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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 84 best-geared synced characters. Averaged per player, so one heavily geared character cannot define the answer for everyone.

  • Versatility48.4%1,035 avg
  • Mastery29.7%649 avg
  • Haste17.7%390 avg
  • Critical Strike4.1%104 avg

84

Synced Blitz players

1,873

Average rating sampled

2,312

Highest rating sampled

PvP talents

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

Live ladder data
Necrotic Wounds

Necrotic Wounds

32%

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.

27 players

Spellwarden

Spellwarden

25%

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

21 players

Strangulate

Strangulate

25%

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

21 players

Bloodforged Armor

Bloodforged Armor

5%

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

4 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.

3 players

Doomburst

Doomburst

2%

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.

2 players

Stitchmaster

Stitchmaster

2%

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.

2 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.

  • Brittle
    Brittle100%

    Your diseases have a chance to weaken your enemy causing your attacks against them to deal 6% increased damage for 5 sec.

Most played equipment

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

Back

Venomous Aspirant's Cape

37% equipped · 263 ilvl

Back

Venomous Aspirant's Cloak

27% equipped · 263 ilvl

Chest

Baleful Grave-Knight's Breastplate

62% equipped · 308 ilvl

Unholy Death Knight enchantments

  • Enchanted: Rune of the Apocalypse90%
  • Enchanted: +41 Agility/Strength & +115 Stamina70%
  • Enchanted: Enchant Shoulders - Akil'zon's Swiftness62%
  • Enchanted: Enchant Boots - Farstrider's Hunt61%

Talent tree choices & importable builds

Talent choices across 84 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.

  • Osmosis88%

    73 players · Class

  • Morbidity80%

    66 players · Specialization

  • Proliferating Chill78%

    65 players · Class

  • Grip of the Dead61%

    51 players · Class

  • Cycle of Death59%

    49 players · Specialization

  • Blood Draw54%

    45 players · Class

  • Coldthirst45%

    37 players · Class

  • Infected Claws37%

    31 players · Specialization

  • Icy Talons31%

    26 players · Class

  • Menacing Magus25%

    21 players · Specialization

  • Blood Scent24%

    20 players · Class

  • Permafrost17%

    14 players · Class

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

    83 players · Class

  • Asphyxiate100%

    83 players · Class

  • Brittle100%

    83 players · Class

Rarely taken (66)under 15% — situational or out of favour
  • Blood Bond14%

    12 players · Class

  • Insidious Chill13%

    11 players · Class

  • Grave Mastery9.6%

    8 players · Specialization

Import a real build

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

  • Dukken

    tichondrius · US2,312

  • Fantazero

    tichondrius · US2,274

  • Lileh

    khadgar · EU2,257

  • Archorus

    kelthuzad · US2,247

  • Gargingoyles

    deathwing · US2,224

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
Death's Echo
Death's Echo100%

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

  • Null Magic
    Null Magic100%

    Magic damage taken is reduced by 5% and the duration of harmful Magic effects against you are reduced by 35%.

  • Rune Mastery
    Rune Mastery100%

    Consuming a Rune has a chance to increase your Strength by 6% for 8 sec.

    • 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 2,983 Physical damage and heals you for 32.00% of all damage taken in the last 5 sec, minimum 11.2% of maximum health.

    • Gloom Ward
      Gloom Ward100%

      Absorbs are 15% more effective on you.

    • 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%.

    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 Sleet98%

      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
      Enfeeble98%

      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 Charge95%

      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

    26% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Feet

    Thalassian Competitor's Plate Sabatons

    44% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Feet

    Venomous Aspirant's Plate Warboots

    39% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Hands

    Baleful Grave-Knight's Deathgrips

    58% equipped · 292 ilvl

    Hands

    Venomous Gladiator's Plate Handguards

    19% equipped · 308 ilvl

    Head

    Venomous Aspirant's Plate Helm

    63% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Head

    Baleful Grave-Knight's Casque

    21% equipped · 292 ilvl

    Legs

    Venomous Aspirant's Plate Wargreaves

    56% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Legs

    Venomous Aspirant's Plate Legguards

    18% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Main Hand

    Venomous Aspirant's Polearm

    52% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Main Hand

    Venomous Aspirant's Battleaxe

    20% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Neck

    Venomous Aspirant's Pendant

    45% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Neck

    Thalassian Competitor's Amulet

    29% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Ring 1

    Thalassian Competitor's Signet

    46% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Ring 1

    Venomous Aspirant's Signet

    25% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Ring 2

    Thalassian Competitor's Signet

    42% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Ring 2

    Venomous Aspirant's Signet

    25% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Shirt

    Precious's Ribbon

    11% equipped · 1 ilvl

    Shirt

    Fashionable Undershirt

    8% equipped · 1 ilvl

    Shoulders

    Baleful Grave-Knight's Gibbets

    37% equipped · 292 ilvl

    Shoulders

    Venomous Gladiator's Plate Pauldrons

    29% equipped · 292 ilvl

    Tabard

    Astral Gladiator's Tabard

    8% equipped · 1 ilvl

    Tabard

    Galactic Gladiator's Tabard

    8% equipped · 1 ilvl

    Trinket 1

    Venomous Aspirant's Insignia of Alacrity

    45% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Trinket 1

    Venomous Aspirant's Medallion

    17% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Trinket 2

    Venomous Aspirant's Medallion

    44% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Trinket 2

    Venomous Aspirant's Insignia of Alacrity

    17% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Waist

    Thalassian Competitor's Plate Waistguard

    55% equipped · 292 ilvl

    Waist

    Venomous Aspirant's Plate Girdle

    20% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Wrist

    Venomous Aspirant's Plate Cuffs

    40% equipped · 263 ilvl

    Wrist

    Thalassian Competitor's Plate Armguards

    27% equipped · 292 ilvl

    Enchanted: Enchant Chest - Mark of the Worldsoul
    61%
  • Enchanted: Enchant Helm - Empowered Blessing of Speed55%
  • Enchanted: Enchant Ring - Silvermoon's Tenacity42%
  • Enchanted: Enchant Ring - Zul'jin's Mastery35%

    • Unholy Death Knight gems & sockets

    • Enduring Heliotrope · +23 Primary Stat and +5% Damage Reduction when affected by Crowd Control63%
    • Flawless Masterful Lapis · +16 Versatility & +7 Mastery51%
    • Flawless Versatile Amethyst · +16 Mastery & +7 Versatility23%
    • Flawless Quick Amethyst · +16 Mastery & +7 Haste13%
    • Prismatic Socket13%
    • Flawless Deadly Amethyst · +16 Mastery & +7 Critical Strike6%
    • Flawless Masterful Garnet · +16 Critical Strike & +7 Mastery6%
    • Flawless Versatile Peridot · +16 Haste & +7 Versatility6%
    Death Strike100%

    83 players · Class

  • Death's Echo100%

    83 players · Class

  • Gloom Ward100%

    83 players · Class

  • Icebound Fortitude100%

    83 players · Class

  • Improved Death Strike100%

    83 players · Class

  • Null Magic100%

    83 players · Class

  • Rune Mastery100%

    83 players · Class

  • Runic Attenuation100%

    83 players · Class

  • Unholy Bond100%

    83 players · Class

  • Unholy Momentum100%

    83 players · Class

  • Veteran of the Third War100%

    83 players · Class

  • Will of the Necropolis100%

    83 players · Class

  • Army of the Dead99%

    82 players · Specialization

    • Assimilation6.0%

    5 players · Class

  • Blood-Soaked Ground3.6%

    3 players · Hero

  • Bloody Fortitude3.6%

    3 players · Hero

  • Frenzied Bloodthirst3.6%

    3 players · Hero

  • Gift of the San'layn3.6%

    3 players · Hero

  • Incite Terror3.6%

    3 players · Hero

  • Inevitable3.6%

    3 players · Hero

  • Infliction of Sorrow3.6%

    3 players · Hero

  • Pact of the San'layn3.6%

    3 players · Hero