[DK Blood Tank] 4.0.1 Rotation Help

[Shoju]

I am completely baffled by how I am supposed to use defensive cooldowns as a DK; I never seem to have the right runes ready, and never manage to use rune tap. Can you explain better what cooldowns there are that I should be trying to keep available, and how to go about doing that without gimping my rotation? I guess I just generally don't get why Blood Tap is so nice, even after your detailed writeup -- why do I care about death runes?

You do realize that Death Runes can be used for any rune right?

Tap = more death runes.
Death rune = easier use of CD's
Death Rune = More Hearth strike/SS/HB
Death rune = Very very very very very very good for all specs.

[Gracerath]

The only defensive cooldown that costs a resource anymore for blood is bone shield. Vampiric Blood doesn't cost anything, neither does IBF (talented). I guess Rune tap counts as a defensive cooldown and requires a blood rune, but a majority of the time, you're going to have a boatload of death runes, not to mention your blood runes (use them as blade barrier is about to fall, however). Most of the time, I have at least 1 rune somewhere I can use and failing that, blood tap for it.

[Eltiana]

The only defensive cooldown that costs a resource anymore for blood is bone shield. Vampiric Blood doesn't cost anything, neither does IBF (talented). I guess Rune tap counts as a defensive cooldown and requires a blood rune, but a majority of the time, you're going to have a boatload of death runes, not to mention your blood runes (use them as blade barrier is about to fall, however). Most of the time, I have at least 1 rune somewhere I can use and failing that, blood tap for it.

Dancing Rune Weapon? Sorta/kinda a defensive cooldown.

[Jedah]

As a defensive cooldown, 20% parry is pretty lackluster, in my opinion.

I have been using DRW as an offensive cooldown for boosted threat when I have the extra RP.

[Gracerath]

Yeah, forgot about DRW. The only time I've been using it is the extra threat with the glyph. Of course having 60 RP during a boss pull can be a bit of a challenge. I hope they do something with it in the future though because 60 RP is a steep initial cost for what the ability does. Personally I think they should change it to cost little / no RP, bake in the bonus threat from the glyph and modify the defensive mechanic while removing the copied attacks for half damage. Or heck, get rid of the defensive mechanic completely (DK's already have plenty defensive cooldowns in their tool box) and do something else with it.