5.4 Affliction Tips & Quirks

[Calcoolus 2]

Could you please suggest a replacement for Affdots. 

Something similar but working properly with SS

[Zagam 1,982]

Suggest something that doesn't exist? 

 

It works, you just have to realize HOW it works.  It keeps track of your original DoTs on your original target.  When spreading DoTs, always fall back and focus your original target.  This is beneficial for two reasons:

 

1) You won't have to worry about the spell power of the others being miscalculated for Affdots because you won't see it.

2) You won't have to worry about updating those DoTs, because when your primary targets' DoTs wear off, the others did.  Simply reapply to original target, re-Swap around, and repeat. 

[Khalam 3]

There is one issue with that.

 

When swaping to other targets you are applying corruption which means you need MG the last target you are swapping to (it will have broken affdots).

[Rakupenda 15]

What? Why do you have to MG the last target?

[Zagam 1,982]

There is one issue with that.

 

When swaping to other targets you are applying corruption which means you need MG the last target you are swapping to (it will have broken affdots).

If you copy it, you still need to hit the original target, as I described before.  That is the original APPLICATION.  Soul Swapping simply transfers them while maintaining spell power. 

[kilswittch 0]

In the opener, is it really worth it to use that first Haunt before you have buffed DoTs up ? It seems to go against the general theory of only using Haunts on buffed DoTs.

[Omaric 246]

In the opener, is it really worth it to use that first Haunt before you have buffed DoTs up ? It seems to go against the general theory of only using Haunts on buffed DoTs.

 

Correct, don't use Haunt until your DoT's are good to go.

[Twona 1]

Regarding for SB:SoC, does anyone know off hand whether the corruption DoT power is snap shotted when the seed is cast, or when it explodes? I planned to do my own testing today after work, but this could save me a little bit of time. Mainly curious so I can start timing with my BBoY.

Thanks!

[Twona 1]

Second question:

Ive been playing around with my opener since I got BBOY. I've started to do something like this if hero is popped on pull:

DS, SB:SS, MG until 5 stacks BBOY, SB:SS, Haunt, SB:SS at 10 stacks.

What this does is gives max uptime on my max DPS dots, and gives 5 seconds of 'semi powerful dots'. I'll usually cap around 700-800k dps for quite some time with this. My question is, is this a waste of soul shards in the long run? The reason I started doing this is because I found with hero I was sometimes overcapping on soul shards when doing it the traditional way.

[Zagam 1,982]

Regarding for SB:SoC, does anyone know off hand whether the corruption DoT power is snap shotted when the seed is cast, or when it explodes? I planned to do my own testing today after work, but this could save me a little bit of time. Mainly curious so I can start timing with my BBoY.

Thanks!

 

DoTs are always snapshotted upon APPLICATION.  Direct damage casts are snapshotted upon execution of spell cast.

 

Second question:

Ive been playing around with my opener since I got BBOY. I've started to do something like this if hero is popped on pull:

DS, SB:SS, MG until 5 stacks BBOY, SB:SS, Haunt, SB:SS at 10 stacks.

What this does is gives max uptime on my max DPS dots, and gives 5 seconds of 'semi powerful dots'. I'll usually cap around 700-800k dps for quite some time with this. My question is, is this a waste of soul shards in the long run? The reason I started doing this is because I found with hero I was sometimes overcapping on soul shards when doing it the traditional way.

You're using Soulburn:Soul Swap too often.  At 5 stack of BBoY, manually cast your 3 DoTs and save yourself a shard for Haunt.  With your current method, you could be out of Soul Shards with no ability to Haunt while your DoTs are at their maximum power.  This is no bueno. 

[Twona 1]

Thanks Zagam, I wasn't sure if the DoT power was tied into the actual seed or not. I find SoC rarely used this tier because ele sham and hunters handle adds so well and it saddens me.

My problem regarding the opener usually revolves around overcapping on shards when they're mega hasted with meta and heroism. I suppose I could always toss an extra haunt out if I find myself capping on shards, instead of doing an additional SB:SS. I've been really bad with theory crafting this tier. Is haunt still higher DPCT than a MG or DS tick?

[Zagam 1,982]

Haunt doesn't buff Haunt, so no, MG and DS are better than Haunt spam. 

[Ilyenna 1]

Haunt has a higher dpet from what I understand. The only time it may not is if you have mega empowered dots up but no intellect price up at the time of haunts hard cast. Mg may take over then.

[Zagam 1,982]

Haunt will ALWAYS want to be used to extend the power of DoTs and never used for the pure damage.  Unless a boss is like 2-3% HP left when you could spam Haunt, it's a DPS loss to clip Haunt.

[Ilyenna 1]

I thought we were talking about excess shards? Or a time when you have near infinite such as norushen.

[Zagam 1,982]

You STILL don't want to clip Haunt unless the time for Drain Soul to tick once is longer than the time the mob will be alive.  Haunt not buffing Haunt means you should never clip it.  Use it to maintain high DoTs.  You should end the fight with 3-4 shards...that's just the nature of Drain Soul.  All 3 Warlock specs are designed to be powerful execution specs.  With Affliction, if the mob is sub 2-3% and Drain Soul will only tick once and you have 4 Shards, you can spam Haunt, but you really shouldn't be dumping shards pre-execute phase purely for the Haunt hit.  Even if it hits for 400k, you have to ask if that's worth the 6 seconds of 35% increased DoT damage you'd be giving up by clipping.  Only time I clip before execute range is when Nightfall gives ridiculous RNG and I get 2-3 procs back to back to back.

[Ilyenna 1]

That's what he was talking about no? Swimming in shards on his opener and capping. I'm saying to dump one in haunt. No dps will be lost if you stop mg to dump a haunt to avoid cap. I think were one the same page just different paragraphs. Also on a fight like norushen where you can snipe shards from adds it IS worth it to spam haunt..you'll have plenty of uptime on the debuff, and since haunts dept is higher than mg even if it doesn't gain anything from clipping to net you more dps. You can keep dots up spam haunt, dps an add just before it dies to refill. Up till 50% on the boss that is...I was merely stating that haunt does indeed have a higher dpet, not to change your rotation. Some fights however you can take advantage of it.

[Zagam 1,982]

This is why I don't play Affliction on this fight.  Chaos Bolt and Shadowburn > Haunt and Drain Soul

[Ilyenna 1]

This is why I don't play Affliction on this fight.  Chaos Bolt and Shadowburn > Haunt and Drain Soul

Well I also play destro on that fight for the reason you listed, it was just an example. But back to the topic it IS better to dump a shard on haunt if you're capped rather than sitting on them, without fear of lost dps. :)

[Zagam 1,982]

Correct.  My interpretation was that it was being advised to use Haunt over MG just because it's got a higher DPET.  It is absolutely a good idea to use Haunt regardless of what's going on if you're at 4 shards (unless a Soulburn is a good idea at the time).

[Ilyenna 1]

Lol no. I was just answering his question then gave some instances that could occur. I figured you were misinterpreting, by how adamant you were. Now were all on the same page, same paragraph! Debates are good. You're able to gleem truth and answer questions that weren't even asked yet! BTW thank you zagam for all the hard work you put into everything!

[Twona 1]

Correct.  My interpretation was that it was being advised to use Haunt over MG just because it's got a higher DPET.  It is absolutely a good idea to use Haunt regardless of what's going on if you're at 4 shards (unless a Soulburn is a good idea at the time).

If this is still regarding my comment yesterday, then yeah, that's what I was referring to. II'm not quite bad enough to dump soul shards on a random haunt just because higher DPCT :P. Just wanted confirmation that this was still the way to do it after all the MG/DS/Haunt changes.

[Ilyenna 1]

If this is still regarding my comment yesterday, then yeah, that's what I was referring to. II'm not quite bad enough to dump soul shards on a random haunt just because higher DPCT :P. Just wanted confirmation that this was still the way to do it after all the MG/DS/Haunt changes.

Correct lol

[Khalam 3]

So nightfall procs only from corruption that is manually casted not the SS one?

 

I always thought that if I SS from target 1 to target 2 then I should MG T2 cause it has most recent application.

[Ilyenna 1]

From what I understand the corruption tick from MG doesn't proc nightfall at all. So you'd focus the original target just to better track the strength of your dots via the affdots addon. Don't quote me, but I believe that change came with 5.4. I believe I read that from the aff thread on mmo champs.

Edited October 8, 2013 by Ilyenna