Frost Mage DPS Spec, Builds, and Talents - The War Within Pre-Patch (2024)

This build is optimal for pure single and two-target situations.

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This is our recommended build for either Mythic+ or AoE scenarios in raids.

Be sure to make use of the 'Copy Export String' button to import the bestbuild directly into your game!

This tab will go over some of the more important talentsand certain talents that are notable to avoid at all costs. For a full list ofdescriptions, please see the Spell List page:

Right out of the gate, Overflowing Energy, Incanter's Flow, and Shifting Powerare mandatory. They are simply DPS increases, something most of the tree isnot.

You need 8 talents from this point. Given that Mirror Image and Alter Time are both great defensives; you will be goingdown both sides of the tree. If you take the center path down each side andsimply take Spellsteal and Remove Curse, you will have openedup the second section of the talent tree.

Alternatively, you can path around both Spellsteal and Remove Curse if you wish. The second section has so many optionaltalents that if there are no curses or magic debuffs to steal, or dispels arehandled by others in your groups, you have the spare points to pickup one of the two-pointer talents on each side of the tree to get to Mirror Image and Alter Time. There are enough pointsaround to pick every talent in this section and very few in the next, andstill have the mandatory build components by the end of the tree. This is anincredibly flexible tree; adjust it as you feel.

This section has a lot of leeway in what you can do and what you couldpotentially take. Of this section, you want Tome of Antonidas and Tome of Rhonin. These are the only true throughput talents in thesection. To get them, the easiest and most common path is through Shimmer/ Ice Floes, as it links to both. You need to pick autility point here. Quick Witted is always nice whenever interrupts areneeded and more commonly useful than the other choices.

The rest of the points can honestly be assigned as you see fit. Incantation of Swiftness turns Greater Invisibility into an 80% sprintbutton. Master of Time gives a shorter cooldown to Alter Time.This is going to be heavily personal preference, so take whatever you thinkfeels right. Defensives are never a bad thing either, so Arcane Wardingis a fantastic option.

If you intend to get Ice Cold later in the tree, which youlikely should, consider grabbing Cryo-Freeze to turn it into a heal aswell as a heavy damage reduction.

Energized Barriers can remove many effects that slow you down andis a strangely powerful talent because of it. Depending on the effect, it mayjust remove the slow component, or it may remove the debuff entirely, withseemingly no logic between which it will do. Potentially a mandatory talent inthat it seems worth trying on every mechanic that can slow you.

Special note for Volatile Detonation. Blast Wave's defaultbehavior will move a target to 8 yards away from you. For instance, ifyou were to hit them from 6 yards away, it moves them 2 yards further. VolatileDetonation changes that, and will blast any targets hit, at any range, 20 yardsaway from their initial location, assuming a flat ground. This is a significantknockback; beware.

Reduplication/ Reabsorption should likely be avoided bymost players. They only trigger when you take direct damage and an image fadesout, and not whenthey die. Given that, almost all mechanics are coded as non-directdamage and do not trigger this specific mechanic; this is a very niche node. Itdoes have its uses in Mythic+, where Reduplication at least gets some valuefrom random targetted trash mechanics.Likewise, both Rigid Ice and Improved Frost Nova are fairlyuseless, as most group PVE either has mobs immune to their root effects or youare using them for their ability to Shatter, neither of which warranttaking them.

The optimal play is getting all three capstones. Getting to them is up toyou. The standard play is to take both the left and right sides for utility,and then Time Manipulation to give you access to the center capstonetalent.

Time Manipulation has the special distinction of being apotential AoE DPS increase through lowering the cooldown of Ice Novaand Frost Nova for Shatter purposes.

Accumulative Shielding is particularly bad. If you have cast Ice Barrier, and it did not get consumed; why did you waste the GCD?This, at best, will drop Ice Barrier from a 25-second cooldown to 20.

Mandatory talents everywhere! Take everything except for Frostbite.These are your primary spells and procs and the only access points through tothe rest of the three tree branches, which all have things you want.

The exception to this is Everlasting Frost, being neither a proc,primary spell, or unique branch access. It is simply a deceptively strongtalent in AoE. The extra 2 seconds is a 20% damage increase to Frozen Orb byitself, and adding 30% to the entire thing on top of it. The extra 4 ticks alsoare4 extra chances to proc Fingers of Frost. This is an important talent,and you should not skip it.

Winter's Blessing is straight up a huge bonus to Haste. This 8% gainis multiplicative against other effects, so Time Warp with this talentprovides 40.4% Haste rather than 38%. This is true of all Haste benefits.

You want Icy Veins, so this leads you down one of two sides. Ice Caller is an AoE talent, so path appropriately.

Beyond that, Perpetual Winter is a surprising DPS increase byallowing you a second charge of Flurry and reducing the proc munchinginvolved significantly. Bone Chilling is simply a 5% DPS gain for onepoint, an easy pick. For this guide, we are aiming at Hailstones, so grabbing both Flash Freeze and Splintering Cold will drastically increase Mastery's value.

Permafrost Lances is just a good talent in all situations.

Ice Caller is a mandatory talent in multi-target and is your go-tobuild for any fight that has an extra add.

Comet Storm, especially when paired with Glacial Assaultthat is linked to it is an extremely strong ability for all target counts.Given the easy position on the tree, it is an easy pick for all builds.

Thermal Void and Hailstones are mandatory.

Ray of Frost is a heavy single-target burst talent when used with Cryopathy. This should be taken on any single target fight or anyreal talent build that does not care about sustained AoE damage. Most raidfights will take Ray of Frost and Cryopathy.

Splintering Ray is a strange talent. It only maintains its value bythrowing Ray of Frost into a 6-target situation. In a sustained AoEfight, taking this, along with the other Ray of Frost talents, is a 3% loss,but might be worth it for the priority damage it provides. Use your ownjudgment here.

Glacial Spike is extremely strong in all content and should be takenin all known scenarios.

Freezing Winds is a great mobility boost and generally a goodtalent in all content. Extra procs are always welcome, especially when tied tosuch a hard-hitting spell.

The trio of talents on the left side of the tree, Fractured Frost, Death's Chill, and Cold Front have the dubious distinction ofrewarding you for spamming Frostbolt at the start of your Icy Veins. As of time of writing, these are nearly useless, as Death'sChill has never been implemented.