EDIT
Please note that “Leveling at a Glance: X” posts were based off of Beta information and meant to be “at a glance” guidelines. Since release I have gotten a chance to level up my DK and talk to other DK I know to be playing in Live. I’ve since released this new post with corrected/updated specs for Unholy and Blood. I’ve also made more of a point of saying that Frost and DW we’re only listed for those who just insisted on those specs. They are not good for leveling.
Death Knight specs for leveling up in WotLK
BLOOD
32/0/17 This is the spec you should have at level 58.
51/0/20 This should be the leveling spec finished at level 80. This is a leveling spec, not an end game spec.
UNHOLY
0/0/49 This is the spec you should have at level 58.
18/0/51 This should be the leveling spec finished at level 80. This is a leveling spec, not an end game spec. (**You have 2 free points left to spend still)
EDIT
Heya guys!! 
So with Lich King release coming up, DK’s are looking for Death Knight specs to level with. Leveling at a Glance: Frost is going to show you an efficient DK spec to start with and level to 80. Here is a link to WoW Head’s Talent Calculator for Death Knights.
Now something most people forget is that a leveling spec looks Nothing like a PvP or PvE spec. This is going to be all about how to most efficiently take advantage of increasing dps, while also decreasing downtime. So sometimes great dps talents don’t net you real dps in a leveling environment, and at the same time some tanking talents become WIN WIN.
0/49/0 is the ideal spec to be by the end of the Death Knight starting zone if you choose to go Frost spec. Here are the why’s:
Tier 1 Frost
- Improved Icy Touch 3/3 – It’s a prereq for deeper talents, provides dmg mitigation, and increases dps. All in all, one of the best buys.
- Glacier Rot 2/2 – Bonus dmg on 3 of your major attacks = WIN.
- Toughness 0/5 – /sigh We want this, but cannot afford it.
Tier 2 Frost
- Icy Reach 0/2 – While this would be super awesome, especially in a 57 point Frost build, there just isn’t enough points.
- Black Ice 5/5 – Should be renamed “Frosty Beverage” I’ll take 10 please!!! +30% dmg to our main source of damage… /drool
- Nerves of Cold Steel 0/3 – Frost is all about 2H…don’t even think about it! /slaps hand away from the talent bar.
Tier 3 Frost
- Icy Talons 5/5 – Plus 20% haste = excellent, especially with the final cap to this little mini-tree in Frost.
- Lichborne 1/1 – Anti-CC, Oh !@#$ button for avoidance, and DC’s heal you now. Can we spell AWESOME!?!?! /sigh No Bonechewer…we know you can’t spell anything besides Bones…
- Annihilation 3/3 – Pretty much a must for Blood and Frost specs so you can keep your diseases up on targets.
Tier 4 Frost
- Runic Power Mastery 0/3 – Aka, Blizz is stupid. *OR* Aka, you’re a lazy DK who wants to bank RP. Take your pick, it’s a waste of a talent.
- Killing Machine 5/5 – If I crit, I’ve got a stupid high chance of critting again? Sign me up!!
Tier 5 Frost
- Frigid Deathplate 3/3 – Avoidance = less downtime = broken record = you know what’s next by now right? = moar expz!!!!
- Chill of the Grave 1/2 – We had to sacrifice something leveling up…and this is it. You can finish this up later though.
- Deathchill 0/1- Straight up PvP talent. It’s cool, but as we’re short to begin with on points, this is going out with the trash.
Tier 6 Frost
- Improved Icy Talons 1/1 – DING DING DING!!! Mini-tree completed, 25% haste awarded!! Woot!!
- Merciless Combat 2/2 – Three of your big attacks which you’ve already purchased +40% dmg on (+70% dmg on Icy Touch), now you get MOAR DPS on them!! You like BIG NUMBERS right?!?!
- Rime 3/3 – Plus crit chance on some of your attacks and a chance at a freebie HB?? We’ll take 3!! Oh wait… *looks at the 3 points in the talent* …we already did!!
- Endless Winter 0/2 – Short on points to be picking up CC at this point…
Tier 7 Frost
- Howling Blast 1/1 – THIS = WIN!! Try it. Love it. Play with it.
- Frost Aura 0/2 – This isn’t that hot even in raid environments. Pass.
- Chillblains 0/3 – As we skipped the pre-req, we’re skipping it.
Tier 8 Frost
- Blood of the North 5/5 – If you’ve missed the trend by now, I will explain it. Every tree has a way for the build to get Death Runes. Whatever it is, you pretty much have to pick it up.
- Unbreakable Armor 1/1 – Plus mitigation, plus avoidance, plus dps, lasts 20 seconds, and it resets after a minute… WOW!!!!!!! Very much in line with Bone Armor.
Tier 9 Frost
- Acclimation 0/3 – Pure PvP love there, but as we’re a leveling spec, we’re out.
- Frost Strike 1/1 – This is your big runic dump, it does great dps, and it can’t be blocked, dodged, or parried. How hot is that?
- Guile of Gorefiend 3/3 – It has Icebound Fortitude love and gives you even *BIGGER* numbers on crits!!
Tier 10 Frost
- Tundra Stalker 4/5 – Plus damage on all targets is what it should say. If you don’t have Frost Fever and Blood Plague up, something’s wrong. And expertise? Noice!
Tier 11 Frost
- Hungering Cold 1/1 - 1 minute CD, 10 yard burst AoE Crowd Control (CC), total lockdown power. It’s of limited use, but man…this will literally change a bad situation into being salvageable.
OK, so you’re level 58, out of the newbie zone, and leveling up. What now? Drop 1 point into Tundra Stalker to complete it, pick up Hungering Cold, and then finish up Chill of the Grave with 1 more point (52 points total in Frost). Now, you’re going to be dipping into the Blood tree. However there are two perfectly viable paths to take. One is more CC oriented, and the other is more healing (downtime reduction) oriented. Honestly, the extra CC makes either build about equal imo, so choose whichever suits you. 14/57/0 (CC) or 19/52/0 (More heals)
Tier 1 Blood
- Butchery 2/2 – Extra RP during combat and bonus when you get the killing blows (Bonechewer, I will explode you if you KS me one more time damnit!!) is honestly a no brainer. You should be letting your ghoul take the brunt of the damage most of time so you can fuel your RP into Death Coils to heal him up.
- Subversion 0/3 – Less threat for letting the ghoul tank more is the only reason to consider taking this talent. However I don’t think you need it.
- Blade Barrier 5/5 – You’ll learn to lead with Blood Strikes when you’re fighting multiple mobs, giving you an extra 10% parry is a massive boost in surviability.
Tier 2 Blood
- Bladed Armor 1/5 – A damn nice talent, but since you’re short on points and trying to make an efficienct leveling build, you need to leave this on the side.
- Scent of Blood 0/3 – No room for this, even though the extra RP would be nice.
- Two-Handed Weapon Specialization 2/2 – Last I checked (and please forgive me if this changed, I played in so many different Beta builds the versions blend together sometimes), this worked for not only white damage, but special abilities as well. RAWRR!!!!! Two Thumbs Up!! No Bonechewer! Where did you get those thumbs from anyway?! You don’t know where they came from do you??
Tier 3 Blood
- Dark Conviction 4/5 – Who doesn’t like to crit?
Here is our break point. The divergence of paths:
CC Oriented 14/57/0
- Endless Winter 2/2 – Short on points to be picking up CC at this point…
- Chillblains 3/3 – As we skipped the pre-req, we’re skipping it.
Heal Oriented 19/52/0
- Rune Tap 1/1 – It’s considered to be a pretty crappy talent, but for leveling it is the BOMB!!! You now have 2 heals. You can Death Strike and you can Rune Tap. This is a *must* have.
- Dark Conviction 5/5 – Who doesn’t like to crit?
- Vendetta 3/3 – Healing after you kill something for free, instead of having to eat food = WIN. Less downtime again = MOAR EXPZ!!!!
Well guys, I hope you found this helpful. This was Leveling at a Glance: Frost. GL to you Frost Death Knights out there. And don’t forget!!! There is a leveling spec coming soon that is for those people out there looking to try something new!!
Tags: Power Leveling
Heya guys!! 
