New execute for affliction?

[Natixsphere]

So since they are removing drain soul which was our execute if thats what you want to call it... What do you think blizzard will give to affliction? Shadowburn?.. Id like that or even make Curse of Doom a execute after the target is below 30% you can CoD them kinda like soul reaper. Just a thought or just make all of our dots tick for a x% dmg increase after the target is below a certain health percentage. What do you guys think should be done about this?

[Bridius]

Drain Soul is replacing Malefic Grasp for filler spell purposes. There won't be an actual execute ability, but if you look at the perks we get in WoD they just have Drain Soul start doing more damage in execute phase.

I like when abilities are used specifically for executing, it's very cool and flavorful. But they decided to not go that way for Affliction warlocks this expansion.

[Belloc]

Drain Soul is replacing Malefic Grasp for filler spell purposes. There won't be an actual execute ability, but if you look at the perks we get in WoD they just have Drain Soul start doing more damage in execute phase.

I like when abilities are used specifically for executing, it's very cool and flavorful. But they decided to not go that way for Affliction warlocks this expansion.

You've got it backwards. Drain Soul is the one that's being removed.

That said, they'll either balance Aff locks around not having an execute (most likely) or they will update Malefic Grasp's functionality when the target is under 20% health. No need to give us anything as a replacement.

[Dnusha]

DS does 2x dmg during execute. There is a thread about wod dude.

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You've got it backwards. Drain Soul is the one that's being removed.

You are wrong.

[Dastey]

DS does 2x dmg during execute. There is a thread about wod dude.

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You are wrong.

Technically he is right. Drain soul is being removed and Malefic Grasp is being renamed to Drain Soul

[Dnusha]

Yeah Technically Malefic Grasp generates shard when someone dies and looks like drain soul and does 2x dmg during execute. Oh wait.

[Dastey]

Yeah Technically Malefic Grasp generates shard when someone dies and looks like drain soul and does 2x dmg during execute. Oh wait.

Because Drain Soul only generates 1x Shard atm and only does it when somebody dies. Oh wait.

[Dnusha]

Because Drain Soul only generates 1x Shard atm and only does it when somebody dies. Oh wait.

What's you point? Oh i got it Wrath baby.
Patch 3.1.0 (14-Apr-2009): Each time Drain Soul deals damage to a target which can grant experience, it now has a chance to generate a Soul Shard.

[Dastey]

What's you point? Oh i got it Wrath baby.
Patch 3.1.0 (14-Apr-2009): Each time Drain Soul deals damage to a target which can grant experience, it now has a chance to generate a Soul Shard.

The worst part here is you don't even know what Drain Soul does on alpha atm. /Facepalm

And just because you obviously need the help here it is:
Drains the soul of the target, causing [ 1 + 20% of Spell Power ] Shadow damage every 1 sec for 4 sec. If the target dies and yields experience or honor, one Soul Shard is energized.

Every 1 sec, when Drain Soul deals damage, it causes all of your other periodic Warlock damage effects to instantly deal 40% of their normal periodic damage.

[Dnusha]

The worst part here is you don't even know what Drain Soul does on alpha atm. /Facepalm

And just because you obviously need the help here it is:
Drains the soul of the target, causing [ 1 + 20% of Spell Power ] Shadow damage every 1 sec for 4 sec. If the target dies and yields experience or honor, one Soul Shard is energized.

Every 1 sec, when Drain Soul deals damage, it causes all of your other periodic Warlock damage effects to instantly deal 40% of their normal periodic damage.

/Facepalm

I expected some stupid post, but this one is even better.

[Urgganzish]

The worst part here is you don't even know what Drain Soul does on alpha atm. /Facepalm

And just because you obviously need the help here it is:
Drains the soul of the target, causing [ 1 + 20% of Spell Power ] Shadow damage every 1 sec for 4 sec. If the target dies and yields experience or honor, one Soul Shard is energized.

Every 1 sec, when Drain Soul deals damage, it causes all of your other periodic Warlock damage effects to instantly deal 40% of their normal periodic damage.

Not sure if trolling....but youre seriously saying the same thing lol.

[Hukar2112]

Affliction is looking very boring so far considering these preliminary changes. Refresh dots when they have 0%-30% of duration remaining, cast Haunt when your CDs and trinkets are up. That's it?

[Deleted]

It looks like we'll be getting just a flat damage increase from our filler once the target hits execute range.
Can't say I find that compelling gameplay.

What I'd want is Shadowbolt back and Drain Soul back as an exclusive execute mechanic with some interesting gameplay behind it - the increase SS regen and changeup from hardcast to channeled filler was always one of my favorite parts about affliction, it was a change that was even more notable than a warriors execute, which is arguably the most iconic skill of that sort.

Just a damage increase with neither any mechanical changes in the form of shard gain for increased utility / damage via a more interesting means than filler damage being tuned up, nor any gameplay changes like switching from SB -> DS just doesn't strike me as interesting in the slightest, what's the point in it existing at that point?
It's literally the same shit from 100->0%.
That isn't an execute phase, it's arbitrary number stacking.

[mauserr]

I never knew why people are so fond of these execute abilities. It was such a bummer for me when they added Soul Reaper in mop for DKs, so useless.

[Tehterokkar]

Not every spec needs an execute. Survival Hunters lost theirs even though it would have made more sense for BM to lose it since SV/MM are about shots, BM is about pet damage.

[Soulzar]

It looks like we'll be getting just a flat damage increase from our filler once the target hits execute range.
Can't say I find that compelling gameplay.

What I'd want is Shadowbolt back and Drain Soul back as an exclusive execute mechanic with some interesting gameplay behind it - the increase SS regen and changeup from hardcast to channeled filler was always one of my favorite parts about affliction, it was a change that was even more notable than a warriors execute, which is arguably the most iconic skill of that sort.

Just a damage increase with neither any mechanical changes in the form of shard gain for increased utility / damage via a more interesting means than filler damage being tuned up, nor any gameplay changes like switching from SB -> DS just doesn't strike me as interesting in the slightest, what's the point in it existing at that point?
It's literally the same shit from 100->0%.
That isn't an execute phase, it's arbitrary number stacking.

I agree. The whole point in the execute was changing up the spell. The final few % anticipation before you get to start executing the boss! If its just an automatic "boss is below 20% doing more dmg now" .. then there really is no point at all for it, none.

As it stands now, I think Affliction has the best sustained Execute in terms of feel. Your spell changes up, does more dmg, and you have virtually unlimited shards to spend. You feel stronger.

Destruction hands down destroys on "Insta kill Execute" with shadowburn, but lacks on Sustained as blowing your ember load in a few globals then just filler again doesn't feel overly stronger than charging up a bunch of nukes that hit like trucks.

Demo is somewhat lacking both. In terms of a sustained execute having unlimited MC charges to chain cast Soul Fire feels like and execute, is a boost like it should be.. but having to life tap 3x as much during execute to keep mana lvls up from spamming Soul fire counters that feeling. Additionally it has no execute feel on low life adds as you never get to really use it by the time an add gets to 20% as there are so many other classes with instant executes like Shadowburn to snipe before you can cast.

I think they need to address mana cost of Soul Fire. Perhaps instead of Molten Core reducing its cast time it should drops its mana cost.

Eg. 1.75 base cast time, 30%-40% mana cost. This prevents you from chain casting as the life tap requirement to counter its mana cost brings its DPET down below Shadowbolt. It however wouldn't fuck you if you accidentally started a cast once outisde of MC procs. Molten core procs drop its mana cost down to whatever normal mana costs would be. Ofc, leaving it alone and just reducing its mana cost during MC is a simpler change

[Deleted]

Not every spec needs an execute.

I agree, but afflictions is pretty iconic, has been there forever and I'd argue it's (or was) the best execute the game has ever had, it's not just "now you press execute button instead" like a warriors, DKs or hunters seems to be, it changes up your rotation in a big way.

In WOTLK / Cata, you switched from shadowbolt to a nice strong, slow ticking channeled spell which felt like a nice and powerful change as you began draining the targets soul.
In MOP you have unlimited shards to spend on haunt, something that previously you're having to ration shards for - it feels like you've ramped up.


WOD execute phase is absolutely nothing, it looks like they're just keeping it there so they can say there's an execute phase and that affliction hasn't lost it, though in reality it's lost everything about it's execute that made it worthwhile other than the damage increase - it's there only in name.

If THAT is what constitutes an execute phase, I agree - affliction doesn't need it, but only because everything that made it good has been gutted and it'll be a shame to see it gone, whether it's axed completely or gone in everything but name like the current datamined version seems to be.

[meira1111]

Technically he is right. Drain soul is being removed and Malefic Grasp is being renamed to Drain Soul

nope they changed their minds. Malefic grasp is being removed.

[Bridius]

Technically he is right. Drain soul is being removed and Malefic Grasp is being renamed to Drain Soul

nope they changed their minds. Malefic grasp is being removed.

What?

This thread no longer makes any sense and probably needs closed

[Deleted]

Soulzar - one of the Demonology perks further reduces the casting time AND mana cost of Molten Core.

I love Soul Fire, so this should help like you said.