[DK+4xRet] Freshies and Arena Strat

[Boylston]

The good news is that I really like the team for BGs, and I can feel my power slowly growing in BGs with each gear increase. I think Shodokan nailed part of my problem... There's so many useful things you could be doing that it's hard to pick one. With shamans, you can somewhat set up a lot of your defensiveness via totem-farms, but it's a little harder with the DK/pally setup.

At my level of (in)experience in arenas, I guess I'm trying to find a good first strategy that's going to help me get to modest ratings levels and allow even more gear upgrades. I just haven't hit that groove yet.

I want to blame my 219 weapons for a lot of it, but comparing DPS numbers in something like Rawr, there isn't a huge sustained difference (I suggest that it's all about the burst difference though).

I've been using Seal of Command, but I'm thinking of ditching it for a glyphed Seal of Righteousness. Any thoughts, gang?

[Shodokan]

The good news is that I really like the team for BGs, and I can feel my power slowly growing in BGs with each gear increase. I think Shodokan nailed part of my problem... There's so many useful things you could be doing that it's hard to pick one. With shamans, you can somewhat set up a lot of your defensiveness via totem-farms, but it's a little harder with the DK/pally setup.

At my level of (in)experience in arenas, I guess I'm trying to find a good first strategy that's going to help me get to modest ratings levels and allow even more gear upgrades. I just haven't hit that groove yet.

I want to blame my 219 weapons for a lot of it, but comparing DPS numbers in something like Rawr, there isn't a huge sustained difference (I suggest that it's all about the burst difference though).

I've been using Seal of Command, but I'm thinking of ditching it for a glyphed Seal of Righteousness. Any thoughts, gang?

Not using SoC = mistake. You are bursting people down... and it hits more than one target which forces healers to pick and choose who to heal. SoV / SoR are good single target but not really much else as SoR requires time to build up to full potential.

[Boylston]

Not using SoC = mistake. You are bursting people down... and it hits more than one target which forces healers to pick and choose who to heal. SoV / SoR are good single target but not really much else as SoR requires time to build up to full potential.

Ok, good to know. I knew I had been using SoC for a reason.

I have been playing many more BGs lately, so I am getting more practice with timing things like DG+Strangulate on healers/mages/warlocks. I'm trying to formulate the best kill strategy for each class and just get more PvP experience overall with this group. I am very close to having my PvP armor situation squared away (will buy legs with arena points next week, and then just have a 1-2 honor-based odds and ends to finish out).

I deliberately delayed getting engineering trained up on all my guys until I decided whether I liked the team enough to commit the resources/time to raising the skill. I made that mental commitment this week and am starting the skill-up process for engineering. 5x1600 rocket damage will certainly help.

I also am considering devoting some significant time to farming battered hilts, although I wonder if it might just be easier to farm gold and buy them for 7-8,000 g each. I also have been trying to do GDKP runs in ToC for a shot at 245 weapons. With ICC 251 items out there, it might be reasonable to offer up a 3-5,000g fee to any guild that will let me tag along for a shot at the 3 decent weapons that drop in there. I hate the idea of spending money on Hilts this late in the WotLK expansion.

Anyhow, thanks for the discussion, guys (esp. Shodokan). This is a learning process and given my limited playtime, I haven't been able to go from Lvl 1 to 2000 arena rating in 4.5 days like Kromtor!