Frost Mage DPS Stat Priority (Legion 7.2)

Table of Contents

• +Introduction
  • 1. Class Overview
  • 2. Patch 7.2 Changes
  • 3. Patch 7.1.5 Changes
  • 4. Strengths
  • 5. Weaknesses
  • 6. Viability in the Current Patch
  • 7. Contents
  • 8. ChangeLog
• +Easy Mode
  • 1. The Basics
  • 2. Talent Choice
  • 3. Stat Choice
  • 4. Basic Rotation
  • 5. ChangeLog
• +Spell Summary
  • 1. Spell Summary
  • 2. Main Resources
  • 3. Basic Abilities
  • 4. Important Procs
  • 5. DPS Cooldowns
  • 6. ChangeLog
• +Builds and Talents
  • 1. Talent Choices
  • 2. Talent Cheat Sheets
    • 2.1. Raid Encounters
      • 2.1.1. Heavy Cleave/AOE
    • 2.2. For General Use
  • 3. Tier 1 (Level 15) Talents
  • 4. Tier 2 (Level 30) Talents
  • 5. Tier 3 (Level 45) Talents
  • 6. Tier 4 (Level 60) Talents
  • 7. Tier 5 (Level 75) Talents
  • 8. Tier 6 (Level 90) Talents
  • 9. Tier 7 (Level 100) Talents
  • 10. ChangeLog
• +Artifact Traits and Relics
  • 1. Artifact Progression — First 35 Points
    • 1.1. Early Point Investment
    • 1.2. Second Golden Trait
    • 1.3. Final Point Investment
  • 2. Patch 7.2: 35+ Trait Path
  • 3. Relic Choice
  • 4. ChangeLog
• +Rotation, Cooldowns, and Abilities
  • 1. Single Target Rotation
  • 2. Important Notes
    • 2.1. Frost Bomb
    • 2.2. Tier 3 Talents
      • 2.2.1. Rune of Power
      • 2.2.2. Mirror Image
      • 2.2.3. Incanter's Flow
    • 2.3. Water Jet
  • 3. Core Concepts
    • 3.1. Cooldown Overlap and Maximizing Cleave
    • 3.2. Movement Management
    • 3.3. Opening Sequence
  • 4. ChangeLog
• ×Stat Priority
  • 1. Basics
    • 1.1. Stat Weights
  • 2. Getting a Better Understanding
    • 2.1. Statistics Explanations
    • 2.2. How Exactly Mastery: Icicles Work
      • 2.2.1. Glacial Spike
    • 2.3. Critical Strike Cap
  • 3. ChangeLog
• +Gems, Enchants, and Consumables
  • 1. Disclaimer
  • 2. Gems
  • 3. Enchants
  • 4. Consumables
  • 5. ChangeLog
• +Macros and Addons
  • 1. Addons
    • 1.1. ElvUI
    • 1.2. Weak Auras
    • 1.3. Boss Mods
      • 1.3.1. BigWigs Bossmods
      • 1.3.2. Deadly Boss Mods
    • 1.4. Name Plates
      • 1.4.1. KUI Nameplates
      • 1.4.2. TidyPlates
    • 1.5. Damage Meters
      • 1.5.1. Skada
      • 1.5.2. Details
    • 1.6. Extra AddOns
      • 1.6.1. Mik's Scrolling Battle Text
      • 1.6.2. DeathNote
      • 1.6.3. Doom CooldownPulse
      • 1.6.4. Angry Assignments
  • 2. Macros
    • 2.1. Generic Macros for Mages
      • 2.1.1. Stopcast Blink
      • 2.1.2. 1-Button Block
      • 2.1.3. Block Cancel
    • 2.2. Specific Macros for Frost Mages
      • 2.2.1. Water Elemental: Freeze
      • 2.2.2. Water Elemental: Water jet
      • 2.2.3. Pet Macros
  • 3. ChangeLog
• +Gear, Legendaries, and Best in Slot
  • 1. Best in Slot List
  • 2. Evaluating Upgrades Using Stat Weights
  • 3. Racial Bonuses
  • 4. Legendaries
  • 5. Loot Competition
  • 6. ChangeLog

General Information

On this page, we explain what the best statistics are for Frost Mages in World of Warcraft Legion 7.2, how the class benefits from each of them.

The statistics priority is important as it influences itemisation choices (gear, enchants, and gems).

The other pages of our Frost Mage guide can be accessed from the table of contents on the right.

About Our Author and Reviewer

This guide has been written by Furty, who has an illustrious history in the World of Warcraft raiding scene and race for World First. He has been a member of guilds such as Serenity, Midwinter, and many more, and is currently raiding in Myst. He plays most classes at the highest level. You can follow him on Twitter and watch him play on Twitch.

This guide has been reviewed and approved by Kuni, one of the best Frost Mages in the world, who raids in Midnight Sanctuary.

1. Basics

The stat priority for a Frost Mage is:

1. Critical Strike (to 33.34% Shatter Cap);
2. Intellect;
3. Haste;
4. Versatility;
5. Mastery;
6. Critical Strike (after 33.34% Shatter Cap).

It should be noted the value of Haste decreases for multi target.

These statistics have been obtained by combining common sense, in-game testing, and simulations using Simulation Craft.

1.1. Stat Weights

Stat weights are calculated for a single target and will vary from player to player depending on your item level and current stat distribution. These have been provided as a rough guideline to help players determine upgrades with less hassle.

1. Critical Strike (to 33.34% Shatter Cap): 1.25
2. Intellect: 1.00
3. Haste: 0.99
4. Versatility: 0.93
5. Mastery: 0.69
6. Critical Strike (after 33.34% Shatter Cap): 0.64

2. Getting a Better Understanding

2.1. Statistics Explanations

Intellect is your primary stat. You should look for this stat in all of your upgrades. It provides you with Spell Power, which increases the damage of your spells.

Versatility is a flat-out damage done increase and damage taken reduction.

Critical Strike increases your chance to critically hit. Remember that your chance to critical hit with Ice Lance (always cast with Fingers of Frost or Winter's Chill up) is increased by Shatter, a Frost-specific passive ability. It also has many interactions with your Artifact weapon that make it worth stacking, even past shattercap.

Mastery: Icicles causes Frostbolt casts to store an Icicle, which deals a percentage of the damage done when unleashed. Icicles are unleashed passively by Ice Lance casts, or actively using Glacial Spike (if talented). Mastery: Icicles also increases the damage of your Water Elemental.

Haste decreases the cast time of your spells. In particular, decreasing the cast time of Frostbolt is very beneficial, because it means that you can cast Frostbolt more often, increasing your chances to get procs of Fingers of Frost and the rate at which you generate Icicles. Haste also lowers your base Global Cooldown as well as the cooldown of Blizzard. Haste also increases the cast speed of your Water Elemental.

2.2. How Exactly Mastery: Icicles Work

• One Icicle is produced for each Frostbolt cast.
• You can have a maximum of five Icicles.
• Generating a sixth Icicle will automatically fire the oldest one.
• Ice Lance will rapidly fire all currently held Icicles, and any Icicle generated before that barrage ends, at the target.
• They disappear after 60 seconds, if you do spend them or do not gain new ones.

2.2.1. Glacial Spike

Mastery: Icicles function a little different when you are playing with the Glacial Spike talent.

• Glacial Spike requires 5 Icicles to cast, and consumes all 5 Icicles.
• Icicles themselves still cannot crit, but a critical strike with Frostbolt or Frostfire Bolt will generate a larger Icicle. However, Glacial Spike can crit, which is a sum total of the Glacial Spike damage and the damage of all 5 Icicles. The significance of this is that when you are playing with Glacial Spike talented, your Icicles get a dual benefit from Critical Strike; larger Icicle damage via Frostbolt crits, and the potential for Glacial Spike to crit as well.

2.3. Critical Strike Cap

Because of Shatter, it is possible to have more than a 100% chance to critically strike with Ice Lance (when Fingers of Frost is up). To obtain your critical strike chance against frozen targets, Shatter multiplies your critical strike chance by 1.5 and adds 50%. At 20% critical strike chance, for example, your chance to critically hit frozen targets is 80% (20% x 1.5 + 50%).

3. ChangeLog

• 27 Mar. 2017: No changes needed for Patch 7.2.
• 02 Mar. 2017: Modified stat priority to include Shatter cap & re-added stat weights!
• 09 Jan. 2017: Stat priority remains the same but we removed the stat weights for now. We will re-add them once things stabilise.
• 02 Sep. 2016: Swapped Haste and Critical Strike in the stat priority, following new simulations.
• 29 Aug. 2016: Updated for Legion's launch.
• 18 Jul. 2016: Updated for the Legion pre-patch.