Unholy Death Knight Talents

Unholy Death Knight
Midnight Pre-Patch

Talents in World of Warcraft define your character's gameplay. They offer active abilities for offense and defense, major cooldowns, or passive enhancements to your stats and spells. Here are the current Unholy Death Knight talents for Midnight Pre-Patch.

Where to Find Talents

Talents can be found in the talent menu, which is accessible by pressing the N key (default) or by clicking the target icon in the micro menu:

Screenshot of the talents button in the micro menu

Class Talents

Class talents represent a common tree shared across all Death Knight specializations. These talents provide foundational skills and enhancements essential to the Death Knight class, offering a range of abilities that lay the groundwork for a Death Knight's overall capabilities.

Name	Cast	Effect
Icebound Fortitude	Instant - 2 Min Cooldown	Your blood freezes, granting immunity to Stun effects and reducing all damage you take by 30% for 8 sec.
Death Strike	Instant - Melee Range	Focuses dark power into a strike that deals 53 Physical damage and heals you for 20.00% of all damage taken in the last 5 sec, minimum 7.0% of maximum health.
Raise Dead	Instant - 30 Yd Range - 2 Min Cooldown	Raises a ghoul to fight by your side. You can have a maximum of one ghoul at a time. Lasts 1 min.
Runic Attenuation	Passive	Auto attacks have a chance to generate 3 Runic Power.
Improved Death Strike	Passive	Death Strike's cost is reduced by 10, and its healing is increased by 60%.
Cleaving Strikes	Passive
Mind Freeze	Instant - 15 Yd Range - 15 Sec Cooldown	Smash the target's mind with cold, interrupting spellcasting and preventing any spell in that school from being cast for 5 sec.
Blinding Sleet	Instant - 1 Min Cooldown	Targets in a cone in front of you are blinded, causing them to wander disoriented for 5 sec. Damage may cancel the effect. When Blinding Sleet ends, enemies are slowed by 50% for 6 sec.
Gloom Ward	Passive	Absorbs are 30% more effective on you.
March of Darkness	Passive	Death's Advance grants an additional 25% movement speed over the first 3 sec.
Wraith Walk	Channeled - 1 Min Cooldown	Embrace the power of the Shadowlands, removing all root effects and increasing your movement speed by 70% for 4 sec. Taking any action cancels the effect. While active, your movement speed cannot be reduced below 170%.
Unholy Momentum	Passive	Increases Haste by 4%.
Control Undead	1.5 Sec Cast - 30 Yd Range	Dominates the target undead creature up to level 71, forcing it to do your bidding for 5 min.
Enfeeble	Passive	Your ghoul's attacks have a chance to apply Enfeeble, reducing the enemies movement speed by 30% and the damage they deal to you by 12% for 6 sec.
Coldthirst	Passive	Successfully interrupting an enemy with Mind Freeze grants 10 Runic Power and reduces its cooldown by 3 sec.
Proliferating Chill	Passive	Chains of Ice affects 1 additional nearby enemy.
Permafrost	Passive	Your auto attack damage grants you an absorb shield equal to 40% of the damage dealt.
Veteran of the Third War	Passive	Stamina increased by 20%.
Death Pact	Instant - 2 Min Cooldown	Create a death pact that heals you for 50% of your maximum health, but absorbs incoming healing equal to 30% of your max health for 15 sec.
Brittle	Passive	Your diseases have a chance to weaken your enemy causing your attacks against them to deal 6% increased damage for 5 sec.
Blood Bond	Passive	While you are below 50% health, your Ghoul sacrifices 4% of its maximum health to heal you for 1% of your maximum health every sec.
Icy Talons	Passive	Your Runic Power spending abilities increase your melee attack speed by 6% for 10 sec, stacking up to 3 times.
Death Notes	Passive	Raise Ally costs 30 less Runic Power.
Anti-Magic Zone	Instant - 30 Yd Range - 4 Min Cooldown	Places an Anti-Magic Zone for 6 sec, reducing the magic damage taken by party or raid members by 15%.
Death Defiance	Passive	The cooldown of Death Pact is reduced by 30 sec, and you receive 50% increased healing while its healing absorb is active.
Unholy Bond	Passive	Increases the effectiveness of your Runeforge effects by 20%.
Ice Prison	Passive	Chains of Ice now also roots enemies for 4 sec but its cooldown is increased to 12 sec.
Asphyxiate	Instant - 20 Yd Range - 45 Sec Cooldown	Lifts the enemy target off the ground, crushing their throat with dark energy and stunning them for 5 sec.
Death's Reach	Passive	Increases the range of Death Grip by 10 yds. Killing an enemy that yields experience or honor resets the cooldown of Death Grip.
Assimilation	Passive	The cooldown of Anti-Magic Zone is reduced by 60 sec and its duration is increased by 2 sec.
Anti-Magic Barrier	Passive	Reduces the cooldown of Anti-Magic Shell by 20 sec and increases its duration and amount absorbed by 40%.
Grip of the Dead	Passive	Death and Decay reduces the movement speed of enemies within its area by 90%, decaying by 10% every sec.
Suppression	Passive	Damage taken from area of effect attacks reduced by 3%. When suffering a loss of control effect, this bonus is increased by an additional 6% for 6 sec.
Blood Scent	Passive	Increases Leech by 3%.
Unholy Endurance	Passive	Increases Lichborne duration by 2 sec and reduces the cooldown by 30 sec.
Osmosis	Passive	Anti-Magic Shell increases healing received by 15%.
Insidious Chill	Passive	Your auto-attacks reduce the target's auto-attack speed by 5% for 30 sec, stacking up to 4 times.
Runic Protection	Passive	Your chance to be critically struck is reduced by 3% and your Armor is increased by 6%.
Blood Draw	Passive	When you fall below 30% health you drain 42 health from nearby enemies, the damage you take is reduced by 10% and your Death Strike cost is reduced by 10 for 8 sec. Can only occur every 2 min.
Rune Mastery	Passive	Consuming a Rune has a chance to increase your Strength by 6% for 8 sec.
Subduing Grasp	Passive	When you would pull an enemy, the damage they deal to you is reduced by 6% for 6 sec.
Will of the Necropolis	Passive	Damage taken below 30% Health is reduced by 35%.
Null Magic	Passive	Magic damage taken is reduced by 8% and the duration of harmful Magic effects against you are reduced by 35%.
Unyielding Will	Passive	Anti-Magic Shell now removes all harmful magical effects when activated, but its cooldown is increased by 20 sec.
Death's Echo	Passive	Death's Advance, Death and Decay, and Death Grip have 1 additional charge.
Vestigial Shell	Passive	Casting Anti-Magic Shell grants 2 nearby allies a Lesser Anti-Magic Shell that Absorbs up to 148 magic damage and reduces the duration of harmful Magic effects against them by 50%.

Specialization Talents

Specialization talents provide Unholy Death Knights with unique abilities and enhancements tailored to their combat style. These talents differentiate Unholy Death Knights from other Death Knight specializations, maximizing effectiveness in combat.

Name	Cast	Effect
Outbreak	Instant - 30 Yd Range	Inflicts the target with Dread Plague and Virulent Plague. Dread Plague A malicious plague that seeps into the soul of its host, dealing 196 Shadow damage over 24 sec. Can only be applied to 1 host at a time. Virulent Plague An infectious plague that spreads to all nearby enemies, dealing 88 Shadow damage over 24 sec.
Scourge Strike	Instant - 30 Yd Range	An unholy strike that deals 49 Shadow damage and causing your plagues on the target to erupt, dealing their damage an additional time at 35% effectiveness. Spreads Virulent Plague on the target to a nearby enemy.
Sudden Doom	Passive	Dread Plague has a 35% chance to exhilarate you, making your next Death Coil or Epidemic cost 10 less Runic Power and deal 35% increased damage.
Clawing Shadows	Passive	Shadows guide your strikes, increasing the damage of your Scourge Strike by 25%, and causing it to grant you Clawing Shadows up to 4 times. For each stack of Clawing Shadows, your Scourge Strike chains to an additional enemy. Each subsequent chain deals 15% reduced damage.
Putrefy	Instant - 40 Yd Range	Command your oldest Lesser Ghoul to strike the enemy for 85 Shadow damage and have them explode for 63 Shadow damage to nearby enemies.
Dark Transformation	Instant - 45 Sec Cooldown	Corrupt and evolve your Ghoul into a Monstrosity, greatly empowering its abilities for 12 sec. Death Coil and Epidemic extends the duration of this effect by 1.0 sec.
Foul Infections	Passive	Your diseases deal 10% more damage and have a 5% increased chance to critically strike.
Plague Mastery	Passive	Critical strike damage of your diseases is increased by 25%
Grave Mastery	Passive	Critical strike damage of your minions is increased by 15%
Doomed Bidding	Passive	Consuming Sudden Doom summons forth a Lesser Ghoul to assist you for 6 sec.
Morbidity	Passive	Diseased enemies take 1% increased damage from you per disease they are affected by.
Festering Scythe	Passive	Festering Strike now follows up with a Festering Scythe that costs no Runes. Festering Scythe Slashes through all enemies within 14 yds in front of you, dealing 35 Shadow damage and hastening all of your Plagues on targets hit to deal damage 35% faster for 25 sec.
Rapid Variant	Passive	When an enemy afflicted by your Dread Plague dies, it erupts, dealing 105 Shadow damage to nearby enemies and infects the enemy with the lowest health remaining with your plagues. Deals reduced damage beyond 8 targets.
March of Madness	Passive	Your Lesser Ghouls deal 15% increased damage.
Magus of the Dead	Passive	Dark Transformation summons a Magus of the Dead who hurls Frostbolts and Shadow Bolts at your foes for 15 sec.
Infected Claws	Passive	The infected claws of your ghouls have a chance to sicken the foe, dealing 8 Shadow damage over 12 sec. When reapplied, any remaining damage is added to the new effect.
Ebon Fever	Passive	Diseases deal 15% more damage over time in 75% of their duration.
Superstrain	Passive	When Dread Plague deals damage it has a chance to grant you 4 Runic Power.
Coil of Devastation	Passive	Death Coil deals 10% increased damage and causes the target to take an additional 30% of the direct damage dealt over 4 sec.
Army of the Dead	Instant - 1.5 Min Cooldown	Summons a legion of 6 Lesser Ghouls to swarm your enemies.
Unholy Devotion	Passive	Putrefy causes your permanent Ghoul to go on an unholy frenzy, increasing its attack speed and energy regeneration by 25% for 5 sec. Multiple applications may overlap.
Menacing Magus	Passive	Your Magus of the Dead Shadow Bolt now fires a volley of Shadow Bolts at up to 8 nearby enemies.
Ghoulish Frenzy	Passive	Dark Transformation increases the attack speed and damage of you and your Monstrosity by 5% for 15 sec.
Blightfall	Passive	All diseases deal 10% increased damage.
Harbinger of Doom	Passive	Sudden Doom triggers 30% more often and can accumulate up to 2 charges. Summoning a Lesser Ghoul with Scourge Strike reduces the cooldown of Putrefy by 2.5 sec.
Raise Abomination	Passive	Army of the Dead now raises an Abomination that attacks enemies while emitting a disease cloud that lasts for 30 sec, and instantly Putrefies 2 Lesser Ghouls at 100% effectiveness. Enemies within the disease cloud take 10% increased damage from your minions.
Summon Gargoyle	Passive	Army of the Dead now summons a Gargoyle into the battlefield to bombard your enemies for 25 sec and instantly Putrefies 2 Lesser Ghouls at 100% effectivess. The Gargoyle gains 1% increased damage for every 1 Runic Power you spend and always critically strikes.
Putrid Echoes	Passive	Putrefy deals 20% increased damage and has 1 additional charge.
All Will Serve	Passive	Raise Dead summons an additional skeletal archer at your command that shoots Blighted Arrows. Blighted Arrow An unholy arrow that deals 11 Shadow damage. When consuming Sudden Doom, your Death Coil commands your archer to fire an additional Blighted Arrow at 80% effectiveness. Epidemic will instead cause Blighted Arrow to ricochet and hit up to 5 additional targets.
Blightburst	Passive	The explosion effect of Putrefy extends the duration of your plagues by 4.0 sec and deals 35% of the damage they would deal over that time instantly. Putrefy now applies your plagues to unaffected targets.
Soul Reaper	Instant - Melee Range - 15 Sec Cooldown	Rupture the soul of your enemy, dealing 105 Shadowfrost damage and causing the foe to take 20% increased damage from your diseases and minions for 8 sec. Only usable on enemies below 35% maximum health.
Necromancer's Cunning	Passive	Putrefy now summons a Lesser Ghoul to attack instead and when your Lesser Ghouls expire, they explode in viscera, dealing 14 Shadow damage to enemies nearby.
Scourging	Passive	Scourge Strike now instead causes your Plagues to erupt at 70% effectiveness. Clawing Shadows can now stack 2 additional times.
Ancient Power	Passive	Spending Runic Power increases your Strength by 0.30% for 20 sec. Multiple applications may overlap.
Reaping	Passive	Scourge Strike, Festering Strike, and Death Coil deal 30% additional damage to enemies below 35% health. Dark Transformation resets Soul Reaper's cooldown and allows it to be used on any target.
Unholy Aura	Passive	Each Magus of the Dead under your command grants you 2.0% Haste.
Commander of the Dead	Passive	Dark Transformation empowers your Gargoyle, Abomination, Magus and Lesser Ghouls for 30 sec, increasing their damage by 50%. The duration of Lesser Ghouls are increased by 50% of your Mastery.
Pestilence	Passive	Outbreak is replaced with Pestilence.
Reanimation	Passive	When you Putrefy a Lesser Ghoul, it has a 100% chance to reanimate as a Magus of the Dead who hurls Frostbolts and Shadow Bolts at your foes for 8 sec. Magus of the Dead Frostbolts and Shadow Bolts deal 25% increased damage.
Outnumber	Passive	Each Lesser Ghoul increases the damage of your permanent Ghoul by 10%, and Dark Transformation additionally empowers the Claw attacks of your Lesser Ghouls to Sweeping Claws. Sweeping Claws Rakes an enemy with deformed claws, dealing 30 Shadow damage to the target and 19 Shadow damage to nearby enemies.

Hero Talents

Hero talents allow for deeper customization of the Unholy Death Knight class fantasy, further enhancing its combat effectiveness.

San'layn

Name	Cast	Effect
Vampiric Strike	Passive	Your Death Coil and Death Strike have a 25% chance to make your next Scourge Strike become Vampiric Strike. Vampiric Strike heals you for 2% of your maximum health and grants you Essence of the Blood Queen, increasing your Haste by 1.0%, up to 5.0% for 20 sec.
Newly Turned	Passive	Raise Ally revives players at full health and grants you and your ally an absorb shield equal to 20% of your maximum health.
Vampiric Speed	Passive	Death's Advance and Wraith Walk movement speed bonuses are increased by 10%. Activating Death's Advance or Wraith Walk increases 4 nearby allies movement speed by 20% for 5 sec.
Blood-Soaked Ground	Passive	While you are within your Death and Decay, your physical damage taken is reduced by 5% and your chance to gain Vampiric Strike is increased by 5%.
Desecrate	Passive	Death and Decay has a chance to collapse whenever it damages a diseased enemy, dealing 150% of its remaining damage instantly and granting you its bonus effects for the remaining duration.
Vampiric Aura	Passive	Your Leech is increased by 2%. While Lichborne is active, the Leech bonus of this effect is increased by 100%, and it affects 4 allies within 12 yds.
Bloody Fortitude	Passive	Icebound Fortitude reduces all damage you take by up to an additional 20% based on your missing health. Killing an enemy that yields experience or honor reduces the cooldown of Icebound Fortitude by 3 sec.
Thrill of Blood	Passive	Essence of the Blood Queen additionally increases your Mastery by 0.2% per stack.
Infliction of Sorrow	Passive	When Vampiric Strike damages an enemy affected by your plagues, it extends the duration of the plagues by 3.0 sec, and deals 10% of the remaining damage to the enemy.
Frenzied Bloodthirst	Passive	Essence of the Blood Queen stacks 2 additional times and increases the damage of your Death Coil, Epidemic and Death Strike by 5% per stack.
The Blood is Life	Passive	Dark Transformation summons a Blood Beast to attack your enemy for 10 sec. Each time the Blood Beast attacks, it stores a portion of the damage dealt. When the Blood Beast dies, it explodes, dealing 25% of the damage accumulated to nearby enemies and healing the Death Knight for the same amount. Deals reduced damage beyond 8 targets.
Visceral Strength	Passive	When Sudden Doom is consumed, you gain 8% Strength for 5 sec.
Inevitable	Passive	Your plagues deal up to 30% increased damage based on the target's missing health.
Incite Terror	Passive	Vampiric Strike and Scourge Strike cause your targets to take 1% increased Shadow damage, up to 5% for 15 sec. Vampiric Strike benefits from Incite Terror at 400% effectiveness.
Pact of the San'layn	Passive	You store 10% of all Shadow damage dealt into your Blood Beast to explode for additional damage when it expires.
Sanguine Scent	Passive	Your Death Coil and Death Strike have a 15% increased chance to trigger Vampiric Strike when damaging enemies below 35% health.
Transfusion	Passive	Vampiric Strike increases the damage of your Dancing Rune Weapons by 20% for 8 sec. Multiple applications may overlap.
Gift of the San'layn	Passive	While Dark Transformation is active you gain Gift of the San'layn. Gift of the San'layn increases the effectiveness of your Essence of the Blood Queen by 200%, and Vampiric Strike replaces your Scourge Strike for the duration.

Rider Of The Apocalypse

Name	Cast	Effect
Rider's Champion	Passive	Spending Runes has a chance to call forth the aid of a Horsemen for 10 sec. Mograine Casts Death and Decay at his location that follows his position and extends the duration of your diseases by 1.0 sec whenever it deals damage. Whitemane Casts Undeath on your target dealing 3 Shadowfrost damage per stack every 3 sec, for 24 sec. Each time Undeath deals damage it gains a stack. Cannot be refreshed. Trollbane Casts Chains of Ice on your target slowing their movement speed by 40% and increasing the damage they take from you by 5% for 8 sec. Nazgrim While Nazgrim is active you gain Apocalyptic Conquest, increasing your Strength by 5%.
On a Paler Horse	Passive	While outdoors you are able to mount your Acherus Deathcharger in combat.
Death Charge	Passive	Call upon your Death Charger to break free of movement impairment effects. For 10 sec, while upon your Death Charger your movement speed is increased by 100%, you cannot be slowed below 100% of normal speed, and you are immune to forced movement effects and knockbacks.
Mograine's Might	Passive	Your damage is increased by 5% and you gain while inside Mograine's Death and Decay.
Horsemen's Aid	Passive	While at your aid, the Horsemen will occasionally cast Anti-Magic Shell on you and themselves at 80% effectiveness. You may only benefit from this effect every 45 sec.
Pact of the Apocalypse	Passive	When you take damage, 5% of the damage is redirected to each active horsemen.
Ride or Die!	Passive	Dark Transformation summons forth Whitemane for 6 sec.
Whitemane's Famine	Passive	When Scourge Strike damages an enemy affected by Undeath it gains 1 stack and infects another nearby enemy.
Nazgrim's Conquest	Passive	If an enemy dies while Nazgrim is active, the strength of Apocalyptic Conquest is increased by 3%. Additionally, each Rune you spend increase its value by 1%.
Trollbane's Icy Fury	Passive	Scourge Strike shatters Trollbane's Chains of Ice when hit, dealing 49 Shadowfrost damage to nearby enemies, and slowing them by 40% for 4 sec. Deals reduced damage beyond 8 targets.
Let Terror Reign	Passive	Casting Death Coil or Epidemic orders Whitemane to cast her Death Coil or Epidemic alongside you at 125% effectiveness.
Hungering Thirst	Passive	The damage of your diseases and Death Coil are increased by 10%.
Fury of the Horsemen	Passive	Every 50 Runic Power you spend extends the duration of the Horsemen's aid in combat by 1 sec, up to 5 sec.
A Feast of Souls	Passive	While you have 2 or more Horsemen aiding you, your Runic Power spending abilities deal 20% increased damage.
Mawsworn Menace	Passive	Scourge Strike deals 15% increased damage and the cooldown of your Death and Decay is reduced by 5 sec.
Unholy Armaments	Passive	The abilities that Horsemen cast deal 5% increased damage.
Apocalypse Now	Passive	Army of the Dead and Frostwyrm's Fury call upon all 4 Horsemen to aid you for 20 sec.

PvP Talents

PvP talents are tailored for player-versus-player combat scenarios. Activated in arenas, battlegrounds, and the open world with War Mode enabled, these talents optimize a Unholy Death Knight 's performance in PvP encounters. They provide specialized enhancements that give players an edge in combat against other players.

Name	Cast	Effect
Life and Death		When the target afflicted with your Dread Plague is healed, you are also healed for 10% of the amount. Additionally, Dread Plague deals 200% of its remaining damage to the target when dispelled.
Dark Simulacrum		Places a dark ward on an enemy player that persists for 12 sec, triggering when the enemy next spends mana on a spell, and allowing the Death Knight to unleash an exact duplicate of that spell.
Necrotic Wounds		Putrefy has 1 additional charge and applies a Necrotic Wound to the enemy when it deals damage, absorbing 8% of all healing received for 15 sec. Max 3 stacks. Adding a stack does not refresh the duration.
Zombify		Reanimates a nearby corpse, summoning a zombie for 20 sec that slowly moves towards your target. If your zombie reaches its target, it explodes after 3.0 sec. The explosion stuns all enemies within 8 yards for 3 sec and deals 10% of their health in Shadow damage.
Stitchmaster		When a Lesser Ghoul dies, you gather the remains to heal for 5% of its maximum health. Death Strike sacrifices all Lesser Ghouls under your command.
Strangulate		Shadowy tendrils constrict an enemy's throat, silencing them for 4 sec.
Doomburst		Sudden Doom also causes your next Death Coil to deal the damage of your plagues an additional time at 25% effectiveness and reduce the target's movement speed by 45% for 3 sec.
Rot and Wither		Your Death and Decay rots enemies each time it deals damage, absorbing healing equal to 100% of damage dealt.
Bloodforged Armor		Death Strike reduces all Physical damage taken by 25% for 4 sec.
Spellwarden		Anti-Magic Shell is now usable on allies and its cooldown is reduced by 10 sec.