confused... frost dps.. obliterate > icy touch?

[vbrokop]

hello,

i'm currently leveling my dk as frost and have just hit 65. from all the reading i've done here, it seems that obliterate is as much or more a part of a frost dps rotation than icy touch.

my question is, with most of the dps talents in the frost tree affect both abilities, and considering obliterate's additional rune cost, why obliterate at all? my icy touch seems to be hitting as hard or harder.

so i'm asking for clarification, as there must be something i'm missing. thanks!

[Offhand]

Are you duel wielding? That will bring your oblit damage down a lot. If you are, try howling blast instead.

[junirel]

come patch... u'll replace obliterate with howling blast.... after that the only thing u have to worry about as frost dps is fighting frost npc's since they tend to be immune or resist frost dmg

[Offhand]

come patch... u'll replace obliterate with howling blast.... after that the only thing u have to worry about as frost dps is fighting frost npc's since they tend to be immune or resist frost dmg

This isn't true, oblit does way more damage on a single target if you carry a 2h weapon.

[kriS411]

come patch... u'll replace obliterate with howling blast.... after that the only thing u have to worry about as frost dps is fighting frost npc's since they tend to be immune or resist frost dmg

no...

[quinndo]

I would like to point out that the CD being removed from HB is only on the ptr and not live yet, so any assumptions about oblit being useless in the coming patch are just based on ptr. Blizz has and will in the future put stuff on the ptr then not go live with it, it is just a test not the way things are going to be.

[Hexxidecimal]

Well at 65 I can see that being the case, however as your wepon improves your Oblit will scale dramtically while your icy touch won't. Not to mention what are you doing with the extra unholy rune?? If you aren't using it you are actually less effecient since a Oblit generates more runic power than a Icy Touch which feeds directly into frost strikes. So unless you have something specific you are using that unholy rune on then you are actually hurting yourself more than helping atm.

As far as howling blast vs Oblit goes, this is a very situational and both with have it's uses. If you correctly identify the situation you are in you can increase your dps by choosing the right one. Dual wielding? HB. Multilple targets? HB. High armor single target Mob? HB. Not specced for Oblit? HB. Low armor single target? Oblit. Target with reflective shield up? Oblit. Frost immune mob/s? Oblit. It is dependent on what you are fighting, neither is "better" than the other. They are situational both of them. While you may prefer to use one over another (I prefer HB cause of range and for PvP) you will ultimately hurt your dps if you only stick to one.

[Tsipar]

no...

Yes....

Once the CD on HB is removed, and if one is DWing, why use OB at all? HB does more damage than OB if you are DWing, and when rime procs there is potential for 3 consecutive HB's - lots of damage. Especially when HB is critting for 6k+

[Gomexus]

HB is good (better? now for DW than Ob is...

For 2h'ers Ob knocks HB out of the park...

For DW while HB is on CD IT does more dmg/rune but leaves you with a floating Unholy rune that will probably get eaten by a less than impressive Plague Strike.

[quinndo]

Yes....

Once the CD on HB is removed, and if one is DWing, why use OB at all? HB does more damage than OB if you are DWing, and when rime procs there is potential for 3 consecutive HB's - lots of damage. Especially when HB is critting for 6k+

OMG IF the CD is removed, IF....

[choel]

OMG IF the CD is removed, IF....

Judging by the blue posts, it staying off. HB is not an attack other classes complain about. Rune strike took that cake. HB is more or less a slightly weaker, AOE version of obliterate (assuming you use a 2 hander). There is no cooldown on Obliterate, why would be there be on a situational attack to be used in its place? (or a prime dps attack if you're crazy enough to DW)