Death knight abilities

Death knight abilities are abilities used by death knights. Most abilities are shared between all specializations, while some are only specific to one (or two) specializations.

Death knight abilities use either runes (as part of the rune system) or runic power and are divided into the trees of Frost, Blood and Unholy.

Class

All death knights automatically learn the following spells at the specified level, regardless of specialization.

Ability	Level
[Death and Decay]	8
[Death Coil]	8
[Death Grip]	8
[Death Strike]	8
[Mind Freeze]	8
[Rune Strike]	8
[Veteran of the Third War]	8
[Dark Command]	9
[Raise Dead]	12
[Chains of Ice]	13
[Anti-Magic Shell]	14
[On a Pale Horse]	22
[Path of Frost]	27
[Lichborne]	33
[Control Undead]	37
[Icebound Fortitude]	38
[Raise Ally]	39
Death's Advance (ability)	42
[Anti-Magic Zone]	47
[Sacrificial Pact]	54
[Death Gate]	Quest

Notes

Specializations

The three death knight specializations are Blood (tanking), Frost (melee DPS) and Unholy (melee DPS). For an exploration of each death knight specialization, see Death knight specializations.

• Blood

  Ability	Level
  [Heart Strike]	10
  [Mastery: Blood Shield]	10
  [Marrowrend]	11
  [Blood Boil]	17
  [Crimson Scourge]	18
  [Rune Tap]	19
  [Asphyxiate]	21
  [Death's Caress]	28
  [Vampiric Blood]	29
  [Gorefiend's Grasp]	32
  [Dancing Rune Weapon]	34
  [Ossuary]	58

• Frost

  Ability	Level
  [Howling Blast]	10
  [Mastery: Frozen Heart]	10
  [Might of the Frozen Wastes]	10
  [Frost Strike]	11
  [Obliterate]	14
  [Dark Succor]	18
  [Remorseless Winter]	19
  [Runic Empowerment]	21
  [Killing Machine]	23
  [Pillar of Frost]	29
  [Rime]	32
  [Frostwyrm's Fury]	44
  [Empower Rune Weapon]	48

• Unholy

  Ability	Level
  [Festering Strike]	10
  [Mastery: Dreadblade]	10
  [Scourge Strike]	11
  [Outbreak]	17
  [Dark Succor]	18
  [Apocalypse]	19
  [Runic Corruption]	21
  [Sudden Doom]	23
  [Dark Transformation]	32
  [Epidemic]	34
  [Army of the Dead]	44

Talents

Talents become available at level 15. Only one talent can be chosen from each tier.

They can be swapped out any time outside of a rested area using  [Tome of the Tranquil Mind]. Template:Death knight talents

PvP talents

PvP talents become available at level 20. Up to 3 PvP talents may be active at any given time (with additional slots becoming available at levels 30 and 40).

These talents are active in the open world with War Mode turned on, as well as during instanced PvP. They have no effect in dungeons and raids.

• Blood

  Talent	Level
  [Blood for Blood]	20
  [Dark Simulacrum]	20
  [Death Chain]	20
  [Murderous Intent]	20
  [Rot and Wither]	20
  [Walking Dead]	20
  [Strangulate]	30
  [Last Dance]	35
  [Decomposing Aura]	40
  [Death's Echo]	42
  [Dome of Ancient Shadow]	48
  [Spellwarden]	48

• Frost

  Talent	Level
  [Dark Simulacrum]	20
  [Dead of Winter]	20
  [Deathchill]	20
  [Delirium]	20
  [Bitter Chill]	30
  [Chill Streak]	30
  [Strangulate]	30
  [Death's Echo]	42
  [Dome of Ancient Shadow]	48
  [Spellwarden]	48
  [Shroud of Winter]	50

• Unholy

  Talent	Level
  [Dark Simulacrum]	20
  [Life and Death]	20
  [Reanimation]	20
  [Necromancer's Bargain]	29
  [Necrotic Wounds]	30
  [Strangulate]	30
  [Necrotic Aura]	35
  [Doomburst]	35
  [Death's Echo]	42
  [Raise Abomination]	45
  [Dome of Ancient Shadow]	48
  [Spellwarden]	48

Runeforging

Runeforging is a skill that allows death knights to augment their weapons with various runes at any runeforge. A weapon can only have one rune at a time.

Name	Level	Weapon type	Description
[Rune of Razorice]	8	Any	Causes 2% extra weapon damage as Frost damage and has a chance to increase Frost vulnerability.
[Rune of the Fallen Crusader]	8	Any	Has a chance to heal you for 3% and increase total Strength by 15% for 15 sec.
[Rune of the Stoneskin Gargoyle]	8	Two-handed	Increases Armor by 5% and all stats by 5%.
[Rune of Unending Thirst]	20	Any	Increases Movement Speed by 5% and grants healing and extra Haste and Movement Speed on kill.
[Rune of Sanguination]	32	Any	Increases the damage of [Death Strike] based on the enemy's missing health and heals when falling bellow 35% health.
[Rune of the Apocalypse]	44	Any	Has a chance to apply one of four debuffs on ghoul attacks.
[Rune of Hysteria]	46	Any	Increases Runic Power by 20 and has a chance to increase Runic Power generation.
[Rune of Spellwarding]	48	Any	Deflects 3% of all spell damage and has a chance to create a shield that absorbs spell damage.

Glyphs

Glyphs are items that can change a spell or ability's visual appearance. Most glyphs are crafted by scribes, are color-coded by class, and can be applied as early as level 11. They can be removed at any time outside of combat using  [Vanishing Powder].

Glyph	Used on
[Glyph of Cracked Ice]	[Path of Frost]
[Glyph of Foul Menagerie]	[Army of the Dead]
[Glyph of the Chilled Shell]	[Anti-Magic Shell]
[Glyph of the Crimson Shell]	[Anti-Magic Shell]
[Glyph of the Geist]	[Raise Dead]
[Glyph of the Skeleton]	[Raise Dead]

See also

• Runes and runic power