Ways to increase threat

The World of Warcraft Armory
Rotation (ST):

IT>PS>HS>HS (now my rotation is based off of priority, HS, if i can't, DS, if I can't, DC, and pest whenever my diseases are about to run out, I have RS macroed to everything).
For multiple targets I start with DnD and pest after diseases, and BB if 4 or more mobs.

I can hold threat fine in heroics, but in raids where people are pulling 4.5k-6k DPS, I either am below their threat, or only JUST above them. I was OTing in VoA and noticed the MT was pulling 8k TPS (Mine's 4-6k), and the 2 highest DPS above me (I was close however). But in a ToC 25 run I did, the dps was the same and I could easily hold it, I've also had people pulling 5k in heroics and can hold on them too, same classes aswell, so I have no idea why it's so random.

Anyway, as you can see from my armoury, I'm hit capped (wayy above it actually) and expertise capped.

I recently joined a raiding guild and we're doing ToC 25 this Friday so I'm trying to prepare and make sure I do well.

Thanks.

Your gear and ability priorities are great, I'd just recommend tweaking your build to get Might of Morgraine and some crit:

http://talent.mmo-champion.com/?deat...S8IvbS1,,10433

Alright I've changed my spec, but I doubt that alone can increase my threat that significantly, is there anything else I could do to increase my TPS a thousand or so?

Some suggestions,

Rotation:
Try this rotation rather than IT>PS>HS>HS:

IT>PS>DS>HS>HS>...

I understand your initial rotation is the recommended pattern to follow, but consider this. Doing a Death Strike prior to the Heart Strike chain in a single target rotation will do a few things:
-Give you Threat from Death Strike's damage + the heal it grants (although Overheals generate no threat and in multipull situations the heal threat will be split by how many mobs are nearby.)
-Increase your AP (Abomination's Might)
-Increase the following Heart Strikes' damage because of the 10% AP boost
-Increase the amount of times you use Heart strike (Death rune Mastery)


Glyphs
Your Glyphing looks fine, but try using Glyph of Death Strike instead of Glyph of Rune Strike. The reliable damage boost glyph of death strike provides will be much more consistent than Glyph of Rune's 10% crit chance increase to rune strike. Rune Strike is subject to the RNG more so than Death Strike.

For you since you're hit and dodge capped,
-Death Strike: Parry(NPC), Glance, Hit, Crit
-Rune Strike: Parry(NPC),Glance, Hit, Crit, & not only is it subject to the possibilties of what can happen to the NPC it's also subject to whether you dodge, parry, or miss the incomming attack. Rune Strike only activates if you dodge, or parry.


Talents
I'd take out the three talent points from necrosis and put them into improved icy touch for two reasons:
-Inital opening threat, you can hit your target from range and get a few ticks of frost fever before you're within melee range which can help start your threat lead
-Survival, slower swing speed on the NPC should buy your healers more time to cast


Other Considerations
-Take advantage of moments when the Black Heart Trinket procs. Since, you're spec'd into Bladed Armor you'll benifit in EH as well as AP from the armor boost it provides. About ~200AP, that's a good time to adjust your rotation to harder hitting higher threat producing abilities.

-If you can please provide a WWS report it'll allow for much a more specific answer = )

Alright I've switched out the Rune Strike Glyph and I'll post a WWS report once I've found an instance to do.
But as for the better opening threat with imp IT, the 12% additional shadow damage would add up to more than 15% more IT damage, which I use once in the whole fight (unless something stops me from using pest to refresh them).

I can't get this WWS thing to work properly so nevermind that, thanks for the help, if anybody else has some input, please share :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Fooz

I can't get this WWS thing to work properly so nevermind that, thanks for the help, if anybody else has some input, please share :)

---

Switch Glyph of Disease to Glyph of Rune Strike. Contrary to that guys belief, Glyph of Rune Strike is one of the highest TPS increases you can make. A 2 disease rotation for blood is easier, smoother, and frankly better.

Do not try to work around a black heart proc, blood tanking is about using an ability every global cd if you want maximum threat.

Post your UI, a lot of TPS problems are in the bindings.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Edgewalker

Switch Glyph of Disease to Glyph of Rune Strike. Contrary to that guys belief, Glyph of Rune Strike is one of the highest TPS increases you can make. A 2 disease rotation for blood is easier, smoother, and frankly better.

Do not try to work around a black heart proc, blood tanking is about using an ability every global cd if you want maximum threat.

Post your UI, a lot of TPS problems are in the bindings.

---

I love the usefulness of Glyph of Disease but I'll grab glyph of RS anyway.
UI: http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/3523/...1709224101.jpg

EDIT: If I remove Glyph of Disease, IT will become a regular part of my rotation and imp IT becomes much more attractive, think I should get rid of 3/3 Necrosis and put it in imp IT?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Edgewalker

Do not try to work around a black heart proc, blood tanking is about using an ability every global cd if you want maximum threat.

---

I agree, use an ability every GCD if you want maximum threat and don't stress yourself out to work around Black Heart procs. Although, for the situations where you can't stand still and just do the recommended rotations (e.g., you're knocked back and not within melee range) and have a proc that benifits your AP, why not take advantage of this with an ability that'll benifit the most from this AP boost?

The drawback from what I'm saying though is that you'll get a short term benifit from sustained threat on your target (by using a damage dealing ability everytime you can), but you might mess up your rotation momentarily.

For short fights, like killing nonboss npcs, It's good to be an opportunist with your threat producing abilities. Suppose there's a loose mob and you just DG/taunted and you can't immediately go into your normal rotation because some of your runes are on CD. You have a choice between Icy Touch and Deathcoil and you have a black heart proc, it's better to go with the Icy Touch than deathcoil because not only does the Icy Touch do more damage from the AP boost, you'll also do some more damage with your Frost Fever because of the AP boost. This is one example, of using a proc to your advantage. This is very situational, but PvE is situational and sometimes you have to deviate from normal tactics in order to achieve your goal.

I'm not disagreeing with Edgewalker, alot of people did the math and have the proof to back up what he's saying. For longer fights, like boss fights for example, it's best to stick to the recommended rotation.

-----------------------------------------------

Screenshot
Do you have latency issues? In the screenshot you provided you're latency is in the dark green. That can definetly affect your threat production. Try improving your latency and get it into the Light Green and you should see better TPS.

Keybindings
Try setting up your keybindings in away that is similar to the rotations you use. My keybindings on my DK look like this.

Primary Rotation:
Key---Spell
` -- Death Grip
1 -- Icy Touch
2 -- Plague Strike
3 -- Heart Strike
4 -- Death Strike
5 -- Death Coil
Middle Mouse Button -- Death and Decay

Secondary Rotation:
Shift ' -- Dark Command
Shift 1 -- Pestilence
Shift 2 -- Blood Boil
Shift 3 -- Ice Bound Fortitude
Shift 4 -- Strangulate
Shift 5 -- Mind Freeze

I find this setup for me is much more intuitive.

My latency was far lower than usual then, it's usually red :P
I'm used to my keybinding and changing them would mean having to relearn everything and that'd be quite tedious.

And my hands are stupidly small and pressing anything 5 or past that (especially with shift) is hard.

How exactly do you lower latency? Just get a better internet connection?