Disc cooldowns in Highmaul

[Phideas 3]

Back when I was learning Siege of Orgrimmar, I stumbled on a thread that laid out when to use Spirit Shell in every encounter. It was really helpful!

 

Spirit Shell is no longer in fashion, but Power Word: Barrier and Pain Suppression are, and you could make the argument that Power Infusion + Power Word: Shield spam is effectively a codlin, as well.

 

So in the spirit of that old thread, I thought I'd collect some group wisdom on when to use these three cooldowns in Highmaul - after all, learning the fights is just as important as learning the class.

 

Here's where I'm at:

 

Pain Suppression:

• Kargath: Whenever the tank gets low?
• Butcher: During Frenzy, just for good measure?
• Twin Ogron: On Phemos' tank during Whirlwind.
• Brackenspore: During Necrotic Breath, as part of a cooldown rotation with other healers.
• Tectus: Toward end of fight, when one of the tanks is tanking multiple Shards.
• Kor'agh: When tank is holding Volatile Anomalies in the Suppression Zone, toward the end of the fight.
• Imperator: During transition while Tank is holding several Volatile Anomalies 

 

Power Word: Barrier:

• Kargath: ?
• Butcher: Once on a clear group in the beginning of the fight, once during Frenzy.
• Twin Ogron: On stack for Enfeebling Roar.
• Brackenspore: During Infesting Spores, assuming you're stacked on a mushroom.
• Tectus: During Tectonic Upheavel, although placement can be tricky.
• Kor'agh: When tank is holding Volatile Anomalies in the Suppression Zone, toward the beginning of the fight.
• Imperator: during the end of the transition phases when the Anomalies are bursting.

 

PI + PWS: 

• Kargath: During Iron Bombs
• Butcher: On cleave group right before Bounding Cleave
• Twin Ogron: Enfeebling Roar when PW:B is on cooldown, or during Quake if you're taking a lot of fire damage.
• Brackenspore: 
• Tectus: During Upheaval
• Kor'agh: During Expel Magic: Fire
• Imperator: During transition phases to avoid damage from dying Volatile Anomalies?

Edited January 13, 2015 by Phideas

[Spyte 4]

To me, Pain Suppression is either for emergency's or assigned by my tank.

 

For PW: B, I agree with what you said, for Imperator: Use it during the end of transition phases when the adds get bursted.

 

I use PI mostly on CD, sometimes keeping it for the next upcoming boss ability (dont wait too long!).

[Phideas 3]

I updated the original post to include your Imperator barrier use - thanks!

 

And I'm conflicted about Power Infusion - I've tried just using it on cooldown and I've tried timing it with boss abilities, but I haven't done either often enough to know if one is really optimized over the other.

 

Any other feedback from anyone?

[Gwenymph 414]

In my experiences Pain Suppression is called for by tanks.  In a PuG environment this is where I'd guess they would be most useful:

 

Kargath: Slow reacting Fixate target/Lifegrip

Butcher:  Last 30% for a tank during soft enrage

Brackenspore: Necrotic Breath

Tectus: Multiple shard Tank towards end of encounter based on how many shards your group brings up at once.

Twins: Whirlwind Tank

Ko'ragh: Anomalies Tank

Imperator Mar'gok: Anomalies Tank

 

Same can be said w/ Barrier, I normally have it for the Healing Leaders call but in a PuG environment:

 

Kargath:  Last 20% stacking if you are ignoring the stands

Butcher: For Cleave groups

Brackenspore: During Infesting Spores

Tectus: Tectonic Upheaval

Twins: Enfeebling Roar

Ko'ragh: Anomalies Tank

Imperator Mar'gok: Destabilize Stackpoint

 

For Power Infusion > PWS Coverage I normally use on CD.  Abilities that I look for to maximize meter padding:

 

Kargath: Iron Bomb stacks

Butcher: Gushing Wounds on existing Cleave targets

Brackenspore: Infesting Spores

Tectus: Tectonic Upheaval

Twins: Blaze stacks of Quake

Ko'ragh: Expel Magic: Fire

Imperator Mar'gok: Fixate and Arcane Wrath (Individual)/ Anomalies Stack and Force Nova (Group)