*Disclaimer* This guide was written prior to cross realm looking for group. As such, the builds are optimized for an old world style leveling grind which consisted mostly of doing non-instance quests solo, with an occasional instance mixed in. If you are going to be leveling mainly through instances using the x-realm LFG system many things in the FAQ (and strength/weakness portion) still apply but the builds contained within are NOT optimized for instance DPS or tanking. In that case, if you're DPS please see Kailee's thread. Pick the talents in the primary tree (I.E. blood or unholy) first and then do the secondary tree. If you're going to be tanking, please see post 31 on page 2 in this thread for a 2h frost tank leveling build. Post 86 is a dual wield frost tank leveling build.
Introduction
So you’ve decided to click on that enter world button with a DK. If so one of the first questions on your mind will probably be where to allocate your talent points. I’ve had the misfortune of picking a race that I wasn’t really happy with once I reached end game (pre-race change service) on my DK so I’ve actually had to level 2 of them. I leveled my first Death Knight as blood based on the recommendation of a friend. My second one I leveled unholy after doing a little research on the forums. The purpose of this guide is to pass on to you my observations and recommendations for leveling your new Death Knight.
FAQ
Which spec is the best?
This is a very subjective question. Each of the three different trees has strengths and weaknesses. The goal of this guide is to outline these as adequately as possible so you can make an informed choice. You will never, ever, ever get a majority consensus by asking a bunch of Death Knights what the best way to level is.
They’ll all tell you the way they leveled was the best. In other words, you’re going to have to make at least some decisions for your self and possibly experiment a little. Also, keep in mind that since Death Knights start off at 55 with only 1 gold respec fees if you choose a style and it doesn’t suit you then you can come back to this guide and try another.
"Best", much like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.
I want to tank instances while I level. Should I use tanking talents in my leveling build?
See the disclaimer. The answer to this depends on how frequently you plan on doing instances. If you plan on tanking a lot of instances you should use both a dedicated tank spec and gear. If you plan on leveling mostly solo, running the occasional instance just to get a quest done, or if someone just whispers you asking if you'll tank it's definitely doable with a DPS spec and gear. Just make sure you are level appropriate (within one level of the last boss is ideal) before accepting. Never tank when you're 4 or more levels below any mob in the instance. You'll be taking crushing blows.
Runeforging, which one should I use?
Prior to level 70 the two most common runeforges are razorice and cinderglacier. Which one you want to use depends on if you are dual wield leveling or using a 2 hander. Generally speaking cinderglacier is the better 2 hand enchant and razorice is the better 1 hand enchant. If dual wielding, feel free to put cinder on 1 blade and razorice on the other. Once you hit level 70 Fallen Crusader is the only enchant you want for your 2 hander. For dual wielders you put fallen crusader on your main hand either razorice or cinderclacier on your off hand.
What about BOA armor?
No reason not to use them.
What kind of weapons do I want?
All builds look for weapons with high top end damage. If you look at any weapons in the game all have a number range. For instance a dagger might have a range of 150-250 while a 1 handed sword might have a range of 275-450 and a 2 hander might have a range of 500-750. Any time you perform a death knight strike like frost or scourge strike the game engine uses this number to determine how much damage the strike will do. So, if comparing a weapon that does 250-300 damage to a weapon that does 275-400 damage a swing the latter has better "top end" and is the better choice for the Death Knight. Pay close attention to this when selecting weapons. It’s easy to pick a weapon with the higher raw DPS (a higher swing speed makes up for the lower range) and think that it’s an upgrade when in reality you’re hitting weaker. This rule is the same whether you are using 2 handers or dual wielding.
What about the BOA weapon/s? I tried runeforging it and it won’t work!
Sadly no, you can not runeforge any BOA weapons. However, this does not mean you shouldn’t use them. In general the BOA weapons raw damage and passive stats are far better than anything you’ll get while leveling. In other words even an un-enchanted BOA weapon will out perform most runeforged weapons that you will get.
Introduction
So you’ve decided to click on that enter world button with a DK. If so one of the first questions on your mind will probably be where to allocate your talent points. I’ve had the misfortune of picking a race that I wasn’t really happy with once I reached end game (pre-race change service) on my DK so I’ve actually had to level 2 of them. I leveled my first Death Knight as blood based on the recommendation of a friend. My second one I leveled unholy after doing a little research on the forums. The purpose of this guide is to pass on to you my observations and recommendations for leveling your new Death Knight.
FAQ
Which spec is the best?
This is a very subjective question. Each of the three different trees has strengths and weaknesses. The goal of this guide is to outline these as adequately as possible so you can make an informed choice. You will never, ever, ever get a majority consensus by asking a bunch of Death Knights what the best way to level is.
They’ll all tell you the way they leveled was the best. In other words, you’re going to have to make at least some decisions for your self and possibly experiment a little. Also, keep in mind that since Death Knights start off at 55 with only 1 gold respec fees if you choose a style and it doesn’t suit you then you can come back to this guide and try another.
"Best"
I want to tank instances while I level. Should I use tanking talents in my leveling build?
See the disclaimer. The answer to this depends on how frequently you plan on doing instances. If you plan on tanking a lot of instances you should use both a dedicated tank spec and gear. If you plan on leveling mostly solo, running the occasional instance just to get a quest done, or if someone just whispers you asking if you'll tank it's definitely doable with a DPS spec and gear. Just make sure you are level appropriate (within one level of the last boss is ideal) before accepting. Never tank when you're 4 or more levels below any mob in the instance. You'll be taking crushing blows.
Runeforging, which one should I use?
Prior to level 70 the two most common runeforges are razorice and cinderglacier. Which one you want to use depends on if you are dual wield leveling or using a 2 hander. Generally speaking cinderglacier is the better 2 hand enchant and razorice is the better 1 hand enchant. If dual wielding, feel free to put cinder on 1 blade and razorice on the other. Once you hit level 70 Fallen Crusader is the only enchant you want for your 2 hander. For dual wielders you put fallen crusader on your main hand either razorice or cinderclacier on your off hand.
What about BOA armor?
No reason not to use them.
What kind of weapons do I want?
All builds look for weapons with high top end damage. If you look at any weapons in the game all have a number range. For instance a dagger might have a range of 150-250 while a 1 handed sword might have a range of 275-450 and a 2 hander might have a range of 500-750. Any time you perform a death knight strike like frost or scourge strike the game engine uses this number to determine how much damage the strike will do. So, if comparing a weapon that does 250-300 damage to a weapon that does 275-400 damage a swing the latter has better "top end" and is the better choice for the Death Knight. Pay close attention to this when selecting weapons. It’s easy to pick a weapon with the higher raw DPS (a higher swing speed makes up for the lower range) and think that it’s an upgrade when in reality you’re hitting weaker. This rule is the same whether you are using 2 handers or dual wielding.
What about the BOA weapon/s? I tried runeforging it and it won’t work!
Sadly no, you can not runeforge any BOA weapons. However, this does not mean you shouldn’t use them. In general the BOA weapons raw damage and passive stats are far better than anything you’ll get while leveling. In other words even an un-enchanted BOA weapon will out perform most runeforged weapons that you will get.
