Death Knight
Death is only the beginning.
A plate-armored melee class with Runeblade Parry and Death Grip. Blood, Frost and Unholy bring leech, ice, diseases and summoned allies.
Click a talent to add a rank. Right-click or Shift+click removes one. Each tier needs 5 more points in that tree; the arrow-marked talents need their prerequisite.
Blood
Frost
Unholy
These descriptions come from the game’s talent catalog. Open Talents in your Armory in-game to see your trained ranks, exact effects and current sigil prices. How talent training works.
Blood talents
| Talent | Tier | Ranks | Effect | Requires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butchery | 1 | 2 ranks | Runic power becomes blood: every kill restores 1.5% of your maximum health per rank. | None |
| Subversion | 1 | 3 ranks | +2% critical strike chance per rank. | None |
| Blade Barrier | 1 | 3 ranks | Spent runes raise a Blade Barrier: you take 4% less contact damage per rank. | None |
| Scent of Blood | 2 | 3 ranks | Each blow you take sharpens the scent of blood: your cooldowns recover 5% faster per rank for 6 sec. | 5 points in Blood |
| Improved Death Strike | 2 | 1 rank | Begin every run with Death Strike in your first slot instead of Blood Strike. Death Strike deals 10% more damage. | 5 points in Blood |
| Two-Handed Weapon Specialization | 2 | 2 ranks | Blood Strike, Death Strike, Obliterate and Plague Strike deal 6% more damage per rank. | 5 points in Blood |
| Rune Tap | 3 | 1 rank | When you drop below 35% health you tap your runes, restoring 15% of your maximum health. Once every 30 sec. | 10 points in Blood |
| Bloody Strikes | 3 | 3 ranks | Death Strike, Blood Strike and Blood Boil deal 5% more damage per rank. | 10 points in Blood Improved Death Strike rank 1 |
| Veteran of the Third War | 3 | 3 ranks | +4% maximum health per rank. | 10 points in Blood |
| Vampiric Blood | 4 | 1 rank | Vampiric Blood runs in you: you heal for 3% of all damage you deal. | 15 points in Blood Bloody Strikes rank 3 |
| Bloodworms | 4 | 3 ranks | Each kill has a 25% chance to burst into bloodworms that heal you for 2% of your maximum health per rank. Once every 3 sec. | 15 points in Blood |
| Abomination's Might | 4 | 2 ranks | Your critical hits stir Abomination's Might: allies within 20 yd deal 5% more damage per rank for 8 sec. | 15 points in Blood |
| Hysteria | 5 | 1 rank | Every 30 sec in combat you are driven into Hysteria: +20% damage for 8 sec. | 20 points in Blood |
| Heart Strike | 5 | 1 rank | Your Death Strike becomes a Heart Strike: it hits 1 more enemy and deals 10% more damage. | 20 points in Blood Vampiric Blood rank 1 |
| Sudden Doom | 5 | 3 ranks | Death Strike has a 15% chance to strike again at once for 25% of its damage per rank. | 20 points in Blood |
| Will of the Necropolis | 5 | 3 ranks | When you drop below 35% health you take 10% less damage per rank for 8 sec. Once every 30 sec. | 20 points in Blood |
| Might of Mograine | 6 | 2 ranks | Your critical hits deal an extra 15% damage per rank. | 25 points in Blood Heart Strike rank 1 |
| Blood Gorged | 6 | 3 ranks | Gorged on blood, you deal 3% more damage per rank with everything. | 25 points in Blood |
| Dancing Rune Weapon | 7 | 1 rank | Every 25 sec a Rune Weapon fights beside you for 15 sec, echoing your Blood Strike, Death Strike, Obliterate, Plague Strike and Blood Boil at 60%. | 30 points in Blood Might of Mograine rank 2 |
Frost talents
| Talent | Tier | Ranks | Effect | Requires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Improved Icy Touch | 1 | 3 ranks | Icy Touch deals 6% more damage per rank. | None |
| Runic Power Mastery | 1 | 2 ranks | Runic power becomes tempo: all your cooldowns recover 5% faster per rank. | None |
| Toughness | 1 | 3 ranks | You take 4% less contact damage per rank. | None |
| Icy Talons | 2 | 3 ranks | Icy Touch quickens your blood: your cooldowns recover 7% faster per rank for 6 sec. | 5 points in Frost Improved Icy Touch rank 3 |
| Annihilation | 2 | 1 rank | Begin every run with Obliterate in your first slot instead of Blood Strike. Obliterate deals 10% more damage. | 5 points in Frost |
| Black Ice | 2 | 3 ranks | Icy Touch and Howling Blast deal 5% more damage per rank. | 5 points in Frost |
| Lichborne | 3 | 1 rank | When you drop below 35% health you turn Lichborne: a shield absorbs 30% of your maximum health. Once every 30 sec. | 10 points in Frost |
| Killing Machine | 3 | 3 ranks | Obliterate has a 20% chance to turn you into a Killing Machine: +6% damage per rank for 8 sec. | 10 points in Frost Annihilation rank 1 |
| Chill of the Grave | 3 | 2 ranks | Runic power becomes tempo: Obliterate and Icy Touch recover 10% faster per rank. | 10 points in Frost |
| Frigid Dreadplate | 4 | 3 ranks | Your dreadplate turns blows aside: you take 4% less contact damage per rank. | 15 points in Frost |
| Rime | 4 | 1 rank | Howling Blast joins your spells at the start of every run, beside Obliterate. It deals 10% more damage. | 15 points in Frost Killing Machine rank 3 |
| Glacier Rot | 4 | 3 ranks | Icy Touch and Howling Blast deal 5% more damage per rank. | 15 points in Frost |
| Chilblains | 5 | 3 ranks | Icy Touch freezes its target in place for 0.5 sec per rank. | 20 points in Frost |
| Hungering Cold | 5 | 1 rank | Every 12 sec in combat a Hungering Cold grips all enemies within 6 yd, slowing them by 60% for 3 sec. | 20 points in Frost Rime rank 1 |
| Merciless Combat | 5 | 2 ranks | Every hit you land kills a normal enemy below 3% health per rank. Bosses are immune. | 20 points in Frost |
| Frost Strike | 6 | 1 rank | Your critical hits burst into frost, dealing 30% of the hit to enemies within 6 yd of the target. Once per second. | 25 points in Frost Hungering Cold rank 1 |
| Guile of Gorefiend | 6 | 2 ranks | Your critical hits deal an extra 10% damage per rank. | 25 points in Frost |
| Tundra Stalker | 6 | 3 ranks | Obliterate deals 6% more damage per rank. | 25 points in Frost |
| Howling Blast | 7 | 1 rank | Howling Blast erupts around you in 10 yd for 180% damage, rooting all but bosses for 1.5 sec. Every Obliterate hit and every Icy Touch crit make it ready (Rime). | 30 points in Frost Frost Strike rank 1 |
Unholy talents
| Talent | Tier | Ranks | Effect | Requires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virulence | 1 | 3 ranks | Your diseases are virulent: your damage over time deals 5% more damage per rank. | None |
| Anticipation | 1 | 3 ranks | You anticipate every blow: you take 4% less contact damage per rank. | None |
| Epidemic | 2 | 2 ranks | Plague Strike's disease lasts 15% longer per rank. | 5 points in Unholy |
| Outbreak | 2 | 1 rank | Begin every run with Plague Strike in your first slot instead of Blood Strike. Plague Strike deals 10% more damage. | 5 points in Unholy |
| Morbidity | 2 | 3 ranks | Death and Decay recovers 6% faster per rank. | 5 points in Unholy |
| Unholy Command | 2 | 2 ranks | Death Grip recovers 10% faster per rank. | 5 points in Unholy |
| Necrosis | 3 | 3 ranks | Your hits have a 20% chance to unleash Necrosis, dealing 10% of the hit per rank to enemies within 6 yd of the target. | 10 points in Unholy |
| Unholy Blight | 3 | 1 rank | Unholy Blight joins your spells at the start of every run, beside Plague Strike. It deals 10% more damage. | 10 points in Unholy Outbreak rank 1 |
| Blood-Caked Blade | 3 | 3 ranks | Plague Strike has a 15% chance to strike again at once for 25% of its damage per rank. | 10 points in Unholy |
| Corpse Explosion | 3 | 1 rank | Enemies you kill explode, dealing 50% of the killing blow to enemies within 6 yd. Once per second. | 10 points in Unholy |
| Impurity | 4 | 3 ranks | Unholy Blight, Death and Decay and Blood Boil deal 5% more damage per rank. | 15 points in Unholy |
| Ebon Plaguebringer | 4 | 3 ranks | Your plagues deepen every wound: your damage over time deals 6% more damage per rank. | 15 points in Unholy Unholy Blight rank 1 |
| Bone Shield | 5 | 1 rank | When an enemy strikes you, a Bone Shield absorbs 8% of your maximum health. Once every 8 sec. | 20 points in Unholy |
| Scourge Strike | 5 | 1 rank | Your Plague Strike becomes a Scourge Strike: it hits 1 more enemy and deals 10% more damage. | 20 points in Unholy Ebon Plaguebringer rank 3 |
| Wandering Plague | 5 | 3 ranks | Each disease tick has a 10% chance to wander, dealing 20% of the tick per rank to enemies within 6 yd of its target. | 20 points in Unholy |
| Anti-Magic Zone | 5 | 1 rank | Every 20 sec in combat you raise an Anti-Magic Zone: allies within 20 yd gain a shield absorbing 10% of their maximum health. | 20 points in Unholy |
| Desolation | 6 | 3 ranks | You deal 3% more damage per rank with everything. | 25 points in Unholy |
| Rage of Rivendare | 6 | 3 ranks | Plague Strike, Unholy Blight and Death and Decay deal 5% more damage per rank. | 25 points in Unholy Scourge Strike rank 1 |
| Summon Gargoyle | 7 | 1 rank | Every 30 sec a Gargoyle flies with you for 20 sec, striking the nearest enemy within 20 yd every second for 250% of Plague Strike's damage. | 30 points in Unholy Rage of Rivendare rank 3 |