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Unholy Death Knight

Damage specialisation · Tier B in PvP, 3.7% 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 100 best-geared synced characters. Averaged per player, so one heavily geared character cannot define the answer for everyone.

  • Versatility42.7%925 avg
  • Mastery30.3%678 avg
  • Haste18.5%415 avg
  • Critical Strike8.5%207 avg

150

Synced PvP players

2,185

Average rating sampled

2,554

Highest rating sampled

PvP talents

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

Live ladder data
Necrotic Wounds

Necrotic Wounds

31%

Putrefy applies a Necrotic Wound to the enemy when it deals damage, absorbing 8% of all healing received for 15 sec. Max 3 stacks. Adding a stack does not refresh the duration.

46 players

Strangulate

Strangulate

28%

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

42 players

Spellwarden

Spellwarden

24%

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

36 players

Life and Death

Life and Death

4%

When the target afflicted with your Dread Plague is healed, you are also healed for 10% of the amount. Additionally, Dread Plague deals 200% of its remaining damage to the target when dispelled.

6 players

Bloodforged Armor

Bloodforged Armor

3%

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

4 players

Dark Simulacrum

Dark Simulacrum

1%

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

Doomburst

Doomburst

1%

Sudden Doom also causes your next Death Coil to deal the damage of your plagues an additional time at 25% effectiveness and reduce the target's movement speed by 45% for 3 sec.

1 players

Stitchmaster

Stitchmaster

1%

When a Lesser Ghoul dies, you gather the remains to heal for 2% of its maximum health. Death Strike sacrifices all Lesser Ghouls under your command.

1 players

Zombify

Zombify

1%

Reanimates a nearby corpse, summoning a zombie for 20 sec that slowly moves towards your target. If your zombie reaches its target, it explodes after 3.0 sec. The explosion stuns all enemies within 8 yards for 3 sec and deals 10% of their health in Shadow damage.

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.

  • Death's Echo
    Death's Echo100%

    Death's Advance, Death and Decay, and Death Grip have 1 additional charge.

  • Rune Mastery

Most played equipment

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

Back

Venomous Aspirant's Cloak

32% equipped · 263 ilvl

Back

Venomous Aspirant's Cape

29% equipped · 263 ilvl

Chest

Baleful Grave-Knight's Breastplate

74% equipped · 292 ilvl

Unholy Death Knight enchantments

  • Enchanted: Rune of the Apocalypse95%
  • Enchanted: +41 Agility/Strength & +115 Stamina85%
  • Enchanted: Enchant Chest - Mark of the Worldsoul75%
  • Enchanted: Enchant Boots - Farstrider's Hunt70%

Talent tree choices & importable builds

Talent choices across 280 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.

  • Osmosis89%

    247 players · Class

  • Morbidity83%

    229 players · Specialization

  • Proliferating Chill78%

    215 players · Class

  • Blood Draw63%

    174 players · Class

  • Cycle of Death59%

    164 players · Specialization

  • Grip of the Dead57%

    157 players · Class

  • Coldthirst54%

    148 players · Class

  • Infected Claws34%

    93 players · Specialization

  • Icy Talons30%

    84 players · Class

  • Blood Scent21%

    59 players · Class

  • Menacing Magus20%

    56 players · Specialization

  • Permafrost16%

    43 players · Class

Near-universal picks (68)taken by 90%+ — effectively baseline
  • Anti-Magic Barrier100%

    276 players · Class

  • Asphyxiate100%

    276 players · Class

  • Death Strike100%

    276 players · Class

Rarely taken (99)under 15% — situational or out of favour
  • Insidious Chill13%

    37 players · Class

  • Blood Bond12%

    34 players · Class

  • Grave Mastery12%

    34 players · Specialization

Import a real build

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

  • Slackjawed

    dalvengyr · US2,554

  • Кромгон

    soulflayer · EU2,534

  • Royjones

    sargeras · US2,522

  • Oßitø

    ravencrest · EU2,503

  • Cerséï

    tichondrius · US2,491

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

  • Blood
  • Frost
Rune Mastery100%

Consuming a Rune has a chance to increase your Strength by 3% for 8 sec.

  • Runic Attenuation
    Runic Attenuation100%

    Auto attacks have a chance to generate 3 Runic Power.

  • Unholy Bond
    Unholy Bond100%

    Increases the effectiveness of your Runeforge effects by 20%.

    • 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%.

    • Death Strike
      Death Strike100%

      Focuses dark power into a strike that deals 1,874 Physical damage and heals you for 32.00% of all damage taken in the last 5 sec, minimum 11.2% of maximum health.

    • Improved Death Strike
      Improved Death Strike100%

      Death Strike's cost is reduced by 10, and its healing is increased by 60%.

    • Will of the Necropolis
      Will of the Necropolis100%

      Damage taken below 30% Health is reduced by 35%.

    • Gloom Ward
      Gloom Ward100%

      Absorbs are 15% more effective on you.

    Control & mobility

    • 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 Freeze99%

      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.

    • Enfeeble
      Enfeeble97%

      Your ghoul's attacks have a chance to apply Enfeeble, reducing the enemies movement speed by 30% and the damage they deal to you by 12% for 6 sec.

    • Death Charge
      Death Charge94%

      Call upon your Death Charger to break free of movement impairment effects. For 10 sec, while upon your Death Charger your movement speed is increased by 100%, you cannot be slowed below 100% of normal speed, and you are immune to forced movement effects and knockbacks.

    Chest

    Venomous Aspirant's Plate Armor

    19% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Feet

    Thalassian Competitor's Plate Sabatons

    66% equipped · 292 ilvl

    Feet

    Venomous Aspirant's Plate Warboots

    25% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Hands

    Baleful Grave-Knight's Deathgrips

    73% equipped · 292 ilvl

    Hands

    Venomous Gladiator's Plate Handguards

    12% equipped · 292 ilvl

    Head

    Venomous Aspirant's Plate Helm

    75% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Head

    Baleful Grave-Knight's Casque

    13% equipped · 292 ilvl

    Legs

    Venomous Aspirant's Plate Wargreaves

    50% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Legs

    Venomous Aspirant's Plate Legguards

    31% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Main Hand

    Venomous Aspirant's Polearm

    51% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Main Hand

    Venomous Aspirant's Battleaxe

    29% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Neck

    Venomous Aspirant's Pendant

    41% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Neck

    Thalassian Competitor's Amulet

    37% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Ring 1

    Thalassian Competitor's Signet

    56% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Ring 1

    Venomous Aspirant's Signet

    21% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Ring 2

    Thalassian Competitor's Signet

    56% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Ring 2

    Venomous Aspirant's Signet

    23% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Shirt

    Precious's Ribbon

    9% equipped · 1 ilvl

    Shirt

    Fashionable Undershirt

    4% equipped · 1 ilvl

    Shoulders

    Venomous Gladiator's Plate Pauldrons

    34% equipped · 292 ilvl

    Shoulders

    Baleful Grave-Knight's Gibbets

    33% equipped · 295 ilvl

    Tabard

    Galactic Gladiator's Tabard

    15% equipped · 1 ilvl

    Tabard

    Astral Gladiator's Tabard

    9% equipped · 1 ilvl

    Trinket 1

    Venomous Aspirant's Insignia of Alacrity

    47% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Trinket 1

    Venomous Aspirant's Medallion

    21% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Trinket 2

    Venomous Aspirant's Medallion

    49% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Trinket 2

    Venomous Aspirant's Insignia of Alacrity

    20% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Waist

    Thalassian Competitor's Plate Waistguard

    69% equipped · 292 ilvl

    Waist

    Venomous Aspirant's Plate Girdle

    16% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Wrist

    Venomous Aspirant's Plate Cuffs

    51% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Wrist

    Thalassian Competitor's Plate Armguards

    20% equipped · 288 ilvl

    Enchanted: Enchant Shoulders - Akil'zon's Swiftness
    63%
  • Enchanted: Enchant Helm - Empowered Blessing of Speed60%
  • Enchanted: Enchant Ring - Silvermoon's Tenacity52%
  • Enchanted: Enchant Ring - Zul'jin's Mastery30%

    • Unholy Death Knight gems & sockets

    • Enduring Heliotrope · +23 Primary Stat and +5% Damage Reduction when affected by Crowd Control83%
    • Flawless Masterful Lapis · +16 Versatility & +7 Mastery61%
    • Flawless Versatile Amethyst · +16 Mastery & +7 Versatility24%
    • Flawless Quick Amethyst · +16 Mastery & +7 Haste13%
    • Prismatic Socket6%
    • Flawless Masterful Peridot · +16 Haste & +7 Mastery5%
    • Flawless Masterful Garnet · +16 Critical Strike & +7 Mastery4%
    • Flawless Deadly Amethyst · +16 Mastery & +7 Critical Strike3%
    Death's Echo100%

    276 players · Class

  • Icebound Fortitude100%

    276 players · Class

  • Improved Death Strike100%

    276 players · Class

  • Rune Mastery100%

    276 players · Class

  • Runic Attenuation100%

    276 players · Class

  • Unholy Bond100%

    276 players · Class

  • Unholy Momentum100%

    276 players · Class

  • Veteran of the Third War100%

    276 players · Class

  • Will of the Necropolis100%

    276 players · Class

  • Brittle100%

    275 players · Class

  • Gloom Ward100%

    275 players · Class

  • Mind Freeze99%

    274 players · Class

  • Cleaving Strikes99%

    272 players · Class

    • Assimilation8.0%

    22 players · Class

  • Blood-Soaked Ground4.7%

    13 players · Hero

  • Bloody Fortitude4.7%

    13 players · Hero

  • Frenzied Bloodthirst4.7%

    13 players · Hero

  • Gift of the San'layn4.7%

    13 players · Hero

  • Incite Terror4.7%

    13 players · Hero

  • Inevitable4.7%

    13 players · Hero

  • Infliction of Sorrow4.7%

    13 players · Hero

  • Newly Turned4.7%

    13 players · Hero