DK/Unholy needs more spell animation variety

Classes Death Knight
1

Unholy could really use more animation variety in its casting animations.
These animations are the casting animation for the spells, not the color of the spell effects.

[Outbreak], [Asphyxiate], [Death Grip], [Summon Gargoyle], [Mind Freeze], [Raise Dead], and [Dark Transformation] use the same animations

[Epidemic], [Chains of Ice], [Icebound Fortitude], [Army of the Dead], and [Death and Decay] share the same as well.

This is not a huge issue, far from it, but having more variety in the animations will still be a good chance. Having more unique animations for these abilities can add a lot of flavor to them and the spec.

Here or my suggestions. Some of the animation names I use come from the Wowhead dressing room animation list.

—[Epidemic] (now being baseline) could use the same animation as [Blood Boil]. They are both AOE diseases, and it would look a lot cooler than the normal race cast animation. Using your rune-blade to channel your Plague rather than your hands.

–[Outbreak] could use the CastStrongRight. This is similar to the animation used for [Unholy Blight] but uses a different hand.

–[Dark Transformation] could use the same the CastStrongLeft as well.

–[Army of the Dead] I think this should use the [Death Coil]/[Howling Blast] animation or the LocSummon animation.

DKs, but expressly unholy have a lot of magic spell ability, similar to casters. They really need more variety for their abilities animations to help them feel more unique. Palas got their own special animations for their casted abilities, however, DKs only have one (Death Coil/Howling Blast).

If we can’t get new animations can we at least have half of our spells not use the same animations.

Thank you for reading and I would love to hear what spell animation you would like for each ability.

TLDR: DK spells use a lot of the same casting animation and it makes the class look boring.

11 Likes
2

I’d like them to bring back the old animation that showed your diseases spreading.

Outbreak, for example. You would see a black tendril shoot from you to your target, then several more shoot out from them to other targets in range.

Would love to have that back for all three specs.

11 Likes
3

I suggested this same exact thing in my thread for dks, glad other people think the same.

3 Likes
4

Unnholy reeeeeeeally needs to make use of the new 2h attack animation, where you swing your weapon over your head and DOWN, like how you would swing a big 2h weapon.

Frost has it for obliterate (they even seem to use it while dual wielding), and unholy needs it, preferably for scourge strike. Downward swinging animations are much more satisfying to watch than all the terrible golf swing animations we’ve had since WoD. Totally killed playing melee classes for me.

5 Likes
5

Unholy does use the new 2h animation for [Unholy Assault] but I really thing [Apocalypse] should use it. gives the ability far greater impact.

6

If the only time we get to see a good animation for the spec is on a 1.3 minute cd then the spec remains dead to me. It still amazes me that they somehow managed to make worse animations than Classic.

1 Like
7

A bit of an update wouldn’t be bad. I’d like to see some better SS/CS animations. Personally I think that the Blade of Justice animation that Ret got (sword coming up from the ground) is more appropriate for DKs and half of Rets don’t like it. A shadowy version would be great for CS, instead of golf swinging the air.

For Apoc, I think they can use the Lich King’s movement from ICC where he takes a knee and jams Frostmourne into the ground (can’t remember what he’s casting). I don’t believe that’s being used anywhere.

I had completely forgotten about this :+1:
Unholy’s disease visuals and gameplay could use a boost for sure.

5 Likes
8

A version that looks like a bone spike shooting up would be great for Festering Strike.

Make Death Coil look pale green/black, similar to Necrolord Covenant abilities, like Decimating Bolt for warlock’s, or Bone Spike for Rogues.

Would love for D&D to be given the same color scheme too.

2 Likes
9

If they say it would save some time, at least change scourge strike in the mean time so it isn’t so damn old.

1 Like
10

this was added to unholy assault, and it looks to be sped up so its not as awkward or jarring.

1 Like
11

The new Obliterate animation looks amazing.

Edit:
Festering Strike and Marrowrend could easily make use of this as well.

2 Likes
12

nooooo, thats a bit too much

13

So only Obliterate should have that animation?

I really think Festering Strike and Marrowrend could use an animation update as well. It’s one that doesn’t get spammed, and feels good to press. Attach it to a hard hitting, useful spell. Like Festering Strike and Marrowrend.

2 Likes
14

its a little over the top for a rotational strike. it makes sense for 2h obliterate because when you think of obliterate, you think of Gallagher destroying watermelons. festering strike already has its own animation, on my elf its a very graceful uppercut to the right, not to be confused with the spin down cut used on SS/CS/NS.

the effect is a couple of graceful uppercuts to apply wounds, then you turn into a spinning tornado of death as you burst them. get the shadowmourne proc from soul reaper going along with a necrotic strike dump and you really look like a Tasmanian deathdevil.

the new animation would completely break the flow of that. its an over the top hit, not something that would be part of the tornado spin.

this is also why i flat out dont consider golf swing races as a viable option.