I Am Blood DPS

[Tinc Metals]

Maxa of US Ysera (If you want to Armoy)

This is not a troll. I have been Blood DPS since 4.2. I retired my Ret Paladin and switched to Death Knight. I switched because I was going to go Frost DK since they did more dps in FL and were in more demand. Prior to Paladin changes that made them better and smoother DPS curve. I had vast experience in Wrath as Blood DPS and level a new DK again as Blood. From 55 - 80 I found Blood to be doing more dmg. I told myself I would change over to Frost at 85. However, upon reaching 81-85 I was still great for dmg. Each time while leveling I incorperated changes on each move in how to make it work.

What brings me to the forum today?

After lurking on these forums for awhile and having comparing DPS outputs in threads for awhile, I am more confident than ever it competes. It is a strong competition in DPS for it's current ilvl of 390. I have always felt this, and my own theorycraft and pratice has shown it to myself time and again.

I have utilized several DPS tools such as Recount. A lot of web simulators cannot effectively account or allow me to for optimum gear or priroities/rotation. I have to do a lot of work by hand and in my head to consider gear, and reforging. I have had to roughly figure my own stat weights, and am still consider a lot of "pratice" to see what works in the field when I aquire new gear. An example would be that Max DPS won't let me even set Blood to DPS or edit DPS stats to consider gear. Simcraft just cannot sim it! Mr Robot used to be able to let me edit all the weights and caps to do so before it's revision. Now, if I leave it as blood and edit it to DPS it crashes the web page every time.

Now down to business.

What is my Output in DS? That greatly depends on the Boss. Most prominently is having +10% Haste is the biggest boon I can get in a raid setting. Ulx is 35k-40k depending on 10 or 25. I recently put out a Madness of 57K. However, it was the first time I was allowed there on Normal. I know I am compitent and very competitive DPS. When given a chance I show it and shine. I know I can do more on Madness, given more pratice (of which LFR is not good pratice IMO!).

However, there is bigotry you couldn't dream of that I get. Not only in raids too, but even Heroics where it should matter less. The hate is not even a rare occasion, but every other Heroic where someone goes nuts on me. I've been kicked out of a groups that I'm doing 2x - 3x anyone's DPS and we are more than half way thru... and suddenly someone realizes my spec. I don't even have to say a word to cause this to crop up. I've had stalkers, ignore jumpers, server switchers to whisper me hate, and even death threats. It gets out of hand at times and I have to report. Want to see how fast a GM will respond to me these days because it's real? It's pretty fast, and I'm not kidding. Try to trust me, this hate is beyond what I've even seen on worst forum days. That's why I've only now gotten a Normal crack on Madness.

If you have question how it does it's damage, pros and cons. I'll be happy to answer them. I'll list a few things to begin with.

One key to majority of the Avg DPS comes in the Burst. Getting it right or not can make a 10K difference. The burst is a frontload as high as I estimate from several diff bosses ~80K on single target. Pretty much reminds me of old Ret Burst in 4.2. Major components are DRW, Outbreak, DS, ERW, and helps to have Veng for more.

Fire = Good! Strangest part of the build is I note Veng counts dmg before AMS or IBF. I will take the Fire or other big bad with one or both up and recieve atk power buff. Perfect example is I will purposely eat Hour of Twilight for mere 27K (AMS and IBF both up) on Normal DS. Lets me stay out there longer than others, and I get max Veng in an instant. I learn on each boss what I can and cannot take or what to do to get the bonus. If it plops fire or breathes fire, I might be there.

Survivability. Death Strike. You know the drill. It heals. It really heals. Think what I said above. A healer has the least amount of worry, if any, about me. I can eat the big bad with a CD and recoup any loss. Splash Dmg? Bah, bonus dmg for me, keep it up boss. Hit me and "ME RAGE!". Couple with Bone Shield, IBF, AMS... and Blood Pres in a pinch (Edit: I only do that if solo or tank down and no BRes)

AoE. Turns out Blood DPS is an AoE Monster. I've only seen (not that other classes might do more) in groups I have run with a Rogue do more with those damn daggers. Think about this fellow DKs... DRW + Outbreak + HS with Atk Power of a Frost DK. If ERW is up... If I have Veng... it gets sick in a hurry. From math to pratice, IMO it's #1 or #2 AoE dmg.

So, let's discuss this civily please. I'll explain what I can, when I can. Thank you.

[Pixia]

do you have any fights recorded? youtube and such

[Deleted]

Aren't you taking aggro in blood presence?

[Tinc Metals]

Aren't you taking aggro in blood presence?

I use Unholy Presence. I do not currently use Rune Strike at all. I have considered it, if I could get away with it. Seems too much risk to use Rune Strike for now.

do you have any fights recorded? youtube and such

I have not considered it yet. I only know of FRAPS at the moment. I believe I need money to record something long enough for people to see an entire fight. Currently on a very tight budget.

[Cerunnir]

I can see how this is possible, because even in blood presence I can output 30k in my DPS gear in dungeons. If you get rid of mastery and maximize DPS stats it should go considerably higher, and I only have a 378 2Hander.

You should bring some world of log entries.

[Deleted]

I've been trying to dps as blood a lot lately.

I'd be curious to know how you gem, reforge and play. (The big lines)

It's really no surprise to me, blood is very good for dps-ing.

[Deleted]

I use Unholy Presence. I do not currently use Rune Strike at all. I have considered it, if I could get away with it. Seems too much risk to use Rune Strike for now.I have not considered it yet. I only know of FRAPS at the moment. I believe I need money to record something long enough for people to see an entire fight. Currently on a very tight budget.

I see.

Do you use Death Coil as runic power dump?

[Cinnamohn]

It's always nice to see someone from my server post on the forums.

I've always wanted Blood to become viable again, but i've never cared enough to put the time into my dk to see if i could make it happen like you seem to have.

[Hephaestux]

"If you use blood as dps, you're going to burn in a very special level of hell. A level they reserve for child molesters,people who talk at the theater and frost mages that pve."

-Shepherd Derrial Book

[Tinc Metals]

Do you use Death Coil as runic power dump?

It is my primary dump. I have to consider quickly on the fly wether using it for dmg and possible rune refresh (rng) is worth it, or if I can get more dmg out of the next DS comming up. I use the old Death Strike glyph.

[abb93]

Seems fairly interesting. Enjoyed blood dps in wotlk myself, and I might reconsider to try it out again in cata, mainly used it for tanking so far (Not that much left though). Looking on WoL, some bloods has done 40k-ish dps on Ultraxion which seems rather high for a tank, so I guess there are several blood dps' out there.

Any chance you could link a specc? Which talents to go for, skip survival to pick up small dps boosts etc.

Will definitely take a look on this!

[Deleted]

Your DPS on loltraxion is only high because DRW has a much shorter cooldown.

http://www.worldoflogs.com/reports/v...&e=1426#Ganaza

45K DPS as blood on LFR Ultraxion, was using my masterfrost gear set without reforging so stats could've been altered for more damage.

[Deleted]

I'm kinda curious. Do you tend to hs more than ds ?

Do you still get vengeance in unholy presence ?

Have you tried frost presence ?

[Deleted]

instead of giving a complaint how you been kicked from groups etc. Go with a guide making instead. Go even with worldoflog parses. Ty in advance

[Tinc Metals]

I'll edit the original post and turn the top bit into a link. One moment.

Best description of Reforge... Unholy. Only you actually want to Expertise cap. That is to say that Haste is paramount. Crit is good and should be considered more when you reach rune speed under 8 sec. Mastery is useless. If you check my gear I go for as much gear that does not have it. Infact, the set bonuses in T13 are worthless to me. The T12 set bonuses were perfect for my build. I'll be getting better Valor parts, and Smithed legs that are more haste and less mastery soon. Gem as Unholy.

I have two Blood Specs at the moment. I used to have Frost as my Off Spec to compare damage output. I recently changed it to Raid DPS. I perfer Pale Horse otherwise.

[Deleted]

personally, i dont care at all for the spec of my partymembers in 5m. if the healer wants to use a dps spec, well np as long as the tank doesnt die. if a dps uses a tank or healspec, oh well as long as the dps done is still fine (which is not the case for most specs ofc).

blood tanks are very strong in tank gear when they can ignore their "priority system". leveling as blood is very easily done and the most efficient way to level fast.
on 85 though blood is not the strongest dps spec, so even though it might be doing okay, this still means it cannot compete with the other specs.

tl;dr while leveling, pick blood to be fast and have fun (and remember to NOT use diseases as long as you dont have outbreak). at 85, dont pick blood if you want to maximize your damage done.

in overgeared 5m dungeons, it doesnt really matter. blood is quite strong there because of its bursty gameplay.


edit: @Tinc Metals: when you overgear a dungeon anyways, just sign up as the tank, keep your gear the way it is and change to blood presence to allow usage of runestrike and faster rune cooldowns. this way you will deal even more damage thanks to way more attackpower.

[Deleted]

Thanks. ^^

Sounds like a lot of fun to me, anyway.

[Deleted]

Im more curious what your dps would be if you put the same time and effort into frost or uh :P

[Tinc Metals]

Almost anything bad in a Cata Heroic you can AMS and lol thru for more dmg. Get comfortable with it there first.

DS
Morchok - Black Blood. LFR I only need AMS. Norm AMS and 3 DS ready to go or AMS and IBF. Try to have that ideal setup. Otherwise on Normal mode, run in/out at half cast if you only have AMS aviable.
Spine / Madness - There is a lot here you can soak dmg from, intentionally or not. I'm almost non stop Veng mode. On spine you can always AMS and get near an open wound, as I call it, for it to hurt you.
Spine - Time that huge frontal burst for tendons. Runic 80+. then hit DRW, Outbreak, DS, DS, Tap, DS, ERW, DS /Coils/DS.
Zon - Hit your best moves and/or Outbreak disease refresh after a Bounce has reset Veng to max or during his heavy dmg phase.
Yos - Feel free to Boil if it's 25 Man. 10 Man the adds aren't numerous so just HS. You'll pick up dmg from an add or two, or whatever effect he has spraying at people.
Ulx - Been mentioned. LFR - AMS only needed. Norm - AMS and IBF needed.
Blackhorn - Since you are purposely taking dmg to protect the ship... it's cool. I've been put on Sapper duty every time.
Hagra - Do not try to AMS and IBF thru the ice wall - half the time you will die. Sometimes it hits 2x sometimes 8x. Otherwise, fight it as normal, try to use your burst after the Lightning Phase since you'll take the most there and have full Veng.

There's a Balance between DS and HS, alternating back and forth depending on what runes aviable and runic power on single target. Trash / AoE is always HS as much as you can. The single target is about what will be comming up soon. You get more dmg to DS if runic is high. You may want to HS more if Runic is low and/or to get more Blood Boil freebies to proc so you don't have dead rune time. Since you can't control what Coil might reset, I tend to DS if a Unholy or Frost rune is reset, to switch it back to Death rune for next time.

Frost presence... I've had mixed results. It's so slow it feels clunky. The hits are much harder. I just cannot make out what it should be doing at that speed. I fire fewer coils, fewer HS, but I am DSing more. Somehow it comes out to similar DPS. I've had it do less and sometimes more. Give or take 3k?

What would you like me to World of Log first? I'm locked to DS Normal and several other raids at the moment.

[Valkryx]

you have peaked my interest and i would like to see some actual logs or something on this if you get a chance to provide.

i will have to find some research on this.