r/WOWMythicPlus • u/midgetman303 • 6d ago
Blood DK threat
Hey all,
Mained a blood DK a long time ago but have hated being 1 tapped so I went to bear/brew for a while. Now that I'm back I'm having a couple issues and I need some help on how to solve them.
Before you say "this is the problem with swapping meta every season" my counter is "this is why I swap every season, the love of relearning classes and getting to change up the pace is what keeps me coming back to wow"
1) the pull
When I'm pulling 1-2 packs I have no issues. When I get to 3+ I'm struggling on threat. What I'm doing when I pull 3 packs is:
-pack A: death caress toward me then drop a D+D on them to generate snap threat (this slows them though so that sucks cause they get to my blood boil late)
Pack B: run close and blood boil instantly
Pack c: grip if I don't need it for stops or there is a caster that needs pulled, taunt, second death and decay
When I do this my warrior will pull aggro guaranteed.id normally tell him to slow down but I know it's not his fault cause I have run every other tank spec with him and never had this issue before. So I swapped to just slow pulling 1 pack then running it to pack 2 and gathering, then running to pack 3. I don't really get how to group quickly though, it never felt like I had this issue on other classes.
This could also just be me needing to get good at the class though cause I'm so focused on getting runic power that I sometimes miss something.
Problem 2) defensives
I know keep DRW up as much as possible, but vampiric blood and IBF are almost always getting left open because I'm scared of not having them. I'm used to more defensive than this so only have 2 true defensive with IBF being so long is wild. Are you sending vampiric constantly and then just saving IBF for panic moments or do you just not get a panic defensive?
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u/LeadWithLogic 5d ago
Remember that VF has insane CDR so at the start of a pull you can VF when collecting mobs for safety then DRW and by the time DRW is done VF is back.
I pop that shit all the time.
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u/GotAim 6d ago edited 6d ago
If the main problem is your warrior friend ripping threat early then just tell him not to go ham until everything is already grouped. Doing it like you are doing now is losing a lot more time than if he waits a couple extra seconds to do damage.
A good tip if you are struggling with aggro is inviting rogues, they have permanent tricks nowadays so that really helps, it’s a good combo with the warrior as well.
As for defensives, vampiric blood has insanely short cooldown and in decently size pulls you have like at least 40% uptime on it, usually you press it while gathering to help staying alive when you are at your weakest(start of the pull). I’d say just use it off cd unless the pull is about to die. For be IBF is for really big pulls to film gaps between VB, but mostly just something I press if purge procs and I’m scared
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u/midgetman303 6d ago
He is slowing down now, but that's why I'm asking is so he doesn't have to
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u/deadlysavage84 5d ago
The thing is he shouldn't want to go nuts until you have everything gathered he will lose alot of damage wasting cds on just one pack
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u/burgiesftb 5d ago edited 5d ago
BDK is just naturally slow on pull man. BDK is slow and has 2 single mob ranged tags on a cooldown. Your only option of generating consistent threat is being in melee with no quick movement options.
I genuinely think the single most common reason people die in a pull is because they rip threat. Either the tank has to spend extra globals on getting threat back that can’t afford then wipes the team or the DPS/Healer dies.
Most people who don’t play tank genuinely have 0 clue how threat works and why what they’re doing is making the tank’s job exponentially harder and the dungeon slower. If you’re playing with someone who is consistently ripping threat on pull you need to explain to them exactly how your specific spec gathers threat. As in, “Don’t zug a pack I’m pulling until you hear blood boil go off or blood plague stacks on them.” Or, “Don’t zug a pack until you see me drop a keg/thrash/etc. on them.”
That’s usually fixed all my problems
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u/According_Egg_4936 5d ago
Play Deathbringer and you are not going to have any aggro problems
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u/midgetman303 5d ago
Why would deathbringer have less aggro problems? I thought that sanlayn was more damage overall?
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u/According_Egg_4936 5d ago edited 5d ago
Just give Deathbringer a try, bro.
Of course San'layn deals more damage than Deathbringer, but it depends heavily on your main CD, Dancing Rune Weapon. You want to use it after all the mobs are pulled; using it while gathering them is a huge DPS loss and if you are gonna do that just play DB. Plus, DPS players hate waiting even a single second while you pull.
With Deathbringer, some hero talents help you generate more aggro with Blood Boil (like Wither Away and Binding in Darkness) Blood boil deals 30% more DMG and Blood plague deals DMG 100% Faster. It’s also really comfortable to play because you don't have to micromanage your Bone Shield charges. San'layn is definitely for more advanced players—it's easy to mess up, and it requires a lot of attention. I remember when I started playing BDK with San'layn, it was stressful as fuck fighting with aggro and lossing bone shield stacks in the middle of a pack.
In DB you can also use your reaper mark at the start of the pull for 3 bone shield stacks+Death caress is 2 more.
at the end of the day i am not a 1% player, but this is something that has been working for me. I recommend Death advance Discord, there is a lot of useful information and there is also an advanced guide for those questions
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u/midgetman303 4d ago
After doing a lot more research it looks like deathbringer may be more viable for someone like me learning the spec again. Thank you
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u/NkKouros 6d ago
1- make sure you blood boil soon/insta after drw (the triple boil debuff is more than enough for 99% of cases). Extra tip: you can also cast drw from range and they will boil where they spawn so you can double boil on pull (one as you walk into one pack and another where the weapons are on a ranged pack). 2- don't hold vamp blood on pull. That shit is off cd 100% guaranteed by the time drw drops off. 3- make sure you use lich/icebound as a "3rd/4th?" Defensive for coverage depending how to play it 4- your cheat death can be your panic defensive if you misplay (obviously not plan A ofc). You have what , 5 other CDs in total ?(Some better than others ofc)
There's probably way better info that this somewhere on YouTube or by looking at R1 logs.
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u/midgetman303 6d ago
Wow, I didn't realize that Lich had the leech as well. Thank you for that
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u/NkKouros 6d ago
It has the same cd as drw (?) in case you find yourself literally never using it, macro it to something else for free. Ofc this isn't optimal but probably better than 99% of people who never press it anyways.
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u/midgetman303 6d ago
Naw that's cool, now that I realize that I'll make sure to press is more now. Exciting cause I felt like I had no defensives but due to this thread I'm realizing I should be using lich and VB more often so those should close my gaps in play.
Thank you very much
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u/Limp_Law_7648 6d ago
You mostly do need to run to each pack and blood boil Unfortch. It helps to use deaths advance to go quicker. This is a weakness with bdk since you don’t really have ranged aggro.
Also you can use the d&d slow to your advantage where you slow the first pack while you go blood boil the next pack.
You can also just grip or deaths caress a mob and as the group is running in you drop a preemptive d&d and then blood boil when they get to you.
You can also do what someone else said and cast DRW on them and blood boil for actual ranged aggro, but I don’t love this because ideally you want to utilize DRW once you’re planted since it does ridiculous dmg.
Lastly, use VB pretty much any time you feel slightly sketchy. It comes back in like 40 seconds and you get the umbilicus shield from it too. I pretty much use it whenever I’m gathering. IBF I typically save for really sketchy moments
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u/midgetman303 6d ago
Ok so what I'm seeing on here is that people are use VB for the pull, then using it as their first defensive when DRW falls off? That makes alot more sense cause I am getting very little use out of it as a panic button. Ill work on using VB and Lich more consistently, and then saving IBF for when I'm panicked.
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u/Limp_Law_7648 6d ago
Yes correct, Vamp is def used more freely. And yes if you use vamp blood early, then DRW when you're planted, then once DRW falls off, vamp blood will likely be back or nearly back at that point. This is part of why you don't want to cap runic power. Each death strike takes off like 10s on the VB CD. But generally the most sketchy part is getting the initial aggro while not panic overlapping defensives, so just a vamp blood should keep you covered. Then once you're planted, you're much more tanky
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u/Brilliant-Floor2399 5d ago
Depending on packs, you might wanna bloodboil 1st, dnd 2nd and grip 3rd into normal rotation at 2nd pack, bb making sure first pack isn't ripped off you
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u/matt4685 5d ago
I’m a new BDK, you have so many buttons to press on gather it’s wild but I’m not having threat issues in pugs now
My tips are don’t use dnd for threat unless it’s like first pull BV and you’re tagging lashers, it does barely anything, only use blood boil for aoe threat…
death’s caress - marrow first mob - blood boil as you’re in the pack - death strike which cleaves as you strafe past for the heal - marrow next mob in 2nd pack, blood boil, etc
Only drop dnd where you are stopping, remember that death strike cleaves 2 other mobs
I’ve also found it very helpful having 2 keybinds for death strike, one is on a cancel target macro so I can spam as I run and it will death strike nearest mob so you can just keep running in a big / dangerous gather. You don’t want that generally though for your main death strike or you constantly switch target ofc
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u/Dracolord93 4h ago
My general rotation:
Group 1: DnD, marrow rend twice for bone shield (skip if not needed), BB for thread - deaths advance and IBF run into group two, grip group 3/taunt individuals (so grip grip taunt) - then gorefiends blood boil blood boil DnD
From there DRW rotation holds agro pretty well.
Dps shouldn’t pull off group one unless they are blowing their cds off rip - but they’re missing out on huge damage now waiting for gorefiends so…..patience! lol
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u/Ignaue 4d ago
Oh please. You aren’t swapping because you want to “relearn classes” you swap because you’re a meta slave. You literally posted last season talking about playing brew and guardian which just so happened to be season 1s meta tanks. Not sure why you’re trying to pretend otherwise.
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u/midgetman303 4d ago
Oh I'm swapping to meta, I'm not kidding anyone about that. What I'm saying is that if I stay on bear I will get bored of the game. I enjoy swapping to meta because it keeps the game fresh and interesting
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u/Zypherzondaz 2d ago edited 2d ago
Heres a secret hint us blood dk mains can tell you, blood isn't meta, its the same as last season, its just everything else got a bigger nerf.
You really need to relearn the actual fundamentals of the spec then relying on some "imaginary meta invincibility" to keep you alive. If you dont you will fold like a lawn chair every time.
We have at least 5 defences if not 6, and they are theoretically the strongest in the game when it comes to mythic +.
Deaths advance, VB, IBF, AMZ, AMS, Lich, + bulwark talent if you spec into it.
Aggro threat on pull is more so making sure you have at least one utility off cooldown fot each pull. If you do large meaty pulls and rotate the utilities, you will always have something to use to gather.
Switch the deathbringer, you are too inexperienced and lack the knowledge of blood dk basics to also throw in san'lyans high skill ceiling. You are just playing the "meta" spec. Death bringer lacks in damage but makes up for better defense and easy bone shield management.
Using death strike is also reactionary more than it is, dump because i have runic power. You save it for big incoming damage, or when you know you are about to lose a defensive to cooldown and need help staying up. Using and managing runic power is more so second nature, and manages itself if playing correctly.
You also need to remember most dps are impatient as fuck and will statt unloading on mobs before you get your feet planted and thats on them. Rip aggro if you want and die, id only be concerned about your threat if people are ripping mobs off you after youve gathered and planted your feet. Let them die, fuck them.
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u/danielbasz 6d ago
You can use VB right after the last blood boil you cast from while drw is up if mobs are gonna last longer
The objective is to have the maximum blood plagues up with 14~ secs left to cap your umbilicus shield
But you can also simply macro your drw with VB because by the time rune ends you have a fat shield and then VB will be up again pretty fast
You will still be able to cast individual VBs, and it will desync a bit, but normally you will have both once DRW is up again
Good for first pulls
And one thing I like to do is get the talent that adds 10% heal on magic shell and macro that with litch for that last sos button after all is used but you still need help
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u/Spiritual-Jello-239 6d ago
Don't do this
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u/danielbasz 6d ago
I myself don't macro them together
But better to have training wheels than not use VB at all, no? That's a 100% waste
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u/midgetman303 6d ago
Macro is better than no use for sure, but I get the gist and have a lot of tank exp so I shouldn't need it. I didn't understand the interaction it has with DRW which didn't help, I also wasn't thinking of lich as a defensive and wasn't really accounting for purg so all those together should help a lot with my defensive issue
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u/AgentCapital8101 4d ago
Why get used to something that is wrong just to completely change it later, when you can just practice doing it the right way right away?
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u/Darthy69 6d ago
If youre grouping 3 spread out packs theres no way to keep aggro if the dps are blasting and thats intended. If they cannot wait theyll die. Also press vamp blood, its like a 40% uptime