What is the exact goal of the 5.2 UH buffs?

[Deleted]

Hey, guys,

Can someone explain the intent behind these 2 changes for Unholy come patch 5.2:

1. Icy touch generates a death rune - in PVE you normally use festering, not icy touch. Maybe this is a PVP buff indended to allow for icy touch dispels, followed by necrotics? Or does it have some PVE implication?

2. Plague strike applies both diseases - this is good, but is it necessary? Maybe again this is for PVP, bur normally you always start by applying chains of ice from range, and then use plague strike in melee, so you already have frost fever. Maybe there's some other intention behind this, but I don't see it?

[dgiras]

UH aoe is a Blood Boil spam, so after u use it 2-3 times (depending how many blood & death runes u have) you re left with orphan Frost runes. Now with this change after the first burst of BB's and 2 seperate Icy touch, you ll have 4 death runes to aoe with.
Plague strike will help swiching target for UH easier. All new arent made due to PvP, some of us still playing pve. And UH is fallling behind when thers a lot of swiching. UH already has a slow rampup compared to frost.
The one thing we need the most havent been done yet. 3 stacks instead of 5 for the ghoul, and free instead of an Unholy rune.

[Hunty]

Mostly quality of life and fixing the reasons most people pick frost over unholy even if they prefer unholy slightly. Also bridging the minor dps gap between the two.

[Vereesa]

1. Icy touch generates a death rune - in PVE you normally use festering, not icy touch. Maybe this is a PVP buff indended to allow for icy touch dispels, followed by necrotics? Or does it have some PVE implication?

Currently, UH is left with an orphan Frost rune if they begin to AoE. This buff basically allows UH to skip FeS at the start and begin its sustained AoE faster than before.

2. Plague strike applies both diseases - this is good, but is it necessary? Maybe again this is for PVP, bur normally you always start by applying chains of ice from range, and then use plague strike in melee, so you already have frost fever. Maybe there's some other intention behind this, but I don't see it?

Target switching currently as UH again leaves with orphan runes if Outbreak isn't up; this change allows you to start your regular 'rotation', if you will, quicker.

[kleinlax21]

Hey, guys,

Can someone explain the intent behind these 2 changes for Unholy come patch 5.2:

1. Icy touch generates a death rune - in PVE you normally use festering, not icy touch. Maybe this is a PVP buff indended to allow for icy touch dispels, followed by necrotics? Or does it have some PVE implication?

2. Plague strike applies both diseases - this is good, but is it necessary? Maybe again this is for PVP, bur normally you always start by applying chains of ice from range, and then use plague strike in melee, so you already have frost fever. Maybe there's some other intention behind this, but I don't see it?

The Icy Touch change is definitely for PvP, like you mentioned. With Chillbains, getting a Death Rune out of a ranged snare & dispel combo is pretty powerful.

The Plague Strike buff is also for PvP, as you now only need to use one GCD to get your diseases up again once you switch targets or after they fall off. With this change and the Chillbains talent taken, Plague Strike will also snare your target, which is definitely a nice quality of life change that makes taking the talent a little more viable than it was this past season.

[ISCL]

The second change will make plague leech a lot more viable.

[Sinzaram]

The second change will make plague leech a lot more viable.

Plague leach is a massive damage loss for unholy.

Unholy has 60% stronger dots, and if you wait till you have trinkets up, these dots can tick for 2,000-5,000 more than normal for almost the whole boss fight.

If your constantly removing dots, you're losing this giant factor of unholy dps.

[Deleted]

Plague leach is a massive damage loss for unholy.

Unholy has 60% stronger dots, and if you wait till you have trinkets up, these dots can tick for 2,000-5,000 more than normal for almost the whole boss fight.

If your constantly removing dots, you're losing this giant factor of unholy dps.

Wrong way of looking at it IMO, if you're looking at the talents like that then they're all DPS losses. At least plague leech gives you the opportunity to remove diseases and reapply them during damage procs without much of a loss - you don't have to use it every time it's on cool down.

[Kronik85]

I don't understand how using Plague Leech correctly as UH would be a DPS loss. Outbreak up whilst your diseases are running? Feel free to PL. Simple as that really, you might get more bang for your buck with it as Frost but it's still viable.

[Rorke]

The Icy touch Change is for Unholy DK's wanting to purge without screwing up their entire resource system. Currently, if you use icy touch you lose a possible death rune.

The Plague Strike change is a pve reason for target swapping without outbreak.

Unholy Death Knights are probably going to be mid to top tier melee in 5.2 for pvp with the conversion change, icy touch change and Gargoyle costing no runic power.