Frost Death Knight DPS Guide — Dragonflight 10.2.5

Last updated on Jan 23, 2024 at 15:00 by Bicepspump 42 comments
General Information

Welcome to our Frost Death Knight guide for World of Warcraft — Dragonflight 10.2.5. Here, you will learn how to play as a Frost Death Knight in both raids and Mythic+ dungeons: from the very beginning to maximizing your DPS.

1.

Frost Death Knight Overview

Frost Death Knight is a melee DPS spec that has high burst and cleave capabilities. It can wield both two-handed weapons, as well as one-handed weapons. It also has a good raid cooldown in the form of Anti-Magic Zone Icon Anti-Magic Zone.

2.

Strengths and Weaknesses

V Strengths
  • +High cleave and constant damage profile with Breath of Sindragosa Icon Breath of Sindragosa.
  • +Great add control with Death Grip Icon Death Grip.
  • +Knockback prevention with Death's Advance Icon Death's Advance.
  • +Immunity to many magical debuffs via Anti-Magic Shell Icon Anti-Magic Shell.
  • +Anti-Magic Zone Icon Anti-Magic Zone as a Magic damage raid cooldown.
  • +Incredibly tanky overall.
X Weaknesses
  • -Limited mobility.
  • -Susceptile to forced downtime due to high uptime requirement for Breath of Sindragosa Icon Breath of Sindragosa.
  • -Limited spread add cleave.
  • -Suffers greatly from forced downtime.
  • -Doesn't bring a very powerful raid buff.
  • -Limited Mythic+ utility.
3.

Frost Death Knight and Guide Changes for Patch 10.2.5

The Frost Death Knight received no changes for Patch 10.2.5. Only minor updates were made to the guide to improve clarity.

3.1.

Mage Tower Challenge

From Patch 9.1.5 onward, both Legion Timewalking and the Mage Tower have returned. As such we have created a separate guide detailing what you can expect from the Mage Tower challenge available to Frost Death Knights.

4.

Significant Frost Death Knight Changes in Dragonflight

The primary change that Frost saw in Dragonflight was the addition of many new talents. Both talents that were previously exclusive to Unholy and Blood Death Knights like Will of the Necropolis Icon Will of the Necropolis and Soul Reaper Icon Soul Reaper, as well as completely new talents like Chill Streak Icon Chill Streak, Frostwhelp's Aid Icon Frostwhelp's Aid and Cold-Blooded Rage Icon Cold-Blooded Rage.

When it comes to gameplay, one significant change was the ability to pick up Icecap Icon Icecap and Obliteration Icon Obliteration. These two talents synergize very well, resulting in more burst windows overall. We generally also have more resources available to us as we can now pick multiple resource-generating talents that were previously mutually exclusive: Runic Attenuation Icon Runic Attenuation, Murderous Efficiency Icon Murderous Efficiency and Horn of Winter Icon Horn of Winter, leading to Breath of Sindragosa Icon Breath of Sindragosa uptimes that are close to 100%.

5.

Leveling a Frost Death Knight

If you want to level a Frost Death Knight, you can check out our leveling guide for tips and tricks for your journey.

Once you reach max level, a great way to customize your game to fit the way you want to play, but also to help you play better, is with AddOns. We recommend using some of the basic AddOns that are recommended on our Addons page below while you are leveling, to not only get used to AddOns but also help speed up your leveling.

6.

Basics of Frost Death Knight Gameplay

Frost Death Knight is a spec that is all about managing your resources and making the most out of your cooldown windows. To maximize your damage as a Frost Death Knight, you need to be able to position yourself well, especially while using talents like Breath of Sindragosa Icon Breath of Sindragosa and Glacial Advance Icon Glacial Advance.

If you are new to Frost Death Knight and would like to learn the basics of the class, we recommend looking at the Spell Summary, as well as the Easy Mode page we have linked below.

We also have a guide for the Frost Death Knight talents and rotations below.

7.

How to Gear Up as a Frost Death Knight

Gear, enchants, consumables, and gems also play a big part in increasing your character's DPS. Linked below is a page to show you which enchants, consumables, and gems to use, as well as a stats page where you can find more information on each stat and how they interact with your character.

8.

Frost Death Knight Viablity in Dragonflight

Frost Death Knight is 100% viable in Dragonflight. We have great cleave and do solid single-target damage. We are also incredibly tanky, something that is great as you progress through hard content. Dying is the number one factor for not killing a boss.

9.

Frost Death Knight Tier Set in Dragonflight

  • 2-piece set bonus: Death Knight Frost 10.2 Class Set 2pc Icon Death Knight Frost 10.2 Class Set 2pc
  • 4-piece set bonus: Death Knight Frost 10.2 Class Set 4pc Icon Death Knight Frost 10.2 Class Set 4pc

The Frost Death Knight Tier Set in Patch 10.2 revolves around our Chill Streak Icon Chill Streak talent! The 2-piece allows the snowball we send out to bounce on ourselves, making the spell significantly stronger on Single Target. It would previously only hit your target and then not do anything else! Furthermore, the 2-set increases your damage by 4% each time Chill Streak Icon Chill Streak bounces off an enemy (10 seconds buff, stacking 5 times) and increases the bounce range by 4 yards (6 -> 10 yards). Good synergy with our kit and prevents those annoying moments where Chill Streak Icon Chill Streak just stops bouncing due to lack of range!

The 4-set makes Chill Streak Icon Chill Streak bounce two additional times, and every time it bounces, it has a 40% chance to do one of the following: gain a Rune, reduce Chill Streak Icon Chill Streak cooldown by 5 seconds or reduce the cooldown of Empower Rune Weapon Icon Empower Rune Weapon by 10 seconds. This is quite a nice boost in our overall resource generation, buffing Breath of Sindragosa Icon Breath of Sindragosa uptimes. It also makes the cooldown of Chill Streak Icon Chill Streak shorter, meaning we will not be saving it for every Pillar of Frost Icon Pillar of Frost window anymore.

10.

End-Game as a Frost Death Knight

The End Game of a Frost Death Knight is much more smooth and satisfying than when you are starting off, so it is something to look forward to. Linked below are our Mythic+ and PvP guides to help you perform well, no matter what content you choose to participate in.

11.

Improving as a Frost Death Knight

If, after reading all these guides, you still find your performance lackluster, then check out the pages linked below for some tips and tricks that may answer any questions you have.

12.

Changelog

  • 23 Jan. 2024 (rotation page): Added more detailed Fyralath priority.
  • 15 Jan. 2024 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.5.
  • 15 Jan. 2024 (how to improve page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.5.
  • 15 Jan. 2024 (simulations page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.5.
  • 15 Jan. 2024 (gear page): Updated for Patch 10.2.5.
  • 15 Jan. 2024 (addons page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.5.
  • 15 Jan. 2024 (enchants page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.5.
  • 15 Jan. 2024 (stats page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.5.
  • 15 Jan. 2024 (Amirdrassil page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.5.
  • 15 Jan. 2024 (mythic+ page): Added note on Scythe usage.
  • 15 Jan. 2024 (rotation page): Updated frostscythe priority.
  • 15 Jan. 2024 (talents page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.5.
  • 15 Jan. 2024 (spells page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.5.
  • 15 Jan. 2024 (easy mode page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.5.
  • 15 Jan. 2024 (this page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.5.
  • 18 Dec. 2023 (Amirdrassil page): Added Nymue stack reset tip and fixed an issue with a tip location.
  • 15 Dec. 2023 (mythic+ page): Clarified DnD location in pillar for AoE.
  • 15 Dec. 2023 (mythic+ page): Updated Obliteration KM priority.
  • 15 Dec. 2023 (rotation page): Clarified DnD usage in AoE.
  • 15 Dec. 2023 (rotation page): Updated Obliteration priority to not be greedy with double KM.
  • 14 Dec. 2023 (Amirdrassil page): Updated Mythic tips and builds for Tindral and Smolderon.
  • 01 Dec. 2023 (addons page): Clarified loss when not using Oblit Macros.
  • 01 Dec. 2023 (stats page): Added more context to haste breakpoints.
  • 01 Dec. 2023 (rotation page): Clarified Obliteration rotation with single ERW.
  • 29 Nov. 2023 (gear page): Added Legendary with proper link to bis.
  • 29 Nov. 2023 (Amirdrassil page): Updated builds after frost dk buffs.
  • 29 Nov. 2023 (talents page): Updated builds after Frost DK Buffs.
  • 29 Nov. 2023 (easy mode page): Updated talent builds after Frost DK buffs.
  • 22 Nov. 2023 (gear page): Updated drop location from dawn upper and lower and changed Breath m+ bis trinkets to mirror and porcelain.
  • 22 Nov. 2023 (Amirdrassil page): Updated multiple Obliteration builds to run enduring chill.
  • 22 Nov. 2023 (talents page): Updated Obliteration raid builds to run enduring chill.
  • 17 Nov. 2023 (Amirdrassil page): Updated Fyrakk talents and tips and added some various boss tips.
  • 14 Nov. 2023 (Amirdrassil page): Updated boss tips and talents.
  • 12 Nov. 2023 (enchants page): Updated food recommendation.
  • 12 Nov. 2023 (rotation page): Moved Remorseless Winter priority up and clarified refreshing with gathering storm.
  • 07 Nov. 2023 (gear page): Updated BiS Lists and Embellishment recommendations after Sporecloak nerfs.
  • 06 Nov. 2023 (FAQ page): Updated for Patch 10.2.
  • 06 Nov. 2023 (how to improve page): Updated for Patch 10.2.
  • 06 Nov. 2023 (simulations page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2
  • 06 Nov. 2023 (gear page): Updated for patch 10.2. Added new bis lists, trinkets and embellishment.
  • 06 Nov. 2023 (addons page): Updated for Patch 10.2
  • 06 Nov. 2023 (enchants page): Updated for Patch 10.2.
  • 06 Nov. 2023 (stats page): Updated for Patch 10.2.
  • 06 Nov. 2023 (mythic+ page): Updated for Patch 10.2. Expanded on rotation significantly.
  • 06 Nov. 2023 (rotation page): Updated for Patch 10.2. Added Soul Reaper usage, clarified various bits and expanded on Chill Streak use.
  • 06 Nov. 2023 (talents page): Updated for Patch 10.2.
  • 06 Nov. 2023 (spells page): Updated for Patch 10.2.
  • 06 Nov. 2023 (easy mode page): Updated for Patch 10.2.
  • 06 Nov. 2023 (this page): Updated for Patch 10.2.
  • 29 Oct. 2023 (Amirdrassil page): Page added.
  • 04 Sep. 2023 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
  • 04 Sep. 2023 (how to improve page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
  • 04 Sep. 2023 (simulations page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
  • 04 Sep. 2023 (gear page): Updated for Patch 10.1.7.
  • 04 Sep. 2023 (addons page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
  • 04 Sep. 2023 (enchants page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
  • 04 Sep. 2023 (stats page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
  • 04 Sep. 2023 (Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
  • 04 Sep. 2023 (mythic+ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
  • 04 Sep. 2023 (rotation page): Clarified gameplay around Fatal Fixation.
  • 04 Sep. 2023 (talents page): Updated for Patch 10.1.7.
  • 04 Sep. 2023 (spells page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
  • 04 Sep. 2023 (easy mode page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
  • 04 Sep. 2023 (this page): Updated for Patch 10.1.7.
  • 10 Jul. 2023 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.5.
  • 10 Jul. 2023 (how to improve page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.5.
  • 10 Jul. 2023 (simulations page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.5.
  • 10 Jul. 2023 (gear page): Added 10.1.5 dungeon recommendation.
  • 10 Jul. 2023 (addons page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.5.
  • 10 Jul. 2023 (enchants page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.5.
  • 10 Jul. 2023 (stats page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.5.
  • 10 Jul. 2023 (Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.5.
  • 10 Jul. 2023 (mythic+ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.5.
  • 10 Jul. 2023 (rotation page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.5.
  • 10 Jul. 2023 (talents page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.5.
  • 10 Jul. 2023 (spells page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.5.
  • 10 Jul. 2023 (easy mode page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.5.
  • 10 Jul. 2023 (this page): Added 10.1.5 changes.
  • 01 Jun. 2023 (how to improve page): Updated talents and reworded Mythic+ rotation text.
  • 01 Jun. 2023 (gear page): Added m+ embellishment recommendation.
  • 01 Jun. 2023 (stats page): Moved Haste above Mastery in priority.
  • 01 Jun. 2023 (rotation page): Expanded on Breath rotation and added Obliteration secondary burst window.
  • 01 Jun. 2023 (talents page): Removed DW oblit build and updated 2h oblit viability in raid.
  • 01 Jun. 2023 (easy mode page): Expanded on CD usage and removed DW oblit as a build.
  • 31 May 2023 (gear page): Added neltharion trinket as new bis for frost 2H oblit.
  • 25 May 2023 (Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible page): Added more tips.
  • 09 May 2023 (Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible page): Page added.
  • 08 May 2023 (gear page): Updated after trinket tuning.
  • 01 May 2023 (FAQ page): Reivewed for Patch 10.1. Added extra answer for DW viability for Obliteration in Mythic+.
  • 01 May 2023 (how to improve page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.
  • 01 May 2023 (simulations page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.
  • 01 May 2023 (gear page): Updated all gear for Patch 10.1.
  • 01 May 2023 (addons page): Reviewed and Updated for Patch 10.1. Emphasised that oblit macros are not necessary.
  • 01 May 2023 (enchants page): Updated for Patch 10.1. Changed to Crit enchant for rings and added Belt stamina buckle.
  • 01 May 2023 (stats page): Updated for Patch 10.1. Emphasised the very high Crit priority for Breath.
  • 01 May 2023 (Vault of the Incarnates page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.
  • 01 May 2023 (mythic+ page): Updated talents for Patch 10.1. and removed Thundering affix mention.
  • 01 May 2023 (rotation page): Reviewed and Updated for Patch 10.1. Primarily changing Frostwyrm's Fury usage.
  • 01 May 2023 (talents page): Updated for Patch 10.1. Included FwF in talent builds and added a Breath M+ altenrative build.
  • 01 May 2023 (spells page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.
  • 01 May 2023 (easy mode page): Reviewed and Updated for Patch 10.1. Changed the talent builds and FwF Usage.
  • 01 May 2023 (this page): Reviewed and Updated for Patch 10.1.
  • 20 Mar. 2023 (Legendaries): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
  • 20 Mar. 2023 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
  • 20 Mar. 2023 (how to improve page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
  • 20 Mar. 2023 (simulations page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
  • 20 Mar. 2023 (gear page): Updated for Patch 10.0.7.
  • 20 Mar. 2023 (addons page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
  • 20 Mar. 2023 (enchants page): Updated with Primordial Stone Gems for 10.0.7.
  • 20 Mar. 2023 (stats page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
  • 20 Mar. 2023 (Vault of the Incarnates page): Builds updated for 10.0.7.
  • 20 Mar. 2023 (mythic+ page): Updated talent builds for 10.0.7.
  • 20 Mar. 2023 (rotation page): Updated rotation for 10.0.7, adding discussion about Fatal Fixation.
  • 20 Mar. 2023 (talents page): Updated talents for 10.0.7.
  • 20 Mar. 2023 (spells page): Updated for 10.0.7.
  • 20 Mar. 2023 (easy mode page): Updated talent builds for 10.0.7.
  • 20 Mar. 2023 (this page): Added 10.0.7 Changelog.
  • 24 Jan. 2023 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
  • 24 Jan. 2023 (how to improve page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
  • 24 Jan. 2023 (simulations page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
  • 24 Jan. 2023 (gear page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
  • 24 Jan. 2023 (addons page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
  • 24 Jan. 2023 (enchants page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
  • 24 Jan. 2023 (stats page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
  • 24 Jan. 2023 (Vault of the Incarnates page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
  • 24 Jan. 2023 (mythic+ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
  • 24 Jan. 2023 (rotation page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
  • 24 Jan. 2023 (talents page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
  • 24 Jan. 2023 (spells page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
  • 24 Jan. 2023 (easy mode page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
  • 24 Jan. 2023 (this page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
  • 11 Dec. 2022 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
  • 11 Dec. 2022 (how to improve page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
  • 11 Dec. 2022 (simulations page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
  • 11 Dec. 2022 (gear page): Updated for Dragonflight Season 1.
  • 11 Dec. 2022 (addons page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
  • 11 Dec. 2022 (enchants page): Updated for Dragonflight Season 1.
  • 11 Dec. 2022 (stats page): Updated for Dragonflight Season 1.
  • 11 Dec. 2022 (Vault of the Incarnates page): Page added.
  • 11 Dec. 2022 (mythic+ page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
  • 11 Dec. 2022 (rotation page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
  • 11 Dec. 2022 (talents page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
  • 11 Dec. 2022 (spells page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
  • 11 Dec. 2022 (easy mode page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
  • 11 Dec. 2022 (this page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
  • 28 Nov. 2022 (FAQ page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
  • 28 Nov. 2022 (how to improve page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
  • 28 Nov. 2022 (simulations page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
  • 28 Nov. 2022 (gear page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
  • 28 Nov. 2022 (addons page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
  • 28 Nov. 2022 (enchants page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
  • 28 Nov. 2022 (stats page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
  • 28 Nov. 2022 (mythic+ page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
  • 28 Nov. 2022 (rotation page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
  • 28 Nov. 2022 (talents page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
  • 28 Nov. 2022 (spells page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
  • 28 Nov. 2022 (easy mode page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
  • 28 Nov. 2022 (this page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
  • 25 Oct. 2022 (Legendaries): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
  • 25 Oct. 2022 (Torghast): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
  • 25 Oct. 2022 (Covenants and Soulbinds): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
  • 25 Oct. 2022 (FAQ page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
  • 25 Oct. 2022 (how to improve page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
  • 25 Oct. 2022 (simulations page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
  • 25 Oct. 2022 (gear page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
  • 25 Oct. 2022 (addons page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
  • 25 Oct. 2022 (enchants page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
  • 25 Oct. 2022 (stats page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
  • 25 Oct. 2022 (Castle Nathria page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
  • 25 Oct. 2022 (Sanctum of Domination page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
  • 25 Oct. 2022 (Sepulcher of the First Ones page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
  • 25 Oct. 2022 (mythic+ page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
  • 25 Oct. 2022 (rotation page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
  • 25 Oct. 2022 (talents page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
  • 25 Oct. 2022 (spells page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
  • 25 Oct. 2022 (easy mode page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
  • 25 Oct. 2022 (this page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
  • 13 Feb. 2022 (Patch 9.2 Analysis): Updated to reflect Killing Machine bugfix.
  • 19 Jan. 2022 (Patch 9.2 Analysis): Updated with latest tuning.
  • 15 Jan. 2022 (Patch 9.2 Analysis): Page added with initial thoughts and information.
  • 01 Nov. 2021 (Patch 9.1 Analysis): Reviewed and approved for Patch 9.1.5.
  • 17 Jul. 2021 (Patch 9.1 Analysis): Updated with recent hotfixes.
  • 29 Jun. 2021 (Patch 9.1 Analysis): Created page.
  • 12 Oct. 2020 (Ny'alotha page): Page updated for the Shadowlands pre-patch.
  • 17 Jul. 2019 (The Eternal Palace page): Added more information on Queen Azshara.
  • 09 Jul. 2019 (The Eternal Palace page): Guide added.
  • 24 Jun. 2019 (Uldir page): This page has been reviewed for the release of Patch 8.2 and no changes are necessary.
  • 24 Jun. 2019 (Battle of Dazar'alor page): This page has been reviewed for the release of Patch 8.2 and no changes are necessary.
  • 24 Jun. 2019 (Crucible of Storms page): This page has been reviewed for the release of Patch 8.2 and no changes are necessary.
  • 19 May 2019 (Crucible of Storms page): Added Mythic tips.
  • 16 Apr. 2019 (Uldir page): This page has been reviewed and no changes are necessary for the release of the Crucible of Storms raid.
  • 16 Apr. 2019 (Battle of Dazar'alor page): This page has been reviewed and no changes are necessary for the release of the Crucible of Storms raid.
  • 16 Apr. 2019 (Crucible of Storms page): Guide added.
  • 24 Feb. 2019 (Battle of Dazar'alor page): Updated boss advice.
  • 18 Feb. 2019 (Battle of Dazar'alor page): Fixed the boss order.
  • 22 Jan. 2019 (Battle of Dazar'alor page): Added first version of Frost DK advice for Battle of Dazar'alor.
  • 10 Dec. 2018 (Uldir page): This page has been reviewed for Patch 8.1 and no changes are necessary.
  • 30 Sep. 2018 (Uldir page): Fixed some of the recommended talents.
  • 09 Sep. 2018 (Uldir page): Fixed a typo for the recommended G'huun talents.
  • 03 Sep. 2018 (Uldir page): Added information for all bosses in Uldir.
  • 12 Aug. 2018 (Uldir page): Page added (empty for now).
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