Special thanks to the forum community team for being kind enough to extend the post limit on this thread :)

HI!

Some people may remember me from the Beta as Seizurepony (hi2u beta buddies), in which I gave up posting constructively because of the massive influx of garbage on the DK forum. I've kind of felt bad about it, so I thought I should give something back to the community I've been a bit of a prick to, now that I've got real experience tanking that I can lean back on.

I've included TLDR Cliff Notes at the end of most questions.

Posts in this FAQ:
1) Which tree is best for tanking?
2) Should I dual-wield or use a two-hander?
3) <Armory link> Am I ready to tank heroics/10 mans/25 mans?
4) What Professions are the best for tanking as a Death Knight?
5) How do I spec to tank?
6) What kind of rotation should I use while tanking?
7) What Glyphs are good for tanking?
8) Should I use Rune of the Stoneskin Gargoyle or Rune of Swordshattering?

Other posts of interest within this thread:

re: Runic Power Mastery
Page 6, Post #107

re: Why don't you take Acclimation?
Page 6, Post #118

Killing Machine
Page 7, Post #139

Blade Barrier changes (10% Parry -> 5% DR) in 3.1
Page 13, Post #250

If anyone has any feedback they'd like to provide, I'm open to every word of it, even if it's negative. My desire to help cultivate a valuable resource for Death Knight tanks is stronger than my ego, and if there's one thing the WoW community is ravenous about it's correcting people. So if something here needs updated, needs corrected, needs added, please drop in and help out. :)

1) Which tree is best for tanking?

I'm going to spare you the "LOL EVERY TREE CAN TANK" response, because it's safe to assume that if you're on the forums and looking for information about tanking, you've seen that already. While it's true, it's not a very helpful answer. Of note, though, is that you are always going to want the standard 5/5/5 setup as a starting point - Blade Barrier, Toughness, Anticipation.

Blood, Frost and Unholy are all very capable of tanking anything the game can throw at you. The caveat to this is that Frost is usually going to be a better choice when you are at lower gear levels. The types of tools that it provides are not as dependant on high stats as some of Unholy's. I would also not recommend Blood as an entry level tank spec. However, if you are pushing for progression in post-Naxx content, Blood is generally going to be superior because Effective Health is king.

Case in point is Unholy's signature tank talent - Bone Shield, which scales well with avoidance (dodge, miss and parry). The more avoidance you have, the higher chance you will have of Bone Shield lasting for longer periods of time. Glyphed (which you should always have, if you are an Unholy tank), Bone Shield will last for a maximum of 12 seconds if you are being attacked consistently. This is because it has 6 charges, and each charge has a 2 second internal cooldown before another can be consumed. At lower avoidance levels, this makes it drop off relatively quickly (especially with multiple mobs on you). Once you start pushing 45-50% avoidance, however, Bone Shield starts to shine.

The major difference between the three is their style. Frost is a bit more melee centric in its ability usage, with talents like Icy Talons to improve your raid's melee damage, buffs to melee abilities like Obliterate and Blood Strike, and Frost Strike. This is not to ignore Howling Blast, which is incredible for getting snap aggro on a group, especially when combined with Deathchill and Killing Machine. Blood is highly melee oriented, with very few talents related to magical damage.

Unholy does the majority of its damage as magical damage, making heavy use of Death and Decay, Scourge Strike and Unholy Blight. Much of the damage Unholy does regularly cannot be mitigated by armor, which depending on who you talk to is one of the advantages it has over Frost. It provides a large buff to your casters through Ebon Plaguebringer as well.

Blood is well known for putting out very high single-target threat when specced correctly. The changes in 3.1 to the tree have made it significantly more viable, as one of its old drawbacks was being very bad at holding multi-mob threat compared to Frost and Unholy. Now that Heart Strike has become a Cleave Blood Boil is more potent, this is no longer as true as it once was. However, it is undeniably the weakest of the three at AoE threat, requiring more setup to be effective and more effort to maintain. Vampiric Blood is also widely regarded as the best tanking cooldown of the three. With the nerfs to DK health in 3.2, Blood is bound to become a lot more popular, as it is the only tree with a health boosting talent.

TLDR:
- Frost is generally a better choice at low levels of gear than Unholy or Blood
- Unholy provides utilty to improve the damage of casters in your raid, whereas Frost and Blood provide utility for melee
- Frost's Howling Blast is excellent for snap aggro, and Unholy lacks this ability
- Blood is generally superior for progression tanking

2) Should I dual-wield or use a two-hander?

The age old question. The short answer - Save yourself a headache and use a two-handed weapon. It's possible, but more difficult. It requires better gear, a less flexible talent spec, and generally the support of the entire raid group.

One of the most common arguments that I've seen for Dual-Wielding is one that seems like it's common sense - Wearing two tank weapons for super stats. Except that Death Knights, when it comes to weaponry, tend to be more like Paladins than Warriors - Our weapon is for increasing our threat. Like Paladins, we don't have super spammable abilities (or even a whole lot of less spammable ones) that do high threat (Sunder, Devastate, Shield Slam, Heroic Strike, Thunderclap).

What does this mean for you? It means that if you're going to Dual Wield and take advantage of Threat of Thassarian, you want slow one-handers for maximum instant strike damage. Bad news - Tank weapons are fast, so you don't want them, you want DPS weapons that are slow (2.6). If you don't, your threat will plummet, but now you lose those extra Defensive stats because DPS weapons don't have them.

Long story short? There is a minimum gear level required to reasonably tank while dual wielding. If you can't reach 540 Defense without Stoneskin Gargoyle (or Defense gems, Defense enchants, Icy Touch glyph, Defense trinkets), stick with a two-handed weapon. It is worth noting, though, that we're on track for this gear requirement to no longer exist in 3.3. Current PTR patch notes have us getting a 1 handed version of Stoneskin Gargoyle (though the jury seems to still be out on exactly how much Defense it'll give).

As far as spec goes - it's Frost. If you want to be anything but Frost, don't dual-wield. Your threat will be worthless without Threat of Thassarian.

3) <Armory link> Am I ready to tank heroics/10 mans/25 mans?

The first question is - Are you defense capped? Heroics: 535 Defense. Raids: 540 Defense. If you answered no, then you are not ready. Some people can make it work anyway, but it's almost always a bad idea to try. That's an easy question.

I've seen a lot of people saying they struggle to reach and maintain the Defense cap at 540, and wanting to know about Dual Wielding as an alternative to make up for this problem. I have to say, I'm not sure where this trouble is coming from, because in my own experience it's not that difficult. There's a guide that I used:
http://www.tankspot.com/forums/f200/40966-polar-s-easy-pre-naxx-tank-gear-list.html
As well as a sticky on this very forum that is excellent for gearing up and reaching the Defense cap.

In addition, LootRank.com is an incredible site and you should make friends with it. Here's a couple of sample rankings, based on what was put together in the pre-naxx guide I linked above.

Pre Heroics:
http://www.lootrank.com/wow/wr.asp?Cla=2048&Art=1&Gem=2&Str=90&Arm=6&mh=60&dps=150&Sta=106&Def=124&mcr=40&odps=75&Agi=102&Dod=136&mhit=60&map=40&par=109&arp=7&Exp=90&Ver=5&usr=&ser=&grp=www&i1=0&i2=0&i3=0&i4=0&i7=0&i8=0&i9=0&j1=0&j2=0&j3=0&j6=0&j7=0

Pre Raid:
http://www.lootrank.com/wow/wr.asp?Cla=2048&Art=1&Gem=2&Str=90&Arm=6&mh=60&dps=150&Sta=106&Def=124&mcr=40&odps=75&Agi=102&Dod=136&mhit=60&map=40&par=109&arp=7&Exp=90&Ver=5&usr=&ser=&grp=www&i1=0&i2=0&i3=0&i4=0&i7=0&i8=0&i9=0&j1=0&j2=0&j6=0

Overall:
http://www.lootrank.com/wow/wr.asp?Cla=2048&Art=1&Gem=3&Str=90&Arm=6&mh=60&dps=150&Sta=106&Def=124&mcr=40&odps=75&Agi=102&Dod=136&mhit=60&map=40&par=109&arp=7&Exp=90&Ver=5&usr=&ser=&grp=www&i4=0&j1=0&j2=0&j6=0

Finally, make sure to read Descretoria's excellent no-nonsense guide on gearing for Death Knight tanks:
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=19110026313&sid=1&pageNo=1

That said, those aren't the only requirements for tanking. It's more than just stats and gear - You have to be able to pay attention. How is your situational awareness? Are you able to keep track of all the mobs you are fighting and notice when one is going after that Mage? Are you tabbing between your aoe targets to make sure none of them are on the melee? Do you know the best way to generate a huge burst of threat on either a single or multiple targets? Are you familiar with the encounters you'll be facing and know what you may need to pop an OHSHI button for, what to avoid, if there are adds, etc?

Only half the tanking game is gear. The other half is you being smart and paying attention. Gear's easy, brains is what separates good tanks from Downs Knights.

4) What Professions are the best for tanking as a Death Knight?

I love this question. I spent a lot of time during Beta looking at what the various Profession-only benefits were going to be. Here's a breakdown:

Alchemy
- Double duration on Flasks
- Increased effect of Flasks
- Indestructible Alchemist's Stone (http://www.wowhead.com/?item=44323)

Blacksmithing
- Self-only Socket for Bracer and Gloves (easily the most versatile)

Enchanting
- +30 Stamina self-only Ring enchants

Engineering
- +885 Armor to Gloves (http://www.wowhead.com/?spell=63770)
- +45 Stamina to Head (http://www.wowhead.com/?spell=67839)

Inscription
- Master's Inscription of the Pinnacle (http://www.wowhead.com/?spell=61119) shoulder Enchant

Jewelcrafting
- Jeweler's Gems (+34 Defense or +51 Stamina)
- Figurine: Monarch Crab (http://www.wowhead.com/?item=44063)
- Figurine: Ruby Hare (http://www.wowhead.com/?item=42341)

Leatherworking
- Fur Lining: Stamina (http://www.wowhead.com/?spell=57690) bracer Enchant

Mining
- +60 Stamina

I'm an enormous fan of Blacksmithing / Jewelcrafting, but this can be a rather expensive combination if you don't have an alt to mine for you, so it's not for everybody. All around, however, it's one of the best (if not the best) combinations you can run with. Lootrank.com currently holds the Monarch Crab and Ruby Hare trinkets to be the #2 and #3 best trinkets in the game for startup Death Knight tanks (Alchemy Trinket is #1), and really, all you have to do is look at them to see why - they will last you all the way until Ulduar. They both have 63 stamina and two sockets, and the Monarch Crab has an on use effect that gives you 300 Dodge (7.62% at 80) on a 1 minute cooldown. Not only do you get the benefit of these two trinkets from Jewelcrafting, but you get access to the BoP Jeweler's Gems, which offer a ton of customization for your stat bonus.

Jewelcrafting is a no brainer, but I've seen a lot of debate on a secondary Profession. Alchemy, Blacksmithing, Enchanting, Inscription and Leatherworking all have very formidable bonuses. I chose Blacksmithing because of the flexibility that two extra sockets offers me. Using two +Stamina Gems makes the Stamina it offers immediately equivalent to Enchanting, but the difference is that if you don't want the Stamina, you can shove Defense, Dodge, Hit or Expertise gems into those sockets instead. It can also make it easier to maintain Meta requirements without giving up Stamina or Avoidance socket bonuses.

Hands down, Leatherworking will give you the biggest bang in Stamina for your buck.

Alchemy is also worth mentioning because of the Trinket and the Flask duration increase. Doubling the life of your Flasks from 2 to 4 hours is a decent way to save money, and the combination of 75 Stamina, 50 Dodge, and 40% more health from Health potions is very potent.

On the subject of Enchanting, my personal opinion is that it's towards the bottom of the list, as compared to BC when it was the required Profession for cutting edge raiding. The major reason for this is simple - Flexibility. The best Profession to compare it to is Blacksmithing's two extra sockets. Currently, you can fill those sockets with two stamina gems and this makes it equivalent to Ring enchants. But here's the sticker - You do not have the option to enchant your Rings with Strength, Dodge, Defense, Hit, Expertise... but you can put whatever gem you want into a socket.

Of the Professions that provide Tank bonuses, Mining and Engineering are probably the weakest. Stamina is the only benefit you receive from Mining; nothing really to write home about. The Engineering goggles, by comparison to even the 10-man Tier 7 Helmet are abysmal. You gain 1 Strength, 11 Defense and 13 Expertise at the cost of 43 Parry. While the Armor and Head enchants are both nice, the Stamina definitely doesn't measure up to other professions and the Armor is debatable as well.

5) How do I spec to tank?

I'll preface my answer to this question by saying that I have significantly more experience with Frost and Blood than I do with Unholy, probably because I despise Unholy to the extreme. It's really a personal preference, more than anything else, but pre-3.2 it definitely had its uses for AoE tanking when Unholy Blight was still an AoE. Now, however... I really don't see much reason to ever spec Unholy except as a gimmick for a magic heavy fight.

My choices for various trees:

Frost:
http://www.wowhead.com/?talent#j0ErZhxx0AbIof0buzAo0t:TkamVM

Unholy:
http://www.wowhead.com/?talent#j0ErZ0xZbghcxczg0hx0ucq:oMAMmV

Blood:
http://www.wowhead.com/?talent#jcErVh0IcbobsRx0xZ0gh0x:idGmVM
Progression tanking. Accept no substitutes.

6) What kind of rotation should I use while tanking?

Obviously this is going to depend on what spec you are and what talents you took, but otherwise they're generally straightforward. Frost is usually going to want to open with Icy Touch, and Unholy with Plague Strike - This is so that Tundra Stalker / Rage of Rivendare can kick in for your subsquent disease. Once you get both diseases on a target, what you do next is determined by what you are tanking - One mob or several.

If you're tanking several, Pestilence should be your very next ability, and often you will follow this up with a Blood Boil, then your FU ability. Depending on your own preference, you may also want to ignore the Blood Boil and use your remaining BFU runes to drop Death and Decay. Opening with D&D at your feet and pulling a group into it is also common practice.

The guildies I run dungeons with the most regularly are usually a Mage, Warrior and/or Elemental Shaman, and they love to throw AoE all over the place and power through the trash. To work with this as Frost, one of my favorite opening combinations is as follows:

D&D -> IT -> Pest -> Deathchill (if it's up/if I have it) -> Blood Tap -> Howling Blast

Right now, my Howling Blast will crit for 4-5k on targets with Frost Fever. Combined with Death and Decay, this rotation frontloads an enormous amount of threat. Continuing throughout the rest of the pull, I maintain a priority rather than a strict rotation:

#1 Frost Fever must remain active on every target I am tanking
#2 Use Howling Blast whenever the cooldown is up

Between those two priorities, keeping up Blood Plague is also important, but not as much as Frost Fever, as the damage it does is rather insignificant compared to that of Howling Blast. For the moment, I also make liberal use of Pestilence while my Blood Runes are up, now that the cooldown has been removed. This will change once the damage component is taken off in 3.1, however.

Tanking single targets is slightly different. There's no reason to use Pestilence on just one mob, and both Frost and Unholy have talents that convert Blood Strike Runes into Death Runes. Load up your diseases as normal, and blow your first two Blood Runes on Blood Strikes. This is more beneficial for Frost than it is for Unholy, but it is important nonetheless. It gives you the opportunity to unload three FU attacks in your next rotation for a very powerful threat jump. Frost Obliterates and Unholy Scourge Strikes both hit very hard, and three in a row is a beautiful thing.

At that point, your priority will be to maintain both diseases on your target and fill the gap with as much FU ability usage as possible. Don't forget to use your RP abilities, and pay attention to your Rune Strike hotkey - This is a very important ability for maintaining threat. Many people recommend making macros for each of your abilities that attempt to use Rune Strike whenever you press them to simplify the process. If you are Dual Wielding, this is pretty much a requirement in order to not miss Rune Strike opportunities.

7) What Glyphs are good for tanking?

This will depend somewhat on your spec, of course. You're generally going to want the Glyph that corresponds to the 36 point tanking talent you took (Bone Shield, Unbreakable Armor or Vampiric Blood). In order of importance, Bone Shield is mandatory if you're Unholy. There is no question about it. Vampiric Blood's Glyph is also well worth taking for an extra 5 seconds to its duration. The exception to this is Unbreakable Armor's Glyph. Don't bother with it. It's not worth your time. UBA, in its current form, is hardly even worth using except as a threat boost.

Other Major glyphs that will be very helpful:
- Rune Strike. This is was buffed fairly well in 3.0.8, as the RP cost increase has been removed, and this makes it much more attractive than it used to be
- Obliterate. If you are Frost, Obliterate is your bread and butter, and I can almost guarantee you will want to have this Glyph. 20% more damage is the tasty gravy
- Death and Decay. Usually very good for Unholy in particular. 20% more damage to an ability you use to generate a large amount of your threat.

Minor Glyphs you will want:
-Pestilence. This is mandatory. If you do not have this Glyph, get it right now. As one of the only Minor Glyphs that's useful for any spec, let alone tanking, it's an excellent investment.
-Horn of Winter. Quality of life Glyph, and there's really nothing else anyway. Much better than it used to be, now that it increases the duration by 1 minute.
-Raise Dead. You might not think it, but this is incredibly useful. In dire straits, you can summon a Ghoul and immediately use Death Pact to help healers keep you alive.

Unfortunately, with the exception of these Glyphs there's really not much else worth considering. What few other Glyphs there are that aren't abysmally bad are more useful in PvP or DPS roles. Frost Strike is better after 3.0.8, now that it reduces the RP cost, and for your third Major it will usually be a choice of Rune Strike or Frost Strike.

8) Should I use Rune of the Stoneskin Gargoyle or Rune of Swordshattering?

One of my favorite things about this game is that it is constantly evolving, and what is true today may not be true next week. It's because of this that I've done a complete 180 about SSG. What I failed to consider in my original analysis is that free sockets don't have to be filled with survivability gems just because I'm a tank, and that was because at that time, my priority was defense. Since then, however, my experience in tanking has changed my priorities to maximizing threat.

When I decided to experiment, I junked every bit of extra Defense that I could after throwing SSG on my weapon. The results were delicious, and I'm sold on SSG from this point forward. I'm Expertise and Hit capped where I wasn't before, and gained about 1500 life. I used to get destroyed on the threat meters by our two Warrior tanks because I didn't have enough hit/expertise, where now I annihilate one and keep pace with the other. I'm very satisfied with the results of my experiment.

I want to point out, however, that there is a drawback - My avoidance went down significantly. I've lost, at a minimum, 4% Parry. After spending the last 3 months raiding as a tank, I know what my healers are capable of handling, and I know that they barely noticed that I lost that Parry. My avoidance stats are admittedly not that impressive anymore, but I'm willing to take that hit because I'm past the point where threat > survivability, and as gear gets better that gap's only going to increase, especially with DPS scaling as much as it does in new tiers of equipment. I remember very clearly making the jump from T4 to T5 to T5.5 as DPS, and getting hugely frustrated having only one tank in my guild that I could go nuts with and not worry about pulling from.

The second reason I've changed my mind about SSG is that I realized it provides me flexibility - the desire for which is the very same reason I chose Blacksmithing and Jewelcrafting as my professions. You get far greater amounts of it using SSG to tank with than you ever will with any other Rune. It gives you 123 rating's worth of Defense skill - about 8 gems worth. With 8 free gems you could gain:
-64 hit/expertise
-128 expertise
-128 hit
-192 stamina
And combinations thereof.

Outdated. Removed. Post reserved for future things. Not quite sure what yet.

Thankyou for a well thought out and well written post. I've just dinged 80 and starting to work on my tanking setup so that loot rank list is golden.

hmm...getting in on this

great post op!!!


question....possible make a segement on rotations.

ie: tanking groups, tanking single targets

and for each give a break down on possible rotations that hold effective aggro on one (or many) mobs?

just a thought!