TANKING SPECS

Specs

Keep in mind that these are basic specs, and can easily be switched about. Specs strike me a bit like snowflakes, everyone's going be different. But these are good places to start.

Deep Frost AOE Build 15/51/5

This build uses HB and BB for AOE tanking and can hold threat on Single Target using OB. I've added the HB glyph, as in my opinion the extra GCD you get by not having to apply FF then use a rune for no damage but to just spread the disease (Pest) is priceless. For single target you can set up as HB>OB>BS>BS||OB>OB>OB||OB>OB>BS>BS (repeat) and rely on the rime procs to keep FF up, while using FS to dump when you need to. For AOE tanking, HB>BB>BB should cement the mobs on you. If you need a bit more, drop the last BB in that rotation and put up DnD instead.

Although it doesn't have the pure Effective Heath as Blood does, it makes up for such a lack by taking less damage and having more avoidance. In all, a very effective spec.

Blood 53/13/5

This is mainly a single target build, but will do just fine in AOE with ample use of BB. The focus of this build is on the main strikes that do the majority of damage, HS and OB. Because of the reliance on weapon strikes, a hit cap of 8% is more then enough. Its vitally important to be at expertise soft cap however, as failure to do so will have you missing strikes. I included the build with 5 in Anticipation, but if you want to gear for more threat, you can easily lose three points from that to fill out Subversion. Those 3 points could come from Sudden Doom instead of Anticipation if you want to trade threat for threat. I highly recommend it, as Subversion affects the heavy hitters in this spec. This build has very high effective health due to Vampiric Blood and VotTW. I did not include Rune Tap as I could not justify the points. Feel free to change the build as you see fit.

Rotations will mainly be HS for the blood runes, and OB for F/U runes except for the first round. Just apply diseases with IT and PS then use one blood rune in later rotations for pest to keep them up. The lack of DRM doesn't allow for HS spam, but it does free up GCDs so a missed strike isn't so painful.

Blood AOE Build 56/5/10

This build makes ample use of HS, DnD, BB and DS. It should be very effective in AOE tanking while not being a total slouch in single target tanking. DRM allows for HS spam and DS should help keep health up. The pest glyph will negate having to reapply diseases, allowing the tank to focus more on DS or HS.

Unholy Build 13/5/53

This should be a great AOE build. Unholy just has way too many good AOE talents. Its single target threat may be lacking a bit but stuff should stick to you like glue in AOE situations.

Rotations and Priorities

Each build has an optimal rotation. Usually with a post of a build the poster will include what kind of rotation he uses. Ideally, the rotations would maximize damage and threat for that particular build. However, even hit/expertise capped you will never push off boss parry of the table, so chances of hitting with every attack and never losing time in a rotation is slim.

Basically, DK tanking requires that you pay attention to what is going on around you and adapt when necessary. This is not an easy task. Thus, there really is no perfect rotation.

Most of the time it will run on priorities.

Priorities will be things like, keeping diseases up, DnD down, diseases spread to all mobs, top aoe or single target damage when it is up, rune strikes when they are up and a runic power dump when all of those other things are satisfied.

Remember, rotations are easy when you don't miss. The closer you are to hit cap and expertise soft cap, the easier it becomes.

Improved Icy Talons vs Windfury

Improved Icy Talons will increase the melee haste of your raid by 20%. However, it is generally agreed upon that this is a waste of 6 points in the frost tree. Why? Because Shaman's totems affect everyone in the raid and thus, it is a complete waste of points when a raid can bring one shaman who drops the one windfury totem. And no, Icy Talons and Windfury do not stack. Haste has been improved for DK's but it is still not a stat you should actively go after until you get threat capped.

Useful Macros

For tanking, the most useful macro you can have is one that Macro's in Rune Strike. What it does is it will light up rune strike if it is available while doing the other ability.

#showtooltip /cast Blood Strike /cast !Rune Strike

Just replace "Blood Strike" with whatever ability you want to combine with. Be careful, however, as this DOES make it easier to keep doing Rune Strike as much as possible, it will drain your RP. So if you have to keep RP back for IBF, mind freeze, or Unholy Blight for those adds you are expecting, this could make your life more difficult.

You can find more Death Knight Macros here at WoWWiki. Some of these have uses.... others I think are a waste. They are here if you want them though.

Common Abbreviations and Acronyms

AMS Anti-Magic Shell
AMZ Anti-Magic Zone
AoD Army of the Dead
BB Blood Boil (also used to refer to Blade Barrier)
BCB Blood-Caked Blade
BG Blood Gorged
BotN Blood of the North
BP Blood Plague
BnS Bone Shield
BS Blood Strike (sometimes used for Bone Shield)
BT Blood Tap
CE Corpse Explosion
CF Crypt Fever
DC Death Coil
DG Death Grip
DnD/D&D Death and Decay
DRW Dancing Rune Weapon
DS Death Strike
EP Ebon Plaguebringer
ERW Empower Rune Weapon
FF Frost Fever
FS Frost Strike
GoG Guile of Gorefiend
HB Howling Blast
HC Hungering Cold
HS Heart Strike
IBF Icebound Fortitude
IT Icy Touch
MoB Mark of Blood
MoG Master of Ghouls
MoM Might of Mograine
OaPH On a Pale Horse
OB Obliterate
PS Plague Strike
RoR Rage of Rivendare
SD Sudden Doom
SG Summon Gargoyle
SS Scourge Strike
TS Tundra Stalker
UA Unbreakable Armor
UB Unholy Blight
VB Vampiric Blood
VotW Veteran of the Third War
WotN Will of the Necropolis