A deadly attack that deals 150% weapon damage plus (((X * 150 / 100))), healing you for 20% of the damage you have sustained during the preceding 5 sec (minimum of at least 7% of your maximum health).
Death Strike is a Death knight ability. It is a deadly attack that deals 150% weapon damage plus damage and heals the Death Knight for at least 7% of maximum health. It cost 56 to learn at level 56.
Increases your Death Strike's damage by 2% for every 5 runic power you currently have (up to a maximum of 40%). The runic power is not consumed by this effect.
This ability is integral to Tanking, and forms the foundation for the Blood talent tree's Mastery bonus.
Other specs use Death Strike to heal when necessary and not as part of their usual damage rotations (e.g. if the healer is out of mana and cannot keep you up) or, if blood specced, to generate Death Runes when needed. Its main purpose is to heal, not to deal damage.
While tanking, if it is possible to stand idle for a few seconds without losing aggro, it may be best to wait until you take damage before using Death Strike; this will make the heal worthwhile, and spare your healer(s) some time and mana.
Patch changes
Patch 4.1.0 (2011-04-26): Death Strike self-healing no longer generates threat.
Hotfix (2010-11-24):Death Strike now properly heals for 20% of the damage taken within the last 5 seconds.
Patch 4.0.3a (2010-11-23): Now heals for 25% of damage taken in the last 5 seconds, down from 30%, and will heal for a minimum of 7% of maximum health, down from 10%.
Hotfix (2009-04-21):Death Strike will now heal the Death Knight for 5% of his or her maximum health per disease on the target, up to a maximum of 15%.
Hotfix (2009-04-17):The healing a Death Knight receives from damage done by Death Strike has been reduced.
Healing changed to 5% of maximum health + 5% per disease, up to a maximum of 15% with 2 or more diseases.
Patch 3.1.0 (2009-04-14): Increased damage to 75% of weapon damage (up from 60%), reduced healing by 20% to 80% of damage dealt + 40% per disease (down from 100% of damage dealt + 50% per disease).