Dear Ghostcrawler (or whomever is reading this message),


I'm currently the #1 rated frost DK in the world in 3's and 5's (which, knowing how many things I have to improve, is pretty sad).

My Proof:
http://www.sk-gaming.com/arena/player/3/all/62/all/all/
http://www.sk-gaming.com/arena/player/5/all/62/all/all/ (the one above isn't a PVP specced frost)

In fact, I am one of the last remaining high rated Frost Death Knights in a class that has already sunk to 1% representation on the SK top 100 (http://www.sk-gaming.com/arena/player/), and the lowest represented class overall in 3's and 5's (http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=t3EeV8gGjB_hNeyYLUY2aqw&output=html).

I'd like to discuss the recent addition of diminishing returns to Chains of Ice (COI), and how it will severely cripple Frost's ability to snare targets as well as generate Runic Power (RP).


Executive Summary (though I entreat you to skim the whole):

- COI is currently the primary Frost snare and Runic Power generator. A diminishing return preventing repeated COI use will severely cripple Frost's ability to close gaps (which it must do as a largely melee-dependent spec), generate RP (which it must do because Frost's primary source of PVP damage, Frost Strike, requires abundant RP), and even apply Frost Fever itself (on the PTR, the fourth COI cast within the DR simply fails).

- Chilblains is not an effective alternative, since:

(1) Frost Fever is extremely easy to dispel.
(2) Icy Touch can't generate effective RP with the new version of the IT glyph.
(3) The Frost tree is extremely bloated, making it almost impossible to pick up Chilblains and keep critical Dual Wielding talents (which are needed, now that Frost DKs have almost entirely itemized for DW).

- Proposed Solutions: (individually or in conjunction with one another):

(1) Revert the diminishing returns change on COI (especially since it's cleansed easily by personal cooldowns or partners in a 3's and 5's environment).
(2) Make Chilblains undispellable again (as it was pre-3.2).
(3) Add more protection to Frost Fever (which Chilblains depends on).
(4) -- Clean up the Frost tree and remove bloat --

The Problem:

As you are no doubt aware, Chains of Ice (COI) was recently changed on the PTR to apply a diminishing return (http://i36.tinypic.com/r8t28m.jpg).

To compensate Unholy DKs for this, you buffed the duration of Desecration to 20 seconds. While that's quite helpful for them, the Frost spec will severely suffer if this COI change isn't reverted.

Currently, Frost uses Chains of Ice as its main PVP snare and RP generator. If Chains is put on DR, Frost will be unable to utilize our primary gap closer and generate our main DPS resource mechanic.

Frost is (along with Blood) extremely melee dependent, as we can't count on our easily-dispelled diseases and unmodified Death Coils to provide sufficient DPS pressure. With the prevalence of snare/rooters like mages, shaman, warriors, Frost MUST be able to close the gap to use Frost Strike and Obliterate, and currently Chains is our only effective tool for doing so.


(A) Why not Chilblains?

Why not indeed? There are three compelling reasons why Chilblains will not make up for the loss of COI as a main snare.


(A1) Frost Fever (and, by extension, Chilblains) is extremely easy to dispel.

Originally, Chilblains was unlinked from Frost Fever - once applied, it counted as a 50% physical-based snare. With 3.2, however, Chilblains is dispelled if Frost Fever is dispelled.

Many abilities make disease dispelling almost mindless. Shaman and Priests, two of the best represented arena classes, both have means of removing diseases without using any global cooldown (Cleansing Totem and Abolish Disease). Additionally, Frost Fever can still be cleansed by Paladins, and Druids can simply shift out of any snare that Frost Fever might apply.

So why not simply re-apply Frost Fever using Icy Touch? Well, besides causing us to lose a Frost rune every time it's used (which hinders our ability to Obliterate, as runes regenerate every 10 seconds), it leads into my second point:


(A2) The Icy Touch glyph no longer generates runic power, crippling IT's RP generation utility.

To kill the new Death Coil-spamming Unholy spec, the Glyph of Icy Touch (the only alternative to spamming COI for generating Runic Power) is being changed. It no longer generates 10 extra Runic Power - now, it increases Frost Fever's damage.

With this change, Icy Touch will be unable to generate the Runic Power needed to fuel Frost Strike, our primary source of PVP damage.

Frost Strike costs 32 Runic Power. Currently, COI (with PVP gloves and Chill of the Grave) generates 15 RP every time it is used. Icy Touch (with the Glyph and Chill of the Grave) generates 20 RP. Without the glyph, Icy Touch generates 10 RP.

The consequence: Frost Strike will require three Icy Touches, with some change, to generate enough RP for a single Frost Strike. That's assuming frost runes aren't used on Obliterate, which only generates 15 RP, requires both a Frost and Unholy rune, and depends on having two diseases on the target to be effective.

So why not simply use both Chains of Ice and Icy Touch to generate RP and snare? Besides the net nerf to Runic Power generation, this is answered by my third point:


(A3) The new Frost tree with Threat of Thaurissan and Nerves of Cold Steel is extremely bloated.

With the reintroduction of DK Dual Wielding in 3.2, Frost took very heavy nerfs to 2-handed viability. Theorycrafters on Elitist Jerks have determined that Frost must use 1H weapons to remain competitive with other specs.

Both Threat of Thaurissan and Nerves of Cold Steel require six points for Dual Wielding. This has severely bloated the Frost tree, and makes spending an additional three points for Chilblains (a talent already deep in the Frost tree) almost impossible.

One can't pick up Chilblains without speccing out of other crucial Frost talents like Killing Machine, Chill of the Grave, Scent of Blood, or Endless Winter (the latter of which is required to make a COI and IT snare rotation viable).

Furthermore, most PVP Frost DKs (that remain) have already spent several weeks of arena points to buy two 1H weapons, which are useless for Unholy or Blood. Requiring DKs to spec out of TOT and NOCS to have snaring potential renders these purchased 1H weapons a waste of arena points.

(B) Proposed Solutions:


(B1) Revert the diminishing returns on Chains (either in totality, or for deep-Frost DKs).

With the recent shift in arena focus to 3's and 5's, most teams have a partner who can dispel Magic effects. Chains is easily dispelled and costs a frost rune which could otherwise be utilized for damage.

"COI SPAM!!!!", especially with the snare-breaking cooldowns and partner dispels of the modern 3-5 person arena, isn't an intelligent strategy to lock down a player. The new diminishing returns on chains isn't needed.


(B2) Make Chilblains undispellable (again).

While this wouldn't solve the (new) poor Runic Power generation problems of Icy Touch, it would make Frost DKs able to close the gap to use their Frost Strikes and Obliterates.


(B3) Give Deep Frost more disease protection.

Currently, removing Frost Fever negates 25% or more of a Frost DK's total DPS potential. With Abolish Disease and Cleansing totem ticking every few seconds, it's extremely easy to get Frost Fever off. In fact, a Frost DK must spend most Frost runes just keeping Frost Fever on the target (and each rune takes 10 seconds to regenerate!).

More protection for Deep Frost diseases would not only preserve our Damage, but also the snare potential of Chilblains (which relies on Frost Fever).

Ideally, (B2) or (B3) would be used in conjunction with (B4), which is:


(B4) Un-bloat deep Frost talents.

Ideally, (B1), (B2) or (B3) would be combined with (B4).

As mentioned in (A3), to make Dual Wielding work, Frost must spend six talent points on Dual Wielding that were unnecessary before 3.2. This makes speccing into Chilblains impossible without losing vital DPS cooldowns, and it contributes to a poorly-designed Frost tree overall.


Thank you for your patience, and for taking the time to consider the impact of 3.3 on a swiftly vanishing, but incomparably enjoyable, PVP spec. :)

Sincerely,
- Discretion

Then you should know they don't balance around the SK-Gaming proprietary ratings of the top 100.

TL:DR

RIP Shadowfrost. You will not be missed.

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Q u o t e:
TL:DR

RIP Shadowfrost. You will not be missed.

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I'm not Shadowfrost.

Nothing in the post is about Shadowfrost.

If it's too long (and you can't read an Executive Summary) then please keep your uneducated opinions.

Thank you.

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Q u o t e:
TL:DR

RIP Shadowfrost. You will not be missed.

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Because shadowfrost used chains of ice?

WRONG.

Shadowfrost always used Icy Touch. That's the whole reason they're nerfing the glyph.

Its pretty shocking that they nerfed Chains of Ice when they came out and said they don't balance around 2v2.

Sad.

I applaud your effort to have the change reverted with your extensive argument and layout.

However blizzard doesn't want to hear your solutions to the problem ,they want to hear your feedback.

If you dislike the change and feel it will heavily negatively impact you as a player in an unfair way, perhaps you should actually use the change on PTR then post the experiences you had on their. AKA show how dispelling classes will actually create DR problems on your Chains of Ice. Talk about how you felt you were kited all day, and list examples of ability usage where it ended up with you unable to catch an opponent for copious amounts of time.

Let them solve the problem, just give them REAL feedback on the change, don't give them theorycraft.

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Q u o t e:
apparently blizzard heard that some people were still playing dks after all the other nerfs, this is being rectified.

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This, sadly.

/cry

:'(

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Q u o t e:
apparently blizzard heard that some people were still playing dks after all the other nerfs, this is being rectified.

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Q u o t e:
I applaud your effort to have the change reverted with your extensive argument and layout.

However blizzard doesn't want to hear your solutions to the problem ,they want to hear your feedback.

If you dislike the change and feel it will heavily negatively impact you as a player in an unfair way, perhaps you should actually use the change on PTR then post the experiences you had on their. AKA show how dispelling classes will actually create DR problems on your Chains of Ice. Talk about how you felt you were kited all day, and list examples of ability usage where it ended up with you unable to catch an opponent for copious amounts of time.

Let them solve the problem, just give them REAL feedback on the change, don't give them theorycraft.

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There is plenty of feedback. Experiential feedback is not the only form of valid argument (despite what Postmodernism would lead you to believe). Also, the suggestions are only 1/3 of the post.

And I don't think telling them "I WAS KITED ALL DAY!!!" is quite sufficient. That's not going to convince them of anything but my opinion.

"Nobody likes being kited forever."

I cant remember who said this. Someone refresh my memory? :D

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Q u o t e:


This is really at the heart of any complaints about DK's this season deathgrip and chains are really annoying, but with DK's rep so low they don't even come close to being good enough to help dk's.

I mean get rid of coi, I don't want to annoy anyone, I want them to have fun too, but give us something else.

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The 20 seconds on Desecration is that "something else" for Unholy, apparently. :(

For Frost, our "something else" is "something borderline useless we pay 3 talent points for."