Frost Death Knight DPS Guide — Dragonflight 10.0.7
Welcome to our Frost Death Knight guide for World of Warcraft — Dragonflight 10.0.7. 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.
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.
Strengths and Weaknesses
High burst damage and cleave with
Breath of Sindragosa.
Great add control with
Death Grip.
Knockback prevention with
Death's Advance.
Anti-Magic Zone as a Magic damage raid cooldown.
Incredibly tanky overall.
Limited mobility.
Cooldown dependent when using
Breath of Sindragosa.
Limited spread add cleave.
Doesn't bring a very powerful raid buff.
Dragonflight Changes for Death Knights
We are maintaining a list of changes for Death Knights, so you can see what changes with every patch of Dragonflight.
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.
Significant Frost Death Knight Changes in Dragonflight
The primary change that Frost sees in Dragonflight is the addition of
many new talents. Both talents that were previously exclusive to
Unholy and Blood Death Knights like Will of the Necropolis and
Soul Reaper, as well as completely new talents like
Chill Streak,
Frostwhelp's Aid and
Cold-Blooded Rage.
When it comes to gameplay, one significant change is the ability to pick
up Icecap and
Obliteration. These two talents synergise 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,
Murderous Efficiency and
Horn of Winter.
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.
10.0.7 Changes for Frost Death Knights
The Frost Death Knight sees several significant changes in Patch 10.0.7. Please find them below.
Remorseless Winter removed from the talent tree and learned at level 19.
Might of the Frozen Wastes removed from the talent tree and now learned at level 25.
Frostreaper removed from the talent tree and learned at level 28.
- New talent:
Fatal Fixation -
Killing Machine can stack up to 2 times. Replaces
Frostreaper in the talent tree.
Obliteration now causes
Soul Reaper to trigger
Killing Machine during
Pillar of Frost.
Biting Cold moved to
Remorseless Winter's position in the talent tree.
Everfrost moved to
Biting Cold's position in the talent tree.
Breath of Sindragosa damaged increased by 25%, and Runic Power cost increased to 18 per second (was 16).
Frost Strike damage increased by 10%, and Runic Power cost increased to 30 (was 25).
These changes are major improvements to our rotation.
Killing Machine stacking to two means we will waste far fewer procs
overall, especially with
Obliteration. Gone are the days of getting
a natural proc of
Killing Machine and immediately overwriting it or
starving in your
Obliteration window and having to overlap procs.
Breath of Sindragosa cost going up will mean shorter, more manageable
durations, making the talent overall more competitive in all kinds of content.
Getting so many talents as baseline spells means we will get several new talents to pick up, increasing our Power accordingly. These changes are significant buffs overall, with a 10%+ damage increase expected.
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 and
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.
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.
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.
Frost Death Knight Tier Set in Dragonflight
The Frost Death Knight has a tier set in Dragonflight that focuses heavily
on Obliterate and
Frostscythe. The 2p bonus simply increases
the damage of these two abilities by 15% Furthermore, the 4p bonus gives a
15% chance to not consume
Killing Machine.
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.
Improving as a Frost Death Knight
If, after reading all these guides, you still find your performance lacklustre, then check out the pages linked below for some tips and tricks that may answer any questions you have.
Changelog
- 20 Mar. 2023 (spells page): Updated for 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (talents page): Updated talents for 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (Legendaries): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (rotation page): Updated rotation for 10.0.7, adding discussion about Fatal Fixation.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (mythic+ page): Updated talent builds for 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (this page): Added 10.0.7 Changelog.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (Vault of the Incarnates page): Builds updated for 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (how to improve page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (stats page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (easy mode page): Updated talent builds for 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (simulations page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (enchants page): Updated with Primordial Stone Gems for 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.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (stats page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (addons page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (easy mode page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (spells page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (Vault of the Incarnates page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (talents page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (this page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (how to improve page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (rotation page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (simulations page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (mythic+ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (enchants page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (gear page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 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.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (mythic+ page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (simulations page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (stats page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (gear page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (enchants page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (addons page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (this page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (spells page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (talents page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (easy mode page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (rotation page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (FAQ page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (how to improve page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (simulations 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 (how to improve page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (mythic+ page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (FAQ page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (rotation page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (Torghast): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (talents page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (this page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (Legendaries): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (spells 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 (easy mode page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (gear page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (stats page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 25 Oct. 2022 (Covenants and Soulbinds): 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 (Crucible of Storms page): This page has been reviewed for the release of Patch 8.2 and no changes are necessary.
- 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.
- 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).
More Death Knight Guides
Guides from Other Classes
This guide has been written by Bicepspump, a semi-hardcore player raiding with Pescorus on Kazzak. He is heavily involved in the DK DPS theorycrafting community, testing hyoptheses and investigating the correct priority to use. He is also a moderator in the Acherus Death Knight Discord, frequently answering questions and discussing optimisations (do not hesitate to reach out). He produces guide content on YouTube and frequently streams on Twitch.
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