Comprehensive F2P Death Knight Guide.
~updated for 5.4
- Table of Contents:
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Starting Zone
- 2.1 Race selection
- 2.2 Gearing andSpecialisation
- 2.3 Abilities and Rotation
- 2.4 Tips and Tricks
- 2.5 Fun Things in Starting Zone
- 3. Outside Activities
- 3.1 Achievements
- 3.2 Companion Pets
- 3.3 Mounts
- 5. Professions
- 6. Conclusion
1. Introduction
Death Knights are considered Melee DPS / Tanks, they have big chunk of health and can use plate armor, along with two-handed swords or dualwield onehanders, but Death Knight on F2P account is not a tank, nor it's melee DPS. We are locked on level 55, which gives us opportunity to use 4-5 abilities, making level 55 Death Knight more of a Melee Caster (more info further into the guide). To make a Death Knight on Trial account, you had to use a glitch on Italian server Nemesis in 11.2012 or on Moon Guard (US only) in 08.2014 - If you did not, the Death Knight feature is not available for you. DKs are limited just like level 20 characters - Can't get more than level 55, capped at 10 gold, can't use Trade or General chat, can't yell and get primary professions more than 100.
1.1 FAQ and Troubleshooting
With the recent increase of DK creations due to Moon Guard bug I'm making a FAQ for those who are new in the Death Knight fun.
Q: Why do I get "Character Locked" when I want to log my DK second time?
A: Because all characters on the Trial account will get locked if they level up above 21. Technically upon creation DK
counts as a level 1 character (even when showing level 55!) and he gets bumped to 55 when you first log in.
Q: Looking at the above it means I have to do everything in one sitting. Why bother then? What can I get?
A: You can get a lot of achievements, pets and mounts. Have a look at Felix's DK achievement list , Tiger's mount guide or solvogero's pet guide to see what you can get.
Q: What happens if I get disconnected?
A: You have to start whatever you were doing again.
Q: Can I die and get ressed or is that an auto DC?
A: If dying on a normal char makes you DC better try to avoid dying. Else, feel free to die
small tip: if you DC upon dying try to play a night elf as they can drop combat which can save you
Q: Why my BG que takes ages and never pops?
A: Because just like at level 20 F2P Death Knights are in exp-locked bracket and absolutely no one plays 55-59 twink. To play some Eye of the Storm / Alterac Valley games you would need some organisation.
Q: Why can't I enter any dungeon?
A: Dungeon que works when you're still in the starting zone but it won't let you go. You will have no problems doing a dungeon after the quest chain though.
Q: What race is the best?
A: Check out the "Starting Zone" section
2.Starting Zone
2.1 Race Selection
2.1 Race Selection
You might want to roll every race possible at least once to get the level 40 racial mounts without need to grind rep to exalted. You need to farm the Tushui / Huojin rep on one of your death knights tho.
2.2 Gearing and Specialisation
Specialisation: Death Knight has three different specialisations to choose: Blood, Unholy and Frost.
Now, we are in this unlucky position that Blood Boil, a very strong Blood AoE spell (approx. 2k damage each use) requires level 56. We have to choose second best thing which is Frost - Howling Blast deals 600 AoE damage each cast + applies Frost Fever. Additionally Frost gives us +25% attack speed.
Gear: Let's concentrate on gear for a while. DK quest gear is definetely BiS, but you can do some cosmetic changes that will help you complete the starting zone faster.
Sword On your sword you should put Rune of Cinderglacier . Why? You have a choice between Cinderglacier or Razorice. Rune of Razorice gives passive 2% damage increase, which is helpful, and Cinderglacier gives enchant with proc that gives you 20% increase in damage for your shadow and frost abilities. As Frost all of your abilities deal shadow or frost damage, and your weapon has 3.2 speed, which makes Cinderglacier proc quite often, and that's why this rune is simply a lot better.
Trinket Replace Insignia of the Scourge with other quest trinket as soon as possible. No monster in whole zone uses CC ability that can be trinketed using insignia. Only CC is Daze, and using the trinket on Daze gives you nothing.
Last quest Your weapon pick from last quest should be Greatsword for the hit bonus, you need as much hit as possible for the dungeons.
2.3 Abilities and Rotation
Only presence available at level 55. Increases runic power generation rate by 20% and decreases cc duration by 20%. Stacks with Da Voodoo Shuffle . Use at all times.
Plague Strike is the ability you should always use at least once to apply the DoT. It deals around 300 damage at the beginning up to 400 damage when fully geared. 
Icy Touch deals around 300 damage up to 400 when fully geared and applies frost fever. Don't use, it wastes the frost rune that can be used to cast Howling Blast.
Deals around 600 damage at long range. Use whenever you have enough runic power.
F2P Death Knight's only PvP utility and taunt. Using it pulls the enemy to you and taunts them to attack you for short time. This spell is extrememly important and mastering it's usage will drastically improve your F2P Death Knight gameplay. When PvEing always use this spell on the boss your team is fighting if you are the tank as you don't have any passive aggro increasing ability. Also use it to pull the mob attacking the healer to you. When PvPing avoid starting the fight with it. Remember: use Death Grip after the mage blinks, the lock jumps, the hunter disengages, not to start off the fight (unless you're getting kited infinetely).
Frost specialisation spell. Costs one frost rune, deals around 600 damage early up to 700 when fully geared, also applies Frost Fever. It's the only AoE spell in our arsenal, so it's priceless in questing and tanking instances. And yes, you should que as tank in frost, blood gives you nothing! Use whenever possible.
Spell unlocked after finishing most of the quest chain, it teleports you to Ebon Hold. When recasted teleports you to where you were when you first cast it. Makes farming Argent Dawn reputation a flash as you can just teleport in and out.
Not technically abilities but they are counted as such. Blood Plague and Frost Fever are DoTs that will get applied by Plague Strike and Howling Blast respectively. Please don't waste your frost runes to cast Icy Touch and your death runes to cast plague strike. Focus on Howling Blast and only cast Plague Strike when you have unholy runes.Rotation:
2.4 Tips and Tricks
There are some irritating quests in the starting zone, but using a few tips will make them easier. How To Win Friends And Influence Enemies is the most time consuming quest, due to the small chance of getting information. Using the daggers you will proc very often a 3 second stun to your target, and during the stun you have small chance that the target will give you information you need for the quest. You should find some place with not much monsters, death grip one and use only auto attack not to kill it too fast. You will have 7-8 procs on the target while only auto attacking, and you would have 1-2 using skills. +25% attack speed from Frost helps here to get stun proc more often. Another quest is The Plaguebringer's Request. You don't have to finish this one, but it's done by the way of other quests in chain, and by completing it you get belt far superior to the one you have (more stamina, str and trade crit for valuable hit) + gives you option to trade crusader skulls for potions which will save you many times. Going back from quests, there is one thing that you can do in the zone, that will make you go out later but it will be easier once you go out. For your quests, once you get 10 gold cap, go to the ghoul npc in Ebon Hold and buy Huge Brown Sack. 4 of them give you 10 gold stored, and having 10g in bag + 8 bags like this gives you option to instantly buy mounts once you are outside (worgen and goblins don't have to do it, 10g in bag will be sufficient). Getting back for bags will add you approximately 10 minutes more time in starting zone, but will save you half an hour outside the zone.
2.5 Raiding in the starting zone
There are 2 NPCs that are Raidable with F2P DKs, Stable Master Kitrik with 81K health and Scarlet Lord Jesseriah McCree with 55.6K health. Out of those two, I believe 1st one is doable using 4 DKs (1 Tank 2 Dps, 1 First Aid healer / DPS) and second one is able to be 2-manned with quest daggers (almost stun lock) or 3-manned with normal weapon. Those raids would be of course for fun only.
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