Ice Barrage

Ice Barrage is the second strongest spell in the game, after Miasmic Barrage. It requires a Magic level of 94 and can do a maximum damage of 300 life points with no bonuses or 608 life points per hit (if wielding a Chaotic staff and using an extreme magic potion or overload potion while also wearing a hexcrest or full slayer helmet and a ferocious ring while casting the spell on an assigned slayer monster within Kuradal's Dungeon.) Against other players in the Wilderness, Ice Barrage can do 490 damage at most. Alternatively, it can hit 468 if used in Castle Wars with a castlewars bracelet on. However, the maximum hit can be further increased using an arcane stream necklace, acquired using tokens from the Dungeoneering skill that increases the damage by a further 15%. The maximum hit in castle wars can be increased to 735 per hit (if wielding a chaotic staff, full profound decorative equipment, castlewars bracelet, arcane stream necklace and using an extreme magic potion or overload potion.) A successful Ice Barrage will freeze enemies for 20 seconds, however if someone is already frozen, the effect of freezing will not stack. If you freeze someone, then Ice Barrage again, it will appear as a small sphere with light blue stars falling from it. In the past, the animation of Ice Barrage would continuously be shown as a big block of ice on the opponent. After someone has broken out of the freezing effect of Ice Barrage, they will be immune from being frozen for up to 4 seconds. As with all Ancient Magicks spells, the quest Desert Treasure must be completed to cast this spell. Ice Barrage is a multiple target spell (like Ice Burst, and can hit anyone in a 3x3 grid around the person you attacked. This spell is widely used in team games and 1v1 activities such as Castle Wars, Soul Wars, Fist of Guthix and Stealing Creation. Many people merely use the spell once to freeze someone, slowing them down or stopping them from reaching their target (the flag or avatar etc.)

Many people who have the ability to cast Ice Barrage may still resort to casting Ice Burst due to the very high cost of Ice Barraging. However, in Stealing Creation, runes are created very quickly and for free, so higher end spells are used whenever possible. Ice Barrage is thus very common in the minigame. However, the freeze duration is much shorter, to around 5 seconds.

Ice Barrage is commonly used in Player Killing, as it is the second highest-hitting magical spell, along with Charge and the God Spells, and immobilises the target. The only spell which can hit higher than Ice Barrage is Miasmic Barrage which requires zuriel's staff to cast, but ice barrage can hit higher because zuriel's staff only gives 10% magic damage while ice barrage can be used with a chaotic staff. (Fire Surge can also hit higher than Ice barrage but only when used on Glacors or Ice Strykewyrms during their slayer task.) NPCs such as the Zamorakian Solus Dellagar can also utilise this Zarosian spell, hitting up to 700 points of damage but severely draining himself after casting the spell.

Remember, you cannot use Lunar Spells or Standard spells if you are using Ancient Magicks.

Cost
In terms of rune cost, Ice barrage is the fifth most expensive spell. If non-combat spells and the degrading of the Zuriel's staff while casting Miasmic Blitz is taken into account, it would be the seventh most expensive after Miasmic Barrage, Blood Barrage, Shadow Barrage, Heal Group, Smoke Barrage and Miasmic Blitz. It's the cheapest Barrage spell.