Death Knight

HighlightsofWorldofWarcraftDeathKnightguide.NolongerservantsoftheLichKing,theybegintheirnewcallingasexperienced,formidableadversaries,heavilyarmedandarmoredandpossessinganarsenalofdeadlyandforbiddenmagiclearnedintheLichKing鈥檚thrall.

BombardenemieswithcriticalblowsandcarryoutpowerfulattackswithprovenWoWDeathKnightPvEstrategiesforDPSandtankingExperiencethethrillsofchallengingandkillingyourenemiesoverandoveragainusinginsider'sPvPtacticsanditemsetupsemployedbyelitegamersLearnhowtheclassreallyworksandwhatthemanydifferentstatisticsareworthtoaDeathKnight.Findoutwhichbuffsanddebuffsyouwillbenefitfromthemost.MasteralltheDeathKnightskillsandspellaugmentationstostoplosingunnecessarilyinPvPmatcheswiththedescriptivelistofferedintheguide.Completequestsrapidlywiththestep-by-stepquestwalkthroughsforDeathKnightsfeaturedinthisclassguideAsurefirespeed-levelingguideforWoWDeathKnightstoreachlevel80inamatterofdaysThetop5DeathKnightbuildsthatoutperformeveryothersetupCutting-edgeequipmentfromhead-to-toeforyourDeathKnightandwheretofinditateverylevelGeteverythingrightfromthestartandavoidpainfulmistakeswiththecharactercreationguidelinesforDeathKnights.Discovertheprovenclass-specificstrategiesthatfullyprepareyourDeathKnightforeveryencounter-fromtherightequipmenttohighlevelbattlestrategies

Hereisanintroduction,subjecttochange,ofsomeofthedeathknight'scoregameplaymechanicsandabilities:

UnlockingandCreatingtheDeathKnightSimplyhavingacharacterofatleastlevel55ontherealmwhereyou'dliketoplayunlockstheablilitytocreateanewlevel-55deathknightofanyraceonthatrealm(ifonaPvPrealm,thedeathknightmustbethesamefactionasyourexistingcharacter).Uponenteringtheworld,yourneophytedeathknightwillundertakeaseriesofquestsdesignedtoteachyouyournewabilities.Youwillbeabletocreateonedeathknightoneachrealmthatisalreadyhometoatleastonelevel55+characterofyours.

Runes:Everydeathknightabilityrequiresrunes,whichcomeinthreevarieties:blood,frost,andunholy.Dependingontheability,itmayrequirerunesofasingletypeoracombinationoftypes.Whenaruneisused,ithasacooldownperiodbeforeitcanbeusedagain.
RunicPower:Asruneabilitiesareused,thedeathknightalsogeneratesanotherresourcecalledrunicpower.Thedeathknighthascertainabilitiesthatconsumeallavailablerunicpower,withvaryinglevelsofeffectivenessbasedontotalrunicpowerspent.Similartoawarrior鈥檚rage,runicpowerdecaysovertimeifnotspent.
SummonedCreaturesCreatingminionsfromtheranksoftheunlivingisacoreabilityofthedeathknight.

RaiseDead:Thedeathknightcanraiseaghoulcompanionfromthecorpsesoffallencreatures,aswellasthoseofbothfriendlyandenemyplayers.Ifcastonafriendlyplayer,thatplayerwillhavetheopportunitytoactuallyplayastheghoul,controllingitsmovementsandactions.
ArmyoftheDead:Thischanneledspellraisesagroupofundeadfollowerswhowillattackthedeathknight鈥檚enemiesbutonlyexistverybrieflybeforedisintegrating.
SummonDeathcharger:Everydeathknightcansummonthelevel-40versionofadeathchargerlandmount.Athigherlevels,theycancompleteaquesttolearntheepicversion.
LevelingGuide:Isyourdeathknightlevelinguptooslowly?LettheWorldofWarcraftDeathKnightguidespeedthingsupforyou.Thee-bookprovidesastep-by-stepwalkthroughstretchingfromlevel55to80.Whywastepreciousplay-timeonlevelingupwhilechallengingend-gamecontentiswaitingtobeexploredinNorthrend.LevelupfastwiththeoptimaltalentbuildprovidedinthisguideandstartwreakinghavocinUtgardeKeepandNexus.

ClassRolesTank:Theplate-wearingdeathknightisacapabletankforsmallgroupsaswellasraids.Hisorherdamageoutputwhiletankingwillberespectable.
DPS:ThedeathknightcanalsospecandgearforameleeDPSrole,whichdrawuponmanydebilitatingdiseaseeffectsaswellasdirectdamageandinstantattacks.
TalentTreesThetalenttreesforthedeathknightareBlood,Frost,andUnholy.

Blood:Talentsinthistreefocusonweapons,armor,andstrikes.
Frost:Talentsinthistreefocusoncontrol,counters,andcombos.
Unholy:Talentsinthistreefocusonspells,summons,anddiseases.
ExampleAbilities/PresencesDeathknighttalenttreesarecomplementedbyPresences-self-onlyaurasthatbenefitthedeathknight.SelectingthematchingPresenceforeachtreeaugmentstheclassabilitiesforthatschoolofmagic.

BloodPresenceincreasesdamageoutputbyapercentageandrestoresapercentageofdamagedealtashealth.
FrostPresenceincreasesthreatandlowersdamagetakenbyapercentage.
UnholyPresenceincreasesattackspeedandreducestheglobalcooldownondeathknightabilities.
TheRuneSystemTheresourcemechanicsfordeathknightsarerunesandrunicpower.Askilleddeathknightmakesefficient,timelyuseofrunesandrunicpowertomaximizehisorherdamage-dealingortankingabilities.

DeathKnightTalentBuilds:LookingforsecretsintheBlood,FrostorUnholytrees?GetaninsidersinsightintoallDeathKnighttalentsandhowtousethemindifferentsituationswhetheritisPvPorPvE.ApplythemostprovenDeathKnightbuildstoturnyourcharacterintoanenemy-shreddingkillingmachineinPvPorclimbthedamagechartsinRaids.Withtherightsetup,you'llbeplayinginaclassofyourown.

DeathKnightCreationGuide:WanttoknowwhichracialabilitiesarethebestchoiceforyourDeathKnight?Takealookatthethoroughexplanationofeveryraceavailable-aprerequisitetocreatingtheperfectWoWDeathKnight.FromBloodElftoGnome,HumantoTauren;theinformationinourguideiseasytocomprehendandavailableinasingleglance.

InnerWorkingandStatistics:WhatisStrengthworthtome?WhataboutResilience?Theanswerstothesequestionsaredifferent,dependingonyourrole.WhetheryouarePvP'ing,tankingorDPS'ing,theDeathKnightguideclearlylaysoutthebenefitsanddrawbacksofupgradingeachofthedifferentstatistics.Itwillbecomemucheasiertodeterminewhetherornotanitemisanupgradeforyou,thankstotheextensiveknowledgelaidoutinthisguide.Italsoincludesdetailedinformationonthebuffsanddebuffsyoumaybenefitfrom.

SkillsandSpellAugmentations:HavenoideahowPestilenceworks,orwhentouseDeathandDecay?ThecompleteanalysisofspellsandskillsprovidedintheWorldofWarcraftDeathKnightguidehelps.Ourexperts'recommendationsonhowtousewhichspellssolocanhelptodoubleyoursurvivabilityinPvPandgiveyouanoticeablelevelingboost.

Step-by-StepQuestWalkthrough:Isrunningbackandforthin,andbetween,mapsdrivingyounuts?Sickandtiredofneverfindingtherightitemtogetthatquestdone?LettheWoWDeathKnightguidebeyourknightinshiningarmor.Discoverindetail,whototalkto,whichmonstertokillorwhichitemsyoumusthave,andinwhichorder.Stopwastingtimeandrelyingonadd-onstofindanoptimizedlevelingpath.OurGuideresearchershavecompletedthisquestordermanytimesbeforetogiveyouablueprintofthefastestprogressionandcompletionofexperience,itemandothermajorquests.

DeathKnightPreparation:TheWorldofWarcraftDeathKnightguideprovidesonewholesectiontogetyoureadytofightoffanyone,andanymonster,thatgetsinyourway.Findouthowtomanageyourinventoryandreducetravelingtime,plushowtogetthemostoutofsimpleturn-inquests.Youcanmaximizeyourlevelingspeedbycombiningthepreparationtipswiththequestguide;andallofthisisfoundintheWorldofWarcraftDeathKnightGuide.

Head-to-ToeDeathKnightequipmentlist:Don'tknowwheretofindthebestgearatyourlevel?Pondernomore!TheWoWDeathKnightguidelistsoutalltheDeathKnightspecificitemstogetherwithdetailedexplanationsonhowtoobtaineachpiece.

DPSandTankingforPvEs:LearnhowtoeffectivelymanageyourDeathKnightinbattles,howtocontrolyourthreatandhowtosetupyourtalenttreesforaspecificrole.Getallthetankrelatedknow-howincludinginformationontankingforgroupsandraids,skillrotations,specificdetailsonthreats,PvEgearrecommendation,enchants,inscriptions,glyphsandmore.TheWoWDeathKnightguidecoversallthemust-knowdetailsforbecomingthedeadliestDeathKnighteverknowntoroamtheWorldofWarcraft.

DeathKnightguidetoPvP:WanttobecomeamasterofPvP?Sendyourfoesscramblingawayatthesightofyou.TheDeathKnight-onlyPvPstrategiesofferedintheguideshowyouhowtogettheupperhandin9outof10fights.Learnhowtodealamaximumamountofdamageandhowtomakeyourhitpointslastmuch,muchlonger.Takeadvantageofready-madestrategies,equipmentsetupsandtalentbuildstomaximizetheefficiencyofyourcharacter.