Attack my target... please

Two things have become very clear to me over the past few days while tanking on my recently respecced DK. First, as Frost, if I want the highest threat gen over the course of a trash pack, I need a couple of seconds to wind up my threat. Second, the DPS doesn't give you that time. I've found myself having to ditch a high threat ability rotation for a lower threat "snap aggro" rotation, as well as taunting more often than a tank should. I have a solution for this, however. Attack my target. Please.

As a Frost Death Knight, I rely less on Death and Decay for my AoE threat generation and more on Howling Blast. I'll get into more on those at a later time, but for you damage dealers what that means is I need to burn at least two runes before I can even hit anything but my primary target because of the benefit that one of my disease grants all of my other abilities. In addition, if I do use Death and Decay, I wont be able to effectively use Howling Blast (I can, but like I said this is all in the most ideal threat rotation sense) for at least a full rune rotation. So those extra mobs I'm not targeting are getting hit with minimal threat for anywhere between 3 and 8 seconds.

There's a catch here, however. You see, while I may not be doing much in the way of threat generation on my secondary targets, there are quite a few things that I AM doing to my primary target. First up, auto attacks. Auto attack threat for a DK can be a bit spikey since DK's tank with two-handed weapons, but parry hasting can bump up the auto attack threat a fair bit. The second thing I'm smacking around my primary target with is Rune Strike. Rune Strike is THE ability for a DK tank. It is a high threat, and quite high damage ability that is usable on my target. It can only be used after a successful dodge or parry by me, so it can suffer RNG and take a bit to get active, but it's solid, single-target threat that is only hitting the target I'm staring at. The last thing I'm hitting him with is Frost Strike/Death Coil. Frost strike has the potential to deliver serious damage, especially when combined with a Killing Machine proc. Alas, this ability is only single target. Total them up, though, and you get three very solid sources of threat. And they are all single target.

So what can you, the DPS, do to alleviate some of my stress? Well, if you absolutely insist on AoE abilities, give me an extra second. Wind up a single target cast or auto attack the main target before going nuts. Also, check a target that I'm NOT targeting and look at your Omen window (you do run Omen, don't you?). Does it look like I have threat on it? If so, then blast away. If you are single target, don't wait for me to mark a kill target. If I'm in a heroic, I generally DON'T mark because I will target the kill target (unless I'm on my warrior). Target me and press your assist key. That is your kill target.

You don't want a tank to blow a taunt unnecessarily, and that tank doesn't want to either. Taunt is meant to be a reactive ability to grab a loose mob, not a regularly used ability. It doesn't work like a hunter pet's Growl. Keep an eye on your Omen window, too, or set aggro warnings. Know when you are getting close, and back off a bit or cancel your AoE. Follow my targets so you are always hitting the mob with the most direct threat. Follow these tips and you will live longer and have a happier tank. Don't count on me to taunt that mob that you ripped from me off of you. It may be on cooldown from having to use it for another over zealous DPS. Or if I'm in the right mood, it just might "miss".