WoW Insiderhttp://wow.joystiq.comWoW Insiderhttp://wow.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gifWoW Insiderhttp://wow.joystiq.comen-usCopyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/WoW Insider ShowEvery week, the WoW Insider Show brings you news and views from the World of Warcraft and the site that covers it all, WoW Insider. We introduce a panel of rotating guests, including bloggers from WoW Insider and other WoW blogs, and many popular personalities from around the WoW community. From the live listener chat and polls during the show, to the emails direct from listeners (reach us at theshow@wow.com), right on to the "meat" of the show -- in-depth discussion of the most popular news and posts on WoW Insider -- the WoW Insider Show is a terrific source of news and entertainment about what's going on with Blizzard and their World of Warcraft. Listen live every Saturday at 3:30 pm Eastern on our Ustream page (http://www.ustream.tv/channel/wow-insider-show) or subscribe to the feed and let us know what you think by reviewing the show right here in iTunes.Lichborne: Patch 5.3 and the death of festerblighthttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/lichborne-patch-5-3-and-the-death-of-festerblight/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/lichborne-patch-5-3-and-the-death-of-festerblight/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/lichborne-patch-5-3-and-the-death-of-festerblight/#commentsFiled under: ,

Lichborne Patch 53 and the death of festerblight
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Lichborne for blood, frost, and unholy death knights. In the post-Cataclysm era, death knights are no longer the new kids on the block. Let's show the other classes how a hero class gets things done.

In a recent update on the patch 5.3 PTR, Blizzard applied an update that applied some unexpected changes to the death knight unholy tree, most of them nerfs.
Blizzard
Death Knight

Unholy

This has, unsurprisingly, left many death knights at a loss. After patch 5.2 seemed to cure unholy's woes and allow it to at least be a viable and fun alternative to frost, these nerfs came as a surprise. Frost is so far still the more damaging death knight DPS spec in patch 5.2, so the idea that unholy is the one that got nerfs was somewhat discouraging.

That said, it might not be as bad as you think. It's worth noting that in the long run, the Scourge Strike buff should cancel out the nerfs to Festering Strike and Unholy Might, at least in theory. This brings to mind one question as to what this shifting of damage toward Scourge Strike is actually meant to accomplish. Essentially, the main purpose here appears to be a nerf to festerblight.

Continue reading Lichborne: Patch 5.3 and the death of festerblight

WoW InsiderLichborne: Patch 5.3 and the death of festerblight originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 14 May 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>blood-furydeath-knight-frost-lichbornedeath-knight-guidedeath-knight-infodeath-knight-nerfsdeath-knight-talentsdeath-knight-unholy-lichbornedk-guidedk-infodk-talentsfabled-feather-of-ji-kunfeaturedfesterblightfrost-death-knight-lichborneguide-to-death-knightsmasterfrostmight-of-the-frozen-wastesobliterateoutbreakpatch-5.3patch-5.3-ptrpotion-of-mogu-powerrune-of-the-fallen-crusadersynapse-springsthreat-of-thassariantricks-of-the-tradeunholy-death-knight-lichbornewow-death-knightwow-dkDaniel WhitcombTue, 14 May 2013 12:00:00 ESTLichborne: Death knight wish list for a new expansionhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/30/lichborne-death-knight-wish-list-for-a-new-expansion/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/30/lichborne-death-knight-wish-list-for-a-new-expansion/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/30/lichborne-death-knight-wish-list-for-a-new-expansion/#commentsFiled under: ,

Lichborne Death knight wish list for a new expansion TUESDAY
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Lichborne for blood, frost, and unholy death knights. In the post-Cataclysm era, death knights are no longer the new kids on the block. Let's show the other classes how a hero class gets things done.

With BlizzCon officially announced, the question on everyone's lips is whether or not we'll get a new expansion announcement. Myself, I'm pretty sure it's a done deal, which makes this a perfect time to speculate and daydream about the inevitable changes that will come with patch 6.0. Today, we'll dream a bit about what could be coming for death knights.

Swelling the armies

It's been more or less traditional that we do get a new ability every time the level caps get raised. Whether this tradition will continue or not is admittedly hard to say. A lot of classes are already suffering from "button bloat," and Blizzard may want to shy away from adding new buttons. In addition, not adding new buttons may give them more leeway to adjust other buttons, as well as ensure classes don't get too powerful or infringe on other class' territory.

Continue reading Lichborne: Death knight wish list for a new expansion

WoW InsiderLichborne: Death knight wish list for a new expansion originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>blood-death-knight-lichbornedeath-knight-blood-lichbornedeath-knight-frost-lichbornedeath-knight-guidedeath-knight-infodeath-knight-talentsdeath-knight-unholy-lichbornedk-guidedk-infodk-talentsfeaturedfrost-death-knight-lichborneguide-to-death-knightspatch-6.0unholy-death-knight-lichbornewow-death-knightwow-dkDaniel WhitcombTue, 30 Apr 2013 13:00:00 ESTLichborne: Patch 5.3 and other news for death knightshttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/23/lichborne-patch-5-3-and-other-news-for-death-knights/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/23/lichborne-patch-5-3-and-other-news-for-death-knights/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/23/lichborne-patch-5-3-and-other-news-for-death-knights/#commentsFiled under: ,

Lichborne Patch 53 and other news for death knights
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Lichborne for blood, frost, and unholy death knights. In the post-Cataclysm era, death knights are no longer the new kids on the block. Let's show the other classes how a hero class gets things done.

With patch 5.2 having, if not solved, at least soothed most of our balance problems, patch 5.3 seems like a relatively quiet patch for death knights. Our class changes are a handful of relatively small fixes.

That said, there's still a good amount of content coming. Today, we'll look at patch 5.3 content and what it offers for the death knight. Note that what we're discussing today is primarily PTR content, and thus may not make it live, or will make it live in a slightly different format.

Continue reading Lichborne: Patch 5.3 and other news for death knights

WoW InsiderLichborne: Patch 5.3 and other news for death knights originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>blood-death-knight-lichbornedeath-knight-blood-lichbornedeath-knight-frost-lichbornedeath-knight-guidedeath-knight-infodeath-knight-talentsdeath-knight-unholy-lichbornedk-guidedk-infodk-talentsfeaturedfrost-death-knight-lichborneguide-to-death-knightsheroic-scenariosinsubordinationlatent-korkron-armorpatch-5.3radical-mojoruneforgingunholy-death-knight-lichbornewow-death-knightwow-dkDaniel WhitcombTue, 23 Apr 2013 13:00:00 ESTLichborne: 3 silly little death knight problemshttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/15/lichborne-3-silly-little-death-knight-problems/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/15/lichborne-3-silly-little-death-knight-problems/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/15/lichborne-3-silly-little-death-knight-problems/#commentsFiled under: ,

Lichborne Silly little death knight problems
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Lichborne for blood, frost, and unholy death knights. In the post-Cataclysm era, death knights are no longer the new kids on the block. Let's show the other classes how a hero class gets things done.

A few weeks back, I wrote a column singing the praises of the patch 5.2 death knight. I definitely stand by that column. Death knights remain a solid, fun class to play this patch. That said, there's always problems. Some of them probably won't ever be solved by patch changes. Today, we're going to look at some of the sillier death knight problems I've been dealing with lately, and see if there's any chance of relief for them.

My weapon won't drop

This is a problem I've had for ages. It seems like ever since Wrath, my death knight has had to wait a little longer for the weapon I actually want to wield because either it never drops or because someone else generally wins the roll or pays more DKP than me.

I, of course, do my best to do a little bit of every spec every patch because I want to be able to report on DK issues first hand, but my first death knight love and my main spec will always be some form of two-handed DPS.

Continue reading Lichborne: 3 silly little death knight problems

WoW InsiderLichborne: 3 silly little death knight problems originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 15 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>blood-death-knight-lichborneblood-dpsdeath-knight-blood-lichbornedeath-knight-frost-lichbornedeath-knight-guidedeath-knight-infodeath-knight-talentsdeath-knight-unholy-lichbornedeath-knight-weaponsdk-guidedk-infodk-talentsfeaturedfrost-death-knight-lichborneguide-to-death-knightspolearmsunholy-death-knight-lichborneweaponswow-death-knightwow-dkDaniel WhitcombMon, 15 Apr 2013 20:00:00 ESTLichborne: The trouble with hit rating and expertisehttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/08/lichborne-the-trouble-with-hit-rating-and-expertise/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/08/lichborne-the-trouble-with-hit-rating-and-expertise/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/08/lichborne-the-trouble-with-hit-rating-and-expertise/#commentsFiled under: ,

Lichborne The trouble with hit rating and expertise
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Lichborne for blood, frost, and unholy death knights. In the post-Cataclysm era, death knights are no longer the new kids on the block. Let's show the other classes how a hero class gets things done.

Hit rating and expertise are the life blood of the max level PvE death knight. DPS death knights need exactly 7.5% hit rating and 7.5% expertise to avoid missing raid bosses or having their attacks dodged outright. Even tanks, while a miss is less of a big deal for them, may find hit and expertise helps them keep threat and prevent key debuffs from falling off the mob. They're so powerful that if you aren't near those caps, your DPS will suffer horribly, and in most cases, the one thing you do to increase raid DPS is to hit those caps if you aren't at them already.

Now, this is what we have reforging and regemming for though, right? Sometimes it's just not that simple. Today, we'll take a look at the problems with hit gear and suggest some solutions.

The big problem is that once hit and expertise do their job of letting you hit the mob, they are almost literally useless. Dual wielders get a little bit of extra help for their normal weapon hits, but 2 handed wielders get literally nothing else out of them at all. They're dead stats. Arguably, it's bad even if you are at the 7.5% caps, because that means you have a bit of hit and expertise. and expertise rating that's not needed for daily questing or dungeon runs, or even for most raid trash.

Continue reading Lichborne: The trouble with hit rating and expertise

WoW InsiderLichborne: The trouble with hit rating and expertise originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 08 Apr 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>ask-mr-robotdeath-knight-guidedeath-knight-infodeath-knight-talentsdk-guidedk-infodk-talentsexpertiseexpertise-ratingfeaturedguide-to-death-knightshithit-ratingreforgingresiliencethunderforgedthunderforged-gearwow-death-knightwow-dkDaniel WhitcombMon, 08 Apr 2013 17:00:00 ESTLichborne: Survivability for the DPS death knighthttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/02/lichborne-survivability-for-the-dps-death-knight/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/02/lichborne-survivability-for-the-dps-death-knight/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/02/lichborne-survivability-for-the-dps-death-knight/#commentsFiled under: ,

Lichborne Survivability for the DPS death knight
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Lichborne for blood, frost, and unholy death knights. In the post-Cataclysm era, death knights are no longer the new kids on the block. Let's show the other classes how a hero class gets things done.

Death knights have long been notorious for their insane survivability since they were first introduced. Over the years, a lot of it has been nerfed, but a lot remains. While blood knight survivability feels somewhat obvious, it's a little harder to see what unholy and frost death knights have going for them. Today, we're going to examine how DPS death knights can use their skills to stay alive when the heat is on.

Anti-Magic Shell

Anti-Magic Shell remains one of the most versatile and underrated tools in our arsenal. By absorbing most of the magical damage from a massive magical attack, it allows us to stay in position longer than other classes, and save ourselves from own mistakes in some cases.

Continue reading Lichborne: Survivability for the DPS death knight

WoW InsiderLichborne: Survivability for the DPS death knight originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 02 Apr 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>anti-magic-shellanti-magic-zonearmy-of-the-deadblood-presenceconversiondeath-knight-dps-survivabilitydeath-knight-frost-lichbornedeath-knight-guidedeath-knight-infodeath-knight-survivabilitydeath-knight-survivaldeath-knight-talentsdeath-knight-unholy-lichbornedeath-pactdeath-runesdeath-siphondeath-strikedk-guidedk-infodk-talentsdps-survivabilityfeaturedfrost-death-knight-lichborneglyph-of-army-of-the-deadglyph-of-dark-succorguide-to-death-knightsicebound-fortitudelichbornepurgatoryraise-deadunholy-death-knight-lichbornewow-death-knightwow-dkDaniel WhitcombTue, 02 Apr 2013 13:00:00 ESTLichborne: Stupid death knight tricks on the Isle of Thunderhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/03/26/lichborne-stupid-death-knight-tricks-on-the-isle-of-thunder/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/03/26/lichborne-stupid-death-knight-tricks-on-the-isle-of-thunder/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/03/26/lichborne-stupid-death-knight-tricks-on-the-isle-of-thunder/#commentsFiled under: ,

Lichborne Stupid death knight tricks on the Isle of Thunder
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Lichborne for blood, frost, and unholy death knights. In the post-Cataclysm era, death knights are no longer the new kids on the block. Let's show the other classes how a hero class gets things done.

With patch 5.2 well underway, by now you've probably spent a good amount of time on the Isle of Thunder. There's lots of fun stuff to dig into there. For the most part, non-raid content seems designed so that most classes can deal with it with a minimum of fuss. Still, some classes will have an advantage, and this time, death knights are among them. Today we'll look at a few ways in which you can use your death knight specific skills to make your time on the Isle of Thunder more profitable.

Continue reading Lichborne: Stupid death knight tricks on the Isle of Thunder

WoW InsiderLichborne: Stupid death knight tricks on the Isle of Thunder originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 26 Mar 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>anti-magic-shelldeath-knight-guidedeath-knight-infodeath-knight-talentsdeaths-advancedk-guidedk-infodk-talentsfeaturedguide-to-death-knightsicebound-fortitudeisle-of-thunderpatch-5.2solo-instancetroves-of-the-thunder-kingtroves-of-the-thunder-king-guidewow-death-knightwow-dkDaniel WhitcombTue, 26 Mar 2013 19:00:00 ESTLichborne: The hidden skills of of the tankhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/03/19/lichborne-the-hidden-skills-of-of-the-tank/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/03/19/lichborne-the-hidden-skills-of-of-the-tank/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/03/19/lichborne-the-hidden-skills-of-of-the-tank/#commentsFiled under: ,

Every week, WoW Insider brings you Lichborne for blood, frost, and unholy death knights. In the post-Cataclysm era, death knights are no longer the new kids on the block. Let's show the other classes how a hero class gets things done.

DPS guides are usually pretty straightforward. You have your damage rotation, your stat priorities for gear, and maybe an extra section with some tips on using some of your more esoteric abilities. Tank guides get a little bit more slippery, though. Sure, you can cover some of the same stuff you cover in a DPS guide, included stat priorities and tips and tricks for using specific abilities, but a tank will operate on a different level. They need to know when to use their defensive cool downs. They need to know when specific boss fights may require them to switch up gear. In some cases, they need to know certain intangible things about a boss and about raiding or grouping that it doesn't seem like DPS quite need to deal with. These aren't things that will ever really involve using Death Strike, but they may be just as important to being a successful tank as Death Strike ever will be.

This week, we'll take a look at some of these intangible things and discuss ways to make sure you're on top of them. Most of this will apply primarily to pickup groups, since at the raiding level, it's easier (or at least necessary) to make sure even healers and DPS know this stuff. But if you're in Raid Finder, boy howdy will you want to keep this advice in mind.

Continue reading Lichborne: The hidden skills of of the tank

WoW InsiderLichborne: The hidden skills of of the tank originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 19 Mar 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>blood-death-knight-lichbornechilblainsdeath-and-decaydeath-gripdeath-knight-blood-lichbornedeath-knight-guidedeath-knight-infodeath-knight-talentsdeath-knight-tankdeath-knight-tank-guidedeath-knight-tankingdeath-knight-tanking-guidedeath-strikedeaths-advancedk-guidedk-infodk-talentsfeaturedgorefiends-graspguide-to-death-knightsmob-positioningpositioningstrangulatetank-guidetank-leadershiptankingtanking-guidewow-death-knightwow-dkDaniel WhitcombTue, 19 Mar 2013 15:00:00 ESTLichborne: Why patch 5.2 is a great time to be a death knighthttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/03/12/lichborne-why-patch-5-2-is-a-great-time-to-be-a-death-knight/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/03/12/lichborne-why-patch-5-2-is-a-great-time-to-be-a-death-knight/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/03/12/lichborne-why-patch-5-2-is-a-great-time-to-be-a-death-knight/#commentsFiled under: ,

Lichborne Why patch 52 is a great time to be a death knight
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Lichborne for blood, frost, and unholy death knights. In the post-Cataclysm era, death knights are no longer the new kids on the block. Let's show the other classes how a hero class gets things done.

With patch 5.2 in full swing, we've had time to take stock of the changes, not just in terms of new content, but in terms of the buffs and nerfs our classes received. I'm just going to come out and say it. As a class, death knights feel about the best they've been since the Wrath era. There's a lot of great stuff to be excited about, so let's go down the list.

Unholy is fun again

Unholy has, as a spec, been sort of on the outside since Cataclysm. Blizzard's revamp, which put unholy on a different rune spending scheme from the other specs and pulled it even further away from weapon damage and toward special ability damage, created a unique melee spec, but the complications and weaknesses that came with that spec were a bit much for many people, and with frost generally beating it in both DPS and simplicity, the spec gained a reputation for being played only by the most hard headed diehards.

Patch 5.2 came along and bought with it a much needed unholy revamp. The addition of Frost Fever to Plague Strike alone has helped make unholy's rotation smoother and more intuitive, as well as made target switching feel at least a little less punishing. AoE is still a little more awkward, but with Icy Touch on Reaping, you can at least get through that first setup and get to the main AoE rotation a lot more smoothly.

Continue reading Lichborne: Why patch 5.2 is a great time to be a death knight

WoW InsiderLichborne: Why patch 5.2 is a great time to be a death knight originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>blood-presenceconversiondeath-coildeath-knight-frost-lichbornedeath-knight-guidedeath-knight-infodeath-knight-talentsdeath-knight-unholy-lichbornedeath-pactdeath-siphondk-guidedk-infodk-talentsfeaturedfrost-death-knight-lichbornefrost-feverguide-to-death-knightshowling-blasticy-talonsicy-touchmight-of-the-frozen-wastespatch-5.2plague-strikereapingstrangulatesummon-gargoyleunholy-buffunholy-buffsunholy-death-knight-lichborneunholy-revampwow-death-knightwow-dkDaniel WhitcombTue, 12 Mar 2013 13:00:00 ESTLichborne: Patch 5.2 loot for death knights, part 3http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/03/06/lichborne-patch-5-2-loot-for-death-knights-part-3/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/03/06/lichborne-patch-5-2-loot-for-death-knights-part-3/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/03/06/lichborne-patch-5-2-loot-for-death-knights-part-3/#commentsFiled under: ,

Lichborne Patch 52 loot for death knights, Part 3
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Lichborne for blood, frost, and unholy death knights. In the post-Cataclysm era, death knights are no longer the new kids on the block. Let's show the other classes how a hero class gets things done.

This week, we'll face down the final few bosses of Throne of Thunder to see what loot they have. After that, we'll take a look at our valor point offerings and the world bosses of patch 5.2 for their loot. This will round out our look at patch 5.2's loot, and as with the last 2 weeks, the same disclaimers apply. Since this is based on PTR information, drops can change. In addition, this preview focuses on normal gear, so your gearing priorities may change if you get thunderforged gear or heroic gear.

Continue reading Lichborne: Patch 5.2 loot for death knights, part 3

WoW InsiderLichborne: Patch 5.2 loot for death knights, part 3 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 06 Mar 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>-Harbinger-of-TerrorAchillobator-RingBand-of-the-Shado-Pan-AssaultBelt-of-the-TyrannotitanBreastplate-of-the-IguanocolossusBrutal-Talisman-of-the-Shado-Pan-AssaultCarnotaur-Battleglovesdeath-knight-geardeath-knight-gear-guidedeath-knight-guidedeath-knight-infodeath-knight-talentsdk-guidedk-infodk-talentsDoomed-Crowd-of-Lei-ShinFaceguard-of-the-All-Consuming-MawfeaturedGaze-of-the-Twinsguide-to-death-knightsHelmet-of-the-All-Consuming-MawIron-QonLegplates-of-Whipping-IonizationLei-ShenLoop-of-the-Shado-Pan-AssaultLootraptors-AmuletMoonjade-NecklaceOondastaOvercompensating-Chain-of-the-Alpha-Malepatch-5.2Pauldrons-of-the-All-Consuming-MawQons-Flaming-ScimitarRein-Binders-FistsRing-of-King-KangromShado-Pan-AssaultShoulderguards-of-the-All-Consuming-MawSoul-Barrierthrone-of-thunderTidal-Force-TreadsTwin-ConsortsTyrant-King-BattleplateUroeVoolars-Bloodied-BeltVulcanodon-Gauntletswow-death-knightwow-dkDaniel WhitcombWed, 06 Mar 2013 12:00:00 ESTLichborne: More death knight loot from patch 5.2's Throne of Thunderhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/02/26/lichborne-more-death-knight-loot-from-patch-5-2s-throne-of/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/02/26/lichborne-more-death-knight-loot-from-patch-5-2s-throne-of/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/02/26/lichborne-more-death-knight-loot-from-patch-5-2s-throne-of/#commentsFiled under: ,

Lichborne More death knight loot from patch 52's Throne of Thunder
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Lichborne for blood, frost, and unholy death knights. In the post-Cataclysm era, death knights are no longer the new kids on the block. Let's show the other classes how a hero class gets things done.

We continue our loot preview this week by delving into the Forgotten Depths and Halls of Flesh-Shaping in the Throne of Thunder. The same disclaimers apply as did last week. Since this is based on PTR information, drops can change. In addition, this preview focuses on normal gear, so your gearing priorities may change if you get Thunderforged gear or heroic gear.

With that in mind, lets dig in and see what the next six bosses of Patch 5.2's Throne of Thunder raid have to offer.

Continue reading Lichborne: More death knight loot from patch 5.2's Throne of Thunder

WoW InsiderLichborne: More death knight loot from patch 5.2's Throne of Thunder originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Amulet-of-the-Primal-TurtleArtery-RippersBand-of-the-Scaled-TyrantBlack-Blood-Legplatesblood-death-knight-lichborneBracers-of-Constant-ImplosionBreastplate-of-the-All-Consuming-MawCaustic-Spike-BracersChestguard-of-the-All-Consuming-MawCrown-of-the-Golden-GolemDark-Animusdeath-knight-blood-lichbornedeath-knight-frost-lichbornedeath-knight-geardeath-knight-gear-guidedeath-knight-guidedeath-knight-infodeath-knight-talentsdeath-knight-unholy-lichborneDelicate-Vial-of-the-Sanguinairedk-guidedk-infodk-talentsDurumu-the-ForgottenEgg-Shard-GripsFabled-Feather-of-Ji-Kunfeaturedfrost-death-knight-lichbornegear-guideGreaves-of-the-All-Consuming-Mawguide-to-death-knightsHydra-Scale-BloodcloakHydrascale-ChokerJi-KunJi-Kuns-Rising-WindsLegguards-of-the-All-Consuming-MawLegplates-of-the-Dark-ParasiteMegaeraMetabolically-Boosted-Shoulderplatespatch-5.2Pathogenic-GauntletsPlated-Toothbreaker-GirdlePrimordiusPrimordius-Talisman-of-RageReinforced-Mirror-Sheen-CloakRot-Proof-GreatplateShell-Coated-WristplateShellsplitter-GreataxeShoulderguards-of-Centripetal-DestructionSpinescale-SealTalonrender-Chestplatethrone-of-thunderTortosTreads-of-the-Blind-Eyeunholy-death-knight-lichbornewow-death-knightwow-dkDaniel WhitcombTue, 26 Feb 2013 13:00:00 ESTLichborne: Patch 5.2 Last Stand of the Zandalari loot preview for death knightshttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/02/18/lichborne-patch-5-2-last-stand-of-the-zandalari-loot-preview-fo/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/02/18/lichborne-patch-5-2-last-stand-of-the-zandalari-loot-preview-fo/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/02/18/lichborne-patch-5-2-last-stand-of-the-zandalari-loot-preview-fo/#commentsFiled under: ,

Lichborne Patch 52 Last Stand of the Zandalari loot preview for death knights
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Lichborne for blood, frost, and unholy death knights. In the post-Cataclysm era, death knights are no longer the new kids on the block. Let's show the other classes how a hero class gets things done.

With the PTR getting closer to release, it's about time to start looking forward to that most cherished of patch rituals, the changing of the gear. Today, we will look at the first few bosses of Throne of Thunder and see what they have in store for death knights.

There are a few words of warning to offer here. First, this is based off PTR Info, which means they may or may not decide to adjust, remove, or add loot before it goes live. Second, this information is based off normal mode raid loot. You may find monkey wrenches thrown into the gearing process courtesy of both heroic gear and Thunderforged gear, which can be 6 ilvls higher than usual for the item. You will have to make your own judgement calls in cases where you have access to that gear. Adding to the complication is the fact that tier gear won't be Thunderforged, meaning you may have to give up some Thunderforged gear despite the higher ilvl in order to keep set bonuses.

We'll first look at the bosses in the The Last Stand of the Zandalari, the first section of the Throne of Thunder.

Continue reading Lichborne: Patch 5.2 Last Stand of the Zandalari loot preview for death knights

WoW InsiderLichborne: Patch 5.2 Last Stand of the Zandalari loot preview for death knights originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 18 Feb 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Bloodlords-Bloodsoaked-LegplatesBo-Ris-Horror-in-the-NightBracers-of-Constant-ImplosionChestplate-of-Violent-DetonationCloudbreaker-Greatbeltcouncil-of-eldersdeath-knight-geardeath-knight-gear-guidedeath-knight-guidedeath-knight-infodeath-knight-talentsdk-guidedk-infodk-talentsfeaturedFortitude-of-the-ZandalariFrozen-Warlords-BracersGauntlets-of-the-All-Consuming-MawGreatsword-of-the-Frozen-Hellsguide-to-death-knightsHandguards-of-the-All-Consuming-MawHorn-Rimmed-Doomcloakhorridonjinrokhjinrokh-the-breakerJinRokhs-Soulcrystallast-stand-of-the-zandalariOverloaded-Bladebreakers-Carapacepatch-5.2Puncture-Proof-GreathelmSpark-of-ZandalarTalisman-of-Angry-SpiritsWorldbreakers-Stormscythewow-death-knightwow-dkZerat-Malakks-Soulburning-GreatswordDaniel WhitcombMon, 18 Feb 2013 16:00:00 ESTLichborne: Switching death knight specs for patch 5.2http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/02/12/lichborne-switching-death-knight-specs-for-patch-5-2/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/02/12/lichborne-switching-death-knight-specs-for-patch-5-2/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/02/12/lichborne-switching-death-knight-specs-for-patch-5-2/#commentsFiled under: ,

Lichborne Switching specs for patch 52
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Lichborne for blood, frost, and unholy death knights. In the post-Cataclysm era, death knights are no longer the new kids on the block. Let's show the other classes how a hero class gets things done.

When a new patch comes, especially one with some major class changes like patch 5.2, it becomes a good time to reflect on your play style and priorities. Does your spec serve those priorities? With a new patch coming, it's a good time to experiment with new stuff. You can do it pretty easily on the PTR, and when the patch goes live, the game's got some fresh new content, so it's as good excuse as any to jump into a new spec and get used to it while killing trolls for all these new quests. You'll also be getting new gear, so changing up gearing priorities becomes easier.

Today, we'll take a quick look at all the death knight specs, with some of their pros and cons, so you can make a solid judgment call as to whether to switch and try something new, or stick with the familiar. This isn't meant to a complete guide to playing each spec, just a quick overview so you can decide if the play style and responsibilities of the spec are right for you.

Continue reading Lichborne: Switching death knight specs for patch 5.2

WoW InsiderLichborne: Switching death knight specs for patch 5.2 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 12 Feb 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>blood-death-knight-lichborneblood-of-the-northblood-shieldblood-tankingchoosing-a-death-knight-specchoosing-a-dk-specchoosing-a-specdark-transformationdeath-and-decaydeath-knight-blood-lichbornedeath-knight-frost-lichbornedeath-knight-guidedeath-knight-infodeath-knight-specsdeath-knight-talentsdeath-knight-unholy-lichbornedeath-strikedk-guidedk-infodk-talentsdual-wield-frostdual-wieldingduel-wieldfeaturedfrost-death-knight-lichbornefrost-dual-wieldingfrost-strikeghoulguide-to-death-knightshowling blastHowlingBlasticy-touchkilling-machineleapobliterateperma-ghoulpermanent-ghoulpermanent-petplague-strikescourge-striketwo-handed-frostunholy-death-knight-lichborneunholy-dpswow-death-knightwow-dkDaniel WhitcombTue, 12 Feb 2013 09:00:00 ESTLichborne: Tier 15 set bonuses and other death knight changes for patch 5.2http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/01/29/lichborne-tier-15-set-bonuses-and-other-death-knight-changes-fo/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/01/29/lichborne-tier-15-set-bonuses-and-other-death-knight-changes-fo/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/01/29/lichborne-tier-15-set-bonuses-and-other-death-knight-changes-fo/#commentsFiled under: ,

Lichborne Tier 15 set bonuses and other death knight changes for patch 52 TUESDAY
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Lichborne for blood, frost, and unholy death knights. In the post-Cataclysm era, death knights are no longer the new kids on the block. Let's show the other classes how a hero class gets things done.

In the weeks since the patch 5.2 PTR has been up, death knight changes have held pretty steady. The announced unholy changes have stayed in place, and so far seem to be working out much as expected, making the spec a little easier to handle and overall promising to put unholy in a better place once patch 5.2 comes out. That said, there have been a few other tweaks added, as well as the revealing of the tier 15 raid gear set bonuses. Today, we'll dig into these changes and see how they're stacking up.

Tier 15 death knight DPS bonuses
I'm going to be honest, I'm a little bit in love with the current 2 piece DPS bonus, if only for the flavor. A few columns back, I mentioned that one of my wildest dream updates for death knights would be a Wild Imps style ghoul summoning, and the 2 piece tier 15 bonus is sort of probably the closest we'll come to that. We'll need more solid parses to see if stacks up damage bonus wise, but in flavor, I'm pretty excited for it. The biggest issue here may be if the summoned pets end up dying prematurely to mobs before they can do their damage.

Continue reading Lichborne: Tier 15 set bonuses and other death knight changes for patch 5.2

WoW InsiderLichborne: Tier 15 set bonuses and other death knight changes for patch 5.2 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 29 Jan 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>army-of-the-deadblood-death-knight-lichborneblood-parasitebloodwormsbone-shieldconversiondeath-knight-blood-lichbornedeath-knight-frost-lichbornedeath-knight-guidedeath-knight-infodeath-knight-talentsdeath-knight-tier-15death-knight-unholy-lichbornedeath-pactdeath-siphondk-guidedk-infodk-talentsfeaturedfrost-death-knight-lichborneguide-to-death-knightskilling-machineobliteratepatch-5.2patch-5.2-death-knightpatch-5.2-death-knight-changespatch-5.2-ptrpatch-5.2-ptr-changespatch-5.2-unholy-changesrune-tapsoul-reaperstrangulatetier-15tier-15-set-bonusesunholy-death-knight-lichbornewild-impswow-death-knightwow-dkDaniel WhitcombTue, 29 Jan 2013 16:00:00 ESTLichborne: 2012 predictions for death knights and how they actually shook outhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2013/01/01/lichborne-2012-predictions-for-death-knights-and-how-they-actua/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/01/01/lichborne-2012-predictions-for-death-knights-and-how-they-actua/http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/01/01/lichborne-2012-predictions-for-death-knights-and-how-they-actua/#commentsFiled under: ,

A picture of a death knight from the Mists of Pandaria beta, standing in front of a pagoda in a bamboo forest.
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Lichborne for blood, frost, and unholy death knights. In the post-Cataclysm era, death knights are no longer the new kids on the block. Let's show the other classes how a hero class gets things done.

As it was for, to some extent, all classes, 2012 was a busy time for the death knights, as one expansion ended and another began. As the news of Mists of Pandaria began pouring in, I started making some predictions. As the Mists beta progressed, I started mentioning things that I felt, or that the death knight community felt, needed to change or would change. This week, I figured it might be interesting to look back on some of those old articles and see what exactly happened, and how far off the mark I was (or wasn't).

Continue reading Lichborne: 2012 predictions for death knights and how they actually shook out

WoW InsiderLichborne: 2012 predictions for death knights and how they actually shook out originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 01 Jan 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>avoidance-capblood-death-knight-lichborneblood-tapdeath-knight-blood-lichbornedeath-knight-frost-lichbornedeath-knight-guidedeath-knight-infodeath-knight-predictionsdeath-knight-presence-changesdeath-knight-talentsdeath-knight-unholy-lichbornedeath-knight-wish-listdk-guidedk-infodk-talentsdreadbladefeaturedfrost-death-knight-lichbornefrost-presencefrost-strikeguide-to-death-knightsgurthalakhungering-coldmight-of-the-frozen-wastesobliterateplague-leechrune-tetrisrunic-corruptionrunic-empowermentunholy-death-knight-lichborneunholy-presencewow-death-knightwow-dkDaniel WhitcombTue, 01 Jan 2013 20:00:00 ESTLichborne: Unholy death knights get some gifts in patch 5.2http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/12/26/lichborne-unholy-death-knights-get-some-gifts-in-patch-5-2/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/12/26/lichborne-unholy-death-knights-get-some-gifts-in-patch-5-2/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/12/26/lichborne-unholy-death-knights-get-some-gifts-in-patch-5-2/#commentsFiled under: ,

Lichborne Unholy death knights get some gifts in patch 52
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Lichborne for blood, frost, and unholy death knights. In the post-Cataclysm era, death knights are no longer the new kids on the block. Let's show the other classes how a hero class gets things done.

Given that I have been talking the past few weeks about unholy's woes and some things Blizzard will probably never give us, I wanted to spend this week talking about some of the good things Blizzard has given us. Luckily, Blizzard decided to give us the greatest Christmas gift of all: Meaningful balance and mechanics changes to the unholy death knight on the upcoming patch 5.2 PTR.

Plague Strike delivers both diseases

Applying diseases when Outbreak is on cool down has been one of the most awkward parts of playing unholy ever since Scourge Strike was switched to a single rune model. Applying via the usual Plague Strike/Icy Touch model leaves orphaned runes that cannot easily be spent on a standard strike that fits into the basic unholy priority system, throwing off the rotation in a pretty jarring manner and making fights with multiple target switches a bit of a pain. However, in patch 5.2, Ebon Plaguebringer will allow Plague Strike to apply both Frost Fever and Blood Plague.

Continue reading Lichborne: Unholy death knights get some gifts in patch 5.2

WoW InsiderLichborne: Unholy death knights get some gifts in patch 5.2 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 26 Dec 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>blood-plaguedeath-knight-balancedeath-knight-guidedeath-knight-infodeath-knight-patch-notesdeath-knight-talentsdeath-knight-unholy-lichbornedk-guidedk-infodk-talentsebon-plaguebringerfeaturedfrost-fevergargoylegary-the-gargoyleguide-to-death-knightsicy-touchoutbreakpatch-5.2patch-5.2-death-knightpatch-5.2-ptrpatch-notesplague-strikereapingscourge-strikesummon-gargoyleunholy-balanceunholy-death-knight-lichbornewow-death-knightwow-dkDaniel WhitcombWed, 26 Dec 2012 12:00:00 ESTLichborne: 3 popular death knight requests that won't (or shouldn't) be fulfilledhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/12/18/lichborne-3-popular-death-knight-requests-that-wont-or-should/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/12/18/lichborne-3-popular-death-knight-requests-that-wont-or-should/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/12/18/lichborne-3-popular-death-knight-requests-that-wont-or-should/#commentsFiled under: ,

Lichborne 3 popular death knight requests that won't or shouldn't be fulfilled TUES
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Lichborne for blood, frost, and unholy death knights. In the post-Cataclysm era, death knights are no longer the new kids on the block. Let's show the other classes how a hero class gets things done.

Death knight complaints and requests can change with patches, dealing with current issues or balance problems, but there are other death knight requests that come up time and time again, and will probably be asked about until the day they finally shut down the servers for good.

This week, we're going to look at three requests that probably will be around that long, just because it seems very unlikely Blizzard will ever fulfill them.

The power of the hero class

The "hero class" moniker has a long and storied history. It comes from Warcraft III, where hero units like paladins and death knights towered over the rest. By design, you only had a few of these every game, and they had more powerful skills that allowed them to dominate the battlefield when deployed.

When WoW came around, rumors of the hero classes spread throughout beta, but in the end, Blizzard went away from the model. Paladins, a hero class in WCIII, were made a regular class, for example, while other hero class mechanics, such as the Far Seer's Chain Lightning, went to regular classes.

Continue reading Lichborne: 3 popular death knight requests that won't (or shouldn't) be fulfilled

WoW InsiderLichborne: 3 popular death knight requests that won't (or shouldn't) be fulfilled originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 18 Dec 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>blood-death-knight-lichborneclass-balancedeath-knight-blood-lichbornedeath-knight-frost-lichbornedeath-knight-guidedeath-knight-infodeath-knight-runebladedeath-knight-talentsdeath-knight-unholy-lichbornedk-guidedk-infodk-talentsfeaturedfrost-death-knight-lichborneguide-to-death-knightshero-classhero-classesintellect-conversionoverpoweredrune-bladerunebladerunebladesruneforgingspellpower-plateunholy-death-knight-lichbornewarcraft-3warcraft-iiiwow-death-knightwow-dkDaniel WhitcombTue, 18 Dec 2012 13:00:00 ESTLichborne: Why unholy death knights aren't popularhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/12/11/lichborne-why-unholy-death-knights-arent-popular/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/12/11/lichborne-why-unholy-death-knights-arent-popular/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/12/11/lichborne-why-unholy-death-knights-arent-popular/#commentsFiled under: ,

Lichborne Why unholy death knights aren't popular
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Lichborne for blood, frost, and unholy death knights. In the post-Cataclysm era, death knights are no longer the new kids on the block. Let's show the other classes how a hero class gets things done.

On the PvE side of the death community, one of the most hot button topics right now is unholy DPS. All through the Mists beta, there was a large clamoring for an overhaul to the spec that never really came, and while Blizzard did add some decent quality of life and power changes, overall, many death knights felt the base flaws remained.

As it's played out in Mists so far, unholy death knights do appear to be a much rarer creature than frost death knights at the raid level. In addition, while sims suggest unholy should only lag slightly behind frost, actual raid parses often show unholy lagging behind by a far larger margin.

What does all this mean? How does unholy continue to have these issues? This week, we'll look at some unholy spec issues, and consider how, or if, they should be fixed.

Continue reading Lichborne: Why unholy death knights aren't popular

WoW InsiderLichborne: Why unholy death knights aren't popular originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 11 Dec 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>death-knight-guidedeath-knight-infodeath-knight-talentsdeath-knight-unholy-lichbornedk-guidedk-infodk-talentsfeaturedguide-to-death-knightsunholy-balanceunholy-death-knight-lichborneunholy-dpsunholy-raidingwow-death-knightwow-dkDaniel WhitcombTue, 11 Dec 2012 12:00:00 ESTLichborne: What I learned about death knights by playing my altshttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/12/04/lichborne-what-i-learned-about-death-knights-by-playing-my-alts/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/12/04/lichborne-what-i-learned-about-death-knights-by-playing-my-alts/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/12/04/lichborne-what-i-learned-about-death-knights-by-playing-my-alts/#commentsFiled under: ,

Lichborne What I learned about death knights by playing my alts
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Lichborne for blood, frost, and unholy death knights. In the post-Cataclysm era, death knights are no longer the new kids on the block. Let's show the other classes how a hero class gets things done.

I love my death knight. He will probably be my main for as long as I play WoW. That said, sometimes you want a change of pace. Sometimes, you've finished all the dailies, ground all the factions to exalted, and run every heroic dungeon and raid on a single character until your eyes are bleeding. Sometimes you want something else. And for that, we have alts.

Of course, alts don't mean you've completely abandoned your death knight. Sometimes, alts teach you something about your death knight. In my case, most of my alts were created before the death knight, since he didn't come along until Wrath. That means that a lot of what I learned playing them has informed how I play my death knight from day one. This week, I'm taking a look at my stable of alts and seeing what lessons they've taught or reinforced for me about my death knights.

Keep your diseases up

I've been playing a warlock alt since the vanilla era, sticking mostly to affliction, although demonology's been proving pretty fun so far in Mists. My priest I don't play quite as much, but I still like taking shadow out for a spin every once in a while.

Continue reading Lichborne: What I learned about death knights by playing my alts

WoW InsiderLichborne: What I learned about death knights by playing my alts originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 04 Dec 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>blood-death-knight-lichbornedeath-knight-blood-lichbornedeath-knight-cooldownsdeath-knight-dps-cooldownsdeath-knight-dps-tipsdeath-knight-frost-lichbornedeath-knight-guidedeath-knight-infodeath-knight-talentsdeath-knight-unholy-lichbornediseasesdk-guidedk-infodk-talentsfeaturedfrost-death-knight-lichborneguide-to-death-knightspositioningunholy-death-knight-lichbornewow-death-knightwow-dkDaniel WhitcombTue, 04 Dec 2012 13:00:00 ESTLichborne: Patch 5.1 for death knightshttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/11/27/lichborne-patch-5-1-for-death-knights/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/11/27/lichborne-patch-5-1-for-death-knights/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/11/27/lichborne-patch-5-1-for-death-knights/#commentsFiled under: ,

Lichborne Patch 51 notes for death knights
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Lichborne for blood, frost, and unholy death knights. In the post-Cataclysm era, death knights are no longer the new kids on the block. Let's show the other classes how a hero class gets things done.

Patch 5.1 contains relatively few direct death knight changes, but those changes it has are large enough to talk about. PvE escapes relatively unscathed and gets a few nice goodies, but PvP takes a bit of a hit. Today, we'll talk about what patch 5.1 has in store for death knights thus far.

The death of Death Strike in PvP?

So far, there is one single class change for death knights in the patch notes, but it is a doozy. Death Strike's bonus healing from taking damage will no longer apply to damage received from PvP combat.

This doesn't mean, of course, that death knights are completely without healing in PvP now. They should still successfully get the minimum heal and the shield it provides. It does mean, however, that they lose a lot of self healing, enough that a lot of people are working on their frost and unholy PvP skills once again.

Continue reading Lichborne: Patch 5.1 for death knights

WoW InsiderLichborne: Patch 5.1 for death knights originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 27 Nov 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>death-knight-gear-guidedeath-knight-gear-upgradesdeath-knight-guidedeath-knight-infodeath-knight-pvp-nerfdeath-knight-talentsdeath-strikedeath-strike-nerfdk-guidedk-infodk-talentsdominance-offensivefeaturedgear-upgradesguide-to-death-knightsoperation-shieldwallpatch-5.1patch-5.1-death-knight-guidepatch-5.1-ptrpvp-nerfupgrade-gearwow-death-knightwow-dkDaniel WhitcombTue, 27 Nov 2012 13:00:00 EST