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For the death knight ability, see Death Coil (death knight ability).
Death Coil
Spell shadow deathcoil
  • Death Coil
  • 30 yd  range
  • 2 minutes cooldown
  • 23% of base mana
  • Instant cast
  • Causes the enemy target to run in horror for 3 sec and causes X Shadow damage. The caster gains 300% of the damage caused in health.
Usable by
ClassWarlock
Properties
TypeOffensive
SchoolShadow
Cooldown2 minutes
Talents
Improvement
talents
Demonic Sacrifice (Succubus), Demonic Tactics, Improved Drain Soul, Grim Reach, Master Demonologist (Succubus), Shadow Mastery, Soul Link, Suppression
Other information
Ranks6
Related debuff
Spell shadow deathcoil
  • Magic
  • Death Coil
  • Horrified.
  • Duration: 3 sec
Death is not something you can run from when it comes for you.[1]

Death Coil is a warlock Shadow-based Direct Damage spell that heals the caster for the damage done and causes the target to run in horror.

Rank table[]

Rank Damage Level Cost
1 244 42 1g 10s
2 319 50 1g 50s
3 400 58 2g 40s
4 519 68 6g 30s
5 670 73 16g
6 790 78 16g

Notes[]

  • Death Coil is a "horrify" effect (one of two horrify effects in the game, the other being a shadow priest's Psychic Horror). As such, fear countering abilities will not be effective against it.
  • Most creatures that are Fear immune are also immune to Death Coil. This includes nearly all undead.
  • It is a binary spell, and as such it can only hit or miss. Neither critical hits nor partial resists are possible.
  • Demon Armor does increase the life gained.
  • Absorbing the damage from Death Coil does not prevent the horrify effect.

Tips and tactics[]

Death Coil (Warlock) TCG

In World of Warcraft: Trading Card Game.

  • Typically, Death Coil is followed up with the Fear spell against melee attackers, especially in PvP as the short horrify effect will prevent you from suffering casting pushback or lose your Fear spell to an interrupting skill such as Kick or Pummel.
  • It can be used to interrupt enemies' spellcasting.
  • While in a five-man-instance this spell can be particularly useful when used against mobs aggroing healers or players that recently crowd controled the target, buying the CCers or the tank time to take them out of combat or pick them up respectively. Despite for the fear only lasts three seconds, depending on the given situation you have to consider the odds for a misfortunate fear, which could easily lead to adds and as a result to a wipe.
  • Because of the high health return of this spell it can be used in conjunction with life tap for mana/health management.

Background[]

Death Coil was premiered in Warcraft II, where it was used by the Horde unit called the Death knight. It was used in much the same way as it is now, except against either friend or foe. The spell reappeared in Warcraft III as one of the powers of those death knights which serve the Lich King. This version of the spell dealt damage to living enemies, while healing their undead allies.

Patch changes[]

  • WoW Icon 16x16 Hotfix (2009-04-30): "The Warlock ability Death Coil now heals you for 300% of the damage done, up from 100%. [2]"
  • Template:Patch 2.1.0
  • Patch 1.8.0 (patch date:2005-10-10): Cooldown reduced, mana cost increased, and now causes a short Fear effect that is not diminished. 
  • Patch 1.6.0 (patch date:2005-07-12): Health leech effects no longer give you health while you are a ghost. 
  • Patch 1.2.0 (patch date:2004-12-18):
    • Death Coil won't give health until it actually hits the target.
    • Death Coil will only give the amount of health that it actually drained from the target. 

References[]

  1. TCG Fires of Outland, 83
  2. Blizzard Entertainment Bornakk 2009-04-17. Recent In-Game Fixes - 4/16/09. Archived from the original on 2009-04-17. Retrieved on 2009-06-11.

External links[]


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