Warlock Simple Questions Thread: Cataclysm Edition - Page 2

• bartolimu · 12/09/10, 5:10 PM

Actually, you only see the Demonology thread. Thus far nobody has started a Cataclysm spec thread for Destruction or Affliction.

Onorvele · 12/09/10, 6:17 PM

Originally Posted by Saufsoldat

Just macro Soulburn to your filler ability, since Soulburn is up for 15secs and the Soul Fire buff is up for 15secs, you'll be able to use the instant cast for to refresh Improved Soul Fire at some point.

This seems like a reasonable suggestion. There are two issues, however:

Statistical Net DPS Loss. My preferred mode would be to cast Soul Fire as soon as Soulburn is off CD. By binding Soulburn to a filler ability, I am delaying my cast of Soul Fire by at least one GCD, if not more. This will result in a DPS loss over time, as some fights that I would have been able to use instant Soul Fire twice I only get to use it once.
Most Reliable on Instant Casts, ie, Corruption. Since this issue is that Soul Fire doesn't trigger reliably between two cast-time spells, and since, as a Demo warlock, I cast very few instants, I'll only be able to attach this to Corruption (and mebbe Fel Flame). This leads to additional lag between Soulburn availability and trigger, more DPS loss.

Any other thoughts on how to bypass these issues?

Keldrin · 12/10/10, 5:10 AM

Greetings fellow warlocks.

Given that there are many spells who refresh other spells (HoG, Haunt, Fel Flame, DL & DS), I would like to know how the system works if anyone has bothered to find out, since haste now actually increases the number of ticks at certain thresholds

In the case of Immolate for example, does casting Hand of Guldan act like recasting Immolate (with the current state of your characters stats) or does it simply refresh Immolate as it was cast in the first place?

Thanks

Jmickey · 12/10/10, 11:30 AM

Originally Posted by Keldrin

In the case of Immolate for example, does casting Hand of Guldan act like recasting Immolate (with the current state of your characters stats) or does it simply refresh Immolate as it was cast in the first place?

HoG and Haunt will re-snapshot your haste, so haste buffs like ISF will need to be active when you use these abilities. As far as I am aware Fel Flame will continue to tick at the original haste, although I have not tested this.

Meraxes · 12/10/10, 11:43 AM

Maybe my head isn't screwed on, but wouldn't an instant cast damaging spell that refreshes UA always be a DPS increase over spending the time to simply recast UA?

Also, is anyone else noticing Drain Soul not refreshing UA until the first tick of Drain Soul?

turturin · 12/10/10, 4:00 PM

Originally Posted by Blotorch

I figure first page will be a good place for this since we can expect a lot of questions on it (its just one of those things...):

Fel Flame: Will it ever be useful to cast? I've been throwing it in my rotation for funs sake but I have a gut feeling that the dpct just isnt worth it

Has anyone got any math/analysis on this?

It is useful. I did my first two raid fights last night, and there are multiple uses in both. In Conclave of winds, use it while getting out of ice patches on the North guy, use it to finish off last bits of HP on adds as you're running back to the slipstream after dpsing on the West platform. On argaloth, use it while strafing back and forth during rain of chaos phases, after conflag is on cooldown and refreshing corruption and bane of doom.

Edit: Also to the poster above me:
1. Demon Soul does not require Soulburn, so one's use is not dependent on the other's.
2. For Affliction, I haven't run a sim, but logically it follows that you should open with soulburn: soul fire as your first damaging spell so that all the spells that follow (including dots) can benefit from your haste. In other words, after cursing the target, the ISF buff will be the highest priority on your action list. The only caveat is I'm not yet sure which should take priority if haunt and soul fire both need to be refreshed at same time, the guess here is haunt becuase of the higher modifier (20% dmg >> 15% haste) and because of its affect on corruption refresh.

Simplexity · 12/10/10, 6:22 PM

Thought I'd share some simple napkin math that I did just to find minimum values of haste needed to get an additional tick out of tick out of Immolate/UA. As far as I know, you still need 10%/30%/50%/70% to get extra ticks. This is for non-goblins.

When ISF is not up
1.1 = 1.03*1.05*x x = 1.017 1.7% haste, 217 rating from gear
1.3 = 1.03*1.05*x x = 1.202 20.2% haste, 2587 rating from gear

When ISF is up
1.3 = 1.03*1.05*1.15*x x= 1.045 4.5% haste, 576 rating from gear
1.5 = 1.03*1.05*1.15*x x= 1.206 20.6% haste, 2637 rating from gear

2637 haste seems to be the number to shoot for, but won't be obtainable with full 359/372.

Sabo · 12/11/10, 9:14 AM

Question regarding the imp not casting Firebolts at the speed he should. Based on what I've read here we should not use "/petattack" in any macro where we spam since it will cause the imp to constantly start all over with the cast until we stop spamming. Using "/cast Firebolt" is very nice, and should be used on any button we spam. The problem I have is that telling the imp to cast the Firebolt will not make him continue attacking.

Basically, what I want is this:
Imp is in passive mode so I'm free to banish/fear/whatever.
When I cast immolate I want the pet to start attacking.
Most spells/abilities that I spam often at this point will include "/cast Firebolt" in a macro.

I could use "/petattack" when I cast immolate to get my pet started, but since I'll spam that one as well it kind of nullify the point of having lots of "/cast Firebolt" macros. Any way to create macros that will make the pet attack if it isn't already, but if it is attacking, it will just case firebolt?

Something like
if !attacking
/petattack
else
/cast Firebolt

Doobyman · 12/11/10, 11:12 AM

#showtooltip Immolate
/petattack [target=pettarget,noexists]
/cast Immolate

Thats what I'm using on Immolate. It'll tell the imp to attack your target if its not already attacking one.

Maconi · 12/11/10, 4:19 PM

I noticed something in the "SimulationCraft for Warlocks (Cataclysm Edition)" thread that I don't understand.

The Destro sim don't cast Shadow Bolt for Shadow and Flame. Does keeping SaF up (as Destro) really result in a DPS loss right now?

Sabo · 12/11/10, 6:37 PM

Originally Posted by Doobyman

#showtooltip Immolate
/petattack [target=pettarget,noexists]
/cast Immolate

Thats what I'm using on Immolate. It'll tell the imp to attack your target if its not already attacking one.

For that to work the pet has to be attacking something though, which doesn't solve my problem.

Osakaa · 12/12/10, 12:07 AM

Affliction Demon Soul question:

As far as I know, dots that are already running aren't getting the bonus from Felhunter Demon Soul when you cast it. Is the best spot to use DS to wait until you're about to use haunt, cast DS, Haunt, Fel Flame (if the 6sec duration increase counts as a "new dot" and will enable DS bonus), and then normal BoA refresh?

Saufsoldat · 12/12/10, 1:39 PM

Originally Posted by Maconi

I noticed something in the "SimulationCraft for Warlocks (Cataclysm Edition)" thread that I don't understand.

The Destro sim don't cast Shadow Bolt for Shadow and Flame. Does keeping SaF up (as Destro) really result in a DPS loss right now?

Obviously it results in a DPS loss, if the buff is already present in the raid. Simcraft simulates under the assumption that all raid buffs are present (unless you deactivate that option in the program).

Demi9OD · 12/12/10, 2:52 PM

Originally Posted by Sabo

For that to work the pet has to be attacking something though, which doesn't solve my problem.

Sabo you just need to macro in Firebolt like this. You will see a positive gain from spamming the /cast Firebolt spell until the imps cast time dips under 1.5 seconds, at which point it becomes unnecessary.

#showtooltip Incinerate
/cast [target=pettarget]Firebolt
/cast Incinerate

Talimar · 12/12/10, 10:23 PM

For destruction is getting enough haste to get an extra tick from immolate/corruption more important than getting hit capped at the moment? And what is the exact haste rating we are shooting for from gear alone?