affected by a slow or freeze take additional damage, making this a great setup for following spells like Ice Lance.
- Frostbeam - Chill Barrage: A channeled ability where you fire a continuous beam of freezing energy at your target. As you channel the beam, it increases in power, applying a stacking slow to all enemies in its path. The longer you channel it, the more powerful the damage becomes, and once you stop, the beam explodes in a burst of AOE Frost damage.
- Frozen Heart - Chill of the Fallen: A passive or active ability that creates a heart of ice within the target, dealing sustained Frost damage over time. The target becomes “Frozen Hearted,” increasing the damage they take from Frost spells for a short duration. If the target dies while affected by Frozen Heart, it explodes in a burst of AOE Frost damage around them.
We really need some fresh AOE spells to make the gameplay more dynamic and satisfying. These abilities would give us more options for controlling the battlefield, while still delivering that satisfying Frost damage we all love.
- We Really Need a New Single-Target Playstyle: For single-target, I would love a playstyle that doesn’t rely on the same old Glacial Spike + Ray of Frost combination. Since Season 2 of Dragonflight, it’s been the same routine, and honestly, it’s gotten pretty dull. Even with the latest patch, you now have to track the two empowerments for Frost/Fire in order to fire off a single Flurry, which feels like an unnecessary, unfun addition.
We really need some fresh spells and a completely different rotation than what we’ve had since Dragonflight Season 2. Right now, there’s really only one viable AOE spec (which involves awkwardly going into melee for Cone of Cold, for example), and the talents focused around Glacial Spike + Ray of Frost are the only ones that are good for single-target.
Aside from my personal wish (which I won’t get into here) for a permanent pet, what I really want is fresh, exciting gameplay that isn’t rooted in outdated mechanics from Legion. Back then, it was all about Frostbolt, Flurry, and 2x Frost Lances (plus Shimmer-lancing, but that doesn’t really matter here). Frost really needs some new gameplay elements, something that makes us more mobile and not just casting one boring Glacial Spike.
Even something like an execute ability (perhaps a Frost Bomb or something similar) would make the playstyle more engaging.
Rotation Ideas:
For AOE:
- Freeze and Burst: A rotation focused on freezing your enemies (via abilities like Frost Bomb, Icebreaker, Frozen Pulse) and then triggering massive burst damage via Frost Lash, Ice Lance, or Frostquake. This would make the Frost Mage feel like a “freeze first, damage later” style, with huge bursts when combos are set up properly.
For Single-Target:
- Chill Over Time: A sustained rotation that uses Frostbeam or Frost Conduit to build up damage over time while applying consistent slows and freezes. Then, when the right moment hits, you could trigger Icebreaker or Frozen Heart to maximize the damage.
Please, dear Devs, consider working on something new and fresh for Frost Mages.
Thanks in advance!