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Frost Nova
Mage's signature frost burst — freezes every nearby enemy for 4 seconds and deals shatter-vulnerable damage.
Frost Nova
Frost Nova is the Mage’s signature AoE control ability — an instant burst of frost that freezes every enemy in a 10-meter radius for 4 seconds. Frozen enemies take 30% more damage from the next frost spell, which is the foundation of the Wizard rotation.
How it works
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | Active |
| Target | AoE (10 m radius) |
| Cooldown | 15s |
| Element | Frost |
| Resource cost | 40 Mana |
| Cast time | Instant |
| Duration | 4s freeze |
Frost Nova freezes all enemies in a 10m radius for 4 seconds. Frozen enemies have Shatter debuff applied — the next frost spell deals 30% bonus damage and breaks the freeze. Cooldown is 15s with no refunds.
Rotation
The standard Mage burst rotation is Frost Nova → Blizzard → Fireball:
- Frost Nova to lock enemies in place.
- Blizzard (delayed AoE) — drops 3 seconds after the freeze, deals double damage thanks to Shatter.
- Fireball for the burst finisher — fire damage ignores Shatter but adds elemental coverage.
- Move out before enemies thaw.
The full combo is on the Wizard wiki page.
When to invest
Frost Nova scales only with base spell power, not Intelligence. Talent rank 5 adds a +2s duration (6s total freeze), which is what makes the late-game Wizard so oppressive in PvP.
PvP usage
In PvP, Frost Nova is the cornerstone of the Mage / Wizard burst combo. Always pair it with Ice Block (your 8s immunity) so you can’t be interrupted during the burst.
FAQ
Q: Does Frost Nova work on bosses? A: No — bosses and elites are immune to freeze. Frost Nova still deals damage but does not apply the Shatter debuff to bosses.
Q: Can you be interrupted while casting Frost Nova? A: No — Frost Nova is instant. The risk is the 4s window after cast where you can’t move.
Q: Is Frost Nova worth using on a single target? A: No — its base damage is poor. Use Frostbolt for single-target and save Frost Nova for 3+ enemies.