Welcome to the PVE Frost Death Knight DPS Guide for World of Warcraft Cataclysm!
This guide will teach you how to play a Frost Death Knight in a raid. It covers talents, glyphs, gems, enchantments, rotation, and gameplay tips.
Talents
This build offers longer disease duration, making the build easier to use
This version of the Dual Wielding build gives up disease duration for more runic power, making it harder to play
This is the version of the build with longer disease durations, making it easier to use
This version offers more runic power, but gives up disease duration and therefore makes it harder to play
Glyphs
Prime Glyphs
Major Glyphs
Minor Glyphs
Gems
Gems are situational and depend on the build and equipment. They are used to reach the required stat caps.
- Meta – Reverberating Shadowspirit Diamond
- Red/Prismatic – Bold Queen’s Garnet, Bold Inferno Ruby, Bold Chimera’s Eye (Jewelcrafting option)
- Yellow
- Bold Queen’s Garnet or Bold Inferno Ruby if Socket bonus is not at least +20 Strength or +30 of other stat, otherwise Fierce Lava Coral or Fierce Ember Topaz
- Blue
- Bold Queen’s Garnet or Bold Inferno Ruby if Socket bonus is not at least +20 Strength or +30 of other stat, otherwise Etched Shadow Spinel or Etched Demonseye
Enchants
- Head – Arcanum of the Wildhammer
/Arcanum of the Dragonmaw 
- Shoulder – Greater Inscription of Jagged Stone or Lionsmane Inscription (Inscription)
- Cloak – Enchant Cloak – Greater Critical Strike or Swordguard Embroidery (Tailoring)
- Chest – Enchant Chest – Peerless Stats
- Bracers – Enchant Bracer – Major Strength or Draconic Embossment – Strength (Leatherworking)
- Gloves – Enchant Gloves – Mighty Strength
- Waist – Grounded Plasma Shield (Engineering), Socket Gloves (Blacksmithing)
- Legs – Dragonscale Leg Armor, Dragonbone Leg Reinforcements (Leatherworking)
- Boots – Enchant Boots – Haste
- Weapon
- Main Hand – Rune of Razorice
- Off Hand – Rune of the Fallen Crusader
Rotation & Gameplay
Stat Priority
The highest priority will be to make sure your hit is at 8%, after that use the following depending upon the build you selected above.
Dual Wielding
- Strength
- Hit
- Expertise (to 26)
- Haste
- Mastery
- Critical Strike
Two-Handed
- Strength
- Hit
- Expertise (to 26)
- Mastery
- Haste
- Critical Strike
Rotation & Cooldowns
Single Target Rotation
Always be in Unholy Presence for this rotation.
- Frost Fever/Blood Plague (keep up 100%)
- Obliterate (if both Frost/Unholy or both Death Runes are available, or if you have a Killing Machine proc)
- Frost Strike (if runic power is near max)
- Howling Blast (when you have a Rime proc)
- Obliterate
- Frost Strike (when two runes of same type are depleted or regenerating)
- Howling Blast
- Horn of Winter
Area of Effect Rotation
For shorter AoE periods, you can stay in Unholy Presence, but for longer AoE phases, swap to Frost Presence.
- Howling Blast (if two runes of same type are available)
- Death and Decay or Plague Strike if both Unholy runes are available
- Frost Strike (if runic power is near max)
- Howling Blast
- Death and Decay or Plague Strike
- Frost Strike
- Horn of Winter
DPS Cooldowns
- Pillar of Frost should be used on cooldown, at the same time as your trinket
- Empower Rune Weapon should be used when your runes are all on cooldown and you have low runic power, to increase DPS when you need it
- Raise Dead should be used when you have procs active, since the ghoul benefits from your stats at the moment you cast it
- Army of the Dead also benefits from your stats, but should be used just before combat, or during phases in which you’re unable to attack the boss (due to its cast time)
- Blood Tap should be used on cooldown, assuming one or both of your Death runes are unavailable