Current status: Just got some work that I wasn't expecting so more updates will have to be "coming soon." With any luck sometime before raid tomorrow. Cheers.
Introduction
If you have a basic question about playing the Death Knight, this is the place to find an answer.
This thread is intended to help players with the basics of playing a Death Knight with additional links to more advanced information. I'll do my best to cover builds, gearing, mechanics and basic tactics and encourage any and all suggestions from the forum community.
I will do my best to keep the information up to date and current with the game as it plays on the live servers. I will not put any speculative or PTR info here so please don't ask.
I'd like to thank the Alla DK community for all of the excellent posts from which I've cleverly stolen from and tried to pull off as my own work, and specifically Theophany for his excellent and numerous informational threads (including his original DPS DK FAQ).
Some ground rules:
Please read the main body of the thread before posting. I'd guess that 90% of new DK players' questions will be answered by simply reading what's already here.
Please post if you really, really can't find the answer you need. Just be sure it's not already here please.
Please post if something is not clear or inaccurate in the main body of the thread. I suck at editing, 'nuff said.
The term "viable" (regardless of it's abuse elsewhere) will be treated in this thread to mean "builds that are not out-performed on a regular, identifiable basis by other builds in current end-game content. That means that, yes, that experimental tri-spec works great for Patchwerk when you have 2 druids in your group and the rogue is giving you Tricks. But because it under performs on every other fight it is non-viable. Nor is viable a variable. A build cannot become "more" or "less" viable. It either is or is not.
Please keep posts clear, relevant, to the point, and polite. Argumentative, rude, off-topic posts will be down-rated. Also try to use proper English in the posts in an effort to make communication of ideas clear and not muddy up the thread with semantic or grammatical "discussion." If English is your second (or third!) language, please say so in the post so that we don't get 5 replies about how you used "their" instead of "they're" (I just want to reduce clutter in the thread. I'm NOT trying to single anyone out for trying to learn the dumbest language in the world, English).
Please do not clutter the thread with "please review/rate my toon, here's my armory" posts. This thread should give you all the information you need to review your freshly 80 toon. The experienced posters here are not just hanging around waiting to do your work for you.
Please do not waste our time with "but I used XYZ spec and pwnd the test dummy" posts. The test dummies ARE NOT reliable reflections of actual raid output and nobody in PvP will stand still like the dummy does. Test dummies can be useful for testing mechanics but require quite a bit of mathematical assistance to show anything close to raid damage. Basically you're better off using a spreadsheet or simulator if you're trying to figure out gearing to raid DPS variations, etc.
Please be prepared to show proof of claims. If you're going to suggest something uncommon, be ready to show us why it's better in concrete and quatifiable terms. WWS reports are far, far better than Recount screen shots if you want to convince us that gemming for spell penetration is better than Strength (for example). Peer-review is a cornerstone of educated debate for a reason.
Please do not take this thread as the gospel. It should be full of very good info but that doesn't mean that it will always be perfect. It's edited and kept by a moron.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.1 Introduction/Thanks
1.2 TOC
1.3 Starting a Death Knight
1.4 Coming soon
2.0 ABILITIES
2.1 Spell list
2.2 Builds & Glyphs
3.0 GEARING
3.1 Stat weights and gearing basics
3.2 Starter Gear
3.3 Consumables
4.0 Playing better
4.1 Tips and Tactics (coming soon)
4.2 Macros
4.3 Master Links List
Edited, Jul 14th 2009 9:03am by TherionSaysWhat