Challenge Modes Advice

[TeamC 6]

Hey DK Community, seeking input here.

Just started doing the Challenge Modes in the hope of getting all Golds. So far we're down to just UBRS, Grimrail and Shadowmoon left. With UBRS looking to be the major potential stumbling point I'm curious if anyone that looks at these forums has successfully done these as DW Frost? Blood is currently not an option because we have a Warrior tank who really only wants to tank.

I'm curious with HFC out what you would regard as the best trinket setups for Frost? Most of the information I've found regarding CMs seems to stem back from pre=HFC. I'm currently running EDH and Discordant Chorus because they FEEL stronger and more consistent on what basically amounts to instances that are mostly about cutting down the trash. I've seen suggestions from the past suggest that Scabbard of Kyanos is great, too, as is the alchemy trinket. 

Any help here is appreciated, as always.

[demonardvark 556]

Just double tank as blood. You can do buttloads of aoe with gorefiends and blood boil and cheese down the mechanics. If you don't want to though I sorta recommend switching to unholy. I don't know many (if any) frost dks that have succeeded in frost during cm (honestly most tank >_<). Run necroblight but stack mastery (basically adds now live long enough for your diseases to wreck face again). Class trinket actually helps this quite a bit. 

 

[TeamC 6]

I'll admit I'm a bit surprised to hear what you're saying, DA, if only because my experiences with DW Frost have been (imo) rather positive in the CMs I've done. I've always been the top damage done on bosses and usually am on trash. Now it could be chalked up to the other two DPS being poor, but I don't believe that's the case since they're usually the top raid DPS in our HFC runs. 

However, that said, I Blood tank 99% of the time in raids, so perhaps I'm overlooking something with the DK DPS.

[Shells 64]

Im poking these atm too, as blood tank for most of it and frost for boss fights to reduce agrro stealing from out monk. 

IT works well most of the time.

[demonardvark 556]

9 hours ago, TeamC said:

I'll admit I'm a bit surprised to hear what you're saying, DA, if only because my experiences with DW Frost have been (imo) rather positive in the CMs I've done. I've always been the top damage done on bosses and usually am on trash. Now it could be chalked up to the other two DPS being poor, but I don't believe that's the case since they're usually the top raid DPS in our HFC runs. 

However, that said, I Blood tank 99% of the time in raids, so perhaps I'm overlooking something with the DK DPS.

The advice just came from the perspective of easy. With the long lived weighty adds the extended aoe of unholy is exceedingly valuable. That being said all three specs and can do CM successfully it just comes down to the experience. I always try to find the easy button to make things more approachable and less stressful.  I think unholy is easiest to use (actually blood is XD) but frost is certainly viable.

So with frost you want the scabbard and discordant chorus. Stack nothing but mastery. Then run plague leech and defile and you should be golden :)  

 

[TeamC 6]

You bring up something I'm curious about, though, when you mention double tanking as blood. Do you think Blood would offer superior trash AOE damage versus a more dedicated spec like Unholy or Frost? Or are you trading a bit less damage for far more survivability? And if you do this, do you then do a quick swap to a dedicated DPS spec for bosses due to Blood's single target being spotty?

I'm definitely not ruling anything out just yet. I want to get Gold, and if that means I do nothing but spam Path of Frost for great justice then I'll do it. :)

[demonardvark 556]

On 5/29/2016 at 8:56 PM, TeamC said:

You bring up something I'm curious about, though, when you mention double tanking as blood. Do you think Blood would offer superior trash AOE damage versus a more dedicated spec like Unholy or Frost? Or are you trading a bit less damage for far more survivability? And if you do this, do you then do a quick swap to a dedicated DPS spec for bosses due to Blood's single target being spotty?

I'm definitely not ruling anything out just yet. I want to get Gold, and if that means I do nothing but spam Path of Frost for great justice then I'll do it. :)

It's basically to help guarantee the challenge mode success and that you won't die. The damage isn't necessarily going to be stronger but in some cases close to just as strong. Also with Blood you can maintain BOS for longer times and easier than unholy (opinion). There are certainly cases to where you can cheese mechanics. There was an instance of 4 blood dks clearing cm everbloom because they exploited dark simulacrum. So, its an option that potentially can stress out the other two dps a little more as far as what numbers they are pulling however, for tanks and healers, and really the group as a whole, it can make things a lot more approachable. 

Just like in many cases its recommended to bring various toys like the hang gliders and that to help zip zop around the level. CM is about being creative and trying to find as many ways to break the game as possible :)  So if nothing else its worth giving a try. Your group might look at you like your crazy but if its crazy and it works, then its not crazy. 

[Shells 64]

We run with me as Blood for CM's and for Aoe it works nicely, with DRW and scabbard you get lots of burst dps on the adds every 90 seconds. Much more survivable too. 

 

I usually change to frost for the bosses. Tried out UH with defile last night and it wasnt great dps. NP might have made it alot better granted. 

[TeamC 6]

Thanks again guys. I appreciate the feedback I've gotten. Just got UBRS done tonight, so only Shadowmoon and Grimrail left - hopefully tomorrow night!

My own notes - I'm finding DW Frost with Necrotic Plague better than Unholy, if only because I'm finding there to be far less downtime when not waiting for Defile and/or Super Ghoul to come back, and not having to fuss over positioning is big when we're dragging groups around. Consistently ahead of our Combat Rogue and Marks Hunter in ST and AOE fights. Howling Blast is also great for maintaining pressure in those instances you have to move away from the boss for a few seconds because of Mechanic X.

Big fan of Asphyxiate in every CM I've seen but UBRS, where I felt having the extra speed was crucial to the first and last bosses. Having that extra stun to stop trash mobs and the occasional boss mob (trio boss in Everbloom) can alleviate lots of extra damage.

Good luck to anyone doing these. Don't be afraid; they're really not that bad with a group of decent players that communicate and complement each other class-wise. :-D

[demonardvark 556]

4 hours ago, TeamC said:

Thanks again guys. I appreciate the feedback I've gotten. Just got UBRS done tonight, so only Shadowmoon and Grimrail left - hopefully tomorrow night!

My own notes - I'm finding DW Frost with Necrotic Plague better than Unholy, if only because I'm finding there to be far less downtime when not waiting for Defile and/or Super Ghoul to come back, and not having to fuss over positioning is big when we're dragging groups around. Consistently ahead of our Combat Rogue and Marks Hunter in ST and AOE fights. Howling Blast is also great for maintaining pressure in those instances you have to move away from the boss for a few seconds because of Mechanic X.

Big fan of Asphyxiate in every CM I've seen but UBRS, where I felt having the extra speed was crucial to the first and last bosses. Having that extra stun to stop trash mobs and the occasional boss mob (trio boss in Everbloom) can alleviate lots of extra damage.

Good luck to anyone doing these. Don't be afraid; they're really not that bad with a group of decent players that communicate and complement each other class-wise. :-D

Glad you are seeing success and seem to be having fun :D

And yes I second your notion. Challenge modes really aren't that bad. They are just a puzzle to solve. With a decent group, a little patience, and some creativity, you can overcome em and get some sweet loots out of it too :)