gnomeDK – Your Pink Haired Guide to All Things Death Knight

Preparing For Your Death Knight is for those players planning to switch their mains to a death knight and are willing to go the extra mile before expansion to help speed up their death knight’s development after expansion launches. These steps are by no means required if you want to level a death knight, but they do help speed up the leveling process.

Consumables certainly won’t make or break your ability to level your death knight quickly, so you don’t need them. However, if you have the money or materials to get some made they certainly do help. In beta testing it was taking death knights anywhere from 20 to 40 hours played to get to Northrend, depending on skill and efficiency. Keep those numbers in mind when looking at how many of each consumable you want to stock pile.

Potions

[Elixir of Major Strength] – A death knight’s best DPS potion pre-Northrend.

[Elixir of Major Fortitude] – As far as guardian elixirs go this is the best one for leveling/grinding. However on a Blood spec death knight (which you’ll likely have through Outland) I find it less useful than the DPS boosting consumables.

[Unstable Flask of the Beast] – If one of your current characters has [Apexis Shard] to spare then pick up a stack of this stuff for when you’re in Blade’s Edge Mountains. Hard to beat a cheap flask.

[Healing Potion Injector] – Healing potions are a must for leveling (evening a Blood spec death knight) and the injector version is worth the extra Fel Iron and leather to save bag space and runs back to the bank.

Food

You are going to want to food for reduced downtime, might as well kick it up a notch (bam!) from vendor food and get food that gives you a nice DPS buff as well.

[Spicy Hot Talbuk] – Good at the lower levels. Once your gear alone gets you close to 5% hit then switch to Roasted Clefthoof.

[Roasted Clefthoof] – Pure +strength food never goes out of style.

Sharpening Stones

[Elemental Sharpening Stone] – It may or may not be cheaper than the Outland standard [Adamantite Sharpening Stone], on your realm. However pure +crit is better considering you’ll have a slow, two handed weapon. If you switch out for dual wielding weapons then look into the Outland ones.

Armor Kits

[Heavy Knothide Armor Kit] – You’ll be enchanting your death knight’s starter gear, but until you get your reputation up with Cenarion Expedition and the Aldor this is good to have on your head and shoulders items. It will also be nice when you start upgrading to Northrend greens. These armor kits only give 2 less stamina than the Northrend versions, are a lot cheaper to make, and can be made now.

Bandages

[Heavy Netherweave Bandage] – If you level up your First Aid (as you should) you’ll end up with a stack of these. Don’t bother making more, as you’ll likely be Blood spec for much of Outland leveling you won’t have a lot of need for bandaging. Just keep what you make and there will be plenty of cloth drops along the way to make more if needed.