Orb Build Guide – by Kolarin
Overview

The Orb build focuses on utilizing packed ice and ice lance to turn frozen orb into a large damage CD. It relies heavily on synergy between talents and gear, and should be simmed to see if it is worth using for you.
Even though Orb is the primary ability for the build, Ice lance will be your highest damage source during single target and two target encounters.
While GS builds for frost rely heavily on being far enough away from the target to shatter GS, Orb build runs into different positional issues. Mainly keeping targets within your orb. Thinking ahead to when/where the boss will be moved is vital to ensuring you get maximum effectiveness from your Orb usage.

Talents

1.	Base
a.	Standard talents
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ii.	Lonely winter gives a 25% increase in damage to Ice lance, which is the primary damage source of this build
iii.	Shimmer is used primarily for movement, though can be used to shimerlance (see advanced)
iv.	Rune of Power is used to increase damage during the orb window, which compliments the bursty nature of this build
v.	Chain reaction is another multiplier on your ice lance damage to further increase it’s usefulness
2.	Single Target
a.	Thermal Void build
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ii.	FR and TV are the staple of this variant. The goal is to utilize the extension of your IV, alongside the faster blizzard casts to bring your second orb within your Icy veins.
b.	Ray of Frost build
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ii.	RoF typically does better Single Target when paired with SI. RoF is used primarily for it’s FoF generation, not its own damage. It makes every other orb much more consistent for damage.
iii.	In any RoF version of Orb build I would recommend considering Ice floes over shimmer, it allows you to stay within your rune, while channeling ray which is often quite useful.
3.	Two Target
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ii.	SI + TV takes off in two target cleave. The two targets makes it much easier to get the second orb within your IV without needing instant casts of blizzard from FR. And SI allows ice lances to hit both targets.
4.	Multi Target
a.	FR funnel
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ii.	With the same talent setup as thermal single target, this build specializes in single target damage during large packs. Frozen Orb and Blizzard will be your main AoE, while you launch Ice Lances into priority targets. Similar to subtlety rogues this build gains single target damage from having more targets.

Gear
1.	Azerite
a.	Packed Ice
i.	This trait is the central reason this build works, drastically increasing IL damage during your orb.
ii.	This talent only increases damage during your orb, which is the reason behind most talent choices and rotational changes to this build.
b.	Flash Freeze
i.	A good one off trait, the FoF generation on icicles is useful for gaining more procs
ii.	Using two of this trait can also be useful if you don’t have access to more useful ones
c.	Whiteout
i.	A strong Single Target choice. Increasing damage dealt by your ice lances as well as causing ice lances to reduce orb CD.
ii.	The first Whiteout you gain is less valuable than the first Flash Freeze, but a second Whiteout is generally better than a second Flash Freeze
d.	Overwhelming Power
i.	The strongest third ring option for the build, the burst of haste helps gain more FoF procs, and also helps gain more blizzard ticks outside of orb window.
2.	Stats (All stat discussion is based off the standard profile, personal stats should be simmed)
a.	Overview
i.	The standard profile has Haste – 1056, Crit – 913, Vers – 1036, Mastery – 390, Int - 7318
b.	Haste
i.	Haste is quite huge for this build. Allowing more procs to be gained/spent during your orb window, as well as making your blizzards tick faster to get the your next orb
c.	Crit
i.	As with all frost mages, Crit is useful to aid in shatter, and until we reach crit cap that will not change.
d.	Vers
i.	As we gain more of other stats and gear for this build Vers becomes more and more useful, augmenting the damage gained from every other stat/trait/talent
e.	Mastery
i.	Mastery is incredibly low in priority for this build, but can be useful if the item is a higher item level.
f.	Rule of thumb
i.	Sim gear to find out what to equip
Rotation

1.	Precast Blizzard(if the target will be still) or frostbolt if it will move
2.	Inside Orb
a.	After an orb cast, if you have a rune of power charge you should use it immediately
b.	If you have an FoF proc or you just cast a flurry, cast Ice lance
c.	If you are running Freezing Rain, use instant cast blizzard once you run out of FoFs
d.	If you have a Brain Freeze proc, and have spent all your FoFs, cast Flurry
e.	If you are talented into ray of frost, cast ray when you have no procs
f.	Cancel your Ray cast as soon as you have 2 FoF procs
g.	Cast Blizzard(without FR) once you run out of FoFs and BF procs
h.	Cast Frostbolt
3.	Outside Orb
a.	Frozen Orb as soon as it’s ready
b.	Cast Ice lance if you have an FoF proc. (Saving one FoF if orb will be available in the next five seconds)
c.	Use Flurry if you have a BF proc and your previous cast was frostbolt
d.	Cast blizzard
e.	Cast frostbolt
4.	Cooldown usage
a.	Icy veins
i.	Should be used right after your precast, before you cast orb
ii.	During a pull when it comes off CD, use it when orb has less than five seconds left on CD
b.	Trinkets
i.	Different trinkets will have different usage
ii.	Ramping trinkets
1.	trinkets that gain damage over their duration should be used before orb, trying to time 14 seconds left on the duration as the orb hits the target
iii.	Falling trinkets
1.	Trinkets that decrease in effectiveness over their duration should be used right after a rune cast, to maximize the use out of the active within the orb window
Advanced
There are a few more advanced rotational changes that can be made if you feel as though you want to maximize damage, however in general these should not be used till you are 100% comfortable with the rest of the rotation. They are minimal reward for higher risk.
1.	Frostbolt Weaving
a.	If you have no BF procs, and two FoF procs, you should cast Ice Lance > Frostbolt > Ice Lance.
b.	So long as you have no BF procs this has no risk, and will extend the CR buff by the length of your frostbolt cast.
c.	If you make a mistake this can cost you an ice lance, and only has a chance at a gain
2.	Shimmerlancing
a.	Shimmerlancing can be done at certain haste levels. Usually during IV and lust, and is accomplished by casting flurry > IL > shimmering towards the target > IL, to land the second IL within the Winter’s chill debuff
b.	This should not be done within rune of power, but is an increase outside of rune.
c.	This opportunity is rare, and mistakes are costly
d.	Spending a movement ability for more damage is also risky on fights where you should be using shimmers for mechanics
Limitations
1.	Positioning
a.	Remaining within your rune is pivotal to the damage of this build.
b.	Mechanics that force movement during your rune are costly
2.	Boss positioning
a.	Keeping your target within the orb is mandatory for your burst to have effectiveness
b.	If the fight has heavy boss movement, or your orb bugs, you will lose a lot of potential damage
3.	Orb blocking
a.	If you want to deal damage to back line targets but your orb hits a target between you and your priority, you will lose out on damage, similar to boss positioning
4.	Lack of pet
a.	Pet utility is lost by running LW, which can be useful, especially in some m+