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A question for Frost Mages/Wardens

Jyrus_JD
Jyrus_JD
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With the buff to Frost reach, what would you like to see? Would you change any current Winter Embrace Skills/Morphs or change any other abilities?
  • phaneub17_ESO
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    Frost Bear instead of Physical damage. The Physical Bear is already a damage loss because of Piercing Cold, might as well make one Bear morph do Magic damage and the other Bear do Frost damage. Screaming Cliff Racer or Fetcher Infection could use be changed to Frost damage as well.
  • EF321
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    What sets are frost wardens using?
  • oterWitz
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    EF321 wrote: »
    What sets are frost wardens using?

    Frostbite, and then also the usual suspects really (MS, Siro, Medusa, Bashesei's) , including DV which is still good on wardens. Also a trend toward Masters + MA staves with Harpooners and a three piece with minor slayer.

    And I'll say frost shalks and then wait for @ESO_Nightingale to appear :p
    PC NA
  • ESO_Nightingale
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    oterWitz wrote: »
    EF321 wrote: »
    What sets are frost wardens using?

    Frostbite, and then also the usual suspects really (MS, Siro, Medusa, Bashesei's) , including DV which is still good on wardens. Also a trend toward Masters + MA staves with Harpooners and a three piece with minor slayer.

    And I'll say frost shalks and then wait for @ESO_Nightingale to appear :p

    the ping did it lol.

    Atm @EF321 the best set we've found for a solid settup with no annoying proc condition is:

    unknown.png

    this is for trials. you'll probably get more dps with settups like bahsei or siroria, but this one doesn't have any proc conditions that limit you in terms of movement or specific magicka amounts which will likely lead to higher dps if you're newer to that type of content.

    for @Jyrus_JD 's question

    Frost Shalks(or Frost Damage Deep Fissure), is simply the most important thing and easy thing for us to gain.

    The reasons for why it's good:
    • allows for more chilled proc in main rotation, and in aoe even without glacial presence's boost.
    • allows us to gain a damage bonus with it when using the frostbite, ysgramor or elemental sucession sets which helps frostdps a lot while not really effecting normal magicka warden at all.
    • gives more frosty effects for power fantasy.
    • is comparatively an easy change compared to reworking other skills like arctic blast. so it only requires a type change, special effects update and new sounds.

    Reason for why it's not as good:
    • No longer benefits from war maiden

    no-one really uses war maiden much anyway and other classes like templar and nightblade can use it as well, meaning it's not useless, and definitely not a noticible loss either. We need frost shalks.

    another change that would be very useful would be a complete rework to the frost varient effects of unstable wall of frost, completely dropping every effect it currently has for the same bonus that unstable wall of fire has, or another powerful damage focused effect. Currently, dps are not incentivised to run double frost because unstable wall of fire is simply much better. you can have incredible uptime on brittle even with said fire staff backbar. blockade should stay the same as is, but unstable wall of frost is the DPS morph, and thus should focus on dps.
    Edited by ESO_Nightingale on 19 September 2021 12:23
    PvE Frost Warden Main and teacher. Come Join the ESO Frost Discord to discuss everything frost!: https://discord.gg/5PT3rQX
    Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Frostingale
    Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/eso_nightingale
  • EF321
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    Okay, thank you.

    I took a look at sets that do something with frost and there is barely any alternatives to this one build. One frost option I noted for backbar is Icy Conjuror which one can reliably trigger with fethcers, but that's about all one can do for full frost build :\ Master's front seems to be too good now to not have front, but giving up maelstrom and minor slayer is harsh for full frost theme...

  • ESO_Nightingale
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    EF321 wrote: »
    Okay, thank you.

    I took a look at sets that do something with frost and there is barely any alternatives to this one build. One frost option I noted for backbar is Icy Conjuror which one can reliably trigger with fethcers, but that's about all one can do for full frost build :\ Master's front seems to be too good now to not have front, but giving up maelstrom and minor slayer is harsh for full frost theme...

    yeah, i think it's good enough that we have frostbite for the theme, but not sure if icy conjuror will be good for next patch when it can crit.
    PvE Frost Warden Main and teacher. Come Join the ESO Frost Discord to discuss everything frost!: https://discord.gg/5PT3rQX
    Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Frostingale
    Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/eso_nightingale
  • Vaoh
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    The go to trial setup for me has been:
    5x Bahsei body
    4x Diamonds victory
    1x Harpooner’s Kilt
    1x Master’s Ice staff
    1x Maelstrom Ice or Flame staff

    Using 5x Frostbite is a great alternative to 1x Kilt and 4x DV.

    Swapped Deep Fissure to Subterranean Assault too. It saves a lot of Magicka and deals more damage.
    ———

    Also since builds are becoming more hybrid, I wish the Feral Guardian morphs were more along the lines of:
    Feral Guardian
    Rouse a grizzly to fight by your side. The grizzly swipes at an enemy, dealing 717 Magic Damage, and sometimes swipes all enemies in front of it, dealing 2875 Magic Damage and stunning them for 2 seconds. Once summoned you can activate Guardian's Wrath for 75 Ultimate, causing the grizzly to maul an enemy for 3253 Magic Damage. Deals 50% more damage to enemies below 25% Health. The grizzly respawns when killed, once per minute.

    Wild Guardian
    Rouse a grizzly to fight by your side. The grizzly swipes at an enemy, dealing 778 Magic Damage, and sometimes swipes all enemies in front of it, dealing 3120 Magic Damage and stunning them for 2 seconds. Once summoned you can activate Guardian's Savagery for 75 Ultimate, causing the grizzly to maul an enemy for 3528 Magic Damage. Deals 200% more damage to enemies below 25% Health. The grizzly respawns when killed, once per minute.

    Frozen Watcher
    Rouse an ice wraith to fight by your side. The wraith launches an ice spear at an enemy, dealing 778 Frost Damage, and sometimes impales all enemies in front of it, dealing 3120 Frost Damage and stunning them for 2 seconds. Once summoned you can activate Winter’s Wrath for 75 Ultimate, causing the ice wraith to deal 3253 Frost Damage over 10 seconds to an enemy, and causing them to receive 10% more damage taken from all Frost Damage attacks for the duration. The ice wraith respawns when killed, once per minute.

    More Warden frost stuff would be nice.
    Edited by Vaoh on 19 September 2021 12:40
  • ESO_Nightingale
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    Vaoh wrote: »
    The go to trial setup for me has been:
    5x Bahsei body
    4x Diamonds victory
    1x Harpooner’s Kilt
    1x Master’s Ice staff
    1x Maelstrom Ice or Flame staff

    Using 5x Frostbite is a great alternative to 1x Kilt and 4x DV.

    Swapped Deep Fissure to Subterranean Assault too. It saves a lot of Magicka and deals more damage.
    ———

    Also since builds are becoming more hybrid, I wish the Feral Guardian morphs were more along the lines of:
    Feral Guardian
    Rouse a grizzly to fight by your side. The grizzly swipes at an enemy, dealing 717 Magic Damage, and sometimes swipes all enemies in front of it, dealing 2875 Magic Damage and stunning them for 2 seconds. Once summoned you can activate Guardian's Wrath for 75 Ultimate, causing the grizzly to maul an enemy for 3253 Magic Damage. Deals 50% more damage to enemies below 25% Health. The grizzly respawns when killed, once per minute.

    Wild Guardian
    Rouse a grizzly to fight by your side. The grizzly swipes at an enemy, dealing 778 Magic Damage, and sometimes swipes all enemies in front of it, dealing 3120 Magic Damage and stunning them for 2 seconds. Once summoned you can activate Guardian's Savagery for 75 Ultimate, causing the grizzly to maul an enemy for 3528 Magic Damage. Deals 200% more damage to enemies below 25% Health. The grizzly respawns when killed, once per minute.

    Frozen Watcher
    Rouse an ice wraith to fight by your side. The wraith launches an ice spear at an enemy, dealing 778 Frost Damage, and sometimes impales all enemies in front of it, dealing 3120 Frost Damage and stunning them for 2 seconds. Once summoned you can activate Winter’s Wrath for 75 Ultimate, causing the ice wraith to deal 3253 Frost Damage over 10 seconds to an enemy, and causing them to receive 10% more damage taken from all Frost Damage attacks for the duration. The ice wraith respawns when killed, once per minute.

    More Warden frost stuff would be nice.

    that'd be really fun to use. but frozen watcher is the name of a set, so a name like Rime Wraith would be better imo.
    Edited by ESO_Nightingale on 19 September 2021 12:50
    PvE Frost Warden Main and teacher. Come Join the ESO Frost Discord to discuss everything frost!: https://discord.gg/5PT3rQX
    Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Frostingale
    Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/eso_nightingale
  • ESO_Nightingale
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    Frost Bear instead of Physical damage. The Physical Bear is already a damage loss because of Piercing Cold, might as well make one Bear morph do Magic damage and the other Bear do Frost damage. Screaming Cliff Racer or Fetcher Infection could use be changed to Frost damage as well.

    honestly, while it would be great if they swapped all of the magic bonuses to frost, the only one in the line that NEEDS to be swapped is deep fissure. bear would be nice as well, but i think we rely way too much on bear as is anyway, wouldn't complain if it got the full benefit out of frostbite though.
    Edited by ESO_Nightingale on 19 September 2021 15:16
    PvE Frost Warden Main and teacher. Come Join the ESO Frost Discord to discuss everything frost!: https://discord.gg/5PT3rQX
    Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Frostingale
    Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/eso_nightingale
  • Stx
    Stx
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    It doesn't really make sense for Insects to deal frost damage. Shalks live in the lava heavy areas of morrowind don't they?

    The bear ultimate doesn't even fit the theme of a frost mage, but I guess you could make a white bear dealing frost damage and it would at least make sense as like a polar bear.

    The issue that has always plagued warden is the split in themes, it's the frost magic class, but its also the nature magic class. Frost players want every spell to deal frost damage even though it wouldn't make any sense.
  • Vaoh
    Vaoh
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    Stx wrote: »
    It doesn't really make sense for Insects to deal frost damage. Shalks live in the lava heavy areas of morrowind don't they?

    The bear ultimate doesn't even fit the theme of a frost mage, but I guess you could make a white bear dealing frost damage and it would at least make sense as like a polar bear.

    The issue that has always plagued warden is the split in themes, it's the frost magic class, but its also the nature magic class. Frost players want every spell to deal frost damage even though it wouldn't make any sense.

    Imo Warden should have been a green/animals/nature magic class, and a new class should’ve filled the ice/water magic role.
  • Jyrus_JD
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    Vaoh wrote: »
    Stx wrote: »
    It doesn't really make sense for Insects to deal frost damage. Shalks live in the lava heavy areas of morrowind don't they?

    The bear ultimate doesn't even fit the theme of a frost mage, but I guess you could make a white bear dealing frost damage and it would at least make sense as like a polar bear.

    The issue that has always plagued warden is the split in themes, it's the frost magic class, but its also the nature magic class. Frost players want every spell to deal frost damage even though it wouldn't make any sense.

    Imo Warden should have been a green/animals/nature magic class, and a new class should’ve filled the ice/water magic role.

    Honestly I know they would never do this but they should replace the winter’s embrace line to a nature’s embrace and just replace the ice abilities to plant based like Leaf Cloak, Impaling Thorns, Leafy wind, Bark Shield and Something else that pulls. I love Cryomancers and having a whole class dedicated to Ice/Water magic. Move the Winter’s embrace here and have it be the Tank line, the water can be the heal line and a line that’s dedicated to Frost magic. So everyone can have their Frost mages and Frost knights etc
  • ESO_Nightingale
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    Stx wrote: »
    It doesn't really make sense for Insects to deal frost damage. Shalks live in the lava heavy areas of morrowind don't they?

    The bear ultimate doesn't even fit the theme of a frost mage, but I guess you could make a white bear dealing frost damage and it would at least make sense as like a polar bear.

    The issue that has always plagued warden is the split in themes, it's the frost magic class, but its also the nature magic class. Frost players want every spell to deal frost damage even though it wouldn't make any sense.

    This argument is used so often but it's so easy to counter.

    Why does everything in the line deal magic damage? And not fire, physical and other types for the mag morphs? Because it's warden magic. The animals are not real. What is warden's native element? Frost. So why can't they imbue their "storytelling" with frost? Think about it. It makes sense that it can deal frost damage especially given BS other classes can get away with in terms of damage types. And from a gameplay angle it ABSOUTELY should.

    Zos is weird with their elements

    Why does glacial collosus deal frost damage?

    Why does sorc's non shock atro pets deal shock damage?
    Edited by ESO_Nightingale on 19 September 2021 23:44
    PvE Frost Warden Main and teacher. Come Join the ESO Frost Discord to discuss everything frost!: https://discord.gg/5PT3rQX
    Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Frostingale
    Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/eso_nightingale
  • Stx
    Stx
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    Stx wrote: »
    It doesn't really make sense for Insects to deal frost damage. Shalks live in the lava heavy areas of morrowind don't they?

    The bear ultimate doesn't even fit the theme of a frost mage, but I guess you could make a white bear dealing frost damage and it would at least make sense as like a polar bear.

    The issue that has always plagued warden is the split in themes, it's the frost magic class, but its also the nature magic class. Frost players want every spell to deal frost damage even though it wouldn't make any sense.

    This argument is used so often but it's so easy to counter.

    Why does everything in the line deal magic damage? And not fire, physical and other types for the mag morphs? Because it's warden magic. The animals are not real. What is warden's native element? Frost. So why can't they imbue their "storytelling" with frost? Think about it. It makes sense that it can deal frost damage especially given BS other classes can get away with in terms of damage types. And from a gameplay angle it ABSOUTELY should.

    Zos is weird with their elements

    Why does glacial collosus deal frost damage?

    Why does sorc's non shock atro pets deal shock damage?

    Eh, not much of a counter. You lost me when you stated a wardens native element is frost. That's what I meant before when I said some players want warden to be mainly frost, and others nature magic. It makes perfect sense for summoned magical animals to deal magic damage... frost damage... no. Unless again it was a themed spell.. like summon polar bear.

    I agree some spell elements might not make sense. But 'frost shalks' most certainly wouldn't.
  • oterWitz
    oterWitz
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    Stx wrote: »
    Stx wrote: »
    It doesn't really make sense for Insects to deal frost damage. Shalks live in the lava heavy areas of morrowind don't they?

    The bear ultimate doesn't even fit the theme of a frost mage, but I guess you could make a white bear dealing frost damage and it would at least make sense as like a polar bear.

    The issue that has always plagued warden is the split in themes, it's the frost magic class, but its also the nature magic class. Frost players want every spell to deal frost damage even though it wouldn't make any sense.

    This argument is used so often but it's so easy to counter.

    Why does everything in the line deal magic damage? And not fire, physical and other types for the mag morphs? Because it's warden magic. The animals are not real. What is warden's native element? Frost. So why can't they imbue their "storytelling" with frost? Think about it. It makes sense that it can deal frost damage especially given BS other classes can get away with in terms of damage types. And from a gameplay angle it ABSOUTELY should.

    Zos is weird with their elements

    Why does glacial collosus deal frost damage?

    Why does sorc's non shock atro pets deal shock damage?

    Eh, not much of a counter. You lost me when you stated a wardens native element is frost. That's what I meant before when I said some players want warden to be mainly frost, and others nature magic. It makes perfect sense for summoned magical animals to deal magic damage... frost damage... no. Unless again it was a themed spell.. like summon polar bear.

    I agree some spell elements might not make sense. But 'frost shalks' most certainly wouldn't.

    People in other threads have suggested changing the proposed frost morph to something more thematic, like frostbite spiders or an ice wraith. I think that would be more effort to implement than just a color change, but would solve the immersion/rp/whatever-you-want-to-call-it problem.

    I do tend to agree that making everything frost instead of magic is overdoing it, but right now frost warden and frost mages generally have the issue of ice historically being a defensive or support elemental type. If the winter's embrace is going to stay mostly defensive, then we need to look in the other lines for things that can give frost damage if this play style is going to be as viable and desirable in endgame content.
    PC NA
  • ESO_Nightingale
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    Stx wrote: »
    Stx wrote: »
    It doesn't really make sense for Insects to deal frost damage. Shalks live in the lava heavy areas of morrowind don't they?

    The bear ultimate doesn't even fit the theme of a frost mage, but I guess you could make a white bear dealing frost damage and it would at least make sense as like a polar bear.

    The issue that has always plagued warden is the split in themes, it's the frost magic class, but its also the nature magic class. Frost players want every spell to deal frost damage even though it wouldn't make any sense.

    This argument is used so often but it's so easy to counter.

    Why does everything in the line deal magic damage? And not fire, physical and other types for the mag morphs? Because it's warden magic. The animals are not real. What is warden's native element? Frost. So why can't they imbue their "storytelling" with frost? Think about it. It makes sense that it can deal frost damage especially given BS other classes can get away with in terms of damage types. And from a gameplay angle it ABSOUTELY should.

    Zos is weird with their elements

    Why does glacial collosus deal frost damage?

    Why does sorc's non shock atro pets deal shock damage?

    Eh, not much of a counter. You lost me when you stated a wardens native element is frost. That's what I meant before when I said some players want warden to be mainly frost, and others nature magic. It makes perfect sense for summoned magical animals to deal magic damage... frost damage... no. Unless again it was a themed spell.. like summon polar bear.

    I agree some spell elements might not make sense. But 'frost shalks' most certainly wouldn't.

    Then that's ignoring the flavour text and an entire skill line that wardens have as well as zos's history of weird damage types on skills. It's certainly possible and very helpful for gameplay purposes.

    Warden's native element is frost. How can you not see that?

    I don't care if they swap the animation to like ice wraiths or something, I'd encourage that. But even if they don't it still makes sense.

    If something like frozen collosus exists or magic damage shalks instead of fire it's safe to say zos uses lore as guidelines for rough themes. Not a strict ruleset.
    Edited by ESO_Nightingale on 20 September 2021 11:36
    PvE Frost Warden Main and teacher. Come Join the ESO Frost Discord to discuss everything frost!: https://discord.gg/5PT3rQX
    Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Frostingale
    Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/eso_nightingale
  • Stx
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    I think the main issue is the lack of group buff frost damage. You don't see shock builds either, because fire is boosted by 15% from engulfing flames and monster set. Fire is the only element viable right now and that's a big part of it.

    Wardens frost magic was always designed as the tank or utility tree, then they doubled down with that in the frost destro staff. I get that a lot of people want to make a proper ice mage but this game doesn't have traditional roles. There's not even a traditional fire mage in the game... just a dragon knight. You have the wardens ice skill tree and the destro staff tree to improve for frost dps before you go changing other skill trees like animal companions in ways that make no sense.
  • Jyrus_JD
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    Stx wrote: »
    I think the main issue is the lack of group buff frost damage. You don't see shock builds either, because fire is boosted by 15% from engulfing flames and monster set. Fire is the only element viable right now and that's a big part of it.

    Wardens frost magic was always designed as the tank or utility tree, then they doubled down with that in the frost destro staff. I get that a lot of people want to make a proper ice mage but this game doesn't have traditional roles. There's not even a traditional fire mage in the game... just a dragon knight. You have the wardens ice skill tree and the destro staff tree to improve for frost dps before you go changing other skill trees like animal companions in ways that make no sense.

    Personally I say leave Animal Companions alone and change 2 morphs in the Winter’s Embrace that most people don’t use: Arctic Blast and Frozen Retreat (tanks can keep the sister morphs Frozen Device and Polar Wind) and maybe changing one of the Entropy’s morphs into being Elemental and I think we’d be fine. Also Lightning mages are in a poor spot right now. They have a weak spammable, a executioner and 2 AoE dots
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