Consolidated list of notes that impact Frost DK in Midnight in case anyone is interested (as of 10/2/25):
DEATH KNIGHT
- Class
- Death Strike Heal reduced to 20% of all damage taken in the last 5 seconds (was 25%).
- Death and Decay damage increased by 130%.
- Unholy Endurance now reduces the cooldown of Lichborne by 30 seconds (was reduces damage taken).
- Sacrificial Pact has been removed.
- Hero Talents
- Deathbringer
- New Talent: Frigid Hunger – Upon exploding, Reaper’s Mark increases your critical strike chance by 10% for 8 seconds.
- New Talent: Deathly Blows
- Frost: Frost Strike damage increased by 5%. Glacial Advance damage increased by 5%.
- New Talent: Echoing Fury
- Frost: Reaper’s Mark deals 5% increased damage. Casting Frostwyrm’s Fury grants 2 stacks of Exterminate with 100% first scythe and 100% second scythe effectiveness.
- Rider of the Apocalypse
- New Talent: Ride or Die!
- Frost: Pillar of Frost summons forth Trollbane for 6 seconds.
- New Talent: Let Terror Reign
- Frost: Casting Obliterate or Frostscythe orders Trollbane to cast his Obliterate or Frostscythe alongside you at 100% effectiveness.
- Frost
- Developers’ notes: In Midnight, we are looking to iterate on the Ghosts of K’aresh Frost Death Knight rework by implementing better tuning knobs that allow for the two prominent builds, Frostbane and Breath of Sindragosa, to be able to compete in single target situations. We’re also updating Obliterate to be partially dealing Frost damage, so that we can fine tune the throughput difference between casting it with Killing Machine or without where we believe is needed.
- Apex Talents: Chosen of Frostbrood
- Frostwyrm’s Fury deals 100% increased damage to the first enemy it hits and grants you 15% Haste for 12 seconds.
- Casting Frostwyrm’s Fury forward grants 25/50 Runic Power. Recalling it grants 1/2 Killing Machine stacks.
- Frostwyrm’s Fury deals 100% increased damage. After the Frostwyrm flies away, you may cast Frostwyrm’s Fury again to recall it at 50% effectiveness.
- Obliterate has been updated –
- Two-Handed: A brutal attack that deals Physical and Frost damage.
- Dual Wield: A brutal attack with both weapons that deals a total of Physical and Frost damage.
- Shattering Blade now has an additional effect – When Frostbane consumes the Razorice stacks on your main target, it deals an additional 250% damage instead.
- Empower Rune Weapon effect is now instant and no longer has a projectile.
5 Likes
It’s unfortunate to see the absolute all-in on Frostwyrm’s Fury for Frost/Deathbringer. It looks potent for sure, but I was expecting something different from the Apex for Frost. I was hoping for something like ‘Frozen Wastes’ where you create a growing AoE ground effect consuming KM procs and it deals DoT and increases your mastery standing it it.
The Obliterate change is quite interesting with it working like Scourge Strike – could help those non-KM procs wet noodle hits. ERW change is a big, big win.
You want to bring back having to stand in a ground effect?
10 Likes
I’m old school with DK. Loved Desecration on Plague Strikes back in the day. -And if said Frozen Wastes were to grow like Defile by KS procs, you’d likely always be standing in it. I like static visual flavor. I just don’t care for the all-in on Frostwyrm’s Fury.
2 Likes
Some nice burst potential with Frostwyrm’s. Would be nice if you could hit em with a double freeze on the return call.
Sucks they’re bringing Abom Limb back but only for Blood spec.
Absolutely not. Having to stand in Death and Decay was the worst part about Ckeaving Strikes. I’m glad that gameplay is gone.
3 Likes
Not comparable because DnD CD/charges is far longer than KM procing the effect under your target(s) – and it’s passive vs having to place it. Realistically it’d likely be Rime procs that would cause said Frozen Wastes.
Frozen Wastes (Revised): When Rime is consumed, the ground beneath your target erupts in harrowing frost, dealing X damage per second to enemies within the area. While standing in the frost, you gain increased Mastery. The zone slowly expands over time. Cannot occur more than once every 10 seconds.
Then they could play with Pillar of Ice and Glacial Advance effects a lot while the terrain is iced over with the Apex talents.
2 Likes
Yeah no thanks, I’m cool with the boomerang dragon lol
No it’s not meaningfully different from Cleaving Strikes because it’s the same awkward gameplay of having to stand in a ground effect that we finally got rid of. That was the most hated aspect of Cleaving Strikes. Ground effects are a nonstarter. Standing in ground effects makes it much worse.
It is meaningfully different because it’s not directly tied to the AoE potential of the build like Cleaving Strikes/DnD is (even though this ties to Frost, not Unholy’s version on how they handle AoE). Frost has no reliance on DnD.
This is visual flair with output potential and theme vs the all-in triple apex talents on a 1.5 CD.
ie: If you’re not standing in ‘Frozen Wastes’, you’re not losing how your class can deal with AoE situations. If Frozen Wastes is being laid down passively, you gain everything and will rarely not benefit from it.
While I see how not tying it to aoe mechanics is different, it still has the awful gameplay of standing in a ground effect. I don’t want to have to stand in a ground effect for any reason.
FWF provides the visual flair without having to stand in anything - I’m glad the devs decided to go that direction. It’ll be interesting to see how it plays in Midnight.
1 Like
To each their own! I was just bummed to see Deathbringer and Apex talents go all in on FWF. Let’s us ride it or something 
2 Likes
To each their own for sure. I can see where you’re coming from. It’s good to brainstorm different ideas. Some might work out at some point in the future.
Being able to ride the frostwyrn would be awesome!
2 Likes
Lmao that’ll be funny to see for Frost dks surfing on Frostwyrm
2 Likes
I mean personally I miss Cleaving Strikes. Besides, even if you step out of Death and Decay, you do get a couple of seconds of Cleaving Strikes when stepping out. Bonking 3 people in it with a powerful yet decaying slow with Obliterate felt AWESOME.
It’s MUCH better than… Frostscythe. And don’t get me wrong, FScy is good… in PvE. In PvP though? I would take Cleaving Strikes any day of the week.
AND FOR THE LOVE OF ARTHAS, ELUNE AND AZEROTH. MAKE FROZEN DOMINION NOT REPLACE REMORSELESS WINTER.
Cool Draconstun Boomerang though. Could see myself pull a triangular shenanigans.
The first and last talents need to switch places in this one. The middle talents are useless unless you get the last one.
1 Like
I think initially people are only goin to take the first apex talent for the haste buff and take 4 capstones. This will hopefully wake blizz up to the fact that FWF hits WAY to soft for a 1.5m CD
2 Likes
I feel like Frostwyrm’s Fury should just be made baseline.
Can we not go all in on frostwyrm lol. Surely there is other themes they could give to frost DK’s.
Like maybe we can get our little welp back? Or give us more DK theme of raising the dead like skeleton warriors/mages?
I was thinking they should get rid of Frostwyrm’s entirely. Replace it with a talent that summons a giant boar with ice tusks.
The boar charges across the screen, does AoE damage in a straight line and freezes everything in its path.
Call it Iceboar’s Wrath.
1 Like