Blood Death Knight Tank Spell List and Glossary — The War Within (11.0.5)

Last updated on Oct 21, 2024 at 21:00 by Mandl and Panthea 42 comments
General Information

On this page, we present you with all spells and procs that you need to understand as a Blood Death Knight in World of Warcraft — The War Within (11.0.5).

1.

Introduction

If you are new to Blood, this is a great place to start to get an understanding of how the spec works. On this page we will discuss what abilities you have, what they are used for within the specialization, how they interact with each other and also with important cooldowns. If you already have experience with Blood and are comfortable with it in the current expansion, it is recommended you skip this section and move on to the rest of the guide.

2.

Main Resource of Blood Death Knights

Runes and Runic Power are your main resources. You have 6 Runes, which are used for several of your abilities. Runes regenerate passively over 10 seconds, with the regeneration time reduced by Haste. You can have 3 Runes regenerating simultaneously, so you should be spending runes fast enough to always keep 3 Runes on cooldown. Each Rune spent generates 10 Runic Power, which is used primarily to power Death Strike Icon Death Strike, your main source of mitigation. Additionally, Heart Strike Icon Heart Strike generates 5 bonus Runic Power.

3.

Baseline Blood Death Knight Abilities

These are the abilities that you obtain without selecting anything in the talent trees.

Ability Abbreviation Description/Effect
Death Coil Icon Death Coil Coil Death Coil Icon Death Coil exists in your spellbook and should remain there, as it is more inefficient than Death Strike Icon Death Strike at everything Death Strike Icon Death Strike does. It has very situational uses where you need to burn Runic Power while standing at range for a large amount of time, but this is extremely rare (and, in most cases, a sign of misplay).
Death and Decay Icon Death and Decay DnD Death and Decay Icon Death and Decay costs 1 Rune and places a damaging area at the target location, which persists for 10 seconds. A lot of the Blood Death Knights toolkit centers around staying inside of Death and Decay Icon Death and Decay.
Death's Advance Icon Death's Advance DA Provides you with a small speed boost and prevents you from being slowed below 100% of your movement speed for 10 seconds. It also grants you immunity from knockbacks and pushbacks. Additionally, it has a passive effect that prevents your movement speed from being reduced below 70%
Rune Strike Icon Rune Strike - Rune Strike Icon Rune Strike costs 1 Rune and deals moderate damage. Is replaced once we choose a specialisation (Heart Strike Icon Heart Strike for Blood).
On a Pale Horse Icon On a Pale Horse - A passive that increases your mounted movement speed by 20%. This does not stack with other movement speed abilities, such as Crusader Aura Icon Crusader Aura.
Death Grip Icon Death Grip Grip Death Grip Icon Death Grip allows you to grip an enemy to you and also taunts it. Just like Dark Command Icon Dark Command, this taunt comes with a 3s fixate and 300% threat boost.
Raise Ally Icon Raise Ally Combat Res/CR Raise Ally Icon Raise Ally costs 30 Runic Power and battle resses a targeted dead ally, bringing them back to life (even in combat).
Lichborne Icon Lichborne LB Lichborne Icon Lichborne turns you undead for 10 seconds. This makes you immune to charm, fear, and sleep, and grants you 10% leech. You can also activate this ability to break any of these CCs, making it a useful tool if you are accidentally hit a mechanic that applies such a CC.
Chains of Ice Icon Chains of Ice Chains Chains of Ice Icon Chains of Ice functions as a costly but very potent ranged snare on your target. At the cost of one Rune, you can apply a 70% slow for 8 seconds.
Anti-Magic Shell Icon Anti-Magic Shell AMS Anti-Magic Shell Icon Anti-Magic Shell grants you a magic absorption shield equal to 40% of your maximum health for 5 seconds. While it holds, you are immune to most magical debuffs and each 1% of the shield consumed grants you 0.873 Runic Power.
Death's Caress Icon Death's Caress DC/Caress Death's Caress Icon Death's Caress has received changes in The War Within and now grants 2 Bone Shield Icon Bone Shield charges when used. It also picked up a 6-second cooldown to compensate.
Crimson Scourge Icon Crimson Scourge - This allows each auto-attack hit on a plagued target a 25% chance to reset the cooldown of Death and Decay Icon Death and Decay. This can only happen if Death and Decay Icon Death and Decay is not active (i.e., not on the floor)!
Dark Command Icon Dark Command Taunt Dark Command Icon Dark Command is your taunt; this puts you at the top of an enemy's threat table and forces it to fixate on you for 3 seconds. During those three seconds, you generate 300% bonus threat - the ideal time to hit it with Death Strike Icon Death Strike for a guaranteed threat lead!
Runeforging Icon Runeforging - Runeforging Icon Runeforging allows you to apply a powerful Runeforge to your weapon, acting as (usually) better enchant. You do this in the Acherus Hold at the Runeforges.
Death Gate Icon Death Gate - Death Gate Icon Death Gate summons a gate that will teleport you to Acherus. Here you can Runeforge your weapon and practice your rotation on target dummies. Using the Death Gate Icon Death Gate again will bring you back to your original location.
Path of Frost Icon Path of Frost - Path of Frost Icon Path of Frost costs 1 Rune and grants everyone in your group the ability to walk on water. Breaks on any damage taken.
Mastery: Blood Shield Icon Mastery: Blood Shield - Mastery: Blood Shield Icon Mastery: Blood Shield is our mastery; every time you use Death Strike Icon Death Strike, a percentage of the raw healing done by Death Strike Icon Death Strike is duplicated as an absorption shield on yourself. It also increases your attack power, which in turn feeds into all offensive abilities.
Riposte Icon Riposte - Riposte Icon Riposte, a passive ability currently invisible in your spellbook automatically grants you 100% of your critical strike rating as parry rating. This is designed to make critical strike rating appealing defensively and hits the mark pretty well.
4.

Talented Abilities

As part of the Dragonflight overhaul to the talent system, every specialization has received numerous new passive effects and active abilities. To attempt to break the list of every possible effect down into manageable chunks, we have grouped these abilities into active and passive effects, organized by the rows you will come across them from top to bottom in each tree.

If you would like to know more about which of these talents to select for your own Blood Death Knight, please see the builds and talents section of our guide.

4.1.

Talent Tree Rows 1-4

4.1.1.

Active Abilities

Ability Abbreviation Description/Effect
Icebound Fortitude Icon Icebound Fortitude IBF Icebound Fortitude Icon Icebound Fortitude is available on the class tree for all Death Knights. When used, for the next 8 seconds, you take 30% less damage and are completely immune to Stun effects. It can also be used while you are stunned to remove the Stun effect.
Death Strike Icon Death Strike DS Death Strike Icon Death Strike deals damage to the target and heals you for 25% of the damage taken in the previous 5 seconds. Moreover, due to your Mastery (Mastery: Blood Shield Icon Mastery: Blood Shield), a percentage of the healing is also applied to you as a physical damage absorption shield. Death Strike costs Runic Power to use, and is almost the only use of Runic Power for Blood Death Knights.
Raise Dead Icon Raise Dead Ghoul Raise Dead Icon Raise Dead allows you to summon a Ghoul for one minute. This ghoul will auto-attack your current target and frequently cast Gnaw Icon Gnaw, a 1-second stun.
Heart Strike Icon Heart Strike HS Heart Strike Icon Heart Strike damages the target as well as another nearby target and costs 1 Rune to cast. When standing in your Death and Decay Icon Death and Decay, if Cleaving Strikes Icon Cleaving Strikes is talented; it will strike up to 5 targets. It is the most efficient Runic Power generator in your toolkit due to the bonus 5 Runic Power it generates and should be your Rune spender of choice when you do not need charges of Bone Shield Icon Bone Shield. This is copied by Dancing Rune Weapon Icon Dancing Rune Weapon if it is active and grants you 5 bonus Runic Power per Dancing Rune Weapon Icon Dancing Rune Weapon active through Blood Strike Icon Blood Strike. It also applies a 20% snare to affected targets, though this does not have a meaningful impact on your gameplay decisions.
Marrowrend Icon Marrowrend MR Marrowrend Icon Marrowrend hits the target for a light amount of physical damage and grants you 3 charges of Bone Shield Icon Bone Shield. This spell is copied by Dancing Rune Weapon Icon Dancing Rune Weapon if it is active and grants you 3 additional Bone Shield Icon Bone Shield charges per Dancing Rune Weapon Icon Dancing Rune Weapon when cast.
Blood Boil Icon Blood Boil BB Blood Boil Icon Blood Boil deals damage to all enemies within 10 yards and applies Blood Plague Icon Blood Plague to them. Beyond applying your disease, it is generally used as a filler in your rotation when you do not need to spend Runes or Runic Power.
Mind Freeze Icon Mind Freeze Interrupt Mind Freeze Icon Mind Freeze interrupts your target if they are casting. This also causes them to be locked out of that school of magic for three seconds.
Blinding Sleet Icon Blinding Sleet Sleet Blinding Sleet Icon Blinding Sleet disorients all targets in a 12yd cone in front of you for up to 5 seconds. When they take damage, the disorient fades, and they instead are slowed by 50% for 6 seconds.
Control Undead Icon Control Undead MC Control Undead Icon Control Undead allows you to take control over any non-CC-immune undead enemy. This turns this enemy into your pet and may grant you access to some of their abilities.
Sacrificial Pact Icon Sacrificial Pact Sac Sacrificial Pact Icon Sacrificial Pact allows you to explode your ghoul for a small amount of shadow damage to all enemies near it. This explosion also heals you for 25% of your maximum health. This comes at a heavy Runic Power cost and does very little damage or healing, so we recommend skipping it.
Vampiric Blood Icon Vampiric Blood VB Vampiric Blood Icon Vampiric Blood increases your maximum health and healing received by 30% for 10 seconds.
Death Pact Icon Death Pact Pact Death Pact Icon Death Pact heals you for 50% and applies a 30% healing absorption effect; while this effect holds, all of your received healing is absorbed by it. Both effects (the healing and healing absorption) snapshot your maximum HP at the time of cast.
4.1.2.

Passive Effects

Ability Abbreviation Description/Effect
Runic Attenuation Icon Runic Attenuation RA Runic Attenuation Icon Runic Attenuation grants a very high chance to generate 5 Runic Power each time you successfully auto-attack a target. In practice, this works out to an average of 50 RP per minute, increased by your Haste.
Improved Death Strike Icon Improved Death Strike Improved DS Improved Death Strike Icon Improved Death Strike reduces the cost of Death Strike Icon Death Strike by 5 Runic Power and increases its healing done by 10%.
Cleaving Strikes Icon Cleaving Strikes - Increases the maximum amount of targets Heart Strike Icon Heart Strike will hit from 2 to 5 targets while you are standing in your Death and Decay Icon Death and Decay.
Anti-Magic Barrier Icon Anti-Magic Barrier AMB Anti-Magic Barrier Icon Anti-Magic Barrier reduces the cooldown of Anti-Magic Shell Icon Anti-Magic Shell to 40 seconds, increases its duration to 7 seconds, and its size by 40%.
March of Darkness Icon March of Darkness - March of Darkness Icon March of Darkness grants you an additional 25% movement speed (60% total) for the first three seconds of Death's Advance Icon Death's Advance.
Unholy Ground Icon Unholy Ground UG Grants you 5% additional haste while you stand in your Death and Decay Icon Death and Decay.
Enfeeble Icon Enfeeble - Enfeeble Icon Enfeeble grants a chance for your ghoul's auto-attacks to reduce the damage the target deals to you by 15% for 6 seconds, and to snare them by 30%.
Bone Collector Icon Bone Collector - Bone Collector Icon Bone Collector will give you a charge of Bone Shield Icon Bone Shield when you attempt to grip an enemy with Death Grip Icon Death Grip, Abomination Limb Icon Abomination Limb, or Gorefiend's Grasp Icon Gorefiend's Grasp.
Coldthirst Icon Coldthirst - Reduces the cooldown of Mind Freeze Icon Mind Freeze by 3 seconds and if you successfully manage to interrupt a spell, you gain 10 Runic Power.
Proliferating Chill Icon Proliferating Chill - Causes Chains of Ice Icon Chains of Ice to cleave to the nearest enemy target
Permafrost Icon Permafrost - Permafrost Icon Permafrost grants you a shield equal to 40% of all auto-attack damage you deal. This stacks and refreshes on each auto-attack.
Veteran of the Third War Icon Veteran of the Third War Veteran Increases your stamina by 20%.
Brittle Icon Brittle - Brittle Icon Brittle causes your ticks of Blood Plague Icon Blood Plague to have a chance to weaken them, increasing all your damage dealt to them by 6% for 5 seconds.
Death's Reach Icon Death's Reach - Increases the range of Death Grip Icon Death Grip to 35 yards, and causes its cooldown to reset each time you deal a killing blow to a target that yields experience or honor.
Ossuary Icon Ossuary - Passively increases your maximum Runic Power by 10 at all times. Additionally, it rewards you for staying at or above 5 Bone Shield Icon Bone Shield charges. When this is the case, the cost of Death Strike Icon Death Strike is reduced by 5 Runic Power.
Improved Vampiric Blood Icon Improved Vampiric Blood Improved VB Increases the duration of Vampiric Blood Icon Vampiric Blood by 2 seconds and its healing amplification and maximum HP increase by 5% per rank.
Improved Heart Strike Icon Improved Heart Strike Improved HS Increases the damage dealt by Heart Strike Icon Heart Strike by up to 15% per rank.
Ossified Vitriol Icon Ossified Vitriol - When you lose a stack of Bone Shield Icon Bone Shield the damage of your next Marrowrend Icon Marrowrend is increased by 15% (stacking up to 75%).
4.2.

Talent Tree Rows 5-7

4.2.1.

Active Abilities

Ability Abbreviation Description/Effect
Anti-Magic Zone Icon Anti-Magic Zone AMZ Anti-Magic Zone Icon Anti-Magic Zone places a shadowy zone on the floor for 8 seconds; this zone absorbs 20% of the magic damage taken by any friendly target within it until it has reached its cap of 150% of your maximum health.
Dancing Rune Weapon Icon Dancing Rune Weapon DRW Dancing Rune Weapon Icon Dancing Rune Weapon spawns a non-targetable entity to fight by your side for 8 seconds. While it is active, you gain 35% additional parry and some of your spells are copied with additional effects:
  • Each active Dancing Rune Weapon Icon Dancing Rune Weapon causes any Heart Strike Icon Heart Strike cast by you to be replicated at 33% effectiveness and to grant you 3 bonus Runic Power per active Dancing Rune Weapon Icon Dancing Rune Weapon through Blood Strike Icon Blood Strike.
  • Each active Dancing Rune Weapon Icon Dancing Rune Weapon mirrors your casts of Blood Boil Icon Blood Boil, applying their own Blood Plague Icon Blood Plague on a target. These deal damage at 33% effectiveness. As of 2022-10-16, a bug exists where only one of the two Dancing Rune Weapon Icon Dancing Rune Weapon will copy Blood Boil Icon Blood Boil twice, thus robbing you of one Blood Plague Icon Blood Plague.
  • Each active Dancing Rune Weapon Icon Dancing Rune Weapon duplicates your casts of Marrowrend Icon Marrowrend at 33% effectiveness. This also grants you 3 bonus Bone Shield Icon Bone Shield charges for each active Dancing Rune Weapon Icon Dancing Rune Weapon.
  • Finally, each active Dancing Rune Weapon Icon Dancing Rune Weapon casts its own copy of the following spells at 33% effectiveness: Death Strike Icon Death Strike (does not heal you), Death's Caress Icon Death's Caress, Consumption Icon Consumption
Asphyxiate Icon Asphyxiate - Stuns your target for 5 seconds.
Wraith Walk Icon Wraith Walk WW Wraith Walk Icon Wraith Walk breaks all roots currently on you, renders you immune to any subsequent root effects while channelling Wraith Walk Icon Wraith Walk, and increases your movement speed by up to 4 seconds. Casting any other ability during this will cancel Wraith Walk Icon Wraith Walk.
Soul Reaper Icon Soul Reaper SR Soul Reaper Icon Soul Reaper deals light shadowfrost damage to your target and afflicts them with a 5-second debuff. When it fades, if the target is below 35%, you deal a large amount of shadowfrost damage to them. If the target dies while afflicted by this debuff, you gain (a heavily nerfed version of) Runic Corruption Icon Runic Corruption.
Gorefiend's Grasp Icon Gorefiend's Grasp GG/Mass Grip Gorefiend's Grasp Icon Gorefiend's Grasp grips all enemies within 15 yards to your target. The target of this spell can be you, an ally, an enemy, or any other entity that can be attacked by anything.
Rune Tap Icon Rune Tap RTap Consumes a Rune to reduce all damage you take by 20% for 4 seconds.
Blood Tap Icon Blood Tap BTap Blood Tap Icon Blood Tap allows you to recover one Rune when cast. This will prioritize fully depleted runes. Each time you lose a Bone Shield Icon Bone Shield charge, the cooldown of Blood Tap Icon Blood Tap is reduced by 2 seconds. This works out, in practice, to roughly 1.5 bonus Runes per minute.
4.2.2.

Passive Effects

Ability Abbreviation Description/Effect
Icy Talons Icon Icy Talons Talons Icy Talons Icon Icy Talons grants you 3% melee auto-attack speed for 6 seconds each time you spend Runic Power (no matter how much you spent or what you spent it with). This stacks up to 3 times.
Unholy Bond Icon Unholy Bond - Unholy Bond Icon Unholy Bond modifies your Runeforges in the following way:
  • Rune of the Fallen Crusader Icon Rune of the Fallen Crusader: Strength gain increases to 16.5% (rank 1) / 18% (rank 2). Healing amount granted when Rune of the Fallen Crusader Icon Rune of the Fallen Crusader procs increased to 6.6% (rank 1) / 7.2% (rank 2).
  • Rune of Hysteria Icon Rune of Hysteria: Runic Power Generation while Rune of Hysteria Icon Rune of Hysteria is active increased to 22% (rank 1) / 24% (rank 2). Maximum RP increases by 22 (rank 1) / 23 (rank 2).
  • Rune of the Stoneskin Gargoyle Icon Rune of the Stoneskin Gargoyle: Stamina, Armor, and Strength gained increased to 5.5% (rank 1) / 6% (rank 2)
Leeching Strike Icon Leeching Strike - Causes each Heart Strike Icon Heart Strike damage event to heal you for 0.5% of your max HP.
Heartbreaker Icon Heartbreaker HB Causes each hit of Heart Strike Icon Heart Strike from you (the copies cast by Dancing Rune Weapon Icon Dancing Rune Weapon do not count) to grant you an additional 1 Runic Power (per point).
Foul Bulwark Icon Foul Bulwark FB Increases your maximum HP by 1% for each charge of Bone Shield Icon Bone Shield you currently have.
Hemostasis Icon Hemostasis Hemo Causes each target hit by Blood Boil Icon Blood Boil to grant you a buff, up to 5 stacks. Casting Death Strike Icon Death Strike consumes all stacks of this buff to increase the damage and healing done by Death Strike Icon Death Strike (but not the blood shield generated through Mastery: Blood Shield Icon Mastery: Blood Shield)
Perseverance of the Ebon Blade Icon Perseverance of the Ebon Blade - Grants you 6% versatility for 6 seconds when you consume a Crimson Scourge Icon Crimson Scourge proc.
Relish in Blood Icon Relish in Blood RiB Grants you a small heal and 10 Runic Power when you consume a Crimson Scourge Icon Crimson Scourge proc.
Ice Prison Icon Ice Prison - Turns Chains of Ice Icon Chains of Ice into a 4-second root (this also roots the nearest enemy as well with Proliferating Chill Icon Proliferating Chill) but adds a 12-second cooldown to Chains of Ice Icon Chains of Ice.
Gloom Ward Icon Gloom Ward GW This increases all absorption effects cast on you by 15%. This includes effects cast by you, as well as other effects (for example, it increases Life Cocoon Icon Life Cocoon as well as Anti-Magic Shell Icon Anti-Magic Shell).
Assimilation Icon Assimilation - Increases the maximum HP coefficient on Anti-Magic Zone Icon Anti-Magic Zone to 165% and causes each 1% absorbed by it to grant you 1 Runic Power.
Grip of the Dead Icon Grip of the Dead GotD Snares enemies by 90% when they enter Death and Decay Icon Death and Decay. Every second from the time they first take damage from Death and Decay Icon Death and Decay, this snare is reduced by 10%.
Improved Bone Shield Icon Improved Bone Shield Improved BS Increases your Haste by 10% while at least one charge of Bone Shield Icon Bone Shield is active.
Insatiable Blade Icon Insatiable Blade - Causes Dancing Rune Weapon Icon Dancing Rune Weapon to instantly grant 5 Bone Shield Icon Bone Shield charges. Additionally, whenever a Bone Shield Icon Bone Shield charge is consumed, the cooldown of Dancing Rune Weapon Icon Dancing Rune Weapon is reduced by 5 seconds.
Rapid Decomposition Icon Rapid Decomposition - Causes Blood Plague Icon Blood Plague and Death and Decay Icon Death and Decay to tick 15% faster. Additionally, Blood Plague Icon Blood Plague leeches 50% more health from enemies.
Suppression Icon Suppression - Increases your avoidance by 3%. When you are impacted by a crowd-control effect you gain an additional 6% avoidance for 6 seconds.
Blood Scent Icon Blood Scent - Increases your leech by 3%.
Unholy Endurance Icon Unholy Endurance - Causes Lichborne Icon Lichborne to last 2 seconds longer and reduces all damage taken by 15% while it is active.
Tightening Grasp Icon Tightening Grasp TG Tightening Grasp Icon Tightening Grasp reduces the cooldown of Gorefiend's Grasp Icon Gorefiend's Grasp to 90 seconds, and silences enemies gripped for 3 seconds.
Reinforced Bones Icon Reinforced Bones - Allows you to have up to 12 stacks of Bone Shield Icon Bone Shield, and increases the amount of armor provided by Bone Shield Icon Bone Shield by an additional 10% of your strength (from 80% to 88%).
Everlasting Bond Icon Everlasting Bond - Causes Dancing Rune Weapon Icon Dancing Rune Weapon to summon a second Dancing Rune Weapon Icon Dancing Rune Weapon to mirror all your abilities and increases its duration by 6 seconds.
Voracious Icon Voracious Vora Increases the healing done by Death Strike Icon Death Strike by 20%, increases its minimum healing to 10.5% of your max HP and grants you 15% leech for 8 seconds after using Death Strike Icon Death Strike.
Coagulopathy Icon Coagulopathy Coag Coagulopathy Icon Coagulopathy increases all your damage to targets affected by Blood Plague Icon Blood Plague by 5% at all times. Additionally, using Death Strike Icon Death Strike grants you a buff that increases all damage by all your Blood Plague Icon Blood Plague by 25% for 8 seconds, stacking up to 5.
Bloodworms Icon Bloodworms BW Bloodworms Icon Bloodworms grant you a chance to spawn Bloodworms. These deal light physical damage to their target, and burst after 15 seconds or when you drop below 50% HP. When they burst, they heal you for 15% of your missing HP.5
4.3.

Talent Tree Rows 8-10

4.3.1.

Active Abilities

Ability Abbreviation Description/Effect
Mark of Blood Icon Mark of Blood MoB Mark of Blood Icon Mark of Blood debuffs your target for 15 seconds, causing each auto-attack to heal their target for 3% of their maximum health. This has very little value, and due to it being a choice node with Tombstone Icon Tombstone instead of a mostly free choice as it was in Shadowlands, there is very little chance that this ability will ever see play.
Tombstone Icon Tombstone Tomb Tombstone Icon Tombstone consumes up to 5 Bone Shield Icon Bone Shield charges. For each Bone Shield Icon Bone Shield charge consumed, you gain 6 Runic Power and 6% of your maximum HP as an absorption shield. It also has the following interactions:
  • Insatiable Blade Icon Insatiable Blade causes Tombstone Icon Tombstone to grant up to 25 seconds of cooldown reduction on Dancing Rune Weapon Icon Dancing Rune Weapon.
  • Tombstone Icon Tombstone grants up to 10 seconds of cooldown reduction on Blood Tap Icon Blood Tap
  • Shattering Bone Icon Shattering Bone allows you to predictably detonate for 180% AP in shadow damage to all nearby targets by casting Death and Decay Icon Death and Decay followed by Tombstone Icon Tombstone. This is, by far, the most damaging ability combination in your spellbook and a great source of burst threat.
Consumption Icon Consumption - Consumption Icon Consumption deals moderate physical damage to all targets in front of you and heals you for 150% of the damage. This healing does not trigger Mastery: Blood Shield Icon Mastery: Blood Shield, and unfortunately, means you will likely massively overheal with it when used. It will also refund 2 Runes and cause all Blood Plague Icon Blood Plague's to tick 30% faster for 6 seconds.
Blooddrinker Icon Blooddrinker - Blooddrinker Icon Blooddrinker drains your target's health over 3 seconds, dealing high shadow damage to them. While channeling, you can dodge, parry, and use defensive abilities. It will also reduce the damage the target will deal to you by 20% while channeling and for 5 seconds after. For legacy reasons, Dancing Rune Weapon Icon Dancing Rune Weapon counts as a defensive ability and does not break Blooddrinker Icon Blooddrinker.
Abomination Limb Icon Abomination Limb Abom Abomination Limb Icon Abomination Limb deals heavy damage to use and every second for 12 seconds. Every time it deals damage, it attempts to grip the furthest target within 20 yards of your current location to you. On use, 6 seconds in, and when Abomination Limb Icon Abomination Limb fades, you gain 3 charges of Bone Shield Icon Bone Shield.
Bonestorm Icon Bonestorm BS Bonestorm Icon Bonestorm allows you to spend up to 5 Bone Shield Icon Bone Shield charges to deal periodic damage for up to 10 seconds to all targets near you; every time this ability deals damage, you are healed by up to 10% of your maximum health (2% per target hit). If you also have Insatiable Blade Icon Insatiable Blade, Bonestorm Icon Bonestorm also grants 25 seconds of cooldown reduction on Dancing Rune Weapon Icon Dancing Rune Weapon.
4.3.2.

Passive Effects

Ability Abbreviation Description/Effect
Osmosis Icon Osmosis - Increases all healing received (does not include absorbs) while Anti-Magic Shell Icon Anti-Magic Shell is active by 15%.
Insidious Chill Icon Insidious Chill Chill This is our new raid utility debuff. Each auto-attack you deal applies a debuff that lasts 30 seconds and stacks to 4 times on your target. For each stack, their auto-attack speed is reduced by 5%. You are strongly recommended to tab-target to all available targets and keep these stacks rolling.
Runic Protection Icon Runic Protection - Increases armor by 6%. The critical strike reduction is irrelevant for tank specialisations as this is already a passive for all tanks.
Blood Draw Icon Blood Draw - Blood Draw Icon Blood Draw will trigger once every 2 minutes when you drop below 30% health. It will trigger three effects:
  • Deals damage to enemies within 8 yards and heal you for the damage dealt.
  • You will take 10% less damage for 8 seconds after triggering it.
  • Reduces the cost of Death Strike Icon Death Strike by 10 Runic Power for 8 seconds.
Blood Feast Icon Blood Feast BF Each point of damage absorbed by Anti-Magic Shell Icon Anti-Magic Shell will also heal you.
Bloodied Blade Icon Bloodied Blade - Your strength will be increased by 0.5% for 15 seconds each time you parry; this can stack up to 8 times (with a 0.5-second cooldown between stacks). When you parry on 8 stacks of Bloodied Blade Icon Bloodied Blade you will automatically cast Heart Strike Icon Heart Strike for free and it deals 100% increased damage. After this, Heart Strike Icon Heart Strike has been cast, you will gain 10% Strength for 6 seconds and cannot gain any stacks of Bloodied Blade Icon Bloodied Blade while the buff is active.
Sanguine Ground Icon Sanguine Ground SG Sanguine Ground Icon Sanguine Ground causes you to deal 5% more damage and receive 5% more healing and absorption effects from all sources while you are in your Death and Decay Icon Death and Decay.
Rune Mastery Icon Rune Mastery - Rune Mastery Icon Rune Mastery can occasionally cause you to gain 3% strength (per rank) for 8 seconds when you spend a rune. The number of runes you spent per ability does not affect this; the chance to trigger this is the same whether you have used Heart Strike Icon Heart Strike or Marrowrend Icon Marrowrend for example.
Subduing Grasp Icon Subduing Grasp - When you attempt to grip an enemy, it will deal 6% less damage to you for 6 seconds. It is worth noting that using Death Grip Icon Death Grip to trigger this effect may lead to enemies becoming taunt immune as Death Grip Icon Death Grip taunts the enemy.
Will of the Necropolis Icon Will of the Necropolis WotN Will of the Necropolis Icon Will of the Necropolis causes a portion of all damage taken while below 30% or that would bring you below 30%, to be reduced by a percentage. The behavior of this ability is non-trivial, and as a result, its specific nuances are explained on a separate page.
Shattering Bone Icon Shattering Bone Shatter Shattering Bone Icon Shattering Bone causes each Bone Shield Icon Bone Shield charge consumed by taking auto-attacks or through Tombstone Icon Tombstone to deal 7% / 14% of your AP in damage to all nearby targets. This damage is tripled if you are currently in your Death and Decay Icon Death and Decay.
Heartrend Icon Heartrend Rend Heartrend Icon Heartrend causes all your Heart Strike Icon Heart Strike to have a 12% chance to increase the damage of your next Death Strike Icon Death Strike by 20%.
Carnage Icon Carnage - Direct damage from Blooddrinker Icon Blooddrinker / Consumption Icon Consumption contribute towards your Mastery: Blood Shield Icon Mastery: Blood Shield (at your mastery %). Additionally, when an enemy attacks you with Mastery: Blood Shield Icon Mastery: Blood Shield active, there is a small chance for the cooldown of Blooddrinker Icon Blooddrinker / Consumption Icon Consumption to reset.
Iron Heart Icon Iron Heart IH Iron Heart Icon Iron Heart increases the duration of Mastery: Blood Shield Icon Mastery: Blood Shield and its amount by 20%
Red Thirst Icon Red Thirst RT Red Thirst Icon Red Thirst reduces the cooldown of Vampiric Blood Icon Vampiric Blood by 2 seconds for every 10 Runic Power you spend.
Null Magic Icon Null Magic - Reduces magic damage taken by 10% and makes most magic debuffs on you fade 35% faster.
Unyielding Will Icon Unyielding Will - Makes Anti-Magic Shell Icon Anti-Magic Shell remove harmful magic debuffs on you but increases the cooldown of it by 20 seconds.
Death's Echo Icon Death's Echo Echo Death's Echo Icon Death's Echo grants you a second charge of Death's Advance Icon Death's Advance, Death Grip Icon Death Grip, and Death and Decay Icon Death and Decay. Additionally, it causes all effects that would reset the cooldown of those abilities (such as Crimson Scourge Icon Crimson Scourge) to grant you a full charge instead.
Vestigial Shell Icon Vestigial Shell - When you cast Anti-Magic Shell Icon Anti-Magic Shell, the two nearest friendly players will get a Lesser Anti-Magic Shell Icon Lesser Anti-Magic Shell. This lesser shell is just a magic absorb shield and does not give any of the benefits of Anti-Magic Shell Icon Anti-Magic Shell, such as debuff immunity or removal from Unyielding Will Icon Unyielding Will.
Purgatory Icon Purgatory Purg Purgatory Icon Purgatory causes any damage that would kill you (while it is not on cooldown) to afflict you with two debuffs:
  • Shroud of Purgatory Icon Shroud of Purgatory indicates the remaining cooldown of Purgatory Icon Purgatory.
  • Perdition Icon Perdition is a healing absorb with a 3s duration whose value is the damage that you would otherwise have been killed by. While it holds, all healing done to you is absorbed to "pay off" this debuff, and any additional damage taken is added to it.
If, 3 seconds after Perdition Icon Perdition is applied, Perdition Icon Perdition is still on you, you die. For real, this time.
Bloodshot Icon Bloodshot - Bloodshot Icon Bloodshot increases all physical damage you deal while Mastery: Blood Shield Icon Mastery: Blood Shield is active on you by 25%.
Umbilicus Eternus Icon Umbilicus Eternus UE Umbilicus Eternus Icon Umbilicus Eternus tallies up all damage dealt by Blood Plague Icon Blood Plague while Vampiric Blood Icon Vampiric Blood is active. When Vampiric Blood Icon Vampiric Blood fades or Umbilicus Eternus Icon Umbilicus Eternus is cancelled; the total is quintupled and applies to you as a shield, capped at your maximum HP before any additional amplification effect.
4.4.

San'layn Hero Talents

Ability Abbreviation Description/Effect
Vampiric Strike Icon Vampiric Strike VS Death Strike Icon Death Strike has a 25% chance to change Heart Strike Icon Heart Strike into Vampiric Strike Icon Vampiric Strike. Vampiric Strike Icon Vampiric Strike will deal Shadow damage instead of Physical (meaning that you gain no value from Bloodshot Icon Bloodshot), heal you for 1% of your maximum health, and give you 1 stack of Essence of the Blood Queen Icon Essence of the Blood Queen. Essence of the Blood Queen Icon Essence of the Blood Queen is the central focus of the San'layn tree. Every time you gain a stack of Essence of the Blood Queen Icon Essence of the Blood Queen you will get 1% Haste for 20 seconds, and each stack refreshes the duration (up to 5 stacks, 7 with Frenzied Bloodthirst Icon Frenzied Bloodthirst). The Haste gained from this effect is multiplicative, so the more Haste you have, the better this buff will be.
Newly Turned Icon Newly Turned (Choice Node 1) - When you use Raise Ally Icon Raise Ally, both you and the person resurrected will gain a 20% health absorption shield.
Vampiric Speed Icon Vampiric Speed (Choice Node 1) - The movement speed of Death's Advance Icon Death's Advance and Wraith Walk Icon Wraith Walk are increased by 10%. Casting either spell will give the four nearest friendly players a 20% movement speed buff for 5 seconds.
Blood-Soaked Ground Icon Blood-Soaked Ground - While you are standing in your Death and Decay Icon Death and Decay, you will take 5% less Physical damage and have a 5% increased chance to trigger Vampiric Strike Icon Vampiric Strike.
Vampiric Aura Icon Vampiric Aura (Choice Node 2) - Your leech is increased by 2%. When you cast Lichborne Icon Lichborne, it doubles, and the 4% bonus will be given to the four nearest friendly players.
Bloody Fortitude Icon Bloody Fortitude (Choice Node 2) - Increases the damage reduction of Icebound Fortitude Icon Icebound Fortitude by up to 20%. This bonus is at full value when you are below 50% health. Additionally, if you get the killing blow on an enemy the cooldown of Icebound Fortitude Icon Icebound Fortitude is reduced by 3 seconds.
Infliction of Sorrow Icon Infliction of Sorrow - When Vampiric Strike Icon Vampiric Strike hits an enemy with Blood Plague Icon Blood Plague the duration of Blood Plague Icon Blood Plague is increased by 3 seconds (up to 39 seconds total duration) and instantly deals 10% of the damage of Blood Plague Icon Blood Plague. Infliction of Sorrow Icon Infliction of Sorrow also interacts with Gift of the San'layn Icon Gift of the San'layn by dealing the full damage of Blood Plague Icon Blood Plague to the target after Vampiric Blood Icon Vampiric Blood ends with your next Heart Strike Icon Heart Strike.
Frenzied Bloodthirst Icon Frenzied Bloodthirst - Increases the maximum amount of stacks of Essence of the Blood Queen Icon Essence of the Blood Queen by 2. You will also deal 3% more damage per stack with Death Strike Icon Death Strike.
The Blood is Life Icon The Blood is Life - Vampiric Strike Icon Vampiric Strike has a chance to spawn a Blood Beast. The Blood Beast will attack your target for 10 seconds and explode for a potion of the damage it dealt. This explosion will also heal you.
Visceral Strength Icon Visceral Strength - When you consume a Crimson Scourge Icon Crimson Scourge proc, you are given 6% Strength for 8 seconds.
Incite Terror Icon Incite Terror - This debuff increases shadow damage taken by the enemy by 1% per stack for 15 seconds (up to 5 stacks, and each stack refreshes the duration of the debuff). Incite Terror Icon Incite Terror is applied from casting Vampiric Strike Icon Vampiric Strike or Heart Strike Icon Heart Strike on the target. Vampiric Strike Icon Vampiric Strike itself will deal 4% more damage per stack.
Pact of the San'layn Icon Pact of the San'layn (Choice Node 3) - Blood Beasts will now store 50% of the Shadow damage you deal.
Pact of the San'layn Icon Pact of the San'layn (Choice Node 3) - The chance to trigger Vampiric Strike Icon Vampiric Strike is increased by 15% if the target is below 35% health.
Gift of the San'layn Icon Gift of the San'layn - Whilst Dancing Rune Weapon Icon Dancing Rune Weapon is active Heart Strike Icon Heart Strike is replaced with Vampiric Strike Icon Vampiric Strike. The Haste bonus of Essence of the Blood Queen Icon Essence of the Blood Queen is increased by 150% whilst Dancing Rune Weapon Icon Dancing Rune Weapon is active.
4.5.

Deathbringer Hero Talents

Ability Abbreviation Description/Effect
Reaper's Mark Icon Reaper's Mark - Reaper's Mark Icon Reaper's Mark is a DoT placed on an enemy that lasts 12 seconds. Each time Shadow or Frost damage is dealt to the target it gains a stack. If it reaches 40 stacks, the target is below 35% health (can only happen every 3 minutes per target), or times out on the target it will explode, dealing damage based on the number of stacks it had.

If the target affected by Reaper's Mark Icon Reaper's Mark dies, it is re-applied to the nearest enemy; if there are not enemies left alive, it instead fizzles (but still grants Exterminate Icon Exterminate stacks).
Wave of Souls Icon Wave of Souls - Applying Reaper's Mark Icon Reaper's Mark to a target will fire Wave of Souls Icon Wave of Souls from you to your target and then back to you. Enemies hit will take 5% increased damage (per stack, stacking up to 2 times) to enemies if they are critically hit by this ability, when the wave returns to you, it will always critically strike.
Wither Away Icon Wither Away - Blood Plague Icon Blood Plague will deal damage every 1.5 seconds instead of every 3 seconds, and the second scythe from Exterminate Icon Exterminate will apply Blood Plague Icon Blood Plague.
Bind in Darkness Icon Bind in Darkness - Blood Boil Icon Blood Boil's damage is now Shadowfrost and is recoloured to be Blue (in line with the asthetic of the tree).
Soul Rupture Icon Soul Rupture - When Reaper's Mark Icon Reaper's Mark explodes, 10% of the damage dealt to the target will be dealt to nearby enemies. Enemies hit will deal 5% less physical damage for 10 seconds.
Grim Reaper Icon Grim Reaper (Choice Node 1) - Applying Reaper's Mark Icon Reaper's Mark grants 3 stacks of Bone Shield Icon Bone Shield. When Reaper's Mark Icon Reaper's Mark explodes, it will deal up to 30% additional damage based on the missing health of the target.
Reaper of Souls Icon Reaper of Souls (Choice Node 1) - All Soul Reaper Icon Soul Reaper damage is buffed by 20%. Whenever you apply Reaper's Mark Icon Reaper's Mark to a target, the remaining cooldown on Soul Reaper Icon Soul Reaper is reset and your next Soul Reaper Icon Soul Reaper is free and will detonate as if its target was in execute range.
Pact of the Deathbringer Icon Pact of the Deathbringer (Choice Node 2) - Once every 2 minutes you can trigger Death Pact Icon Death Pact at 50% effectiveness. When Reaper's Mark Icon Reaper's Mark the cooldown of this effect (and Death Pact Icon Death Pact) is reduced by 5 seconds.
Rune Carved Plates Icon Rune Carved Plates (Choice Node 2) - Gain up to 7.5% damage reduction against Physical and Magic damage (1.5% per stack). Spending a rune will give a stack of magic damage reduction for 5 seconds and regenerating a rune will give a stack of physical damage reduction. Obtaining a stack of either effect will refresh the duration. With optimal play, you can maintain 5 stacks of this effect at all times.
Swift and Painful Icon Swift and Painful - In single target, Reaper's Mark Icon Reaper's Mark grants you 10% strength for 8 seconds when it detonates.

Wave of Souls Icon Wave of Souls is 100% more effective against the target Reaper's Mark Icon Reaper's Mark was cast on.
Dark Talons Icon Dark Talons (Choice Node 3) - Marrowrend Icon Marrowrend and Heart Strike Icon Heart Strike randomly cause you to gain 3 more Icy Talons Icon Icy Talons stacks.

Death Strike Icon Death Strike now grants 2 stacks of Reaper's Mark Icon Reaper's Mark, 4 if it critically strikes.
Reaper's Onslaught Icon Reaper's Onslaught (Choice Node 3) - Reduces the cost of Reaper's Mark Icon Reaper's Mark to one rune and reduces it cooldown by 30 seconds, but causes it to only grant one Exterminate Icon Exterminate stack.
Death's Messenger Icon Death's Messenger (Choice Node 4) - The cooldown of Lichborne Icon Lichborne and Raise Dead Icon Raise Dead is reduced by 30 seconds.
Expelling Shield Icon Expelling Shield (Choice Node 4) - If an enemy directly hits you with a Magic spell (no DoTs, no AoE) while Anti-Magic Shell Icon Anti-Magic Shell is active, their cast time will be reduced by 10% for 6 seconds.
Exterminate Icon Exterminate - When Reaper's Mark Icon Reaper's Mark explodes your next two Marrowrend Icon Marrowrend are empowered by Exterminate Icon Exterminate. Each Marrowrend Icon Marrowrend costs 1 rune and will deal additional damage in two parts. The first part will hit your target for a lot of damage and have a 30% chance to apply Reaper's Mark Icon Reaper's Mark. The second part will deal AoE damage.
5.

Changelog

  • 21 Oct. 2024: Updated to account for the entire Deathbringer rework of 11.0.5.
  • 09 Sep. 2024: Reviewed for The War Within Season 1.
  • 21 Aug. 2024: Updated for The War Within Launch. Added Hero Talents.
  • 23 Jul. 2024: Updated for The War Within Pre-Patch.
  • 07 May 2024: Reviewed for 10.2.7.
  • 22 Apr. 2024: Reviewed for Season 4.
  • 19 Mar. 2024: Reviewed for Patch 10.2.6.
  • 15 Jan. 2024: Reviewed for Patch 10.2.5.
  • 06 Nov. 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.2
  • 04 Sep. 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
  • 10 Jul. 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.1.5.
  • 01 May 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.1.
  • 20 Mar. 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
  • 24 Jan. 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
  • 11 Dec. 2022: Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
  • 28 Nov. 2022: Updated for Dragonflight launch.
  • 25 Oct. 2022: Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
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