World of Warcraft: Forever · class guide
Frost Mage: PvP
How Frost Mage fights other players in the open world: where it ranks on the PvP tier lists, and why.
Forecast. Rated from the client data and our research, before anyone has played it at this level on this build. Where the data stops, the write-up says what it assumed. Rated as of , build 1.60.1.70450.
Battlegrounds are not rated yet; builds, matchups and battleground roles are being written for this spec. Honor, ranks, gear and the battlegrounds themselves are on PvP in World of Warcraft: Forever.
Verdict
- At 60
- Ranked 2 of 28 on Open-World PvP
Freezes, slows and
Ice Block with 
Cold Snap resets make it the hardest Mage to catch and the best at holding off two. - While leveling
- Ranked 1 of 28 on Open-World PvP Leveling
Frostbolt slows from level 4, Nova at 10,
Blink at 20 and Ice Block near 29 make it the strongest Mage on the way up. - Battlegrounds
- Not rated yet.
Profile
The rubric the lists score on, 1 to 5 on each line, with the weight each line carries. The class’s other specs are shown at 60 for comparison.
| Criterion | Weight | At 60 | While leveling | Arcane | Fire |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burst and kill pressure | 25 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Survival and escapes | 20 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Control | 15 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Fighting outnumbered | 15 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Choosing the fight | 10 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Sustain between fights | 10 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Group fights | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Weighted score | 3.80 | 3.45 | 3.30 | 3.30 |
Strengths and weaknesses
At 60
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| Ice Block with Cold Snap resets | Lower base burst |
| Chained freezes and slows | Drinks after every fight |
 Ice Barrier | No stealth or speed |
| Nova and Cone on two attackers | No heal |
| Best survival in the class |
Why it ranks where it does on Open-World PvP
Frost wins by freeze combos rather than raw burst: Frostbolt and 
Ice Lance, with 
Frostbite's 15% freeze, 
Fingers of Frost treating casts as Frozen, 
Shatter's crit bonus and 
Ice Shards. Control is chained: 
Frost Nova with 
Improved Frost Nova, Frostbite, 
Permafrost slows, 
Polymorph, 
Counterspell and 
Cone of Cold. Cold Snap resets Nova, Cone, Ice Block and Barrier.
Ice Block gives 10 s of immunity on 5 min, Ice Barrier absorbs damage and stops pushback, and Nova, Blink and Cold Snap resets give more than one escape on short cooldowns. Against two it uses Nova and Cone, Blizzard's chill, Ice Block and a Polymorph on one. It opens with slows from Frostbolt range, using 
Arctic Reach, but has no stealth or speed. It is the water-drinking Mage with no heal, and its area slows, Counterspell and Polymorph help a group.
It is not S because its base burst is lower than Arcane and Fire and it still drinks after every fight, so burst scores 3 and sustain 2. 3.80 is 0.45 short of S.
While leveling
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| Frostbolt slow from 4 | Heaviest drinker at 30 |
| Fullest control set | Little for two before Blizzard's talent |
| Ice Block near 29 | Nothing before Nova at 10 |
| Strongest Mage from 20 to 30 | No stealth or speed |
Why it ranks where it does on Open-World PvP Leveling
Frost is the strongest Mage from 20 to 30 in the guides. Frostbolt's slow comes at 4, Ice Lance at 20, Shatter at 25 to 27 and Fingers of Frost at 30. Control is the fullest set: the Frostbolt slow, Nova at 10, Frostbite, 
Frost Blast at 24 and Cone of Cold at 26.
Nothing helps before Nova at 10, then Blink at 20, Ice Block near 29 as its first big defense, Cold Snap at 32 and Ice Barrier at 40. Against two, Nova and Blink at 20 work, but Blizzard's slow needs its talent mid-road. It opens with ranged slows from 4. It is the heaviest drinker at 30, and Polymorph and Counterspell are its objective tools.
It is not A because its damage is only moderate, it has little for two players before the talent comes mid-road, and it drinks after every fight, so burst and outnumbered score 3 and sustain 2. 3.45 is 0.30 short of A.
Leveling timeline
The level each of Frost’s PvP tools arrives. A talent shows at the earliest level a point can reach it; the Talented Legacy perk brings talents 5 levels sooner.
- Level 8 Polymorph
- Level 10 Frost Nova
- Level 18
Remove Lesser Curse - Level 20 Blink,
Mana Shield, 
Fire Ward - Level 22
Frost Ward - Level 24 Counterspell
- Level 25 Ice Block (talent)
- Level 26 Cone of Cold
- Level 30 Cold Snap (talent)
- Level 40 Ice Barrier (talent)
Races
The Mage’s races as Races PvP ranks them, best first.
Alliance
Human: 
Will to Survive is the only full stun break in the game, and 
Ruthless and 
Perception add steady crit and stealth detection.
Gnome: 
Escape Artist breaks roots and slows and its burst racial adds +10% damage, but Gnome lacks defense, mobility and class choice.
Skyborne (High Order): 
Wind Blessed gives steady haste, but High Order has no control break, no defensive and only a glide for mobility.
Horde
Undead: 
Will of the Forsaken breaks fear and charm and 
Touch of the Grave drains in combat, but it has the weakest burst and no mobility.
Orc: 
Blood Fury is the strongest burst cooldown of any race, and 
Hardiness and Shatter Curse give some breaks and defense, but no mobility.
Troll: 
Berserking is a burst for seven classes, but Troll has no control break or mobility and 
Rapid Regeneration works out of combat.
What we don’t know yet
At 60
Rated on assumptions:
- Everything at 60 is projected; nobody has played past the beta cap of 30.
- Ice Barrier at 40 and its higher ranks, and the top ranks of Frost Nova, are past the cap and are projected from client data.
- Diminishing returns on Polymorph, Nova and stuns are not stated for Forever.
- The PvP trinket's effect is not stated.
What would move it: Documented diminishing returns on Frost Nova and Polymorph, which would cut its chains, or a measured level-60 kill speed.
While leveling
Rated on assumptions:
- Cold Snap at 32 and Ice Barrier at 40 are past the beta cap of 30 and are projected.
- Ice Block near 29 follows the guide order.
Improved Blizzard timing mid-road is projected.
What would move it: Play past level 30 showing Cold Snap and Ice Barrier arriving as projected, or a measured two-on-one win.