Death Knight Nerfs Incoming

The inevitable is finally going to come to pass…that’s right ladies and gentlemen, death knights are getting nerfed. /tear

We’re starting to get a lot of PvP data in, and several classes are having trouble beating rogues, Frost mages, Ret paladins and death knights.

Death knights have a lot of options at the moment, which is cool, but makes it really hard for another player to catch a break and burn a death knight down. So we’re going to try some changes. I won’t sugar-coat it — these are nerfs.

– The ghoul is doing too much damage. He is receiving 100% of death knight strength, which is much higher than most pets.
– Chains of Ice is going back to be being dispellable. It is probably the best snare in the game at the moment, for a class that already has Death Grip.
– The same is true of both Strangulate and Mind Freeze. Strangulate’s cooldown is going to go up. Mind Freeze remains the quick interrupt.
– We’re increasing the cooldown on Anti-Magic Shell. We don’t think this will hurt DKs in PvE much, and it still leaves you with Icebound Fortitude to use often.

As always, if we overdid it, if DKs are now too weak in PvP, we’ll adjust. But we were at the point where we weren’t getting a lot of good numbers because some fights were just over too quickly.

Most of these changes don’t seem all that massive, yes they are nerfs, there’s no denying that. But I don’t think these minor changes take away from the overall utility of the class. You’ve got a class that arguable has the best of everything…crowd control, snares, damage output, survivability, all wrapped up in an explosive and high armor package. Something has got to give in order to bring it in line with other classes, especially from a PvP perspective.

I’m very interested to see the finalize version of these changes on the beta. It’s been great to watch Blizzard build a class from the ground up, they really are dong a fine job assimilating such a dynamic and interesting character into the existing.

What do you think? Will death knights before crazy overpowered even after these changes? or are they brought down to the land of us mere mortals.

Mage Talent Builds

If you’re looking for the best mage talent builds then you’ve come to the right place. This mage spec guide will be continually updated to reflect the current best arcane, fire, frost and hybrid builds for pvp, pve, leveling and more! With that said, let’s get to the good stuff!

PvP Mage Specs
When we consider mage pvp builds their are a variety of factors we must consider. The first, and most important is the purpose of the build. We basically have two types of pvp builds, those builds for arena, and those builds not for arena.

For the purpose of arena we really have to be concerned with the longevity of the build. So we’re going deep in the front tree. Frost mage spec - 17/0/44, this is pretty much our baseline for mage frost builds. It’s got great survivability, longevity, and of course the addition of improved counter spell. A spell that if you’re comfortable managing, can be extremely powerful.

Next we have, frost mage build - 0/5/56. This build doesn’t require you to be as clutch with your CS, and also allows for even greater survivability, control, and longevity over it’s 17/0/44 counterpart. With this type of build you essentially are a kiting master.

Master of Frost, frost mage build - 0/0/61. A build like this is anything but orthodox. It lakes some of the utility we find in traditional frost specs, but even so many mages have used this spec to great success. Needless to say this spec will allow you maximum survivability and maximum kiting ability.

If you’re looking for additional information on pvp and arena, head over here, mage pvp specs guide.

The following pvp specs are great for battlegrounds and world PvP, though I don’t consider them optimal for arena. That said, if you have the right type of team they could work. Fire mage build - 33/28/0.

Ah yes, the time honored 3 minute mage build. Not much to say here, it’s hilarious for BGs, and even more so in the right arena matrix. I’ve seen this build used by a variety of gib teams in arena.

Fire mage build - 17/44/0. This is pretty much your baseline fire build. You’ve got imp. CS, great damage, and at least some ability to live beyond your PoM that comes with the 33/28/0 build. Strong build, lacks of the survivability of an full frost build, but great if you love fire.

PvE Mage Specs
The one thing I really love about raiding as a mage is the wide variety of potential specs you can choose to raid with. Arcane mage build - 40/0/21, this is the most fundamental of all arcane PvE raiding builds. Your basic rotation will be spamming arcane blast until you are low / out of mana, then use frost bolts to recover. Great spec that serves most all raid scenarios quite well.

For all you fire fans out there I suggest going with 2/48/11 fire mage build. It’s got the best overall damage of any fire spec and will optimize your DPS with rolling ignites. You should note that there are 3 free points in this build, I’ve chosen to put 1 in pyro, 1 in improved flamestrike, and 1 in blastwave. You could toss those 3 in really any talents of your choice.

This next build is not the greatest DPS build. However, for guild’s working on 10 man progression or other instances that require excessive kiting and survivability it may work well for you. Frost mage spec - 10/0/51.

Mage Leveling Build
For leveling purposes this is my absolute favorite mage leveling build - 13/0/48. In the past I’ve had great success using a variety of deep frost builds for leveling, but this one takes the cake. In addition to have great mana longevity and strong control, it also comes with the right combination of talents of AoE grinding.

I don’t know about you, but the reason I made a mage was so I could round up a big ass pack of mobs and just slay em down. This is a great spec for that purpose and I know you’ll have great success with it. You should note, that while this build does have strong AoE it isn’t the 100% best for AoE.

A friend of mine recommended this build, mage grinding build. You basically don’t waste any points in this build, and have maximum AoE grinding talents. While it is strong, I still prefer the first one. As it offers strong AoE while not sacrificing any single target damage.

And if you’re on a PvP server you know how having strong single target damage and survivability can be key. Additionally, if you’re looking for a kick ass guide to help you power through your levels check out this, level 1-70 in 6 days 5 hours. I’ve personally used this guide myself and let me tell you, it’s got an awesome in-game mod that guides you the whole way!

Rogue / Rogue 2v2 Arena Strategy

Double rogue is perhaps the most exciting and exacting 2v2 matrix you can choose to play as a rogue. While many players see the matrix as an insta-gib team, true veteran players understand the perfection required in order to attain victory. While the learning curve for this matrix is quite steep, mastering it will reward players with an exhilarating experience unlike any other in the 2v2 bracket.

Rogue Arena Talent Specs
Generally speaking you are going to be want to be shadowstep spec. A traditional 20/0/41 allows you to have maximum mobility, survivability, and solid burst on command when required. Ideally you’ll want one rogue to have improved expose armor. This will allow you to really put the pressure on priests and other low armor classes that you can bomb on.

I’d suggest dropping 2 points out of vile poisons to get the 2 points in expose armor, though lethality may also be an option if you’re not a fan of crit based RNG.

While I rarely will deviate from the tried and true shadowstep build, I believe with practice an old school AR / prep build may also be beneficial. Now, I want to preface this with a warning…this type of build is not for everyone. It never really fit my play style, and it still does not today.

That said, if you’re comfortable operating without cheat death and the quite different play style required to master the spec, I believe you could pull it off. For AR / prep I’d go with a standard 0/31/30 or a 0/33/28 (with stun resist / fear talent).

Check out rogue arena talent specs for additional information on choosing your talent build.

Rogue Arena Strategies
Coming Soon!

Rogue Arena Macros
Rogue Macro Guide
Rogue Focus Macros

Rogue Arena Enchants / Gems
Rogue Arena Enchants Guide
Rogue Arena Gem Guide

Rogue Poison Strategies
Coming Soon!

Rogue / Warlock 2v2 Arena Strategy

Like most double DPS teams rogue / warlock is built on one central foundation, control. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of crowd control between the two classes. You’ve got sap, blind, cheap shot, kidney shot, kick, and gouge on the rogue front and fear, death coil, curses, and drains from the warlock.

All of these items are just part of the greater underlying mechanic in the rogue / warlock matrix, forcing the trinket. Any double DPS team is going to do a lot of damage, but the real difficult part in mastering these teams is learning to…
1) force the trinket (via initial crowd control)
2) put a long duration crowd control on a target (typically a healer) after the trinket has been used

It’s no easy task, but if you can master this basic mechanic of linked control controls then you’re well on your way to having a successful rogue / warlock team.

Arena Talent Specs
Rogue
Shadowstep - 20/0/41
This is my personal preference. Plenty of cooldowns to stick to the your focus target, great short term damage burst, and survivability when called upon.

Shadowstep - 16/0/45
Same thing as the above build, only difference is you skip poison talents to get enveloping shadows and one more point in camo.

Other “viable” builds. Below are builds, which yes, you could use, but I don’t consider them to be the best option. These are builds which rely heavily on your play style for proper execution, if you are not comfortable and experienced playing them you should consider the specs I have listed above.

AR / Prep - 0/31/30
Standard AR / Prep with maces

Warlock
Soul Link / Siphon Life 24/37/0
You basically have no other option but SL / SL as rogue / warlock. There are minor point variations you may choose, but for the most part it’s a pretty locked spec.
Soul Link / Siphon Life 27/34/0
Just one of many variations on the traditional SL / SL spec. The warlock’s play style will determine many of your talent choices.

Arena Gear / Equipment
Rogue
Since you’re running without a healer survivability will be at a premium. By the same token, you need quick kills. I’d suggest just using all the honor and arena gear and stacking your offensive stats via gems and enchants.

In addition, you may consider using Battlemaster’s Determination. In my experience it can be the reason you win or lose a match.

Warlock
Like the rogue, survivability is key. You should gem and enchant your gear to enhance your survivability as a warlock. I’d also suggest picking up the Battlemaster’s Audacity. A well timed trinket and a healthstone will be essential most matches.

Generally speaking I’d say 12,500 HP and 450 resilience is a good stat place to sit at.

Rogue / Warlock Arena Matchups:
vs…

• Priest / Rogue
• Warrior / Druid

Rogue Arena Macros:
Rogue Macro Guide
Rogue Focus Macros

Warlock Arena Macros:
Coming Soon!