1v1/Dueling in Cata

[michaelt196]

Hey,

So now that PTR is up and beta has been up for a while I've started to look closely at what I want to be in the coming up expansion... Death knights have been really high up on my list because I like the idea of being able to tank. However, I mainly play this game for pvp and I love dueling... Now I've read some and everyone seems to agree that DK's are very good at dueling... Does this still hold true in Cata? I know it seems a bit stupid but I really like dueling (I understand the game isnt balanced around 1v1)

So how are DK's holding up nowadays? Are there any classes that have suddenly become impossible to beat?

Thanks in advance!

[Spartanoble]

holy paladin's in full wrathful gear for me

[Frygar]

In my limited experience DKs have gotten better, especially against casters (and healers more specifically). Festering Strike healing absorption is very nice, and the new cast speed increase effect will be devastating I'm sure. Here is a list of some of the differences between the specs, and some new things each spec has access to:

Unholy
• Control
o Ghoul stun, Dark Trans stun
o Dark Trans charge
o AoE snare (Desecration)
• Survivability
o Anti-Magic Shell (buffed)
o Anti-Magic Zone
o Increased healing from Death Coil
o Self healing from Death Pact
• Damage
o Increased disease damage
o Pet damage and abilities while DK is in CC
o Cooldown: Gargoyle
o Cooldown: Unholy Frenzy
o Increased spell damage against target


Frost
• Control
o AoE Disorient (Hungering Cold)
o AoE Snare (Chillblains + Pest or Glyph of HB)
• Survivability
o Knockback Immunity (Pillar of Frost)
o Immune to effects which cause loss of control (Glyph of Pillar of Frost)
• Damage
o Hardest hitting spec
o Cooldown: Pillar of Frost


Blood
• Control
o Silence (lowered cooldown)
o Reduce enemy physical damage
• Survivability
o Tank spec (increased armor/HP, reduced damage passives, etc.)
o Bone Shield
o Icebound Fortitude (buffed)
o Reduce enemy attack physical damage
o Death Strike self healing
o Rune Tap self healing
o Blood Parasite self healing
o Vampiric Blood
• Damage
o Low overall damage (obviously)
o Attack power increase buff
o Cooldown: Dancing Rune Weapon

[jazx]

lol honestly if you really want someone who is alot like you (i like dueling alot and big into pvp) and im on beta. my DK shits on just about anything. iv had trouble with tank speced toons(who doesnt..)i have lost very few legitimate duels on beta, mostly too ppl i know on live who are very good at pvp. most difficult so far is destro locks, becasue they just do ALOT of dmg

iv played a lock/mage/DK on beta(85) for pvp testing and such and by far DK is way ahead of the other two overall
healers are absolute jokes for DKs now because of necro strike(and the overall nerf to healers pvp wise)
and casters, i just feel so sorry for now, Dark sim is VERY powerful if you get good with it. for example if you ghoul stun a mage 80% of them will use blink then. if you steal blink(which you can) its a get out of jail free card from deepfreeze/curtain of frost things like that.
i do play DK on live and DEFINITELY will continue to do so in cata

all of my duels were done as unholy pvp spec.(this was BEFORE the buff to necro strike/runic corruption)

[michaelt196]

for example if you ghoul stun a mage 80% of them will use blink then. if you steal blink(which you can) its a get out of jail free card from deepfreeze/curtain of frost things like that.