WoW Forever Mage Frost Build
Looking for the best WoW Forever Mage build for PvP? This Frost plan is a starting point for freeze and defensive resets. Compare its conditions and alternatives below; it is not a measured performance winner or a BiS gear list.
A pvp planning route for Mage Frost, built around Ice Barrier, Cold Snap, Ice Block, Ice Lance, Fingers of Frost using the November 3 reviewed snapshot.
Editorial planning guide, grounded in the supplied beta talent descriptions. The allocation and point order have been checked for legal ranks and prerequisites. Combat performance has not been simulated or game-tested.
When to use this plan
Read the core effects below for weapon, target, form and cooldown requirements. The exact current tooltips are shown at the selected ranks. Test the interaction in your intended activity before committing to a respec.
What you give up
This allocation commits to Frost with support from Arcane; it cannot also reach every other capstone. Compare alternative plans and equipment requirements for your activity.
Why these core choices?
Ice Lance
Deals 28 to 32 Frost damage to an enemy target. Deals 300% increased damage to Frozen targets.
Selected rank 1 of 1.Ice Block
You become encased in a block of ice, protecting you from all physical attacks and spells for 10 sec, but during that time you cannot attack, move, or cast spells.
Selected rank 1 of 1.Cold Snap
Finishes the remaining cooldown on all your other Frost spells.
Selected rank 1 of 1.Fingers of Frost
Gives your Chill effects a 15% chance to grant you the Fingers of Frost effect, which treats your next 2 spells cast as if the target were Frozen. Lasts 15 sec.
Selected rank 2 of 2. Requires Ice Lance.Ice Barrier
Shield yourself, absorbing 493 damage and increasing your Frost damage by 15% for 1 min. While shielded, your Frost damage is increased by an additional 5% and you do not lose casting time when you take damage.
Selected rank 1 of 1. Requires Cold Snap.Complete allocation
All 21 selected talents are listed below. Expand any talent to see the exact supplied description at the rank used by this plan.
Arcane · 20 points
Improved Channeling 5 / 5
Gives your Arcane Missiles spell a 100% chance and your Arcane Blast and Arcane Wrath spells a 70% chance to not lose casting time when you take damage.
Row 1. Read every rank →
Arcane Resilience 3 / 3
Increases your Armor by an amount equal to 75% of your Intellect.
Row 1. Read every rank →
Arcane Subtlety 1 / 2
Reduces your target's resistance to all your spells by 8 and reduces the threat caused by your Arcane spells by 15%.
Row 2. Read every rank →
Magic Absorption 2 / 2
Increases all your resistances by 10 and causes all spells you fully resist to restore 2% of your total mana. Cannot trigger more often than 1 time per sec.
Row 2. Read every rank →
Arcane Concentration 5 / 5
Gives you a 10% chance of entering a Clearcasting state after any damage spell hits a target. The Clearcasting state reduces the mana cost of your next damage spell by 100%.
Row 2. Read every rank →
Improved Counterspell 2 / 2
Your Counterspell also Silences the target for 4 sec.
Row 4. Read every rank →
Frost · 31 points
Improved Frostbolt 5 / 5
Reduces the casting time of your Frostbolt and Frost Blast spells by 0.5 sec.
Row 1. Read every rank →
Ice Shards 1 / 5
Increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Frost spells by 20%.
Row 2. Read every rank →
Frostbite 3 / 3
Gives your Chill effects a 15% chance to Freeze the target for 5 sec.
Row 2. Read every rank →
Improved Frost Nova 2 / 2
Reduces the cooldown of your Frost Nova spell by 4 sec.
Row 2. Read every rank →
Permafrost 3 / 3
Increases the duration of your Chill effects by 33% and reduces the target's speed by an additional 10%.
Row 2. Read every rank →
Frost Channeling 3 / 3
Reduces the mana cost of your Frost spells by 15% and reduces the threat caused by your Frost spells by 30%.
Row 3. Read every rank →
Ice Lance 1 / 1 Core choice
Deals 28 to 32 Frost damage to an enemy target. Deals 300% increased damage to Frozen targets.
45 Mana | 30 yd range | Instant | 8 sec cooldown
Row 3. Read every rank →
Arctic Reach 2 / 2
Increases the range of your Frostbolt, Frost Blast, Ice Lance, and Blizzard spells and the radius of your Frost Nova and Cone of Cold spells by 20%.
Row 4. Read every rank →
Ice Block 1 / 1 Core choice
You become encased in a block of ice, protecting you from all physical attacks and spells for 10 sec, but during that time you cannot attack, move, or cast spells.
15 Mana | Instant | 5 min cooldown
Row 4. Read every rank →
Shatter 3 / 3
Increases the critical strike chance of all your spells against Frozen targets by 50%.
Row 4. Read every rank →
Cold Snap 1 / 1 Core choice
Finishes the remaining cooldown on all your other Frost spells.
Instant | 10 min cooldown
Row 5. Read every rank →
Fingers of Frost 2 / 2 Core choice
Gives your Chill effects a 15% chance to grant you the Fingers of Frost effect, which treats your next 2 spells cast as if the target were Frozen. Lasts 15 sec.
Row 5 · Requires maximum Ice Lance. Read every rank →
Ice Barrier 1 / 1 Core choice
Shield yourself, absorbing 493 damage and increasing your Frost damage by 15% for 1 min. While shielded, your Frost damage is increased by an additional 5% and you do not lose casting time when you take damage.
305 Mana | Instant | 30 sec cooldown
Row 7 · Requires maximum Cold Snap. Read every rank →
Three valid adjustments
Each option below is a separate one-point change to the original plan. It preserves the point budget, row gates and prerequisites. Choose an effect you need; the options are not a damage ranking and should not be applied together without rechecking.
Improved Counterspell → Arcane Subtlety
Move one point: Improved Counterspell 2 → 1; Arcane Subtlety 1 → 2.
Effect after this change
Improved Counterspell: Your Counterspell also Silences the target for 2 sec.
Arcane Subtlety: Reduces your target's resistance to all your spells by 15 and reduces the threat caused by your Arcane spells by 30%.
Improved Counterspell → Missile Barrage
Move one point: Improved Counterspell 2 → 1; Missile Barrage 0 → 1.
Effect after this change
Improved Counterspell: Your Counterspell also Silences the target for 2 sec.
Missile Barrage: Gives your Arcane Blast spell a 20% chance, and your Arcane Wrath, Fireball, Frostbolt, Frost Blast, and Frostfire Bolt spells a 10% chance to reduce the channeled duration of your next Arcane Missiles spell by 50%, reduce the Mana cost by 100%, and missiles fire every 0.5 sec.
Improved Counterspell → Arcane Geometry
Move one point: Improved Counterspell 2 → 1; Arcane Geometry 0 → 1.
Effect after this change
Improved Counterspell: Your Counterspell also Silences the target for 2 sec.
Arcane Geometry: Increases the range of your Arcane spells by 3 yards.
Level-by-level point order
This route reaches the complete allocation without a respec. It follows this guide’s core choices and prerequisites, rather than claiming an optimal speed-leveling route. Talented changes the level when each point becomes available, not the 51-point limit.
First point at level 10; all 51 points at level 60.
Use a Talented rank your character has actually unlocked in the Legacy system. This control models its point timing, not the rest of your Legacy allocation.
Show all 51 steps
| Level | Add one point | New rank | Tree |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Improved Frostbolt | 1 / 5 | Frost |
| 11 | Improved Frostbolt | 2 / 5 | Frost |
| 12 | Improved Frostbolt | 3 / 5 | Frost |
| 13 | Improved Frostbolt | 4 / 5 | Frost |
| 14 | Improved Frostbolt | 5 / 5 | Frost |
| 15 | Precision | 1 / 3 | Frost |
| 16 | Precision | 2 / 3 | Frost |
| 17 | Precision | 3 / 3 | Frost |
| 18 | Permafrost | 1 / 3 | Frost |
| 19 | Permafrost | 2 / 3 | Frost |
| 20 | Ice Lance | 1 / 1 | Frost |
| 21 | Permafrost | 3 / 3 | Frost |
| 22 | Improved Frost Nova | 1 / 2 | Frost |
| 23 | Improved Frost Nova | 2 / 2 | Frost |
| 24 | Frostbite | 1 / 3 | Frost |
| 25 | Ice Block | 1 / 1 | Frost |
| 26 | Frostbite | 2 / 3 | Frost |
| 27 | Frostbite | 3 / 3 | Frost |
| 28 | Shatter | 1 / 3 | Frost |
| 29 | Shatter | 2 / 3 | Frost |
| 30 | Cold Snap | 1 / 1 | Frost |
| 31 | Fingers of Frost | 1 / 2 | Frost |
| 32 | Fingers of Frost | 2 / 2 | Frost |
| 33 | Shatter | 3 / 3 | Frost |
| 34 | Arctic Reach | 1 / 2 | Frost |
| 35 | Arctic Reach | 2 / 2 | Frost |
| 36 | Frost Channeling | 1 / 3 | Frost |
| 37 | Frost Channeling | 2 / 3 | Frost |
| 38 | Frost Channeling | 3 / 3 | Frost |
| 39 | Ice Shards | 1 / 5 | Frost |
| 40 | Ice Barrier | 1 / 1 | Frost |
| 41 | Improved Channeling | 1 / 5 | Arcane |
| 42 | Improved Channeling | 2 / 5 | Arcane |
| 43 | Improved Channeling | 3 / 5 | Arcane |
| 44 | Improved Channeling | 4 / 5 | Arcane |
| 45 | Improved Channeling | 5 / 5 | Arcane |
| 46 | Magic Absorption | 1 / 2 | Arcane |
| 47 | Magic Absorption | 2 / 2 | Arcane |
| 48 | Arcane Concentration | 1 / 5 | Arcane |
| 49 | Arcane Concentration | 2 / 5 | Arcane |
| 50 | Arcane Concentration | 3 / 5 | Arcane |
| 51 | Arcane Concentration | 4 / 5 | Arcane |
| 52 | Arcane Concentration | 5 / 5 | Arcane |
| 53 | Arcane Resilience | 1 / 3 | Arcane |
| 54 | Arcane Resilience | 2 / 3 | Arcane |
| 55 | Arcane Resilience | 3 / 3 | Arcane |
| 56 | Improved Counterspell | 1 / 2 | Arcane |
| 57 | Improved Counterspell | 2 / 2 | Arcane |
| 58 | Wand Specialization | 1 / 2 | Arcane |
| 59 | Wand Specialization | 2 / 2 | Arcane |
| 60 | Arcane Subtlety | 1 / 2 | Arcane |
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