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Frost Death Knight

Damage specialisation · Tier C in PvP, 1.1% 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 100 best-geared synced characters. Averaged per player, so one heavily geared character cannot define the answer for everyone.

  • Versatility42.9%942 avg
  • Mastery36.3%816 avg
  • Haste11.7%268 avg
  • Critical Strike9.1%223 avg

150

Synced PvP players

1,882

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

73%

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

109 players

Spellwarden

Spellwarden

53%

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

79 players

Delirium

Delirium

40%

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

60 players

Bloodforged Armor

Bloodforged Armor

29%

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

44 players

Deathchill

Deathchill

22%

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.

33 players

Death's Cold Embrace

Death's Cold Embrace

11%

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.

16 players

Dark Simulacrum

Dark Simulacrum

7%

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.

10 players

Bitter Chill

Bitter Chill

5%

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

7 players

Shroud of Winter

Shroud of Winter

2%

Enemies within 8 yards of you become shrouded in winter, reducing the range of their spells and abilities by 30%.

3 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.

  • Death's Echo
    Death's Echo100%

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

  • Rune Mastery

Most played equipment

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

Back

Venomous Aspirant's Cape

39% equipped · 263 ilvl

Back

Thalassian Competitor's Cloth Cloak

19% equipped · 263 ilvl

Chest

Baleful Grave-Knight's Breastplate

57% equipped · 308 ilvl

Frost Death Knight enchantments

  • Enchanted: Rune of the Fallen Crusader77%
  • Enchanted: +41 Agility/Strength & +115 Stamina64%
  • Enchanted: Enchant Chest - Mark of the Worldsoul53%

Talent tree choices & importable builds

Talent choices across 171 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.

  • Osmosis90%

    150 players · Class

  • Blood Draw86%

    143 players · Class

  • Proliferating Chill86%

    143 players · Class

  • Death Defiance83%

    139 players · Class

  • Runic Overflow83%

    138 players · Specialization

  • Howling Blades81%

    136 players · Specialization

  • Coldthirst81%

    135 players · Class

  • Frigid Executioner78%

    130 players · Specialization

  • Icy Onslaught77%

    128 players · Specialization

  • Permafrost74%

    124 players · Class

  • Smothering Offense62%

    104 players · Specialization

  • Murderous Efficiency62%

    103 players · Specialization

  • Grip of the Dead60%

    101 players · Class

  • Avalanche60%

    100 players · Specialization

  • Inexorable Assault60%

    100 players · Specialization

  • Assimilation38%

    63 players · Class

  • Blood Scent30%

    50 players · Class

  • Insidious Chill27%

    45 players · Class

  • Everfrost25%

    42 players · Specialization

  • Cryogenic Chamber22%

    36 players · Specialization

  • Frostscythe21%

    35 players · Specialization

  • Biting Cold20%

    34 players · Specialization

  • Gathering Storm20%

    34 players · Specialization

  • Shattering Blade19%

    31 players · Specialization

  • Raise Dead16%

    26 players · Class

Near-universal picks (59)taken by 90%+ — effectively baseline
  • Anti-Magic Barrier100%

    167 players · Class

  • Asphyxiate100%

    167 players · Class

  • Death Strike100%

    167 players · Class

Rarely taken (58)under 15% — situational or out of favour
  • Cleaving Strikes14%

    24 players · Class

  • Icy Death Torrent14%

    23 players · Specialization

  • Subduing Grasp12%

    20 players · Class

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

  • Mes

    anetheron · US2,310

  • Notghoul

    area-52 · US2,266

  • Swapz

    stormrage · US2,189

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
Rune Mastery100%

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

  • Runic Attenuation
    Runic Attenuation100%

    Auto attacks have a chance to generate 3 Runic Power.

  • Unholy Bond
    Unholy Bond100%

    Increases the effectiveness of your Runeforge effects by 20%.

    • 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

    • 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.

    • Blinding Sleet
      Blinding Sleet98%

      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.

    • Frostwyrm's Fury
      Frostwyrm's Fury96%

      Summons a frostwyrm who breathes on all enemies within 40 yd in front of you, dealing 20,335 Frost damage, stunning enemies for 3 sec, and slowing movement speed by 50% for 10 sec.

    Chest

    Venomous Aspirant's Plate Armor

    28% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Feet

    Thalassian Competitor's Plate Sabatons

    35% 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

    21% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Head

    Venomous Aspirant's Plate Helm

    52% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Head

    Baleful Grave-Knight's Casque

    27% equipped · 321 ilvl

    Legs

    Venomous Aspirant's Plate Wargreaves

    65% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Legs

    Baleful Grave-Knight's Greaves

    15% equipped · 292 ilvl

    Main Hand

    Venomous Aspirant's Polearm

    63% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Main Hand

    Venomous Aspirant's Sword

    7% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Neck

    Venomous Aspirant's Pendant

    45% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Neck

    Thalassian Competitor's Amulet

    35% equipped · 288 ilvl

    Off Hand

    Venomous Aspirant's Sword

    7% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Off Hand

    Spellbreaker's Blade

    2% equipped · 318 ilvl

    Ring 1

    Thalassian Competitor's Signet

    50% equipped · 285 ilvl

    Ring 1

    Venomous Aspirant's Signet

    21% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Ring 2

    Thalassian Competitor's Signet

    51% equipped · 292 ilvl

    Ring 2

    Venomous Aspirant's Signet

    19% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Shirt

    Fashionable Undershirt

    5% equipped · 1 ilvl

    Shirt

    Precious's Ribbon

    4% equipped · 1 ilvl

    Shoulders

    Baleful Grave-Knight's Gibbets

    27% equipped · 308 ilvl

    Shoulders

    Venomous Aspirant's Plate Pauldrons

    22% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Tabard

    Galactic Gladiator's Tabard

    12% equipped · 1 ilvl

    Tabard

    Galactic Gladiator's Tabard

    11% equipped · 1 ilvl

    Trinket 1

    Venomous Aspirant's Badge of Ferocity

    25% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Trinket 1

    Venomous Aspirant's Medallion

    23% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Trinket 2

    Venomous Aspirant's Medallion

    34% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Trinket 2

    Venomous Aspirant's Badge of Ferocity

    17% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Waist

    Thalassian Competitor's Plate Waistguard

    40% equipped · 285 ilvl

    Waist

    Venomous Aspirant's Plate Girdle

    40% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Wrist

    Venomous Aspirant's Plate Cuffs

    43% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Wrist

    Thalassian Competitor's Plate Armguards

    25% equipped · 285 ilvl

    Enchanted: Enchant Boots - Farstrider's Hunt
    53%
  • Enchanted: Enchant Shoulders - Akil'zon's Swiftness53%
  • Enchanted: Enchant Ring - Zul'jin's Mastery45%
  • Enchanted: Enchant Helm - Empowered Blessing of Speed43%
  • Enchanted: Enchant Chest - Mark of Nalorakk19%

    • Frost Death Knight gems & sockets

    • Enduring Heliotrope · +23 Primary Stat and +5% Damage Reduction when affected by Crowd Control63%
    • Flawless Versatile Amethyst · +16 Mastery & +7 Versatility47%
    • Flawless Masterful Lapis · +16 Versatility & +7 Mastery22%
    • Prismatic Socket15%
    • Flawless Quick Amethyst · +16 Mastery & +7 Haste8%
    • Flawless Masterful Garnet · +16 Critical Strike & +7 Mastery7%
    • Indecipherable Eversong Diamond · +32 Primary Stat7%
    • Flawless Deadly Amethyst · +16 Mastery & +7 Critical Strike5%
    Death's Echo100%

    167 players · Class

  • Gloom Ward100%

    167 players · Class

  • Icebound Fortitude100%

    167 players · Class

  • Improved Death Strike100%

    167 players · Class

  • March of Darkness100%

    167 players · Class

  • Mind Freeze100%

    167 players · Class

  • Rune Mastery100%

    167 players · Class

  • Runic Attenuation100%

    167 players · Class

  • Unholy Bond100%

    167 players · Class

  • Unholy Momentum100%

    167 players · Class

  • Veteran of the Third War100%

    167 players · Class

  • Will of the Necropolis100%

    167 players · Class

  • Brittle99%

    166 players · Class

    • Enfeeble11%

    19 players · Class

  • Vestigial Shell9.6%

    16 players · Class

  • Death Notes7.8%

    13 players · Class

  • A Feast of Souls7.2%

    12 players · Hero

  • Apocalypse Now7.2%

    12 players · Hero

  • Death Charge7.2%

    12 players · Hero

  • Horsemen's Aid7.2%

    12 players · Hero

  • Hungering Thirst7.2%

    12 players · Hero

  • Let Terror Reign7.2%

    12 players · Hero