Xandyn's Frost Mage PvP Guide

[Deleted]

Xandyn has written an amazing Frost Mage PvP guide for Cataclysm, featuring comprehensive details on gameplay, macros, AddOns and ability usage. We decided to feature this article here as it is one of the best and most well-received guides ever written about World of Warcraft.

Xandyn has gotten many Rank one titles, played with all the big name players on both EU and US realms. He has played in many online tournaments as well as Blizzard Battle.net regionals in 2011. Recently he won the Yaspresents 3v3 tournament playing RMP.
His highest rating playing Warrior/Mage/Priest (Barburas/Zunniyaki) has been 3185 in the Vicious season, RMP (Khuna/Zunniyaki) – 3100, and MLS (Flubbah/Inflame) – 2800.

What to expect in the guide:

• Useful guidelines for both beginner and veteran Frost Mages
• Tips and tricks how to use your abilities and spells correctly
• Procs management and efficient damage dealing
• Common misconceptions of the Mage class
• Some tips for all classes, not only Mages (section 1.5)

Link to Xandyn's Frost Mage PvP Guide
Link to my interview with Xandyn

[PizzaSHARK]

Seems kind of pointless to write a guide on a class and spec that's been comically overpowered for the majority of the expansion.

[Feranor]

He does have a point concerning controls, even GW2 is not as smooth as WoW (although they really only need to remove the camera panning delay, then it'd be fine). But I wonder, the only time he ever gets specific in the interview he basically says that comp/gear > skill (comp X beats comp Y, unless gear Z is banned, ...); yet he still sees WoW as the better PvP game?

[Deleted]

If you look at the current EU regionals and the US teams. There is one frost mage in two tournaments, while three warriors participate. Frost mages are good, but playing them on tournament level is something maybe two players on earth can pull off. It's a common misconception that frost mages are so strong, on higher level of play they are extremely hard to play and very few succeed. Look at the ladders and you will rarely find any frost mage comp on the top ten that did not play up during the time vial made the wins trivial.

[Derpyhooves]

I know he is one of the best pvp'ers and mages around and the guide looks really good, I just think its a shame its come out only a few weeks before the end of the expansion. Hopefully he can update it or write a new guide for mop.

[Deleted]

I know he is one of the best pvp'ers and mages around and the guide looks really good, I just think its a shame its come out only a few weeks before the end of the expansion. Hopefully he can update it or write a new guide for mop.

He will. He confirmed it yesterday.

[Derpyhooves]

He will. He confirmed it yesterday.

Thats great news I look forward to it. I wish more high rated players would do stuff like this, like talbadars new youtube channel.

[Deleted]

Thats great news I look forward to it. I wish more high rated players would do stuff like this, like talbadars new youtube channel.

Actually Talbadar confirmed a guide for MoP, too. Zunniyaki, Zilea and Minpojke are a maybe and Reckful will work over an article I prepare for him.

[Derpyhooves]

Actually Talbadar confirmed a guide for MoP, too. Zunniyaki, Zilea and Minpojke are a maybe and Reckful will work over an article I prepare for him.

Happy to hear that and I hope these players get more recognition from the wider community. It makes me a bit sad when I see attention seekers like swifty and athene getting thousands of views and talbadars channel is still relatively unknown. Thats why I have been trying to support and promote it where I can so he doesn't give up on it. Its amazing the class knowledge these players have combined with situational awareness and reaction time.

[Schmilblick]

Seems kind of pointless to write a guide on a class and spec that's been comically overpowered for the majority of the expansion.

Actually, mages have been OP since Vanilla.

[Feranor]

Actually, mages have been OP since Vanilla.

True, but at least they had to actually cast something and set up their kills instead of just spamming an endless barrage of stuns, roots and instant nukes. Or face a relatively long cooldown as AP PoM Pyro.

[Ace192]

I was hoping I could have came in here and gotten to say INB4 "MAGES ARE OP DONT NEED GUIDEZZ HERP DERP!!!!one!!!!11!!!"

Jesus Christ, seriously... Everyone is so butthurt against mages. Mages, like any other class in this game, still take skill to play. You can't go in an arena on day 1 of playing mage and get to 2200+ like all you people are insinuating. Mages are "OP" in 1v1 and on teams that have a very, very strong synergy with them such as RMP. Mages get eaten alive by any melee class that has a healer. And yes, I will only consider class+healer situations because those are the only real PvP situations. If they're so OP, they'd be on every top rated team 100% of the time which they're not.

You can't be a faceroll frost mage and be good, that's not possible. You have to know how to pet nova right, open out of invisibility right, deep into sheeps and rings. If you don't know how to deep/sheep or deep/ring, you're not doing it right and from my experience in arenas (take it with a grain of salt; anecdotes don't count blah blah blah) most frost mages don't know how to play their class. If you don't know how to time your shit, you'll DR all your spells and be so shit outta luck.

Bottom line: People get over yourselves and l2p. Mages aren't gods if you know how to play your cards right.

[Feranor]

I was hoping I could have came in here and gotten to say INB4 "MAGES ARE OP DONT NEED GUIDEZZ HERP DERP!!!!one!!!!11!!!"

Jesus Christ, seriously... Everyone is so butthurt against mages. Mages, like any other class in this game, still take skill to play. You can't go in an arena on day 1 of playing mage and get to 2200+ like all you people are insinuating. Mages are "OP" in 1v1 and on teams that have a very, very strong synergy with them such as RMP. Mages get eaten alive by any melee class that has a healer. And yes, I will only consider class+healer situations because those are the only real PvP situations. If they're so OP, they'd be on every top rated team 100% of the time which they're not.

You can't be a faceroll frost mage and be good, that's not possible. You have to know how to pet nova right, open out of invisibility right, deep into sheeps and rings. If you don't know how to deep/sheep or deep/ring, you're not doing it right and from my experience in arenas (take it with a grain of salt; anecdotes don't count blah blah blah) most frost mages don't know how to play their class. If you don't know how to time your shit, you'll DR all your spells and be so shit outta luck.

Bottom line: People get over yourselves and l2p. Mages aren't gods if you know how to play your cards right.

Mage pre 4.0.6:



Mage post 4.0.6:



If you think Blizz balances around 3v3... well... I'm sure Blood DKs and Ferals dominated 3v3 when they were nerfed, and not their worst enemies that profited most from these nerfs.