When?
GS into flurry
Or frostbolt into flurry, then GS+ice lance into WC?
I’m too dumb for spec this complex =_=
Stolen from AlteredTime:
ST:
(Opener: Frostbolt → Flurry → Icy Veins → Comet Storm → Ice Lance → Ray of Frost)
Priority List
-Comet Storm, if last gcd was flurry
-Flurry, if the target has no winters chill, and you are currently casting frostbolt/glacial spike, or you have 4 icicles (and no Fingers of Frost)
-Ray of Frost, if you are on the 2nd winters chill stack (and freezing winds isnt up)
-Glacial Spike, if flurry is up, or winters chill is on the target
-Frozen Orb, if you dont have 2 FoF stacks and ray of frost is on cd
-Shifting Power, if orb & cms & ray have > 10s on cd or Icy Veins has 20s left on its cd
-Ice Lance, if you have fingers of frost (and last gcd was not glacial spike), or target has winters chill frostbolt - flurry - ice lance - glacial spike
-Glacial Spike, if IV is up
-Frostbolt
AOE
(Opener: Precast Blizzard → IV + FO → CS → CoC → FO → CS → Bliz → Shifting Power → Bliz)
Priority List
-Cone of Cold, if you have coldest snap and last gcd was comet storm
-Frozen orb, if last gcd wasnt glacial spike
-Blizzard, if last gcd wasnt glacial spike
-Comet Storm, if cone of cold is ready, or has >20s on cd
-Freeze, if previous cast was glacial spike (and target can be frozen)
-Ice Nova, if previous cast was glacial spike (and target can be frozen)
-Frost Nova, if previous cast was glacial spike (and target can be frozen)
-Shifting Power
-Glacial Spike
-Flurry, if no winters chill on target & you have brainfreeze
-Ice Lance, with FoF or Winters Chill
-Flurry with no brainfreeze
-Frostbolt
Last night, I hated playing with Ray of Frost, so I eliminated that - yeah I know DPS loss, but felt much better to play without it
2 Likes
Manather makes a solid guide.
3 Likes
both are correct, but you can also GS on the 2nd stack
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if i use GS on sescond stack - i probably should cast frostbolt after it, since any instant cast would hit target before GS lands?
Same thing but with Comet Storm.
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what’s wrong with cs? Simple push button spell, makes enemies take 6% more damage with extra talent
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The simplest thing is to just always cast Flurry right before a major spell like CS or GS to guarantee it will Shatter. If you are not satisfied with playing it safe and want to maximize performance be prepared to watch an hour long YouTube video and take notes like sweaty nerd preparing for a pop quiz they know their evil high school math teacher has planned for tomorrow’s class.
Any time things go into the realm of split second chain casting where one spell has to hit the target 0.1 milliseconds before the other I am out. Ain’t nobody got time for that and there’s no realistic scenario where that can be done reliably every time. Your just setting yourself up for failure and disappointment if you try.
I have never like it, the spell itself. The fact it takes some seconds to land kills it to me.
Same with Meteor, I like it visually but it can miss target, I hate when that happens lol.
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you still should use it in m+, really. I had it at first place in details with 22% of my damage, it’s very strong, especially with reset you get with cone of cold talent
Taking away comet storm and the bonus damage from it is probably a massive dps loss.
My only CS complaint is the same as it’s always been since the day it was added to the game. I cast it, whatever I’m fighting ALWAYS moves before it drops - doesnt matter in what setting, what group, it never fails to miss 
I’m still using it, because when it does hit, it’s great. But man, I miss a ton with it because someone pulls the mobs away, or they run on their own (and cant be frozen), or whatever reason. (I think it’s similar to those who dont like that frozen orb doesnt track)
well, you should learn your tank patterns. If he doesn’t stop - don’t cast anything until he does
My brain is much too smol and old to keep track of everyone’s habits I’m just sitting here barely hanging on most of the time anymore.
(that said, I’m still using CS - rather CS than Ray :P)
2 Likes
I will check the youtube guid you posted above.
From what I have seem in Wowhead, the M+ build does not take Ray of Frost. In both M+ and Raiding CS should be taken. If not taking it is a big dps loss I would say Blizz needs to do more balancing.
I should lose a spell I love for one I don’t like to do more dps. In that case I will rather just do low M+ keys and have fun.
A couple of tricks.
TLDR: Glacial Spike should always be held until you can shatter it in Single Target encounters.
In M+ and 2+ pack pulls always cast it asap, if you can shatter it even better.
For Single target always shatter it with a flurry combo, lots of people have covered this in the forum well.
But in M+ and Trash and AOE.
As long as you’re hitting 2 target mob pack, Just Send IT. Glacial Spike will be a DPS increase with 2+ targets with the cleave talent. Glacial spike hitting two targets and not shattering will do more damage than a glacial spike being shattered on a single target.
Also other ways to shatter it. Cast GS at a mob pack and immediately hit Ice Nova. Ice Nova will freeze the target and surrounding mobs before just in time for it to arrive and shatter it and its 2ndry target.
Also keybind water elementals freeze to use in the same way as you would use Ice Nova.
Last trick if possible is to frost Nova the pack, but that breaks from other party members damage. But super good for Open World Content.
Edit- cleaning up lots of my gibberish.
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It doesn’t. It goes after the coc capstone.
Not taking CS is a 6% damage loss as CS has a talent that buffs damage by 6%.
How I felt about GS being garbage the last few expansions.
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One more question
If i don’t have flurry charge but have glacial spike ready - should i spam frostbolt for proc, or i should use GS without WC and then spam frostbolt and get another GS while farming for flurry proc
It’s really a toss up. You could go 5 Frostbolts and not get a WC in which case it would have been a waste. Personally, I don’t overthink it. If I can cast GS I cast it, regardless of whether or not I can shatter it, if I can it’s just a bonus. You never know, you might get lucky and it crits anyway. Since you’re probably already running 30%+ crit it’s not much of a gamble.
ye, i’m at 31% crit (33 with rune), usually i just use GS anyway. On trash there’s obviously ice nova for extra shatter