5.2 Frost CD Usage

[Mastamage]

I've been tinkering with this spec since 5.2 released and the one thing that I find heavy variation in, as far as DPS goes, is my CD usage. Currently, I am using Frozen Orb and Icy Veins (glyphed) at the pull. I will Alter Time when I get 2 procs of FoF and 1 of BF as well as trinket procs, release all of those procs before Alter Time expires. When it expires I then have those procs again so I burn 1 of each while still having an extra 6 seconds on my IV. Depending on the fight, I also use Troll racia on the pull as well.

Anyone see anything I can change or work on? Greatly appreciated!

http://us.battle.net/wow/en/characte...tamagee/simple

[Rethys]

You should be using frozen orb on the pull, yes. You should also be using an alter time/iv macro.

/cast Icy Veins
/use 10 (engineering glove)
/use 13 (trinket1 if you got it)
/use 14 (trinket2 if you got it)
/cast Beserking
/cast Alter Time
(Something along those lines)

Alter time works so amazingly well for Trolls, as we get an extra 6 seconds of our brokenly awesome racial AND it has the same cooldown.

This macro makes it so that IV and beserking come off CD the same time alter time does. Also, you should be using Alter time (on the pull at least) when all of your trinkets/enchants are popped. There are times where you have unlucky streaks (I went 2 minutes without EoT or Shado Pan trinket proccing on pull one time). The majority of the time you will have procs in the first ~5-10 casts. At that point you want to hit your trusty macro and go to town, don't worry about using them with FoF/BF procs up- they are used instantly anyways and the amount of time you are wasting waiting for those isn't worth it.

[Mastamage]

Much appreciated. Not waiting for FoF and BF prices makes sense as you're wasting uptime on your IV and Berserking to use globals on them. Constantly sitting with 1 FoF proc up still a suitable strat? I usually just do it in case I have to move (or using it up right before it falls off). BF profs I use up immediately some don't waste a proc.

[Rethys]

Using up 1 FoF is low on priority for me, but I still use it up before casting frostbolt (unless debuff will fall off). Sometimes if there's a period of time where I know I will have to move I will bank one just in case; but normally I just use them up as I get them.

[Deleted]

Non-troll here.

I wait a moment on pull before hitting Alter Time, to see if I get an FoF procs - keeping in mind the Icy Veins glyph increases proc chance I believe? And tend to hit Frozen Orb after Alter Time. I don't leave it too long before hitting Alter Time though, so my buffs are still up for Orb.

I keep tinkering with this and probably can improve on it.

[Rethys]

I always use frozen orb on pull. More Ice Lances = more chances for trinkets to proc = faster I can use IV/AT. If it's only 1 target it's VERY rare you will eat procs.

[Proakryt]

Non-troll here.

I wait a moment on pull before hitting Alter Time, to see if I get an FoF procs - keeping in mind the Icy Veins glyph increases proc chance I believe? And tend to hit Frozen Orb after Alter Time. I don't leave it too long before hitting Alter Time though, so my buffs are still up for Orb.

I keep tinkering with this and probably can improve on it.

You should at least get up the frostbolt debuff and trinkets/enchants to proc too. Just using on the pull without taking your buffs into account is very very very sub-optimal. Frozen orb should be used before Alter Time as well since you will get more instants, plus the guarante first FoF proc.

Its a 3-minute CD, a few seconds to line up good conditions is not going to make any difference.

[scuac]

You should be using frozen orb on the pull, yes. You should also be using an alter time/iv macro.

/cast Icy Veins
/use 10 (engineering glove)
/use 13 (trinket1 if you got it)
/use 14 (trinket2 if you got it)
/cast Beserking
/cast Alter Time
(Something along those lines)

So, would you say doing the following on pull is reasonable:
1. Mage Bomb
2. Frozen Orb
3. Frostbolt x 3
at this point you should have a couple of procs, then hit macro above and go to town? Anything wrong with this strat?

[Rethys]

Here's my, personal, opener:

Mirror Images
Pre-Pot
Pre-Cast Frostbolt
Mage Bomb
Frozen Orb
Frostbolt, Ice Lance, FFB, whatever, etc.

FoF/BF procs as soon as I get them. I dont typically wait until 3 stacks of frostbolt debuff to use Frozen orb or ice lance, but that's just me.

Like I said before, I do not use Alter Time to snapshot FoF/BF procs, I use it to capture my trinket/jade spirit/embroidery procs to get an extra 6 seconds of hasted, icy veined tastiness. If I have procs, great, if not... no big deal. Using alter time as a fire and frost/arcane mage are very different- one is about capturing procs(fire, hot streak/heating up), the other is about maximizing uptime on buffs (frost) and arcane is sort of a mix between the two (at least it was in 5.1).

Great addon for tracking ICD is ExtraCD.

[Deleted]

Here's my, personal, opener:

Mirror Images
Pre-Pot
Pre-Cast Frostbolt
Mage Bomb
Frozen Orb
Frostbolt, Ice Lance, FFB, whatever, etc.

FoF/BF procs as soon as I get them. I dont typically wait until 3 stacks of frostbolt debuff to use Frozen orb or ice lance, but that's just me.

Like I said before, I do not use Alter Time to snapshot FoF/BF procs, I use it to capture my trinket/jade spirit/embroidery procs to get an extra 6 seconds of hasted, icy veined tastiness. If I have procs, great, if not... no big deal. Using alter time as a fire and frost/arcane mage are very different- one is about capturing procs(fire, hot streak/heating up), the other is about maximizing uptime on buffs (frost) and arcane is sort of a mix between the two (at least it was in 5.1).

Great addon for tracking ICD is ExtraCD.

That is what I do too. To me, an extra 6 seconds of my 2 trinkets, cloack enchant, pre-pot, Icyveins etc is much more important than procs (and most of the time u get looooads of procs due to frozen orb being on). My 2nd proc is usually the last one to proc, as soon as I see it, I hit Alter Time.

I use Weak Aura to tracks my buffs and duration, it's really neat.

[Libretto]

On a pull it is generally best to be as far from the boss as possible. The travel time on frostbolt and frozen orb means that if you prepull frostbolt then orb, you can usually cast another frostbolt which will finish before or just as the orb gives you your first FoF charge, so you will have more frostbolt stacks up before hitting ice lance. If specced POM, you are honestly well off doing prepull frostbolt > bomb > orb > frostbolt > pom > alter time if good procs are up > frostbolt > ice lance.

[Frostbites]

Why cast images pre pull?
Isn't it better if it benefits off of your procs?
Or does it not benefit from procs?

[jtmzac]

Most people don't like wasting a gcd on images during their opener. Its really a tiny difference and I just have images macro'd with icy veins so they get used at the same time.

[Deleted]

Why cast images pre pull?
Isn't it better if it benefits off of your procs?
Or does it not benefit from procs?

Scaling with procs/buff is so poor it's better to cast it pre-pull to not waste a GCD.

[redbaronz]

My opening:
prepull

evocate
prepot
mirror images

on pull

precast frostbolt
Nether Tempest
Frostbolt
Frostbolt (I think it's important to get 3 stacks of the debuff because once you start procing a lot, you won't have time to cast frostbolts. Waiting a little to get 5% or 10% extra damage seems worth it.)
Frozen Orb
Icy Veins
Then I pop Alter time sometime within the next 14 seconds so I get 6 extra seconds of Icy veins and the prepot. Most of the time my trinkets will proc here. I like to use alter time to save 2 FoF's and 1 BF proc though over 6 seconds longer on trinkets. Not really sure of the math for which way is better.

[Deleted]

I thought about using icy veins after the first frosbolt, but before NT (so it benefits from haste right from the start). And you cast your 3 frosbolt faster too.

Does that seems like a good idea ?

[Mastamage]

With the amount of haste this tier you should have IV glyphed.

[Deleted]

With the amount of haste this tier you should have IV glyphed.

Didnt thought about that, it is indeed glyphed. So no point
Thanks

[Gronors]

If you do Mirror Image prepull at least Pot before MI not after

[Deleted]

If you do Mirror Image prepull at least Pot before MI not after

Scaling with MI is so low I don't think it matter. But you waste a GCD casting your MI when having the pot buff, so it might even be a dps loss right ?
If you use post just when precasting your pyro, that GCD is used for fireball/pyros instead of MI.

I may be wrong though.