I'm having a hard time keeping STM up past 1 minute.

[Krabkilla]

It seems like it's draining too much shadow power for me to keep up. I'm ILvL 656 and I cap around 35k dps. Once STM starts to drain chunks of shadow power I just.. die.

Any tips or tricks I should use?

[Crysake]

It seems like it's draining too much shadow power for me to keep up. I'm ILvL 656 and I cap around 35k dps. Once STM starts to drain chunks of shadow power I just.. die.

Any tips or tricks I should use?

Get better gear, honestly. Don't expect high uptime with that ilvl.

[Baelic]

It seems like it's draining too much shadow power for me to keep up. I'm ILvL 656 and I cap around 35k dps. Once STM starts to drain chunks of shadow power I just.. die.

Any tips or tricks I should use?

A major thing needs to be said, you can optimize all you want but eventually you will be forced to surrender to the madness! *cackles*

In all seriousness, there's going to be a cap at how far you can take it both in terms of skill and gear. And I remember STM did get nerfed to 150% generation recently. The insanity mini-game is real and in the end you will always lose.

[Krabkilla]

hahaha. I fucking love the mini game which is why i'm playing this class even though I prefer the DK. Is there an optimal talent set up for StM? I got my Ilvl up to 698 and now i'm doing 49k dps, but still same 1 minute uptime.

[Baelic]

hahaha. I fucking love the mini game which is why i'm playing this class even though I prefer the DK. Is there an optimal talent set up for StM? I got my Ilvl up to 698 and now i'm doing 49k dps, but still same 1 minute uptime.

Link to Armory?

[Krabkilla]

http://us.battle.net/wow/en/characte...watembo/simple.

It's just basic pvp and invasion gear.

[Baelic]

http://us.battle.net/wow/en/characte...watembo/simple.

It's just basic pvp and invasion gear.

Mindbender would do you wonders.

[Krabkilla]

i actually had mind bender. I just switched it to see the difference.

[Gorsameth]

Mindbender would do you wonders.

Mindbender is so strong because of the high up time from tier. Without tier he is probably better off with PI.

[GT4]

I don't know of any particular tricks. Just adhere to the basic priority list and use CDs properly:
- Make sure not to use any CDs previous to StM if it means you cannot use them optimally during StM
- If specced for it, use mindbender immediately on entering void form (as to get it ready again ASAP)
- Use Dispersion immediately or after the first void bolt (to refresh DoTs if they're low duration)
- Use Power Infusion whenever drain starts to outscale your generation (time depends on haste)
- Use shadow fiend only while you're still comfortably keeping insanity high

- Use VB on cooldown; if it comes up within the next 1/4th of a GCD, wait for it and don't start casting anything else
- Use SWD if available and it doesn't overcap your insanity
- Use MB on cooldown; if it comes up within the next 1/4th of a GCD, wait for it and don't start casting anything else
- Cast Mind Flay (but cancel whenever something mentioned previously comes up)

I did a quick test on my SP against a single target dummy right now (no sets or specific trinkets, 2.6k haste and 2k crit) and I was able to get 81.78 seconds / 82 stacks with ToF/RoS/AS/MB as talents. Duration would obviously be higher if the enemy was in execute range (RoS was doing nothing for me here) or if I was using FotM, probably also when using PI.

Going by your gear, you should probably be hitting >77 seconds under similar conditions and more than that under more optimal conditions.

Edit: Did another test with PI and got to 85.08 seconds / 86 stacks. Not going to bother with testing FotM though as that wouldn't be practically relevant.

Edit2: In case you're wondering why all these figures are so "low"; First off, StM was nerfed to 150% from 200%. Secondly, duration directly scales with haste (and to a much lesser extent crit) so you want >30% which is decently achievable both using current raid gear and using 110 pre-raid gear. Thirdly, most SPs are currently using the T18 bonuses which increase Mindbender uptime to crazy levels and procs an additional 7% haste and ~6% crit. Lastly, you don't have your artifact yet which helps with keeping void form up with its artifact ability (+8 seconds when used twice) and a small trait which lets your VT proc apparitions. At 110, those factors will typically also let you get in a second dispersion (90 sec CD with artifact trait) for another +6 seconds.