FROST FAQ: It's ice cold! (update 12/7/08)Follow

You're giving up 5% crit and Imp Rune Tap for Imp DG? This is much better. You should not need Imp DG in a Frost build that has Chilblains.

I like Theo's build:

A question to ponder however. Will Killing Machine proc enough, without Improved Icy Talons, to be worth it? That might make up the 5 points you want for Toughness...

My fear is just that Killing Machine seems a large 5 point investment for a move that isnt very friendly to 2-handers.

I specced out of Endless Winter > Chillblains a long time ago and never looked back. I've never found myself starving for RP to use Mind Freeze, and Chillblains has proved all but worthless in PvP from my experiences. A 30% snare won't stop people from kiting you into oblivion; Death Grip and Chains of Ice will.

Of course I'd love to have Rune Tap > Imp. Rune Tap and Dark Conviction over in Blood, but right now I value the utility I can pull out of the Unholy tree far more. The merits of Unholy Command should be obvious. Epidemic gives me much more breathing room with keeping diseases up on opponents, which I all the more appreciate since PvP is very adverse to the class' mechanical rotations. And Virulence, while not great, is better than anything else I could potentially pick up with the points available to me. It also helps with healers, which is something every DK needs to be concerned about IMO. We're pretty solid 1v1, DPS vs. DPS, but in group situations healers shrug us off laughing.

This is a build that's oriented more towards offensive control and utility than your build Theo, which seems to aim more at being a very solid solo contender. Yours serves its purpose well, but I like mine better.


See above.

Actually, though, I did link the wrong build. That's the build I'm currently leveling into. At 80, once dual-spec comes out, I plan to swap out Icy Talons > Imp. Icy Talons and take Toughness like so. And then I'm left with one point which... I'll probably just throw into Avoidance or something.


Killing Machine is one of those talents that's there to turn the tide of a fight. You don't rely on it to come up often; it's there for that one pivotal moment. Trust me when I say that a well-placed Frost Strike with a Killing Machine proc behind it can really roll someone's socks down.

Edited, Dec 1st 2008 10:34pm by Gaudion

well, if you want an estimate...

at a completely garbage 25%, using a 3.6 2-H weapon

50% of 25% crit = 12.5% chance, multiplied by the 3.6 speed = estimate 45 seconds between procs

considering its a random deathchill almost, thats pretty nice... considering its at a spot in the tree pretty easy to sacrifice things for

I tried this. The rotation is good, but I think it needs some tweaks.

Why start off with Plague Strike? (At least, that's what I think 'PS' stands for...). The drawback to starting with PS is Melee Range, unless you want to wait for cooldowns on Death Grip. Starting with Icy Touch will cause melee mobs to come to you, and you can beat on them after they come close. If they are far enough away, you can get a second Icy Touch for additional damage with no chance of them damaging you, as well. The rotation is actually best against casters and ranged damage mobs, where you have to actively get them into melee range.

small update to include the new frost rotation being tested by ej