Welcome new DK!

Although I dinged my DK 80 some weeks ago, I haven't got around to posting about it until now.

I had tried DK a couple of times and deleted them at around 70ish. This poor orc was stuck at 72 for a looong time before I decided she could go all the way. At first I just didn't like the way DK worked, what with the runes and rune power and all. It kinda annoyed me that they have to work with two energy systems instead of just one like everyone else. They have both runes, and runic power. It is sort of like having to use energy and rage at the same time. This particular DK turned out as a frost tank, and has stayed that way. I had tried unholy and blood before that, as dps then, but I really enjoy tanking overall (I like being in charge *snicker*) so that is how I wanted her.

I like DK tanking actually, although I think sometimes they are a little too sensitive to the circumstances. Let me see if I can explain it. Although DKs have good threat in their skills, especially icy touch and death and decay, all these skills are affected by rune cooldowns and runic power. Get one rune wrong (double clicking the skill, clicking the wrong skill etc) you're in serious trouble as a DK tank. Add to that they lack an aoe taunt. This is true for any tank of course. As soon as they don't have their resources available (enough rage/mana) they're in trouble. The difference is getting rage as a warrior/druid is fairly easy, at level 80 anyway. Those two classes even have short cooldowns (enrage/bloodrage) to help them with that. Getting mana is a little trickier, but unless you're a numbnut or tanking VH it's actually quite difficult to oom as a protadin. So the issue with DK is that it is too easy to be left without resources. They have tried to ease this on frost tanks by giving them threat skills that use runic power instead of runes, but you still have to use runes to get runic power. Use one skill wrong and you could very well be doomed for the next 8 seconds. One could simply say "well just don't use the wrong skills!". True, but you don't ever see a druid go "Oh fuck, I just swiped, I am screwed!". Or the warrior go "Oh no, I have shield slam on cd now?!". Or the paladin go "No why did I press Consecration when I need it in 3 seconds?!". That is because even if a druid/paladin/warrior uses the inappropriate skill they still have the means to remedy the situation. Being able to remedy a mistake is also about skill, and you should at least have the possibility to do so. Especially if you're a tank! Lives depend on it.

Also I think DK's have aoe threat issues. Yes, before you start yelling let me explain. Dks have an awesome aoe threat skill in Death & Decay. Actually it is a little too awesome. I often feel that if I don't put it down it won't matter how many Howling Blasts and Blood Boils I throw off, I still won't keep those mobs to me. But one D&D will definitely do the job. Then what the heck are all those other aoe skills good for? Why do I have Howling Blast when it doesn't cut it? I was even so naïve when I first started out that I thought "heck Howling Blast has to be better than D&D because you have to talent for it and all". Boy was I wrong. Some dude told "you really should use D&D more". And I went "well I thought I wouldn't have to because I have specced fancy frost talents" *grumble*. It is sad because it makes you feel like it doesn't matter what you spec, all you really need is D&D to tank well...

And that means when you at some moment don't have D&D off cooldown... you won't be able to aoe tank. All other tanks can just run around and throw thunder claps, swipes and hammers but nooo, DKs have to place diseases and then pestilence and then use Howling Blast and then Blood Boil to keep some proper aoe threat without D&D. Wait a second, that is at least 4 gcds instead of one? Having to wait with a pull because my D&D is on cooldown is annoying. I never have to do that on my other tanks.

Ok enough about the whining. Dks might have some problems with their aoe threat, but on the other hand they have awesome singletarget threat. I've never had any issues whatsoever with keeping aggro from someone who outgears me by more than 1000 gs or thousands of dps. I don't even have to try that hard. I know that with a druid/warrior/paladin I'd probably have to bust my ass off to do that.

So overall I really enjoy DK tanking. It needs a little more planning than the other tank classes do, but if you get it off properly it is quite rewarding.

At the moment I am tanking with these really funny looking balls as you can see on the picture above (Love calls them maracas).