Summary
Ever since Transmog (short for Transmogrification) was added toWorld of Warcraftback duringCataclysm, players have been able to express their creativity. No longer is their fashion at the mercy of whatever loot they’ve acquired so far or what has the better stats. A visually unappealing sword can be made to look like a much more satisfying weapon. IfWorld of Warcraftplayers don’t like the way their class armor set looks, they can simply use a different appearance.
While there are still some restrictions with Transmog, the system has seen significant improvements over the years. As a result, simply hunting down sets for Transmog is a play style in and of itself. If players want to use a set that leans into their class fantasy, there are plenty to choose from. This is especially the case for Death Knights, as many earlier sets really set them apart as unstoppable champions of death and destruction. For all the former Scourge champions out there, here aresome transmog setsthat will strike fear into the hearts of those foolish enough to stand in their way.
Updated on June 20, 2025, by Paul Woodward:Death Knight armor comes in a variety of styles. While they didn’t have many sets at the time ofWrath of the Lich King, players now have a lot to work with when it comes to creating a new transmog set. The 20th Anniversary celebration added an incredible armor appearance since Death Knights didn’t have a Tier Two armor set like the original classes did. It will be interesting to see what kind of armor is added when 11.1 releases in 2025, especially since the raid will involve the Undermine. Perhaps Blizzard will find a way to incorporate the explosive technology of Goblins into the appearance of those raid sets?
11Valorous Scourgeborne Plate
The First Set of Raid Gear For Death Knights
There is no better place to start than with the very first set of raid gear for Death Knights. Since Death Knights were not a playable classwhen Naxxramas was first releasedback in vanilla WoW, it meant that Blizzard needed to add a set for the new class in both 10-man and 25-man versions of Naxxramas. The Valorous Scourgeborne Plate set drops from both Naxxramas and Obsidian Sanctum 25-man. Back during Wrath of the Lich King, the 10 and 25-man versions of raids had different loot tables. So if players want to get this set, they must ensure that they are doing the correct version of the raids.
While not as visually interesting as other sets of Death Knight armor, the Valorous Scorgeborne Plate has a great color scheme and will look good on players regardless of whether they are a Blood, Frost, or Unholy Death Knight. Though this armor will make certain races (especially Orcs) look like giant bugs due to the shoulders. Unfortunately the 10-man version does not have matching boots like the 25-man version does, so players will have to get creative to find something that will match slightly.
10Furious Gladiator’s Dreadplate Armor
For Those Who Prefer Less Bulky Armor
Prior to just being recolors of raid gear, PvP armor used to have a look that was completely unique to it alone. While most of the PvP sets for Death KnightsinWrath of the Lich Kingessentially used the same model throughout the entire expansion, the set released with the sixth Arena Season was easily the most appealing.
Rather than going for a bulky-looking set of armor, this set is thinner and looks like it would be much easier to move in. If anything, this set looks like what a Death Knight would wear if they were on a sports team. So for players looking for a set that looks like it could actually be worn, the Furious Gladiator’s Dreadplate Armor is a great set to use for Transmog. The entire set can be purchased with Marks of Honor from the legacy arena vendors in the Sewers of Dalaran (Northrend).
9Necrotic Boneplate Armor
Armor Made Out of Bones is Perfect For a Death Knight
Since thegrand finale ofCataclysmtakes place in Dragonblight, it makes sense why the Tier 13 raid armor for Death Knights looks like it is made out of bones. While there are three different colored versions of this set, the heroic version is easily the best looking. This entire set drops from the Dragon Soul raid. Originally, players had to loot the tokens and then use them to purchase the raid gear from vendors in Orgrimmar and Stormwind. Now the tokens can be used to just create the armor on the spot.
This set is great for Death Knight players who sided with the Necrolords inShadowlands. While Necrotic Boneplate Armor came out years prior to this notorious expansion, players would certainly feel at home with this armor on while they are in Maldraxxus.
8Ogreskull Boneplate Battlegear
Become An Industrial Death Machine
For the longest time, raid armor obtained from the hardest difficulty inWorld of Warcraftwas just a different colored version of the same set on lower difficulties. When Mythic difficulty for raids was added with the launchofWarlords of Draenor, Blizzard decided to mix things up with the appearance of raid armor. While you can see some similarities between the sets, the Mythic version of allWarlords of Draenorraid armor is noticeably different. In addition to a different-looking helmet, there are often animated visual parts of the armor that are unique to the Mythic set. Ultimately, this ended up getting scrapped in favor of recolors with minor visual effect changes in later expansions.
The Normal and Heroic versions of this armor didn’t feel like armor that a Death Knight would use, but the same can’t be said for the Mythic version which makes the player look like some kind of industrial nightmare forged in the fires of Blackrock Foundry. While the Iron Horde was a short-lived threat, they certainly knew how to craft some intimidating armor. If players want to wear unique gear that makes their Death Knight look like a mechanical harbinger of death, this is the set to wear.
7Plate of the Lost Catacomb
Ceremonial Burial Armor Never Looked So Good
While many players either loved or thoroughlydespisedMists of Pandaria, the unique and completely originally styles of armor it brought into the game cannot be ignored. The image above depicts the heroic version of the Tier 14 Death Knight set. Regardless of color, this set of raid armor makes a Death Knight look like they are wearing ceremonial armor that they were buried in.
The flaming skulls on the helmet and the shoulders will certainly make players look very intimidating. If players prefer not to have armor that looks like a robe, they can swap the chest armor out with Garalon’s Graven Carapace which drops off of Garalon in Heart of Fear. This was also, unfortunately, one of the last sets added to the game that felt like something a Death Knight would wear.
6Dreadwake Armor
The Perfect Set to Commemorate the Destruction of the Burning Legion
The final raid inWorld of Warcraft: Legionwas all about taking the fight directly to the Burning Legion and destroying the source of their infinite army, effectively breaking the seemingly unconquerable hordes of demons for good. With the stakes so high, it only made sense that the armor sets would match the heroes powerful enough to take on Sargeras’s most elite forces and live to tell the tale.
The entire Dreadwake set drops from Antorus, the Burning Throne. Like earlier raid sets, there are four color variants of this armor at the time of writing. The set depicted in the image above drops from the Heroic version of the raid. While this set pairs wellwith Unholy Death Knights, it is neutral enough that it would look great regardless of spec.
5Magma Plated Battlearmor
Even after the Lich King was slain, there were still plenty of incredible sets of raid gear for Death Knights that were released during Cataclysm. One such set is the very impressive (and highly intimidating) Tier 11 set for Death Knights. The normal version is covered in blue flames and the helmet has an impressive looking crown on top with horns and a skull like visage. Every piece of this set drops from the three raids that launched withCataclysm.
If players want something that looks a little more primal, they should consider going after the heroic version of this armor as it looks like a set of armor forged with lava. As far as weapons go, Shadowmourne looks great with the normal version and weaponsfrom the Firelandslook great with the heroic version.
4Risen Nightmare’s Gravemantle
Dragonflight Brings Back the Class Fantasy
Some class armor sets strayed away from a discernable identity duringDragonflight. This was certainly the case with Death Knights, as the armor that dropped in Vault of the Incarnates andAberrus, the Shadowed Cruciblelooked more like typical plate armor inWorld of Warcraft.
With Season Three, Death Knights got a new set of armor that felt like it belonged in a Scourge armory. The art team at Blizzard even found ways to make the set look different from what had come before by adding in spikes on the shoulders and the arms. Best of all, this set comes in several different colors and there is even a color that is exclusive to PvP. If players want a set that suits a Death Knight but doesn’t look like the more traditional sets fromWrath of the Lich King, Risen Nightmare’s Gravemantle is a great contender.
3Unchained Gladiator’s Plate
Creepy Looking Armor Is Ideal For a Death Knight
While the Unchained Gladiator’s Plate is technically a set that can be used by Warriors, Paladins, and Death Knights, there is no doubt that this set of armor looks best when on a Death Knight. In general, Death Knight gear is meant to make them look very intimidating. In this case, the Unchained Gladiator’s Plate set makes a Death Knight player look outright demonic. This entire set can be purchased from the PvP Vendor in Oribos.
As far as weapons go, Apocalypse pairs well with this set. This is especially the case if players use any of the red color variants of this Legion Artifact weapon. If players want a cape, the Ensemble for Unchained Gladiator’s Plate comes with one that matches this armor.
2Pale Rider’s Eternal Armor
What A Tier 2 Death Knight Set Would Have Looked Like
Believe it or not, the iconic Tier Two armor set from vanillaWorld of Warcraftdidn’t always have the unique appearances that they were known for. Early on, Tier Two used a placeholder appearance, which was then eventually replaced by the sets that players know and love today, including the Judgement set that manyPaladin players use for transmog. Back in vanillaWorld of Warcraft, there were no Death Knights, Monks, Demon Hunters, or Evokers, so there are no Tier Two sets to obtain from Blackwing Lair.
So when Blizzard released theupdated Tier Two appearancesas part of the 20th Anniversary, they used this opportunity to create sets for all the classes added to the game over the years. The Pale Rider’s Eternal Armor gives players an idea of what a Tier Two set could have looked like if Death Knights had been a class in vanillaWorld of Warcraft, and it is one of the best sets of armor the class has seen in a very long time. Not only that, but this armor set pairs very well with most any weapon from Icecrown Citadel, especially Shadowmourne.
