Frost

Of the three statuses, Frost is the one that deals no damage on its own. The Legendary Glacial Decay Engine exists to change that: its entire text makes Frost damage enemies as it ticks down, the way Burn does. Without it, Frost is a stack that other effects convert or spend.

Frost Catalyst converts it, dealing five times each enemy's Frost as damage on three Stall marks. Mage's Elemental Banner makes every Mage cast deal 6 damage per Frost to enemies in range, up from 4 in 0.5.5, and the Mage upgrade Freezing Absorption reads the Frost within range as Magic on each cast, a point per 5 stacks. Frost Ascendancy stuns each enemy for 2.5 seconds the first time it reaches 50. Amulet of Storms spends it, trading 30 stacks from each enemy that has them for a 2.5-second Stun on every cast, which leaves less for Frost Catalyst to multiply. Stall Aria runs the two together, with the Amulet on Aria.

Three of the four Frost quests ask for exactly twice the Poison figure: Frost Accumulator 100, Frost Vessel 200, Frost Ascendancy 800. Frost Conduit asks 400, more than double since Poison Conduit dropped to 150 in 0.5.5, and its Magic and Attack payout needs 4 Frost per point where Poison needs 2. The Plague relics keep the same two-to-one proportion. Among heroes, Gustav's Blizzard ties its Frost to Mana Regen and Karsu's Snowpiercer ties it to rank, over as many as 14 arrows, and 0.5.4 changed both. Freezing Wand adds a fixed 12 per cast to a single target.

On the Act 2 boss, Frost has worked at half strength since 0.5.4, a resistance written into The Red Rift. The Frost Dragon inflicts Frost with every auto attack and with Frost Breath, and the Mushroom Frost Mage applies it each second inside its Frost Storm. Tanks can make Frost defensive: the Tank upgrade Freezing Presence adds 33% Defense against damage dealt by enemies carrying Frost, and Frosted Gauntlets inflict 2 Frost both on attack and when the holder is attacked. Stall Tanks gives the Gauntlets to Pimenta.