On the one hundred and sixteenth episode of the Molsan Method podcast, I review my options for leveling around level 60 in World of Warcraft. (5:07)

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On the seventy-third episode of the Molsan Method podcast, I recap my run of regular Trial of the Champion in World of Warcraft, and wonder when it’s okay to roll “Need” on an item. (4:52)

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On the fifty-fifth episode of the Molsan Method podcast, I recap my struggles as a Death Knight tank, and, finally, a successful tanking run in World of Warcraft. (6:49)

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On the forty-forth episode of the Molsan Method podcast, I explain why I’ve struggled to step up and tank with my Death Knight, and my plan for creating a resource hub for Death Knight tanking information. (7:44)

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On the twenty-sixth episode of the Molsan Method podcast, I talk about how I’m leveling a character through the 60s and 70s using the LFD tool and old quests. (7:30)

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On the twentieth episode of the Molsan Method podcast, I discuss problems with gathering professions, and why I paired Inscription and Enchanting for my Alliance Death Knight. Yes, I said Alliance. (6:47)

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Here is a general progression of one-handed weapons for a DPS Death Knight in Northrend for World of Warcraft.

Now that patch 3.2 is out, it’s time to take a look at one-handed weapons for dual-wielding specs. If you’re going to dual-wield, you’ll want two slow weapons, so I’m only showing progression for weapon speeds of 2.4 and above. What’s nice is you have crafted, bind-on-equip, non-unique weapons available to you at levels 71, 73, and 74 from a Blacksmith. If you’re a Weaponsmith yourself, you can pickup another pair of weapons at level 78.

Entering Northrend at level 68, you can obtain a Soldier’s Spiked Mace and Edge of the Tuskarr from quests very early on. These two weapons should carry you for three levels. Then at level 71, find two Cobalt Tenderizers until you hit Dragonblight and two Notched Cobalt War Axes when you hit level 73. The crafted Savage Cobalt Slicer is a fantastic upgrade at level 74. At level 75, you should find a couple of friends (especially a healer), and complete The Champion of Anguish quest chain in Zul’Drak. You can swap out one of your two crafted weapons for the Crimson Cranium Crusher.

Unless you are a Weaponsmith, or you can find a group willing to farm regular Utgarde Pinnacle at level 78, you’ll be waiting until level 80 to upgrade your weapons. If money is no object, check the auction house for a Krol Cleaver. In the meantime, start saving up gold or materials for a Titansteel Bonecrusher for your main hand. The TB is a main-hand-only weapon, so you’ll need to find an off-hand weapon to compliment it.

Finding a new off-hand at level 80 can be time-consuming depending on which faction you want to grind rep with. The Reaper of Dark Souls has a slight DPS edge over the Stalactite Chopper, but the Chopper comes with Armor Penetration. You’ll most likely be doing quests for both The Sons of Hodir and Knights of the Ebon Blade anyway, so pickup whichever one you get access to first.

1. Level 68 Soldier’s Spiked Mace (8966)
   Obtained by: Quest Reward – Cutting Off the Source (Borean Tundra)
2. Level 68 Edge of the Tuskarr (9020)
   Obtained by: Quest Reward – The Tides Turn (Borean Tundra)
3. Level 71 Cobalt Tenderizer (9262)
   Obtained by: Blacksmith or AH (15 gold)
4. Level 71 Spiked Coldwind Club (9508)
   Obtained by: Quest Reward – Where the Wild Things Roam (Dragonblight)
5. Level 73 Yoke Slasher (9531)
   Obtained by: Quest Reward – Filling the Cages (Grizzly Hills)
6. Level 73 Notched Cobalt War Axe (9850)
   Obtained by: Blacksmith or AH (15 gold)
7. Level 74 Savage Cobalt Slicer (11240)
   Obtained by: Blacksmith of AH (80 gold)
8. Level 75 Crimson Cranium Crusher (12216)
   Obtained by: Quest Reward – The Champion of Anguish (Zul’Drak)
9. Level 78 Corroded Saronite Edge (12427)
   Obtained by: Weaponsmith BoP
10. Level 78 Ymiron’s Blade (13104)
    Obtained by: King Ymiron (Utgarde Pinnacle)
11. Level 80 Stalactite Chopper (14299)
    Obtained by: The Sons of Hodir (Revered)
12. Level 80 Reaper of Dark Souls (14366)
    Obtained by: Knights of the Ebon Blade (Revered)
13. Level 80 Krol Cleaver (15718)
    Obtained by: World Drop or AH (5000 gold)
14. Level 80 Titansteel Bonecrusher* (15865)
    Obtained by: Blacksmith or AH (1000 gold)

* Main-hand only

Prices and links provided by Wowhead. Gear score provided by Loot Rank (based on the PvE Death Knight template).

I was really enjoying my Death Knight prior to patch 3.2. He was a Blood-spec, two-handed axe smashing fool. My last run was a 4-man regular Violet Hold, where I was doing 1300+ DPS at level 77. Our tank was a Death Knight, and one of the other DPS was a Death Knight. They were each doing around 780 DPS. I thought I really had something special going: the correct build, properly itemized gear, and a tight rotation.

The Death Knight rumor casting a cloud over this patch was that my spec would be “dead.” That’s a silly way to describe a Death Knight spec, but I bought into it, and replaced my build with a dual-wield Unholy build. I really like the look and feel of a melee player dual-wielding big weapons. What I didn’t like was that I had a hard time breaking 750 DPS in Sholazar Basin! I think the rhinos and tigers were laughing at me, wondering what I was doing out there slapping them around.

The Build: 0/18/53

I decided on this build after sifting through a 34-page thread on the Elitist Jerks forums. Skeleton Jack confirmed this build on his site, but stated that “the Frost tree is officially the ‘Dual Wield Tree’ as of 3.2 for PvE DPS.” I understand that, but what attracted me to Unholy was some of the soloing utility, including Master of Ghouls and Summon Gargoyle.

After going back and reading more about this spec, it seems that this is more suited for raiding. You maximize your output by stacking Armor Penetration, which is really only available from well-itemized Ulduar-level gear. So is it back to the drawing board already? Probably.

The “New” Build: 0/53/18

I refuse to give up on a dual-wield spec, and will try again going deeper into the Frost tree. This also requires me to manage two rotations, as opposed to the one rotation I used with Blood. In order to maximize this spec, you need to manage a “setup” rotation and a “main” rotation. This idea was explained in detail by Skeleton Jack in a comment, and I will spell it out even more clearly here.

The Setup Rotation

Icy Touch -> Plague Strike -> Pestilence -> Blood Strike -> Obliterate -> Frost Strike -> Frost Strike -> Obliterate -> Obliterate -> Obliterate -> Frost Strike

The Main Rotation

Obliterate -> Pestilence -> Blood Strike -> Obliterate -> Frost Strike -> Frost Strike -> Obliterate -> Obliterate -> Obliterate -> Frost Strike -> Frost Strike

The Frost Strikes in both rotations act as your runic power dump. I will try out this build and rotations at some point and report back on my findings. Thanks to Elitist Jerks and Skeleton Jack for the information and explanations.

Here is a general progression of neck pieces for a DPS Death Knight in Northrend for World of Warcraft.

The progression path here is probably the most straight-forward of any slot. One of your first rare items from Northrend will come from the group quest “Breaking Through” in Borean Tundra, available at level 68. Completing this quest will reward you with the Choker of Forceful Redemption which will carry you to at least 72, if not 75.

At level 75, you’ll want to find a Jewelcrafter and make friends with him or her. You can pick up the Jewelcrafter-made Jade Dagger Pendant until you finish the Oracles/Frenzyheart quest chain in Sholazar Basin for the Spiked Collar of Servitude.

If you are questing in Icecrown and need a buffer for this slot in the mid-70s, The Severed Noose of Westwind is available to you from a quest at 78. When you hit level 80, find that Jewelcrafter friend of yours and get the Titanium Impact Choker crafted for you.

1. Level 68 Worgtooth Pendant (668)
   Obtained by: Quest Reward – The Walking Dead (Howling Fjord)
2. Level 68 Choker of Forceful Redemption (909)
   Obtained by: Quest Reward – Breaking Through (Borean Tundra)
3. Level 72 Wyrm-slave Collar (946)
   Obtained by: Quest Reward – Neltharion’s Flame (Dragonblight)
4. Level 75 Jade Dagger Pendant (1167)
   Obtained by: Jewelcrafter or AH (40 gold)
5. Level 76 Spiked Collar of Servitude (1276)
   Obtained by: Quest Reward – A Hero’s Burden (Sholazar Basin)
6. Level 78 The Severed Noose of Westwind (1409)
   Obtained by: Quest Reward – The Admiral Revealed (Icecrown)
7. Level 80 Titanium Impact Choker (1915)
   Obtained by: Jewelcrafter or AH (1200 gold)

Prices and links provided by Wowhead. Gear score provided by Loot Rank (based on the PvE Death Knight template).

Here is a general progression of chest pieces for a DPS Death Knight in Northrend for World of Warcraft.

Starting out in Borean Tundra, you’ll want to focus on obtaining the Battle Leader’s Breastplate. This will carry you for three levels until you can hit Dragonblight for the Chestplate of the Ruby Champion.

Your first opportunity to pick up a rare item will be at level 76 with the Kalu’ak. If you’ve completed all of the quests for this faction in at least two out of the three zones where Kalu’ak quests exist, you should have no trouble reaching honored.

You can then run Gundrak for the Forlorn Breastplate of War from Moorabi, or hold off until 80 and complete the quest “Whatever it Takes!” in the Halls of Lightning. Although you can pick up this quest at level 77, you’re more likely to find a heroic HoL group at 80, then you are a regular HoL group at 77.

• Level 68 Mightstone Breastplate (1436)
  Obtained by: Quest Reward – Bury Those Cockroaches! (Borean Tundra)
• Level 68 Battle Leader’s Breastplate (1601)
  Obtained by: Quest Reward – What the Cold Wind Brings… (Borean Tundra)
• Level 71 Chestplate of the Ruby Champion (1815)
  Obtained by: Quest Reward – On Ruby Wings (Dragonblight)
• Level 73 Carapace of the Fallen (1932)
  Obtained by: Quest Reward – A Minor Substitution (Grizzly Hills)
• Level 74 Chestplate of the Altar (1971)
  Obtained by: Quest Reward – Precious Elemental Fluids (Zul’Drak)
• Level 75 Links of the Terrified Deity (2001)
  Obtained by: Quest Reward – Convocation at Zol’Heb (Zul’Drak)
• Level 76 Whalebone Carapace (2194)
  Obtained by: The Kalu’ak (Honored)
• Level 76 Forlorn Breastplate of War (2413)
  Obtained by: Moorabi (Gundrak)
• Level 77 Breastplate of Jagged Stone (2812)
  Obtained by: Quest Reward – Whatever it Takes! (Halls of Lightning)

Prices and links provided by Wowhead. Gear score provided by Loot Rank (based on the PvE Death Knight template).