Death Knight: Big changes coming for DPS Death Knights

I just read some blue posts on how some of the new changes are being dealt with. One change is Howling Blast now has a set rate on when it can go off. This is called PPM. All classes have this including Death Knights, but it seems they are altering it now to where you do not need a fast weapon to make it go off according to Ghostcrawler.

Killing Machine is a “ppm” now or a proc per minute. That means it will proc 5 times a minute with 5 ranks, depending on your weapon speed. We generally use ppm when we do not want players to
gravitate towards faster weapons with the sole purpose of improving proc rates.

Killing Machine now is based on autoattack hits, not crits. Overall the random element will decrease, but it won’t greatly benefit faster weapons. It will still benefit dual wield, just not as much.

Summon Gargoyle has also been changed, as Blizzard has reduced it’s time to 30 seconds and does about 20% less damage now. I do not see many Death Knights picking this up anymore because of the less damage he does. While I do not mind the time limit change as I use it when the boss is at less than 20% health.

Necrosis has been buffed by an extra 10% of shadow damage. While I can see this helping, this ability needed a bigger buff than 10%. It does almost no damage now, come patch day it will do a little more. Another waste of a talent for Unholy it seems.

And for everybody who likes to use Anti Magic Zone, well the spell has been shorten to 10 seconds from 30 seconds.

In general it looks like Death Knights are getting a big nerf for their DPS, while tanking is getting a nice sized buff. I am not sure how this will effect the community at large, but I do not think we will see as many Death Knights as we are used to.

Some changes incoming

Over the next few days I will be changing somethings on my blog. Some of those you can look forward to are:

• Bullets (w00t)

• Gear ratings

• Stats for specs

• Pawn / RatingBuster scales

• Raid guides and more Heroic guides

• Enchants for DPS Death Knights

• Build specific glyphing for Death Knights

I just joined a new guild tonight that raids a lot more than my previous one. This will help me get some raid guides up as a lot of my community has asked for guides for Naxx, and Vault.

What topics should be covered on here.

I’m looking to get some new topics here and I want your input. Here is a poll on what you would like to see covered. I am doing this because while I have done a lot of posts on Death Knights, I want to start writing more guides on other classes as well.

Death Knight: 0/32/39 Review

I have been testing the 0/32/39 build or E-Peen to see how good it is in raids and groups at the same time been testing it as I solo as well. So far what I have found that this build is the top end DPS for everything and it is all thanks to Howling Blast. When I was Unholy my DPS on average in raids and groups was about 1900, maybe 2000 depending on the group. At this point I also had a Titansteel Destroyer as well. Now switching over to the E-Peen build my DPS is roughly the same or higher depending on the group and instance. During a test on 25 man Vault, I averaged about 2500 DPS with 2 blue weapons in the Fang of Truth that you buy from Wyrmrest Accord. Depending on the instance, you can do on average around 2000 DPS with blue weapons. Imagine having a few epics.

The reason behind this is because of Howling Blast and Icy Touch. With those two weapons I have had Howling Blast hit for over 12,000 while my highest Obliterate has hit for just about 6000 and Scourge Strike hitting for just about 5000. Some might say Howling Blast is broken because it can do bigger hits then anything else. While that is true, you have to remember Howling Blast is a spell not a strike like Scourge Strike or Obliterate. The same goes for Icy Touch, these are spells. This build is more about spells then physical attacks like Scourge Strike. There is no ability in a Death Knight’s arsenal in terms of physical DPS that can do what Howling Blast or Icy Touch do. Icy Touch is also considered a main spell to use in this spec because of how much damage it can do. I have done 6000-7000 damage just from Icy Touch.

While Blizzard has stated they need to change this build around because they have determined that the build does too much damage, more so than a Blood or Unholy build. The reason for this how Blizzard made Death Knights originally during development. They thought Blood was supposed to be the number one DPS for single targeting, while Unholy was made for AOE, and Frost was made as the spell damage choice. If Blizzard decides to alter any talent around than this might change on what build can do what.

While Blizzard can nerf this build to what ever they want, it would be a bad choice on Blizzard because these talents are also used by tanks. Changing anything with Howling Blast on terms of DPS is also a big change to Frost tanks as they use Howling Blast as an AOE threat generator much like Death and Decay.

When Blizzard made Death Knights, they determined that they were like Paladin tanks in terms they need an amount of damage to tank. Prior to this latest expansion, a lot of Paladin tanks needed spell power to be considered efficient tanks. Now seeing all the changes made to tanks and tanking system, Death Knights need damage like Paladins used to be in The Burning Crusade. So basically the more damage does the better threat control he has. Having an ability like Howling Blast that does a high amount of damage so it generates a lot of threat as well if in the right presence.

With two Hailstorm’s I can see someone doing over 15,000 damage easily with Howling Blast and doing close to 10,000 damage with Icy Touch with one hit. In general a Death Knight can easily do between 7000 and 9000 DPS in a raid or group. The fight does not have to be a tank and spank fight like Patchwerk, but can be against anything as long as Icy Touch and Howling Blast can hit. Also note Icy Touch and Howling Blast have extended ranges more so than a strike like Frost Strike.

Death Knight: Record DPS

I’ve been reading some posts about the DW build that has become very popular. I think I see why and the link below proves it. Bloodboil did 9000 DPS on Grand Widow Faerlina in Naxx. Below are links to his armory profile and his DPS meter. Currently this is the highest DPS achieved by any Death Knight.

Armory
DPS Meter for Grand Widow Faerlina

Death Knight: UPDATE Specs [DPS]

In my last post I posted many popular end game specs for Death Knights. I can not believe how popular that post has become. I am going to offer an updated post here that will include PVP specs now as well. As for tanking specs I am still doing testing to see which is better. While I know Frost is better for Main Tanking and Unholy is better for AOE Tanking there are still differences if you should wear a twohander, or duel wield two one handed swords or maces.

PvE – Raids and Heroics

Blood
Still to do this day this is one of the best PvE builds around. The main problem with this build is that it requires the gear to really see the results. I have tested this with T7 gear and my DPS is around 1400-1600. I imagine if I had T7.5 gear my DPS should be over 2100. This spec revolves around DRW as if you know how to macro it, you can customize the spell to anything you want it to be including trinket cool downs, and spells like Hysteria. Also this spec is a big hit build, you will see a lot of crits and a lot of damage from Obliterate, but Heart Strike will be weaker then Frost Strike or Scourge Strike.

Frost
Not the highest in terms of DPS but a good DPS build nonetheless. Though it should be noted that this build is best around heavy Shadow or Fire resistance. A spec like this for Death Knights will probably come more useful when Icecrown has been released as a raid. In terms of DPS with the right gear it can do around 1400-1500 DPS. Again this really depends on the gear you have.

Unholy
Other then the build listed below this is the number one DPS build currently on live servers. While the abilities hit for less than the other specs this is a true AOE build. You do not have to use Death and Decay here or Pestilance becuase you have Wandering Plague which can do approx 200 DPS a second, and you have Unholy Blight that can do up to 400 DPS a second. If you are facing single mobs like you would in most raids, the Blood spec above is better. If you are going in Heroics though and you are AOE pulling a lot, this becomes the number one spec for you. On average I can do anywhere from 1900-2300 DPS according to the Recount meters. Seeing that no monster is resistant to Unholy Blight or Wandering Plague these make it a staple to have in your build.

Frost / Unholy E-Peen
This build is considered by many to be the top end DPS for Death Knights. If you ever played a Warlock it is very much like the SL / SL build that was very popular during TBC. The main idea with this spec is to use Howling Blast and Icy Touch whenever they are up. This is something you almost can not put in a macro, but you have to learn to time your abilities perfectly. Now while I see this spec being good for spank and tank fights, anything moving you might want to considered the above builds more. The main thing about this build is your weapons. Equipping a 2 Handed weapon is not a wise choice here. This is a Duel Wielding spec and presumed to be the highest DPS for Death Knights. Also this build might be some what bugged and Blizzard has yet to confirm or deny any wrong doing with this build.

PvP – Battlegrounds and Arenas

Battlegrounds
Note: Untested.
For Battlegrounds and from what I have seen in game this seems to be the best spec. This spec focuses on big hits more so then overall DPS damage that you would find from a Frost Build or Unholy Build.

Arenas
Note: Untested.
Seeing that I do not play PvP much with my Death Knight I can not warrant how good these specs are. Some will say that this is basically the cookie cutter build for Arenas because of the magic defense.

Credit for a lot of this untested information goes to SkeletonJack. I try to test out everything I can get my hands on. The new DW spec is very much untested and I plan on testing it out once I get some better weapons.

Security of WoW

This is a reply to WoWHead’s Blog post about Security. I posted this on their website as well and I wanted to post it here as well.

Before we starting talking on how to prevent account comprising we need to know how someone can steal your information. The information above is correct but there is more to that. First let me say that I am an IT Systems Administrator working on getting a BS in Network Security.

First, you need to have your firewall up to date with all firmware updates. This helps you a lot more in security as it is very easy to steal a packet or frame from a resource using packet/frame analyzing tools. I will not mention any here. Make sure that you only allow ports from trusted companies like Bliizzard. Do a little research on Blizzard’s websites to find out what ports Blizzard uses in their games. They also have tutorials on how to set up your Routers / Brouter for port blocking and how to use your software from port blocking as well for Windows, and Mac using programs like ZoneAlarm, and BlackIce.

Second make sure your not using any programs in the background that can obtain a backdoor leak from your computer. These are called Trojans and they are hidden in your system most likely as a JavaScript file some where in your Cookies area. This makes it a point to delete your cookies every time you exit your browser. This will help keep your system safe from any want to be attackers. If there is a backdoor leak on your computer, any hacker can find his / her way in and corrupt any data you might have.

Third and I can not stress this enough. Test out your system before somebody breaks in. If you can find a leak within your security settings, anybody else can to. So do yourself a favor and test your system out. Put a virus on your system (nothing too dangerous for testing) and see how your Anti virus protector picks it up. Same with port blocking and firewall schemes. There are many tools on the net that can help you with this.

Fourth, install some kind of Network Monitor on your computer. It can be from Microsoft even with their Network Monitor that is bundled with their Windows 2003 Server Software. This will help you analyze your packets and see where you are most vulnerable. Once you find that information do more research to find out how to help your system out. Also install all security updates either from your Anti virus, OS, or any other security source.

Fifth, turn off your guest account. If you find that this is on after you have turned it off more then likely someone got into your system. This is a good test to see if you have been hit with anything including a DDOS attack or been a victim of packing sniffing. Also use a browser that is more secure like Firefox, Opera or Chrome over Internet Explorer. While IE (8 beta 2) is great, it is still less secure than Firefox or Chrome.

Some other tips:

- Change your password every 14 days. For most packets to be sniffed out it can take up to 10 days before someone has a good size log on everything that you have done on the Internet. During this time the hacker is or has tried to get into your system. Changing your password every 14 days is a good step.

- Make sure your password is lengthy. Windows recommends 6 characters. Most websites want 8. Try for something in the 12-15 character range. The longer the password, the harder it is to crack. Also use a combination of letters, numbers, alphanumeric letters, and symbols. A common way is to test your password after you made it. If you can’t remember it without looking at it after you made that’s a good thing.

- While this tip might be a little extreme. Right down your MAC (Media Access Control) address that is found on your NIC (Network Interface Card). It is a long number, but this makes your computer unique to the Internet. It is also how you obtain an IP Address from your ISP. If someone was packing sniffing, he / she can alter your MAC address and give you an APIPIA (Automatic Private IP Address) that will not let you access the Internet, and you would have to go through the hacker’s Internet where he will sniff you because the only way out is through his / her Default Gateway. If you think you have been a victim of an attack see if your IP Address has changed. One way is through command line (CMD at run) and using the ipconfig command if your on Windows or Linux / Unix to see what your current IP address is. If you find you have been a victim of an attack your best source is to contact your ISP as they have security experts that can do packet tracing to find out how you were sniffed out.

My final bit of advise is if anybody wants in they will do anything they can to get in. Does not matter how secure your network is. If they want to pinghammer you to death to where your bandwidth is dead they will. Our packets do not allow for that much security (IPv4), but with IPv6 coming to most ISPs and networks really soon the more secure it will be. Having 10.0.10.100 is easier for a hacker then something in hexadecimal (a-f, 0-9, 45 characters long)

Sorry for making this so long. It is a lot of work to protect yourself from hackers. Cyber crime is huge. You are in luck as more security is on the way in IPv6. Some ISPs have already installed IPv6 into their network. Many who have will of sent you an email or some kind of notice that they have upgraded their security of their network. This means they upgraded to IPv6. If you wonder, I am not a hacker but they teach a lot of this stuff and how to stop it in our security courses and also working as a System Administrator your #1 thing to do for a network is secure the data.

Death Knight: FAQ

I get a lot of questions in and out of WoW about Death Knights and one reason I get so many is because I am one of the only Death Knights on Proudmoore that knows how to pump out 2000 DPS without using AOE abilities like Pestilence and Death and Decay. I will answer some questions here about Death Knights, and other things related to Death Knights in general. Please bookmark this page as this page will be updated more as more questions come in.

Is Unholy Blight good for raid DPS?
No; it works as an extra DOT on your enemy, but it’s damage is low enough to where your auto attacks will do more. On average Unholy Blight does about 100 – 200 DPS in Heroics and Raids for me. I pick it up in case I need to off tank or the main tank dies in a Heroic. Otherwise it is not a part of my rotation.

What are the stats for Death Knights at 80 for DPS?
Your main is Strength or Attack Power which ever is higher. Some items might have Strength on it, while others will have Attack Power. If you remember the formula that 1 Strength is equal to 2 Attack Power it won’t be hard to see how big some Attack Power upgrades are for you.

Critical Strike Rate is another one that is very important for us. While Hit and Attack Power are better for Death Knights in general, Critical Strike Rate is still very important to us.

Hit is needed more then anything. While you will get most of your Hit from any Epic that you are wearing, it is not enough for Death Knights. It is very easy to achieve 295 Hit.

Does a Warrior or Death Knight do more DPS in a PVE environment?
Honestly I can not tell you. I have only grouped with a few DPS Warriors, from my testing both a Warrior and a Death Knight are about equal in terms of DPS.

Frost vs Unholy for tanking?
It depends on your role. Unholy is more for AOE tanking, while Frost is more for being a Main Tank.

Can a Death Knight produce 2000 DPS?
Yes; very easily if you follow the rotations that I have listed. I am usually at about 1800-1900 depending on the instance. I know in The Nexus (Heroic) I can achieve over 2300 DPS.

Is agility good for Death Knights?
Yes and no. Agility does give you a bonus to your armor and attack power, but that depends what kind of talent build you are. Also if you find a piece of armor that has agility on it and attack power and that attack power is more than what you would get from strength, then equip it. If your a tank, agility will help you dodge more but parry less. For DPS strength is better overall but agility is ok as well.

Come the next patch ( 3.08 ) how should Death Knights spec for DPS?
From the testing I have done I would have to say the best way for DPS will be Blood for a 2 Hander, and Frost for Duel Wielding. Unholy seems now to be more of a AOE tanking, while deep Frost will be used more for Main Tanking in raids.

Plan for 2009

Hello my readers and fellow bloggers,

As the new year approaches I have a plan to make this blog bigger than it is now. From the stats that I am getting, my Death Knight blogs are the most popular. I thank Blizzard for allowing Death Knights into to the game so that users can see how good they are. I plan on releasing more Death Knight information in the coming days and weeks ahead. Seeing that my DPS post for Death Knights is extremely popular I plan on making a better version of that along with the stats that Death Knights need.

I also plan on writing more guides on every Heroic Instance in Northrend. I should have one on the Violet Hold in a few days and I’m changing some terms around as well as Gun’drak and other instances. The only ones I will not have any information up for a while will be Halls of Lighting and Halls of Stone. I have only been to these places a few times and I know I am not knowledgeable enough to write a guide on the bosses in there yet.

Other plans include how to play as a Shadow Priest and a Restoration Druid. Both of these will follow in a few weeks. Both areas will have rotations, and example talent builds.

By the end of 2009 I would like to see a lot of my guides get more popular other than my Death Knight ones. While I understand that almost everybody is creating a Death Knight, there are other classes in the game that need just as much attention as Death Knights. My instance guides right now are not very popular, but I plan on working those out better to make them more popular.

Also look forward to some other DPS classes and I will finally work on some tanking classes in the near future as well.

Everybody have a great New Year and we will see you in 2009.

PS: If you would like to leave a suggestion please do by posting a comment. I do plan on getting a web form soon that will send me a private email, but I am still working out the kinks of the script with WordPress.

Heroic: Utgrade Keep

Utgrade Keep: Easy

Some might say this place is easier then the Nexus, some say it’s a minor step up because of the final boss. In general it is a very easy instance.

Prince Keleseth
A easy boss for DPS, can be difficult for a tank. He spawns adds that can reduce movement speed and Strength. The tank needs to hold threat on the adds while DPS kills the adds and the boss. Best to bring classes that can AOE like Mages, Death Knights, and Warlocks. He also freezes one person in a tomb where you are unable to move. Other members of your party can get you out by breaking the tomb with their attacks and spells. Healing this boss can be a little difficult as you have to heal the tank and anybody who is in the Frost Tomb.

Skarvald the Constructor
A very easy boss, but the tank has to tank both monsters. One is a Necromancer who will summon skeletons to do his bidding. These must be DPS down as well as the Necromancer. If Skarvald dies and the Necromancer is still up within 5 seconds the Necromancer will resurrect Skarvald in a form of a ghost. While in this ghost form he can not be targeted, but he can do damage to you. This goes the same if you kill Skarvald first over the Necromancer. If you remember the Romeo and Juliet fight in Karazhan this is just like it.

Ingvar the Plunderer
Depending on your group makeup this boss can be extremely easy or extremely difficult. He has two phases and each phase he does a good number of attacks that can hit you very hard. In phase one he does a spell called Smash that can hit anybody for over 18,000 health. Lucky for you he casts this and you can move or interrupt him from casting this. He also does something called Staggering Roar in which will silence all casters for two seconds. Other than those two spells just DPS him down. Once he dies he is resurrected and this is when he becomes a pain. While the resurrection is going on you can not eat, drink, or rest. This is a perfect time to use a potion if you have it or a health stone. Also note hide behind a pillar during the resurrection. As soon as he gets up he does a spell called Dreadful Roar that will silence you and hit you for over 4000 health to anybody who is in the area. The pillars negate the damage he does. Finally he throws a Shadow Axe at a random group member. This is unavoidable and it is best to stay away from any other players while this is going on. If you can ignore all that then the boss is easy enough and you have a chance to get some good gear from here.