Death Knight AOE Spec, MT Spec and Rotations

[Satorri]

Aye, especially now, I always would rather be spending the RP on FS over HC. Though it has utility more to apply Frost Fever everywhere, it is expensive and to use it to its best advantage requires planning and communication to your dps, there are SO many aoe moves now in regular rotation. I miss the days when the duration scaled with RP, I could freeze things for a solid 26 seconds, it was great.

Deathchill is one I actually REALLy came to appreciate tanking. Being able to get that guaranteed massive hit (big HB splash on trash, bit HB/FS/OB hit on the boss).

Oh, and Dode, Blood is a little funny. For all intents and purposes there are no apparent buffs favoring dual wielding over a 2-hander, so all the instant weapon strikes seem to make the big slow weapon look better. On dps parses though, dual wielding seems to do just as well. I think you're best suited just going with the best tanking kit you have at the time.

[Raggnarok]

Unfortunately, HB is on a 5 sec cd in the current build, and GC basically said that until they can find a way so that HB is not abused/spammed by dw dps dk's, it will have to stay on cd. But he also said that they are looking for a way to take it off cd but in a way it would not be a massive dps increase for dw dps builds.

In my opinion, just swap HB for Acclimation in the talent trees. That would effectively take HB out of reach for efective dw builds.

[Satorri]

It will be off CD on the next patch, and they found a way to keep it from being abused, they adjusted KM so it couldn't proc excessively with dual wield builds making for excessive functional crit rates on the spam, otherwise it reduces HB to a consideration closer to BB vs BS, though HB is rather more favorable with a strong frost build.

[Daugh]

Here is the frost spec I'm considering for after the patch. Right now I am not a MT for my guild. I tank heroics and only OT in Naxx, etc. I know my gear isn't stellar and I am slowly working on it (don't go off my armory I almost always log off in DPs gear). However I think that when I can get my gear up this spec with some of the new changes may be good. Ideas?

Frost Spec

Also when not doing heroics or Ot'ing I also try to dps with the same spec (I'm a cheapskate I know..), anyway what is a good dps setup/rotation with this build that will give me the best output. I know I will not top charts , I'd just like to not sit dead last.

Thanks

[Merko]

Your spec will be definately be a very viable spec for tanking and dpsing come the patch.

For your largest tps and dps gains (point for point) by filling out that last point in epidemic you should see the largest increase in your results.

[Ray]

The Specs on the OP are a bit out dated and could use a revision, or possibly start a new thread. I know I would not use any of those builds listed.

[Merko]

expect an update come 3.08

[Merko]

*Being Revised for 3.08 to include*

Unholy - DPS Tank - http://talent.mmo-champion.com/?deat...h=000000000000
Unholy - AoE Tank - http://talent.mmo-champion.com/?deat...h=000000000000
Unholy - Single Target Tank - http://talent.mmo-champion.com/?deat...h=000000000000
Unholy - Magic Resist Tank
Unholy - Mitigation/CD Tank - http://talent.mmo-champion.com/?deat...h=041715060405
Unholy - ???

Frost - KM Tank - http://talent.mmo-champion.com/?deat...h=000000000000
Frost - Imp Icy Talons Tank - http://talent.mmo-champion.com/?deat...h=000000000000
Frost - Magic Resist/Utility Tank - http://talent.mmo-champion.com/?deat...h=000000000000
Frost - DW Tank - http://talent.mmo-champion.com/?deat...h=000000000000
Frost - ???

Blood - DPS Tank - http://talent.mmo-champion.com/?deat...h=000000000000
Blood - Regen/Survival Tank - http://talent.mmo-champion.com/?deat...h=000000000000
Blood - ???

Currently looking for max/min builds with a purpose... Satorri, was hoping to steal some of your expertise and opinions as I am not overly familiar with Blood DK Tanking and have a good idea... but not an overwhelming knowledge of Unholy

[Satorri]

Mm, I'll put somethings together see what comes out of it. I have my preferences to be sure, though I've been customizing heavily.

I should say as opposed to the Unholy AoE tank spec above, I would use this one as Wandering Plague feels a fair amount like KM for a 2-hand frost tank, and I'm in love with AMZ and Suppression. My crit chance is just so low right now that even raid buffed it comes off a bit lackluster. Hopefully in t8 they'll give us lots of Agility on tank gear so we can get our crit chance up. I suppose the spec I linked would fit "AoE/Anti-magic Tank."

For deep Blood, my best survival tank spec would be:
Blood - Regen/Survival
For more dps, OT oriented:
Blood - DPS Tank

[Kerx]

first off this was extremely helpful in determining the best way to set up my dk for tanking. I chose the frost spec because I plan to take up raid and heroic tanking once i hit 80 (lvl 76 as of now). I made a few changes as I saw fit, and I'll explain them (or try.) If my ideas are completely wrong please let me know so I can correct them. lol ( and of course playstyle does have something to do with things ) anyways... i went with a 5/54/12 spec. (im basing everything off of the talent calculator under the frost tank link above). I took the points out of bladed armour and two hand specialization. I searched atlas but found more 1 handers that made good tanking weapons that were more easily attainable, so if i find a 2 hander that woops the 1 handers i plan on getting ill change it back. I then put 3 points in nerves of cold steel. I also took 3 points out of acclimation (until i hit 80) so that i could put 2 points into endless winter (so i can have a free interupt because i find myself needing it a lot in instances.. i'll put it back once i start raiding). in unholy i put 3 points in morbidity, and it appears to me that this would make up for the points lost in bladed armour due to the high threat it creates (which i see to be more then the ap from bladed armour). Ill be able to have DnD up for almost the entire fight. this also helps with my aoe tanking abilities, because ap only helps with one or two if im switchin back and forth. I also put 2 points in unholy command for those times when a mob slips past me, gets outa range, i dont have any rp for death coil, and my healer is gettin pounded on outa my range. shouldn't happen too often, but if it happens early in a fight and i just used death grip to pull, i like to have it as an option sooner. once i hit 80 i plan on taking 1 point out of unholy command and 2 points out of endless winter and put them back into acclimation, because i know this is important even though i don't see myself using it enough right now. most mobs are either melee or casters that i can interupt quite easily. Other then that i left everything the same.

this is my modification tree....
Talent Calculator - World of Warcraft

[Merko]

good points satorri... i have adjust my unholy aoe spec and added your blood spec

Like you said, it will be interesting to see what blizzard does for dk tanks w/ gear itemization since were already drowning in avoidance in the 25 man level gear.

[coe]

Hi, my first post here. Very nice thread, I read carefully every post, especially from Merko and Satorri.

I'm playing DK as Unholly from the beginning (like most of DKs) and from the beginning was thinking about tanking with this char. I leveled from 70 to 80 more or less with Unholly tank builds. I did more instance runs than questing. I also tried Frost build, but Unholly gives me more fun

Currently I decided to fulfill OT / Magic resist MT role. I decided to do so, because Warriors, Druids and Paladins are doing great job in taking physical damage. That's why I prefer to fill niche where DKs are good: receiving magical damage and keeping agro on multiple mobs. That's my build:

Unholly tank

Earlier I used variation with Lichborne, but it costed me too much points I wanted to spend elsewhere and I didn't use this button too often.

Regards.

[Madoxx]

Merko isn't acclimation still buged though ? meaning it cancels out the anti magic shield if you cast it in combat now , i may be wrong on this though .

Also at the moment i am speced Talent Calculator - World of Warcraft i may change it come the patch though but im enjoying my tanking in this build so far .

[Merko]

- coe and madoxx, this was the whole reason to create this thread for people to experiment and see the versatility of all the trees

I like a lot of specs I see (you can tell the roll the person is trying to fill)


As far as Acclimation bugging with AMS... that is interesting and something i never picked up on, as i usually only use AMS as an oh shit button or to absorb an opener. I will do some testing this week on Saph to see.

I do have a buff bar just set up for my magic related CD's and Buffs and have noticed that Acclimation does give me random procs when I will be zoning in, getting buffed, walking through naxx. "usually shadow"

I'm excited to do some testing and to see just how hard our IBF and Bone Shield nerfs hit us while getting a magic resist buff and armor buff...

[coe]

I would use this one as Wandering Plague feels a fair amount like KM for a 2-hand frost tank

I wasn't sure about Wandering Plague too, and I even removed it from my spec at one point. But when started doing Naxx as OT, I had chance to analyze stats after few runs. For example: Naxx10, wowwebstats. That's my char. Wandering Plague deals 4% of total damage (excluding Loatheb, where you have 50% crit chance and Wandering Plague does 8% damage, but there's only one target).

But I'm not sure, is it big value for 3 talent points? Can you spend these 3 points in better place? For now I'm stick to this talent

[xKhellendrosx]

It will be off CD on the next patch, and they found a way to keep it from being abused, they adjusted KM so it couldn't proc excessively with dual wield builds making for excessive functional crit rates on the spam, otherwise it reduces HB to a consideration closer to BB vs BS, though HB is rather more favorable with a strong frost build.

If by next patch you mean Ulduar then you might be right about HB coming off cooldown. They took HB off cooldown at the beginning of the PTR last week or so they put it back on a shortened cooldown (5 seconds instead of the current 6) because even with the changes to KM, DW was still performing very well (Remember they did boost the damage on necrosis by another 10%)

[Deathrocket]

Hey guys, this is my first post here at tankspot.com and I am hoping to get some input on the spec I just made..

~hybrid~

29/26/16

Talent Calculator - World of Warcraft

Raid buffs

- Improved Icy Talons (frost)
- Abomination's Might (blood)
- Mark of Blood (blood)

Defense

- Blade Barrier, Toughness, Anticipation & ICT
- Veteran of the Third War (blood)
- Frigid Dreadplate (frost)
- Lichborne (frost)


The basic rotations will be
single target : IT, PS, BS, BS, OB, RP dump
AOE : D&D, IT, PS, Pestilence, BB, OB, *oh shit buttons*

[Ray]

Coming from the unholy POV here is what I will most likely be using unless something comes up.

Max CD/Mitigation Spc Unholy Mitigation

Max single target threat Unholy Threat

Unholy OT Spec (Work in progress) Unholy OT

I will always take Unholy Aura as I am the only consistent DK to raid and this is a huge raid buff. I really dont like Descration as an unholy tank or even 2H DPSer. I only end up doing plague strike like twice a minute max unless its a high movement fight and even then Descration is fail. With the SS glyph I would shy away from Descration. On another note, how good is the ghoul doing on the PTR? I didnt get on it this time, so I havent had a chance to test its survivablity in a group. With all the buff though, i would imagine the point in ghoul and 1 point in NotD will be well spent from a DPS POV. I know it doesnt help our threat, but last night my ghoul did about 400 DPS when he was alive in Naxx 10, which is a nice % of my tank DPS.

[Ray]

Hey guys, this is my first post here at tankspot.com and I am hoping to get some input on the spec I just made..

~hybrid~

29/26/16

Talent Calculator - World of Warcraft

Raid buffs

- Improved Icy Talons (frost)
- Abomination's Might (blood)
- Mark of Blood (blood)

Defense

- Blade Barrier, Toughness, Anticipation & ICT
- Veteran of the Third War (blood)
- Frigid Dreadplate (frost)
- Lichborne (frost)


The basic rotations will be
single target : IT, PS, BS, BS, OB, RP dump
AOE : D&D, IT, PS, Pestilence, BB, OB, *oh shit buttons*

No Death Runes, you dont reach/get any of the high end talents of any tree. When you dont specialize you miss all the good CD's of the trees (VB, UA, BS)

[Merko]

Coming from the unholy POV here is what I will most likely be using unless something comes up.

Max CD/Mitigation Spc Unholy Mitigation

Max single target threat Unholy Threat

Unholy OT Spec (Work in progress) Unholy OT

I will always take Unholy Aura as I am the only consistent DK to raid and this is a huge raid buff. I really dont like Descration as an unholy tank or even 2H DPSer. I only end up doing plague strike like twice a minute max unless its a high movement fight and even then Descration is fail. With the SS glyph I would shy away from Descration. On another note, how good is the ghoul doing on the PTR? I didnt get on it this time, so I havent had a chance to test its survivablity in a group. With all the buff though, i would imagine the point in ghoul and 1 point in NotD will be well spent from a DPS POV. I know it doesnt help our threat, but last night my ghoul did about 400 DPS when he was alive in Naxx 10, which is a nice % of my tank DPS.

On my patchwerk kill in tank/dps spec /w tank gear on my ghoul did ~187 dps over the entire fight. That is without being glyphed for the extra damage from the ghoul