How to use 2p-T20 frost ? GS Build

[CyRan]

Hello guy's, i wonder what's the right way for use the frozen orb with the T20 frost,because of the short time remaining on the buff, should i use at the pull ? or wait for stack some Icicles then use frozen orb for be sure to get the bonus damage crit on the glacial spike ?

[Dakodai]

I usually use it around the pull, as any Frostbolt crits during Frozen Mass's duration will also get the +crit damage, resulting a massive glacial spike. I will save any Flurry procs during a pull (except for the one Ebonbolt generates), as to shatter the Glacial spike inside the window.

If you find trouble getting 5 Frostbolts and a Glacial spike out during the 10 window, I guess you can delay it a few seconds.

Any subsequent Orbs should be used on CD, and you should save a Glacial Spike if it's CD is less then 10 seconds.

[kickassZA]

Hmm I don't think there is any feedback yet on the best way to use it. Personally I'll use orb @ like 3/4 stacks of icicles. That way I can pump out like three Icelances in my rotation.

I feel like getting 5 Frostbolt crits under frozen mass might be a bit too RNG based. I'd rather get three icelance crits that are guaranteed crits.

Anybody know the amount of haste you'd need to pull off double Glacial spikes in frozen orb? Like if you had TW+IV and you started on Glacial spike with a flurry and then went 5 frostbolts and Glacial spike + flurry. I tried that in TW+IV but this rotation for me I'd have to ignore procs. Even the flurry icelance.

Doesn't look like there is much haste bubbles in ToS so we won't be able to speed bubble from adds in Elisande for example. You'd be able to get a ton out of that one.

[reeka]

I think the current APL suggest to use FO on pull and shatter EB with it but no GS inside the first FO window. Later on during the fight you use it on CD and you cast at least 1 GS inside its window, if your GS is ready during FO and you have no flurry proc, then you can cast a couple frost bolts to fish for flurry proc during FO window, if you didnt get a proc then you cast GS regardless before FO window ends. And as was mentioned, if you have less than 10 secs on frozen orb and you have 5 stacks on iciciles, then you delay GS till your FO is off CD, but if you have flurry proc at that time, then you should use the flurry proc and dont let it set there for 10 secs while keeping GS till FO is off Cooldown.
As for TV build, you just cast it on CD, but you still shatter EB with the first FO window.
So your opener should be something like this regardless of your build:
Prepot>pre cast frost bolt around 2 secs before pull>frozen orb>EB>flurry>ice lance>continue normal rotation
I'm not sure if this is the ideal way to go though but this is my understanding from the current APL.

[kickassZA]

I read that the only reason the APL doesn't cast Ebonbolt at prepull is because it can't. Not sure though. I know people like Thingy, firemancer and the rest just go with the TV opener.

[reeka]

It might not be a big difference in 2pc as you are choosing between 20% extra EB crit damage + possible chain reaction proc in FB opener and not over capping FoF procs in EB opener.
But once you get the 4pc then the flurry proc grnerated by EB will immediately reduce the cooldown of frozen orb which is another advantage of frost bolt opener comparing to EB opener.
In any case, there isn't a big difference between the 2 openners i think in 2pc.

[magnuskn]

As Osomo already posted in the main Glacial Spike thread:

Can you "snapshot" the glacial spike and do GS > Orb, or do you need to do Orb > GS?

[Xinder]

As Osomo already posted in the main Glacial Spike thread:

Can you "snapshot" the glacial spike and do GS > Orb, or do you need to do Orb > GS?

If you snapshot GS before orb wouldn't that mean you are casting GS and even if orb goes out before GS hits you've already taken a snapshot of its dmg and bonuses so the orb buff wouldn't matter.

[magnuskn]

That's the question, yes.

[Drozzy]

frost mages, uniquely (unlike any other spec) have damage calculated when a spell lands rather than when a spellcast finishes. This was a change made during legion launch for frost mage specifically. This change means that your buffs and effects take effect on a spell when the spell lands. So if you cast GS -> orb and the GS crits, it will benefit from the 2pc bonus because you have the buff before GS lands.

[magnuskn]

Thanks, good information.

[AaronWilson]

Not sure if I'm what I'm doing is wrong, but here's what I do on opener

Pre pot/IV macro
I then cast 5 GB (99% of the time I get a BF proc while reaching 5 icicles)
I then FO > Shatter EB > Shatter GS

It's working out well enough so far.