F2P Frost Mage CC Guide. Updated for WoD.

[Neon]

This guide is currently under development!

Hello, I have been playing a f2p frost mage for a year now and I think it's about time to share what I know.

I will be editing this guide off and on probably won't be finished overnight.

If you have any questions, regarding the guide get back to me I will reply! If you see any spelling errors or anything I missed pm me!

Here we go.

View attachment 4854

Table of Contents.

1. Races for your bis frost mage tink.

2. An overview of spells.

3. How to gear your cc frostie.

4. Warsong gameplay tips.

5. Arathi, Eots, AV gameplay tips.

6. Skirmish tips.

7. Added player contribution tips.

8. Helpful addons any tink should be using





I hope this will be a good read for older and newer players alike, I will try to cover as much as I can. Enjoy!

 

[Neon]

Alliance Races

Most of the alliance races share a defensive racial.


View attachment 4861

Human: Argueabley one of the best mage choices because it frees up a trinket slot, double agm no regrets!

Diplomacy
Every man for himself!
The Human Spirit



Night Elf: An excellent frost mage choice because of shadowmeld. With shadowmeld you can avoid casting towards you by using it before the enemy's cast is completed. You can also use it to remain unseen by enemy forces.

Nature Resistance
Quickness
Shadowmeld
Touch of Elune
Wisp Form



Worgen: A good choice for any class because of the darkflight racial which is pretty much like a speed potion on a cooldown.

Aberration
Darkflight
Visciousness



Gnome: A gnome is a pretty good choice because of it's racial Escape Artist which can get your character out of any roots if your trinket or blink is on cooldown.

Arcane Resistance
Escape Artist
Expansive Mind
Nimble Fingers



Draenei: A decent choice for mage because of it's Gift of Naaru Heal over Time ability.

Gift of the Naaru
Heroic Presence
Shadow Resistance

Dwarf: A decent choice because of Stoneform which reduces physical damage and takes away poisons.

Frost Resistance
Might of the Mountain
Stoneform







Horde Races:

Most of the Horde races share an offensive racial.

View attachment 4862

Blood Elf: A very good choice for mages because of the silence. I would put it under Goblin though for a cc frost mage.

Arcane Acuity
Arcane Resistance
Arcane Torrent

.Goblin: The best choice for a frost mage ccer. Goblin Jump provides the best escape

Rocket Barrage
Rocket Jump
Time is money

Undead: An alright choice for mage because of a chance to deal a small amount of damage per hit with Touch of the Grave.

Cannibalize
Shadow Resistance
Will of the Forsaken
Touch of the Grave

Orc: A decent choice for mages because of a reduced stun duration.

Bloodfury
Hardiness

Troll: A decent choice for mages because it reduces movement impairing effects and can increase haste greatly when using berserking.

Berserking
Da Voodoo Shuffle
Regeneration



Shared Faction Races:


Pandaren: A really good choice for a mage because of epicurean's health bonus doubles from food items and a free gouge from quaking palm.

Quaking Palm
Epicurean
Bouncy!

In conclusion, for Horde the best races for frost mage are in this order, Goblin>Blood Elf>Panda>Orc=Troll>Undead.

The best races for Alliance are in this following order,Human=Night Elf>Worgen=Panda>Gnome=Dwarf=Draenei.

No race is going to have a dramatic influence on your gameplay, so if you pick aesthetics over BiS, you are not out of luck.

 

[Neon]

View attachment 4867 Frost Spells

Shatter - Timing Frostbolt and a Nova will give you a 60-70% chance for a critical hit, depending on your critical strike rating.

Frostbolt - Snares enemies of 50% movement speed for 15 seconds, this is the spell you spam for damage or to peel enemies.

Water Elemental - It's main use is to use Freeze to root, and Waterbolt which is the Elemental's primary damage dealing spell. You can also move your Elemental to root players in hard to reach places.

Frost Nova - It's main use is to root enemies to keep them at a distance.

Ice Block - Use it to delay your death, so your healers can come and help you.

Frostfire Bolt - Snares enemies movement speed by 40% for 8 seconds, deals more damage than frostbolt but with a longer cast time.







View attachment 4869 Arcane Spells

Polymorph - Transforms an enemy into a sheep for 15 seconds. This is the reason people roll mages. Use this spell on healers or high dps dealers to take them out of the fight.

Counterspell - Prevents an enemy from casting that spell school for 6 seconds. Use this on healers alot to disable them from getting heals off.

Blink - Use this spell to gain distance on enemies. Another use is to interrupt enemy spellcasting by using to through them so they are facing the wrong direction.







View attachment 4870 Fire Spells

Fire blast - An instant moderate damaging spell.








Talents -

Evanesce - Vanish avoiding all attacks and is useable while casting a spell but, it replaces Ice Block. Any casting will disable the invisibility effect. Basicly, this spell serves the same purpose as Shadow Meld. This spell is on a 45 second cool down.

Ice Floes - Allows you to cast spells while moving upon activation, has 3 charges, and each charge has a 15 second cooldown.

Blazing Speed - Removes any movement impairing effects and increases your movement speed by 150% for 1.5 seconds, useable while in the middle of a cast. Use it to put a huge gap between you and enemies.

Conclusion: Evanesce is a bit less useful as Ice block does the same thing, except with evanesce you can move while remaining unseen to gain some distance but, it only lasts 3 seconds thats why I won't recommend it. Even though Evanesce is on a 45 second cool down, Blazing speed will cover more distance on a much shorter 25 second cool down. This spell is used to avoid enemy spell casting by using Evanesce before their cast is completed guaranteeing a miss

Ice floes and Blazing speed both have their own purpose and it's all preference.

 

[Neon]

Gear


Head: Lucky Fishing Hat > Flying Tiger Goggles > Weather-beaten Fishing Hat

Necklace: Thick Bronze Necklace

Shoulders: Magician's Mantle > Tattered Dreadmist Mantle > Feline Mantle

Cloak: Tumultuous Cloak of Stamina (+7 Stamina)

Enchanted: Minor Protection

Robe:Tattered Dreadmist Robe > Mystic's Robe > Noble's Robe

Enchanted: Lesser Health

Bracers: Sanguine Cuffs > Mindthrust Bracers > Cuffs of Black Elements

Enchanted: Minor Stamina

Hands: Serpent Gloves

Enchanted: Medium Armor Kit

Belt: Enumerated Wrap of Stamina (+ 10 stamina)

Pants: Silk-threaded Trousers

Enchanted: Medium Armor Kit

Boots: Corpse Rompers

Enchanted: Medium Armor Kit

Ring 1: Seal of Argas

Ring 2: Garrosh's Pardon > Blood Ring > Gloaming Band

Trinket 1: Inherited Insignia of the Horde = Inherited Insignia of the Alliance > Insignia of the Horde = Insignia of the Alliance , Arena Grand Master

Trinket 2: Arena Grand Master > Inherited Mark of Tyranny > Rune of Perfection

Weapon: Dawnblade = Dignified Headmaster's Charge = Sharpened Scarlet Kris > Advisor's Gnarled Staff

Offhand: Furbolg Medicine Pouch



This set emphasizes Stamina over basic stats, because frost mages already hit like a wet noodle, and the mage class in general has turned into a supportive cc role.

This set is the best set to do cc as long as possible before dying, and most viable for mages in this patch.

 

[Neon]

Some basic pvp tips before I get into gameplay:

Unbind your arrow keys for movement.

Hold down your right mouse button, this is how you will turn and strafe.

Hold down both mouse buttons this is how you will move your character.

Bind your A key strafe left and bind your D key to strafe left.

Unbind your S key, the new way you will move backwards, is called back-strafing you can do this by holding down your right mouse button and jumping while strafing left and right. This will move your character backwards while going full movement speed as going forwards.

Get used to looking at your map in battlegrounds, use alt + M to show a mini-map on the bottom of your screen in bgs, this way you don't have to keep opening your map every 3 seconds.

While interacting in midfights, start looking at everybody in the fight, not just who you are targetting, this will help on predicting when to counterspell or polymorph healers so you and your team can train a certain enemy.

Use macros to call out where your FC is heading. Ex: Your FC is going ramp please assist.

Use macros to call out where the EFC is coming out of. Ex: The EFC is hovering over ToT

Use macros to assign a kill target. Ex: Kill %t please.

Spell macros you need to assign to increase effectiveness dramatically -

/cast [@mouseover] Polymorph

/cast [@mouseover] Counterspell

/cast [@mouseover] Frostbolt

/cast [@focus] Polymorph

/cast [@focus] Counterspell

/cast [@focus] Frostbolt

Bind your pet's follow and move to function's to something close so you can move your pet for easy freezes and or retreat it back safely.

Bind your pets ability "Freeze" to a key easy to reach.

Bind your mount.

Bind your trinket.

Bind everything and never click again.

Go to your spell book, go to keybinds, go to interact with mousever, bind that to scroll up or down. This is how you will interact with objects such as flags, instead of clicking. Ever wonder how your friend returns the flag every time?









View attachment 4883

Warsong Gulch Gameplay -






A 10 v 10 game, on a battlefield with two bases, both on opposite sides of the battlefield, both containing a flag. The objective is to take the enemy's flag and put it in your base's cap spot. You cannot cap the enemy flag while they are holding your faction's flag.



Objectives -

Your job is to escort your flag carrier and cc anything that tries to kill him, sacrifice yourself to buy time for your flag carrier to escape.

If you do not have a flag carrier it is your duty to carry the flag.

Avoid middle of the battlefield at all costs, go around the edges to reach the bases safely.

Never go anywhere alone, you are support your dps is not strong enough to kill anything alone.

Polymorph any rogue that opens on your flag carrier.

Make a /stopcasting macro and bind to a key easy to reach.

Be aware of enemies able to interrupt your casting. IE: Shamans, Rogues, 24+ Warriors, and other Mages.

Fakecasting -

Casting a spell to bait an enemy to use their interrupt.

Use your macro anywhere from the beginning of the cast to the near end of the cast to bait an interrupt.

If successfully baited, you will be un-interrupted and the enemy has wasted their interrupt.

Middle -

When fighting in mid there are 3 enemy targets you need to decide to pick a role for. Then there is all the other enemies.

1. Polymorph target -

This target should be a high dealing dps or a healer. Remember you cannot polymorph druids when they are shapeshifted.

2. Counterspell target -

This should be a different healer from your Polymorph target.

3. Kill target -

This should be a healer seperate from your polymorph and counterspell targets, spam frostbolt on them.

4. Everything else -

Watch for rogues, they have the ability to burst targets down at a high effeciency rate. When spotted root or polymorph them as quick as possible to keep them at bay.

Escorting your flag carrier -

Stay near him and be aware of where all the enemies are located.

Polymorph and root any enemy dps that comes for him.

If multiple enemies are approaching your flag carrier, use frostbolt to snare them.

If multiple rogues show up root them with your pet freeze ability.

If a healer is with enemy dps, Polymorph him to negate his healing.

Rogues -

When they open on you, use blink to gain distance.

Cast Polymorph.

Frostbolt them untill they are nearby and use Frost nova.

Gain some distance.

Frostbolt untill they are in close proximity then use your pet's freeze ability.

Dead rogue.

Returning flags -

You want to find the enemy flag carrier's location and if there are any healers with him polymorph healer 1 and counterspell healer 2 while using frostbolt to snare everyone and the enemy flag carrier.

Use Blazing speed to regain positioning if you are overextending yourself.

When the enemy flag carrier is dead and the flag drops, use your pet's freeze ability to nova everyone around the flag's radius.

Gain distance with blazing speed and use your interact with mouseover keybind to return the flag as quickly as possible.

Repicking the enemy's flag -

When your flag carrier has died and has dropped the flag, pet nova everyone in the radius of the flag , and pick it up.

Run to top of your tunnel, untill, enough of your team has come to help then go to your flag room and face your back to the edge to prevent rogues from opening.

Flag carrying -

Run through the right side of mid close to the edge to the enemy's base.

Enter base from ramp side so you can see if anyone is in the base, if anyone is in the base call for your team to push enemy flagroom.

Grab the flag, go top of tunnel to get a good view of enemy positioning on the battlefield.

Decide where your going, and use blazing speed to cover distance, do not waste Blink's cool down as this can get you out of enemy stuns.

Do not go tunnel, unless boots are up.

If boots are up when going tunnel, use blazing speed after boots is gone, otherwise you will be wasting it as both speed effects do not stack.

When in your base on top floor you can bait enemies into dropping, strafe to the edge of the roof and jump. This will make your enemies believe you are committing a jump off the ledge. Some people will fall for this, some won't

When crossing mid as the flag carrier -

Take the safest route from the enemy base.

Walk along the edges of the map to remain unseen.

If there are alot of enemies below, wait on top of tunnel, move accordingly so ranged classes, will be line of sighted.

If sapped, do not trinket it, wait for the rogue to open and frost nova him, he will most likely trinket it, if that is the case, you need to Polymorph him and gain distance, fake cast if needed.

If enemies are approaching you pet nova them, and keep covering distance. If they trinket the nova, polymorph them.

Go to the top floor of your base, if you have a good defense.

If you don't have a good defense wait on top of your tunnel.

Upon reaching 5 or more stacks, drop the flag to the next non cloth geared allie.

At this point, you no longer gain speed effects.

Enemy flag carrier on top floor in base -

Wait for offense to arive.

Set your polymorph target to a high dealing dps or healer and set your counterspell target to a high dealing ranged dps or healer.

Be careful of getting baited to jump off of the ledge, and predict when the enemy flag carrier is actually going to drop and snare and nova him to slow down all effort of trying to gain distance on your offense.

On Polymorph in WSG -

When trapped into a 1v1 fight with a class that can heal, you can use polymorph to interrupt their heal, by using fireblast immediately after polymorphing them.

Healers, or Rogues are what you are looking to Polymorph.

Remember, you can only cast Polymorph 3 times on the same target before the target is immune.

On Frostbolt in WSG -

Can be used to snare multiple enemies.

Your primary damage dealing spell.

On Counterspell in WSG -

Timing the right counterspell can give your team enough time to kill an enemy healer.

Use Counterspell on only healers in big team fights.

If there is an enemy warlock or mage ccing your team don't be afraid to counterspell them in the midst of casting cc.

On Novaing in WSG -

Use it to secure flag drops and returns.

Use it on multiple rogue openings.

Use it in mid to force trinkets.

This concludes gameplay for WSG.

 

[Neon]

View attachment 4891

Arathi Basin -


The goal is to gain control of every location.

Each location gives points.

The first team to get 1600 points wins.

This is WoW's version of typical "king of the hill" battlegrounds.



Objectives -

CC enemy team to make it harder for them to cap.

Shutdown enemy healers.

On the go - offense always.


At the start of the game - Lumber Mill -

Tell your team to go LM.

Meet enemy team at LM, do not rush in.

Stay well positioned behind your team and pick a healer for polymorph target, and another healer for a counterspell target.

Upon rogue openings Polymorph immediately.

If enemy team wins LM, get out of there and go try another base.

Remember in Arathi Basin, the interact with mouseover macro will be the quickest and most efficient way of capping flags.

Remember, if your team owns LM, you can look down and see where enemy incs are coming and you can call them.

You can cast frostbolts to snare enemies coming up LM to dramatically slow enemy offense.

Stables -

This is where all of the Alliance players main spawn point is located at.

Never spawn camp them as this takes players away from the whole of the map.

This is usually not the go to base for an assault, as many alliance players can end up ressing here at any time.

You can see incs from Lumber mill and Gold mine from here.

Farm -

This is the main spawn point for Horde.

This is easily the most important location for horde, as many players can end up getting blocked off from the rest of the map.

You can see incs from Lumber mill and Gold mines.

This is not a go to base to assault because, many Horde players can end up ressing at any time.

Blacksmith -

There is a sweet positioning spot, by the water entrances, you can easily cc enemies while remaining unseen.

Only come here if your team has a pretty good offense, or if the enemy has barely any people defending.

This is also the best spot to gain honor in Arathi Basin.

Gold mines -

This location has a cave entrance to hide in.

It has cliffs so you can cc enemies nearby below.

On top of the mine entrance is a good place to cast from while remaining unphased from enemies.



Arathi basin DO's -

Defend a base when it has a healer by it.

Assault a base when it has a bad defense.

If you are losing obtain more than 3 bases.

Call incs from enemy offense.

Call other information about enemy defense.

Only go assaulting a base if your team has a healer.



Arathi Basin DON'Ts -

Don't go around zerging every base without defending.

Spawn camp the enemy team.



View attachment 4892

Eye of the Storm -

The main objective of Eye of the Storm is to cap as many towers as possible, while getting the flag in the middle of the battleground and running it to your bases. The first team to reach 1600 points wins.


Objectives -

Go for nodes first.

Try to gain control of flag.

Win by nodes or by capping.


Fight at flag -

At the start of the bg run to the middle of the battleground where the flag is to face off with the enemy team.

Whoever has control of the flag zone has a higher chance of winning.

Your objectives -

Defend the flag carrier

Slow down enemy flag carrier

Neutralize enemy healers.


Gaining control of flag zone -

Stay behind your team on push to middle.

Polymorph any rogues, set your healer to polymorph and your healer to counterspell, find a dps or healer to dps.

Stay well positioned, if any enemies are over extending take of the situation and freeze them.

If your team wins, defend flag carrier, if team loses slow down enemy flag carrier.

Defending Flag carrier -

Stay near your Flag carrier at all times, if you see any enemies approaching polymorph them.

Frostbolt multiple enemies to slow them down.

Polymorph or root any rogues.

Counterspell enemy healers.

Killing Enemy Flag Carrier -

Polymorph enemy flag carrier to slow him down, call for help.

Polymorph any healers.

Snare flag carriers help and flag carrier with frostbolts and novas.

Flag carrying when there is no flag carrier -

When your team has no flag carrier it is your job to carry it.

Grab the flag, and run to cap to one of your towers.

Use blazing speed to cover distance quickly.

Frost Nova and Polymorph any rogue that opens on you.

Peel enemy offense with frostbolt.

Stay near your team support.

Polymorph enemy healers and cap the flag.





View attachment 4893

Alterac Valley -

 

[Neon]

neonsuxatthisgamebreh

 

[Neon]

theyneedtofixdesedangqsasap

 

[Neon]

jwtefueke

 

[Bop]

 

[Snack]

You sure you have enuf reserved posts? :3

 

[Kristhoper]

Hmm

Sent from my GT-I9001 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Neon]

Will edit some more tomorrow.

 

[Mialo]

Please change this god awful horrible font and color scheme Also, where is the content?

 

[Fael]

Yes the font hurts my eyes.

 

[Neon]

Added Races to the guide, will work on it some more tommorrow!

 

[Neon]

Please change this god awful horrible font and color scheme Also, where is the content?

Does it look better now?

 

[Neon]

Yes the font hurts my eyes.

How about now?

 

[Tilt Shift]

How about now?

No Bro.

The electric blue is retina searing. Go for washed out shades for eyeball friendliness.

 

[Mialo]

Does it look better now?

Why does it have to be this big? And whats wrong with the standard font? And whats wrong with standard colors for normal text blocks? Use easy on the eyes colors for titles.