Will DK + 4 Shamans be more or less viable than Pally + 4 Shamans?

[Vyndree]

Reasons for rolling a pally in a shaman multiboxed group:
Pally benefits from melee totems.
Pally benefits from spell totems.
Pally benefits from mana totems.
Pally gives shaman wisdom buff.
Pally gives shaman judgement of wisdom.
Pally is weak to spells -- Shaman gives grounding totems.
Pally spams Holy Shield -- Shaman spams Lightning Bolt. Button synergy.
Pally casts (now instant) Avenger's Shield -- Shaman casts Chain Lightning. Button synergy.
Pally can tag mobs with consecrate for aoe totems (aoe totems, if they kill a mob 100% by themselves you do not get XP/credit)
Pally can respec holy and heal elemental shamans in PvP.

I originally rolled a warrior with my 4 elemental shamans, and swapped out the pally due to its synergy with shammies. That's not to say the warrior didn't work -- I was doing fine with the warrior even though it only had synergy with the melee totems and didn't give anything back to the shamans. However, pally synergy is just... BETTER. I have no doubt DK+shammy will be viable, but it certainly won't have as much cross-synergy as a prot pally.

[Rin]

Reasons for rolling a pally in a shaman multiboxed group:
Pally benefits from melee totems.
Pally benefits from spell totems.
Pally benefits from mana totems.
Pally gives shaman wisdom buff.
Pally gives shaman judgement of wisdom.
Pally is weak to spells -- Shaman gives grounding totems.
Pally spams Holy Shield -- Shaman spams Lightning Bolt. Button synergy.
Pally casts (now instant) Avenger's Shield -- Shaman casts Chain Lightning. Button synergy.
Pally can tag mobs with consecrate for aoe totems (aoe totems, if they kill a mob 100% by themselves you do not get XP/credit)
Pally can respec holy and heal elemental shamans in PvP.

I originally rolled a warrior with my 4 elemental shamans, and swapped out the pally due to its synergy with shammies. That's not to say the warrior didn't work -- I was doing fine with the warrior even though it only had synergy with the melee totems and didn't give anything back to the shamans. However, pally synergy is just... BETTER. I have no doubt DK+shammy will be viable, but it certainly won't have as much cross-synergy as a prot pally.

Couldn't have said it better :thumbsup:

[offive]

As for tanking with the DK for any team... it's just another option. For example, unholy tank with anti magic shield... drop shield over clones on caster boss? Also I think the unholy build will be the aoe tanking build. I think Blizzard has done a good job on warrior tanks (my main tank on my first team). Pally tanks are insane for boosting now (no healing or drinking?). I don't have a drood tank (yet) so I can't comment on it. I do think at 80 niche tanking roles will become apparent in later raiding content.

The DK starting area is not really MB friendly, but can be managed. As for the masses of DKs on day one / week one, remember the DK staring area is phased so it might be better than Borean Tundra or Howling Fjord land rush. Unfortunately the DK starting quests are over way too fast. Utilizing RAF, if possible, will most likely put you in Outlands at 60 or higher.

As for PvP melee classes will fall fast to a team of 5 DKs, if you can keep them in front of 5 swinging two handers long enough for * strike, death coil to hit. I think Casters can be handled with a nice alternating rotation of death grip and ice chains. MBing DKs will not be easy but should provide a fun challenge. More than likely people will mix the builds in DK teams (2 blood, 1 frost, 2 unholy), I have not confirmed if presences stack, but with auras doing so now... it could be sick.

I have played DKs a bit and as a solo toon they are a kick in the pants, and I think done right they will be crazy for a MB.

[Hor]

My primary interest in the DK tank is Unholy, as you put it as an AE tanking spec. That, and of course the debuffs they do, in particular the one that works similar to Curse of Elements. (Can not for the life of me remember it's name at the moment Ebon Grasp or something). I think it will take some expiramentation, but will be as Ellay said a very viable option. In my opinion, it will also be fun and unique. Everyone's got Paladins, I have one of those already. And a Warrior, I want to try my hand at this one. The thing that conerns me really about the DK is the lack of a Shield, the fact that they seem to be based more on Dodge than Mitigation. It could make for some very spikey damage taken, and some severe healing issues.

[Svpernova09]

My primary interest in the DK tank is Unholy, as you put it as an AE tanking spec. That, and of course the debuffs they do, in particular the one that works similar to Curse of Elements. (Can not for the life of me remember it's name at the moment Ebon Grasp or something). I think it will take some expiramentation, but will be as Ellay said a very viable option. In my opinion, it will also be fun and unique. Everyone's got Paladins, I have one of those already. And a Warrior, I want to try my hand at this one. The thing that conerns me really about the DK is the lack of a Shield, the fact that they seem to be based more on Dodge than Mitigation. It could make for some very spikey damage taken, and some severe healing issues.

Druids are the same way, at least the armor nerf didn't hurt as much as I was expecting it to, but I think DK's will be fine tanks.

[Aethon]

ok well then 5 Dks enjoy the non MBable quests in the starting area. Lots of phasing going on so they might be in different "phases" as well. Maybe hand leveling each through starting area and then grouping after might work better, I can't be sure as I didnt try it.

However 5 DKs might rape face in world pvp, they are pretty OP right now.

Are they going to be out of phase with each other if they're on the same part of quest and in the same party? My thoughts were more along the lines of: I have the software, I have the hardware, I have the accounts and I still have RaF benifits, why not just start my DK's at the same time and enjoy the 3x XP bonus while I can.

I was expecting that everyone would be on the same 'page' and I'd get to milk the system a little bit more, coming out of the DK zone at a slightly higher level due to RaF XP bonuses from 55-60.

If when you phase, you phase interdependent of each other, then there's no point MB'ing 5 DK's. I started RaF because I wanted to try different classes for solo play, it's just now, I'm hooked on the drug of 5 boxing, while solo play is my 'off' time.

[offive]

The phase question should be answered by someone who got multiple beta invites. I only got one

But I think they should all be on the same page as the phases seem to be tied to quests.

[Xar]

When you switch phase you then see others in the same phase. I would think it's multiboxable as long as you catch each DK up when you hit a new phase by turning in a quest, etc.

[holyground]

I have spent alot of time in the beta, fooling around with DKs, etc. To clear up some misconceptions:

Phasing isn't like instancing. All same-faction Deathknights start in the same area. The phasing technology is used to show transitions in the story arc/quest progress. So as long as all of your PCs complete the quests together, they'll never not see each other. Most transitions happen when you travel anyways: it's not like people suddenly disappear. They happen when you switch from Acherus to Death's reach.

Death Knights are not paladins. I don't want to offend paladins, but you cannot /afk on a DK. even sub-optimal rotations require a button press ever ~2 seconds. Death and Decay is a weak consecrate, but it works. However, it requires you to mouse select the AoE portion. The second aoe is Pestilence, which will spread diseases that you have already applied to all other mobs within range.



There are a few collection quests in the starting area. the most painful for multiboxing the starting experience for DKs is going to be collecting saronite arrows (they're random spawns on the ground) and collecting skulls for noth's potions. Protip, I have yet to see these potions drop anywhere else in the game, and they restore health and runic power. You can have 20 max, and get 5 at a time. I suggest collecting enough skulls for at least 1 extra hand in.

Also, there are very, very few upgrades in regular outland for your gear. Most of them are not worth the effort. I suggest powering through to 65, and do a quick ring of blood. The axe is killer.

Train maces when possible. If you're going straight to 80, pick the axe instead of the sword (almost all blue upgrades are axes.).

As for multiboxing with DKs as the tanks, I'd say it's viable, but probably not optimal. unlike the other tanks, the DK receives no benefit from getting hit. They have no shield to mitigate incoming damage, and actually have the lowest mitigation of any tank. They are avoidance tanks, which means that you'll have to pay more attention to which way they're facing, because they don't have the high armor of druids, nor the reflective damage of paladins and warriors.

[mmcookies]

I'm making a DK just for aesthetics...
tanking with a two-handed sword is just too cool