San'layn - Blood is underwhelming

Classes Death Knight
1

Just adding my two cents for visibility. I was actually most excited for this hero spec, but the tuning is just way off. Maybe it ramps up when Haste is off the charts later in the expansion cycle? But currently it’s very lackluster.

Also, the Blood Beast seemed shoehorned into the tree just to try and connect with Unholy a bit more. I think hes cool, but I don’t feel like he procs often enough either. I’m not sure how San’layn feels for Unholy, but I can’t imagine it competes with Rider.

Here’s to hoping for a tune up, my Vampiric friends.

3 Likes
2

Indeed, worse hero tree up to now for me

2 Likes
3

I’ve had the same thoughts. Looks great, but the proc rate is incredibly low.

2 Likes
4

It’s not stand out for Unholy right now either. In general San is undertuned.

2 Likes
5

The Haste increase is multiplicative - it will get better the more gear we have - but San’layn does have a few tuning issues and a few issues that are relatively unhealthy.

Proposed Changes

Blood & Unholy

  • Vampiric Strike Chance: 10% > 20%.
  • Alternatively - reduce the maximum stacks from 5 > 3 - and from 7 > 5 with Frenzied Bloodthirst. This would be better to stop the Vampiric Strike spam - but it also might be too strong.

(For what it is worth - I think reducing the maximum stack by 1 and increasing the chance by 5% is a good middle-ground).

  • If the stacks are reduced - the damage from Frenzied Bloodthirst should be increased from 4% > 5%.
  • Infliction of Sorrow damage 10% > 20%.
  • Vampiric Strike damage increased by 15%.

The Blood is Life is under-performing. The spawn rate is either too low or it just isn’t effective enough. Pact of the Say’layn has the same issue since The Blood is Life is poor.

Newly Turned and Vampiric Speed need to be stronger.

Sanguine Scent is relatively useless since targets rarely are below 35% health for a long time and since the chance of gaining Vampiric Strike is so low - I think it needs something more.

  • Vampiric Strike is guaranteed to critical strike when a target is below 35% health. This cannot happen more than once every (x) seconds.
  • Death Strike against targets below 35% health grants (x) Haste for (y) seconds.

Blood

  • Gift of the San’layn should be activated by Dancing Rune Weapon and not Vampiric Blood.
  • Heartbreaker should work with Vampiric Strike.
5 Likes