Step it Up!!

Step 2 in DK Creation

Like me you have decided to create a DK. 

Step 2 in the creation process is ensuring your in a position to maximze your leveling speed. For this I highly recommend the following guide.

Jame’s Death Knight Leveling Guide

From this Guide you will see that there is alot of pre WOTLK farming to do so that you can power through the levels and into Northrend.

A snap shot of what you need:

Bags

Having a lot of bag space is really important. We will go for long xp circuits far from any vendor. You should try to get 18-slot bags, which can be bought from the AH for about 40g. If you can’t afford it, then at least get 16-slot bags, they go for 7g at the AH.

Light’s Hope Chapel Turn Ins

1. 30 Crypt Fiend Part for [60] Cryptstalker Armor Doesn’t Make Itself… - Needed at Level 59
2. 30 Core Of Element for [60] The Elemental Equation - Needed at Level 59
3. 30 Dark Iron Scrap for [60] Binding The Dreadnaught - Needed at Level 59
4. 30 Savage Frond for [60] Savage Flora - Needed at Level 59

Cloth Donations

1. 300 Wool Cloth - Needed at Level 58 and 60
2. 300 Silk Cloth - Needed at Level 58 and 60
3. 300 Mageweave Cloth - Needed at Level 58 and 60
4. 300 Runecloth - Needed at Level 58 and 60

Aldor Turn ins

1. 8 Dampscale Basilisk Eye for [65] Voren’thal’s Visions - Needed at level 64

Now where to get this stuff

http://www.wow-pro.com/class_guides/death_knight_shopping_list

I can advise that this doesn’t take to long to put together, my warrior and I got it over the course of about 5 hrs of game play.

Well thats all the pre WOTLK info that im going to spout. You will here from me again on monday when I run through what i hope to be 5 levels.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

DK talent specs. This is where I started. I loved the AOE ability brought into warriors with 3.02 so it was pretty simple for myself in deciding on an Unholy style of play.

But here is a cut n paste from www.tankspot.com, all acknowledgements and work comments should be towarded to tankspot. Thanks for the quality information again.

UNHOLY TANK (AOE Tank)

Spec: 5/8/58

Talent Calculator – World of Warcraft

AOE Threat 10/10
Single Target Threat 6/10
Defensive Physical 8/10
Defensive Magical 10/10
Stam +2%
Str +5%
Expertise +5

Defensive

Anticipation
Imp. Icy Touch
Blade Barrier
Bone Shield
Magic Suppression
Anti-Magic Zone

Single Target lvl 55 dummy in 80 premade gear (frost presence, no buffs, no glyphs)- 1350 dps
AOE lvl 55 dummy’s (3) in 80 premade gear (frost presence, no buffs, no glyphs) – 2360 dps

Single Rotation: IT, PS, BS, BS, SS, SS When Excess Runic Power is available Use Death Coil and Runic Strike as Runic Power Dump

Rotation Priorities = 
1) Use Defensive Abilities when Required
2) Use Horn of Winter when Applicable
3) Keep Both Diseases on target 
4) Keep both Blood Runes as Death Runes
5) Keep Runic Power from hitting 100 using Death Coil and Runic Strike
6) Use Scourge Strike on Cooldown

AOE Rotation: DnD,IT,PS,PEST,BB,UB,SS,SS,PEST When Excess Runic Power is available Use Runic Strike as Runic Power Dump

Nine Button Rotation = 13.5 seconds for 15 seconds of cooldown (this gives you one extra CD per rotation for Runic Abilities such as Horn of Winter or Icebound Fortitude

DnD – Death and Decay
IT – Icy Touch
PS – Plague Strike
BB – Bloodboil
UB – Unholy Blight
SS – Scourge Strike
RS – Runic Strike
BS – Blood Strike

FROST TANK (RAID Tank)

Spec: 12/52/7

Talent Calculator – World of Warcraft 
- Thanks to Combatjack*

AOE Threat 6/10
Single Target Threat 9/10
Defensive Physical 10/10
Defensive Magical 9/10
Stam +0%
Str +0%
Expertise +5

Defensive

Anticipation
Imp. Icy Touch
Blade Barrier
Frost Aura
Acclimation
Lichborne
Frigid Dreadplate
Guille of Gorefiend
Unbreakable Armor

Single Target lvl 55 dummy in 80 premade gear (frost presence, no buffs, no glyphs)- 1680 dps
AOE lvl 55 dummy’s (3) in 80 premade gear (frost presence, no buffs, no glyphs) – 1710 dps

Single Rotation: IT, PS, BS, BS, OB, OB When Excess Runic Power is available Use Frost Strike and Runic Strike as Runic Power Dump

Rotation Priorities = 
1) Use Defensive Abilities when Required
2) Use Horn of Winter when Applicable
3) Keep Both Diseases on target 
4) Keep both Blood Runes as Death Runes
5) Keep Runic Power from hitting 100 using Frost Strike and Runic Strike
6) Use Obliterate on Cooldown

AOE Rotation: DnD,IT,PS,PEST,HB, BB,UB,OB,HB,PEST When Excess Runic Power is available Use Frost Strike and Runic Strike as Runic Power Dumps

You can only use DnD every 2nd Rotation

DnD – Death and Decay
IT – Icy Touch
PS – Plague Strike
BB – Bloodboil
RS – Runic Strike
BS – Blood Strike
OB – Obliterate
HB – Howling Blast

BLOOD TANK (HP/THREAT Tank)

Spec: 55/8/8

Talent Calculator – World of Warcraft

AOE Threat 5/10
Single Target Threat 9/10
Defensive Physical 7/10
Defensive Magical 5/10
Stam +6%
Str +8%
Expertise +11

Defensive

Anticipation
Imp. Icy Touch
Blade Barrier
Blood Aura
Rune Tap
Spell Deflection
Veteran of the Third War
Mark of Blood
Vampiric Blood

Single Target lvl 55 dummy in 80 premade gear (frost presence, no buffs, no glyphs)- 1620 dps
AOE lvl 55 dummy’s (3) in 80 premade gear (frost presence, no buffs, no glyphs) – 1530 dps

Single Rotation: IT, PS, HS, HS, OB When Excess Runic Power is available Use Death Coil and Runic Strike as Runic Power Dump
-After first rotation and 2 death runes are available, rotation becomes IT,PS,HS,HS,HS,HS,OB

Rotation Priorities = 
1) Use Defensive Abilities when Required
2) Use Horn of Winter when Applicable
3) Keep Both Diseases on target 
4) Keep Runic Power from hitting 100 using Obliterate and Runic Strike
5) Keep both Heart Strike on Cooldown
6) Use Obliterate on to End rotation and consume diseases

AOE Rotation: DnD,IT,PS,PEST,HB, BB,DC,DS,DS,PEST When Excess Runic Power is available Use Death Coil and Runic Strike as Runic Power Dumps

DnD – Death and Decay
IT – Icy Touch
PS – Plague Strike
BB – Bloodboil
RS – Runic Strike
OB – Obliterate
HS – Heart Strike
DC – Death Coil
DS – Death Strike

Re-Rolling Death Knight

Well, I haven’t had many readers yet, but for those that do, I’ve decided to reroll a Death Knight.

I will be leveling my Death Knight (Sickdethnite) for the sole purpose of tanking at level 80 end game. I have done alot of research and over the next couple of weeks I will share what I have learned with you all.

I also will use my Blog as a sort of blow by blow update on my Death Knight.

My Plan:

I will post every Monday and Thursday to keep you up to date with my progress.

 

I hope you all stay intouch and leave any comments, questions and requests.

 

Cheers