Can someone give me the updated state on DKs?

[Lysander]

Here's what I know, can someone fill in the gaps for me please? I haven't been keeping up with the whole DK thing :)...

-DKs have runes - 2 Blood, 2 Unholy, 2 Frost. Each rune regenerates 10 seconds after you used it.
-Using runes generates Runic Power, depending on the ability you used. Runic Power can scale up the stuff your abilities do, and also allow you to cast other abilities. It is a generic, rage-like thing that doesn't generate itself but instead must be built up in combat.
-DKs have a ranged snare that uses Frost Runes.
-DKs have a ranged pull.
-DKs have an off the GCD spell interrupt that uses Frost Runes (or does it use Runic Power?)
-DKs generally spec Unholy for PvP.
-"Strikes" are DKs main damage abilities.
-They have a CloS type thing that lasts 10 seconds.
-Blood is the leveling spec, Frost is the tanking spec.
-They tank better against magic damage than any other tank.
-They deal a lot of damage for a tankish class in PvP.

What else is there? I'm not asking for every ability, just the general strategy you use in PvP, what clutch abilities the DK has, which "standard" abilities the DK has (like mirrors of other class skills), and your general impressions of the DK, or even just baseline knowledge that anyone who plans on playing a DK should go in with. I'm pretty sure I can pick up what each ability does while I'm playing ;-).

[Dalara]

I'll help you out a bit, been having some fun with my premade and leveling deathknight. General idea is about spot on, although some other cool stuff you missed.

-DKs have a ranged pull.
35s cd, 25s CD with low tier unholy talents

DKs have an off the GCD spell interrupt that uses Frost Runes (or does it use Runic Power?)
20 runic power

-They have a CloS type thing that lasts 10 seconds.
With glyph, don't think it's changed yet but I don't have one to see.

-Blood is the leveling spec, Frost is the tanking spec.
You can really spec any tree for leveling/tanking, pvp it's been back and forth, although the utility in unholy will probably be best for the larger brackets. Blood is generally considered leveling since is has more self healing components that lead to less downtime. Tanking right now unholy is probably best if you're raiding. For 5 mans it won't matter if you have some gear. This is going to be changing so don't worry about specs yet.

Overall if you play one it's pretty simple. You're a melee class first and foremost. Most of your damage and globals are spend on strikes or spells that apply diseases to your target. For instance you engage a mob, and cast icy touch(frost fever) then plague strike(blood plague) and you would kind of go from there. Plenty of abilities do more damage for the number of diseases on your target. Also pretty much all strikes that apply diseases do some part of your weapon damage.

As for other utility stuff. Icebound fortitude is 50% damage reduction and immune to stuns for 12s on a one minute CD. Very powerful ability all around and makes deathknights very durable. A ranged silence similar to spriests on a 2m CD(this will probably be lowered a bit). an targeted AOE similar to consecrate. 20min CD biggie spell 6s channeled that summons a ton of ghouls(probably one of the coolest looking spells in the game)

They also have a 2/5 min pet (uncontrollable) unless you spec unholy then it's basically permanent (5m instant summon cd). The pet has leap, stun, a shield wall ability, and claw type damage ability, they use focus.

Overall it's kind of like playing an enhance shammy or ret paladin (as in melee with spells and some range) but with more buttons no mana and a lot more defensive/offensive CDs. Unholy is pretty much the PvP presence(think stance) as it lowers your global CD to 1s like a rogue.

[Zanny]

Blood - You dont die, but you are also kitable in pvp and in pve you deal decent, but not exceptional damage, because an uncontrollable ghoul is too liable in raids to be used, but is still a significant DK damage chunk. You wont die though, and provide good utility. Hysteria is amazing.

Frost - CC tree, gives the class snares, and good runic power usage, also looks like the best tank tree and has some of the best talents entering late beta. Id bet on frost becoming the skilled player pvp tree, because frost mage / dk synergy will the basis of the class in pvp.

Unholy - Highest dps even with nerfed pets due to the way runes work. On beta, you put up 2 diseases with icy touch and plague strike, and then you have 2 blood and 1 of unholy and frost. Your damage moves of significance use a 1 unholy / 1 frost combo (obliterate mostly) and death strike heals you, and costs the same. You now have 2 blood runs, and blood strike is fine with these runes twice until you can do another oblit and then another. Using runic power in this build is pretty much gargoyle upkeep and you can do it almost indefinately.

I think unholy is best for leveling because the ghoul is useful for mob groups and tanking elites while going through bc content, cuz you can heal it. It tanking ability is lacking though, so its best to stick it on 1 mob outside your target range and let pestilance carry dots to it and kill it off for you. Naturally, best leveling is aoe grinding with constant dot spreads and death and decay everywhere.

[Lysander]

So if you would level a DK, you would do the early quests as normal and then once you go to Outland just find chain AoE grind spots and keep doing that as you level - forsaking quest altogether unless they happen to coincide with your AoE spot? So probably 55-58 in DK starter area, 58 go to Outland and start with maybe the Fire imp packs? Then maybe move on to the orcs around the center, then maybe the Orcs at the southeast, then the flayers in that basin, and end with maybe the demons at the southwest? I donno.. I somehow cant see that being faster than quest XP, but maybe you're right o-o.

Also, would you recommend leveling a profession for your DK at the start or do it later on?

[Steamboat]

why are you more kitable as blood than as frost? it would seem you are more kitable as frost when you have to use frost runes for things like howling blast instead of saving them for more chains of ice.

[Auvvey]

Frost - CC tree, gives the class snares, and good runic power usage, also looks like the best tank tree and has some of the best talents entering late beta. Id bet on frost becoming the skilled player pvp tree, because frost mage / dk synergy will the basis of the class in pvp.

I've been playing frost under this assumption. It seems very strong for various reasons; you can stack resistance auras with the 80 resist, you get all sorts of control mechanisms.

I'll probably be trying Paladin/Warrior/Frost DK with WotLK, I can't wait.

[Dalara]

Why would you aoe grind mobs when quests are so much more fun and give better exp?

[Oteb]

Why would you aoe grind mobs when quests are so much more fun and give better exp?

You fail to grasp how unholy aoe grind mobs....

Imagine you have prot pally for tanking with mage doing AE and they both dont run out of mana and are healed for part of damage they do to a point where they dont have to even bandage.

My level 62 dk pulls 8-12 mobs of equal level and kills them all within like 10 gcds. Depending on usage of death strike I end up with 60-90% health.

My level 80 DK is even more efficient.

[juventino_hero]

ooo, thanks for this, learned abit, cant wait to start my DK come wotlk, no more shit boring hunter!

[uglykobald]

ooo, thanks for this, learned abit, cant wait to start my DK come wotlk, no more shit boring hunter!

Same, I always though I'd be the last hunter to reroll too :P