Unholy Death Knight
Armory - Demo - Outland EU
Hello everyone, just wanna share my Unholy DPS (Patch 4.3) Single Target rotation/Priority with all the Unholy DKs out there. :)
So why choose Unholy?
I find Unholy in patch 4.3 does A LOT more DPS than Frost in Dragon Soul.
It is a very competitive PVE spec if played correctly, and it is not as boring to play as Frost.
Unholy doesn't have the instant burst like other class/specs and takes a few moments to ramp up our DPS, but our dots and other abilities makes up for it, which makes movements fights a lot better than Frost.
Our Ebon Plaguebringer can provide your target/s with a debuff of 8% all magic damage taken.
If your raid requires, you can also spec into Anti-Magic Zone, and help reduce magic taken for your raid.
Unholy PVE DPS with [Gurthalak, Voice of the Deeps] 44k Dummy Burst
My Unholy Burst Rotation Guide
Click here - Unholy 7/1/33
DPS in Unholy Presence.
Two handed weapon with Rune of the Fallen Crusader.
Prime Glyphs are Raise Dead, Death Coil, Scourge Strike.
A very Important Addon, I cannot play a Dk without it, its called DKIRunes.
http://wow.curse.com/downloads/wow-addons/details/dkirunes.aspx
As Unholy PVE DPS, the only abilities/spells I use are,
Death Coil (DC), Festering Strike (FS), Scourge Strike (SS), Outbreak, Death and Decay (DnD), Pestilence.
No Rune Strikes/Obliterate/Death Strikes/Blood Strikes/Necrotice Strikes etc.
Single Target:
- Army at start just before the pull (if no adds in the fight),
- Golemblood Potion (Use Golemblood Potion just before combat, you'll be able to use it again mid fight when CD is over.)
- Use all Trinkets/Blood Fury if Orc.
- Unholy Frenzy (Only hold off Unholy Frenzy if Blood Lust/Hero/Timewarp is used in the beginning as we'll be over haste capped and waste a CD)/
- Army, Outbreak, FS x2, SS x2, Gargoyle, Blood Tap + DnD, SS spam, DC x3, then, use off your Runes (SS, FS** See Festering Strike)
- Now, find your chance to use Empower Rune Weapon, use it when ALL runes are on CD.
Thats the beginning part of most of the fights, everything from there on is priorities.
Priorities:
There isn't a set rotations after using my burst rotation stated above, so we use priorities.
- Keep Diseases up on target
- Dark Transformation
- DnD / Scourge Strike
- Festering Strike (when you have Blood/Frost Runes)
- Death Coil (Sudden Doom)
- Horn of Winter
Make sure Pet is summoned (Can easily forget after a spec change or a wipe.)
Make sure your diseases are on any targets you are attacking, keep diseases up at all times and do not refresh until they are nearly out.
Use Dark Transformation(Massive pet!)/Sudden Doom(flashing DC), as soon as its up, Gargoyle too, if used Gargolye in the beginning, it can be used 2-3 times in a boss fight.
Unholy Rune/Death Runes = SS spam/DnD.
Scourge Strikes - This is your main ability, use it with Unholy/Death Runes.
DnD - Use it whenever its up (DnD for single target, mastery gives us the shadow damage boost since mastery changed and it cannot be dodged or missed. Unless there are Adds to kill, save it for adds).
Festering Strikes** - FS are used when you have a Blood Rune or Frost Rune ready(or nearly ready), even if you have to pair it up using a Death Rune to cast FS.
You should not need to use IT+PS to refresh single target dots if used FS every time FS are used when needed, unless you have to change targets.
Outbreak will be up again when you do need to refresh dots.
DC x3 - Build up your Runic Power, do not let your Runic Power capped for too long, but sometimes you cannot help it especially when BL/Hero is used. but remember, always use SS/FS over DC.
Blood Tap - Use it whenever its ready, ONLY use it when your "first" Blood Rune is on CD, you'll gain an extra Rune for SS/DnD/Dark Transformation or use it to pair up with a Frost Rune to cast FS.
Horn of Winter - Use it when there are nothing else to use.
Tricks & Tips:
- Anti Magic Shell - Use it to absorb magical damage to gain more RP, more RP = more DC spam. Time it right and you can cast DC a lot more. Unless you need it for survival.
- Dark Simulacrum - Use this on caster mobs/boss to copy their spells (i.e: Hagara's Shattered Ice)
- Pestilence - Pestilence is your friend! Spread your dots whenever there are more than one targets, this can make a world of difference. i.e: On Warmaster Blackhorn, Pestilence your dots onto the drakes if it is near enough and carry on DPS the elites on the ship. The longer the adds are alive, the more DPS you do. You can also use Pestilence to refresh dots on other mobs, tab target, Pestilence again to refresh your last target's dots.
- Blood Tap - Time your "2nd" Blood rune, when it's nearly off CD and about 3 seconds away coming back up as Blood Rune, use Blood Tap, not only you will gain a free Death Rune where your "first" Blood rune would be, you will also turn your "2nd" upcoming Blood rune into a Death Rune, makes 2x Death Rune.
- Death Coil your Pet - Whenever you're not DPSing, for example, between trash clear, or moving around the platform on Hagara's fight, fire some DCs on your pet to help building up the 5 stacks for your next Dark Transformation.
Stat priorities:
Without [Gurthalak, Voice of the Deeps]
Hit (to cap 8%), Strength, Haste, Crit, Mastery, Expertise
Reforge - Make sure there is Haste on every piece of gear you have (on trinkets too if possible).
If Haste is already on gear, reforge to Crit or Hit if not capped yet, just take away the stat you want the least.
With [Gurthalak, Voice of the Deeps]
Hit (to cap 8%), Strength, Haste, Mastery, Crit, Expertise
Reforge - Make sure there is Haste on every piece of gear you have (on trinkets too if possible).
If Haste is already on gear, reforge to Mastery or Hit if not capped yet, just take away the stat you want the least.
As Unholy, you do not need Expertise AT ALL, zero Expertise is ideal.
Gems:
- Meta: [Reverberating Shadowspirit Diamond] +54 Strength and 3% Crit
- Red Sockets: [Bold Queen's Garnet] +50 Strength
- Yellow Sockets: [Fierce Lava Coral] +25 Strength +25 Haste
- Blue Sockets: [Etched Shadow Spinel] +25 Strength + 25 Hit
ONLY match Socket Colour IF bonus is +20 Strength or more.
NEVER gem pure Hit or Haste, You can always reforge more hit.
Macro:
#showtooltip Scourge Strike
/cast [target=pettarget,harm,nodead][] Claw
/cast Scourge Strike
Apparently our pet doesn't use Claw as often as it should accroding to Elitist Jerks, so I made this to bind to my SS.
I hope this help.
Happy Raiding!
