The [Annihilator] proc is a debuff, not a self-buff, that does not overwrite sunder. I don't have any experience with [Rivenspike], but from the similar wording I'm guessing it's also a debuff. Whether it stacks with [Annihilator] or not, I have no idea.

Sad self-admission: I used to use Rivenspike on my resto shaman way back when on C'thun, because it did stack with Sunder. This was back when I was a resto shaman.

I cannot imagine it being useful today, even if they somehow missed it stacking with sunder. Horrible proc rate, horrible uptime, and not much of cases where you can use it and not cause more problems than good (parries, non healing, no regen MH, I could go on).

Here's a post about this topic (Nightfall) I wrote on my guild's forums. I use one (Illidan P2 when I'm not tanking) and used to use one as an OT when I was in tank gear for something in the fight.

Tested Nightfall today, was curious.

4.2 PPM, put my character on auto attack on a servant, then did other stuff. This is the results when I came back, as well as a dead character.



I used a Gorefiend WWS that totaled about 9000 caster DPS for the calculations.

The Spell Vulnerability debuff lasts 5 seconds. 15% of 9000 is 1350 DPS, so it's 1350 more damage each second for 5 seconds, or 6750 damage per proc. At 4.2 procs/minute, that's 28350 damage/minute, or 472 dps.

In full dps gear + Nightfall, spamming hamstring/overpower/whirlwind, I was doing 350 dps. The proc adds 470ish so I was adding 820 dps effectively.

In full dps gear + normal weapons, I'll do far more than that, 1000+ without a totem.

So on a fight like Gorefiend or Archimonde where you aren't sitting the tanks to just streamline things, full dps gear is still better. But anything else where there's extra tanks once the mobs die or whatnot (Illidan, etc), Nightfall will be a nice boost, and I decided to quantify it.

Yes, but is it better when you're in full FR gear?

Not in dps gear is enough. I have 5% hit, 12% crit, -4% dodge, 900 AP in FR gear, somehow I don't think my white damage would account for much.

If procwatch still works like it used to do, it counts the "X is afflicted by Spell Vulnerability." as well as "Spell Vulnerability fades from X." messages, so your actual proc rate is half the amount listed.

Also, back then, people found out that Nightfall could only proc from regular swings. Additional instant attacks (Hamstring/Whirlwind spam) would not proc Nightfall.
Thought it should be mentioned while we're at it, and I haven't heard that it was changed.

Thanks a lot for the information Xav. I've been wondering about this for ages but never had a chance to test it.

I spent a lot of time farming SM arm for a ravager a couple of months back. Idea being to put rockbiter on it, pull an entire instance, twirl in place, then spend a few minutes looting. More specifically, to farm SFK for the twink drops there.

Not exactly efficient, farming armory so I can go farm a lower level instance. I came to my senses recently, and just farmed ores and honour, resulting in a S1 axe and a drakefist hammer. I'd still like a ravager, just to be able to aoe mobs, but some things are just not meant to be.

Our prot pally MTs Gorefiend. Teron is a demon, so our protadin makes sick threat.

Back on the Nightfall topic, our warrior MT claims he can get 25% or better uptime with it, by spamming hamstring. I'm not complaining, I seen a couple 6.3k frostbolts on Shade of Akama, and a destro lock in our raid popped off a 10.5k shadowbolt.

Unfortunately all tanks aren't created equally. There are times when the tank doesn't have windfury, hunters only misdirect on the pull, etc.

the shade of akama has a stacking increase damage debuff that akama puts on shade anyways.