Tank Rotation & Cooldowns
This rotation guide provides a quick, basic understanding of which abilities to prioritize when playing a Blood Death Knight, along with additional details on important cooldowns at the bottom. Updated for the latest patch in World of Warcraft: The War Within (11.0.7).
Single Target
Ensure Death And Decay is placed before the encounter starts.
- Use to pull from range.
- Cast twice to prime Bone Shield charges.
- Use on cooldown.
- Use when target is below 35% HP.
- Use to heal after taking damage.
- Use as a filler to consume Runes.
- Use to maintain Blood Plague and prevent capping.
- Use when at 5+ bones.
- Use if at 5+ bones.
Start with Deaths Caress to pull, then prioritize Marrowrend for Bone Shield charges. Use Dancing Rune Weapon and Soul Reaper on cooldown, followed by Death Strike for healing and Heart Strike as a filler.
AoE
Use Death And Decay to maximize damage in AoE situations.
- Use when 5+ bones available.
- Use to apply Blood Plague to multiple targets.
- Use to heal and maintain survivability.
- Use to maintain Bone Shield charges.
- Use on cooldown for increased damage.
In AoE, prioritize Bonestorm when you have enough bones, followed by Blood Boil to spread Blood Plague. Use Death Strike for healing and maintain Bone Shield with Marrowrend.
Cooldowns
Use cooldowns strategically to mitigate damage and enhance survivability.
- Use to absorb magic damage and generate Runic Power.
- Use for increased parry chance and resource generation.
- Use proactively to increase health and healing received.
- Use to reduce damage taken during high damage phases.
For cooldowns, prioritize Dancing Rune Weapon for damage and resource generation, Vampiric Blood for healing, and Icebound Fortitude for damage reduction during heavy hits.