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Frost Death Knight

Damage specialisation · Tier C in PvP, 1.2% of the sample

PvE GuideRaid logs, Mythic+ players and PvE buildsPvP GuideRated ladder talents, gear stats and buildsACTIVE

Rated PvP data

A complete live guide built from rated Battle.net profiles: bracket-specific talents, PvP talents, gear, gems, enchantments, statistics and importable builds. PvE raid casts are never presented as PvP advice.

All PvPSolo2v23v3BlitzRBG

Secondary stats

Secondary stat split across the 39 best-geared synced characters. Averaged per player, so one heavily geared character cannot define the answer for everyone.

  • Versatility47.4%1,011 avg
  • Mastery35.9%784 avg
  • Haste11.7%253 avg
  • Critical Strike5.0%126 avg

39

Synced Solo Shuffle players

1,743

Average rating sampled

2,337

Highest rating sampled

PvP talents

The three dedicated PvP slots, measured from Battle.net profiles.

Live ladder data
Strangulate

Strangulate

38%

Shadowy tendrils constrict an enemy's throat, silencing them for 4 sec.

15 players

Delirium

Delirium

28%

Howling Blast applies Delirium, reducing the cooldown recovery rate of movement enhancing abilities by 50% for 12 sec.

11 players

Spellwarden

Spellwarden

23%

Anti-Magic Shell is now usable on allies and its cooldown is reduced by 10 sec.

9 players

Bloodforged Armor

Bloodforged Armor

13%

Death Strike reduces all Physical damage taken by 25% for 4 sec.

5 players

Deathchill

Deathchill

5%

Your Remorseless Winter and Chains of Ice apply Deathchill, rooting the target in place for 4 sec. Remorseless Winter All targets within 8 yards are afflicted with Deathchill when Remorseless Winter is cast. Chains of Ice When you Chains of Ice a target already afflicted by your Chains of Ice they will be afflicted by Deathchill.

2 players

Bitter Chill

Bitter Chill

3%

Chains of Ice reduces the target's Haste by 8%. Frost Strike refreshes the duration of Chains of Ice.

1 players

Dark Simulacrum

Dark Simulacrum

3%

Places a dark ward on an enemy player that persists for 12 sec, triggering when the enemy next spends mana on a spell, and allowing the Death Knight to unleash an exact duplicate of that spell.

1 players

Death's Cold Embrace

Death's Cold Embrace

3%

Pillar of Frost grants you Remorseless Winter and increases its damage by 400% and its radius by 150%, but your movement speed is heavily reduced for its duration. Pillar of Frost's cooldown is increased by 15 sec.

1 players

Combat toolkit

Common high-rated choices grouped by purpose. This is a PvP toolkit, not a fake raid rotation.

Pressure & burst

  • Asphyxiate
    Asphyxiate100%

    Increases the range of Death Grip by 10 yds. Killing an enemy that yields experience or honor resets the cooldown of Death Grip.

  • Brittle
    Brittle100%

    Your diseases have a chance to weaken your enemy causing your attacks against them to deal 6% increased damage for 5 sec.

Most played equipment

Top two choices per slot among the highest-rated hydrated profiles.

Back

Venomous Aspirant's Cape

46% equipped · 263 ilvl

Back

Thalassian Competitor's Cloth Cloak

18% equipped · 285 ilvl

Chest

Baleful Grave-Knight's Breastplate

56% equipped · 308 ilvl

Frost Death Knight enchantments

  • Enchanted: Rune of the Fallen Crusader74%
  • Enchanted: Enchant Chest - Mark of the Worldsoul64%
  • Enchanted: +41 Agility/Strength & +115 Stamina62%
  • Enchanted: Enchant Boots - Farstrider's Hunt59%

Talent tree choices & importable builds

Talent choices across 39 synced characters playing this specialisation. These are observed picks, not recommendations — they say what the ladder is doing, not what you should do.

Where builds differ

Taken by between 15% and 90% of players. This is where the real decisions are.

  • Arctic Assault89%

    34 players · Specialization

  • Bind in Darkness89%

    34 players · Hero

  • Blood Draw89%

    34 players · Class

  • Bonegrinder89%

    34 players · Specialization

  • Breath of Sindragosa89%

    34 players · Specialization

  • Chosen of Frostbrood89%

    34 players · Specialization

  • Dark Talons89%

    34 players · Hero

  • Death Pact89%

    34 players · Class

  • Death's Messenger89%

    34 players · Hero

  • Deathly Blows89%

    34 players · Hero

  • Echoing Fury89%

    34 players · Hero

  • Empower Rune Weapon89%

    34 players · Specialization

  • Enduring Strength89%

    34 players · Specialization

  • Exterminate89%

    34 players · Hero

  • Frigid Resolve89%

    34 players · Hero

  • Frost Strike89%

    34 players · Specialization

  • Frostbound Will89%

    34 players · Specialization

  • Frostwyrm's Fury89%

    34 players · Specialization

  • Frozen Dominion89%

    34 players · Specialization

  • Grim Reaper89%

    34 players · Hero

  • Howling Blast89%

    34 players · Specialization

  • Hyperpyrexia89%

    34 players · Specialization

  • Icebreaker89%

    34 players · Specialization

  • Killing Machine89%

    34 players · Specialization

  • Killing Streak89%

    34 players · Specialization

  • Obliterate89%

    34 players · Specialization

  • Obliteration89%

    34 players · Specialization

  • Pact of the Deathbringer89%

    34 players · Hero

  • Pillar of Frost89%

    34 players · Specialization

  • Reaper's Mark89%

    34 players · Hero

  • Soul Rupture89%

    34 players · Hero

  • Swift and Painful89%

    34 players · Hero

  • Wave of Souls89%

    34 players · Hero

  • Wither Away89%

    34 players · Hero

  • Frostreaper87%

    33 players · Specialization

  • Osmosis87%

    33 players · Class

Near-universal picks (23)taken by 90%+ — effectively baseline
  • Anti-Magic Barrier100%

    38 players · Class

  • Asphyxiate100%

    38 players · Class

  • Blinding Sleet100%

    38 players · Class

Rarely taken (53)under 15% — situational or out of favour
  • Biting Cold13%

    5 players · Specialization

  • Frostscythe13%

    5 players · Specialization

  • Gathering Storm13%

    5 players · Specialization

Import a real build

Loadouts from the highest-rated synced players of this specialisation. Paste straight into the game.

  • Arrogancê

    area-52 · US2,337

  • Newlong

    frostmourne · US2,320

  • Notghoul

    area-52 · US2,266

  • Mes

    anetheron · US2,144

  • Подполковник

    gordunni · EU2,100

Learn the spec

This page measures what players do. For rotation, stat priority and matchup play, these are the references.

  • Skill-CappedpvpArena guides, matchup play and comp theory. Subscription, and the standard reference for PvP.
  • Murlok.iopvpTalent and gear data from the PvP ladder, broken down per bracket.

Other Death Knight specs

  • Blood
  • Unholy
Death's Echo
Death's Echo100%

Death's Advance, Death and Decay, and Death Grip have 1 additional charge.

  • Null Magic
    Null Magic100%

    Magic damage taken is reduced by 5% and the duration of harmful Magic effects against you are reduced by 35%.

  • Rune Mastery
    Rune Mastery100%

    Consuming a Rune has a chance to increase your Strength by 6% for 8 sec.

    • Survival

    • Anti-Magic Barrier
      Anti-Magic Barrier100%

      Reduces the cooldown of Anti-Magic Shell by 20 sec and increases its duration and amount absorbed by 40%.

    • Death Strike
      Death Strike100%

      Focuses dark power into a strike with both weapons, that deals a total of 3,876 Physical damage and heals you for 32.00% of all damage taken in the last 5 sec, minimum 11.2% of maximum health.

    • Gloom Ward
      Gloom Ward100%

      Absorbs are 30% more effective on you.

    • Improved Death Strike
      Improved Death Strike100%

      Death Strike's cost is reduced by 10, and its healing is increased by 60%.

    • Will of the Necropolis
      Will of the Necropolis100%

      Damage taken below 30% Health is reduced by 35%.

    Control & mobility

    • Blinding Sleet
      Blinding Sleet100%

      Targets in a cone in front of you are blinded, causing them to wander disoriented for 5 sec. Damage may cancel the effect. When Blinding Sleet ends, enemies are slowed by 50% for 6 sec.

    • Icebound Fortitude
      Icebound Fortitude100%

      Your blood freezes, granting immunity to Stun effects and reducing all damage you take by 30% for 8 sec.

    • March of Darkness
      March of Darkness100%

      Death's Advance grants an additional 25% movement speed over the first 3 sec.

    • Mind Freeze
      Mind Freeze100%

      Smash the target's mind with cold, interrupting spellcasting and preventing any spell in that school from being cast for 5 sec.

    • Frostwyrm's Fury
      Frostwyrm's Fury89%

      Summons a frostwyrm who breathes on all enemies within 40 yd in front of you, dealing 22,910 Frost damage, stunning enemies for 3 sec, and slowing movement speed by 50% for 10 sec.

    Chest

    Venomous Aspirant's Plate Armor

    31% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Feet

    Thalassian Competitor's Plate Sabatons

    46% equipped · 285 ilvl

    Feet

    Venomous Aspirant's Plate Warboots

    33% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Hands

    Baleful Grave-Knight's Deathgrips

    62% equipped · 308 ilvl

    Hands

    Venomous Aspirant's Plate Handguards

    23% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Head

    Venomous Aspirant's Plate Helm

    56% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Head

    Baleful Grave-Knight's Casque

    26% equipped · 321 ilvl

    Legs

    Venomous Aspirant's Plate Wargreaves

    64% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Legs

    Baleful Grave-Knight's Greaves

    13% equipped · 321 ilvl

    Main Hand

    Venomous Aspirant's Polearm

    62% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Main Hand

    Venomous Aspirant's Battleaxe

    5% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Neck

    Venomous Aspirant's Pendant

    44% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Neck

    Thalassian Competitor's Amulet

    38% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Off Hand

    Abyss Sabre

    3% equipped · 321 ilvl

    Off Hand

    Venomous Aspirant's Sword

    3% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Ring 1

    Thalassian Competitor's Signet

    51% equipped · 285 ilvl

    Ring 1

    Venomous Aspirant's Signet

    28% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Ring 2

    Thalassian Competitor's Signet

    49% equipped · 288 ilvl

    Ring 2

    Venomous Aspirant's Ring

    23% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Shirt

    Fashionable Undershirt

    5% equipped · 1 ilvl

    Shirt

    Sleeveless T-Shirt

    5% equipped · 1 ilvl

    Shoulders

    Venomous Aspirant's Plate Pauldrons

    33% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Shoulders

    Baleful Grave-Knight's Gibbets

    26% equipped · 308 ilvl

    Tabard

    Galactic Gladiator's Tabard

    18% equipped · 1 ilvl

    Tabard

    Astral Gladiator's Tabard

    5% equipped · 1 ilvl

    Trinket 1

    Venomous Aspirant's Badge of Ferocity

    36% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Trinket 1

    Venomous Aspirant's Medallion

    21% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Trinket 2

    Venomous Aspirant's Medallion

    44% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Trinket 2

    Venomous Aspirant's Badge of Ferocity

    21% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Waist

    Thalassian Competitor's Plate Waistguard

    46% equipped · 285 ilvl

    Waist

    Venomous Aspirant's Plate Girdle

    33% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Wrist

    Venomous Aspirant's Plate Cuffs

    49% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Wrist

    Thalassian Competitor's Plate Armguards

    26% equipped · 285 ilvl

    Enchanted: Enchant Shoulders - Akil'zon's Swiftness
    59%
  • Enchanted: Enchant Ring - Zul'jin's Mastery49%
  • Enchanted: Enchant Helm - Empowered Blessing of Speed46%
  • Enchanted: Rune of Razorice21%

    • Frost Death Knight gems & sockets

    • Enduring Heliotrope · +23 Primary Stat and +5% Damage Reduction when affected by Crowd Control59%
    • Flawless Versatile Amethyst · +16 Mastery & +7 Versatility51%
    • Prismatic Socket18%
    • Flawless Masterful Lapis · +16 Versatility & +7 Mastery13%
    • Flawless Masterful Garnet · +16 Critical Strike & +7 Mastery8%
    • Flawless Quick Amethyst · +16 Mastery & +7 Haste8%
    • Flawless Deadly Amethyst · +16 Mastery & +7 Critical Strike5%
    • Indecipherable Eversong Diamond · +32 Primary Stat5%
    Brittle100%

    38 players · Class

  • Death Strike100%

    38 players · Class

  • Death's Echo100%

    38 players · Class

  • Gloom Ward100%

    38 players · Class

  • Icebound Fortitude100%

    38 players · Class

  • Improved Death Strike100%

    38 players · Class

  • March of Darkness100%

    38 players · Class

  • Mind Freeze100%

    38 players · Class

  • Null Magic100%

    38 players · Class

  • Rune Mastery100%

    38 players · Class

  • Runic Attenuation100%

    38 players · Class

  • Unholy Bond100%

    38 players · Class

  • Unholy Momentum100%

    38 players · Class

  • A Feast of Souls11%

    4 players · Hero

  • Apocalypse Now11%

    4 players · Hero

  • Army of the Dead11%

    4 players · Specialization

  • Blightburst11%

    4 players · Specialization

  • Clawing Shadows11%

    4 players · Specialization

  • Commander of the Dead11%

    4 players · Specialization

  • Dark Transformation11%

    4 players · Specialization

  • Death Charge11%

    4 players · Hero

  • Doomed Bidding11%

    4 players · Specialization