Thread: Starting a DK

  1. #1
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    Starting a DK

    I've started leveling a Deathknight, but it is level 60 atm, but you learn alot of spells/abilitys in such a short time. I honestly don't know what to use anymore.

    I've taken a quick look around and came to the conclusion to level as Frost. But thats about it.
    Could anyone give me some starter tips?

    Thanks in advance.

  2. #2
    Honorary PvM "Mod" Darsithis's Avatar
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    Well at your level all you can use is what you have: use blood runes on blood strike, frost on icy touch, and unholy on plague strike with using frost strike to burn RP. You won't be able to take any of the runic corruption/blood tap stuff yet, so you won't get runes back. Things will be very clunky.

    Once you having howling blast it's a bit easier (I can't remember if you get that earlier now, you didn't get it till 69 when I started my DK), but still, you don't need to worry about rotation right now, at all. Just too early.

  3. #3
    Leveling as Unholy isn't a bad way to go either. The constant pet makes it almost like leveling a hunter. And don't discount Blood as a leveling spec, you get almost 0 downtime due to self healing, and instant Ques for 5 mans, also learning this spec now will help you out at 90 with instant Heroic Ques for Tanks.
    You say that I'm cold, and sometimes I'm out of control.

  4. #4
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    Is Blood also the spec DK's solo content with?

    If i go for Blood, it'll be indeed to do Instances while leveling, but will i still be able to do quests / kill mobs fairly quickly?

  5. #5
    blood kills mobs just as quick as the other specs at that level, really. And you have a lot higher potential for mass pulling and aoeing mobs down like that. Blood is just an all-around great leveling spec

  6. #6
    In the 50's and 60's DK's don't feel like they do at max, or even 75+, level.

    At 60 frost is nearly unplayable (for someone used to a max level DK). You do have access to obliterate, frost strike and howling blast right from the beginning, but you don't have killing machine, might of the frozen wastes, Threat of Thassarian, or more importantly, improved frost presence and your level 75 rune regeneration talents. The first 3 just impact your damage, which is still decent while leveling without them. The last 2 though REALLY affect your game play. Without them frost has a HUGE amount of downtime, and you are likely to get bored with the spec. I really suggest you don't play frost until you at least have access to improved frost presence. Frost strike costing 35 RP will just kill your attack priority/rotation. If you want to get into DKs I highly suggest you level as blood, mainly via solo questing. At 60 blood has most of the things it needs to feel "complete"....minus the rune regen talent. It will do a lot of damage, your survivability will be second to none, and you won't have constant downtime. However, at 60 blood is missing several key talents that make tanking instances much easier, so if you chose to run dungeons as your primary leveling avenue you may have some difficulty (in comparison to warriors and paladins at least).

    Really think about staying blood until the mid 70's. I made a new DK on another server just for fun the other day and barely made it past level 59 because of how awful it felt in comparison to my main. I have a couple of low level warriors and paladins too, and they feel much more complete than a DK does at similar levels.

  7. #7
    Message Deleted
    Last edited by reboot-me; 2012-12-05 at 07:10 PM.

  8. #8
    Deleted
    What spells do i actually use as Blood?

    I mean, there are 3 Strike attacks atm, Blood Strike, Death Strike and Plague Strike.

    I assume use Bloodboil whenever available?
    Last edited by mmoce38467a1b7; 2012-11-20 at 07:24 PM.

  9. #9
    I started to lvl a blood DK the other day, and I only use Bloodboil! Not sure if it's bugged or what, but it hits for about 1.5k on EACH target, it's insane on that lvl. Compared to Blood Strike that hits like 500

    (No Heirlooms)
    Quote Originally Posted by atenime45 View Post
    The 10% reward. It's was unspoken rule that you DONT attack other faction so everyone could enjoy the 10% reward. But now no one cares about that anymore

  10. #10
    Deleted
    Level as Blood, it's mad fast.
    The Vultures in HFP, I pulled two packs of them (Like, 8 in a pack) Blood Boiled twice with Roiling Blood and they died.
    Got about 50k XP from it.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Dotmore View Post
    What spells do i actually use as Blood?

    I mean, there are 3 Strike attacks atm, Blood Strike, Death Strike and Plague Strike.

    I assume use Bloodboil whenever available?
    Death Strike when you can, as it heals you, and this is your main survivability as blood...it also hits hard. Use Rune Strike(don't you should have this?) to spend Runic Power. Use your Blood Runes on Blood Boil, at least until you get Heart Strike(Heart Strike hits up to 3 mobs, and hits harder than BB, so you'll use it instead of BB, unless you're AoEing bigger packs, in which case, BB still wins). You only use Plague Strike to apply diseases, and eventually, you will barely even need it for that.

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Nonslid View Post
    I started to lvl a blood DK the other day, and I only use Bloodboil! Not sure if it's bugged or what, but it hits for about 1.5k on EACH target, it's insane on that lvl. Compared to Blood Strike that hits like 500

    (No Heirlooms)
    Blood Boil is insanely good at low levels due to its high base damage. You should just use grab like 6 mobs and BB then down, using DS whenever you're low on HP. You can switch to Frost once you hit 75 and get your rune regen talent.

  13. #13
    For levelling as Blood do as people have said here. Take Roiling Blood as your first talent though, open with Icy Touch and Plague Strike, then just Blood Boil and it will kill anything in a few GCDs.

    having both the diseases up helps with the damage of boiling blood, meaning you WILL do more.

  14. #14
    Deleted
    when you get howling blast, dk's are brilliant. Frost basically becomes a ranged spec. Howling blast + Death coil + icy Touch etc, a lot of fun to play

  15. #15
    Deleted
    Quote Originally Posted by r3d3mpt10n View Post
    Take Roiling Blood as your first talent though, open with Icy Touch and Plague Strike, then just Blood Boil and it will kill anything in a few GCDs.
    EDIT: Forgot Outbreak is level 81. Well, use it once you get it, as once you do, IT and PS are waste of runes most of the time.

    This is all you need to know about leveling a DK:

    Heart Strike (1 target)
    Blood Boil
    (AoE and spread diseases)
    Death Strike
    Heart Strike (1 target)
    Blood Boil
    (AoE and spread diseases)
    Rune Strike

    The colors tell you which ability to use with which runes or rune power.

  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by Sydänyö View Post
    EDIT: Forgot Outbreak is level 81. Well, use it once you get it, as once you do, IT and PS are waste of runes most of the time.

    This is all you need to know about leveling a DK:

    Heart Strike (1 target)
    Blood Boil
    (AoE and spread diseases)
    Death Strike
    Heart Strike (1 target)
    Blood Boil
    (AoE and spread diseases)
    Rune Strike

    The colors tell you which ability to use with which runes or rune power.
    Actually BB is better than HS at low lvls, as BB hits for over a thousand dmg, while HS is at about 400-500 (This is without heirlooms, I havent tested that yet)

    So all I do is pull with Icy Touch and Death Grip as my as I can, then AOE them down in few GCDs with BB and dots
    Quote Originally Posted by atenime45 View Post
    The 10% reward. It's was unspoken rule that you DONT attack other faction so everyone could enjoy the 10% reward. But now no one cares about that anymore

  17. #17
    Deleted
    Just got a Elixir of Ancient knowledge, will use it to get 70>80. (Most boring part to level) Then at 80 (or when the Elixir rans out) i will spec frost.

  18. #18
    At level 80 and below, and even 80-85 to a lesser extent, I found Death Siphon to be godly. Lots of damage and lots of healing for 1 rune. I went blood but ran Frost Presence for Glyph of Dark Succor. Spend frost and unholy runes and Death Strike to turn them into death runes, use the death runes on Death Siphon, I barely ever had to even stop running when killing mobs.

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