WoW Wotlk Classic Death Knight Guide

Welcome to the ultimate WOTLK Classic Death Knight Guide where you will get to know all the specialisation of Death Knight, their strengths, weaknesses, best professions for them, levelling, and weapon progression.

The first thing to learn about Death Knight is its three different Specialisations.; Unholy, Frost, and Blood. What each specialisation does, what to expect, and where to use it. 

Unholy Death Knight is the most terrifying specialisation of the Death Knight. They only focus on the death and decay of their enemies by spreading dreadful diseases and infections. They have a hybrid playstyle, containing both Melee and Spell talents. This specialisation is the highest damage dealer among all the classes in WOTLK.

-AOE Damage: Unholy is the best specialisation of Death Knight in terms of AOE Damage. They can spread disease to multiple targets at once.

-Tankiest Single Target Damage: No doubt they hit like a tank. Unholy Death Knight can absolutely smash in a single target situation.

-Fun playstyle: Unholy Death Knight has a rotational playstyle that makes it fun to play with. Not to mention all the terrifying looks and dynamics.

-Complicated: Due to their rotational style, they are quite hard to get used to especially for new players.

-Low Mobility: Unholy Death Knight has close to no mobility which might put you in trouble in a high-intensity situation.

Frost Death Knights are all about channelling the runic powers and delivering heavy and tanky weapon strikes. They freeze the enemies with their Utilities and talents to clean them off. Frost Death Knights are cruel, mean, and merciless. They are completely melee-based and use weapons to strike heavily.

-Consistent: Frost Death Knights are the only one that remains consistent and useful throughout the whole expansion of the game.

-Engaging Playstyle: Since they are melee class, you will have to be out there to kill the enemy which requires complete engagement.

-Single Target Damage: Being a Melee class also brings great single target damage dealing capacity to Frost Death Knight.

-Gear Dependent: The whole game of Frost Death Knights depends on the availability of gear. If you don’t have access to upgraded gear, then you will find difficulties.

-Complicated: The Only problem that is common in every specialisation of Death Knight is its complexity. They are really hard to master.

The Blood death knight manipulates and corrupts life energies to increase their terror and slay enemies. Unlike any other Death Knight, Blood Death Knight is excessively overpowered and does heavy DPS.

-Survivors of any situation: Blood Death Knights are the ultimate survivors. Not only that, but they also heal the allies with their powers. Having a Blook Death Knight will Ultimately put the healers of the team to some rest and create a sustainable team.

-Simple: The only Death Knight which is simple to use and master. Blood Death knight does not have any complex rotations or sequences of talents that you need to cram. Every beginner can get his way around Blood death knight easily.

-Overpowered: The cherry on the top of the cake is its extreme power. Blook Death knight is tankiest of all death knights. Pair that with the slow and defensive cooldowns and you are unstoppable.

-Mobility: The only constant problem with Death knight specialisation is mobility. An enemy which is quick enough will get under Blood Death knight's skin (literally) easily. However, the healing capacity makes up for its little to no mobility.

-Gear Dependent: Sadly, Blook Death Knight is also heavily gear oriented which makes it difficult for those players who do not have the upgraded gear or any necessary gear at all.

We have found that only two professions suit the best for a Death Knight. Which are:

Engineering is the finest PvE profession for a Death knight, delivering large advantages and a range of gadgets that can boost your damage and give you unique equipment with survivability and defence systems.

Hyperspeed Accelerators gloves enchant offers +340 haste for 12 seconds on a 1-minute cooldown. This enchantment should be prioritised with trinket procs because it boosts total damage.

Engineering gives you a strong escape tool, Nitro Boosts, which increases your movement speed and crit rating for 5 seconds. This gadget lets you avoid perilous raid mechanics or swiftly reposition oneself. Engineers can employ Saronite Bombs and Global Thermal Sapper Charges, much like in previous expansions.

If you don’t want to go for Engineering, then you also have a second option.

Jewelcrafting is the second-strongest profession, allowing you to manufacture and sell jewellery and rare stones while boosting your stats.

Dragon's Eye, which is more potent than conventional gems, improves jewel crafting stats. Only 3 can be equipped at once. As a Death Knight, you should utilise Bold and Fractured Dragon's Eye for +42 strength and +42 armour penetration.

Do you know how to make more wotlk classic gold with the best professions in WOTLK? If not, then the WOTLK profession guide will tell you.

These are the talents that you will find in the Death Knight:

Runic Power Mastery: Adds 30 to your total Runic Powers. This helps you utilise Death Coil more often.

Outbreak: It boosts Plague Strike and Scourge Strike by 30% and 20%, respectively. This talent's optionality has been contested. If you plan to follow the Standard Build, which emphasises Scourge Strike, you should take this talent.

Icy Talons: Frost Fever increases Icy Talons' attack speed by 20%. You'll always profit from Frost Fever with this talent. If you infect several targets with Frost Fever, this effect won't stack.

Necrosis: Adds 20% Shadow Damage to standard attacks. This talent offers free harm without any conditions. Don't overlook this skill!

Blood-Caked: Adds 25% weapon damage plus 12.5% for each disease on the target of your assaults. Like Necrosis, this ability boosts your auto-attacks and should never be skipped. High proc chance.

Unholy Blight: It deals 10% of Death Coil's damage to the target after you cast it. This talent prevents dispelling of your diseases while the target has Unholy Blight. This talent is often skipped, although it can be incredibly strong, offering increased damage without a GCD.

Desolation: Increases damage by 5% for 20 seconds after Blood Strike. Outstanding talent.

Bone Shield: Bone Shield lowers damage taken by 20%. While you have one charge, the damage is reduced. This talent's 2% damage increase can be used in rotation.

Wandering Plague: It gives your diseases a chance to flare up and cause 100% more damage to the target and adjacent opponents within 8 yards. This talent's tremendous Area-of-Effect damage makes it one of your most significant. It can trigger on any of your disease-afflicted enemies, not just one.

Ebon Plaguebringer: Infects your target with Ebon Plague, increasing magic damage by 13%. This talent is very useful for the entire raid and should never be skipped.

Rage of Rivendare:: It increases damage by 10% if a target has Blood Plague and grants 5 expertise. This skill can't be skipped because you'll constantly use Blood Plague, which boosts damage. The 5 expertise helps min-max items.

Due to your level advantage, you'll spend little time (and use few abilities) without a spec. They're underneath. We automatically start at Level 8.

Rune Strike is your main rune spender, and Death Strike and Death Coil are your main RP spenders. Demise Icon Death and Decay is also accessible for big enemy groups, but Rune Strike does not cleave inside it.

Burn runes with Rune Strike and RP with Death Coil and/or, to get some healing by risking some damage, Strike Icon Death Strike

After choosing your spec, relatively few class-generic talents are important. From there, continue with one of the DK spec levelling guides (mentioned above).

When Runeforging, use the Rune of the Fallen Crusader Icon. This buffs strength by 15% and heals whenever it procs. It's a great runeforge you shouldn't pass up.

Apply Rune of Unending Thirst Icon to your offhand weapon if you dual wield.

Use Death Gate Icon Death Gate inside Acherus which will teleport you to the nearest graveyard or instance portal. There's rarely a need to wait; equip your new weapon.

At last, Let us have a look at the weapon progress you can follow for death knight.

At level 58 you should go for “GreatSword of Ebon Blade” and make sure you upgrade it completely. Use this up to level 60 and after that, you must choose “Hellreaver” and “Blade of Misfortune” up to level 65.

Upon Reaching level 65, change them to “Honed Voidaxe”. Use that up to level 70 and change it to either “Blade of Harbingers” or “Trollbane”. On reaching level 74, grab the “Cleaver of Diligence”. Use it till level 76, and change to “De-raged Waraxe”.