New to Blood DK

[mcnasty78]

Hello fellow DKs!!

I am brand new to tanking and am set on a Blood DK. I am trying to figure out how to properly use our Active mitigation. My question is during trash or dungeon pulls, when do I use mine? Since no class can keep their mitigation constantly rolling, how do I approach multi pulls in dungeons? Thank you in adavance

[msdos]

If it's 4+ targets, you use Bonestorm. Then if 4+ again, you use Vampiric Blood. Just rotate those 2 over and over. If they're both down again and some emergency happens, hit Icebound. You also should be kiting the trash if you start getting trucked.

But if you're new to the tanking role, there's a lot you're gonna have to learn.

[Ange]

If it's 4+ targets, you use Bonestorm. Then if 4+ again, you use Vampiric Blood. Just rotate those 2 over and over. ...

ACTIVE MITIGATION:
marrowrend, deathstrike

As a new tank you could at first try with passive talents and gimick talents like Bonestorm are overshadowed by purgatory esp for new players, it is just better in every possible way.

1. keep your ACTIVE MITIGATION running
2. rotate your COOLDOWN EARLY and watch your boneshield stacks, use cooldowns to mitigate low boneshield stacks with high damage income (PULLS)
3. KITE with selfsustaining SLOW (DnD 90%), use proper DnD placement for quick KITE situations, Death Knights don't run around like noob tanks, we setup a constant and steady SLOW route for mobs - EZ NECROTIC TANKING

Watch TANKs in NECROTIC weeks and learn from the mistakes they make.
=> running around without slowed mobs (DEAD TANK)
=> running with low necrotic stacks for no reason (LOW DPS FOR EVERYONE)
=> not using cooldowns for high NECROTIC stacks

Necrotic weeks are a very good benchmark for stupid tanks, learn from them and do it better, because Death Knights are superior in most tanking situations => 100% active mitigation, selfsustaining HPS, selfsustaining KITE.

[Deleted]

If it's 4+ targets, you use Bonestorm

Bonestorm > Death Strike even if not 4 targets.

[msdos]

Bonestorm > Death Strike even if not 4 targets.

I try to save it for more threatening situations, but I mean you're not wrong.

OP will feel things out eventually.

[Birdofgerror]

Always nice to see people join the twisted church of DK tanking. I hope you're here due to a love for the class and not because you're bandwagoning the data that says Blood Dks are the best for mythic plus.

Either way, a few tips before any actual strategy. Depending on your race (For example I am an Orc) you'll want a "do every inconsequential thing" Macro. For instance I have my Vampiric Blood, activated trinkets, and Blood Fury (orc) all tied to a macro that "also" casts my Heart Strike. The Cooldown is very low, and so long as you're pushing your all, there's rarely a time where popping every incidental cooldown at every possible moment isn't good. Even now the only fight in Heroic Uldir that gives my macro a bit of a pause is the Fetid Devourer simply because bracing for spike damage is the "whole" fight. Otherwise, if you're just starting out or doing Mythic +, it's wise to pop all possible cooldowns whenever possible, and if you're like me and making a million buttons is too much, just tie it all to a convenient macro you'll always be pushing in combat.

Now for actual strategies, for Mythic + its generally a good idea to run Bonestorm and for raids its generally a good idea to run Vampiric Blood CD. Both of these have exceptions, but they don't disprove the rule. You usually want to open up by running into enemies and popping blood boil to snag aoe threat then a few marrowrends to build bone shield and runic power before using a single death strike to stabilize whatever damage you just took from the engagement. Drop Death and Decay whenever possible, the damage it deals isn't paltry, and once you start gearing it becomes fairly noticeable, about 9% of your total damage in mythics. Always use blood boil off cooldown, it's your strongest ability.

There's generally no reason to ever "not" run Ossuary, so ensure your bone shield stacks are above 5 whenever possible, but dont waste Marrorends by casting at 7 or higher. Use those runes instead for heart strike, which are 50% more efficient at gaining runic power. (75% more with the correct T1 talent) Runic power is used to fuel either your single target or aoe survivability moves, Death Strike and Bonestorm respectively. While you should generally (at least in mythic) spam Death Strike whenever possible on a single target, it's generally a good idea to save your Runic Power to 100 before blowing it for Bonestorm.

Addendum: While Bonestorm's Healing per Runic Power spent very slightly outpaces Death Strike's in single target, Death Strike's access to mastery (and higher single target damage) usually makes it a better choice. Damage Absorption > Heals.

PS: I wish Tombstone was Better.