DKs are the new 4x Shamans IMO

[Kicksome]

I have some new thoughts after I entered my first night in AV on my 4x level 71 DK team the other night.

I just happened to run into 5x shamans - all level 80 in pvp gear in AV, someone said - oh #$#$ mutliboxing shamans.

What happened you say???? Well, I kicked their ass, and there's nothing they could do about it.

They got me a couple times, but I got them just as many, probably more. Yes, level 71 DKs kicked the ass of 5x 80 shamans.

Guess who I ran into the next game? 5x shamans. Yes, kicked their ass again, won the BG - and at level 71 wtf???.

And if the situation was reversed, I'm sure I would have gotten my butt kicked by the 71 DKs just the same.

It's so imbalanced it's not even funny.

I've have 4x level 80 shaman and I'm by no means the greatest in arena, only got up to about 1800 in s4 with my shamans.

Personally, I think the best days of the 4x arena shaman are behind them. I do, however, believe some very talented PvPers will make them work to a certain degree, but nothing like before. Down the road, there might be some changes to help shamans out in arena, but that's a LONG way away.

Everyone has NASTY AOE now (mage, druids, locks, hunters, DKs, Warriors, Rogues). Before I could heal through this stuff, but now 1 mage can take down my team while I'm frost novad. Shamans burst damage is crap and they have no "outs" e.g. bubble, ice block etc... A shaman can get burst down in seconds in 5's.

Shamans lost their best killing combo, EM+NS+CL, and we're even losing EM as far as helping burst.
Shamans lost 13% damage on LB as well when they changed the coefficient.

We're getting a few buffs in 3.0.8, but nothing that helps our burst or survivability to any significant degree.

I do think shamans are going to be great for PVE still, and not a total loss in PVP by any means. It just might be S6 before they give Shamans any type of pvp love.

[pinotnoir]

Thats sad! 71 dks beating 5 shamans. As a 5 shaman player I freaking hate dks. Once they throw up their anti magic bs you cant do any damage to them. That thing is way overpowered. Just thinking of 4 anti magic shields makes me wonder if the poor guy could even do any damage to you. I have 4 dks at 58.. I think they will be my next project after I level my pve team.

[Kicksome]

There's no escape - 4x death and decays (which has a 80% chance to make them cower- lol), 4x round robin death grips, 4x anti magic ZONE (50K magic damage absorbed), 4x anti magic SHIELD, bone whatever, Ice bound fort.

You're not killing ANY DK quickly. I've killed up to 3x level 80s who tried to gank me. No one can get away with the Death grips and the 15% run buff to group - including rogues.

And the sad thing is, I really don't even know how to play DKs yet, I'm not using half of the good spells.

[Gurk]

It sounds nice, but what about a multiboxers worst enemy? Fear.

[Kicksome]

Fear is my biggest concern, but there are a few solutions
1) I have my pvp trinket hotkeyed and it's a 2min CD
2) I have anti magic shell, which gives me fear immunity for 12 seconds - 1 min CD
3) Death and Decay on top of me almost all the time which means that it's REALLY hard to go in and fear. When they do, they usually get effected by cower, not many are brave enough to charge into Death and Decay
4) I am leveling with my shaman with my 4x DKs, anytime I hit my follow key it puts down a tremor totem (unless I am mounted) It's only 48 mana for a tremor totem

Honestly, in normal PvP, the trinket is fine for 80% of cases. Once you blow the trinket, I go for the person who feared me and kill them first.
And if my trinket is down, and I see someone who can fear is close to me, I'll usually blow anti-magic shell which mages me immune.

I'm a bit worried about Arena though, if it turns out to be a big problem, I might have to roll with a shaman for tremor. Although I do have a few outs, so it's not as bad as other classes.

[magwo]

Yes yes, but you're being heavily nerfed, and shamans heavily buffed.

[pinotnoir]

I would be interested to see your macros. If you ever have time pm them to me. I dont know nothing about dks. I do have 4 waiting and your really making it sound fun. Even if I only did my 10 games in arena the bgs sound like they would be more fun than my shaman.

[suprafro]

Hail and well met Kicksome, those were my shaman which you roflstomped

I'm not PROest multiboxer out there but it's not like i'm total fail either...my guys are geared fairly decently too I might add (18-20k hp, 500-600 res, 2k spellpower self buffed) and I usually steamroll through people in AV games. I believe the times I was able to zerg down your team was in the open a few times and you were probably distracted by everyone else that was trying to kill you or something, i'd say insane surviability is a gross understatement here. After seeing your guys in action theres no doubt in my mind that your team will be a force to be reckened with in BGs with level 80 / epics / experience, etc. Seriously, when you were in confined areas like the towers the field of DnD fears was so rediculus that being on the receiving end just makes you laugh IRL as your health is helplessly widdled down by the insane spam of crazyness they just eminates from your team. Man IDK what the hell was even going on when I was in close quarters with your team

So, i've been on the fence about rolling a DK team...after those encounters i'm sold hook line and sinker. I love my shaman team, but they are getting a bit old and the DKs just seems like alot of fun. I gotta ask, what are your thoughts on level 80 specs? Rune tap + the runetap glyph seems perfect for 5box DK groups and seems like you could squeeze that in with an unholy build. And wow, while 3.0.8 might be a nerf to the solo DKs, theres also some cool buffs in there that seem awesome if your boxing...4% blood aura, 45 second AMS, super buffed corpse explosion, etc

Anyway it was cool to see another boxer in the BGs, your the first one i've ever come across in BGs TBH. See you around, next time we cross paths though ill be 5 belf DKs though

[heyaz]

I would think what happened was a bit of an exception - with 4x shaman at 78 the only DK's that are able to wipe my whole group are 79 and have 20k hp and are usually Frost. Granted a lot of good ones 76+ can take 1 or 2 of my shaman but the only thing that has wiped my whole group really is a arms warrior or frost mage casting blizzard from 40 yards away.

DId he just not even bother to cast or turn his alts? I just don't get it. When anti magic shield is up you just spam chain heal, or have all slaves bomb heals on the main and you can easily survive 12 seconds then the DK blows up. I just can't see a lvl 71 DK killing 5 80 shaman unless they were all afk.

[Dominian]

Kinda hard to choose between UD DKs and Belf DKs!

Will of the forsaken + anti magic shield = WIN against fear

But deathgripping casters into your group and chain silencing them sounds fun too.

Team up with a Resto shaman for WF+Bloodlust and purge and my guess is that they will be the strongest AOE healer next patch with the incomming priest/druid aoe healing nerf.