1. #1

    Frost DW leveling?

    Hello. I'm currently leveling a Blood DK to tank instances.


    However, this is the first dk i ever got out of outland (lvl 68 atm), but i loved the idea of duelwield frost dk ever since WotLK, where i taught on friend how to play DW frost, almost doubleing his dps, even though i never ahd a dk obove lvl 63 back then.

    I guess i just love duelwielding, since outside of my first character, a hunter, my alts have been an enh shaman, SmF warrior and a combat rogue.


    But i read that duelwield wasn't an optimal leveling spec, atleast for the first couple of levels, so my question is...

    ..when, if ever, does DW frost become viable?

  2. #2
    The Lightbringer Hanto's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Florida!
    Posts
    3,121
    Afaik, it just comes down to the weapons. I used to feel the same way about leveling my first DK back in WotLK, I loved my rogue's feel with two weapons so I stuck with that.

    As I leveled her in MoP, however... oh baby did those high critting Obliterates stimulate my "Oooh! Aaahh!" factor. But anyway, overall it's just a game. You like how your dual wield classes feel so play dual wield frost. If you're not pulling the top numbers, do yourself a favor and turn Recount off while leveling. Do what you have fun with.

  3. #3
    from a questing stand point it seemed to me anyway that 2h frost was easier just cause one oblit crit kills most things. seemed like less time per mob.

    but like Hanto said, if you have two fair one handers and a less than decent two hander just go duel wield, there's no penalty for switching anymore so might as well change it up depending on the weapon

    but after probably about 80ish it doesnt matter really. stuff has enough health that stuff wont get bursted down as much and you wont notice a differance
    Quote Originally Posted by -Ethos- View Post
    I literally die every time i see people using literally wrong.

  4. #4
    Deleted
    Frost DW comes into its element when you can cleave. This doesn't happen much when levelling. If you want efficient levelling, then running about on your mount to gather up mobs then AoE them down as blood is the way to do it. If you want to level as dps, then 2-handed is only slightly better, but that's mostly because as soon as you pick up a weapon as quest reward, you get 100% benefit immediately, not when you replace your OH. The levelling speed difference between 2-handed/DW isn't big enough to worry over, considering that 80% of your time levelling is spent travelling/between, and not fighting mobs. And besides, both dps specs pale in comparison to blood, so you are already avoiding the most efficient method before you make a decision.

  5. #5
    Blood is the top spec by far, even 85-90 is easy as Blood, you can pull 10 mobs at 89 in Dread Wastes and AoE then down and come out with 100% health and max blood shield.

    Reasons why Blood is good:
    -Massive self heals which help even against magic based mobs
    -Diseases refresh and spread through Blood Boil(You should have Roiling Blood talent while leveling)
    -Solo Elites/Rares
    -More mobs = higher vengeance = faster killing
    -Chillblains talent allows for kiting also if needed, and glyphed DnD is also fantastic for slowing
    -Any Plate Strength gear is viable, no need to pay attention to gear that much, all stats, hit/exp, Haste, Crit, Mastery, Dodge, Parry are viable ways of gearing for leveling as Blood, however you should prioritize Mastery more than others for more survialability.

    Spec that I used for 85-90 as Blood: http://www.wowhead.com/talent#kL4|Vrdok

  6. #6
    Unless you want to grind mobs all the way to 90 or have fast queue there's absolutely no point in going blood to level. You rarely need to pull 10+ mobs to complete any given quest and when you do they are usually far apart and grouping them up is just a waste of time. A good 2hander with the glyph of dark succor and you can easily manage 3-4 mobs at the same time and kill them much faster. As for DW, as mentionned you lose the KM proc/obliterate and if you're leveling in a zone where the mobs are higher level than you and have no hit/expertise, you can miss a lot and get parried.

  7. #7
    I am Murloc! Terahertz's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Your basement
    Posts
    5,177
    I think Frost DW lvlnig will be better at lvl 80, when you get access to your mastery for the frost damage bonus. Before that I reckon 2h frost will be better.

  8. #8
    The Unstoppable Force
    15+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Where Thrall and the Horde needs me to be
    Posts
    23,561
    Frost DW might not be the best leveling spec, but no worries, when it comes to max level - you'll be a GOD!

    Amazing sig, done by mighty Lokann

  9. #9
    Unless you are going for a powerleveling approach there is no such thing as "viable" in my book.

    As long as you don't feel bad playing it, it's all good.

  10. #10
    The only wrong answer is unholy, due to pet rampup times it will be much slower than frost and doesn't get the survivability advantages of blood.

    Of course you can level as unholy, many have done it. It'll just be slower.

  11. #11
    I am Murloc! Terahertz's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Your basement
    Posts
    5,177
    Quote Originally Posted by Schizoide View Post
    The only wrong answer is unholy, due to pet rampup times it will be much slower than frost and doesn't get the survivability advantages of blood.

    Of course you can level as unholy, many have done it. It'll just be slower.
    The problem with unholy is again that their damage is quite pathetic below lvl 80 and before mastery kicks in. I reckon their damage will be better at lvl 80 when you have more mastery and enough gear.

  12. #12
    2H Frost is definitely faster to level with than DW Frost is due to the fact that DW's main source of damage, Frost Strike, costs RP which you'll generally not have a whole lot of at the start of combat, whereas 2H is far more frontloaded with its Obliterates. That's not to say, however, that leveling as DW will slow you down tremendously, so just go with whichever you prefer.
    Vereesa formerly of Paragon and Depraved
    WCL

  13. #13
    2h frost or DW for leveling with Dark Succor glyphed. As soon as you get to the point where you require chain pulls (usually around townlong + dread wastes) go blood.

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Equalizer View Post
    2h frost or DW for leveling with Dark Succor glyphed. As soon as you get to the point where you require chain pulls (usually around townlong + dread wastes) go blood.
    I actually found Frost with Succor better at chaining than Blood. Damage will still be very high, and the DS is free once you land your first KB then you work from there.

    On a side note DW Frost is probably the best Fatty Goatsteak group killer.

  15. #15
    Deleted
    As soon as you get the Reave ability from the mantids, Blood will always win. I love that northern corridor as blood. There's a spot where you can easily pull 3-4 Blade, 2 guys on scorpids, The big bug + 3 manipulators and another 3-4 Blades behind them. Reave wipes off so much health and it's on a 1 min CD along with Bone Shield and Vamp blood. 14-15 mobs in one minute is ludicrous.

    Blood is not about chainpulling, it's about multipulling.

  16. #16
    I suppose, but don't you need level 89 to start that quest chain? So really that's only one level.

  17. #17
    Deleted
    Quote Originally Posted by Schizoide View Post
    I suppose, but don't you need level 89 to start that quest chain? So really that's only one level.
    It's just the example I experience the most, being 90 already and doing them frequently. At 89, you might not even have sufficient gear to pull all those mobs and survive. But the general idea still works. That quest where you have to kill the gremlins for lumps of jade is great. You can run about and group them all up. The one where you have to kill the jade panthers for the little panada cub. There are so many areas where you find dense groupings of mobs that can easily be rounded up on your mount.

    I quote the Klaxxi example because it's just so OP when you get reave. And it's also so easy to keep track of the minutes, with the debuff on your screen.

    Would like to add, that since the AoE pull method relies on your disease, bloodboil and DnD damage, you could easily get away with DW for the looks :P

  18. #18
    Banned Rorke's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Long Island New York, USA
    Posts
    2,783
    Blood is too slow. I used to try it but it takes too long. Sure you're invincible, but any good dps specced DK doesn't need any of that.

    DW and 2h Frost is overall the best for leveling. You're single target pressure is stupid damage compared to every other spec in the game. Obliterate already has high weapon damage, so you won't even need good gear. Make sure to put on the glyph of dark succor.

    People also underestimate how good Unholy is. The Dot pressure is superior to any other spec and its really easy to spread dots through blood boil. Spec into Deaths advance and run around while pulling things.

    Any spec is good.

  19. #19
    Deleted
    This should be mandatory reading for all DK's that have levelling questions

    http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...ling-rogue-but

    You have no idea how easy we have it.

  20. #20
    I still haven't hit 90 on my priest or paladin yet, but I have all 9 other classes at 90. Leveling difficulty is something like

    Hunter (Easiest and most fun leveler by a HUUUUGE margin. Think like 5 ranks higher than #2.)
    Warrior (arms)
    Death knight (frost)
    Monk (WW. WW is worst leveler in the game <56, easy/fun after that.)
    Paladin (Ret obviously. At lvl 88 so far but no major problems. Will be my next 90.)
    Rogue (Combat. Leeching poison and glyphed recup absolutely mandatory)
    Mage (Arcane w/ unlimited mana <90 does huge damage. Will be much better in 5.2 w/only 4 stacks rampup)
    Druid (Feral. Balance is much worse)
    Shaman (But I leveled as elemental because I felt like it. Enhance would be several ranks easier)
    Warlock (Tanking demo for groups, destro for singles. Slow and annoying.)
    Priest (Shadow. Sitting at lvl 87. Direct damage is so slow. Mind spike doesn't hit for much. Can't multidot or you die. Worst leveler.)

    Obviously this is all IMO.
    Last edited by Schizoide; 2013-03-01 at 07:11 PM.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •