Unholy Death Knight PvP Stat Priority, Gear, and Trinkets — Midnight Season 1

The stat priority for Unholy Death Knights in PvP is as follows:

1. Versatility
2. Mastery = Haste
3. Critical Strike

Versatility is the best stat by far. Versatility, in PvP, has the highest contribution to output while also heavily increasing survivability through healing and damage mitigation. No other stat can compete with Versatility in value in PvP.

Mastery and Haste are both very valuable stats and actually synergize with each other. Mastery increases your Shadow damage and your Minion damage, while Haste reduces the global cooldown, gives you resource generation, and increases the rate at which you and your minions attack. Either of these stats make the other one more valuable, meaning you should aim for a balance of both.

Critical Strike is purely an output stat and does not do as much for our class as the other stats. Unholy Death Knight has no procs or additional effects that occur because of Critical Strikes. Therefore, it is our worst stat and should be avoided at all costs.

As for gearing, there are no pieces you truly need to target for slots like legs or boots; you are just looking for the proper stats on them, which will come from honor, conquest, professions, and the weekly cache. Due to the introduction of the new crafting system, you are able to craft Versatility and Mastery or Haste in every slot, allowing for gear optimization.

Below, you will find the recommended BiS list but this can be adjusted based on stat preferences.

• Head: Relentless Rider's Crown
• Neck: Thalassian Competitor's Amulet - Crafted with Versatility & Haste
• Shoulders: Relentless Rider's Dreadthorns
• Cloak: Galactic Gladiator's Shawl
• Chest: Relentless Rider's Cuirass
• Wrists: Galactic Gladiator's Plate Wristguards
• Hands: Relentless Rider's Bonegrasps
• Waist: Galactic Gladiator's Plate Girdle
• Legs: Galactic Gladiator's Plate Legguards
• Feet: Galactic Gladiator's Plate Warboots
• Ring 1: Thalassian Competitor's Signet - Crafted with Versatility & Haste
• Ring 2: Thalassian Competitor's Signet - Crafted with Versatility & Mastery
• Trinket 1: Galactic Gladiator's Medallion
• Trinket 2: Galactic Gladiator's Insignia of Alacrity
• 2H Weapon: Galactic Gladiator's Greatsword

The best sustained damage option is Prismatic Focusing Iris. This provides solid consistent damage throughout the entire match

Galactic Gladiator's Emblem can be an option if you need to play particularly defensive against a comp you have not been able to survive against (probably Rogue/Hunter comps). Death Knights scale very well with increased health effects because their heals are based on a percentage of your maximum health. Despite this, it is best to use other trinkets over an Emblem.

Galactic Gladiator's Insignia of Alacrity is going to be used in most situations. The trinket provides a main stat proc along with static Haste. Early on, there will be low haste values, so this trinket will prove to be useful.

Fill every gem socket you have with Flawless Masterful Lapis or Flawless Quick Lapis depending if you want to prioritize Haste or Mastery after 20%. Make sure that in one slot you have the PvP gem Enduring Heliotrope.

These are the best Unholy Death Knight enchants by slot:

• Helm: Enchant Helm - Empowered Hex of Leeching or Enchant Helm - Empowered Blessing of Speed
• Shoulder: Enchant Shoulders - Silvermoon's Mending or Enchant Shoulders - Akil'zon's Swiftness
• Chest: Enchant Chest - Mark of Nalorakk
• Legs: Forest Hunter's Armor Kit
• Rings: Enchant Ring - Zul'jin's Mastery
• Boots: Enchant Boots - Farstrider's Hunt

Death Knights get a special weapon enchant called Runeforges. Runeforging is done by using your Death Gate to get back to Acherus, the Ebon Hold. Rune of the Apocalypse is our best Runeforge and will be used in all cases.