Death Knight- Frost Tank

Purpose

Frost is the DK´s “resist” approach to tanking, the staying power of Unbreakable armour , the resistance of acclimation and frost aura being his personal traits make them a good MT, specially in magic heavy fights.

Talents

"Must have" talents:
-Blade Barrier (blood)
-Toughness (frost)
-Anticipation (unholy)

Key Frosts talents to get for tanking:
-Frigid dreadplate
-Annihilation .- Obliterate is your workhorse against single target and you need to keep diseases active
-Unbreakable Armour
-Frost Strike
-Howling Blast – Main weapon against groups.
-Improved Icy touch

Main Frost Choices available:

-Epidemic . – Increased duration for your diseases mean extra actions before your need to reestablish them..
-Acclimation – This is a great help in long magical heavy fights, one of the main assest on frost. It will become a key talents when you are well into 25-mans.
-Rime – Howling blast boost
-Frost Aura – The faithfull companion of Acclimation .
-Blood of the north. .- The main use of this talent is giving you some flexibility on spending your blood runes. Note that you must spend blood rune even in death rune form for blade barrier to work.
-Guile of Gorefriend – Threat boost and 6 seconds of Icebound fortitude can make the diference on many fights.
-Hungering Cold. – A quick way to apply Frost Fever to a group.
-Icy Reach – Allows to pull from farther. But 2 points for a convenience can easily can find a better spot
-Icy Talons/Improved Icy talons – Very good choice, but this is a whole 6 points branch and you must make choices, this decision practically segregated frost builds into two branches. I recommend taking them prior to 25-mans, skipping them afterwards.
-Tundra stalker – You can take this mainly for the expertise , but as all your target will be frost fevered the threat boost is very wellcome too. Said that if you are planning going deep into Blood Veteran of third war give better results.

You will have 10 free points left to put in talents of your choice. Non-frost strong Choices include:
Unholy: Epidemic, Morbidity, Virulence
Blood: Bladed Armor, Two-handed Weapon Specialization, Scent of Blood, Subversion

Blood has the strongest threat talents, while the Unholy side offers more utility and reliability. Feel free to mix and match based on your needs.

Ability Rotation

Single target rotation: Icy Touch, Plague Strike, Blood Strike, Blood Strike, Obliterate........Obliterate on each runes respawn, 2x Frost strike when runic power reaches 100 and Blood Strike when blood runes return, recast diseases (Icy Touch, Plague Strike) when appropriate is your first priority. Howling Blast if you get Rime proc (Freezing Fog).

Multiple target rotation: The long HB CD makes it unsuitable to maintain a routine based in it. Althought it remains our best mass weapon now realistic routines must include D&D, being a so expensive tool (three runes) we now almost need long CDs as Empower Rune weapon , Blood tap or Hungering Cold to help us with group agro.

Our initial options (depleting our first rune set) are
D&D, HB(crit assured), BB - straight agro
D&D,IT,PS,Pest: slower agro building version
<=In this point (specially with straight option) a Hungering Cold can be very valuable.
Follow with Blood tap, BB
And wait for runes , or hit Empower rune weapon if you want/need extra aggro building speed.

From this point, Hb when available (specially on Rime) It+Pest (or ideally Tab+Pest) to maintain at least one disease, and BB on Blood rune return

Putting a second D&D when the first expires can be a good idea it you slow you actions to save the three runes it requires.

Key Cooldowns

Unbreakable Armor - Reduces all incoming damage based on armor , for a low amount,and increases Strength by 10% for 20 seconds. This used to be the deep frost spec talented tanking cooldown, but now it is really of use against large group of low hitting mobs, as it doesn´t cost runic power it is a good idea starting the pull with if , to help with initial agro building.

Icebound Fortitude - This ability is best used when any kind of incoming damage spike is expected. This ability does reduce all damage. This is a baseline Death Knight ability.

Anti-Magic Shell - Absorbs 75% of magical damage taken and prevents the application of harmful magical effects(debuffs) for 5 seconds. Damage absorbed by this ability generates runic power. Costs 20 runic power. This ability is best used when expecting a magical damage spike. Due to it's rather short duration, it is best cast immediately before the damage spike occurs. If a boss is using an ability with a cast time, it should not be used before there is 1 second left on the cast.

Stats (In Order of Importance)

There are two different priorities for stats as a Death Knight tank, and also two different results to be gained from stats, Mitigation/Avoidance and Threat.

Under 540 Defense Skill: Stat priority for Avoidance/Mitigation is Defense Rating, Stamina, Dodge Rating, Parry Rating, Expertise
Over 540 Defense Skill: Stat priority for Avoidance/Mitigation is Stamina, Defense Rating, Dodge Rating, Parry Rating, Expertise
Threat: Stat priority for Threat Generation is Expertise Rating, Hit Rating, Strength, Attack Power, Critical Strike Rating.

Defense Rating - This stat increases your defense skill. Each point of defense skill increases your chance to parry, dodge, and be missed by .04%, as well as decreasing your chance to be the victim of a critical strike by .04%. There is a soft cap on Defense Skill at 540, which is the amount of defense skill required to be immune to critical blows from level 83 mobs(raid bosses), also known as uncrittable. The reason that it is a soft cap is that each point of defense over 540 still increases your chance to dodge, parry, and be missed. Due to the effects of diminishing returns, even after reaching the soft cap defense rating is the most highly valued avoidance stat.

Stamina - Each point of stamina increases health in Frost Presence by 11. Before the uncrittable defense cap, this is the second most important stat available, and after reaching the point of becoming uncrittable, is the most valued stat. Increasing your overall health is extremely important as the more health you have, the more time healers have to heal you before you die.

Dodge Rating - 39.3 dodge rating equals 1% chance to dodge at level 80. Because equivalent amounts of dodge rating provide more avoidance than equivalent amounts of parry rating, dodge rating is valued more highly than parry rating. That is to say, if an item that grants 30 dodge rating is compared to an item that grants 30 parry rating, the item providing dodge should be taken.

Parry Rating - 49.1 parry rating equals 1% chance to parry. See dodge rating for why dodge is valued higher than parry.

Expertise - 32.79 expertise rating equals 4 expertise skill, or 1% reduction in chance to be parried or dodged. This is more of a threat generation stat than mitigation, however I have included it as the last stat priority in avoidance and mitigation due to parryhaste. Any time an enemy parries an attack, their melee swing timer is sped up. Because of this, multiple parries can drastically increase a boss' damage output. For this reason, it is highly suggested that the only person to be standing in front of a boss is the tank, as multiple melee dps standing in front of a boss can "parrygib" the tank. It is estimated that a raid boss has 6.5% chance to dodge, and 15% chance to parry.

Hit Rating - 32.79 hit rating equals one percent chance to hit. Death Knights have three hit caps to consider, however only two of them should come into play as a tank. The chance to miss a raid boss with a two handed weapon, or with a melee special attack(yellow damage) is 8%, and can be reduced to 0%. The chance for a spell to miss a raid boss is 17%, and can be reduced to 1%. Lastly, the chance for melee swings(white damage) to miss a raid boss while dual wielding is 28%. As of this writing(3.0.3), dual wield tanking is not recommended for two reasons. One, your threat will be somewhat reduced due to the higher chance to miss with your white damage, and two, while dual wielding you will be attacking much more frequently, increasing the occurance of being parried, increasing total incoming damage.

Strength - Each point of strength grants 2 attack power, and a small amount of parry chance. Because of this added chance to parry, 1 point of strength is valud slightly higher than 2 points of attack power.

Attack Power - Attack power increases damage done by all offensive death knight abilities.

Critical Strike rating - 45.91 critical strike rating increases chance to crit by 1%.

Recommended Glyphs

Major:

Icebound Fortitude: In its current incarnation this glyph seems not useful to a tank.

Glyph of Unbreakable Armor - Unbreakable Armor grants 20% additional damage reduction.

Dark Command, 8% less probabilities you fail a crucial taunt. Very useful in some instances, specially if you PuG them. Replaceable when you reach a good point of advance.

Glyph of Obliterate - Increases the damage of your Obliterate ability by 20%, good to help with one target threat.

Glyph of rune strike can help your aggro too

Glyph of Frost strike can be handy, It permits you Dump your 100 runic power in three sure-hit Frost strikes, help your aggro too


Minor:
Pestilence: Increases the radius of Pestilence by 5 yards.

Blood Tap: Your blood tap no longer causes damage to you.

Recommended Enchants

-Weapons Runeforges:
Rune of the Stoneskin Gargoyle that grants 25 Defense (final defense!) and 2% Stamina) on a 2h-weapon
Swordshattering: +4% Parry and reduces disarm affects by 50% on a 2h-weapon
Head - Arcanum of the Stalwart Protector (Argent Crusade - Revered) +37 Stam and +20 def rating
Gargoyle helps a lot when reaching cap and itemizing to gain STA. I woould take Sword shattering when reaching 30k+ hp unbuffed
-Shoulder - Greater Inscription of the Pinnacle (The Sons of Hodir - Exalted): +20 dodge rating and +15 def rating
or Master's Inscription of the Pinnacle (Inscriptioner Only) - +52 dodge rating and +15 def rating
-Cloak: Titanweave: +16 Def Rating or Major Agility: +22 Agility
-Chest: Powerful Stats: +10 to all Stats or Greater Defense: +22 defense rating
-Bracers: Greater Stats: +6 to all Stats or Fortitude: +12 stam or Major Defense: +12 def rating
-Gloves - Armsman: +2% Threat and 10 Parry Rating
-Legs - Frosthide Leg Armor: +55 stam and +22 Agility
-Feet: Greater Fortitude: +22 stam
-Rings (Enchanters Only) Stamina: +24 stam

Recommended Consumables

Frost tank’s diet:
You are going mainly for the STA bonus, so take the strongest STA and then choose from available with usual priorities
Expertise Rating, Hit Rating, Strength, Attack Power, Agility, Critical Strike Rating.

Northern Spices meals
Rhinolicious WyrmSteak 40 Expert 40 Sta
Snapper Extreme 40 hit 40 Sta
Dragonfin filet 40 str 40 Sta
Blackened Dragonfin 40 Agi 40 Sta

Not Northern spiced meals (for those with gastric/monetary problems)
Grilled Sculpin 60 AP 40 Sta - This is a great choose
Poached Nettlefish 30 crit 40 Sta

Cheap meals (or for Meat lovers)
Wyrm Delight 30 crit 30 Sta
Mammonth meal 60 Ap 30 Sta

Additional Tips

Runic power Management
Icebound Fortitude/Anti-magic shell/Mind freeze , easiest way to asure this while really using your habilities is let RP mount until it reaches max(100) then cast FS+FS and resume your routine.

Rune strike
You want to use it as much as you can over any 1 target only habilitie. Use it macroed in the most part of your attacks, putting it on PS,BS,OB,FS leaves you free of having to watch for the proc while freeing your core, multiple targets and emergency habilities (HB,IT…)

Procs to watch.
Rune strike. The previous macros will take care of those for itself
Rime . When this procs substitute your next OB with an HB (see subroutines)

I strongly recommend you milk scrolling text addon or anyone who informs you of this two.

Main Subroutines.

I will call then subroutines as you will surely will have to mess between them, and even inside them to treat with emergencies or priorities as escaping mobs, break castings, etc.

Against a single mob (includes boss)
You will try to do IT, PS,BS,BS,OB from that point Oblit on runes respawn, FS when runic power reaches top and BS when blood runes return, recast diseases via IT,PS when apropiate.

Against a bunch of mobs
Allways target the strongest/more hit points one, except when you will try to interrupt spell casting on one of them (i.e. healer mob).

The positioning of your initial D&D is a critical point. As a rule don´t place it over the mobs (exceptions below) to pull with it, put it where you wil try to tank them, ideally a point between them and your initial position. It is a good tactic waitng a few seconds between placing the D&D and starting the pull, so the runes CD comences earlier.

After the initial pull Hb must be used as soon as posible , specially with rime procs.

The pull

This is the hardest part of the job, I will try to give options for most common types.

Tip. Use a CD (UA is useful here) when you are going to make dificult pulls to help your healer not taking agro before you have a sure grip on all mobs.

Single mobs/boss pull.

Hard mob/boss with few adds

IT, PS,Pest,BB,HB from that point OB/(HB if cd avail) on runes respawn , FS when runic power reaches top and BB when blood runes return, recast diseases via IT,PS when needed, and remain recast a Pest instead a BB on your next blood rune.

Trash mobs

DISCLAIMER- This is the “hard” pull mode, as anyone with tanking experience will tell you mobs groups with ranged/caster must be pulled when at all posible using LoS – that is you agro one of them and run to a point where they can not see you without moving over there, your party/raid is also hidden this way. If you do it thuis way (recomendable) treat all groups as “melee only”.


Melee only group
Deploy D&D, Pull with HB/IT depending on the option above. If you will use HB wait for them to be all in reach.

With one caster/ranged
Deploy D&D,Pull him with Deathgrip, IT , if in this point other mobs reach you pest inmediatly, else PS wait aproaching mobs and Pest,BB,blood tap,BB. From this point follow group subroutine

With two caster/ranged
Pull ranged with Deathgrip, Strangulate caster, <target nearest mob> , PS wait aproaching mobs and Pest,BB, blood tap,BB. From this point follow group subroutine

Multiple ranged types

In this pulls you probably will not have to reposition them (see disclaimer above!), this time you put D&D above them (ij his initial position), putting care in caughting all ranged in it, shout “banzai” an run to the center of D&D area, then HB, BS to loss your last blood rune, and pray for runes return (good time to use Empower rune weapon as explained below) to stablish a normal group subroutine.

In any group when another tank is going to “steal” one of the mob from you the pull can be made with D&D, but you then do NOT run to then, wait for HB range, then await runes to establish normal group subroutine.

Other skills

Empower rune weapon.

Mainly used when I need a quick re-make the situation (see next two), or want to rapidly repeat a subroutine for quick agro build (specially on AoE groups)

Army of the dead
Use this principally in heavy add spawning boss fights if they are looking as going out of control. Probably you will need to empower before.

Hungering cold
This is useful to spread frost fever against all mobs without the two runes cost of IT+Pest.

Useful Macros

Runner Stopper
#showtooltip Death Grip
/cast Death Grip
/cast Chains of Ice

All-In-One Spell Interrupt
#showtooltip Strangulate
/cast Strangulate
/cast Mind Freeze

As noted previously is very advisable macroing Rune Strike in almost all your primary Strikes (Plague Strike, Blod Strike, Obliterate and Frost Strike), I include an example with Frost Strike, simply copy and change spell´s name in showtooltip and second /cast for the intended.

#showtooltip Frost Strike
/cast Rune Strike
/cast Frost Strike

Sources and Other Resources

Deathknight.info http://deathknight.info/∞
Elitist Jerks http://elitistjerks.com/∞
Tankspot (http://tankspot.com/∞)