Death Knight discussion

[zYN]

Priority list

You can read what I've posted earlier. My own priority system completely revolves around using RGPs to their fullest. Just have to watch for the FFUU that pops up after ERW.

s starting a fight with a cinderglacier weapon viable if ToTT isn't there=

Pretty much what MoopZ said. I wouldn't start off with a CG weapon. But if you got a sidegrade weapon that you can use, by all means you can try it. There's only a few fights where it's "easily doable" and clearly profitable, though. Those would be Sindragosa and Putricide (HC). I haven't found any other fights for it where you wouldn't be sacrificing some potential FC uptime, sadly enough.


Sorry for the MASSIVE WALLS OF TEXT. I think most everything got replied to. If they didn't, I've most likely answered to them already. If it was YOUR question I didn't reply to, you were probably just damn lazy and didn't read the previous stuff. Stop mooching off of my time!

[Baadshah]

I've been having a very strange week in ICC. I'm currently using Unholy and Blood, but Unholy is my main. As such, I gem for it.
This week, I was curious: How would Blood fare on single target fights (since Unholy is just a given for ones like Lady Deathwhisper)?
So I tried it out on Deathbringer, Rotface, Festergut and Marrowgar. The results left me quite baffled- from being number 3-5 in the DPS charts, I skyrocketed to number 1.

And I don't just mean the incredible initial burst where I popped Hysteria and DRW, I mean all throughout.
Don't get me wrong- I play Unholy just fine. It's been an awesome spec, and it's only 3-4 weeks ago, as we go further into ICC, that it's begun to lag behind Fury Warriors, etc. I can understand that of course, since warriors have always scaled way too well with endgame gear.

So the question is: Why am I doing more and more damage with Blood?

Yes, ICC gear has a huge amount of ArP, but that shouldn't account for higher disease damage, ghoul, etc. And lets not forget that the ICC buff is now affecting pets, etc.
There's no doubt that Blood does better burst DPS, but I thought it had been firmly established that Unholy was excellent at sustained DPS, provided you monitored procs and timed attacks well.

I feel a little silly at the moment, going Blood while in Unholy gemming. Unfortunately, I may end up being forced to go Blood soon; the DPS difference is just becoming larger and larger as I get into more ICC.

[Frosty DK!]

Priority list

You can read what I've posted earlier. My own priority system completely revolves around using RGPs to their fullest. Just have to watch for the FFUU that pops up after ERW.

Thanks alot for your response, ive read thru the entire thread trying not to repeat already answered questions, but I seemed to have overlooked your small post on Rime Prio's on page 11, my apologies for making you repeat yourself.

[MoopZ]

Blood has already proven to be better on some fights compared to Unholy. But only some fights.

Cleaving on Marrowgar, and Deathwhisper, Festergut is a lol fight, try Blood Queen you should find you do more DPS that you normally would as Unholy.

[hantouan]

Blood properly geared and gem to cap Arp is better than unholy and frost...
Try to gem full arp so that u reach 90% and u ll see the difference...

[zYN]

I've been having a very strange week in ICC.

Have you got any logs of that week? I'm not seeing what you described happening myself. Blood is by no means bad DPS, but briefly checking the top lists on WMO for example shows a pretty clear dominance of UH and Frost.

Now, with close to full-BiS gear or just with Shadowmourne I can see why Blood would be outperforming UH. I just don't understand why it would be so absolutely dominant in your case.

[Violated]

Synti 1 last thing: is there any fights it whould be r-tarded to take a frost dk instead of an unholy DK since well.. the raidleader ment that frost dk on Purtri hardmode is stupid since they whould do alot lower dmg then unholy dks because of all the moveing involved. but i beg the differ because of the fast burst on the ozes and should do equal dmg as unholy. but what is your oppinion on that and allso is there some fights frost dk's shouldnt be on in ICC 25 heroic? thanks alot :)

[zYN]

Blood has already proven to be better on some fights compared to Unholy. But only some fights.

Cleaving on Marrowgar, and Deathwhisper, Festergut is a lol fight, try Blood Queen you should find you do more DPS that you normally would as Unholy.

I'd agree on Marrowgar & cleave, but Deathwhisper? UH has been dominating that fight massively ever since the first clear. I also don't see why Festergut would be better for Blood - if anything, being able to soak a crap ton of RP should nicely fill up the free GCDs and make it an UH fight.

[Delkerramak]

Not sure what you mean by filling free GCDs on festergut. Since I went Unholy-frost sub I cant remember having a free GCD... and I do not overcap RP.

In fact, Ive found it extremely difficult to pump out enough death coils not to come close to cap after every 2 strikes... Mainly in the case when I have a druid with Revitalize rolling hot's on me.

I have been considering lately removing points from Dirge to compensate for this. In the old unholy spec with blood sub I had many free GCDs, now no matter how fast my fingers go I am always doing something. Also thinking about what would happen if i played with some haste gear again like back in ToGC.

Edit: not entirely true when I raided yesterday without a resto druid in comp I did have a free gcd from time to time, but not really enough to benefit greatly from soaking RP from a fight like festergut... not like before with unholy-bloodsub when you had a definite free gcd like every 6 runes.

personally i believe the value of blood lies in your comp. for example, I go blood for lady deathwhisper HM for 10 mans because the other melee dps is ret which leaves us lacking on adherent dmg... in 25 man blood is a buffbot on most important fights at best (but we will have to see about in 277 BiS gear)

[Crimson721]

Hello. I've been reading this DK section since it first started up and all your answers to these questions Synti. However, I am need of your help and thoughts. Because of this forum I finally got the balls and decided to try DW Frost. I can't believe the results. I know I am making ton's of errors in my priority rotation, but the damage out put is off the charts. So if I can manage to get my errors sorted out I should be in good shape.

It was said in this forum if posters wanted help they should come with prases so I come prepared. This was from my raid earlier tonight:

Surfang:
http://www.worldoflogs.com/reports/v0sc ... 397&e=3588

Festergut:
http://www.worldoflogs.com/reports/v0sc ... 340&e=6591

Rotface:
http://www.worldoflogs.com/reports/v0sc ... 641&e=5878

My Armory:
http://www.wowarmory.com/character-shee ... &cn=Vitori

In all three fights, Melee is my highest damage followed by OB and FS. Is that correct? I really do think OB should be my highest damage out put.

Also, my next question is regarding KM and Rime procs. If I'm in the middle of my rotation and I get a KM proc should I automatically hit FS or should I wait for a dump phase and a Rime proc to hit HB? Their times in my rotation when I get KM proc, but OB is off CD and I'm stuck on FS or continue to OB?

My next question is regarding Empowered Runic Weapon. When is the best time to use this ability to help my damage? Same question, but regarding Blood Fury. I find that I'm using these cd's at the wrong time, but I'm not 100% sure when to pop them.

And lastly the final question: Is their an opening rotation that you use to provide maximum burst damage before reverting back into priority? Such as AotD, etc etc.

Thank you for your time, thoughts, and advice. Also, grats on HLK.

Crim