So i stole this off elitestjerks.com and it has been very helpful and has improved my DPS a good deal. So i thought i would post it here for the guild.
Unholy DPS Discussion
This thread's purpose is to further knowledge regarding DPSing with a deep Unholy spec. Since the new theme here seems to be granular and detailed threads, I figured this was a good place to start.
Unholy Basic Facts Cheat-Sheet
Spec:
This is the new cookie-cutter unholy build.
Rotation:
Note: This roation requires the Scourge Strike Glyph. Replace the next SS in your cycle with a PS->IT when your diseases have fallen off. If you only have 3 seconds or less at SS1 (and ONLY SS1, since it's followed by two BS) on diseases, then replace it with PS->IT. Obviously, at the start of a fight, replace the first SS show with a PS->IT. Item(s) in parenthesis are optional and typically require 4pc T7.
SS1->BS->BS->SS2
SS3->SS4->SS5
Regarding using RP, the general consensus is that you want to dump RP and delay the next strike if it is going to push you over RP cap. Use Unholy Blight if it's not currently up, otherwise use Death Coil.
A typical AOE rotation:
PS->IT->Pestilence->D&D->UB
Recommended Glyphs:
Major:
Glyph of the GhoulGlyph of Scourge StrikeGlyph of Icy TouchMinor:
Glyph of PestilenceGlyph of Horn of winterGlyph of Raise DeadStat Weights:
(Approximate, courtesy of Methods)
The following is raid buffed for 2H specs pre hit and expertise cap:
Stat Unholy Blood Frost
1AP 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000
1STR 2.4847 2.5570 2.3650
1CRT 1.0207 1.2805 1.3212
1HIT 2.4631 2.7485 2.9114
1Haste 0.6046 0.6345 0.5619
1Exp 2.1660 2.8481 2.0712
1AP-R 0.5918 1.2693 0.9086
1AGI 0.8150 0.9164 1.0008
1Armor 0.0278 0.0294 0.0319
1dps (wpn) 6.3169 8.4347 9.5283
Spec 17/0/54 51/13/7 17/54/0
The new after cap (melee) hit and before cap exp conversion should be:
Stat Unholy Blood Frost
1Hit 0.9167 0.9460 1.1139
1exp 2.3366 3.2320 2.4196
Spell AP Multipliers:
(Source)
Note: Numbers for DOTs are PER TICK.
Ability AP Mult Static Addition
Death Coil 15% +433
Blood Boil 4% +?
Pestilence 4% +?
Death and Decay 4.75% +?
Frost Fever 5.5% +?
Blood Plague 5.5% +?
Unholy Blight 1.3% +?
Icy Touch 10% +?
Gargoyle Strike 40% +150
"Ideal" Gear:
(As of T7 -- Naxx/Malygos/Sartharion)
While I hesitate to do this, "is X better than Y" comes up too often. This should give you a decent idea of what to shoot for; in some cases, you may need to swap pieces for another to get hit/expertise capped depending on race. Please note this is strictly for a 2H unholy DPS build. A "(?)" after the item denotes reasonable sidegrades.
Helm:
Valorous Scourgeborne HelmetNeck:
Collar of Dissolution (?)
Shoulders:
Valorous Scourgeborne ShoulderplatesBack:
Drape of the Deadly FoeChest:
Breastplate of Frozen Pain (?)
Wrist:
Bracers of Lost Sentiments (?)
Weapon:
Betrayer of HumanitySigil:
Sigil of AwarenessGloves:
Valorous Scourgeborne GauntletsBelt:
Girdle of RazuviousLegs:
Valorous Scourgeborne LegplatesFeet:
Bladed SteelbootsRing:
RuthlessnessRing:
Ring of Invincibility (?)
Trinket:
Bandit's Insignia (?)
Trinket:
Darkmoon Card: GreatnessJust as a note, there is a reason I do not use the T7 chestpiece. It is the worst itemized piece in the entire set for a 2H build (though haste is pretty good for DW).
FAQ:
Q: How much DPS should I be doing? <Here> is my armory/WWS/WMO.
A: This type of question is heavily frowned upon. The answer depends on gear, skill, group comp, the skill of others in your raid, and a million other factors for that specific fight.
Q: When is the best time to use Gargoyle?
A: Since Gargoyle gains bloodlust and a few other raid buffs, the ideal time to use it is right BEFORE your shaman casts bloodlust. Just keep in mind in its current state that the gargoyle's 13k or so hp disappear VERY quickly in AOE fights, so you have to balance the ability to gain buffs versus it dying.
Q: Why is everyone saying the hit cap now is 8%? It was 9% in BC!
A: The rogue and hunter threads have put a lot of time into this, and have proven the current phyiscal hit cap is 8%. The spell hit cap remains at 17%. As such, make sure you shoot for about 263 hit rating instead of 295.
Q: What's the best horde/alliance race for PVE?
A: For horde, orc is best hands-down. 5 expertise to a weapon skill, a 322 AP "trinket" every 2 minutes with no MS effect anymore, and 5% more pet damage (works on ghouls, gargoyles, and DRW). Slap yourself if you're a raider, play horde, and didn't pick an orc.
For alliance, you can really choose between Human, Dwarf, and Draenei depending on your guild's needs and personal preferences. Strictly speaking in terms of ilvl points saved with a single weapon type, Dwarf is the best, due to the +5 expertise to maces instead of the human's +3 to maces/swords. Humans are more versatile however, and the Draenei hit aura has raid implications (if your raid doesn't have enough hit auras).
Q: Is there any point in picking up Ebon Plague if I already have a moonkin or warlock with imp COE in the raid?
A: An emphatic "YES"! Warlocks will flat out lose dps applying COE, and moonkin cannot typically spread the debuff to multiple targets as well as we can. Plus, it allows you to have two DKs in the raid, if one is the DW 0/32/39 spec, he/she can pick up JUST crypt fever and both of you can enjoy strikes with 3 diseases!
Q: Is Unholy Blight really worth getting?
A: While you wont see numbers as large, you need to keep in mind that UB has a higher base damage AND AP multiplier than DC. Sure, it can't crit and costs more RP, but it scales MUCH better. In the next patch, it will share the same cost as DC, making it even more appealing.
ENJOY!
