Heya guys!!  So yeah, sometimes change isn’t as good as the other kind of changing to my left.  But then sometimes it is.  And when it’s as good as what’s on my left, you need to pay more attention to that!!

PTR changes have been up for a while, so the changes there to DK’s are a stable prediction on what will be incoming for us.  Does that mean that everything will be going live no questions asked?

Maybe, maybe not…

Most of the incoming changes on PTR are to deal with how Rune Strike went from a tanking ability to a WTFPWN PvP ability (I <3 you my little Runestrike.  Yes I do!! /pet) and branch out to other tanking issues that have cropped up from there.  Whether it’s a PvP issue or not.

Also, if you’ve followed my blog you’d know this (read: READ MY BLOG!!! heh), Blood has sucked horribly for some time now.  Its only strong point has been for PvE raid dps.  When it comes to PvP or Tanking, it’s the red-headed stepchild of DK’s.  This is addressed as well as a mind boggling buff to Frost that I cannot fathom what they are thinking.  But anyways, enough of my blathering eh?  Let’s jump into this biznatch!!!

No, no, no…get off of the girl.  She’s pixels man.  Don’t jump on that.  WoW.  This is about WoW.  Even if I do show you guys hot pics from time to time (and ladies too). 

I’ve done my best to compile a list of all of the DK specific changes currently on PTR, however it is possible I missed something.

Tanking Changes

• Frost Presence: The bonus armor has been increased from 60 to 80% and magic damage reduction increased from 5 to 15%.
• Icebound Fortitude now reduces damage by 20% instead of 50%.  The amount of damage reduced increases with bonus Defense (to about 35% for 540 Defense, but can go higher).
• Dark Command range increased from 20 to 30 yards.
• Vampiric Blood now Temporarily grants the Death Knight 20% of maximum health and increases the amount of health generated through spells and effects by 50% for 20 sec. After the effect expires, the health is lost.
• Will of the Necropolis now reduces damage that would take you below 35% health by 15%.
• Bone Shield now reduces damage by 20%. (Down from 40%)
• Bonus Armor: The mechanics for items with bonus armor on them has changed (any cloth, leather, mail, or plate items with extra armor, or any other items with any armor).  Bonus armor beyond the base armor of an item will no longer be multiplied by any talents or by the bonuses of Bear Form, Dire Bear Form, or Frost Presence.
• Rune of the Stoneskin Gargoyle (two-handed only) now grants 25 Defense and 2% Stamina.

DPS Changes

• Pestilence no longer has a cooldown.
• Bloody Strikes now also increases the damage of Pestilence by 20/40/60%.
• Heart Strike now Instantly strikes the target and his nearest ally, no longer prevents target from using haste effects.
• Outbreak no longer affects Pestilence and now increases damage of Plague Strike and Blood Boil by 15/30/45%. (Up from 10/20/30%)
• Corpse Explosion damage has been doubled (from 220 to 443 for Rank 5). Now requires 40 runic power instead of 1 Unholy Rune and has a 5 seconds cooldown.
• Unholy Blight cost reduced from 60 to 40 Runic Power.
• Howling Blast has had its cooldown removed.  This is confirmed as intended.  Nuts if you ask me!! heh
• Dancing Rune Weapon cost reduced from 60 to 40 Runic Power.

PvP Changes

• Hungering Cold runic power cost lowered from 60 to 40.
• Rune Strike now deals 150% weapon damage plus {150*AP*10/10000}. (Down from 200% weapon damage plus {200*AP*10/10000}). Now causes a high amount of threat.
• Mark of Blood now lasts for 20 sec or up to 20 hits. (Old – Lasted 20 seconds, no limitation on the number of hits)
• Shadow of Death now lasts 25 seconds. (Down from 45 seconds)
• Anti-Magic Shell: The cooldown has been lowered to 45 sec from 60 sec.
• Savage, Hateful, and Deadly Gladiator’s Dreadplate Gauntlets had their bonus to Strangulate cooldown removed. They now gives “Whenever you cast Chains of Ice, the Frost Rune used becomes a Death Rune when it activates”.

General Changes

• Horn of Winter now has no cost and grants 10 runic power in addition to its stat buff, but has a 30 sec cooldown.
• Blood Presence now grants 4% healing instead of 2% healing.
• Blood Aura now grants 2/4% healing instead of 1/2% healing.
• Night of the Dead also Also reduces the damage your pet takes from area of effect attacks by 40/70%.
• All multi-rune abilities generate 15 runic power.
• Death Pact now grants 40% instead of 20% healing.
• Raise Dead has now been split into two spells:    
     
  • Raise Dead now raises a ghoul or pet ghoul (if talented). Requires corpse dust if no humanoid corpse is nearby.    
  • Raise Ally now raises a fallen party member as a ghoul  and has no reagent. Available at level 72. This should now last for 4 minutes.

Glyphs

•  Glyph of Blood Boil – Causes your Blood Boil to slow affected targets for 5 sec. (Old – Also reduced damage of Blood Boil by 20%)
• Glyph of Death and Decay – Targets of your Death and Decay have a 10% chance to cower in fear for 2 sec. (Down from 20%)
• Glyph of Icy Touch – Your Icy Touch generates 10 additional runic power. (Old – Also reduced damage of Icy Touch by 10%)
• Glyph of Death Strike – Increases your Death Strike’s damage by 20%. (No longer increases healing)
• Glyph of Unbreakable Armor – Unbreakable Armor grants an additional 15% armor. (Old – Unbreakable Armor grants an additional 5% parry chance but no longer increases your Strength.)
• Glyph of Frost Strike – Reduces the cost of your Frost Strike by 8. (Old – Your Frost Strikes have a 10% chance to Freeze the target for 8 sec.)
• Glyph of Rune Strike – Increases the critical strike chance of your Rune Strike by 10%. (No longer increases runic power cost)
• Glyph of Obliterate – Your Obliterate strikes for 20% additional weapon damage. (No longer decrease bonus damage per disease)
• Glyph of Vampiric Blood – Increases the duration of your Vampiric Blood by 10 sec. (Old – Your Vampiric Blood also heals you for 3% of your total health.)
• Glyph of the Ghoul – Your Ghoul receives an additional 40% of your Strength and 40% of your Stamina. (Old – Your Ghoul receives an additional 20% of your Strength.
• Glyph of Death Grip – When you deal a killing blow that grants honor or experience, the cooldown of your Death Grip is refreshed. (Old – Increases the cooldown of Death Grip by 10 sec but stuns targets for 1 sec.)
• Glyph of Rune Tap – Your Rune Tap heals yourself for an additional 10% of the effect, and also heals your party for 10% of their maximum health. (Old – Didn’t benefit the DK and only healed the party)
• Glyph of Raise Dead – Your Raise Dead spell no longer requires a reagent. (Old – Your Ghoul receives an additional 20% of your Strength)

So how does this affect you?

OMFG, that would be a dissertation to cover the sheer potential posisbilities to each and every spec/role possible for a DK.  I like you guys, but not THAT much lol.    If all of these changes do go through, then I will most definetly come back and touch on these topics and how they impact us.

But take this time as an experiment.  Can you see how these changes are going to impact your character and the roles that you fulfill in game?  It’s an interesting excercise if you are not practiced at theorycrafting.  I recommend it.  Hell, if you post comments as to concepts and ideas I’ll expound upon them and clarify points for you as well. 

Tags: PTR