Unholy Death Knight DPS PVE Guide – WotLK

Welcome to the PVE Unholy Death Knight DPS Guide for World of Warcraft Wrath of the Lich King!

This guide will teach you how to play an Unholy Death Knight in a raid. It covers talents, glyphs, gems, enchantments, rotation, and gameplay tips.

Suitable for players with low gear. “Pre-ICC” build (Icecrown Citadel).

The second build is for people with at least 2 T10 items. Dark Conviction is 2/5 because we take Reaping.

The last build is for players with BiS or close to BiS gear, with the secondary specialization being in the Frost tree.

Major Glyphs

• Glyph of the Ghoul
• Glyph of Icy Touch
• Glyph of Dark Death

Minor Glyphs

• Glyph of Pestilence

Gems are situational and depend on the build and equipment. They are used to reach the required stat caps.

• Meta – Chaotic Skyflare Diamond
• Red – Bold Cardinal Ruby
• Yellow – Fierce Ametrine
• Blue – Nightmare Tear x1, Sovereign Dreadstone

• Head – Arcanum of Torment
• Shoulder – Greater Inscription of the Axe
• Cloak – Enchant Cloak – Greater Speed or Enchant Cloak – Major Agility
• Chest – Enchant Chest – Powerful Stats
• Bracers – Enchant Bracers – Greater Assault
• Gloves – Enchant Gloves – Crusher
• Waist – Eternal Belt Buckle with Bold Cardinal Ruby
• Legs – Icescale Leg Armor
• Boots – Enchant Boots – Tuskarr’s Vitality or Enchant Boots – Greater Assault
• Weapon – Rune of the Fallen Crusader

The highest priority will be to make sure your hit is at 8%, after that use the following depending upon the build you selected above.

Unholy with Blood sub specialization stat priority.

• Hit
• Strength
• Armor Penetration
• Haste
• Critical
• Expertise
• Attack Power
• Agility

Unholy with Frost sub specialization stat priority.

• Hit
• Strength
• Haste
• Armor Penetration
• Critical
• Expertise
• Attack Power
• Agility

Standard Rotation

• Icy Touch
• Plague Strike
• Blood Strike
• Blood Strike
• Scourge Strike
• Blood Strike
• Death Coil
• Horn of Winter
• Scourge Strike
• Death Coil
• Scourge Strike
• Scourge Strike
• Death Coil
• Death Coil

DPS Rotation with Reaping

• Icy Touch
• Plague Strike
• Blood Strike
• Scourge Strike
• Blood Strike
• Death Coil
• Horn of Winter
• Scourge Strike
• Blood Strike
• Scourge Strike
• Blood Strike
• Death Coil
• Death Coil
• Death Coil

Army of the Dead – This should be used a few seconds before an encounter begins or when changing phases. If you use it while executing your combo, it will result in a DPS loss and break your combo. Remember, the summons copy your Hit, Attack Power, and Haste at the moment of summoning.

Summoning a Gargoyle – This is best used when you have buffs and procs active because it copies these stats. It can’t be summoned instantly when the fight starts as it requires 60 Rune Power. You can start the fight in Unholy Presence to quickly gain the Rune Power, then summon the Gargoyle, and only then switch back to Blood Presence. This is because the gargoyle retains the Haste from Unholy Presence, but not the damage from Blood Presence.

Your Pet – Don’t overlook your pet. It can contribute a significant amount of damage.