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Players may find Death Knight one of the more difficult classes to pull off after being nerfed after the playtest. However, it’s one of the more exciting and entertaining jobs due to its flexible kit, which you can adjust depending on your playstyle. The class requires strategic skill use to dominate others, so you must build your character to make the most of your damage.
Death Knight Overview
Death Knight is a versatile class that relies on carefully using skills to dominate the field. Unlike other courses that can dish out damage with their raw power, DK requires knowing when and where to use your abilities. On top of this, your play style will also vary depending on what build you’re running, so you’ll need to know the available skills this class has.
- Soul Shroud: Summons evil spirits around you that will slow nearby enemies for one second and deal continuous 24.90 damage.
- Soulstorm: Unleash Soul Energy to deal continuous passive shadow damage to nearby enemies while active.
- Grasp of the Grave: Unleash spectral chains at a target that can pull them to your side and deal a small amount of shadow damage when it hits its target.
You can only have either Soul Shroud or Soulstorm active, since Grasp of the Grave is always on the active slot and cannot be replaced. Depending on which skill you bring, your build must match your loadout. On top of the active abilities, you also have several passive bonuses that you must aim for since they rely on specific attributes to take effect. Here are all the perks of this class:
- Soul Reaper (42 Intelligence): Landing a killing blow resets Grasp of the Grave
- Life Steal (24 Will): Restore HP to every Soul Essence orb you absorb
- Grim Harvest (45 Strength): Generate a small amount of Soul Energy when hitting enemies with Grasp of the Grave
- Endless Torment (33 Dexterity): Each Soul Energy orb extends the duration of Soul Shroud when activated.
- Soul Cage (39 Stamina): Gain a shield that lasts a few seconds when activating Soul Shroud.
Death Knight stats are thinly spread out, so you must prioritize which ones to invest in. Some of your items will increase your attributes, which is another reason you need to tailor your items depending on your destination.
Best Stats for Death Knight
While you ideally want to hit all stats, you must focus on specific attributes first. We advise players to focus on Strength, Dexterity, and Stamina first. In general, these attributes contribute to your mobility and base damage. In addition, these stats activate Soul Cage, Endless Torment, and Grim Harvest, which are the most crucial perks in your arsenal.
You only need to invest in Will and Intelligence if you have extra resources without sacrificing any additions to your three core attributes. Soul Reaper and Grim Harvest are okay perks to have, but they should be something other than your priority since they give small advantages on their own. Focus on equipping weapons and armor to contribute to Strength, Dexterity, and Stamina. There are also some quests that you can complete that will add additional points to specific stats.
Best Weapons for Death Knight
Death Knight is the most balanced kit because this class can use many weapons, including crossbows. For starters, a one-handed weapon + a shield can help while you're learning the class. Later, we highly advise players to go for a dual-wield build or a two-handed sword + crossbow loadout. You should go with the former if you are using Soulstorm since it requires you to always be nearby. The two-handed weapon + crossbow should be your go-to if you prefer Soul Shroud because you are at a better range to cast it and have more opportunities.
Best Spells for Death Knight
If you want to maximize your damage, Soul Shroud would be the obvious choice because of its DoT damage for several seconds while also gaining a shield if you have Soul Cage. However, while activation is instant, there is a slight animation that can delay the release of the spell, which enemies can take advantage of to interrupt you or dodge. Soulstorm is more reliable regarding hit rate since you can toggle it on and off depending on whether you are in the effective range. The drawback with this ability is that you must gotta always stay close to enemies, which can be dangerous in certain situations. If you need help with getting used to the timing or knowing when to use Soul Shroud, you should go with Soulstorm for now.
How to Play Death Knight
Unlike other classes, Death Knights can't be healed by other means. Therefore, players need to bring a lot of food and potions with them, making this a priority for them before entering a map. Your playstyle will vary depending on your loadout. If you use the Dual Wield Soulstorm build, your only option is to go all in. Only attempt to run away from a fight with a ranged opponent if you are sure some walls or obstacles can break line-of-sight. Always rush down casters before they can launch too many spells, even if you take a few hits. You have a higher HP bar than most spellcasting classes, so you can kill them before they kill you.
If you’re running the 2H+Crossbow Soul Shroud, your first choice should be to whittle down enemy HP from afar before rushing them down. You might lose to classes like Fighter and Druid if you enter melee combat way too early, so utilizing your ranged weapon can help even out the odds. The same can be said about spellcasters, but you can still try rushing them down with your 2H gun if you have enough HP to tank the damage or cover.
Regarding spells, Soulstorm should be activated as soon as you are in effective range. We advise players who run Soul Shroud to try and hide behind barricades or break the line of sight before activating it to avoid enemies from attacking you during animation. Grasp of the Grave is a good interrupt skill, so you can use it against foes' channeling skills or trying to charge you to cancel their attacks. Alternatively, you can use it to chase down enemies trying to flee.
