Death Knight Builds

Please note the new talent trees are listed at: Official Talent Calculator

Current talents for 3.1.1 listed below

Blood Talents:

Mainly DPS talents but also some health gain and parry skills. This is a very strong tree and a lot of players will level up using this tree.

Talent	Points	Requirements	Description
Butchery	2	None	Whenever you kill an enemy that grants experience or honor, you generate up to 10/20 runic power. In addition you generate 1/2 runic power per 5 sec while in combat.
Subversion	3	None	Increases the critical strike chance of Blood Strike, Heart Strike and Obliterate by 3/6/9% and reduces threat generated while in Blood or Unholy Presence by 8/16/25%.
Blade Barrier	5	None	Whenever your blood runes are on cooldown, you gain the Blade Barrier effect reducing damage by 1%/2%/3%/4%/5% for the next 10 sec.
Bladed Armor	5	Blood 5	Increases your attack power by 1/2/3/4/5 for every 180 armor value you have.
Scent of Blood	3	Blood 5	You have a 15% chance after being struck by a ranged or melee hit to gain the Scent of Blood effect, causing your next 1/2/3 melee hits to generate 5 runic power. This effect cannot occur more often than once every 10 sec.
Two-Handed Weapon Specialization	2	Blood 5	Increases the damage you deal with two-handed melee weapons by 2/4%.
Rune Tap	1	Blood 10	Converts 1 Blood Rune into 10% of your maximum health. 1 minute cooldown.
Dark Conviction	5	Blood 10	Increases your chance to critically hit with weapons, spells and abilities by 1/2/3/4/5%.
Death Rune Mastery	3	Blood 10	Whenever you hit with Death Strike or Obliterate there is a 33/66/100% chance that the Frost and Unholy Runes will become Death Runes when they activate.
Improved Rune Tap	3	Rune Tap 1	Increases the health provided by Rune Tap by 33/66/100% and lowers its cooldown by 10/20/30 sec.
Spell Deflection	3	Blood 15	You have a chance equal to your Parry chance of taking 15%/30%/45% less damage from a direct damage spell.
Vendetta	3	Blood 15	Heals you for up to 2/4/6% of your maximum health whenever you kill a target that yields experience or honor.
Bloody Strikes	3	Blood 20	Increases the damage of Blood Strike and Heart Strike by 15%/30%/45% and Blood Boil by 10%/20%/30%.
Veteran of the Third War	3	Blood 20	Increases your total Strength and Stamina by 2/4/6%, and your expertise by 2/4/6.
Mark of Blood	1	Blood 20	Place a Mark of Blood on an enemy. Whenever the marked enemy deals damage to a target, that target is healed for 4% of its maximum health. Lasts for 20 sec or 20 hits.
Bloody Vengeance	3	Dark Conviction 5	Gives you a 1/2/3% bonus to physical damage you deal for 30 sec after dealing a critical strike from a weapon swing, spell, or ability. This effect stacks up to 3 times.
Abomination's Might	2	Blood 25	Your Blood Strikes and Heart Strikes have a 25/50% chance and your Obliterates have a 50/100% chance to increase the attack power by 10% of raid members within 45 yards for 10 sec. Also increases your total Strength by 1/2%.
Bloodworms	3	Blood 30	Your weapon hits have a 3/6/9% chance to cause the target to spawn 2-4 Bloodworms. Bloodworms attack your enemies, healing you as they do damage for 20sec or until killed.
Hysteria	1	Blood 30	Induces a friendly unit into a killing frenzy for 30 sec, increasing their physical damage by 20%, but causing them to suffer damage equal to 1% of their maximum health every second.
Improved Blood Presence	2	Blood 30	While in Frost or Unholy Presence, you retain 2%/4% healing from Blood Presence, and healing done to you is increased by 5%/10% in Blood Presence.
Improved Death Strike	2	Blood 35	Increases the damage of your Death Strike by 15%/30% and increases its critical strike chance by 3%/6%.
Sudden Doom	5	Blood 35	Your Blood Strikes and Heart Strikes have a 5%/10%/15% chance to launch a free Death Coil at your target.
Vampiric Blood	1	Blood 35	Temporarily grants the Death Knight 15% of maximum health and increases the amount of health generated through spells and effects by 35% for 20 sec. After the effect expires, the health is lost.
Will of the Necropolis	3	Blood 40	Damage that will take you below 35% health or taken while you're at 35% health is reduced by 5%. This effect cannot occur more often than once every 15 sec and cannot be triggered by damage which deals less than 5% of your health.
Heart Strike	1	Blood 40	Instantly strike the target and his nearest ally, causing 50% weapon damage plus 125, total damage increased by 10% for each of your diseases on the target.
Might of Mograine	3	Blood 40	Increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Blood Boil, Blood Strike, Death Strike and Heart Strike abilities by 15/30/45%.
Blood Gorged	5	Blood 45	When you are above 75% health, you deal 2/4/6/8/10% more damage. Also increases your expertise by 1/2/3/4/5.
Dancing Rune Weapon	1	Blood 50	Unleashes all available runic power to summon a second rune weapon that fights on its own for 5 sec plus 1 sec per 10 additional runic power, doing the same attacks as the Death Knight but for 50% reduced damage.

 

Frost Talents:

This is what many people consider the tanking tree but this tree also has a lot of good skills for PVP and for solo application.

Talent	Points	Requirements	Description
Improved Icy Touch	3	None	Your Icy Touch does an additional 5/10/15% damage and your Frost Fever reduces melee, ranged and casting speed by an additional 2/4/6%
Glacier Rot	3	None	Diseased enemies take 7/13/20% more damage from your Icy Touch, Howling Blast and Frost Strike spells.
Toughness	5	None	Increases your armor value from items by 3/6/9/12/15% and reduces the duration of movement impairing effects by 6/12/18/24/30%.
Runic Power Mastery	2	none	Increases your maximum Runic Power by 15/30.
Icy Reach	2	Frost 5	Increases the range of your Icy Touch, Chains of Ice and Howling Blast by 5/10 yards.
Black Ice	5	Frost 5	Increases Shadow and Frost spell damage by 2/4/6/8/10%.
Nerves of Cold Steel	3	Frost 5	Increases your chance to hit with one-handed melee weapons by 1/2/3% and increases the damage done by your off-hand weapon by 5/10/15%.
Icy Talons	5	Improved Icy Touch 3	You leech heat from targets of your Frost Fever, so that when their melee speed is reduced, yours increases by 4/8/12/16/20% for the next 20 sec.
		Frost 10
Lichborne	1	Frost 10	Draw upon unholy energy to become undead for 30sec. While undead, you are immune to Charm, Fear and Sleep effects.
Annihilation	3	Frost 10	Increases the critical strike chance of your melee special abilities by 1/2/3%. In addition, there is a 33/66/100% chance that your Obliterate will do its damage without consuming diseases.
Killing Machine	5	Frost 15	After landing a critical strike from an auto attack, there is a 10/20/30/40/50% chance your next Icy Touch, Howling Blast, or Frost Strike will be a critical strike.
Frigid Dreadplate	3	Frost 20	Reduces the chance that melee attacks will hit you by 1/2/3%.
Chill of the Grave	2	Frost 20	Your Chains of Ice, Howling Blast, Icy Touch, and Obliterate generate 2.5/5 additional runic power.
Deathchill	1	Frost 20	When activated, makes your next Icy Touch, Howling Blast, Frost Strike, or Obliterate a critical hit if used within 30 sec.
Improved Icy Talons	1	Icy Talons 5	Your Icy Talons effect increases the melee haste of your entire group or raid by 20% for the next 20 sec. In addition, increases your haste by 5% at all times.
		Frost 25
Merciless Combat	2	Frost 25	Your Icy Touch, Howling Blast, Obliterate and Frost Strike do an additional 5/12% damage when striking targets with less than 35% health.
Rime	3	Frost 25	Increased the critical strike chance of your Icy Touch and Obliterate by 5/10% and casting Icy Touch has a 5/10% chance to cause your next Howling Blast to consume no runes. Resets the cooldown on Howling Blast.
Endless Winter	2	Frost 25	Your Chains of Ice has a 50/100% to cause Frost Fever and the cost of your Mind Freeze is reduced to 10/0 runic power.
Chilblains	3	>Frost 30	Victims of your Frost Fever disease are Chilled reducing movement speed by 15/30/50% for 10 sec.
Hungering Cold	1	Frost 30	Purges the earth around the Death Knight of all heat. Enemies within 10 yards are trapped in ice, preventing them from performing any action for 10 sec and infecting them with Frost Fever. Enemies are considered Frozen, but any damage other than diseases will break the ice.
Improved Frost Presence	2	Frost 30	Allows the death knight to keep the health bonus of Frost Presence in any presence, and decreases magic damage taken while in Frost Presence.
Blood of the North	5	Frost 35	Increases Frost Strike damage by 3/6/9/12/15%. In addition, whenever you use a Blood Strike, or Pestilence, there is a 20/40/60/80/100% chance that the Blood Rune will become a Death Rune when it activates.
Unbreakable Armor	1	Frost 35	Increases your armor by 25%, your total strength by 10% and your Parry chance by 5% for 20 sec.
Acclimation	3	Frost 40	When you hit by a spell, you have a 10/20/30% chance to boost your resistance to that school of magic for 18 sec. Stacks up to 3 times.
Frost Strike	1	Frost 40	Instantly strike the enemy causing 60% weapon damage plus 52.2 as Frost Damage. Can't be blocked, dodged, or parried.
Guile of Gorefiend	3	Frost 40	Increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Blood Strike, Frost Strike, Howling Blast, and Obliterate abilities by 15/30/45% and increases the duration of your Icebound Fortitude by 2/4/6 secs.
Tundra Stalker	5	Frost 45	Your spells and abilities deal 3/6/9/12/15% more damage to targets infected with Frost Fever. Also Increases your expertise by 1/2/3/4/5.
Howling Blast	1	Frost 50	Blast the target with a frigid wind dealing 99 to 107 Frost damage to all enemies within 10 yards.

 

Unholy Talents:

This tree is considered the AOE tree. I wouldn't consider it very AOE strong but it does have a lot of buffs for your ghouls, spells and diseases.

Talent	Points	Requirements	Description
Vicious Strikes	2	None	Increases the critical strike chance by 3/6% and critical strike damage bonus by 15/30% of your Plague Strike, Death Strike and Scourge Strike.
Morbidity	3	None	Increases damage and healing of Death Coil by 5/10/15% and reduces the cooldown on Death and Decay by 5/10/15 sec.
Anticipation	5	None	Increases your chance to dodge by 1/2/3/4/5%
Epidemic	2	Unholy 5	Increases the duration of Blood Plague and Frost Fever by 3/6 sec.
Virulence	3	Unholy 5	Increases your chance to hit with your spells by 1/2/3% and reduces the chance that your spells and diseases you cause can be cured by 10/20/30%.
Unholy Command	2	Unholy 5	Reduces the cooldown of your Death Grip ability by 5/10 sec.
Ravenous Dead	3	Unholy 5	Increases your total Strength by 1/2/3% and the contribution your Ghouls get from Strength and Stamina by 20/40/60%
Outbreak	3	Unholy 10	Increases the damage done by your Plague Strike by 10/20/30% and 7/13/20% damage bonus to Scourge Strike
Necrosis	5	Unholy 10	Your auto attacks deal an additional 2/4/6/8/10% Shadow damage.
Corpse Explosion	1	Unholy 10	Cause a corpse to explode for 82 Shadow damage to all enemies within 20 yards. Will use a nearby corpse if the target is not a corpse. Does not affect mechanical or elemental corpses.
On a Pale Horse	2	Unholy 15	You become as hard to stop as death itself. The duration of all Stun and Fear effects used against you is reduced by 10/20%, and your mounted speed is increased by 10/20%. This does not stack with other movement speed increasing effects.
Night of the Dead	2	Unholy 15	Lower the cooldown of Raise Dead by 15/30? sec and Army of the Dead by 30/60? sec.
Blood-Caked Blade	3	Unholy 15	Your auto attacks have a 10/20/30% chance to cause a Blood-Caked Strike, which hits for 25% weapon damage plus 12.5% for each of your diseases on the target.
Unholy Blight	1	Unholy 20	A vile swarm of unholy insects surrounds the caster for a 10 yard radius. Enemies caught in the area take 21 shadow damage per sec. Lasts 20 sec.
Impurity	5	Unholy 20	Your spells receive an additional 5/10/15/20/25% benefit from your attack power.
Dirge	2	Unholy 20	Your Death Strike, Obliterate, Plague Strike, and Scourge Strike generate 2.5/5 additional runic power.
Magic Suppression	3	Unholy 25	You take 2/4/6% less damage from all magic. In addition, your Anti-Magic Shell absorbs an additional 5/10/15/20/25% of spell damage.
Reaping	3	Unholy 25	Whenever you hit with Blood Strike or Pestilence there is a 33/66/100% chance that the Blood Rune will become a Death Rune when it activates.
Master of Ghouls	1	Night of the Dead 1	Ghouls summoned by your Raise Dead spell are considered pets and are under your control. Unlike normal Death Knight Ghouls, your pet does not have a limited duration. Reduces the cooldown on Raise Dead by 60 seconds.
		Unholy 25
Ghoul Frenzy	1	Unholy 30	Ability that grants 25% melee haste to your pet and heals it for 30% of max health. Costs 1 Unholy Rune.
Desecration	5	Unholy 30	Your Plague Strikes have a 100% chance to cause the Desecrated Ground. Targets in the area are slowed by 50% by the grasping arms of the dead while you cause 5% additional damage while standing on the unholy ground. Lasts 12 sec. Additional points increase the damage and snare effect.
Anti-Magic Zone	1	Magic Suppression 5	Places a large, stationary Anti-Magic Zone that reduces spell damage done to party or raid members inside it by 75%. The Anti-Magic Zone lasts for 30 sec or until it absorbs [10000 + 2 * AP] spell damage.
		Unholy 30
Improved Unholy Presence	2	Unholy 30	Allows the death knight to keep the movement speed bonus of Unholy Presnece in any presence and increases rune regeneration rate while in Unholy Presenece.
Crypt Fever	3	Unholy 35	Your diseases also cause Crypt Fever, which increases disease damage taken by the target by 10/20/30%.
Bone Shield	1	Unholy 35	The Death Knight is surrounded by 4 whirling bones. While at least 1 bone remains, he/she takes 40% less damage from all sources and deals 2% more damage with all attacks, spells and abilities. Each spell or attack that lands consumes 1 bone. Lasts 5 min.
Wandering Plague	3	Unholy 40	When your diseases damage an enemy, there is a chance equal to your critical strike chance that they will deal 33/66/100% additional damage to the target and all enemies within 8 yards. Ignores any target under an effect that is canceled by taking damage.
Ebon Plaguebringer	3	Crypt Fever 3	Your Crypt Fever morphs into Ebon Plague, which increases vulnerability to magic by 4/9/13% in addition to increasing disease damage taken. Improves your critical strike chance with weapons and spells by 1/2/3% at all times.
		Unholy 40
Scourge Strike	1	Unholy 40	An unholy strike that deals 60% weapon damage plus 81 as Shadow damage, and an additional 40.5 bonus damage per disease.
Rage of Rivendare	5	Unholy 45	Your spells and abilities deal 2/4/6/8/10% more damage to targets infected with Blood Plague. Also increases your expertise by 1/2/3/4/5.
Summon Gargoyle	1	Unholy 50	A Gargoyle flies into the area and bombards the target with Nature damage modified by the Death Knight's attack power. Persists for 10 sec plust 1 sec per 8 runic power up to 1 min.