DK tanking - are you still finding it fun?

[Wardley]

How are the rest of you finding DK tanking now after we've all settled in from the 4.0.1 patch and all the tanking changes?

To be honest, I'm just not finding it fun anymore. There's too many times when I'm just set around waiting for runes to regen that I think I must be doing something wrong. And it seems to just be 'Heart Strike/Death Strike' spam now anyway. If I even think about reapplying Frost or Plague strike I then have an even longer gap waiting for runes to regen and miss Death Strike. The only way to try and keep tanking interesting now is to try and keep my blood shield up as much as possible and it would've been nice to have an animation for that - something like a red anti-magic shell for example? I've got Powerauras telling me when I've got a blood shield, but it's not the same...

So, what am I missing? And will it get better - because I've kinda gone back to levelling up my (lvl43) Warrior tank and if the DK doesn't get better, I may just sit him at lvl 80 and level the warrior straight up to 85 instead.

[Tarin]

I like it better than it was before the patch. If you honestly think that it wasn't as bad then it is now then something is wrong. However your problem with sitting around waiting for runes should be fixed when the Shattering is released and the rune strike change comes through.

[Desirie]

I loved how I was supposed to play it before the patch, now it's just.. I don't know really, just not the same. I love being reactive to things around me but now I can't, seeing as runes are somewhat slow and yeah.. Just don't feel the excitement anymore though aggro isn't a problem even when I initiate the pull.

[pronmeister]

compared to blood tanking pre-patch, its more fun imo and definitely im not standing around waiting for runes to regen except for a few times when i mess up, but then blood tap / empowered rune weapon ftw ^^
tbh, i would rather not have my dk in a pink/ red bubble all the time as well

[Evolixe]

Im accually not doing anything different that i was, and i barely even notice the rune change. But im not playing my dk as much, and i dont know if im accually supposed to use another priority system then i did pre 4.0.

[pronmeister]

aggro isn't a problem even when I initiate the pull.

hmmm...? xD

[DerSenf]

It will get better with 4.03a. Our Runes will recharge 20% faster and Rune Strike won't need a Dodge/Parry to procc. I'm looking forward to this patch.

But well, i agree with you 100%. It is boring as hell currently. Having to wait almost up to 4 seconds to do anything makes me wanna log out during the fight and jump in with a Pally.

[sneeuwplanker]

Level 68 atm and im horrified by the long rune regen. Finally got the 45% passive proc skill on refreshing random runes, but it was alot more fun prepatch (then again I was frost tanking and never liked blood). The cooldown on DnD sucks aswell.

[Deathquoi]

The regen and rune strike changes will help a lot. They also need to ditch Blood Rites or make it turn blood runes into death runes. Right now it's useless at best and annoying at worst.

[Deleted]

I like how it plays at the moment, diseaseless, I love it, find it fun -

But I know they're gonna change it

[Deleted]

I like how it plays at the moment, diseaseless, I love it, find it fun -

But I know they're gonna change it

They said they will let tanks away with it if they want to sacrafice some threat for survivability.

On topic I was a frost tank before 4.0 and i find blood ok but i still miss unbreakable armor and Howling blast

[drakean]

It depends on the fight atm, if its a melee boss with fast swings then yeah im able to do alot, But on a caster boss im just not able to do anything and people pull off me.

so cant wait for the rune strike change

[Ikkatsu]

How are the rest of you finding DK tanking now after we've all settled in from the 4.0.1 patch and all the tanking changes?

To be honest, I'm just not finding it fun anymore. There's too many times when I'm just set around waiting for runes to regen that I think I must be doing something wrong. And it seems to just be 'Heart Strike/Death Strike' spam now anyway. If I even think about reapplying Frost or Plague strike I then have an even longer gap waiting for runes to regen and miss Death Strike. The only way to try and keep tanking interesting now is to try and keep my blood shield up as much as possible and it would've been nice to have an animation for that - something like a red anti-magic shell for example? I've got Powerauras telling me when I've got a blood shield, but it's not the same...

So, what am I missing? And will it get better - because I've kinda gone back to levelling up my (lvl43) Warrior tank and if the DK doesn't get better, I may just sit him at lvl 80 and level the warrior straight up to 85 instead.

Download Blood Shield Tracker.

It makes keeping Blood Shield up a lot more fun becuase you can judge when to effectively use it to get the most out of an Estimated Heal.

Also, 4.0.3a will bring in the Rune Strike changes so you will be using that a lot more - allowing for more uptime of runes.

[Fonzier8n]

Well i personally enjoy tanking as DK more efter they changed the blood to the dedicated tanking tree. And regarding the problem with "downtime" for runes to regenerate thats the time i use for tabtargeting runestrikes or spamming Death Coil. When it comes to the long cooldown on the DnD i agree that it might be annoying (since i thought so myself befor i got used to it) they actually made it like that so that u wont drop it on every single pull but u have to choose the moment, thats probably whats gonna seperate an experienced DK tank from a unexperienced one. But then they made Heart strike hit more targets, probably for that reason
The thing about Blood Rites i totally agree on, they can remove the Blood Tap to cause the only thing that makes me use it is the T10 4 piece set bonus that gives 12% dmg reduction for 10 sek when u use it. And as alot of guys already said its gonna be better in cata when we get the 20% (or if it was 15% not sure) faster rune regeneration in Blood Presence and that they remove the Dodge/Parry proc on Runestrike

/PS
I dont consider myself an AWESOME player or "allknowing" its jusst the conclusion ive drawn from reading forums and my personal opinion.
I did however hear a disturbing rumor that alot of DK tanks get the boot as soon as they enter a raid or dungeon by the rest of the players in beta, didnt get any clarification on why though. Jusst thought if anyone out there knew if its true and in that case why it is like that?

[Zauber]

It will get better with 4.03a. Our Runes will recharge 20% faster and Rune Strike won't need a Dodge/Parry to procc. I'm looking forward to this patch.

Yeah, this definitly going to help, right now I just feel like a kind of slow kid not to say a retard when you stand in the mob pack with DnD and diseases running and it is all like "Eeeermmm I think i gotta BB now.... wait I'll go and slap that mob with RS first.... Okaay.. Ooops I need to taunt him already... Wait where are you three think you're going?".
And than a Fury Warrior charges in and takes aggro in 1 GCD on a mob that was RSed, HSed and DSed right before, but this is another story )

[Ikkatsu]

Yeah, this definitly going to help, right now I just feel like a kind of slow kid not to say a retard when you stand in the mob pack with DnD and diseases running and it is all like "Eeeermmm I think i gotta BB now.... wait I'll go and slap that mob with RS first.... Okaay.. Ooops I need to taunt him already... Wait where are you three think you're going?".
And than a Fury Warrior charges in and takes aggro in 1 GCD on a mob that was RSed, HSed and DSed right before, but this is another story )

Fury Warrior threat is insane.

It needs to be fixed.

[Deathquoi]

Blood Tap is useful if you need to do something that requires a Frost or Unholy rune, like reapplying FF or using Bone Shield.

[xeroxide]

i'm glad they changed it.
the icy touch thing was a little on the BS side imo.

i was blood mt before the patch for raiding (and frost for heroics)
while i miss the HB option as a tank, i love how consolidated blood feels now.
having a proper final tier for tanking (DRW), the option to go diseaseless for survivability (or for the initial burst threat). It feels much more complete, not a half dps/tank with a pvp talent now and there.

although i must question the reduced CD on strang in the blood tree... wtf?
guys in frost/unholy would kill for that i'd imagine, yet myself as a tank i can't see myself picking that up...

[Ikkatsu]

I usually save my Blood Tap so i have a guaranteed Blood Rune available for Rune Tap.

When talented, the cooldowns match so i have macroed them together.

[Kumatao]

With the 20% rune regen in Cata it gets so much better. I play both live and beta. And I do enjoy beta's regen more along with rune strikes changes.