Death Knight Builds

Doing maximum amounts of damage comes down to casting the right spells at the right time. Yes there are many other factors that come into play such as gear and talent spec but if you do not know what spells to cast and when then you are not playing your class effectively. When a death knight knows how to play his class effectively they can do massive amounts of damage or make very effective tanks. Not only are proper death knight rotations a good way to get the most out of your DPS understanding spell priority will make you a better death knight.

Rotations vary depending on how you are spec'd and how you are geared so this is a rough guide to how rotations should be done for a death knight.

DnD - Death and Decay
IT - Icy Touch
PS - Plague Strike
BT - Blood Tap
BB - Bloodboil
UB - Unholy Blight
SS - Scourge Strike
RS - Runic Strike
BS - Blood Strike
HB - Howling Blast
HS - Heart Strike
FS - Frost Strike
OB - Obliterate
PEST - Pestilence

Blood DPS Rotation(single target): For 51/13/7 builds it is: OB>IT/PS>PS/IT>HS>HS>DC(dump)>OB>HS>HS>HS>HS>DC(dump)
*Key is to make sure your diseases are always up then HS then OB should not be used while they are death runes as HS is more benificial than OB.

Blood DPS Rotation(AOE):
On tougher groups- PS>IT>Pest>HS>Blood Tap>DnD
On low HP groups: DnD>PS>IT>Pestilence

Blood Tank Rotation(single target): IT, PS, HS, HS, OB (Dump RP into: DC and RS). After first rotation and 2 death runes are available (if you have taken death rune mastery and I highly recomend taking death rune mastery), rotation becomes IT,PS,HS,HS,HS,HS,OB

Rotation Priorities =
1) Use Defensive Abilities when Required
2) Use Horn of Winter when Applicable
3) Keep Both Diseases on target
4) Keep Runic Power from hitting 100 using Death Coil and Rune Strike
5) Keep both Heart Strike on Cooldown
6) Use Obliterate on to End rotation and consume diseases

Blood Tank Rotation(AOE): DnD,IT,PS,PEST,DC, BB,DC,DS,DS,PEST When Excess Runic Power is available Use DC and RS as Runic Power Dumps.

Frost DPS Rotation(single target): Frost DPS rotations are very debated right now see forum post here at elitistjerks.
IT -> PS -> BS -> BS -> OB -> IT -> PS -> IT -> IT -> IT -> IT
vs
IT->PS->BS->BS->OB -> IT->PS->IT->IT->OB
vs
IT->OB->OB->BS -> IT->IT->IT->IT->IT->BS
vs
OB -> OB -> BS -> BS -> IT -> IT -> IT -> IT -> IT -> IT(All of these rotations should be threading FS in where aplicable before runic power hits 100.)
BS -> OB -> FS -> PS -> IT -> OB -> OB -> FS
vs
(Blood tap on the opening rotation for a death rune)
IT -> OB -> OB -> BS -> FS -> IT -> OB -> BS -> OB -> FS
VS
IT>OBx2>BS>DUMP IT>OB>BS>OB>DUMP
VS
PS -> IT -> OB -> BS -> BS -> FS ->FS ->PS ->IT -> OB - >FS ->OB ->FS

Frost DPS Rotation(AOE): IT -> PS -> Pest -> DnD -> (Dump to FS) -> HB -> BB -> BB -> HB

Frost Tank Rotation(single target): IT -> PS -> BS -> BS -> OB -> OB When Excess Runic Power is available Use Frost Strike and Rune Strike as Runic Power Dump
Rotation Priorities:
1) Use Defensive Abilities when Required
2) Use Horn of Winter when Applicable
3) Keep Both Diseases on target
4) Keep both Blood Runes as Death Runes
5) Keep Runic Power from hitting 100 using Frost Strike and Rune Strike
6) Use Obliterate on Cooldown

Frost Tank Rotation(AOE): DnD,IT,PS,PEST,HB,BB,FS,OB,HB,PEST
When Excess Runic Power is available Use Frost Strike and Rune Strike as Runic Power Dumps. You can only use DnD every 2nd Rotation.

Unholy DPS rotation(single target): IT->PS->SS->BS->BS->UB->SS
Basic Rules For Doing Good DPS for unholy:
#1 Rune Dump if at 100
#2 Unholy Blight if not up
#3 Death Coil if no runes are up
#3 refresh diseases if < 3 seconds
#4 SS if runes are up
#5 BS if blood runes are up and are not death runes

You will be dumping Runic Power into DC unless UB is not up.  You will always be looking to SS before BS and only putting your diseases back on if you think they are going to be falling off in 3 seconds.

Unholy DPS Rotation(AOE): IT->PS->Pestilence->D&D->UB

Unholy Tank Rotation(single target): IT, PS, BS, BS, SS, SS When Excess Runic Power is available Use Death Coil and Rune Strike as Runic Power Dump.
Rotation Priorities =
1) Use Defensive Abilities when Required
2) Use Horn of Winter when Applicable
3) Keep Both Diseases on target
4) Keep both Blood Runes on Cooldown
5) Keep Runic Power from hitting 100 using Death Coil and Rune Strike
6) Use Scourge Strike on Cooldown

 

*In boss fights do not forget to use your special talent skills such as keeping your ghoul up as much as possible and using your cool downs as they come up to help maximize DPS.

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