optimizing my damage

[xytech]

I just made a new dk which is now level 84 and wondered how to optimize his dps as tank when I ding 85 and get som gear. I'll most likely only do lfr/lfd so 378/384 is the gear I'll end up with. What I wondered is if anyone have any tips on what spells do the most, when I have enough survavibility to start going with some dps stats and which dps stats. My goal is to survive lfr while doing some good dps as tank. Spec and glyphs would also be nice, checked out the guide here and it mostly just focuses on survavibility =/

[Woceip]

That'd be because it's not the job of the tank to deeps. If that's really your goal... why don't you simply do dps role? Alternatively, spec dps in tank gear if you really want to be the dpsing tank in lfr. Bear in mind that you might not be able to actually survive the encounter, and you run a high risk of getting booted.

[xytech]

That'd be because it's not the job of the tank to deeps. If that's really your goal... why don't you simply do dps role? Alternatively, spec dps in tank gear if you really want to be the dpsing tank in lfr. Bear in mind that you might not be able to actually survive the encounter, and you run a high risk of getting booted.

Not helpful... at all.

I got a warrior tank already and found that survavibility stops being the issue quite early on. Theres not much incoming damage in lfr/lfg. The thing is I dont know how blood dk is at this. I'm not planning to go full in for damage, I will start with damage when my survavibility is good. Ofc I will check out some for myself when I ding but I would like some insight before that (got nothing to do at school atm).

What I want is to survive LFR/LFD and then start beating the dps on damage.

[Gracin]

Not helpful... at all.

I got a warrior tank already and found that survavibility stops being the issue quite early on. Theres not much incoming damage in lfr/lfg. The thing is I dont know how blood dk is at this. I'm not planning to go full in for damage, I will start with damage when my survavibility is good. Ofc I will check out some for myself when I ding but I would like some insight before that (got nothing to do at school atm).

What I want is to survive LFR/LFD and then start beating the dps on damage.

That was all the help you need, but I'll kindly grant you more. First of all, throw the thoughts that your DK will be just like your warrior because it isn't. Secondly, you won't be at a comfortable(and even then it's debatable) survival rate until you are already in 378+. Third, and what may be the most important... it is your job to tank and survive, if you want to dps then spec unholy or frost.

[Deleted]

In my eyes you wanna become a LFR troll. "Trolololo tank doing more dmg than 4 dpsers trololololo"... The problem is that healers are going to tell you that you take damage like hell and then all of a sudden you're not so tough anymore

[xytech]

That was all the help you need, but I'll kindly grant you more. First of all, throw the thoughts that your DK will be just like your warrior because it isn't. Secondly, you won't be at a comfortable(and even then it's debatable) survival rate until you are already in 378+. Third, and what may be the most important... it is your job to tank and survive, if you want to dps then spec unholy or frost.

Never thought they would be the same, I already know prot got better survavibility. And serriously, not comfortable before 378+? Are they really that squishy? (remember its not normal/hard modes) =/

Tank and survive should be possible with 359 gear, comfortable with 365 and faceroll with 378. I will ofc make sure I'll survive, just didn't know dks are that squishy.


So I got it right now; DKs are insanely squishy and get all their damage from spells and should completely avoid all hit/exp/str or whatever?

[Gracin]

I'm regretting responding the first time, and I'm sure I'd regret responding a second so instead I will direct you here where you can find tons of useful information, but wait as a special T.V. bonus you not only get answers to all you tanking needs but a stickied thread to ask these questions in.

[ymirsson]

You should read some guides on blood tanking instead of repeating useless questions. And then realize that the only DPS you ever going to beat on the meters are the afk, the dead and the DPS thinking they are tanks, aka bads.

[xytech]

In my eyes you wanna become a LFR troll. "Trolololo tank doing more dmg than 4 dpsers trololololo"... The problem is that healers are going to tell you that you take damage like hell and then all of a sudden you're not so tough anymore

Actually I'm aiming more for dungeons for satchels and valor and want to get out of them fast as possible, cant stand trolls =/

You should read some guides on blood tanking instead of repeating useless questions. And then realize that the only DPS you ever going to beat on the meters are the afk, the dead and the DPS thinking they are tanks, aka bads.

I know, the bads and the afk's. Too bad at least 50% of the people you are queued with are in that category and immune to kicks. Thats why I'll have to carry them with some extra dps......

I'm regretting responding the first time, and I'm sure I'd regret responding a second so instead I will direct you here where you can find tons of useful information, but wait as a special T.V. bonus you not only get answers to all you tanking needs but a stickied thread to ask these questions in.

and you obviously didn't read the post, but thanks anyways for trying to help. I'll just try for myself while gearing rather.

[ymirsson]

[QUOTE=xytech;14917250]Actually I'm aiming more for dungeons for satchels and valor and want to get out of them fast as possible, cant stand trolls =/ [QUOTE]

Try getting a guild. Or some kind of regular group. Or are you not social enough for that stuff?

[xytech]

Actually I'm aiming more for dungeons for satchels and valor and want to get out of them fast as possible, cant stand trolls =/

Try getting a guild. Or some kind of regular group. Or are you not social enough for that stuff?

No satchels when premade.

[Gracin]

and you obviously didn't read the post, but thanks anyways for trying to help. I'll just try for myself while gearing rather.

I read your OP, but clearly you didn't read the guides well enough considering this is halfway down the page. Which btw should cause a big red flashing light to go off in your head that signals important information here.

3.2 Reforging
Expertise and Hit are threat stats with 4.3. They have almost zero survival value. But missing a string of DS in a row, especially at the beginning of a fight, can be quite hurtful. Generally it's not worth it though.

Avoidance: Since Parry and Dodge both have an requal rate of Diminishing returns, you should try to keep the rating as balanced as possible. If you want to be exact: get around 300 more dodge than parry rating, since that's roughly the amount of parry rating you get through various buffs in a raid.

Mastery: There's no Diminishing Returns and no realistically reachable cap on Mastery, so if you want Mastery, go all out for it.

While gemming you should also keep an eye out for lucrative socketbonuses. Getting a 30 stamina bonus while only losing 10 parry rating by choosing a hybrid gem, may very well be worth it.

The important bit is bold and red, sorry I couldn't do flashing.

[xytech]

I read your OP, but clearly you didn't read the guides well enough considering this is halfway down the page. Which btw should cause a big red flashing light to go off in your head that signals important information here..

I read it, thought it was mainly ment towards raiding though. Personally on my rshammy I much prefer 20k dps dks thats a bit squishy over 8k dps who take less damage.

[Darsithis]

A few things to up dps as a tank:

- Glyph DS, which gives up to 40% more damage with a full RP bar
- Glyph HS and RS for higher crit chances
- Take Blood Caked Blades and Bladed Armor for the extra DPS

Really, that's about it. There aren't a lot of talents/glyphs to improve tank DPS.

[WraithZach]

the one thing i can tell the OP is that for DPS: expertise>hit>haste>crit

i wish that just for once this forum could actually get a decent discussion going on this... when did this forum become such a cesspool =\

tank DPS is just as important the damage dealers' DPS. if a tank gains 1k dps this is just as useful to the raid as 1k dps from the mage. There are a LOT of times in Heroic DS that the tank will just not be in any risk of dieing.

does anyone know of a way for simcraft properly models blood DK DPS, with vengeance and all, while still gaming RE for more death strikes? or a different tool that is updated? Bloodsim hasn't been updated in about a year now =\

I would really like to see some kind of evidence supporting these dps decisions though:
Talents - most tanks will take some of these, but what is the real hierarchy?
Butchery, Bladed Armor, 3rd point of Scent of Blood, Blood Caked Blade, Abomination's Might, Crimson Scourge, Virulence, Morbidity

Glyphs - Death Strike, Heart strike, Rune Strike, Death and Decay, Icy Touch (commonly accepted in that order though i believe)

Another thing of great interest to me since t11 is how to maximize DPS as Blood when in a non-tanking situation, and not generating significant vengeance. Would going UP or FP be better than a minor amount of AOE vengeance? Could Death Coil become better than Rune Strike? etc...

[SSHA778]

"Shotgunning" DS (5b: http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/2416208246#4) and just doing your rotation properly is going to give you the highest DPS and survivability. Doing that well enough will put you higher than other tanks. You can get slightly more by trading DSs for HS, but that's blatantly subpar for survivability.

Other than that, there's these:

- Glyph DS, which gives up to 40% more damage with a full RP bar
- Glyph HS and RS for higher crit chances
- Take Blood Caked Blades and Bladed Armor for the extra DPS

Minor correction, but glyph of HS doesn't affect crit chance but it's still a DPS increase, which was the intention of the post.

[Deleted]

if you want high aoe damage spec for mobidity in unholy and glyph for death and decay. specing for crimson scourge also gives a nice dps increase but its not a massive increase, most dks tend to leave this talent but for 5mans I normally pick this up for bit more aoe. you want to be using pestilence as soon as you get a chance to spread your diseases, with virtulence spec'd this is even more of a dps increase for aoe situations and good for dps. if your spec'd and glyphed for d&d you have more than enough of a threat lead to do this early on. glyph of heart strike and death strike are both kind of no-brainer glyphs to pick.

for single target you might want to spec for blood caked strike or abominations might rather than morbidity - or even both. I tend to pick abominations might as its got you covered if nobody else provides that buff - apparently the damage increase is roughly the same. might be more since the melee dmg increase with 4.3, not sure. I usually replace death and decay glyph with the rune strike glyph if I need to pump out a bit more single target dmg, but tbh I normally use death and decay on cd anyway

dk tanking is incredibly easy since 4.3, once you hit 85 tbh I would recommend going mainly for aoe damage increases coz it makes ur life so much easier. single target threat is just a non issue.

sitting on your runes can be..optimal for survival sometimes, but you can afford to spam heart strike most of the time if the damage is not that heavy.but if you feel ur taking alot of damage go easy on heart strike and start being more intelligent about when you use death strike. blade barrier management doesn't exist anymore so you can afford to do this more.

the lichbourne spec is totally over-rated imo. the heal you get from it is pretty shit. don't bother going for it, for the amount of runic power death coil uses its not worth it, not sure why people bother specing for this after it not nerfed back in t11

[potatoe]

Agreed, with Darsithis and SSHA778.

Just reading the talent tooltip, I'm a fan of Abomination's Might instead of Blood-Caked Blade.
In 5-mans you can't count on an equivalent buff being present, so it's likely that this talent will be useful to the other party members as well as to yourself.

Most DK tanks run with the weapon enchant Rune of Swordshattering (4% parry).
That's great for survivability, but to maximize your DPS you can go with Rune of Fallen Crusader for more strength (15% strength proc).

The new heroics aren't very hard and if you have a good amount of mastery (20+) then you can build up some nice shields fairly regularly if you time your Death Strike and Runic Empowerment well.

Runeforging is FREE so you can always change it back to Rune of Swordshattering.
Alternately, you don't even have to use your best weapon for this.
You can keep your best weapon for LFR/Raiding and keep it enchanted for survival.
Then use your 2nd best weapon for DPS.

You can also run with some offensive trinkets.
Apparatus of Khazgorath has a static strength stat, as well as on-use mastery (assuming mastery is your highest stat).
Essence of Eternal flame gives you a 1-minute strength cooldown, and has static mastery.

Please post back results after trying some of our suggestions.

[xytech]

Please post back results after trying some of our suggestions.

Looking like this atm.

Just ran a regular HoT, got in a team with two people under 10k, 1 warrior at about 12-14k and a healer pala with 6.6k gearscore (probably had some items in inventory to upper the ilvl because he did not have good enough gear for that). Even with this the tanking was easy and I never had any serious problems surviving by myself. Also pulled off 23-25k dps single target and alot more AoE. Did about 60% of the damage in the instance and around 25% of the healing (plus my lovely shields).

As these insanely bad teames are rare I am considering reforging some avoidance into hit/exp, think I'll let it be tho.

Thanks for suggestions ^^