Where is Blood's Identity?

[MrSaggins]

Blood's identity lies in its reliance on red, misty blood magic and the aesthetic of a bone shield. When people see those things, they identify them with Blood DKs. It's fine.

That said, since DKs haven't really had any love outside of w/e Mograine is doing in the Garrison Inn since Wrath it'd be cool if we could get an aesthetic changing class chain some day with perks like Warlock Green Fire or the Rogue legendary chain. Say, your presence is amplified drastically. Icy Touch turns blood red (hey, blood can freeze); death coils are blood tinged; bone shield's charges drip with blood etc. and this would go likewise for Frost and Unholy. This would serve the purpose of effective spec identity and of course, could be toggled on and off as can Green Fire.

[NakataVagrant]

Blood boil animation should cause all affected targets explode blood

I'm pretty sure it was like that at some point during WotLK, I remember seeing a red/bloody effect on targets, not too flashy though. It was probably changed when they changed Fan of Knives' 3.0 animation.

[blackblade]

BB's animation did indeed change, so did pestilence, I can bearly see my diseases spreading

I hate the new pestilence animation. The old one was much more obvious, the new one feels like I'm supposed to just trust it's working.

[RuneDK]

Soul reaper is so out of place and I wish they didn't scrap Rune Strike AND Heart Strike. It makes Blood feel very weak. If they at least kept one I could probably live with it.

Kill Soul reaper.

I don't want them to kill SR...I do like it...however I would love to see RS or HS(just one target damage though) come back and cost a blood rune. This way the spec gets a reliable single target blood rune attack.

[Zoldor]

I don't want them to kill SR...I do like it...however I would love to see RS or HS(just one target damage though) come back and cost a blood rune. This way the spec gets a reliable single target blood rune attack.

I agree, mainly for Challenge modes and things of that nature where sometimes I need to not be blasting AE because a CC is close and we are in close quarters. Would be nice to not have to worry about a mob being close enough to cause my diseases to spread to a CC target. There is something about spells as threat gains, for some reason that is purely mental on my part I don't feel like BB and DC are threat generators on the level of Heart Strike, Rune Strike. I know this is wrong mechanically, but my brain still panics even though I can see I'm getting the threat, and I over spam DC and BB which will stop in time. It is all in my head I know, but I guess it effects my gameplay, in time it will pass. Blood just is a really odd spec currently for tanking if you compare with other tank classes, we just aren't that traditional smash it in the face and it smashes you in the face. Now its more, make its blood boil and throw a spell at it and it smashes you in the face which no other tank does really. I guess Paladins with judge and such, but even still DK doesn't feel like I'm hitting anything maybe, which is weird for a tank. Its hard to describe, but I'm sure in a couple months I'll barely notice it.

[Aezral]

Blood's identity lies in its reliance on red, misty blood magic and the aesthetic of a bone shield. When people see those things, they identify them with Blood DKs. It's fine.

Specifically let me know what "misty blood magic" you are referring to? You mean the almost nonexistent effects of Vamp Blood and Rune Tap? or the Blood boil effect that is available to DKs as a class ability, not spec specific?

[MrSaggins]

Specifically let me know what "misty blood magic" you are referring to? You mean the almost nonexistent effects of Vamp Blood and Rune Tap? or the Blood boil effect that is available to DKs as a class ability, not spec specific?

Woah, slow down cowboy. Death Strike causes the target to gush blood with a splashing audio effect. Blood Boil's animation is not only wide, but loud and distinctive; and it is now a cornerstone of the single target aspect of the Blood rotation. Vampiric Blood and Rune tap's animations aren't non-existent, they're directly above the head of the player where nearly everyone can see them even in a crowded raid; and not to mention very bright. The same goes for Blood Tap. The talent Deathpact makes the Death Knight glow blood red and Blood Presence causes a big red audible skull. Dancing Rune Weapon is an exclusive and iconic Blood ability that no one else has.

Blood is smeared all over the Death Knight class and nowhere more prominently than in the Blood spec. I think Blizzard has done a excellent job of giving DKs three distinctive and fitting magical aspects of undeath that are equally represented within their respective specializations. The purpose of a spec is not to exclusively hoard every spec related ability, but to make the most prominent use of them while still drawing on other aspects of the class. Speaking as someone who's mained a Death Knight since the Wrath Beta, I think they've reflected that intention within the Death Knight extremely well.

If you're complaining because the other specs can occasionally and situationally make use of these abilities then I don't know what to tell you, except go design your own video games. Art is not a democracy.

[Dawnshadow]

I'd personally like a visual for the blood barrier mastery gives us, myself...

[Skumshot]

They should make death siphon cost 1blood rune for blood spec and call it a day.

[Milocow]

it was removed because it was too confusing for new players

jokes aside, i believe during cata there was a ptr period (4.1?) where blood boil was a blood nova centred around you

it was quickly scrapped

[Baracuda]

They need to do a total drastic visual overhaul for blood's abilities. Everything looks so dated when compared to, for an extreme example, a monk.

Get in line, behind warriors.

[Monteverdi]

Although I'll always main a DK, I no longer consider myself blood main spec because of this. It may very well be viable from a numbers standpoint, but something feels inherently wrong about spamming blood boil and death coil, makes the spec feel flimsy. DKs are built around their rune weapons - as blood I'd like to actually be able to use said weapon instead of just spamming spells. I miss blood strike.

[blasterion]

While I don't miss heart strike at all, they should make Blood Boil less casty, by giving it a whirl wind of blood animation with the caster doing whirlwind animation

[Mectrid]

While I agree with the flavor loss of the spec, I have to say it's still pretty fun to play, it may even be better than it was before the patch.

I do wish that they'd give us more spec appropriate abilities though, we have nothing unique bar Rune Tap/Vampiric Blood from what I can think of. Worms surely coulda been tied in, hell they could even make a spell that changes dependant on spec and make IBF something totally new for Blood. I dunno, but we need more reason to feel like Blood DKs other than the fact we're tanking.

[blasterion]

I really like how the Blood DK plays right now, just that there is a lack of flavor that's all. Also lack of spell effects, GIVE DKs MORE SPELL EFFECTS

Death Strike show Vampire fangs fall on the target
Obliterate show Giant Axe breaking a piece of ice on the target
Scourge strike shows a black sword impaling a skull on the target
Frost strike causes icicles to explode underneath the target

Death's Advance transforms the DK into a a black reaper for the duration

Give us Ret pally lvl spell effects!

[Deleted]

I actually like that we are casting death coil now. I feel a bit like a ranged tank sometimes, which is great since so many mobs are immune to deathgrip and we were lacking a throw/avengers shield kind of ability. I don't miss heart strike or rune strike, because my criticism had always been that blood was basically like a warrior. Just constantly melee attacking. I like the changes in terms of identity, though I am still concerned about mechnical aspects, one of which is the devastating effects of silence.

I didn't know AotD was restored for Frost and UH? I am bummed. I was so happy they finally made it blood only. One of the few things that could've given us a distinct feel, such as Bone shield. I think Bone shield is our number one indicator.

I would like Blizz to change Death and Decay into blue for frost and green for unholy.

[blasterion]

I actually like that we are casting death coil now. I feel a bit like a ranged tank sometimes, which is great since so many mobs are immune to deathgrip and we were lacking a throw/avengers shield kind of ability. I don't miss heart strike or rune strike, because my criticism had always been that blood was basically like a warrior. Just constantly melee attacking. I like the changes in terms of identity, though I am still concerned about mechnical aspects, one of which is the devastating effects of silence.

I didn't know AotD was restored for Frost and UH? I am bummed. I was so happy they finally made it blood only. One of the few things that could've given us a distinct feel, such as Bone shield. I think Bone shield is our number one indicator.

I would like Blizz to change Death and Decay into blue for frost and green for unholy.

AND SOUL REAPER ( they already cost different runes!) we should have different color souls from the soul reaper buff

[Resurgo]

I wish they kept Necrotic Strike. Whether nerfed in some form or another, or kept as a heal prevention type strike. Would've at least kept some melee ability to hit with other than moarspellz.

[OneSent]

For starters, let's talk about our main attacks. Death Coil, Death Strike, Blood Boil. If you were to unlearn a spec on a Death Knight right now, all 3 of those abilities are usable without a spec.

I never really looked it at that way before. That's really depressing.

[Aezral]

. Speaking as someone who's mained a Death Knight since the Wrath Beta, I think they've reflected that intention within the Death Knight extremely well.

Your "experience" with the class, which is similar to mine I just found no need to let everyone know that arbitrary detail, Ignores that many caster classes have gotten spell visual reworks to make them more updated and with the times. It also ignores that Blizzard has gone on record to say that melee spec visuals could be reworked and updated to be more noticeable and impactful. This is the perfect time to revisit the spec and update lost flavor, which I have explained in detail the detriment in my OP.

If you're complaining because the other specs can occasionally and situationally make use of these abilities then I don't know what to tell you, except go design your own video games. Art is not a democracy

Never did I ever complain that blood draws certain aspects of the other specs from the class. It's intended by design, considering the shared talent tree. But when I play a frost mage, regardless of what talents or abilities I use, It VISUALLY looks as if I'm a frost mage. Blood is one of the furthest behind the times now and needs a revisit visually.

Give us Ret pally lvl spell effects!

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Someone on the WoW forums posted this:

Who else wants these awesome quad Dancing Runeblades Darth Stormstout is sporting here?

http://imgur.com/oIDcX41

Would be an excellent minor glyph for DRW to have 4 weapons, but have the ability function the same