Hello fellow Death Knights,
Just had an interesting experience while trying to apply for a +10 spires run as Blood spec. The description was set at ilvl 200 minimum, I am currently 206, so applied and got an invite, however the groups priest healer commented “oh god no, not a DK”, and I was promptly removed.
Not here to complain, just wondering if others are starting to experience this kind of behaviour when trying to pug higher level keys? I do normally run with friends, but like to mix it up with pugs when others aren’t on, so I’m not entirely stuck, however this is probably the first time that I can remember where I’ve ever had such an adverse reaction entirely based on my class/spec.
I realise there are easier tanking options for them to run with, so I’m in no way annoyed at what happened, I’m just a little concerned if this becomes the norm, there are many ways for me to improve my own toon that’s for sure, however I was rejected exclusively on the basis of being a DK unfortunately.
Admittedly, necrotic is a tough week for us, but I just hope that an anti-DK mentality doesn’t gain any momentum with the masses.
3 Likes
I mean you’re starting to reach the keys where tanking isn’t what you do, kiting is, which DK is not amazing at and is a large part of why half the list of tanks this expansion is VDH. Unless Blizzard decides to make it so you can’t get spiked 100-0 off of an unlucky crit or two (which they show no intention of doing) this problem will get worse, not better. My suspicion is that they plan to leave BDK as good raid tanks, their AMZ being returned to them pointing toward that.
2 Likes
Thanks for the reply mate, I agree, I’m definitely starting to feel the need to kite more, which isn’t really my preferred playstyle as a tank.
Hopefully this remains an isolated incident for myself (and others), I really want to time all dungeons at +15 for that incredibly good looking mount this season!
I personally don’t feel like their reaction is entirely unfounded though, I certainly feel a bit on the squishy side of the tanking spectrum, at least relative to the content I’m trying to run. When you consider a +10 has an end-of-dungeon-loot ilvl of 203, running them at 206 ilvl can still feel extremely dangerous at times. Perhaps all the other tanks feel the same about this though.
3 Likes
The hardest part about doing +10s is finding a group that will invite us, lol.
4 Likes
Funny, I have a similar thought when I see a priest healer this expansion. I keep my mouth shut, though.
Also necrotic week can piss right off.
8 Likes
I dunno my main is a blood dk and granted i do keys with guild but have had no issues doing 10-13 keys this week. Kiting is pretty easy thanks to dnd of you talent for the slow, bring a hunter for a binding shot amd you are fine
I didn’t have an issue last week with necrotic but just tried two different +10 in ToP and was getting one shot by mobs before I could even build up RP.
1 Like
I’m really sorry you have to go through that, OP.
Screw em, you probably didn’t want to run with them anyway. You seem pretty cool.
3 Likes
I can speak to you confidently as a VDH tank, I do not have these worries. Don’t get me wrong, things can still kill me if they hit me, but my entire toolset is designed around keeping aggro on the move, I can leap, I take 18% less magic damage with a conduit just for being alive, spikes is an easy to keep track of DR for the few times I DO need to get hit, I’m not saying you can easily complete +20 or something, but I stroll into pug instances on VDH I would not even attempt with people I KNOW as BDK. That said, this completely reverses on raid fights. VDH isn’t horrible, but it doesn’t have half the tools to skip mechanics or give the raid extra defense that BDK does. AMZ alone is big, but adding a battle rez, several easily rotated mitigation cooldowns, and incredible self-healing in PvE and BDK is an extremely competent raid tank.
I really don’t like this decision to make dedicated M+ god tanks and dedicated raid god tanks, but it seems what Blizzard has decided upon. You CAN do it up to 15, you are simply going to have to work very, very hard in comparison.
4 Likes
Very much appreciate the feedback everyone, I’ve been playing the game in relative isolation from the BDK/tanking community and it’s really good to get some context from you guys who have experience.
Thanks a lot, now it’s another week, another chance to do a higher key 
I personally don’t mind blood dks, your heals are your mitigation and that’s fine. Problem is, BDK HP is always like a yo yo and I never know when you guys are legit in trouble. You probably got that response because of necrotic because let’s be honest DKs don’t kite very well and are kinda just a low mobility class.
1 Like
When the runic power bar is low or empty.
12 Likes
Probably because Blood DK makes insecure healers life basically hell. Your life bar goes up and down quickly due to how Death Strike works, and that scares a lot of players - mainly those who don’t know how the spec works. It gets even worse when they have experiences with bad BDKs who actually die when they should use Death strike because of poor resource or toolkit management.
I know that because of friend of mine was always terrible anxious healing BDKs, even when they were meta, because of that. He has no problems in practice when we get a good one, tho.
He hates the VDH meta for the same reason (many bad players, spiky lifebar).
Getting oneshot and having a tough time kiting is not a BDK problem, it’s a m+ meta problem. That’s why I always recommend picking NF as BDK.
They’re rough to heal for some classes. I find the most success with shaman/monk/druid healers. Priest really has no hots which hurts a lil with how spiky dk is by nature
Dks have one of the best snares in game with Grip of the Dead. 90% slow? Yes pls
Go in with rune tap if you got no rp/bone shield. Helps tons. Even pop ibf if need be. Going into a pull dry is the most dangerous part of blood
1 Like
I ran more and was able to time two +10 back to back so I think I was going in alittle soft but I think the healer I first ran with was also not really doing much to help as looking back at the logs he had like no healing done while I was 70% of the healing in that pull
Holy priest’s top healing is often a HoT. Echo of Light is their mastery and converts a percentage of all healing in to a HoT. Though, with that said, Mastery isn’t their best stat for M+.
Exactly. Hence no real hots
I never gripe at the guy or refuse BDK on my 202 Priest but healing yall is very stressful. You spike incredibly hard, and one of the bigger problems is inexperienced tanks using all their resources on damage or something. I swear half the BDKs I heal rarely use DS. Specifically, HoA and DOS are really rough with the enrages, and any tank busters honestly.
1 Like