The Wrath of the Lich King Death Knight roundup
by Daniel Whitcomb 
Nov 13th 2008 at 10:30AM
Good Thursday morning, everyone. I'm sure by now that many of you rushed home from your midnight openings, installed the game, and started up a new Death Knight. Many others may, like me, be expecting to do that tonight after work or school, while others are looking at rolling a Death Knight in a few weeks or months after the rush has died down or they get a main to 80. Whatever your plans, if you're playing a Death Knight anytime in the future, you'll want to read on. We have a nice selection of some of the best news, information, and analysis of the Death Knight class after the break, including a lot of information that the new Death Knight will find useful.
Starting Out
- If you have any lingering questions about where or how or when you can make a Death Knight, check this FAQ.
- There are a few bugs which are sometimes preventing people from creating a Death Knight, so try our bug workarounds.
- If you're still deciding on your Death Knight race, a quick look at Racials for Death Knights could help, or this list of Roleplay hooks for Death Knights by race.
- A lot of people have been using these last few months to put in a stockpile of items and gear to send to their Death Knight to smooth the road to 70. Here's a list of some of the stuff you might be able to grab for your Death Knight.
- Yes, you will be getting some nice blue gear. Check out our gallery of what you'll be seeing out of the newbie zones.
- As far as Talent specs go, the latest installment of Lichborne introduced 3 solo DPS specs for each of the 3 Death Knight trees. You can also get some advice on how to attack and which major glyphs to use for each spec.
- So now you're out of the newbie zone and leveling through Outland. Let us give you some suggestions on upgrading your gear. At the same time, check our analysis of the value of grinding reputation with various Burning Crusade factions.
- If you're new to the melee or tanking game, you'll want to read up on this sage advice from a fellow tank. And the other sage advice as well.
- If you're going down the Blood tree, Mark of Blood can be your best friend, if you know how to treat it right.
- In the Unholy tree, you'll want to learn about your Ghoul friend for sure.
- Horn of Winter: It's how a Death Knight says group utility.
- You'll also want to get familiar with Runeforging, the self-only weapon enchantment system for Death Knights.
- It seems like one of the great decisions you'll probably have to make as a Death Knight is which side of the dual wield vs. 2-hand debate you fall on. Let's give you an introduction.
- Zach Yonzon meditates on the Zen of catching up to the joneses and being one of the first Death Knights.
- Will Death Knight diseases revolutionize PvP?
Filed under: Items, Tips, Leveling, Guides, Talents, Death Knight, Wrath of the Lich King
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Naix Nov 13th 2008 10:39AM
Nice write up. I have to ask what professions would best suite a Death Knight?
Fletch Nov 13th 2008 11:11AM
I'm going with Blacksmithing and Jewelcrafting, but I have alts with gathering professions. To be honest I don't think you're going to be at any major disadvantage whatever you choose.
Ikarus Nov 13th 2008 12:15PM
Excellent info on all things DK can be found at:
http://elitistjerks.com/f31/t36303-death_knight_dps_compendium/
section 12 of that post takes about the relative value of each profession for a DK
Ikarus Nov 13th 2008 12:16PM
Takes = talks
Cyrus Nov 13th 2008 10:34PM
Blacksmithing is useful, of course. I think enchanting is slightly less good for Death Knights than for most classes, because Runeforging doesn't stack with a weapon enchant and the Runeforging enhancements are supposedly better for DKs than any enchants. And they'll have some annoying catching up to do for any gathering professions, because DKs will have to run around all those starting zones at level 58 or even later to farm peacebloom and copper ore. On the other hand, though, they get to skip a lot of farming for the secondary professions, which is pretty cool, especially fishing.
FWIW, my DK will probably be a miner/engineer. Everyone can use engineering.
eROKv Nov 13th 2008 10:44AM
i dont think the racials are up-to-date.
nbcaffeine Nov 13th 2008 10:54AM
Definitely are not. I'd like to see a quick post with the updated racials listed. My choice is human. Love the Diplomacy and EMFHS (free pvp trink/frees a trink slot). Can't keep me down!
Dave Nov 13th 2008 10:59AM
I have trouble picturing anything but an undead or human DK ... just doesn't seem to fit.
Sorren Nov 13th 2008 11:12AM
I love exploring so I think I'm going to lvl to 80 and check out Northrend first before rolling a DK.
And I think the most amusing would be a Gnome DK... yet another reason to punt the gnome...
Darkcyde Nov 13th 2008 11:42AM
No matter what the cause or reason, everyday is a good day to punt a gnome.
James Nov 13th 2008 12:16PM
I can see the lore behind a Blood Elf/High Elf (yes i know HEs aren't playable) after the Scourge destroyed their home I think there was more than enough corpses laying around to be revived as DKs or people who might have fallen/submitted to the Sourge due to the events in Quel'Thalas. Gnomes? Nah they seem off. Draeni? NO. Trolls, eh they do practice voodoo but voodoo =/= unholy rune wielders. Orcs seem possible as the original DKs were created by Orcs, though they aren't the SAME type of DKs we're talking about here. Human and Forsaken are pretty self explanatory. Dwarves? Well Brann did have an expedition to Northrend. Night Elves? Not really seeing that one either. Tauren also don't quite 'fit'. Granted it's been said the Lich King isn't picky, just some races seem more outside the realm of possible or plausible than others. 3-4 (BE,Hu,Ud,Dw) races I can SEE the possibility of, others seem just a bit out of place.
Just my 2 coppers.
Rob Nov 13th 2008 12:59PM
When i left for work there were a dozen level 58 DKs in Hellfire, and one guildie stayed up all night leveling his. Whatever floats your boat. Anyway my unscientific poll of this pool had 4/5 going unholy, and 1/5 going blood. They said all trees were viable for tanking/dpsing.
Specialis Nov 13th 2008 2:40PM
ok I was the only person who was laboring under the mistaken impression that if you had a 55 anywhere you could make a death knight on any realm? I was a sad panda last night when I went to make one on a new realm (to play with real life friends) and I couldn't.
Evi Nov 13th 2008 3:05PM
It's a temporary measure. Blizz said they'll lift the restriction in a while. No ETA, of course. You're not alone in being confused, I'm sure. It was a recent change.