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Blood Death Knight

Tank specialisation · Tier S in PvP, 0.2% of the sample

PvE GuideRaid logs, Mythic+ players and PvE buildsPvP GuideRated ladder talents, gear stats and buildsACTIVE

Rated PvP data

A complete live guide built from rated Battle.net profiles: bracket-specific talents, PvP talents, gear, gems, enchantments, statistics and importable builds. PvE raid casts are never presented as PvP advice.

All PvPSolo2v23v3BlitzRBG

Secondary stats

Secondary stat split across the 30 best-geared synced characters. Averaged per player, so one heavily geared character cannot define the answer for everyone.

  • Haste30.4%732 avg
  • Versatility28.8%643 avg
  • Mastery22.7%558 avg
  • Critical Strike18.1%471 avg

30

Synced Blitz players

1,793

Average rating sampled

2,114

Highest rating sampled

PvP talents

The three dedicated PvP slots, measured from Battle.net profiles.

Live ladder data
Last Dance

Last Dance

53%

Reduces the cooldown of Dancing Rune Weapon by 50% and its duration by 25%.

16 players

Bloodforged Armor

Bloodforged Armor

43%

Death Strike reduces all Physical damage taken by 25% for 4 sec.

13 players

Decomposing Aura

Decomposing Aura

43%

All enemies within 8 yards slowly decay, losing up to 3% of their max health every 2 sec. Max 5 stacks. Lasts 6 sec.

13 players

Spellwarden

Spellwarden

30%

Anti-Magic Shell is now usable on allies and its cooldown is reduced by 10 sec.

9 players

Price of Progress

Price of Progress

10%

You sacrifice 1% of your health every 1 sec and in exchange you cannot be slowed below 90% of normal speed, and you are immune to forced movement effects and knockbacks. Lasts until canceled.

3 players

Rot and Wither

Rot and Wither

7%

Your Death and Decay rots enemies each time it deals damage, absorbing healing equal to 100% of damage dealt.

2 players

Strangulate

Strangulate

7%

Shadowy tendrils constrict an enemy's throat, silencing them for 4 sec.

2 players

Dark Simulacrum

Dark Simulacrum

3%

Places a dark ward on an enemy player that persists for 12 sec, triggering when the enemy next spends mana on a spell, and allowing the Death Knight to unleash an exact duplicate of that spell.

1 players

Death Chain

Death Chain

3%

Chains 3 enemies together, dealing 1139.1 Shadow damage and causing 20% of all damage taken to also be received by the others in the chain. Lasts for 10 sec.

1 players

Combat toolkit

Common high-rated choices grouped by purpose. This is a PvP toolkit, not a fake raid rotation.

Pressure & burst

  • Asphyxiate
    Asphyxiate100%

    Increases the range of Death Grip by 10 yds. Killing an enemy that yields experience or honor resets the cooldown of Death Grip.

  • Bone Collector
    Bone Collector100%

    When you would pull an enemy generate 1 charge of Bone Shield. Bone Shield Surrounds you with a barrier of whirling bones, increasing Armor by 2,601. Each melee attack against you consumes a charge. Lasts 30 sec or until all charges are consumed.

Most played equipment

Top two choices per slot among the highest-rated hydrated profiles.

Back

Venomous Aspirant's Cape

10% equipped · 263 ilvl

Back

Speakeasy Shroud

10% equipped · 315 ilvl

Chest

Baleful Grave-Knight's Breastplate

53% equipped · 292 ilvl

Blood Death Knight enchantments

  • Enchanted: Rune of Sanguination77%
  • Enchanted: +41 Agility/Strength & +115 Stamina50%
  • Enchanted: Enchant Boots - Farstrider's Hunt37%

Talent tree choices & importable builds

Talent choices across 30 synced characters playing this specialisation. These are observed picks, not recommendations — they say what the ladder is doing, not what you should do.

Where builds differ

Taken by between 15% and 90% of players. This is where the real decisions are.

  • Bloodshot90%

    26 players · Specialization

  • Brittle90%

    26 players · Class

  • Gloom Ward90%

    26 players · Class

  • March of Darkness90%

    26 players · Class

  • Blood Draw86%

    25 players · Class

  • Boiling Point83%

    24 players · Specialization

  • Improved Heart Strike83%

    24 players · Specialization

  • Permafrost79%

    23 players · Class

  • Blood-Soaked Ground76%

    22 players · Hero

  • Bloodied Blade76%

    22 players · Specialization

  • Bloody Fortitude76%

    22 players · Hero

  • Frenzied Bloodthirst76%

    22 players · Hero

  • Gift of the San'layn76%

    22 players · Hero

  • Incite Terror76%

    22 players · Hero

  • Inevitable76%

    22 players · Hero

  • Infliction of Sorrow76%

    22 players · Hero

  • Newly Turned76%

    22 players · Hero

  • Pact of the San'layn76%

    22 players · Hero

  • The Blood is Life76%

    22 players · Hero

  • Thrill of Blood76%

    22 players · Hero

  • Transfusion76%

    22 players · Hero

  • Umbilicus Eternus76%

    22 players · Specialization

  • Vampiric Strike76%

    22 players · Hero

  • Visceral Strength76%

    22 players · Hero

  • Blood Scent66%

    19 players · Class

  • Lifeblood66%

    19 players · Specialization

  • Suppression59%

    17 players · Class

  • Blood Mist55%

    16 players · Specialization

  • Plague Infusion55%

    16 players · Specialization

  • Coldthirst48%

    14 players · Class

  • Improved Vampiric Blood48%

    14 players · Specialization

  • Foul Bulwark45%

    13 players · Specialization

  • Relish in Blood45%

    13 players · Specialization

  • Death Notes41%

    12 players · Class

  • Assimilation38%

    11 players · Class

  • Death Defiance31%

    9 players · Class

Near-universal picks (45)taken by 90%+ — effectively baseline
  • Abomination Limb100%

    29 players · Specialization

  • Anti-Magic Barrier100%

    29 players · Class

  • Asphyxiate100%

    29 players · Class

Rarely taken (9)under 15% — situational or out of favour
  • Bloodworms10%

    3 players · Specialization

  • Consumption10%

    3 players · Specialization

Import a real build

Loadouts from the highest-rated synced players of this specialisation. Paste straight into the game.

  • Rahbekius

    kazzak · EU2,114

  • Newtivaki

    quelthalas · US2,056

  • Griptin

    emerald-dream · EU1,952

  • Ártháslegend

    magtheridon · EU1,949

  • Manablight

    moon-guard · US1,936

Learn the spec

This page measures what players do. For rotation, stat priority and matchup play, these are the references.

  • Skill-CappedpvpArena guides, matchup play and comp theory. Subscription, and the standard reference for PvP.
  • Murlok.iopvpTalent and gear data from the PvP ladder, broken down per bracket.

Other Death Knight specs

  • Frost
  • Unholy
Coagulopathy
Coagulopathy100%

Enemies affected by Blood Plague take 5% increased damage from you and Death Strike increases the damage of your Blood Plague by 10% for 15 sec, stacking up to 4 times.

  • Dance of Midnight
    Dance of Midnight100%

    For each Dancing Rune Weapon active your damage is increased by 6% and your damage taken is reduced by 6%.

  • Dancing Rune Weapon
    Dancing Rune Weapon100%

    Summons a rune weapon for 12 sec that mirrors your melee attacks and bolsters your defenses. While active, you gain 30% parry chance.

    • Survival

    • Anti-Magic Barrier
      Anti-Magic Barrier100%

      Reduces the cooldown of Anti-Magic Shell by 20 sec and increases its duration and amount absorbed by 40%.

    • Blood Boil
      Blood Boil100%

      Deals 10,164 Shadow damage and infects all enemies within 10 yds with Blood Plague. Blood Plague A shadowy disease that drains 14,997 health from the target over 12 sec.

    • Death Strike
      Death Strike100%

      Focuses dark power into a strike that deals 12,184 Physical damage and heals you for 24.15% of all damage taken in the last 5 sec, minimum 8.5% of maximum health.

    • Hemostasis
      Hemostasis100%

      Each enemy hit by Blood Boil increases the damage and healing done by your next Death Strike by 8%, stacking up to 5 times.

    • Improved Death Strike
      Improved Death Strike100%

      Death Strike's cost is reduced by 5, and its healing is increased by 15%.

    Control & mobility

    • Abomination Limb
      Abomination Limb100%

      Shadowy tendrils coil around all enemies within 15 yards of a hostile or friendly target, pulling them to the target's location and Silencing them for 3 sec.

    • Heart Strike
      Heart Strike100%

      Instantly strike the target and 1 other nearby enemy, causing 10,085 Physical damage, and reducing enemies' movement speed by 20% for 8 sec, plus 2 Runic Power per additional enemy struck.

    • Icebound Fortitude
      Icebound Fortitude100%

      Your blood freezes, granting immunity to Stun effects and reducing all damage you take by 30% for 8 sec.

    • Mind Freeze
      Mind Freeze100%

      Smash the target's mind with cold, interrupting spellcasting and preventing any spell in that school from being cast for 5 sec.

    • Blinding Sleet
      Blinding Sleet97%

      Targets in a cone in front of you are blinded, causing them to wander disoriented for 5 sec. Damage may cancel the effect. When Blinding Sleet ends, enemies are slowed by 50% for 6 sec.

    Chest

    Relentless Rider's Cuirass

    10% equipped · 246 ilvl

    Feet

    Venomous Aspirant's Plate Warboots

    27% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Feet

    Poison-Proof Stompers

    20% equipped · 315 ilvl

    Hands

    Baleful Grave-Knight's Deathgrips

    57% equipped · 292 ilvl

    Hands

    Relentless Rider's Bonegrasps

    7% equipped · 246 ilvl

    Head

    Baleful Grave-Knight's Casque

    47% equipped · 298 ilvl

    Head

    Venomous Aspirant's Plate Helm

    20% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Legs

    Baleful Grave-Knight's Greaves

    27% equipped · 308 ilvl

    Legs

    Venomous Aspirant's Plate Wargreaves

    17% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Main Hand

    Blood Knight's Warblade

    20% equipped · 331 ilvl

    Main Hand

    Venomous Aspirant's Battleaxe

    10% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Neck

    Yoke of the Charging Bear

    17% equipped · 315 ilvl

    Neck

    Venomous Aspirant's Pendant

    17% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Ring 1

    Thalassian Competitor's Signet

    27% equipped · 292 ilvl

    Ring 1

    Ritual Binder's Ring

    10% equipped · 321 ilvl

    Ring 2

    Thalassian Competitor's Signet

    27% equipped · 292 ilvl

    Ring 2

    Sickening Signet of Atroxus

    17% equipped · 315 ilvl

    Shirt

    Precious's Ribbon

    7% equipped · 1 ilvl

    Shirt

    Sleeveless T-Shirt

    7% equipped · 1 ilvl

    Shoulders

    Baleful Grave-Knight's Gibbets

    43% equipped · 295 ilvl

    Shoulders

    Venomous Aspirant's Plate Pauldrons

    13% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Tabard

    Galactic Gladiator's Tabard

    13% equipped · 1 ilvl

    Tabard

    Tabard of the Achiever

    7% equipped · 1 ilvl

    Trinket 1

    Venomous Aspirant's Insignia of Alacrity

    10% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Trinket 1

    Venomous Aspirant's Medallion

    10% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Trinket 2

    Venomous Aspirant's Medallion

    13% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Trinket 2

    Idol of the War Loa

    10% equipped · 311 ilvl

    Waist

    Venomous Aspirant's Plate Greatbelt

    13% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Waist

    Venomous Aspirant's Plate Girdle

    13% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Wrist

    Thalassian Competitor's Plate Armguards

    17% equipped · 292 ilvl

    Wrist

    Overseer's Vambraces

    17% equipped · 315 ilvl

    Enchanted: Enchant Chest - Mark of the Worldsoul
    37%
  • Enchanted: Enchant Helm - Empowered Blessing of Speed37%
  • Enchanted: Enchant Shoulders - Akil'zon's Swiftness37%
  • Thalassian Phoenix Oil33%
  • Enchanted: Enchant Chest - Mark of Nalorakk20%

    • Blood Death Knight gems & sockets

    • Prismatic Socket37%
    • Indecipherable Eversong Diamond · +32 Primary Stat27%
    • Enduring Heliotrope · +23 Primary Stat and +5% Damage Reduction when affected by Crowd Control20%
    • Flawless Versatile Peridot · +16 Haste & +7 Versatility20%
    • Flawless Deadly Peridot · +16 Haste & +7 Critical Strike13%
    • Flawless Quick Garnet · +16 Critical Strike & +7 Haste10%
    • Flawless Versatile Amethyst · +16 Mastery & +7 Versatility10%
    • Flawless Deadly Amethyst · +16 Mastery & +7 Critical Strike7%
    Blood Boil100%

    29 players · Specialization

  • Bone Collector100%

    29 players · Specialization

  • Coagulopathy100%

    29 players · Specialization

  • Dance of Midnight100%

    29 players · Specialization

  • Dancing Rune Weapon100%

    29 players · Specialization

  • Death Strike100%

    29 players · Class

  • Death's Echo100%

    29 players · Class

  • Everlasting Bond100%

    29 players · Specialization

  • Heart Strike100%

    29 players · Specialization

  • Hemostasis100%

    29 players · Specialization

  • Icebound Fortitude100%

    29 players · Class

  • Icy Talons100%

    29 players · Class

  • Improved Bone Shield100%

    29 players · Specialization

    • Enfeeble6.9%

    2 players · Class

  • Blood Bond3.4%

    1 players · Class

  • Blood Feast3.4%

    1 players · Specialization

  • Control Undead3.4%

    1 players · Class

  • Ice Prison3.4%

    1 players · Class

  • Perseverance of the Ebon Blade3.4%

    1 players · Specialization

  • Unyielding Will3.4%

    1 players · Class