Unholy Death Knight
This guide is an extension to my Frost DK guide:
http://forum.warmane.com/showthread.php?t=349828
If you want to know more on DK as a class, about how Runes and Runic power works, Presence usage in different situations, or how to set up some key binds, macroes, addons, go check out the Frost DK guide.
You have a lot of info about the DK as a whole there, this guide will only cover the differences.
If you want more information about Unholy DK as a spec, and want to know more, check out "PvE Unholy DPS. King of Anything.":
http://forum.warmane.com/showthread.php?t=326654
That is a guide written by a retail player back in the days of Blizzard WotLK servers and is reuploaded here on Warmane.
There is a "new" Unholy Dual Wield" guide out there, made by "Whitewolfboi", which is the best way to play Unholy DK untill and/or if you dont have Shadowmourne.
Go check it out:
http://forum.warmane.com/showthread.php?t=448373
Videos I made for rotation purposes:
Single target rotation video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q2fhxOVZzQ
DnD friendly rotation video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mITgXCX7BWo
(even tho "single target" video has Blood Presence opener and "DnD friendly" video has Unholy Presence opener, it does not matter which one you use for both rotations, the part AFTER Empower Rune Weapon makes the difference, not before)
Older videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3nK...ature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6k4...ature=youtu.be
If you want to learn how to kill a boss in WotLK go and look for:
TANKSPOT guides: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWtJL-A81u0
Go to: Youtube > Search for:
"Tankspot ______ _____ (type in the name of a boss and difficulty u want to watch)"
and u have yourself a great guide.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1x9MErf5NA one of the great LK guides u can find outside of Tankspot videos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgDjG_0ecTI one of the great "How to maximise your DPS" videos out there as well.
I also made a "small" tank guide that covers the basics:
http://forum.warmane.com/showthread.php?t=349830
And before we start, an awesome PvP (Player Versus Player) Unholy DK guide by "Justmarried":
http://forum.warmane.com/showthread.php?t=316091
Race:
Spoiler:Show When it comes to PvE, racials have a big impact on your performance.
These are the ones u can chose...
Horde:
Orc :
5 expertise while using Axes, passive.
5% Pet damage increase, passive.
Duration of Stun effects reduced by 15%, passive.
Blood Fury : 322 attack power for 15sec, 2min CD, active.
This is the best "pure DPS" race, for both PvP and PvE.
If you don't care about faction and you want to do most DPS as a Death Knight, this is the race for you.
Troll :
Berserking : 20% haste for 10sec, 3min CD, active.
Da Voodoo Shuffle, 15% reduction of all movement impairing effects, passive.
Beast Slaying, 5% damage increase versus beasts, passive.
This is the BiS race for end game PvE content short fights due to mini bloodlust (Berserking), but I still prefer Orcs especially for Light of Dawn (Lich King 25m heroic).
Tauren :
Base Health increased by 5%, passive.
Stomp : 8 yards AoE stun for 2sec with a 2min CD, active.
Its great for tanking duo to increase in EHP.
Blood Elf :
2% miss chance on all spells, passive.
Arcane Torrent : 8 yard AoE silence for 2sec with a 2min CD, active.
If u want to PvP only, this race can be good but I would suggest going Human if you don't care about factions.
Undead :
Will of the Forsaken : removes a fear or charm effect, has a 2min CD or a 45sec CD with similar effects, active.
Cannibalize : eats a corpse to regen 7% hp every 2 sec for 10 sec, 2min CD, active.
Underwater Breathing, lasts 233% longer than normal.
You can go for this one if you are into looks over performance and overall racials are good for some world PvP.
Alliance:
Draenei :
1% hit chance increase, passive (for u and your whole group).
This is the bast race on Alliance side if you want to PvE only.
Human :
3 expertise while using Swords or Maces, passive.
Every man for Himself : Removes any CC from your character, 2min CD, active.
The Best PvP race out there in WotLK as a whole.
It is also great for PvE since most weapons are Swords and Maces, but it falls off latter due to best weapons in the game for DPS being Axes.
When it comes to tanking it can be awesome if you decide to go for Gloren as a weapon.
Dwarf :
5 expertise while using Maces, passive.
Stone Form : 10% armor increase, 2min CD, active.
BiS race for tanking, if u decide to go for a Mace as main hand weapon.
Night Elf :
Gives you 2% miss chance, passive, aka more avoidance when it comes to tanking.
Shadowmeld : Gets u out of combat, can eat (absorb) a spell if used correctly, 2min CD, active.
Not so bad for tanking.
Gnome :
Escape Artist : escapes the effect of any immobilization or movement reduction effect, 1.75min CD, active.
You can go for this one if you are into looks over performance just like Undeads.
I also consider this race to be best for Duels and world PvP due to small size and Escape Artist.
Stats:
Spoiler:Show Hit :
-1% Melee hit chance = 32.789 Hit rating
-1% Spell hit chance = 26.24 Hit rating
-8% chance (263 hit rating) is melee hit cap for special abilities. This is also a cap for White Melee Swings when using a two handed weapon.
(164 hit rating from gear + 3% from Nerves of Cold Steel talent) if you are dual wielding.
-27% chance (885 hit rating) is melee hit cap for white swings (this wont matter to UDK since its using a two handed weapon).
-17% chance (446 hit rating) is spell hit cap.
(368 hit rating (14%) + 3% from Virulence, or 289 hit rating (11%) + 3% from Virulence + 3% hit chance debuff on the target from the debuff provided by Spriest or Boomie).
-9% chance (296 hit rating) is a cap for your Ghouls Expertise Rating, since Ghoul gets Expertise based on our HIT (you shouldnt try to go for this for all cost, but if you find yourself at this point while gearing up, and cant lower it, its not an issue).
-U should try and go for 262-289hit rating from gear.
-When it comes to White Melee Swings, the cap is 8% when using a two handed weapon, or 27% for dual wielding.
-We get 27% miss chance from base 8% you always have against lvl 83 (boss) targets + 19% extra on both weapons as a penalty for wielding 2 weapons instead of 1, this was Blizzards way of balancing, something like Glancing.
This is how it works on paper:
27% -(minus) X =(equals) Y
27% (melee hit cap)
X (hit % u have from gear + talents + buffs/food)
Y (how much of melee white hits u will miss in %)
So, for example, if u have 9% hit from gear and 3% hit from talents and 1% hit from a Draenei in your group (13% total), u will miss around 14% of your total white melee swings (27 - 13 = 14).
-Glancing will always be around 24% (more or less). These are partial hits.
There is no item, no gem, no stat that will help u get less than 24%...
U can't do anything about this, its in Blizzards scripts, they simply have to happen. Something like partial resist on spells...
-These caps and % work for ALL melee classes, in case you ever make an alt or play something other than a DK (same goes for Expertise).
Expertise :
-1 expertise = 8.1975 expertise rating
-26 expertise Caps DODGE.
-56 expertise Caps PARRY (This is for tanks only on few bosses in WotLK).
-From my personal experience you should try and go for 26 expertise, especially if you are Orc or Human wielding Glorenzelg.
(173 exp rating from gear + 5 expertise from Rage of Rivendare talent)
(148 exp rating from gear + 5 expertise from Rage of Rivendare talent + 3 expertise from Human Racial)
(132 exp rating from gear + 5 expertise from Rage of Rivendare talent + 5 expertise from Orc Racial)
-Capping this stat is easy and will provide u with a Healthy Rotation.
If u don't care about that, u can always skip it and hope not a single Dodge will occur.
-Crit chance is calculated based on all of the amount of hits that happen, so if a dodge happens, that extra crit you would otherwise get from a different neck will be useless.
-On top of that, on short fights, where extra Haste might not result in an extra attack at the end of the fight, if you get dodged, you lost the value of that Haste from my point of view (I might be wrong on this one, but this is how I look and compare these stats).
-The reason some players say you shouldn't cap expertise is duo to the fact that if you don't get dodged with 5/12/17 Expertise, you will in fact do more DPS since you were lucky. But if you get dodged, especially in some bad times, you will definitely do less dps, and that is the gamble I would not suggest, nor go for myself (3 Plague Strikes dodged on an opener at the start of a fight).
-However, as said at the start, this is MY take on the stat as a whole, so if you feel like Haste does more for you, go for it.
Note: Parry chance (14%) is added to the Boss defence table, so u want to attack your target from SIDES or from BEHIND or u will get parried (Bosses can only Parry if u attack them while standing in front of them).
This is especially important for Sindragosa and Halion.
If those two bosses parry any of your attacks because your positioning was bad, they can two shot a tank due to parry haste mechanic they have.
Armor Penetration :
-1% Armor Penetration = 13.996 Armor Penetration Rating
-This stat is in some major gear pieces like T10 pieces, Sharpened Twilight Scale, Shadowmourne, etc, so you can't escape it.
-You should just get those items and leave it as it is.
A rather big portion of Unholy DKs DMG is physical so it will increase DPS overall.
If you want to play both Frost and Unholy, while having only 1 set of gear, and you have Shadowmourne, you can play Unholy with 1300+ armor penetration.
I myself do this on one of my DK's and it works mainly because Melee (Necrosis and BCB included), Scourge Strike and even Blood Strike all benefit from it to a high amount.
The only downside of this is that you lose your AoE DPS potential (less attack power = less dmg on Death and Decay and diseases).
Strength :
-1 Strength = 2 Attack Power
-Get it as much as u can when gearing up.
-Even at end game, this is the stat that will give us the most amount of DMG overall per point.
Haste :
-1% Spell Haste = 32.789 Haste Rating
-1% Melee Haste = 25.189 Haste Rating
-Great stat for maximising DPS when talking about end game itemisation and while gearing up.
-It will increase attack speed of both the DK and its pets (Ghoul and Gargoyle).
-Also it reduces spell global cooldown (GCD) by a small amount which can be helpful...
1.5(GCD) / (1.XXX * 1.05 (shaman totem) * 1.03 (ret/boomie aura) * 1.3 (Heroism))
XXX = amount of haste you have:
If you have 5.18% spell haste from gear this will be - 1.0518
If you have 12.01% spell haste from gear this will be 1.1201
Crit :
1 crit rating = 0.021739% crit
1% crit = 62.5 agility
-Duo to some talents and spells, our abilities deal 200-230% of normal DMG when they Crit.
-Wandering Plague proc is also linked to this stat.
-This is also what I like to call first secondary stat that comes as a give on most items, so you kinda don't have a choice if you want it or not.
-You should get it as much as you can without sacrificing Strength and Haste to a high extent (1-2 agility items max).
Spec:
Spoiler:Show Unholy DK DPS PVE Spec :
https://wotlk.evowow.com/?talent#jZG...zx0uIqo:sLbmMV
This is the talent build that will provide u with the most Single Target DPS according to old Retail Guides.
However, you can use 1/3 Morbidity over Unholy Blight, just for that 5sec CD reduction on DnD, and you wont notice any change in single target DPS, especially if u swap targets and they die before Unholy Blight does full cycle of dmg where Morbidity is better in the end :
https://wotlk.evowow.com/?talent#jZG...zx0uIqo:sLbmMV
Or you can simply put that last talent point in Subversion, especially if you chose to go for the Armor Penetration build:
https://wotlk.evowow.com/?talent#jzZ...zx0uIqo:pLbmMV
Glyph of Disease only "works" if you are going for Armor Penetration cap, and going for Scourge Strike sigil (Sigil of Awareness) might be a good idea here, in case you want to check that out.
Dungeon Hero Spec (in case u are doing a lot of World Questing and Dungeon Farming):
https://wotlk.evowow.com/?talent#jZG...zLbuIqo:sobmMV
With this spec u should always be in Unholy Presence.
Glyphs:
Spoiler:Show Unholy DK Strength Spec
-Mayor:
Glyph of Icy Touch
Glyph of Dark Death
Glyph of the Ghoul
-Minor:
Glyph of Horn of Winter
Glyph of Raise Dead
Glyph of Pestilence
When it comes to Glyph of Disease, its NOT worth using at all in a regular Strength gem build.
-DMG from combined IT + PS + BS is almost the same as the DMG from SS + Pestilence.
-U generate less Runic Power with SS + Pestilence which will result in less Death Coil count.
-U will use 1 less GCD for SS + Pestilence which will result (especially in combination with less runic power) in having more DOWN TIME after using all the runes.
This glyph can only be used if you play Armor Penetration Unholy DK with Shadowmourne where most of your DMG comes from Melee and Scourge Strike.
Glyph of Death and Decay could be used instead of Icy Touch or Dark Death especially if u are using DnD every time its off CD (while having 2/3 or 3/3 Morbidity).
It could be helpful when u are gearing up and doing a lot of Dungeons.
Other than this, there are no other glyphs that can be helpful.
Unholy Armor Penetration Spec:
Icy Touch or Glyph of Disease
Glyph of Dark Death
Glyph of the Ghoul
You could also use Glyph of Scourge Strike, instead of Dark Death or Disease if you chose the Blood Subspec build :
https://wotlk.evowow.com/?talent#jfV...ux0uIqo:rLbmMV
The reason why GoSS is good only for Blood Subspec build is because u don't spec into Icy Talons talent.
Icy Talons lasts for 20sec and is activated every time u refresh Frost Fever. Your diseases last for 21sec + 9 sec if u use Glyph of Scourge Strike, so u wont have a 100% uptime on Icy Talons with the glyph (diseases will last for 30sec so u will have 10sec downtime on Icy Talons).
With Blood Subspec u don't have that kind of downside for extending the duration of your diseases and u want to do as many Scourge Strikes as possible, since its DMG is going to hit trough the roofs with this spec.
Professions:
Spoiler:Show If you want to PvE and some serious PvP as well, go for JC + BS.
JC - 3x 34 Armor Penetration/Strength/Resilience Gems
(total of 42 Extra Stats from JC gems)
BS - 2 Extra Gem Sockets
-Total of passive 82 bonus Armor Penetration/Strength/Resilience
If you want to PvE ONLY, and you don't care about that 40 less Resilience in PvP arena, go for JC + Engineering.
Engineering is an awesome PvE profession mainly because of Nitro Boots (maybe even the best PvE profession).
This enchant alone lets you play a bit more greedy and sticky to the target, just remember, it has 3min cd, so if you use it once, play careful after that. On top of that, Haste active from gloves enchant syncs perfectly well with Gargoyle, which is another great plus for this profession.
-U can also go for Tailoring (especially if you don't have a lot of gold), since its cheap/easy to farm mats and level up. It has a nice cloak enchant. Tailoring + Engineering will for sure result in the strongest Gargoyle ever.
You can always change it once you get your hands on some nice amounts of gold or mats for JC, BS or Engineering depending on what is your other profession.
Cooking
Get this one as well. There is NO reason why u shouldn't get this prof. Its awesome!
It will provide u with extra 40 Strength / Armor Penetration / Expertise / Hit.
Its easy to level, and mats are cheap on AH, and/or easy to farm. If u want to maximise your DPS, u want this prof (if u level Fishing as well u will be able to farm all mats yourself).
Those extra 40 Armor Penetration from food will let u gem better, aka match some yellow socket bonuses u couldn't otherwise and gain more stats overall. Get cooking!
Itemisation:
Spoiler:Show "Retail BiS List" - No Expertise Cap :Spoiler:Show [Sanctified Scourgelord Helmet] - [Relentless Earthsiege Diamond] + R - 50 attack power 20 crit
[Penumbra Pendant]- Y
[Sanctified Scourgelord Shoulderplates] - R - 40 attack power 15 crit
[Winding Sheet] - Y - 23 haste
[Sanctified Scourgelord Battleplate] - R + R - 10 to all stats
[Umbrage Armbands] - R + R - 50 attack power
[Sanctified Scourgelord Gauntlets] - Y - Hyperspeed Accelerators (Engineering)
[Coldwraith Links] - Y + R + R
[Scourge Reaver's Legplates] - R + Y + [Nightmare Tear] - 75 attack power 22 crit
[Apocalypse's Advance] - R + R - Nitro Boots (Engineering)
[Ashen Band of Endless Might] - Y
[Might of Blight] - Y
[Deathbringer's Will] (has a 105sec cooldown)
[Sharpened Twilight Scale] (has a 45sec cooldown)
[Shadowmourne] - R + R + R - Fallen Crusader /
[Bryntroll, the Bone Arbiter] - R + R + R - Fallen Crusader /
[Shadow's Edge] R + R + R - Fallen Crusader
[Sigil of the Hanged Man] / [Sigil of Virulence]
R gems are [Bold Cardinal Ruby]
Y gems are 4x [Etched Ametrine], after which you have 3x more slots for eather:
[Fierce Ametrine] or [Inscribed Ametrine].
It does not matter which one you chose, since fights are short enough for 30 Crit or Haste to matter.
I personally swapped to Crit lately but according to sims, Haste is better on single target fights, while Crit is better on fights like Halion 25m hc where you have a lot of adds constantly coming your way (more crit = more Wandering Plague procs = more AoE damage).
Wont matter either way at this point of gear anyway, just go with w/e you feel like.
Food:
40 Strength Dragonfin Filet
30 Strength and Stamina for Pet Spiced Mammoth Treats
BiS Professions for this itemisation are Engineering and Jewelcrafting.
Both 340 Haste and Nitro Boots are awesome, sync with Gargoyle when it comes to gloves enchant, and for more greedy gameplay with Nitro Boots ready.
A side note, for this build I prefer to use [Skeleton Lord's Circle] instead of Might of Blight.
This will put you on 12 Expertise rating and reduce the RNG factor of dodged strikes by a bit.
If you have Glorenzelg, High-Blade of the Silver Hand, using Skeleton Lord's Circle will cap you at 26 expertise exactly.
In case you have Blacksmithing and Jewelcrafting as professions you will have 32 extra hit from Gloves and Feet enchants (Precision and Icewalker). This will let you gem more Fierce or Inscribed Ametrines and cap hit with just 1x Etched Ametrine.
You can also gem 2x Etched Ametrines, use 20 hit enchant on gloves and enchant feet with Cat's Swiftness for 8% extra movement speed (this does not stack with Unholy Presence tho).
When it comes to pure DPS points, Icewalker will be better, since Ghoul hit and expertise wont be capped with 7.99% hit (262 rating) but will be capped with 8.05% hit (264 rating) - you can find more of this info on Pets hit and expertise in "Unholy King of Anything" guide on forums.
You can also go for [Signet of Twilight] as your second ring, mainly because of the huge Crit buff u get from it.
With this you will be at 279 hit after which you can gem even more Crit (you can gem 1x Etched Ametrine and get to a nice 11.01% spell hit which is the cap for spells on any target that has a +3 spell hit chance debuff on them).
This ring can mainly be used for fights that need a lot of AoE damage like Halion 25m hc where as said, you have a lot of adds that are coming constantly.
If you have BS + JC you will have to use Major Strength and Cat's Swiftness as Gloves and Feet enchants.
26 Expertise Itemisation:
Spoiler:Show There are couple of ways you can cap expertise.
Don't gem it. I repeat, do not use 20 expertise Cardinal Gems, ever.
If you can't cap expertise without gemming Precise Cardinal Rubies, don't do it at all.
"Retail BIS expertise list" (BS+JC):
Spoiler:Show If you are an Orc, do not use this itemisation.
In case you have BS and JC you should go for these items:
[Sanctified Scourgelord Helmet] - [Relentless Earthsiege Diamond] + R - Arcanum of Torment
[Penumbra Pendant] - Y (10str10haste)
[Sanctified Scourgelord Shoulderplates] - R - Greater Inscription of the Axe
[Winding Sheet] - Y (10str10haste) - Greater Speed
[Sanctified Scourgelord Battleplate] - R + R - Powerful Stats
[Polar Bear Claw Bracers] - Y (10str10haste) + R - Greater Assault
[Fleshrending Gauntlets] - Y (10str10haste) + R + R - Precision
[Coldwraith Links] - Y (10str10haste) + R + R
[Sanctified Scourgelord Legplates] – Y (10str10hit) + [Nightmare Tear] - Icescale Leg Armor
[Apocalypse's Advance] - R + R - Icewalker
[Ashen Band of Endless Might] - Y (10str10hit)
[Skeleton Lord's Circle] - Y (10expertise10hit)
[Deathbringer's Will]
[Sharpened Twilight Scale]
[Shadowmourne] - R + R + R - Rune of Fallen Crusader
[Sigil of Virulence]
With this itemisation you will be on 262 hit and 26 expertise.
If you have Engineering instead of Blacksmithing, you will just need to gem 10str10hit untill you reach 270 hit.
Itemisation for (Orc):
Spoiler:Show If you are an Orc, this is the itemisation for you.
Since you have a such high passive expertise (10) from talents and racial, while wielding Shadowmourne or any other Axe, I see no reason why you shouldn't cap this stat. All you need is T10 legs and 3x Accurate Ametrines.
[Sanctified Scourgelord Helmet] - [Relentless Earthsiege Diamond] + R - Arcanum of Torment
[Penumbra Pendant] - Y (10str10haste)
[Sanctified Scourgelord Shoulderplates] - R - Greater Inscription of the Axe
[Winding Sheet] - Y (10expertise10hit) - Greater Speed
[Sanctified Scourgelord Battleplate] - R + R - Powerful Stats
[Umbrage Armbands] - R + R - Greater Assault
[Fleshrending Gauntlets] - Y (10expertise10hit) + R + R - Precision
[Coldwraith Links] - Y (10str10haste) + R + R
[Sanctified Scourgelord Legplates] – Y (10expertise10hit) + [Nightmare Tear] - Icescale Leg Armor
[Apocalypse's Advance] - R + R - Icewalker
[Ashen Band of Endless Might] - Y (10str10hit)
[Signet of Twilight] - R
[Deathbringer's Will]
[Sharpened Twilight Scale]
[Shadowmourne] - R + R + R - Rune of Fallen Crusader
[Sigil of Virulence]
With this itemisation you will be on 269 hit and 26 expertise.
In case you have Engineering, you need to gem 4x Etched Ametrines in all yellow sockets in items, including Signet of Twilight to reach 267 hit.
Best itemisation without [Shadowmourne]:
Spoiler:Show [Sanctified Scourgelord Helmet] - [Relentless Earthsiege Diamond]+R
[Penumbra Pendant] - Y
[Sanctified Scourgelord Shoulderplates] - R
[Winding Sheet] - Y
[Sanctified Scourgelord Battleplate] - R+R
[Umbrage Armbands] - R
[Sanctified Scourgelord Gauntlets] - Y
[Coldwraith Links] - Y+R+R
[Scourge Reaver's Legplates] - R+Y+[Nightmare Tear]
[Apocalypse's Advance] - R+R
[Ashen Band of Endless Might] - Y
[Might of Blight] or [Skeleton Lord's Circle] - Y
[Deathbringer's Will] / [Death's Verdict/Choice] / [Whispering Fanged Skull]
[Sharpened Twilight Scale]
[Glorenzelg, High-Blade of the Silver Hand] - R+R+R - Rune of Fallen Crusader
[Sigil of Virulence]
When it comes to trinkets, [Deathbringer's Will] will be the best choice when it comes to single target dps, while [Death's Verdict/Choice] and [Whispering Fanged Skull] are a bit better for AoE needs.
As for professions, best ones for this itemisation are Engineering and JC hands down.
Engineering Hit cap: 4x 10str10hit gems in "Y" slots.
Blacksmithing Hit cap: 20 hit gloves, 12 hit feet, 1x 10str10hit gem in "Y" slot.
Rest of the "Y" gems should be 10str10haste or 10str10crit depending on personal preference.
I also want to add that, using [Havoc's Call, Blade of Lordaeron Kings]/[Bloodvenom Blade] in main hand + [Scourgeborne Waraxe] in off hand. While Dual Wielding BIS trinkets are [Death's Verdict/Choice]+[Sharpened Twilight Scale].
Works surprisingly well, but it has a completely different rotation and play style, something you would need to find yourself, but for sure wont be disappointed (hopefully "Whitewolf" will make his guide soon so you will have a lot more info on this topic of DW unholy DK dps there).
Spec for Dual Wielding Unholy DK is:
https://wotlk.evowow.com/?talent#jZG...zxzuIqo:oLbMmV
and if you look at glyphs and 3/3 morbidity, Death and Decay becomes your main source of damage from rune usage, which means you DnD whenever its off cooldown (look in the Death and Decay section of rotation to see when its best to use it and how it works overall).
When it comes to Ghoul Frenzy, you combine it with Blood Tap for a 50sec uptime. You use BT after BS and instantly Frenzy after which you use Frenzy again at the last sec of the Death Rune buff from Blood Tap (this is a tricky part, but if you fail just use Icy Touch + Ghoul Frenzy instead of Scourge Strike and than again Icy Touch after Plague Strike to refresh disease again).
Main reason why this spec and build works is because you gain A LOT of damage from just auto attacks (melee+necrosis+blood-caked-blade) on top of extra pet auto attacks (from frenzy) and damage loss from SS+BS is negated by DnD off CD, while Death Coil and Disease damage doesnt get affected almost at all.
Armor Penetration Itemisation:
Spoiler:Show [Sanctified Scourgelord Helmet] - [Relentless Earthsiege Diamond] + R - 50atkp 20crit
[Penumbra Pendant]- Y or [Lana'thel's Chain of Flagellation]- Y
[Sanctified Scourgelord Shoulderplates] - R - 40atkp 15crit
[Varian's Furor] - R - 23haste
[Sanctified Scourgelord Battleplate] - R + [Nightmare Tear] - 10 to all stats
[Umbrage Armbands] - R + (R) or [Toskk's Maximized Wristguards] - R + (R) - 50 atkp or 15 expertise
[Aldriana's Gloves of Secrecy] - R + R + (R) - 20hit or Hyperspeed Accelerators
[Coldwraith Links] - Y + R + R
[Sanctified Scourgelord Legplates] - R + R - 75atkp 22crit
[Apocalypse's Advance] - R + R - 12hit12crit or Nitro Boots
[Ashen Band of Endless Might] - Y
[Might of Blight] - Y or [Signet of Twilight] - R
[Deathbringer's Will] (has a 105sec cooldown)
[Sharpened Twilight Scale] (has a 45sec cooldown)
[Shadowmourne] - R + R + R - Fallen Crusader
[Sigil of the Hanged Man]
Food:
40 Armor Penetration Hearty Rhino or 40 Strength Dragonfin Filet
30 Strength and Stamina for Pet Spiced Mammoth Treats
I would suggest to gem Armor Penetration and use 40 Strength food, in case you die, you lose food buff.
If you have Engineering as a profession, you are forced to use Armor Penetration food to cap it.
Gems:
If you go for Toskks, you need 3 R gem slots for [Bold Dragon's Eye].
If you go for Umbrage, you need 2 R gem slots for [Fractured Dragon's Eye] and 1 R gem slot for [Bold Dragon's Eye]
Other R gems are [Fractured Cardinal Ruby]. You should be able to reach 1400 armor penetration.
Y gems are [Etched Ametrine] and/or [Rigid King's Amber].
Depending on your race/faction, you want to get to 237 hit as Alliance (ask for a Draenei in group if you are not one) and 264-267 hit as Horde (as Horde you need to gem 20 hit in yellow sockets).
As for expertise cap, its up to you (Lana'thel with 15 expertise wrist enchant will cap you on all the races, if you are Orc however, I would go for 1x [Accurate Ametrine] for 24 expertise and leave it there).
If u have Limited amount of coins, this is the item prio:
Spoiler:Show 1. [Shadowmourne] - This item has no equal.
But truth be told, 150 coins is a bit too much if you ask me (you can get 6.5 bis items instead).
It will be up to you to estimate if farming the whole Shadowmourne quest will take less time than farming those 6.5 bis items that are next in line.
For example, you can get: STS, DV/DC, Penumbra, Varian's Furor/Garrosh's Rage, Apocalypse's Advance, Coldwraith Links, Umbrage Armbands (7 items in total), from the list below that are from raids outside of ICC for 158 coins, get [Shadow's Edge] and just log to clear ICC for months on end and farm Shadowmourne slowly.
On top of Shadowmourne, you will get all the items that come with the finished quest, but for that you need to have a good standing in a good guild and maybe some tank items for some quests, so again, its on you to decide what you want to go for first if you have this much coins.
2. [Glorenzelg, High-Blade of the Silver Hand] - this is the 2nd best Weapon in game for Unholy DK.
It will always be awesome for tanking if you ever want to try that part of DK world out, so coins on it wont be wasted completely even if u manage to get Shadowmourne in time.
3. [Sharpened Twilight Scale]
4. [Apocalypse's Advance]
5. [Penumbra Pendant]
NOTE 1: DPS/Damage difference between Varian's Furor/Garrosh's Rage with Umbrage Armbands VS Winding Sheet with Polar Bear Claw Bracers wont ever be noticeable in game, same goes for Signet vs Skeleton ring for example.
Unless you have an OCD like me, or some other personal reason you should just farm Sheets and Polar since no other class needs these items for main spec.
NOTE 2: In case you want to PvP as well, [Death's Verdict]/[Death's Choice] is a great investment.
If you get this trinket, you should not get [Deathbringer's Will] with coins, rather farm it and wait for it to drop in a raid (dont waste too much DKP on it since it wont be a HUGE upgrade in comparison to DV/DC).
NOTE 2: DV/DC as a trinket combined with STS is great for farming dungeons and raids due to lower CD, combined proc and higher uptime. It also does more DPS when it comes to AoE damage than DBW so this trinket might not be a PvP only choice.
I swap between DV/DC and DBW in a raid where I use DV/DC for trash, and I equip DBW 30sec before the boss fight (once u equip a trinket it has a 30sec ICD, so if u are late and/or forgot to equip DBW, just stay with DV/DC since its better to have that, than for DBW to proc once u pop all cooldowns and use them).
In RS 25m hc for example, if your raid needs an AoE DPS boost, it will be better to use DV/DC over DBW...
6. [Varian's Furor]/[Garrosh's Rage] - depending on what itemisation you want to go for, and/or if you want to try out Frost DK as time goes by.
Hardly ever does TOGC 25m 50/50 attempts, so this item wont go to waste. That extra hit is also valuable while gearing up, so overall it is a solid item.
7. Ruby Sanctum agility items: [Umbrage Armbands] and [Signet of Twilight] - Umbrage has a higher value here since its almost in every itemisation, and Signet of Twilight is not mandatory in every build for Unholy DK, so check all the itemisations and see which one you want to go for and if you need/want this ring (I would only go for Signet in case you are an Orc and want to cap Expertise).
8. ICC items (prio is based on Boss Difficulty, how many of other Classes are in Need for that item, and which items you already have)
For Example: [Deathbringer's Will] and [Coldwraith Links] should be the first items u want to go for...
U can finish with some Tear 10 items like [Sanctified Scourgelord Helmet] or [Sanctified Scourgelord Battleplate], that u usually cant get in VoA for example... (even if u donate for those, it wont be a waste, the moment u decide to try out Unholy DPS as well, u will need another Helm, Chest, Shoulders and Legs cos of the difference in Gemming: Arp for Frost, Str for Unholy).
I would save any additional coins if you have for latter and just farm bunch of EoF for T10.
ROTATION:
Spoiler:Show Guide for dummies:
Basic Rules:Spoiler:Show PS - Plague Strike
IT - Icy Touch
BS - Blood Strike
SS - Scourge Strike
DC - Death Coil
HoW - Horn of Winter
ERW - Empower Rune Weapon
Garg - Gargoyle (the more u know)
AotD - Army of the Dead
AMS - Anty Magic Shell
The most important part when it comes to any DK DPS is to keep both Diseases on the target at all times.
If the Diseases are not on the target your dps will drop by a huge amount.
I cant say this enough, do not cast any other spell except Plague Strike followed by Icy Touch if you dont have Diseases on the target you are attacking.
For Unholy DK DPS, there are couple of ways to open.Spoiler:Show DON’T DPS IF U DON’T HAVE DISEASES ON UR TARGET!
Always start with: Auto Attack > /petattack (keep pet on PASSIVE and don't forget to attack with it >
Plague Strike (PS) > Icy Touch (IT) > … (or: IT > PS > ...)
ALWAYS prio RUNE usage over RUNIC POWER usage.
Again, spend your Runes FIRST and use Runic Power as a filler while u wait for your Rune Cooldown to end.
When DPSing 2+ targets, Spread Diseases and prio Death and Decay before any other ability (SS and BS) as long as its not on cooldown.
Gargoyle will not get buffed if u do Horn of Winter after u summon it.
Gargoyle gets buffed by the attack power and haste rating which u had at the moment u pressed that button (Summon Gargoyle), so track your procs and buffs and summon it at the best possible time, when u have all of the procs and buffs stacked up.
Remember these "Basic Rules". In combination with "Perfect Rotation" section below, they are bread and butter of any good Unholy DK.
Every single one of them that I will explain below is viable, find the one that suits u the most and use it.
Note: DO NOT change presence right before the pull. Set your presence 12+ sec before the pull.
Opener - The things u should do when u start DPSing your target, OR when u switch to a new Target, OR Reapply Diseases in case u lost them...
Opener1:
*Unholy Presence*Spoiler:Show HoW 2-3 sec before the pull
Auto Attack > /petattack > (you can macro both of these with PS/IT)
BS > PS > IT > BS > SS > BT (instantly /cancelaura Blood Tap) > Gargoyle > Blood Presence > ERW >
SS > BS* > SS > BS > DC > DC (or: SS > SS > BS* > BS > DC > DC)
Note: Skip "/cancelaura Blood Tap" if u don't have / forgot to cast Bone Shield.
Use Bone Shield instead of BS* in this case.
If you plan on using that Death Rune for anything else for Blood Strike don't cancelaura, which you shouldn't unless you forgot Bone Shield, otherwise that Death Rune can prio second Blood Rune instead of the first one in some situations which can make some weird rune desync.
Opener2:
*Blood Presence*:Spoiler:Show HoW 2-3 sec before the pull
Auto Attack > /petattack
PS > IT > BS > BS > SS > ERW > Gargoyle >
SS > BS > SS > BS > DC > DC (or: SS > SS > BS > BS > DC > DC)
Note: U can start with BS > PS > IT here as well, so your diseases get stronger from procs.
Do this if u know u will have to Pestilence with your 2nd Blood Rune instantly after applying diseases!
(U can use BT after PS, before BS, in order to gain extra 10 runic power, and instantly /cancelaura Blood Tap after it. DON'T use this If u think u will need that BT for something in the next 1 minute or so, its just a handy trick for extra 10 runic power if you know you wont use it otherwise...)
Opener3:
*Army of the Dead*U will do same amount Burst using any of the 3 Openers I wrote down, so its up to u how much u want to try hard.Spoiler:Show DnD > Army of the Dead > HoW,
use this ONLY 8-9sec / 11-13sec before the pull / combat starts.
If u pull while in *Blood Presence*:
Cast Death and Decay > Army of the Dead > HoW 8-9sec before the pull.
Once the boss/target is pulled just do "opener 2":
HoW 2-3 sec before the pull
PS > IT > BS > BS > SS > ERW > Gargoyle >
SS > BS > SS > BS > DC > DC (or: SS > SS > BS > BS > DC > DC)
If u pull while in *Unholy Presence*:
Cast Death and Decay > Army of the Dead 11-13sec before the pull.[/center]
Once the boss/target is pulled just do "opener 1":
HoW 2-3 sec before the pull
BS > PS > IT > BS > SS > BT (instantly /cancelaura Blood Tap) > Gargoyle > Blood Presence > ERW >
SS > BS* > SS > BS > DC > DC (or: SS > SS > BS* > BS > DC > DC)
Make sure that EVERY SINGLE RUNE is on 1-2sec cooldown when u enter combat.
Otherwise this wont work.
If u use DnD and AotD 8-9sec before the pull u will trigger Rune Grace Period the moment u get in combat, as long as the runes were on CD. Be careful with this. If u do it too soon, u wont have runes for couple of sec when the boss is pulled. If u do it early, u might get 3/6 runes effected by Rune Grace Period and mess up your rotation a bit. Think ahead…
-Also, If u do this, care with ERW usage, u might be able to use another full rotation before using it.
I usually use ERW (Opener 2 - Blood Presence) on one pull and AotD (Blood Presence) on another in case the raid is clearing bosses fast. If u can do both every single boss pull do it, otherwise if the raid is cleared fast, swap them between bosses...
*When I said "before the pull" i didn't count in ninja pulls, be careful about those cos they can fok u up.*
In case you noticed one does A LOT more dmg, it only means you were lucky with that pull when it comes to proc/trinket/crit RNG.
Opener 2, is the easy one.
Opener 1, u need to be fast with your fingers.
Opener 3, if u pull bosses fast and speed trough the raid, u wont be able to cast AotD for each one of them, so chose the bosses u wanna use it on wisely (bosses like DBS where noone can ninja pull and timers are set are perfect for this kind of pull).
In case u are in a speedy/fast raid, u can use Opener2 (Blood Presence) with ERW on one boss, and Opener3 (Blood Presence) with AotD 8-9sec before the pull on another one.
This way u wont have problems if bosses are pulled too fast and have a bursty opener every time.
Opener without ERW:
*Blood Presence*(required):Constant rotation:Spoiler:Show HoW 2-3 sec before the pull
Auto Attack > /petattack >
IT > PS (PS > IT) > BS > BS > SS > Garg* >
SS > BS > SS > BS > DC* > DC* > …
(or: SS > SS > BS > BS > DC* > DC* >...)
Note: Depending on how close/faraway u are from your target, u will do IT > PS if its far away, or PS > IT if its close to u (in melee range).
Horn of Winter - use it 2sec before the pull, OR, before u cast Gargoyle in case u need both Runic Power and BT for latter.
Garg* If u are not using at least 1/2 Dirge u most likely wont have the runic power for it.
(Same goes here... If u want/need some extra Runic Power for Garg, use BT > /cancelaura Blood Tap after IT or PS, before doing BS or while doing PS and IT since it has no GCD. On top of that, u can always use Horn of Winter 2sec before pull happens, that way u will have couple (5rp minimum if u did it right) of extra runic power on start and sum Garg without using BT)If your target is in melee range, start with PS > ITSpoiler:Show Constant rotation 1:
step1: PS > IT (IT > PS) > BS > SS > BS > DC > step2
step2: SS > BS > SS > BS > DC > DC* > step1
DC* - If u don't have runic power for this use Horn of Winter
Constant rotation 2:
step1: PS > IT (IT > PS) > SS > BS > BS > DC > step2
step2: SS > SS > BS > BS > DC > DC* > step1
DC* - If u don't have runic power for this use Horn of Winter
There is small difference between these two rotations.
Both will do same amount of DPS in the end, its just a matter of choice and preference.
If you prefer the SS > SS > BS > BS rotation, use it as opener as well, I just took constant rotation 1 to explain openers which can be done with both.
If your target is NOT in melee range, start with IT > PS
(Be as close as possible to the boss before the pull, DO NOT NINJA PULL YOURSELF)
If u are used to one of these rotations / openers (IT>PS or PS>IT) and u don't like the other one, just do your own thing, this will be a 0.1% difference thing anyway.
AoE rotation:Death and DecaySpoiler:Show
IT > PS (PS > IT) > BS* > Pesti > BT > DND > DC > HoW > ...
SS > DC > BS > SS > BS > DC > ...
IT > PS > Pesti > DND > DC > ...
Skip BS* if u don't have BT ready.
Don't follow me strictly on this one, its NOT EXACTLY like that every time u have to AoE, its highly situational.
The main difference between good and bad unholy DK is how they handle AoE situations.
With experience and practice comes knowledge.
Always keep Diseases up on all the targets u want to DPS and cast DnD when off CD.
That is the basic idea of AoE rotation: DoTs on all targets around you + DnD as much as u can while keeping the Desolation buff active constantly...Spoiler:Show Couple of facts when it comes to Death and Decay:
It snapshots the attack power buffs, something like Gargoyle, so you want to do it with as many buffs as possible.
When it comes to % based damage increase abilities, buffs, debuffs, Death and Decay damage will increase even if you do Death and Decay before you get Desolation buff from Blood Strike, if T10 4set is procced after DnD is cast and if Ebon Plaguebringer gets on the target after you cast DnD, both 5%, 3% and 13% damage increase will work on DnD regardless of when you casted DnD (before or after you got those buffs/debuffs).
The only TALENT that wont work AFTER you cast Death and Decay is Rage of Rivendare.
If you cast DnD and you spread diseases with Pestilence after, DnD will be buffed by 13% damage increase from Ebon Plaguebringer, but wont be buffed by Rage of Rivendare's 10% damage increase.
So, most of the times you want to cast Pestilence before you do Death and Decay.
Only exception to this case is in case "late" DnD loses 2/11 ticks, where damage lost is higher than 10% gain.
This ability is highly underrated.
It is the ability that makes Unholy DK the best AoE DPS in the game.
It will ALWAYS deal more DMG than normal hit SS and crit BS on single target (especially if you are not BIS with Shadowmourne).
It destroys both Normal Hits of SS and BS on single target.
It destroys both Critical Hits of SS and BS on 2+ targets.
There are couple of downsides of this ability: it gives u less runic power, its 1 GCD instead of 2 (which can be a good thing in case u have too much Runic Power or can use Anty Magic Shell and spam Death Coils), and if your target moves out of the zone, u wont get full DMG out of it (be careful where u put it).
Anyway, u should be using this ability a lot. If u are not using it at all, u are not a good Unholy DK (especially when u want to DPS 2+ targets).
Any time u know u will have to DPS 2+ targets, always prio DND over SS and BS. Unless dmg on 2nd+ target is not important (like Ghouls on Lich King 25m hc heroic, you should not put DnD there, just focus on burning down boss and pushing him to transition phase asap).
If you are not BIS and dont have Shadowmourne and have Double DV/DC trinket for example, even on single target, especially if you have a lot of Runic Power you can dump on an extra Death Coil or two, its better to do DnD > DC > DC instead of SS > BS > DC if you have both DV/DC trinket procs on you.
Death and Decay only makes same damage on average like Scourge Strike + Blood Strike if you are best in slot, wielding a Shadowmourne, having DBW+STS as trinkets and load of Armor Penetration, in which case its better to use SS+BS mainly because of the runic power gain for Death Coils.
Diseases on Target (PS+IT) > Pestilence > Death and Decay, this is your bread and butter when it comes to AoE rotation (2+ targets).
If you dont have Desolation (5% dmg increase buff) and you have Blood Tap ready, you can use BT>BS after DnD (try to refresh Bone Shield on next Death Rune from Blood Tap in case it has less than 3/3 stacks or will be lost within 1min due to duration time).
Perfect example for this is Lich King phase 2 when Valks come down.
Not using DnD there is like not using a Cleave or WW as a Fury Warrior (or Divine Storm/Seal of Command as Ret Paladin).
Use the damn Death and Decay!
How to refresh, In case u lose Bone Shield during combatSome tips and tricks:Spoiler:Show PS > IT (IT > PS) > BS > SS > BS > DC
SS > BT: > Bone Shield > SS > BS > DC > DCSpoiler:Show In case you dont have Army of the Dead, or you cant use it since their aoe taunt might cause a raid wipe, and you still want to pop T10 4set bonus before the pull and/or put runes on cooldown so you have instant rune grace period timer active, you can use:
Death and Decay > FrostPresence > UnholyPresence > BloodPresence
or
Death and Decay > FrostPresence > BloodPresence > UnholyPresence
(depending on which one you open with) somewhere around 8-9sec before the pull.
If SS gets dodged at any point, and u have a lot of runic power, u can simply use Death and Decay (DND) instead of "SS > BS" and dump that extra Runic Power on 1-2 extra Death Coils.
U can also use this if u have Anty Magic Shell up and incoming spell dmg in your direction.
Use that AMS carefully (think ahead). If you used AMS for some greedy dmg, and some spell dmg comes your way, you could be toasted. In these kind of situations you should pop Icebound Fortitude and hope for the best.
Using AMS defensive is always better than using it offensive!
Not using AMS at all if there was a chance for it during a fight is worse, so chose wisely.
If u have to Move Away from the target u are DPSing, pop DnD instead of SS > BS again on the place where your target stands.
Care, your target might move so place it where it could move in that case or something in between.
If u are wielding a Shadowmourne, u can use: /cancelaura Chaos Bane macro.
When it comes to PvE its NOT a DPS increase... Especially when facing multiple targets. I like and advise you to keep the Strength buff.
Rotation with Glyph of Disease (diseases on target):Blood Subspec Armor Penetration Unholy DK rotation:Spoiler:Show PS > IT > BS > BS > SS > ERW > Gargoyle >
SS > BS > Pesti > SS > DC > DC >
SS > BS > BS > SS > DC > HoW >
SS > BS > Pesti > SS > DC > DC > ...
This rotation will provide you with less Runic Power and overall less DMG.
I would suggest you to avoid this rotation unless you decide to go Armor Penetration gems, where Glyph of Disease can be useful due to Scourge Strike doing more dmg than PS + IT + BS.
Spoiler:Show Opener:
<Blood Presence>
PS > IT > BS > BS > SS > ERW > Garg > SS > SS > SS > DC > DC > ...
Constant Rotation goes something like:
PS > IT > BS > BS > SS > DC >
SS > SS > SS > DC > DC >
SS > BS > BS > SS > DC >
PS > IT > SS > SS > HoW >
SS > BS > BS > SS > DC >
SS > SS > SS > DC > DC > ...
Refresh your Diseases when they FULLY run out of time.
Use 2 Blood Strikes in a row, so u can use those Death Runes for Scourge Strike in next cycle (just like as Frost Death Knight DPS).
Try not to use too many Death Coils.
Use 2 only if your rune cycle used 3 GCDs (3x SS). Use more if u feel like u wont have Downtime. Fill the downtime with Horn of Winter.
Stick to your target as much as possible...Rotation Preview:
This one is a bit outdated. Focus on "Perfect Rotation" section below.
However, u can see how to use DnD and how to refresh Bone Shield in this section, so I would suggest reading it anyway.Spoiler:Show *Blood Presence*
12 (*13)sec before the pull: (*DnD >) Army of the Dead > HoW
PS > IT (IT > PS) > BS > BS > SS > ERW > Garg
SS > BS > SS > BS > DC > DC
PS > IT > BS > SS > BS > DC
SS > BS > SS > BS > DC > HoW
PS > IT > BS > DnD > DC > DC
SS > BS > SS > BS > DC
PS > IT > BS > SS > BS > DC
SS > BS > SS > BS > HoW > DC
PS > IT > BT > Bone Shield > SS > BS > DC
SS > BS > SS > BS > DC > DC
PS > IT > BS > SS > BS > HoW
SS > BS > SS > BS > DC > DC
PS > IT > BS > SS > BS > DC
DnD > SS > BS > DC > DC
PS > IT > BS > SS > BS > DC
SS > BS > SS > BS > DC > DC
...
Before every PS > IT (IT > PS) always watch the remaining timer on your Diseases.
If they are about to tick for one more time, wait 1sec or Cast an Extra DC/HoW before u cast IT > PS (PS > IT).
This one is situation and might not work for some people. If u feel like this doesn't suit u and is something that only makes u lose DPS, skip this part and just do IT > PS (PS > IT) normally.
It wont be any huge DPS gain/lose anyway.
(*this is explained a bit better in "perfect rotation" section of the guide*)PERFECT ROTATIONSpoiler:Show ...some extra tips and tricks, refreshing diseases fully explained.
Open with:
*Unholy Presence*
Army of the Dead 11-12+sec before the pull
Auto Attack >
PS > IT > BS > BS > SS > BT > Garg >
HoW > Blood Presence > ERW > /cancelaura BT
SS > BS > SS > BS > DC > DC
This is the constant part of the rotation which u will most likely repeat until Boss is dead:
SS > BS > PS > IT > BS > DC (wait for Frost Fever and Blood Plague to do the last tick before u IT > PS)
SS > BS > SS > BS > DC > DC
SS > BS > DC > IT > PS > BS (wait for FF and BP to do the 3rd sec tick, refresh IT > PS on 2sec before FF and BP runs off)
SS > BS > DC > SS > BS > DC
(repeat the next part)
SS > BS > PS > IT > BS > DC
SS > BS > SS > BS > DC > DC
SS > BS > HoW > IT > PS > BS (use IT once FF expired completely, same goes for PS and Blood Plague)
SS > BS > DC > SS > BS > DC
(this is the repeat part again)
SS > BS > PS > IT > BS > DC
SS > BS > SS > BS > DC > DC
SS > BS > HoW > PS > IT > BS
SS > BS > DC > SS > BS > DC
Disease Tick Timer:
21sec... 18... 15... 12... 9... 6... 3..now!.... 2... 1... now!
"now!" (right after your diseases run out of time, or right after 3rd sec tick happens) is when u should refresh ur Diseases.
Remember these seconds, in a perfect world, every time u refresh diseases with IT and PS u should be doing it after these marks.
For this rotation u need only 1/2 Dirge (don't go less), if u go more u might replace some HoWs with DCs.
This rotation will be ****ed up if u miss something or your abilities get dodged (get Hit and Expertise capped).
This strict rotation is here to help u see how and when u should refresh your diseases.
It is also perfectly possible to do this in the raids, just add DnD instead of SS > BS on 2+ targets.
When it comes to single target DPS u should aim to do as close as this rotation possible whatever happens (if u need to stop dpsing, when switching targets, messing up cos of lag or new batching system, ...)
-IF your target is far away from u, and u have to run to it for more than 2sec in order to PS > IT, i would suggest using IT while running followed by PS right after u reach melee range. It wont be almost any DPS lost but u will start your rotation sooner.
-If your target is close and u are used to IT > PS opener, it wont matter and u wont lose almost any DPS. I've been doing IT > PS as both Frost and Unholy DK and I don't have problems cos of that...
-If your target is far away and u are used to PS > IT opener, just run to it and use that, again, it wont matter that much. Long run DPS is more important.
-Just try to follow your opener. If u opened with PS always use PS first always, if u opened with IT always use IT first, while u are on that target (if u have to switch targets, than u can open as best as u think it is for that situation).
Final Word
Practice a lot!
Chose your Opener and Presence and perfect that one only!
Practice Opener with Army of the Dead and that chosen Presence. Perfect that one as well...
On opener, try to start with an Auto Attack and than do Plague Strike > Icy Touch. This way u have a chance to proc your trinkets and make your diseases stronger. (sometimes i even do 1xBS before PS > IT)
Watch how and when u do PS and IT (aka when u refresh your diseases). Always try to refresh them RIGHT AFTER they do their "last" tick of DMG. After 3rd sec or when they fully run out is the best time when it comes to constant DPS.
(Try to fully understand the "Perfect Rotation" Section)
In case u have to switch targets or run away from them, refresh your diseases if u can before that.
(dont do this in case u have 15+ sec left on them on your target or in case u have to completely stop DPSing them for whatever reason)
On AoE DPS, spread your diseases and use Death and Decay. Use Blood Strike to refresh Desolation. Only use Blood Boil if u are confident that u wont lose Desolation and that u wont have to delay your next DnD.
USE DEATH AND DECAY WISE and CAREFULLY!
Use Death and Decay on both Single and 2+(Multiple) targets.
Use Death and Decay when DPSing 1 target in case u have too much Runic Power and spam Death Coils after.
Move before the tank and always position urself to maximise ur DPS.
Think 3 steps ahead of the raid.
Practice a lot.
VIDEO OF UDK ROTATION!:
Spoiler:Show 3rd August 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3nK...ature=youtu.be
Look at the info (SHOW MORE below the video name) of the youtube video for time stamps of "important" parts in the video and explanations of what and when I did.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6k4...ature=youtu.be
This one is UHP opener with some target swaps.
Recount of some old fights: https://imgur.com/a/SHpJg, https://imgur.com/a/K3SHu03
Damage distribution of spells should be something like this when you practice on a dummy, even in raids as well...
20th June 2022
Latest videos I made for rotation purposes:
Single target rotation video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q2fhxOVZzQ
DnD friendly rotation video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mITgXCX7BWo
Even tho "single target" video has Blood Presence opener and "DnD friendly" video has Unholy Presence opener, it does not matter which one you use for both rotations (same goes for Army of the Dead).
The part AFTER Empower Rune Weapon makes the difference on single target/in case you have to use multiple Death and Decays during the fight.
PvP Itemisation and Spec:
Spoiler:Show Before you start reading this part, know that there is a "Gladiator Death Knight" guide out there made by "Justmarried" on Warmane forums:
http://forum.warmane.com/showthread.php?t=316091
In case you really want to get in to some serious PvP, go read trough his stuff.
The things below are just "my take" on the PvP part of the class, and some "additional suggestions"...
Spec:
This one I prefer to use for Arenas:
https://wotlk.evowow.com/?talent#jZG...zdbucqo:0Lbmzc
This one can be useful if u spend a lot of time on your mount:
https://wotlk.evowow.com/?talent#jZG...zzbucqo:cLbmzc
Itemisation1:
[Wrathful Gladiator's Dreadplate Helm]
[Penumbra Pendant]
[Wrathful Gladiator's Dreadplate Shoulders]
[Varian's Furor]
[Wrathful Gladiator's Dreadplate Chestpiece]
[Bracers of the Heir]
[Wrathful Gladiator's Dreadplate Gauntlets]
[Wrathful Gladiator's Girdle of Triumph]
[Wrathful Gladiator's Dreadplate Legguards]
[Apocalypse's Advance]
[Ashen Band of Endless Might]
[Might of Blight]
[Death's Verdict]
[Death's Verdict](HC)
[Shadowmourne] / [Bryntroll, the Bone Arbiter] / [Wrathful Gladiator's Claymore]
[Sigil of the Vengeful Heart]
This one will give u most Armor Penetration out of gear. U should go with 945 Resi (really greedy build) using this one and play with a Healer (Hpala).
U will have to gem a lot of Resilience Mystic gems (Both 34 resi and 20 resi) to reach 945 or 1039 resilience as Human (depending on if u want to play with a Healer or DPS).
The upside of being Human is 2nd trinket proc, which will provide u with insane burst.
As a non Human race, use [Medallion of the Alliance/Horde] instead of [Death's Verdict](normal). U will be able to gem more Strength gems since u will have the extra Resilience from the trinket.
If u are Draenei, use [Winding Sheet] in this itemisation.
Itemisation2:
[Wrathful Gladiator's Dreadplate Helm]
[Ahn'kahar Onyx Neckguard]
[Wrathful Gladiator's Dreadplate Shoulders]
[Winding Sheet]
[Wrathful Gladiator's Dreadplate Chestpiece]
[Wrathful Gladiator's Bracers of Triumph]
[Wrathful Gladiator's Dreadplate Gauntlets]
[Wrathful Gladiator's Girdle of Triumph]
[Wrathful Gladiator's Dreadplate Legguards]
[Apocalypse's Advance]
[Ashen Band of Endless Might]
[Skeleton Lord's Circle]
[Death's Verdict]
[Death's Verdict](HC)
[Shadowmourne] / [Bryntroll, the Bone Arbiter] / [Wrathful Gladiator's Claymore]
[Sigil of the Vengeful Heart]
This one should give u the most amount of Resilience from gear. U can use it for 3v3, and in situations u want to survive as much as possible.
In case u want to have maximum amount of resilience with this build, go for:
[Wrathful Gladiator's Pendant of Victory]
[Wrathful Gladiator's Cloak of Victory]
[Wrathful Gladiator's Greaves of Triumph]
U will lose **** ton of Strength but gain insane amount of Resilience.
From my point of view this should be only used in case u play double DPS comp in 2v2 and 3v3 I guess...
Itemisation3:
[Wrathful Gladiator's Dreadplate Helm]
[Penumbra Pendant]
[Wrathful Gladiator's Dreadplate Shoulders]
[Winding Sheet]
[Wrathful Gladiator's Dreadplate Chestpiece]
[Polar Bear Claw Bracers]
[Wrathful Gladiator's Dreadplate Gauntlets]
[Wrathful Gladiator's Girdle of Triumph]
[Wrathful Gladiator's Dreadplate Legguards]
[Apocalypse's Advance]
[Ashen Band of Endless Might]
[Skeleton Lord's Circle]
[Death's Verdict]
[Death's Verdict](HC)
[Shadowmourne] / [Bryntroll, the Bone Arbiter] / [Wrathful Gladiator's Claymore]
[Sigil of the Vengeful Heart]
This itemisation is more or less all around. Go for 1039-1084 Resil with this one and u can play double DPS comp ez. If u face more melee classes like warrior and rogue use Skeleton Ring. If u want a minor (really low) dmg increase and u face a lot of casters, get Might of Blight (in the end it wont make much difference when it comes to DMG in between these 2 rings).
More or less the itemisations that I linked are the same.
The point is to get as many Strength Items as possible with gem slots in them. That way u get a lot of Attack Power for both u and your Pet and u can gem Resilience.
If u ask me u should use PvP Cloak, Neck and Boots ONLY if u need **** ton of resilience, which wont ever be needed if u plan on playing 2v2 only. If u play 3v3 and u notice u are getting bursted really fast, use Cloak, Neck and/or Boots for extra resilience i guess...
U should be able to reach maximum amount of 1119 resilience with JC + BS while using Itemisation2, so u should be fine.
Weapons are Aligned in Value Order in all itemisations, meaning:
SM is best >
Bryntroll is 2nd best >
Glad Wep (sword for Human, mace for Dwarf, axe for Orc) is 3rd best.
U can also go for Glorenzelg, or Shadows Edge, if u don't have anything from the above i guess...
Don't follow my advice on spec and itemisation blindly (when it comes to PvP).
I consider myself to be a "Solid" PvP DK player.
Overall I think these items will provide u with the best stats.
I could be wrong tho, since I don't know which and how many stats u want once u go above 2.3k...
If a "Gladiator" ranked DK tells u this itemisation and spec is ****, believe him and go for what he tells u. :D