Unholy Death Knight PvP Stat Priority, Gear, and Trinkets — The War Within (11.1.0)

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. It is recommended that wrists, rings, and legs be crafted with Haste and mastery.

There are two main options for Embellishments. First, you can go with Darkmoon Sigil: Ascension with Writhing Armor Banding as this will provide the highest DPS increase. However, you can also go with Darkmoon Sigil: Symbiosis. This is slightly less DPS but with the added benefit of continually breaking any breakable CC every 10 seconds.

For a more sustained damage option you can go Elemental Focusing Lens. This provides less top end damage in exchange for more consistent damage throughout the entire match

Prized 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.

Prized 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 Quick Onyx except one slot will need the new PvP gem Enduring Bloodstone.

These are the best Unholy Death Knight enchants by slot:

• Wrist: Enchant Bracer - Chant of Armored Leech or Enchant Bracer - Chant of Armored Speed
• Cloak: Enchant Cloak - Chant of Leeching Fangs or Enchant Cloak - Chant of Burrowing Rapidity
• Chest: Enchant Chest - Oathsworn's Strength
• Legs: Stormbound Armor Kit
• Rings: Enchant Ring - Cursed Mastery
• Neck: Vicious Jeweler's Setting
• Boots: Enchant Boots - Defender's March

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. Fallen Crusader is the standard output-increasing Runeforge and will be used in all cases.