Unholy Death Knight DPS Starter Guide - Shadowlands 9.2.5

By Bicepspump Last Updated: 2022/11/28 Changelog Patch: 11.0.2

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leveling tipsAcherus, the Death Knight class DiscordTwitchBest Unholy Death Knight Covenant

Best Unholy Death Knights Covenants and Soulbinds for Raid

Single Legendary

Double Legendary

Necrolord

Marileth

Necrolord

Marileth

Best Unholy Death Knight Covenants and Soulbinds for Mythic+

Single Legendary

Double Legendary

Necrolord

Marileth

Night Fae

Dreamweaver

Best Unholy Death Knight Legendaries

Best Single Legendaries

Raid Legendary: Deadliest Coil/ Frenzied Monstrosity
Mythic+ Legendary: Frenzied Monstrosity/ Reanimated Shambler

Best Double Legendaries

Raid Legendaries: Deadliest Coil/ Frenzied Monstrosity and Abomination's Frenzy
Mythic+ Legendaries: Frenzied Monstrosity/ Reanimated Shambler and Rampant Transference.

Deadliest CoilFrenzied MonstrosityBest Unholy Death Knight TalentsUnholy Death Knight Stat PriorityUnholy Death Knight GearStat Priority

Strength > Mastery > Haste = Crit > Versatility

Strength: Increases all damage done by native class spells, abilities, and auto attacks. Importantly, it also increases the damage from our pets since they inherit our stats! Previously one of the weakest stats, but now much more impactful, making raw item level much more important again.

Haste: Compresses the rotation by reducing both the GCD as well as increasing the proc rate of most spells and trinkets.

Critical Strike: Increases damage done by abilities, auto attacks, and trinkets.

Mastery: Increases the shadow damage you do. Importantly, this is only spells and abilities specific to the unholy death knight, not trinkets or potions or other sources of potential shadow damage.

Versatility: Increases damage done and reduces damage taken by half the amount. Unlike Mastery, however, it affects all damage done including trinkets, potions, and enchantments.

Unholy Death Knight Enchants and Consumables

Cloak: Enchant Cloak - Fortified Speed

Chest: Enchant Chest - Eternal Stats + Heavy Desolate Armor Kit

Gloves: Enchant Gloves - Eternal Strength

Rings: Enchant Ring - Tenet of Mastery

Weapon: Rune of the Fallen Crusader

Best Unholy Death Knight Rotation

Keep up Virulent Plague on all targets with Outbreak (or Unholy Blight when possible).

Use Dark Transformation on Cooldown.

Use Apocalypse on Cooldown, making sure you have 4 or more Festering Wounds on the target before casting the ability.

Use Death and Decay when fighting 2 or more enemies.

Cast Scourge Strike when fighting 2 or more enemies and your Death and Decay is on the ground.

Cast Festering Strike when you have less than 4 Festering Wounds on the target.

Cast Scourge Strike when you have 4 or more Festering Wounds on the target

Cast Epidemic when fighting 3 or more targets to spend Runic Power and use up procs of Sudden Doom.

Cast Death Coil to spend Runic Power or to use up procs of Sudden Doom.

Army of the DeadBest Conduits for Unholy Death Knights in ShadowlandsS-tier

Eternal Hunger

Convocation of the Dead

Brutal Grasp

A-tier

Embrace Death

Adaptive Armor Fragment

Proliferation

Impenetrable Gloom

Withering Ground

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