Azerite Traits
Azerite traits:
I am not the best dk but I consider myself decent. I have tried playing frost in keys multiple times, it just doesn't compare to unholy. I did not like unholy at the start and its grown on me just due to the huge difference in damage. If a group 'pulls' around breath, you will do 3-4x more as unholy in that size pack. Jan 18, 2020 i think that the rating they are giving makes sense when you compare it to the other specs which is exactly what they are doing, warlocks can do good damage, but you never see a warlock bursting 800k dps on big AoE pulls like an unholy DK can, or even bursting upwards of.
Icy Citadel: Seeing as you spam obliterate in Breath of Sindragosa, having a large amount of strength to keep you going even when Pillar of Frost ends is really strong.
Loyal to the End: A flat 178 mastery and an additional 45 for each ally using the trait up to 357, very solid seeing as mastery is your BiS stat.
Frostwhelp’s Indignation: Having multiple of this trait can make it strong, but compared to the other traits in my option it just fall short.
Frozen Tempest: Extremely strong in M+ or heavy AoE fights.
Echoing Howl: This combos really well with Frozen Tempest for heavy AoE fights or M+.
Recommended Azerite Traits
Single target Azerite Traits
- 1x Swirling Sands
- 2x Icy Citadel
- 2x Loyal to the End
- 1x Frozen tempest
For Frost DK, as most traits are pretty close for single target there are a lot of combos you can make work.
AoE Azerite Traits
- 1x Frozen Tempest
- 1x Echoing Howl
For AoE just make sure you have these 2 traits, the rest should be single target traits that are available.
Essences Overview
This is for major traits, if you want to see minors check the text under or check what I told you in my essence over pick.
Worldvein Resonance
Worldvein Resonance: Concentrate energy into the Heart of Azeroth, immediately causing 3 Lifeblood Shards to erupt from the nearby ground for 18 sec.
Minor: Every 1-25 sec, a Lifeblood Shard erupts from the nearby ground for 18 sec.
This essence has been Buffed in 8.3 heavily on the major, the minor stays unchanged. On a 1 min cooldown having a massive strength boost as a DK during breath is just insane. However, I'm not saying to run this no matter what, you should sim to see if its worth more than running Blood Of The Enemy for you.
Blood Of The Enemy
Blood Of The Enemy: Deal Aoe dmg around you when used and for the next 10 sec gain 25% crit Strike Chance and stack your minor faster. At rank 3 when used you also get increased critical hit damage by 25% for 5 sec on targets hit.
Minor: when you crit with your spells you gain a stack of blood soaked, increasing your crit by a small bit stacking up and once you get to 40 stacks you gain around 500 haste for 8 sec, Note at rank 3 you have a 25% chance to get the haste at 30 stacks instead of 40.
This combos so well with your CDs and Chains of Ice/Frostwyrm's Fury. Using this when Pillar of Frost has 10 seconds left is a must.
Condensed Life Force
Condensed Life Force: Will Summon a Guardian for 30 sec. That will deal some damage to your main target every 2 sec and every 8 sec will deal some aoe damage as well. Now for the good part, every time the guardian casts a spell you gain 2% Haste stacking up to 5 times. 3 min cooldown.
The minor is pretty much just some single target damage and when it deals damage, all damage you do vs that target is increased by 5% for 6 sec.
This has been heavily nerfed in 8.3, it's still good but the others simply just sim better on single target and this essence also does nothing on cleave/aoe. I doubt we will even use the minor here. But compared to the rest of the traits its still better, so if you dont have Worldvein Resonance or Blood Of The Enemy run this.
Memory Of Lucid Dreams
Memory of Lucid Dreams: Increasing your rune generation by 100% for the next 15 sec.
Minor: Your spells have a small chance to refund 50% of the runes spent on them.
I doubt this will ever be used but could be used to have a massive long breath, but as of right now even that is not that good. As a minor this trait is really strong.
The Crucible Of Flame
The Crucible Of Flame: Cast a flame on the target dealing some damage, you also gain a stack making your next cast of flame do 100% more damage. This will reset after 3 stacks and has 2 charges with a 30 sec cooldown.
Minor: Your spells have a chance to put a debuff on your target making it take some fire damage for 10 sec stacking up to 3 times.
Not awful by any means but the other choices are just way too good, but if you’re a new alt and you don't have those, then this is a great pick to start off with. Also, the minor is pretty decent if you don't have the Conflict and Strife essence.
Essence Of The Focusing Iris
Essence Of The Focusing Iris: When channeled deal high fire damage to all enemies in front of you for 3 sec.
Minor: your spells have a chance to grant you haste for 4 sec stacking up to 10 times, if you swap targets you lose the stacks.
If you're running m+ and dont have Blood Of The Enemy or Worldvein Resonance you can run this.
Best Unholy Dk
Breath Of The Dying
Breath Of The Dying: Burn your target with a bolt of Azerite, dealing x Fire damage. If the target has less than 20% health or more than 80% health, the cooldown is reduced by 30 sec. If Reaping Flames kills an enemy, its cooldown is lowered to 5 sec and it will deal 100% increased damage on its next use.
Unholy Dk Insane Mythic Dmg Download
Minor: Your spells and abilities have a chance to strike your target for x Fire damage, and heal you for 50% of the damage dealt. If your target is below 20% health, the chance for extra damage is increased by 400%. Corruption Resistance increased by 10.
This is one of the new essences. The Major is pretty meh the main one here is the minor, the damage it does and the 10 corruption resistance is pretty insane for a minor when you can pick 3 minors in 8.3.
Corruption Overview
Right now as of typing this it's very early in the sims but as of 9th January this is what is found.
There are alot of just straight up Corruption procs that just do simple damage like stars or void which I expect to be nerfed pretty hard.
What I think you should look for are the more simple ones that I expect to stay un-nerfed seeing as they are not too overpowered and are pretty decent, these are the ones that simply just give you x haste or mastery or crit for x sec, like Honed Mind/Surging Vitality and so on.
1. Infinite Stars
Infinite Stars: Your spells and abilities have a chance to strike a nearby enemy with an Infinite Star, and this increases their damage taken from your Infinite Stars by 25%, stacking up to 10 times.
Right now this sims insane compared to anything else, it's pretty simple, it procs and does damage and the more procs and stacks you have the more damage. I do expect blizzard to nerf this before Mythic raiding.
2. Echoing Void
Unholy Dk Insane Mythic Dmg Build
Echoing Void: Your damaging abilities build the Echoing Void. Each time it builds, Echoing Void has a chance to collapse, dealing 2.50% of your Health as Shadow damage to all nearby enemies every 1 sec until no stacks remain.
Another just strait proc one, if stars gets nerfed and this stays then this will jump to number 1 unless this also gets nerfed, this one on aoe fights or m+ is just crazy compared to anything else.
3. Twilight Devastation
Twilight Devastation: Your attacks have a chance to trigger a beam of Twilight Devastation, dealing damage equal to 18.00% of your health to all enemies in front of you.
Not a bad one at all I can see a lot of m+ pulls where this one can be used but for pure single target look at the other 2 unless changed.
4. Honed Mind - Surging Vitality - Racing Pulse
Honed Mind Gives you 915 Mastery for 10 sec.
Unholy Dk Insane Mythic Dmg 2
Surging Vitality gives you 728 Versatility for 20 sec.
Racing Pulse Gives you 1275 Haste for 4 sec.
These 3 Sim pretty much the same so not much to say here other than I believe these 3 to be the main ones, seeing as they are not overpowered at all, I don't think blizzard will touch these and instead nerf the top 3 instead, so don't be mad if you get any of these you can just sit on them until Mythic week to see the changes.
All the next effects sim way less than these, so once sims are more stable I will update this.