WoW: The War Within Deathbringer Death Knight Hero Talents guide

With World of Warcraft: The War Within now live and the player base exploring everything it has to offer, Hero Talents are finally coming to the fore. Deathbringer is one of the more effective options in the game right now, so here’s everything you need to know.

Hero Talents have been implemented in the current WoW expansion as part of a broader effort to add depth to the existing class system. These Hero Talents exist separately from the standard talent trees, and the buffs they offer are tied to specific specs.

As such, there are three trees in total for each class. Of those, players can choose between two, depending on their chosen specialization. Druids are different, having access to four, while Demon Hunters only have two.

Read on for a full explanation of what’s on offer to the Deathbringer Death Knight.

Deathbringer Death Knight full Hero Talent tree explained

As with all Hero Talent trees, the Deathbringer Death Knight has a Keystone talent that later options branch out from. In between, there are three full rows for players to choose from before the whole thing culminates in a Capstone talent. Available to Blood and Frost DKs, the full list of options available is as follows:

Rider of the Apocalypse Death Knight Keystone Hero Talent

Reaper’s Mark: Viciously slice into the soul of your enemy, dealing Shadowfrost damage and applying Reaper’s Mark.

Each time you deal Shadow or Frost damage, add a stack of Reaper’s Mark. After 12 seconds or reaching 40 stacks, the mark explodes, dealing damage per stack.

If the target dies or explodes below 35% health when there are no enemies to travel to, Reaper’s Mark travels to an unmarked enemy nearby. This explosion cannot occur again on a target for 3 minutes.

Rider of the Apocalypse Death Knight first-row Hero Talents

Wave of Souls: Reaper’s Mark unleashes a dark wave towards your target and back, dealing Shadowfrost damage both ways to all enemies caught in its path. Wave of Souls critical strikes cause enemies to take 5% increased Shadowfrost damage for 15 seconds, stacking up to 2 times, and the wave back is always a critical strike. 

Blood Fever: Your Blood Plague (Blood) or Frost Fever (Frost) has a chance to deal 30% increased damage as Shadowfrost.

Bind in Darkness: Shadowfrost damage applies double stacks to Reaper’s Mark and quadruple stacks when it is a critical strike. Additionally, Rime-empowered Howling Blast deals Shadowfrost damage (Frost), or Blood Boil deals Shadowfrost damage (Blood).

Rider of the Apocalypse Death Knight second-row Hero Talents

Shuddering Soul: Reaper’s Mark explosion causes a piece of the target’s soul to tear out and spiral outwards, dealing 10% of the explosion’s damage to enemies it passes through. Enemies hit by this effect deal 5% reduced physical damage to you for 10 seconds.

Grim Reaper: Reaper’s Mark explosion deals up to 30% increased damage based on your target’s missing health and applies Soul Reaper to targets below 35% health.

Choice Node: Death’s Bargain and Rune Carved Plates

• Death’s Bargain: When you suffer a damaging effect equal to 25% of your maximum health, you instantly cast Death Pact at 50% effectiveness. It may only occur every 2 minutes. When a Reaper’s Mark explodes, the cooldowns of this effect and Death Pact are reduced by 5 seconds.
• Rune Carved Plates: Each Rune spent reduces the magic damage you take by 2% and each Rune generated reduces the physical damage you take by 2% for 5 seconds, up to 5 times.

Rider of the Apocalypse Death Knight third-row Hero Talents

Choice Node: Swift End and Painful Death

• Swift End: Reaper’s Mark’s cost is reduced by 1 Rune, and its cooldown is reduced by 50%.
• Painful Death: Reaper’s Mark now explodes at 50 stacks and the first scythe of Exterminate has a 100% increased chance to apply Reaper’s Mark.

Choice Node: Dark Talons and Wither Away

• Dark Talons: Marrowrend and Heart Strike (Blood), Consuming Killing Machine or Rime (Frost) has a 20% chance to increase the maximum stacks of an active Icy Talons by 1, up to 2 times.

While Icy Talons is active, your abilities that spend Runic Power deal Shadowfrost damage.

• Wither Away: Blood Plague (Blood) or Frost Fever (Frost) deals its damage in half the duration and the second scythe of Exterminate applies Blood Plague (Blood) or Frost Fever (Frost).

Choice Node: Death’s Messenger and  Expelling 

• Death’s Messenger: Reduces the cooldowns of Lichborne and Raise Dead by 30 seconds.
• Expelling Shield: When an enemy deals direct damage to your Anti-Magic Shell, their cast speed is reduced by 10% for 6 seconds. 

Rider of the Apocalypse Death Knight capstone Hero Talent

Exterminate: After Reaper’s Mark explodes, your next Marrowrend (Blood) or Obliterate (Frost) costs no Rune and summons 2 scythes to strike your enemies. The first scythe strikes your target for physical damage and has a 15% chance to apply Reaper’s Mark, the second scythe strikes all enemies around your target for Shadowfrost damage.

Make sure to check out our other Hero Talent guides below:

Colossus Warrior | Keeper of the Grove Druid | Dark Ranger Hunter | Frostfire Mage | Oracle Priest | Elune’s Chosen Druid | Wildstalker Druid | Herald of the Sun Paladin | Scalecommander Evoker | Trickster Rogue | Templar Paladin | Diabolist Warlock | Rider of the Apocalypse Death Knight | Deathbringer Death Knight | Aldrachi Reaver Demon Hunter | Druid of the Claw Druid | Pack Leader Hunter | Flameshaper Evoker | Spellslinger Mage | Shado-Pan Monk