AoE as a frost tank

[neuropsycho]

Greetings.

Just dinged 80 last night and have done 3 heroics as a frost tank. One thing I noticed is that multiple AoE pulls can be a little troublesome. I open with the following:

0. Death and Decay
1. Death Grip
2. Icy Touch
3. Plague Strike
4. Pestilence
5. Blood Boil

The problem is if I start losing threat and howling blast is on CD, I really have no options. I'm left with popping empower rune weapon to refresh all my runes. Hungering cold rarely helps here either, as everyone is doing AoE damage. The problem is very evident on the first pull in Heroic UK....waves out adds come out and about 95% of the time my blood runes are on CD so I can use Blood Barrier.

I suppose this is why Blizzard wants to remove the CD on HB?

Also, are there any good sites on walkthroughs for Heroics? I've ran all instances at least once, but they usually add a "surprise" in the heroic version. Best I found so far is Wowwiki.

Thanks.

[ywactiy]

Im tanking in http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=j0EZGxet0edo0oVostcx build. Tanking Naxx 10\25 etc.

Using:
1) Death Grip \ Icy Touch
2) Death & Decay
3) Pestilence
out of runes now
4) Blood tap (only 1 minute CD)
5) Deathchill (if not on CD)
6) Howling Blast

btw than u can use Blood Strike and get BladeBarrier
and no need of using empower rune weapon

[deneweth]

One thing that I like to do is death grip the caster, or mob in the back first, and then use death and decay to get an extra tick of it. D&D usually holds agro fairly well while I'm doing IT+PS+pest. I have D&D glyphed and 3/3 blood strikes and 3/3 outbreak (I'm blood spec) for increased pest+blood boil damage.

I don't think your problem is your rotation. It could just be that you're under geared for the dps. If you don't already the armsman enchant for gloves (2% threat 10 parry rating) helps. Also remember to double check that you are in frost presence. There used to be a bug that I believe was "fixed" but I always like to change in and out of presences before I pull to make sure the buffs are applied.

If your main problem is picking up adds thats something I struggled with learning my DK. I just watch my threat meter now and unless someone is pushing my threat really hard I will save runes or RP to pick up adds. Knowing the instance and avoiding/preparing for adds will help here too.

[neuropsycho]

I think my gear is OK for generating threat, at least for not having much heroic gear:

http://www.wowarmory.com/character-s...hrezim&n=Durus

I usually do ~1200DPS

The problem is the 2nd AoE group that might come in a fight. Usually HB comes up just in time spread some frostiness around, but multiple AoE groups just seem really awkward on the DK with DnD being on CD (I have the DnD glyph and 3/3 in Morbidity)

Are any Blood/Unholy DKs having the same issue?

[deneweth]

Has nothing to do with your spec. You just need to have runes up to generate threat. Either save runes for when the adds come or pull the mobs back so that you don't get adds.

[Refreshment]

If there's predictable incoming adds that you want to pick up and at the same time keep bladebarrier up I would reccomend you to do this:

Blood Tap to get a deathrune and then pestilience them, then hit HB and they're yours.

[Zelven]

Death and Decay + Death Grip the caster/hunter of the mob group.
Icy Touch
Pestilence
Blood Tap, Deathchill, Howling Blast

If I have the runic power, I tend to just skip IT, Pest, and Blood Tap for using Hungering Cold (unless I know they're immune).

Did a 9pull in heroic Utgarde Pinnacle with two very heavy AoE types. There was a rogue, too, but he seemed to have misplaced his Tricks of the Trade button when he decided to attack something... He was dying quite a bit with his horrible judgement. Aside from the rogue's stupidity, however, I didn't once lose threat to the AoE.

I don't really care to use Plague Strike in an AoE situation. I save that for single target when I can actually benefit from an additional disease.

[neuropsycho]

Death and Decay + Death Grip the caster/hunter of the mob group.
Icy Touch
Pestilence
Blood Tap, Deathchill, Howling Blast

Cool, I'll give this rotation a shot. Thanks!

[STIG]

Death and Decay + Death Grip the caster/hunter of the mob group.
Icy Touch
Pestilence
Blood Tap, Deathchill, Howling Blast

QFT

[Lyciphur]

Death and Decay + Death Grip the caster/hunter of the mob group.
Icy Touch
Pestilence
Blood Tap, Deathchill, Howling Blast

This.
Also, empower rune weapon helps in especially troublesome pulls.

[Gamehenge]

This.
Also, empower rune weapon helps in especially troublesome pulls.

If you are going to pop erw though it's best to do the dnd-it-ps-pest then pop erw, might as well use all your runes if you're going to get them right back