Unholy Death Knight DPS Artifact Talents/Traits and Relics (Legion 7.2.5)

Table of Contents

• +Introduction
  • 1. Class Overview
  • 2. Patch 7.2.5 Changes
  • 3. Patch 7.2 Changes
  • 4. Strengths
  • 5. Weaknesses
  • 6. Contents
  • 7. ChangeLog
• +Easy Mode
  • 1. The Basics
  • 2. Talent Choice
  • 3. Stat Choice
  • 4. Basic Rotation
  • 5. Cooldowns
  • 6. ChangeLog
• +Spell Summary
  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Main Resources
  • 3. Basic Abilities
  • 4. Important Procs
  • 5. Cooldowns
  • 6. ChangeLog
• +Builds and Talents
  • 1. Talent Choices
  • 2. Tier 1 (Level 56) Talents
  • 3. Tier 2 (Level 57) Talents
  • 4. Tier 3 (Level 58) Talents
  • 5. Tier 4 (Level 60) Talents
  • 6. Tier 5 (Level 75) Talents
  • 7. Tier 6 (Level 90) Talents
  • 8. Tier 7 (Level 100) Talents
  • 9. ChangeLog
• ×Artifact Traits and Relics
  • 1. Artifact Progression
  • 2. Relic Choice
  • 3. ChangeLog
• +Rotation, Cooldowns, and Abilities
  • 1. Single Target Rotation
  • 2. Multiple Target Rotation
  • 3. Cooldown Usage
    • 3.1. Apocalypse
    • 3.2. Summon Gargoyle
    • 3.3. Army of the Dead
  • 4. Optional Read: Mastering Your Unholy Death Knight
    • 4.1. Runes and Runic Power
      • 4.1.1. Runes
      • 4.1.2. Runic Power
    • 4.2. Virulent Plague
    • 4.3. Festering Wounds
    • 4.4. Anti-Magic Shell Usage
    • 4.5. Abilities and Cooldowns from Talents
      • 4.5.1. Tier 2 Talents
      • 4.5.2. Tier 6 Talents
      • 4.5.3. Tier 7 Talents
  • 5. ChangeLog
• +Stat Priority
  • 1. Basics
  • 2. Getting a Better Understanding
    • 2.1. Statistics Priority
  • 3. ChangeLog
• +Gems, Enchants, and Consumables
  • 1. Gems
  • 2. Enchants
  • 3. Consumables
  • 4. ChangeLog
• +Macros and Addons
  • 1. Macros
    • 1.1. Generic Macros for Death Knights
      • 1.1.1. Raise Ally
      • 1.1.2. Mind Freeze
    • 1.2. Specific Macros for Unholy Death Knights
      • 1.2.1. Outbreak Mouseover Macro
      • 1.2.2. Death Grip Mouseover Macro
      • 1.2.3. Pet Hook Grip Mouseover Macro
      • 1.2.4. Corpse Shield
      • 1.2.5. Dismissing Pet
    • 1.3. Generic Addons for Death Knights
      • 1.3.1. ElvUI
      • 1.3.2. Boss Mods: Deadly Boss Mods or Bigwigs
      • 1.3.3. GTFO
      • 1.3.4. Parrot or Mik's Scrolling Battle Text
      • 1.3.5. Weak Auras
      • 1.3.6. Recount / Skada / Details!
      • 1.3.7. Omen Threat Meter
      • 1.3.8. Grid and GridClickSets (Optional)
    • 1.4. Specific Addons for Unholy Death Knights
  • 2. ChangeLog
• +Gear, Legendaries, and Best in Slot
  • 1. Tier 20 Set Bonuses
  • 2. Legendary Items
  • 3. Loot Competition
  • 4. ChangeLog

General Information

This page shows you how to level up the Artifact and how to choose the right Relics for your Unholy Death Knights. It is updated for World of Warcraft Legion 7.2.5.

The other pages of our Unholy Death Knight guide can be accessed from the table of contents on the right.

About Our Reviewer

This guide has been reviewed and approved by Tain, a long-time Unholy Death Knight player who raids in Dead Weight, a top 50 guild in the US.

1. Artifact Progression

For the first 35 Artifact points you will spend, the Artifact progression path for Unholy Death Knights is straightforward.

1. Apocalypse
2. Feast of Souls
3. Eternal Agony
4. The Darkest Crusade
5. Portal to the Underworld
6. Scourge of Worlds
7. Scourge the Unbeliever
8. Unholy Endurance
9. The Shambler
10. Armies of the Damned
11. Plaguebearer and Rotten Touch (in any order)
12. Deadly Durability
13. Double Doom
14. Deadliest Coil
15. Runic Tattoos
16. Gravitational Pull
17. Fleshsearer

After this, you should take the remaining traits in the following order.

1. Cunning of the Ebon Blade
2. Plaguebearer
3. Lash of Shadows
4. The Darkest Crusade
5. Rotten Touch
6. Scourge the Unbeliever
7. Deadliest Coil
8. Eternal Agony
9. Death's Harbinger
10. Black Claws
11. Deadly Durability
12. Runic Tattoos
13. Unholy Endurance
14. Concordance of the Legionfall

2. Relic Choice

When choosing which Relics to use, always take the one that grants you the highest item level, regardless of the benefit it offers. When having to choose between Relics that grant the same item level, chose based on the following trait enhancement priority.

For maximising DPS:

1. Plaguebearer
2. The Darkest Crusade
3. Rotten Touch
4. Eternal Agony
5. Scourge the Unbeliever
6. Runic Tattoos (once you have at least 1 point in the trait)

For defensive Relics, you should choose ones that enhance Unholy Endurance for any type of AoE damage.

3. ChangeLog

• 12 Jun. 2017: Page reviewed and deemed updated for 7.2.5.
• 27 Mar. 2017: Added path for the Artifact traits added in Patch 7.2.
• 11 Mar. 2017: Updated Relic priority slightly.
• 10 Jan. 2017: Made a small tweak to the Relic priority.
• 12 Dec. 2016: Changed the Relic choice priority slightly.
• 16 Oct. 2016: Added a note about how The Instructor's Fourth Lesson legendary bracers affect Relic choice.
• 29 Aug. 2016: Added.