Tanked H ICC 10 on my Deathknight last night - I used 2 different builds: the first for max RP gen, and a second with Long diseases. I swapped back and forth. Both are nice for different reasons: Long Diseases are obviously a little more forgiving. But I preferred the RP build for max Rune Strike availability.
The group was mixed. My DK ("Therise" <Mainstream>, The Scryers - not my current Main) is in 251 Tier pieces, crafted 264 legs/boots, and has the 264 2H mace from Blood Princes. Most of our DPSers were 264+, and I was able to hold threat just fine as long as I paid attention.
Some Observations:
- Do your job and Threat is fine. Survivability is very good.
- First and Foremost: Deathknight Tanking is no longer about using every ability as it comes available. It is about using the RIGHT ability. For example, once Frost Fever is up, you don't use Icy Touch any more. Saving the Rune for Death Strike is clearly more threat, not to mention damage reduction. Before, if your rotation wasn't perfect you could make it up with a little Icy Touch abuse. That crutch is now gone: You *will* notice the difference when you make a mistake. Early Mistakes can let your Casters catch up with you on Threat. And with the slower Rune regeneration, mistakes are a little harder to recover from. BUT, the new Rune Strike allows for VERY excellent Threat (I saw 30K TPS from time to time). From this I found the best approach was to get your opening right to establish a threat lead. Once that's done, you don't have to be afraid to sit on your rune powered abilities to correct a mistake (if needed).
- - - The Takeaway here is "Being More Thoughtful And Correct Is Much Better Than Being Quick and Making Mistakes"
- As an Offtank, you will have a harder time keeping ahead of your Damage Dealers. Rune Strike is *that* important to our threat gen.
- As Blood, Diseases are good to have up and you want to be reasonably diligent about it, but if they fall off for a bit here and there it's not as significant a drop in threat it used to be. So, if using a Heart Strike means you have to let your diseases fall off, then HS away!
- The new Runestrike is Amazing - It works like Revenge for a Warrior, only better - If you're in Blood Presence and getting hit, it comes up A LOT - Damned near spammable as long as you have enough Runic Power. AAMOF, it damned near *IS* spammable on trash. For this reason, I preferred the RP build (Max Scent of Blood).
- Icy Touch is no longer the Threat Crutch it used to be: It's multiplier was removed, so now it does the same threat/damage ratio as your other abilities.
- Icy Touch is now a SPELL, not a weapon based strike. Be advised that you will occasionally miss with it unless you spend points in the Unholy Tree for the spell hit. I haven't tested/decided if speccing that way is worth while in light of IT's new/lower threat multi. Pre Patch, if IT was missing you would absolutely fix it. Now, I'm less convinced it's necessary except to ensure you get your diseases up so you can switch to Death Strike
- As before, Heart Strike is your Bread and Butter, Rune Strike is the Meat. Death Strike is what you do with your FU pairs, period. Blood Boil is nice for AoE, HS otherwise. Take Obliterate off of your bar as a Tank.
- Death and Decay is good AoE threat, but you still have to do your work, *and* with the new CD's and Rune regen know that it'll only be available to cover about 1/3rd of the fight. I found it best to drop it when you knew there would be lots of adds (traps before Rotty/Fester), and from there spread your Diseases, Blood Boil on CD, and Tab/RuneStrike. Then don't bother dropping it again. Warriors will be familiar with the drill. People used to playing the old way, and/or playing other tank classes will have to learn.
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