Death Coil (warlock ability)

For the death knight ability, see [Death Coil].

Death Coil
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
Class	Warlock
Properties
Type	Offensive
School	Shadow
Casting time	Instant cast
Cooldown	2 minutes
Talents
Improvement talents	Demonic Sacrifice (Succubus), Demonic Tactics, Improved Drain Soul, Grim Reach, Master Demonologist (Succubus), Shadow Mastery, Soul Link, Suppression
Other information
Ranks	6
Related debuff
Magic Death Coil Horrified. Duration: 3 sec

• Death Coil
• 30 yd  range
• 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.

Death is not something you can run from when it comes for you.

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	1 10
2	319	50	1 50
3	400	58	2 40
4	519	68	6 30
5	670	73	16
6	790	78	16

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.
• Demon Armor does increase the life gained.
• Absorbing the damage from Death Coil does not prevent the horrify effect.

Tips and tactics

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

•  Hotfix (2009-04-30): "The Warlock ability Death Coil now heals you for 300% of the damage done, up from 100%. "
  
• Patch 2.1.0 (22-May-2007): Is now subject to diminishing returns in the Horror category. Currently, only Death Coil is in this category.
  
• Patch 1.8.0 (10-Oct-2005): Cooldown reduced, mana cost increased, and now causes a short Fear effect that is not diminished.
  
• Patch 1.6.0 (12-Jul-2005): Health leech effects no longer give you health while you are a ghost.
  
• Patch 1.2.0 (18-Dec-2004):
  • 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.
    

External links

• Wowhead
• Thottbot
• WoWDB