Post by skyfaith
So I was slightly disappointed with most blood dk guides on ToS and I've done a lot of experimenting too. So I have decided to finally write out all the notes I keep in my head. This guide is mainly for Normal and Heroic since I do not run Mythic, but I think I have decent qualifications.
https://www.warcraftlogs.com/rankings/character/10316884/13#metric=dps&partition=1 (note i have since transferred to horde area 52 incase you are wondering why there are no logs for 7.3)
GorothFor positioning, this is not a blood dk thing, just keep him where he is. If Fel Eruption spawns on one side of the room just move to his other side (while still keeping the boss still and his back towards the center of the room) melee dps can always be behind him. If Fel Eruption spawns of the other side then the fire from the first side is about to despawn.
Blood specific things: you can AMS Burning Armor right before it blows up to avoid Melted Armor.
You can AMS Crashing Comet to avoid the dots (you should never get targeted by those)
You can AMS the dots from Infernal Burning. I'd recommend the infernal burning since you can stay on the boss and not have to run away.
Damage optimization: take Blood Mirror and use it right before Infernal Burning hits but dont use AMS.
Also as with most boss, spend your time off tanking to maintain Blood Shield for the 25% Death Strike damage buff
Demonic InquisitionAtrigan's auto attacks and Scythe Sweep can be parried, this information is more cool than useful. If you did want to use this information then ask to tank first so you can make better use of your DRW on the pull. Also you can save dancing DRW for a few seconds in the middle of the fight until you are tanking the boss again if it comes up while you are off tanking.
Pangs of guilt go off a lot in many groups, save your group, set Belac as your focus and replace you interrupt with (/cast Mind Freeze) for the fight.
Note: AMS does not block most forms of torment generation. You can save it for the cage if the damage is a problem for you which it should not be.
For tank taunting there are two similar ways it has worked for me
1- during bone saw, go in the cage and taunt off the add
2- during bone saw, wait for the other tank to taunt off the boss and then go in the cage.
If your group is still having issues there is a fool proof (and not worth it imo) way of making sure non of this is a problem and that to have 3 tanks.
if you have the boss and someone taunts off, then go in the cage and taunt off the other tank. if you are in the cage and someone taunts of the leave the cage and wait for Atrigan to so an ability the taunt.
Damage optimization - Blood Mirror when Atrigan is not going to use and abilities soon.
HarjatanYou can interrupts adds to reduce drenched stacks on the raids. you can grip to group adds up or grip for a make-shift interrupt on the puddles.
Your AMS can block drenched stacks.
Damage optimization: If your raid kills adds too fast run blood mirror and use it when the other tank taunts off (because of the dot hurts more than melees) or while tanking him during Frigid Blows.
MistressFor Heroic, make everyone's life easier, take March of the Damned and soak ever hydra shot with alternating using AMS to not get stacks and wraith walk to break the stun (which also removes the dot). Also do not move the boss while she is casting hydra shot, sometimes I even leave her in puddles.
Aside from that just have good movement this fight and do not taunt in the puddles as it will cause your taunts to most likely miss. Also make sure to taunt while she is casting burden of pain and not after.
Damage optimization: since the eels things only deal magic damage it is easy to maintain blood shield for the extra Death Strike Damage while off tanking.
Also I am pretty sure this macro makes Bone Storm deal more damage
#showtooltip Bonestorm
/cast Bonestorm
/run PlaySoundFile("Sound\\Creature\\LordMarrowgar\\IC_Marrowgar_WW01.ogg")
Sister of the MoonI actually am of the belief that it is better for the raid (well melee dps actually) if you dont move the boss. If people need to clear their stacks it still easy to do and you will not mess up melee's dps. Also this prevents you from being around the wall which is nice when it comes to dodging glaive storm.
During phase 3 if you are watching boss timers you can AMS to prevent the tank dots from being applied.
Damage optimization: Maintain Blood Shield while off tanking and make sure to have blood mirror up for phase two and tank both the boss and the add or use it with 2-3 stacks of Lunar Fire in phase three.
The Desolate HostWithout tightening grasp you can gorefiend every spawn of adds on the spirit side but if you take tremble before me you might accidentally interrupt a Scream when you want to break boneshield armor.
If your dps are staying in the spirit realm for wailing souls you can pop consumption for vampiric aura to help your healers.
Also I've notice some healing raid frames can't tell when people are in the spirit or corporeal, they all appear to be in range. If this is the case, you can call out spear of anguish just to help out.
For spirit side you can also asphyxiate the Soul Residues if they do not die instantly to reduce the amount of kiting people have to do.
Damage optimization: Maintain Blood Shield throughout phase one and make sure to time aoe CDs with add spawns (every two mins).
MaidenOn normal you can probably solo soak hammers with just Vampiric Blood, but for heroic you can solo them (assuming you are not under geared) with Rune Tap and Vampiric Blood. Other cooldowns can be used incase you are not topped off (IBF, AMS, Blood Mirror, Archimondes Hatred Reborn if you have it).
Also you can use AMS as she is casting Mass Instability (if you are offtanking) to not get Unstable Soul.
Damage Optimization: Blood Shield while off tanking and during blowback phase, blood mirror every hammer you can while soloing them.
AvatarYou know how everyone complains about melee dps getting auto's by the boss? Well have no fear AMS during Rupture Realities is here (so is taunting when you run out of melee range). It is actually better for damage and survivabilty to soak Rupture Realities because you AMS will soak all of it and give you about 20 runic power.
Also if you raid is having problems with dealing too much damage to the Madien. then make sure you are postioning the Maiden where you can hit the Avatar while being able to parry Maiden.
For phase two, your AMS is better spend incase a Black Winds is going to hit you. Since if you use AMS you will not get the dot from the winds.
Damage optimization: Blood Shield while off tanking in phase two.
Kil'jaedenFel Claws: Vampiric Blood is all you need assuming you are not low and have zero runic power. If you can it might be better to wait til you get hit by Fel Claws once then pop Vampiric Blood if you do not trust your co-tank to taunt the moment Fel Claws ends.
Also if you are running Rune Tap you can use it right before the 4th Fel Claw and that Rune Tap will last for the 5th too, saving you a rune on a fight where your rotation for surviving matters more than any other.
Make sure to reposition the boss after Rupturing Singularity. Careful this ability is usually followed by fel claws in which case he will need to be repositioned afterwards.
If you AMS you do not receive a dot after soaking Armageddon. Plus if you never have to soak Armageddon Hail (the tank soak) then you should probably try to soak as many Armageddon Rains as possible since you can reset your stacks with AMS and the damage probably will not kill you, but if you are dying a lot then just soak with AMS.
During Deceiver's Veil, after you get your sight buff you can gorefiend all the adds nearby together. You can use asphyxiate to prevent the adds from finishing their cast and moving away.
AMS does not prevent Darkness of a Thousand Souls from applying a dot to you.
During phase three make sure to account for all Demonic Obelisk when they spawn, there will always be one more Obelisk than the last spawn (I think). Use that to look at each Demonic Obelisk and determine if you spot is still safe until you have found them all.
Damage Optimization: aside from the usual maintain Blood Shield while off tanking, you can try to use Death's Caress and Death and Decay to Leave the first Intermission phase with full Runic Power. Also during this phase you can try to get off a marrowrend to maintain boneshield stacks but this is mostly rng based.
