Glacial Spike - Updated

[burningflame75]

@rexdan, this is very important. This combo (frost nova/freeze -> GS) makes up a significant portion of my dps over the course of a dungeon, given that so many mobs can be frozen. It also allows you to be way more aggressive with (i.e. munch fewer of) your BF procs, because you often dont need to save one to ensure you will shatter your GS.

@razloop, I would suggest maybe adding something about this to the guide? It's not immediately obvious to new players. Also, the only thing you've said about water elemental in the guide is that it "doesnt do too much", which is true on most boss fights, but in M+ would seem to make a huge difference in output. not sure how a LW/TV build is keeping up with this...

Also, re: my previous question... Would the answer be the same for frostbolt? That is, you sitting at 5 icicles waiting for BF to proc, and it does but you're already casting frostbolt again (honestly I think this is the situation pretty much every time you get BF after reaching 5 icicles). Would you finish the frostbolt cast, or cancel it to start GS?

[Sosaria]

Cancel and start using GS if you can do it within 300ms reaction time. That's just below half a second. If your reaction time isn't fast enough it works out to be a dps loss.

[Vaxah]

Small tip as well for trash mobs, if you stand close (or cast using Ice Floes) and cast Glacial Spike without a BF you can immediatly Frost Nova after the cast (need to be quick) and the GP will be affected by Shatter.
edit: also works for pet frost nova ofc

I honestly prefer to save pet Freeze to use it paired with Comet Storm on aoe situation, lacking of haste atm and it's hard to combo Comet Storm and Frost Nova. On aoe also i prefer to use Frost Nova + Glacial spike due to the Frost nova damage (which is pretty crap, but i belive it's worth a GDC on aoe anyway). For ST i usually still use pet's Freeze + Comet Storm but i have no idea if it's well spent.

How do you guys usually use your Frost Nova/Freeze?

[jeiden]

Is it possible to have a clear answer about keeping BF stack because for a math guy saying you dump bf stack when (0 => 3 icicles ) and keep it (3 => 5 icicles) it's pretty akward . I tough we agreed on under 4 dump , them over keep them to shatter GS.

[DeathDefier]

Is it possible to have a clear answer about keeping BF stack because for a math guy saying you dump bf stack when (0 => 3 icicles ) and keep it (3 => 5 icicles) it's pretty akward . I tough we agreed on under 4 dump , them over keep them to shatter GS.

If you're casting a frostbolt and have 3+ icicles, you hold your BF. Or you can look at it as: if your flurry would bring you to 5 icicles, you hold it.

[burningflame75]

I think this conflicts with what OP (Razlopp) said. He said to hold flurry if casting frostbolt while at 2+ stacks. This also aligns with the language that is the clearest to me, which I think I read on this thread or somewhere else on altered time:

"If the frostbolt you are currently casting will bring you to 3 icicles, hold flurry"

But I also like the language DeathDefier used, which (when aligned with Razlopp's recommendation) would be:

"If consuming the brain freeze proc would bring you to 4+ icicles, hold it"

I think part of the reason this question gets asked so much is it's kind of awkward language/hard to be precise. I'd say this is one thing that could use slightly more clarity in the OP. Currently it only says two things:

-"Or after flurry is used and have low icicle count (1-3)."
-"After reaching 3 or 4 icicles, you can hold your Brainfreeze proc for Glacial Spike"

both of which are ambiguous.

[jeiden]

From what I understood :
I have 2 icicles bf proc I cast fb and dump bf proc ( That mean 4 icicles at the end )
I have 3 icicles and bf proc I cast fb and I keep bf proc to shatter gs.

On bosses in mythic I sometimes dump bf at 3 icicles stack if I have EB up otherwise i finish some bosses without using EB at all and that's sad or there is a better way to use EB on short fight?