Threat
-impressively, the threat on dual-wield (“DW”) tanking is the same or slightly higher than a two-hander, based on a like-for-like simulation I did.
-for the stat values for threat (to help choose gear or weapons), I provide a complete equivalence table here.
Survival: incoming damage
-if a DK tank has two fast tank weapons and 30+ expertise skill, they will receive about as many parry-hasted attacks as a warrior with one fast weapon and 26 expertise
-this is because warrior’s attacks can nearly all be parried, but some of a DK’s cannot (icy touch and howling blast)
-because of their itemisation (dodge/parry/defence), you should end up with up to 2% higher avoidance from two tanking weapons; a lot relatively if you’re already around 60%
-note you no longer lose the 2% stamina from Gargoyle runeforge, but gain net 1% avoidance from swordshattering runeforge, because of the new 3.3 runeforge.
Spec
http://www.wowhead.com/talent#j0EZhxe0AbI0c0fuzAo0g:wadM0mFrost priority and rotation
Single target (two diseases)
Rotation:
with epidemic
IT PS BS BS OB (FS)
OB OB OB (FS) {you will have some time waiting for runes to recharge}
without epidemic
IT PS BS BS OB (FS)
IT PS OB OB (FS) {shorter diseases)
Priority:
Frost Fever
Blood Plague
Killing Machine + Rime
Obliterate
Blood Strike
Frost Strike
AOE
You get a bit more variety in AOE rotations, depending on how many targets, if there’s a melee mob who will come to you, and whether it’s a boss or just 5-man trash. I’ll give you a few ideas here.
Boss: you want two diseases. Trash: frost fever is enough. Longer AOE: two diseases.
Rotation for trash:
DnD – HB – BB
IT – PS – Pest – HB – BS
Opening rotation for boss:
DnD – IT – Pest – (blood tap) HB
Maths on parry-gibs
per min Parries
Tank Attacks zero exp 26 exp 30 exp
Warrior 72.5 10.33 5.61
DK slow/fast 76.0 10.83 5.89
DK fast/fast 103.0 14.67 7.77 6.95
DK two-handed 47.1 6.71 3.65
If you take a slow/fast combination, you will have basically as much parry-haste risk as a warrior with the same level of expertise. Fast/fast increases that risk by about 1.4 parries per minute.
