Do you spam death strike?

[Vampiregenesis]

Im noob and have no idea whats the proper way to play blood, generally do you spam marrowend and death strike or you use them on a specific timing based on a weak aura or something like this? It seems like the class doesnt have that many skills , using your skills on specific timing is what makes it hard?

[Tojara]

Short answer yes, long answer, no.

Basically don't waste resources ever. Aside from that don't use marrowrend if you have 7 stacks or above (with foul bulwark), otherwise just make sure you have some up. Runes should be spent on heart strike otherwise, meaning that you gain more RP, which means more death strikes.

If you're going to go over max runic power just press death strike regardless of if you need the healing (unless something gnarly is going to come up soon, to which you would want 3x death strikes in a row anyway). If damage is low just dump all of your death strikes regardless of whether or not it's going to heal much at near max RP, because it's going to do more damage (with the gold trait).

But yeah. TLDR; of blood is don't waste resources, keep boneshield high, otherwise use heart strike. Time death strikes, but don't waste RP.

[Raiz]

Stack RP for the last boss of NL for that smash thing that sends you up in the air. Use DS 1-2-3 times when he's about to do it, that way you won't fly. Or that boss with the lazer thing in HoV. There are probably many more I forgot to mention but anyway yes, you can spam it. It's even worse when you have bracers. It's hard to not be overcapped.

[Deleted]

No, you don't spam DS, thats the stupidest thing you can do.

Spamming DS was somewhat vaible in MoP with high mastery levels, because you get the absorb regardless. Its much less effective now.

You want to use DS when you actually took damage. If thats not possible, then use DS before you cap RP.

Stack RP for the last boss of NL for that smash thing that sends you up in the air. Use DS 1-2-3 times when he's about to do it, that way you won't fly. Or that boss with the lazer thing in HoV. There are probably many more I forgot to mention but anyway yes, you can spam it. It's even worse when you have bracers. It's hard to not be overcapped.

You get a hidden buff called "Recently used Death Strike" if you used DS in the last 3 seconds. So you only need exactly one DS when he is about to do his smash in order not to get knocked back. Same with the lazer in HoV, or the second boss in BRH, or any other AM mechanic.

There are other situations where spamming DS is abolutely idiotic, e.g. Spellblade Aluriel. You want to pool runes & RP prior to Annihilate, then spam all you got during it and after it to reset VB for the next Anihhiliate, but shortly before it you want to poll runes and RP again. There are a few other situations where its similar. The better you know the fights the better you can ientify when to hold some DS and when to spam them. There are phases were spamming is perfectly fine.


/edit:
With the new artifact trait "Souldrinker", the penalty for spamming DS will be lower since overheal will give you more HP. It goes back a bit to the old absorb days.

[Jokr]

Blood is normally, a reactive play style with a pro-active mind set. If you get my drift.

tldr; Try it out spamming DS vs taking dmg and then DS.