Glacial Spike - Updated

[nickseng]

Frost got a huge buff to AOE so its viable for almost anything.

Which buff was that?

Ok maybe not "huge" but sizable, it is now competitive for AOE.

Freezing Rain, insta-cast blizzards when orbs up, with enough mobs you can cycle 2 instant blizzards and have orb back up rinse and repeat.

And can you explain how changing a 2 second cast to a 1.5 second gcd locked cast makes it sizable?

[Andrestes]

@Daakal. So, the way I sim GS is to pull the action priority list from the simcraft import on the first page of this thread and use it on my imported character. In steps, use the nightly simcraft build and you

1. import your character as normal
2. Delete the actions list, but keep the character information at the top and gear information at the bottom
3. Go to the first page in the thread and copy the action list (everything below "# Executed before combat begins. Accepts non-harmful actions only." and until the gear starts)
4. paste this into your imported character and sim as usual

if you're already doing that and/or are still having trouble, please explain the issue a bit more.

I thought we didn't need to do this anymore according to one of the updates in the original post. I thought the action priorty list was built into simcraft sometime in 7.1.5 for this spec other than a leading ebonbolt.

you are correct. I double checked and it's giving me numbers in the same ballpark. Thanks for the heads up.

[Norrinir]

And can you explain how changing a 2 second cast to a 1.5 second gcd locked cast makes it sizable?

The cooldown begins when you finish casting. So while Freezing Rain might only save you 0.5 sec of time spent, it effectively reduces Blizzard's cooldown by 2 sec while active.

[Imaskar]

Has someone seen that freezing rain sometimes ends before orb's visual? Is it orb's visual bug or FR?

[nirdana]

Has someone seen that freezing rain sometimes ends before orb's visual? Is it orb's visual bug or FR?

FO should disappear before the freezing rain drops, but i've also seen that sometimes it is the opposite. I reccomend just tracking the freezing rain buff so you can see if you are still able to cast insta blizzard.

[nickseng]

Has someone seen that freezing rain sometimes ends before orb's visual? Is it orb's visual bug or FR?

Freezing Rain buff has a 15 second duration, while orb lasts ~10 seconds or so. So yes, you can still cast insta-Blizzard after your FOrb has disappeared.

http://www.wowhead.com/spell=240555/freezing-rain" target="_blank

[Cames]

I have had the same experience that the expiration of FO and the expiration of Freezing Rain can be one or the other first. I am not sure why this is, but I have used the Ice Time/Sephuz combo for AE (like Skorp). I know when FO expires because I get the Haste Buff from Sephuz. Sometimes I still have Frozen Rain...sometimes I do not. I am wondering if the travel time of FO has anything to do with this...

[Srig]

EDIT: I was able to change the Mr. Robot stat weights to match my sim results and now can sort by proper stat priorities. I still struggle with how best to "use" my sim results - what am I looking for, is it just running different gear set ups and such to compare output? thanks

Can't tell you how much I appreciate this guide, all of the posters who contribute this kind of input to the community and those who respond and help to optimize the play of others. I'm a LONG time lurker and consumer and I have a question which will reveal my ignorance.

I mained a mage since I started in BC but for legion I main and raid with my guardian druid.
My mage has been my mythic+ fun toon and I have been fire all along, but now I really need better ST dps and flexibility for high mythics and I'm committed to the GS build as it is better aligned with some of my multi-use gear and I just dig it.

My Question:
I simmed my mage and it produced the following stat values.
How can I now use those in Mr. Robot or other tool to help me with gear prioritization. The Mr. Robot default is for the TV build and I want Mr. Robot to order my gear priority in alignment with either a) My stat weights or b) at least the generic/general GS build weights.

Scale Factors
Vers 14.84
Int 14.81
Crit 14.21
SP 14.18
Haste 12.06
Mast 11.84



My current unbuffed stats are:

Enhancements
Crit 29.50%
Haste 21.62%
Mastery 63.25%
Leech 2.06%
Versatility 6.60%
Avoidance 8.21%

I'm assuming I basically need vers > mast right now; thinking my crit and haste are in pretty good range?

thanks in advance for the direction here.

[Skigam]

Scale Factors
Vers 14.84
Int 14.81
Crit 14.21
SP 14.18
Haste 12.06
Mast 11.84



My current unbuffed stats are:

Enhancements
Crit 29.50%
Haste 21.62%
Mastery 63.25%
Leech 2.06%
Versatility 6.60%
Avoidance 8.21%

I'm assuming I basically need vers > mast right now; thinking my crit and haste are in pretty good range?

thanks in advance for the direction here.

That pawn string would mean that you need more verse then crit then the other stats are meh. But you always want to sim that new piece of gear to make sure.

[Xaximbo]

what i don't get is why at first we were encouraged to get mastery when it sims at the very bottom for everyone

[Razlopp]

Hey all,

Going to be updating the guide again to bring it up to speed for the changes coming.

Hopefully anyone who gave GS a try this patch got some help from the discussion here. With GS going back to the top of the meters where it belongs I thought it deserves some nice updates.

So hang tight while I get all the information together, should have it all updated well in before the patch actually hits.

Cheers.

[Andrestes]

Hey all,

Going to be updating the guide again to bring it up to speed for the changes coming.

Hopefully anyone who gave GS a try this patch got some help from the discussion here. With GS going back to the top of the meters where it belongs I thought it deserves some nice updates.

So hang tight while I get all the information together, should have it all updated well in before the patch actually hits.

Cheers.

Thanks very much for all the help and any insight from the updates will be much appreciated. GS (and this thread) is probably the main reason I switched to frost. Stoked to hear hurling giant chunks of ice remains strong.

[zulgohlan]

Hey all,

Going to be updating the guide again to bring it up to speed for the changes coming.

Hopefully anyone who gave GS a try this patch got some help from the discussion here. With GS going back to the top of the meters where it belongs I thought it deserves some nice updates.

So hang tight while I get all the information together, should have it all updated well in before the patch actually hits.

Cheers.

Yeah cant await the patch

[Xinder]

Is GS really going to go above TV with the patch or is it just going to be fairly close to each other and competitive to play if you like GS? I really don't want to play the shimmer shatter GS stuff when I've only just started getting comfy with the x2 IL dance.

[Eyliria]

Is GS really going to go above TV with the patch or is it just going to be fairly close to each other and competitive to play if you like GS? I really don't want to play the shimmer shatter GS stuff when I've only just started getting comfy with the x2 IL dance.

Well, here's the thing.

x2 IL is dead. It's gone in 7.2.5 unless you do the Shimmerlancing, which is nearly exactly what the GS Shimmershatter was.
HOWEVER, because of the way they killed the x2 IL (they increased the flurry projectile speed(!!!)) they incidentally made GS Shatter baseline, no need to shimmer into the target anymore.

[Timelord]

If the flurry speed has been increased to kill x2 IL, was the speed for all projectiles increased? or just the last 2?
If it is all, would it make sense to cast IL with flurry rather than frostbolt, given the huge multipliers we have with traits and bracers? FB does give other perks like another possible flurry and chain reaction but just wondering.
Or, can we do FB -> IL -> Flurry -> IL if we are at a far enough distance?

[Arandomperson]

You forget frostbolt>flurry only works because you have no global cooldown as frostbolt has a casttime. You can't cast flurry fast enough after il to shatter the initial IL

[Xinder]

Is GS really going to go above TV with the patch or is it just going to be fairly close to each other and competitive to play if you like GS? I really don't want to play the shimmer shatter GS stuff when I've only just started getting comfy with the x2 IL dance.

Well, here's the thing.

x2 IL is dead. It's gone in 7.2.5 unless you do the Shimmerlancing, which is nearly exactly what the GS Shimmershatter was.
HOWEVER, because of the way they killed the x2 IL (they increased the flurry projectile speed(!!!)) they incidentally made GS Shatter baseline, no need to shimmer into the target anymore.

Is there a PTR build post where they talk about increasing flurry projectile speed again in 7.2.5?

[TimGeerts]

I was reading this guide (yes, I know, not optimized for next patch yet, doesn't matter) and looking at a youtube clip by Evandis (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOt-m3RsRYI" target="_blank).
Is there a reason why he/she's not using FoF procs? In the clip you can often see him/her having one or more FoF procs but still casting Frost Bolt.
I'm new to GS build though, but in my current gear it sims about equal to my TV build, so wanted to try it out for fun, but now I'm confused as I'm used to spending as much FoF procs as possible.

[Eyliria]

Is GS really going to go above TV with the patch or is it just going to be fairly close to each other and competitive to play if you like GS? I really don't want to play the shimmer shatter GS stuff when I've only just started getting comfy with the x2 IL dance.

Well, here's the thing.

x2 IL is dead. It's gone in 7.2.5 unless you do the Shimmerlancing, which is nearly exactly what the GS Shimmershatter was.
HOWEVER, because of the way they killed the x2 IL (they increased the flurry projectile speed(!!!)) they incidentally made GS Shatter baseline, no need to shimmer into the target anymore.

Is there a PTR build post where they talk about increasing flurry projectile speed again in 7.2.5?

I dont think it was explicitly posted, no.
It's just the way its working right now on the PTR.