Death Knight Builds

This area contacts death knight builds usefull for Patch 4.0.1 - 4.0.3. This patch completely changed the mechanics of the Death Knight Class but has a maximum level of 80. All of the death knight builds have completely changed as the trees have completely been redone for all classes. A death knight can no longer tank in all trees, they can only tank if spec'd into blood. Also gone is the days of having hybrid builds. You have to spend 31 points in your chosen main tree before you can spend points outside of your main tree and you will not be able to do this to level 71. The amount of points you can spend on talents have been lowered and a lot, at level 80 you only have 36 skill points you can spend. The glyph system has also been changed, the rune system has been redone, defence had been removed from gear, and much more.

 

 

The following builds are for patch 4.0.1 - 4.0.3. For older builds see previous death knight builds for 3.2. For newer builds see Death Knight Talent Builds for Cataclysm.

 

 

 

Blood Tanking Builds

 

31/0/3 +2 (80)- Blood Tank Survivability Spec - This spec focuses on skills to maximize survivability. Blood Tap's reduced cool down works quite well with the 4piece bonus. There is 2 points you can assign yourself.

 

33/0/3 (80) - Bloodworm Tanking Spec - As bloodworms does a good amount of healing it this is a alternative to using Abomination's Might.

 

31/6/3 (80) - Diseaseless Blood Tank - Just what title says, is tanking without putting up diseases, viable durring 4.0.1.

 

 

Rotation:

Single Target Rotation:

1. Diseases Up (Applied and recast before they fall off target)
2. Rune Strike
3. Death Strike
4. Blood Boil
5. Heart Strike
6. Icy Touch

 

AoE Rotation:

1. DnD
2. Diseases up + Pestilence
3. Make sure Scarlet Fever is up if not Plague Strike, Blood Boil
4. Death Strike
5. Blood Boil
6. Heart Strike
7. Rune Strike
8. Icy Touch

 

AOE trash groups:

DnD -> IT -> PS -> Pest -> BB -> DS and continue to spam DS and BB till dead.

 

Next group put diseases up and blood boil a bunch.. repeat and use DnD at start when available, note DPS has to give you time to spread diseases or they will pull agro.

 

Changes that effect frost builds with 4.0.1 patch:

• No longer able to be a frost tank, this is now a DPS only tree.
• This currently is seen has the highest DPS tree but unholy is not far behind.
• Dual Wield is the highest DPS in frost.
• Talent tree, points you have to spend and mechanics of the class have completely changed.
  

 

 

Frost Builds

 

3/31/2 (80) - DW Frost Spec #1 lvl 80 - This is one of the highest dps builds listed on elitistjerks.com This build does have some flexibility. In tier 1 you can freely choose between two points in Runic Power Mastery or in Icy Reach. In tier 2, you can split three points between Lichborne, Endless Winter and On A Pale Horse. Everything else is needed. DPS is done in Frost Presence. Damage is mainly done by Obliterate then by Frost Strike and then your auto-attack.

 

3/31/2 (80) - DW Frost Spec #2 lvl 80 - Endless winter taken instead of On a Pale Horse, this will benefit you if you have to interrupt much.

 

3/31/2 (80) - Frost 2H Build #1 - The two handed build much different than the dual wielding builds above. DPS in this spec is done in Unholy Presence. Frost Strike will do most of your damage, followed by Obliterate and auto-attack.

 

3/31/2 (80) - Frost 2H Build #2 - High DPS 2H Frost spec.

 

 

Rotations:

Single Target Rotation Priority(DW uses Frost Presence, 2H uses Unholy Presence):

1. Diseases up (FF apply with Howling Blast)
2. Obliterate
3. Blood Strike
4. Frost Strike
5. Rime
6. HoW

 

AoE Rotation Priority (done in Frost Presence):

1. Howling Blast
2. Death and Decay
3. Plague Strike
4. Frost Strike
5. Horn of Winter

 

 

Changes that effect Unholy Builds in patch 4.0.1:

• Tree and class completely redone.
• Unholy cannot tank.
• Talent tree redone.
• Much more has changed.

 

Unholy DPS Builds

 

4/0/32 (80) - Unholy DPS Spec Single T arget Specialist - Level 80 build with all the best DPS talents selected. DPS as this spec is done in Unholy Presence. Scourge Strike will be the ability contributing the highest percent of your total damage, followed by your Ghoul and then Death Coil.

 

4/1/31 (80) - Unholy Single Target Build - Is a build that has a build that has a little more runic power and solid DPS. Works best in frost presence.

 

4/0/32 (80) - Unholy DPS Build AOE Build - This is the same spec as above with glyphs that focus on AOE the above spec has scourge strike and death coil glyphed.

 

5/0/31 (80) - 2H Unholy Raid DPS Spec - This build forfits Anti-Magic Shield all together and instead uses the point in Butchery.

 

1/3/32 (80) - DW Unholy #1 - DPS from this is lower than the other 2H Unholy

 

 

Unholy Rotations for patch 4.0.1 have moved to a priority system.

Single Target Rotation (DPS done in Unholy Presence):

1. Diseases Up
2. Dark Transformation Active
3. Scourge Strike (U F)
4. Festering Strike (B F)
5. Death Coil on Sudden Doom proc
6. HoW

 

AoE Rotation (DPS done in Frost Presence):

1. Diseases up and spread to everything with Pestilence.
2. Dark Transformation Active
3. Death and Decay
4. Scourge Strike
5. Blood Boil + Icy Touch if BB and FF runes up.
6. Death Coil on Sudden Doom proc
7. HoW