Clarify this for me: DW or 2H frost?

Classes Death Knight
1

Can someone clarify for me whether you play 2H or DW for Frost, and which one is better?

I’ve sat at training dummies rotating runes on weapons between 2h and dw for like the latter few hours the other night and can’t figure out which one is better.

Could someone clarify the following? - I’m primarily going to PVP.

  1. For PVP and PVE, which is better and why?
  2. For 2h, which rune should you use on your weapon, razorice or fallen crusader?
  3. Do you also emphasize 5stack shatters with 2h? the stacking seems lacklustre with 2h compared to DW, and even slower if you do not run razorice.
  4. Can someone provide a proper 2h and dw PVP spec for frost?

************ MAIN QUESTION*************
Do I just spam Obliterate as 2h Frost? No shatters right? What is the PVP spec? Would we even spec into The Long Winter or Shattering Blade? Please answer this!! >-

Thanks in advance, Google seems too complex nowadays.

2
  1. DW is better, for all capstones, for PvE, since it’s what the spec is designed around. Don’t know about PvP.
  2. Fallen Crusader
  3. You don’t play Shattering Blade with 2h.
3

Oddly enough i dont play shattering blade DW either. Feels better and SB sims lower even DW. Must have been the nerf.

4

This is a question that should never be asked. The fact that it is asked means the design is flawed from the ground level.

It should be DW each and every time just from how Blizzard pushes Frost as a DW spec, if its not DW then the information Blizzard gives is just a trap. If the preferred weapons are dual weapons then that should be represented as being the preferred weapon.

5

Dual Wielding is currently meta, given that the tier set is all about buffing Frost Strike. DW being optimal isn’t a given patch over patch. Borrowed power can shift it in either direction, and the spec has flip flopped patch over patch for the past 2 expansions.

2h tends to be dominant when there are effects that empower things like Chill Streak and Sindragosa’s Fury. Rider of the Apocalypse has some natural synergy with 2h by wanting to run 1:30 dragon, but the tier set and Deathbringer being OP are suppressing that build pretty hard.

Items in the vein of Gavel, Ashkandur, or Fyralath will automatically swing Frost into a 2h spec, unless DW builds are inordinately strong.

I really really hate that multiple replies are about the political nonsense on these forums about 2h vs DW. The spec runs both, end of story. Right this second, DW is the play.

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6

2h if only because I’m tired of constantly having to find a second weapon. Plus, I freaking hated being forced into DW.

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7

Torrent goes brrrrrrrraaaapp buurrrrrrrrr like old Gucci Mane before he was cloned

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8

I think dw and 2h are both fine

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9

i think DW and 2h are both okay, i personally prefer DW as it just feels better to play overall and less slow.

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10

For pve play, i’d say they’re close enough together to not make any notable difference. 2H is going to give you the big heavy hits with big beefy numbers, while dw will trigger your auto attack procs far more often and create a slightly smoother rotation. Pick whichever one fits your fancy honestly.

I believe people were saying it’s looking like in high-end raid and mythic content do wheeled will pull ahead, but we’ll see how it goes when we get there.

I’ve ran both razor ice and fallen crusader runes with two hand and they both have merits. I would still avoid doing a shatter build if you’re using two hand though it’s not going to sound off as much.

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11

Flarkness just posted his in depth PvP FDK guide yesterday on YT that covers the main three builds. I’d watch that.

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12

I tried something different than the guides and took a point out of Glacial Advance as DW, but took Shattering Blade. With Rime Oblits giving free Glacial Advances anyway, and icy talons DW, I find that I get so many applications of Razorice that I can get 5 almost every global and then frost strike will do more damage than a glacial advance.

I’m able to talent in more pillar of ice talents for longer burst windows

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13

Currently in PvP the 30% damage increase to oblits is not > than having access to three runeforges.
With razor ice being applied through secondary talents having stoneskin 6% extra stats will just be better. (20% increase to runeforge via talents)

Sure burst will be higher in smaller windows but the sustain and overall damage will lean to DW due to extra strength.

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14

Start of the expansion, DW looks to be better slightly since our crit and haste stats are lower meaning less KMs and IDT procs.

I can see this changing later in the expansion for 2H as we get more stats to proc KMs which not only helps damage but also resources. Although dual wield specs have been overdue a DW legendary so anything can happen.