[Frost-DK] Looking for answers from some who exp @85.

This is my DK, I have brought him out of storage, and I have been playing him a lot lately. I have him geared to be able to queue for heroics, and I'm working on making him my DPS spec. (I hate ret right now).

While Running Normals, I was free to run around and use Howling Blast as my FF granted ability on trash. I'm finding more and more in heroics, that I'm having problems with being able to use it, and not break CC.

Should I rely more on using Outbreak on trash?
Should I ask the tank to pull back some so I don't break CC?
Should I go back to using IT in those situations?

I've followed EJ pretty closely on stat weights, and priority, I haven't changed my spec yet though. I'm currently 5/31/5 with spell hit maxed, instead of lowering the CD on Tap. I need to change, it, and figure when I get back to Ebon Hold with a new Main Hand I will. One question I have always had is

Why put Razorize on MH and Fallen Crusader OH? I'm sure there is some logical reason that I'm missing, so an answer will make me /facepalm for sure.

I'm currently spiking close to 20k dps on boss fights with CD's blown and Ghoul out, but then leveling off somewhere between 11-13k DPS. I'm feeling pretty good about my single target DPS right now. I try not to compare trash dps, or full run dps with others because of how grossly overpowered HB is right now. I ran H:HoO with a full 346/359 DoaSW Ret Paladin yesterday, and for the whole run I did ~2mill more damage and 1k more dps, while being ~1k dps behind him on bosses, So I can see how off things are right now.

Any other tips that I can get would be appreciated. I know my reforging is a little weird, I haven't bothered to reforge some stuff yet.

I can't view your armory at work, but as far as my experience goes with Frost DKs (Clopin - Winterhoof (US) if you want to armory me, still gearing via normals, haven't been brave enough for heroics with my current latency):

Shoju wrote:While Running Normals, I was free to run around and use Howling Blast as my FF granted ability on trash. I'm finding more and more in heroics, that I'm having problems with being able to use it, and not break CC.

Usually I just hit with IT until we're far enough away that I won't break CC. If they aren't getting far enough for that, then I'd talk with the tank about separating them a little better.

Shoju wrote:Why put Razorize on MH and Fallen Crusader OH?

According to EJs 3.3.3 Frost DK forums:

_Sutekh wrote:In all honestly, it doesn't really matter. I would assume having FC in the main hand would maximize uptime on the proc. Since ToT lets all your attacks hit with both weapons, placement wont be a huge DPS increase or decrease. Nearly every attack you do will have a chance to apply RI.

Darkside wrote:RI is already affected by your MH damage, even if it's on your OH. Furthermore, the proc accounts for something like 4k damage over the course of the entire fight, which is a stupidly small amount to be min/maxing around

I'd assume this hasn't changed a whole lot for 4.0.X

Only argument I could see is your hit chance being better on your MH, so you'd have more chances for RI to proc off white hits, while yellows should be enough to keep uptime on FC.

The main thing that separates a frost dk from a good one is your reaction time imo. Being able to not waste a KM proc when oblit will be ready a second later. Use rime before you use oblit again unless you have a pair of frost/unholy/death runes up of course. Don't waste runic power! I cannot stress enough how much that has changed. In wrath if you wasted RP it wasn't as huge of a deal as wasting runes. But now on single target boss fights you shouldn't be GCD locked. The bottom line you can say is don't waste your resources and procs. Don't let KM sit for a while just to use on oblit. If you have to dump RP and proc KM don't worry about it. If oblit is up in a moment and you have it wait for it then.

As for howling blast, I keep IT along with chains of ice on my bar for when CC is close to the main group and stopped using the pest glyph for that same reason.

daemonym wrote:As for howling blast, I keep IT along with chains of ice on my bar for when CC is close to the main group and stopped using the pest glyph for that same reason.

I've been told you don't really have to worry much about spreading blood plague and if you're using the HB glyph, FF should already be on everything in range. So realistically, you shouldn't have to worry about pest all that often. Now of course, I don't have any maths to back that up, so feel free to season with salt.

Most of what I have seen about AoE is that you just Plague Strike around while you can't HB. You don't bother with Pest because of the damage cut on diseases, but you do use the unholy runes for PS by just tabbing and hitting.

I'm curious to see how the nerf to HB works out. I will miss dropping 40k dps on an AoE pack, but it is for the best. My goal right now is to just get in full 333 / 346 gear and see how well I can do at DPSing.

Really, the only problem that I have had so far is with cranky people who don't like that I don't have CC. Even though I'm able to lock up a caster and keep them occupied for close to 30 seconds on my own by taking minimal damage.

Shoju wrote:Really, the only problem that I have had so far is with cranky people who don't like that I don't have CC. Even though I'm able to lock up a caster and keep them occupied for close to 30 seconds on my own by taking minimal damage.

Then those cranky people are dumb beyond comprehension. If you're doing 12k dps on a caster and "locking" them down for 30 seconds, that mob is either dead or close to it. Don't listen to them.

I play an arms warrior as an alt and while people laugh at me for saying that I can "CC", I will show recount after trash pack fights and the small amount of damage that I take makes them re-think their strategy.

Crowd Control doesn't have to mean hex/bind/banish/morph/roots+sunbeam/frost trap. If I'm controlling my mob from doing anything damaging to the group, then I'm CC-ing.

Out of curiosity, how do you do this as arms? Throwdown + Pummel rotation?