I need some help understanding frost AOE

Classes Mage
1

First off, I’m a solo player. Second, I’ve had two strokes, so talk to me like I’m 5. Sites like icy veins are no help. I can’t process that much info at once.

While I have single-target rotation solidly figured out, I can’t determine the best order to cast the many AOE things I have. I have more AOE’s than ST.

Yes, I’m “bad.”

Thanks in advance.

2

If you already have your talents set up, our area effect damage setup has a few components.

  • Frozen Orb launches straight from your character’s facing. It gives you an instant cast Blizzard as well as (if you pick up Freezing Winds) proccing Fingers of Frost (counts the target as frozen to allow Ice Lance to hit much harder) every three seconds.
  • Cast Frozen Orb, then Blizzard, then weave Frostbolts and Ice Lances to clear Fingers of Frost charges.
  • If you have Comet Storm and Glacial Assault, you should drop Comet Storm before launching the Frozen Orb.
  • If you pick up Splitting Ice, Ice Lance will always hit a second target if it is available.
  • If you have Glacial Spike with the 4-piece set bonus from Amirdrassil, you should cast Glacial Spike when it becomes available as long as you don’t have Fingers of Frost procs pending. Glacial Spike should ideally be cast right after Flurry and followed up by an Ice Lance. The set bonus makes Glacial Spike explode on hit.
  • Blizzard should almost never be hard cast, but it might need to be in certain rare circumstances. The talent Ice Caller lowers the cooldown of Frozen Orb every time Blizzard deals damage.
  • The talent Fractured Frost allows your Frostbolt to hit multiple targets, but that only happens during Icy Veins.
1 Like
3

And what if I have neither? Does that change the rotation?

4

In that case, you can disregard this section. I’m not a big fan of Glacial Spike (even though it hits like a truck).

5

Okie dokie. So, for me (Starter Build) it would be:

1 - Comet Storm
2 - Frozen Orb
3 - Blizzard (Positioned for longest duration on mobs)
4 - Frost Bolt (If nothing else available)
5 - Furry | Glacial Spike | Ice Lance (In order, or if procced)

Is that right? Sorry, I need simplicity to fully understand.

6

So here is your frost AOE rotation:

This is your burst AOE:

You pre-cast Blizzard.
Cast, Comet Storm + Icy Veins and Pet Freeze on targets.
Cast Frozen Orb then use you cast one instant Blizzard.
Use Cone of Cold which resets your Comet Storm/Frozen Orb
Cast Comet Storm.
Cast Frozen Orb and cast an instant Blizzard.
Cast shifting power.
Then cast Blizzard.

When you have Icy Veins on CD:

You always make sure to have 1 blizzard down,
Comet Storn + Ice Nova / Frost Nova
Other than that cast frostbolt, Glacial Spike and Flurry.

7

So, I have a question. What if you aren’t close enough for CoC to actually hit anything, much less three opponents? I’m going to assume, skip down to the last two lines until something further up is ready?

8

That’s super easy.

Then you move close enough. You have blink/shimmer/ice floes, these are tools for you to get into close range.

You always want to save your Icy veins for that Burst AOE.

But for the sake of argument let’s say you can’t.

Then

Cast Blizzard
Comet Storm + Ice Nova
Frozen Orb
Blizzard

Then you spam Ice Lance, cast frostbolt/Glacial Spike and Flurry, refresh Blizzard whenever it’s not on cooldown and send Frozen Orb.

9

If you have Freezing Cold talent and/or ice nova be sure to use that just after the GCD of comet storm comes off so you hit everything that is freezeable full crit.