Blood DK Leveling Help

[Stricks]

I am leveling a DK for the first time (lvl41) and I am playing Blood in dungeons. I believe I am doing everything in guides... Keeping 7+ stacks of bone shield, death strike when I can, blood drinker, blood plague on all enemies... etc.

I am still extremely squishy. I know that DK's are spikier health wise by getting damaged and healing but it's at the point where if I were the healer I would be stressed. I get below 25% quite often and sometimes even die.

Any tips from some of you veterans?

[stresskiller]

Probably just your gear or missing talents that is not scaling optimal at the moment

[Draknalor186]

Aren't dungeons completly fked atm? especially lower lvls ones, due to the scaling and rewamp?

[Nnyco]

Take 'Grip of the dead' talent and drop dnd and kite a little every once and then. Helps alot.

For dungeons i would also recommened you taking heartbreaker instead of blooddrinker for more rp gain.

[Stricks]

Aren't dungeons completly fked atm? especially lower lvls ones, due to the scaling and rewamp?

I am not sure but I was in a group that wiped on King Ymiron in Utgarde Pinnacle over and over. Healer could not keep up and it def wasn't his fault.

[Saltysquidoon]

Maybe it was the healer's fault? Or you weren't playing as well as you thought or were ignoring mechanics?

I mean outside of some massive screw up with scaling Blood DK's have always been overpowered while levelling, you should be almost able to solo heal yourself. That said you do take more damage than a pally or a warrior being healing as opposed to mitigation focused.

Specifically, with Ymiron it is a healing focused fight (although no one has thought about Wrath heroic tactics in a decade) you have to be topped up or he'll slap your shit. He also has a healing debuff, which is bad for blood.

[Stricks]

Maybe it was the healer's fault? Or you weren't playing as well as you thought or were ignoring mechanics?

I mean outside of some massive screw up with scaling Blood DK's have always been overpowered while levelling, you should be almost able to solo heal yourself. That said you do take more damage than a pally or a warrior being healing as opposed to mitigation focused.

Specifically, with Ymiron it is a healing focused fight (although no one has thought about Wrath heroic tactics in a decade) you have to be topped up or he'll slap your shit. He also has a healing debuff, which is bad for blood.

A couple of things... First thanks for the reply lots of good points. I think that something with the scaling must be off a bit as my gear seems decent. Most boss fights are fine it's more the trash.

Also, I am not saying I am doing excellent. That's my main reason for starting this thread, to get help and get better if I am not performing at least at a good level. I want to get better because as of now I want to main a blood DK in Shadowlands. I am really enjoying the playstyle but I also want to be decent at it if I'm going to main it. I've played two other xpacks seriously, WotLK and MOP and mained a Prot Warrior and Holy Pally in those two respectively. I was great at those two but IMO that doesn't mean I will be great at Blood DK. So my thought here was to try and raise my game so to speak.

I am pretty much ignoring the mechanics in the wrath dungeons but that may just be because I ignored them as a well geared Prot Warrior for much of WotLK. Maybe it's just different.

[Eurhetemec]

A couple of things... First thanks for the reply lots of good points. I think that something with the scaling must be off a bit as my gear seems decent. Most boss fights are fine it's more the trash.

Also, I am not saying I am doing excellent. That's my main reason for starting this thread, to get help and get better if I am not performing at least at a good level. I want to get better because as of now I want to main a blood DK in Shadowlands. I am really enjoying the playstyle but I also want to be decent at it if I'm going to main it. I've played two other xpacks seriously, WotLK and MOP and mained a Prot Warrior and Holy Pally in those two respectively. I was great at those two but IMO that doesn't mean I will be great at Blood DK. So my thought here was to try and raise my game so to speak.

I am pretty much ignoring the mechanics in the wrath dungeons but that may just be because I ignored them as a well geared Prot Warrior for much of WotLK. Maybe it's just different.

Yeah leveling in 9.0 is indeed different from being well-geared in 3.X lol. You can't ignore mechanics. You couldn't in 8.X either whilst leveling tanks through Wrath.

Most Wrath dungeons have both bosses that can kill you and trash packs that can kill you if you pull more than one. Not all packs are like that, but until you're sure one isn't, you need to treat it as if it is. This includes packs that don't "look" dangerous.

DKs need to pre-emptively use cooldowns where they can - this does let you ignore a couple of mechanics (for example you can AMS to drop freeze stacks on the dragon of hopping if you get bored of hopping) - and if you're too low-level to have them (I don't know what level and abilities they let you escape from the starting zone at now, but if you're an Allied Race I guess you could be as low as 10), that might be part of the problem.

Some dungeons have close to no mechanics - Violet Hold, for example - there can be a bit of kiting if one particular boss appears, but most times it's tank and spank for everything in there. Whereas, say, Halls of Lightning requires you to know both the boss and pack mechanics - you need to interrupt certain mobs or they will happily wipe a group. Other ones, you have to do things, like, y'know, not pull the charge-up golems whilst they're charged up.

With bosses, follow the mechanics - don't try and stand in silly shit unless you have an appropriate cooldown and for some things no cooldown is appropriate. I see idiots trying to ignore the dude who turns into a sort of spider of lightning, for example. You're supposed to run out, and he's not damageable so it's pointless and stupid not to, but people try it.

I'm mildly surprised to hear Ymiron killed you. You often had to use cooldowns to live there in 8.X, whilst leveling, but unless the group's DPS was really low, he usually was scary damage but not group-wiping kind of scary. A healer who isn't prepared for fairly large damage might just let you die by being too slow to react or trying to use minimal measures. Ymiron does high burst damage with spaces between, and needs to be healed accordingly. Death Strike obviously helps - and time it correctly for immediately after you take damage, generally speaking - but the healer needs to do more than put some hots and wind up a slow heal or whatever there.

It's possible balance is fucked too - but ignoring mechanics, both trash and bosses, was a great way to die horribly in Wrath dungeons in 8.X, and it sounds like you were doing that so 9.0 may well be similar.

[endorus]

The number of stacks doesn't matter in pre-patch.
You needed to maintain 5+ stacks for Ossuary talent - this is now baseline but becomes available at level 58.
As long as you maintain 'some' stacks to benefit from the +armor and haste is all that matters currently.

Death Strike heals based on damage taken over 5 seconds, it's usually advised to "pool" runic power to enable you to regain HP after taking a big hit or a sequence of hits.

People fall into the trap of over-use of Deathstrike and Marrowrend as BDK.
MR for stacks, HS to pool RP and as your main filler, DS after you take damage or if you are about to overcap on RP.

You have rune tap now as an extra defensive which can be used effectively on the pull but during combat is a waste if you use it on something that wouldn't otherwise kill you.

As alluded to above, half the battle with BDK is knowing the content and using defensives accordingly

Disclaimer is that I'm not sure on how scaling has affected things as I've not levelled an alt yet so maybe this has something to do with it

[Stricks]

Yeah leveling in 9.0 is indeed different from being well-geared in 3.X lol. You can't ignore mechanics. You couldn't in 8.X either whilst leveling tanks through Wrath.

Most Wrath dungeons have both bosses that can kill you and trash packs that can kill you if you pull more than one. Not all packs are like that, but until you're sure one isn't, you need to treat it as if it is. This includes packs that don't "look" dangerous.

DKs need to pre-emptively use cooldowns where they can - this does let you ignore a couple of mechanics (for example you can AMS to drop freeze stacks on the dragon of hopping if you get bored of hopping) - and if you're too low-level to have them (I don't know what level and abilities they let you escape from the starting zone at now, but if you're an Allied Race I guess you could be as low as 10), that might be part of the problem.

Some dungeons have close to no mechanics - Violet Hold, for example - there can be a bit of kiting if one particular boss appears, but most times it's tank and spank for everything in there. Whereas, say, Halls of Lightning requires you to know both the boss and pack mechanics - you need to interrupt certain mobs or they will happily wipe a group. Other ones, you have to do things, like, y'know, not pull the charge-up golems whilst they're charged up.

With bosses, follow the mechanics - don't try and stand in silly shit unless you have an appropriate cooldown and for some things no cooldown is appropriate. I see idiots trying to ignore the dude who turns into a sort of spider of lightning, for example. You're supposed to run out, and he's not damageable so it's pointless and stupid not to, but people try it.

I'm mildly surprised to hear Ymiron killed you. You often had to use cooldowns to live there in 8.X, whilst leveling, but unless the group's DPS was really low, he usually was scary damage but not group-wiping kind of scary. A healer who isn't prepared for fairly large damage might just let you die by being too slow to react or trying to use minimal measures. Ymiron does high burst damage with spaces between, and needs to be healed accordingly. Death Strike obviously helps - and time it correctly for immediately after you take damage, generally speaking - but the healer needs to do more than put some hots and wind up a slow heal or whatever there.

It's possible balance is fucked too - but ignoring mechanics, both trash and bosses, was a great way to die horribly in Wrath dungeons in 8.X, and it sounds like you were doing that so 9.0 may well be similar.

Well I mean I'm not ignoring all mechanics or anything. If it's obvious the boss needs to be moved or stacked on or he's doing and AOE I am doing that. In some cases I am remembering things as I go. I meant I am not researching bosses and their specific DOTS or things like that. I did 3-4 dungeons last night with no wipes. I do like the difficulty level I'm just making sure I'm doing what I can to ensure success at the same time.

Ymiron was apparently putting a DOT on me and also the AOE in which I couldn't move away from bc he follows the tank.

Thanks for the feedback! Going to just try to get better and relearn the mechanics more in WotLK.

[doodle90]

So WoTLK dungeons and WoD dungeons seem to be super overtuned. Also healing is scaling HORRIBLY. Like a lvl 50 healer was healing me as a tank for like 50 (monk) a monk of my lvl heals for around 90+70. Disc priest atonement is bugged in many dungeons atm too. Only healing for 5% instead of 50%. In fact I've tanked as everything so far and blood DK seems to be the easiest to keep up with. Warrior loses threat A LOT, and as paladin I basically have to spam WoG.

[RaoBurning]

Aren't dungeons completly fked atm? especially lower lvls ones, due to the scaling and rewamp?

I've noticed several boss abilities across different xpac dungeons sets that will straight up one-shot an heirloom geared tank at full health. While topping off my warrior, I went prot to help with a boss encounter, and even blowing through all my defensive CDs the boss killed the Blood DK main tank and then me in about 3 hits, combined. The Ele and Resto shaman were absolute champs though and managed to kite dps him down the last 10% or so. Real legends.

Trash packs went pretty well though, by and large.

[Eurhetemec]

So WoTLK dungeons and WoD dungeons seem to be super overtuned. Also healing is scaling HORRIBLY. Like a lvl 50 healer was healing me as a tank for like 50 (monk) a monk of my lvl heals for around 90+70. Disc priest atonement is bugged in many dungeons atm too. Only healing for 5% instead of 50%. In fact I've tanked as everything so far and blood DK seems to be the easiest to keep up with. Warrior loses threat A LOT, and as paladin I basically have to spam WoG.

Interesting. I might heal some WoD dungeons tonight so I will prepare for pain.

WoD was always overtuned, I note, though not even nearly as badly as Cataclysm used to be in early 8.X - Cata was still bad in late 8.X though. I haven't heard any complaints about Cata yet in 9.0 though maybe just everyone is avoiding it.

[Space Troll]

Interesting. I might heal some WoD dungeons tonight so I will prepare for pain.

WoD was always overtuned, I note, though not even nearly as badly as Cataclysm used to be in early 8.X - Cata was still bad in late 8.X though. I haven't heard any complaints about Cata yet in 9.0 though maybe just everyone is avoiding it.

If you skip the WoD intro quests you can queue up for BFA Dungeons from 10+

[Absintheminded]

Currently without any Shadowlands Covenant stuff, DK is ranked last according to Wowhead's tank rankings. To be honest, if you're having a stressful time leveling in dungeons I would suggest just questing to 50.

- - - Updated - - -

So WoTLK dungeons and WoD dungeons seem to be super overtuned. Also healing is scaling HORRIBLY. Like a lvl 50 healer was healing me as a tank for like 50 (monk) a monk of my lvl heals for around 90+70. Disc priest atonement is bugged in many dungeons atm too. Only healing for 5% instead of 50%. In fact I've tanked as everything so far and blood DK seems to be the easiest to keep up with. Warrior loses threat A LOT, and as paladin I basically have to spam WoG.

Warriors are fine, at least in BFA dungeons. Sure,you'll lose threat if you're not consciously tabbing through mobs, but in my opinion that's not a problem.

[ZazuuPriest]

I am leveling a DK for the first time (lvl41) and I am playing Blood in dungeons. I believe I am doing everything in guides... Keeping 7+ stacks of bone shield, death strike when I can, blood drinker, blood plague on all enemies... etc.

I am still extremely squishy. I know that DK's are spikier health wise by getting damaged and healing but it's at the point where if I were the healer I would be stressed. I get below 25% quite often and sometimes even die.

Any tips from some of you veterans?

Been playing Blood DK since it was changed to THE tank spec for DKs. I can tell you that youll feel squishier than usual right now so basically all you can do is get dope defensive trinkets and rotate them accordingly and really time your DS better. I honestly think Blood Drinker isnt worth it vs Heartbreaker due to the fact that if you clip Blooddrinker its not worth it and youll have a lot more death strikes with Heartbreaker. Death Strike is an amazing post damage ability that you will be able to use much more frequently with Heartbreaker. Other than that, and in the same vein (lol), you should be taking hemo from the second row for the same reasons as Heartbreaker, Your level 30 talent is pretty much up to you but i always prefer Blood Tap because I feel like 1 more active ability isnt too much to handle, Will of the Necropolis is the obvious choice for you in the 35 row, For level 40 I think if you can get your Death Strikes up and timed correctly then Tightening Grasp is the preferable choice for controlling larger pulls but really every talent in this row is viable. When you get to 45 if youre feeling super squish then take Voracious and at 50 I really love Bonestorm but it does take a certain degree of being able to manage your Runic Power which basically comes down to knowing your pulls.

Hope this helps you feel less squishy

TLDR: more deathstrikes will keep you alive, talent for that

[Whackadoodle]

Some things are super broken. I was fighting some named NPC for a quest that you're supposed to get help from a dozen or so NPC's. He 1 shot all the NPC's...

[ZazuuPriest]

Interesting. I might heal some WoD dungeons tonight so I will prepare for pain.

WoD was always overtuned, I note, though not even nearly as badly as Cataclysm used to be in early 8.X - Cata was still bad in late 8.X though. I haven't heard any complaints about Cata yet in 9.0 though maybe just everyone is avoiding it.

WoD Dungeons are a joke. It takes literal ages to kill the bosses but its also essentially impossible for them to kill you. The tuning is mad off for all of the WoD dungeons. No danger jsut time consuming

[ONCHEhap]

I am leveling a DK for the first time (lvl41) and I am playing Blood in dungeons. I believe I am doing everything in guides... Keeping 7+ stacks of bone shield, death strike when I can, blood drinker, blood plague on all enemies... etc.

I am still extremely squishy. I know that DK's are spikier health wise by getting damaged and healing but it's at the point where if I were the healer I would be stressed. I get below 25% quite often and sometimes even die.

Any tips from some of you veterans?

Honestly getting very low very often is pretty much the standard for Blood,it takes a bit to get used to it,but soon it'll become second nature.

Another thing is that not only Blood tend to be very weak until you get to max level with some gear due to how easy it is to get dusted in a second,it's also very possible that the scaling is kinda fucked right now since we had both a squish and a complete rearranging of the levelling system

[Stricks]

Currently without any Shadowlands Covenant stuff, DK is ranked last according to Wowhead's tank rankings. To be honest, if you're having a stressful time leveling in dungeons I would suggest just questing to 50.

- - - Updated - - -



Warriors are fine, at least in BFA dungeons. Sure,you'll lose threat if you're not consciously tabbing through mobs, but in my opinion that's not a problem.

Nah I am having a blast. I like "training" while leveling so I prefer it this way. Just making sure I am doing the right things really.