[5.4] Affliction Warlock and Encounter Specific Guides

[VladimirM]

I have to setup macro for targeting crawler mines + Sburn, will make execution easier. Will stick with destro for next reset as well

[Asuhariet]

On a fight like H protectors 25, and with me keeping dots rolling on the 3 bosses the whole time, what % wise should I have MG up? I feel like I almost never get to use it as I am refreshing the dots on bosses.

If I were to use Aff on a single target fight what % would MG be used?

On multi target where you're just soul swapping back and forth, you usually want to fill 1 GCD in between Inhale and Exhale, whether it be refreshing a DoT, CoE, 1 tick of MG, etc.

On a Single Target fight you'll use MG as a filler whenever you're not refreshing DoTs or casting Haunt or another ability, except when the target is below 20%, then you'll want to switch over to using Drain Soul as the filler instead of MG.

I don't know the percentages off the top of my head though.

[Jellospally]

On a fight like H protectors 25, and with me keeping dots rolling on the 3 bosses the whole time, what % wise should I have MG up? I feel like I almost never get to use it as I am refreshing the dots on bosses.

If I were to use Aff on a single target fight what % would MG be used?

You only fill 1 gcd between soulswaps if every target has dots on them otherwise spam swap only. Did 1.72m last night on protectors and I only casted 1 MG on the opener otherwise only haunt/swaps

[chaddd]

You only fill 1 gcd between soulswaps if every target has dots on them otherwise spam swap only. Did 1.72m last night on protectors and I only casted 1 MG on the opener otherwise only haunt/swaps

Badass! I am so dreadful at affliction. Someone pulled too early last night so my pot was all messed up and I lost my exhale when stupid He jumped to the other side of the map. We are 1/2 done with our H bosses for the week so I think I am going to have to go to.... LFR... to practice affliction on bosses in between raids.

So Each pull should look like:

-Pre-pot
-Haunt
-SB:SS
-Dark Soul
-MG til procs
-SB:SS
-SS around all dots

Is that correct?

I was seeing some place that you can someone get basically a free shard if you do something 20 seconds before the pull, maybe SB... Does anyone know anything about that?

[Jellospally]

I personally:

Pre Pot
Haunt
SB:SS
MG
Darksoul/zerking/eng gloves macro(the instant Bboy procs)
SB:SS
SS(to another target)
SS(to 3rd target)
SB:SS(at 10 stack BBoY)
Then swap / haunt between swaps in that buff time
Once bosses split just spam swap for days

Also, yes you can get another shard. It regens when your Soulburn buff has 10 seconds left. So long as the boss is pulled in that 1-10sec on buff window you get 1 extra(this really only helps single target tbh)

[xuros]

Question about Thokk. I've only been able to do him on heroic with my hunter. Now I have a chance to work it with my warlock. How do you guys handle the roars and the silence. Do you place your buffed dots, haunt, and MG til the roar them stop the cast? Guessing I shouldn't take KJC for this fight and take AD instead to make it easier to stop my casts. What I was doing is just before the roar hits I would move and break my MG cast to avoid the silence BUT in the kite phase I would be screwed when trying to move while channeling MG.

Any detailed tips you all can share with me?

[EvreliaGaming]

Guessing I shouldn't take KJC for this fight and take AD instead to make it easier to stop my casts.

You shouldn't be moving to interrupt casts anyway. Make a simple /stopcasting macro, keybind it and press it every time the roar is cast. Very easy to do this fight as Affli this way.

[cabana]

You shouldn't be moving to interrupt casts anyway. Make a simple /stopcasting macro, keybind it and press it every time the roar is cast. Very easy to do this fight as Affli this way.

Here is what you should really do. Keep KJC since that is what you're most comfortable with. Use MG till roar is about to be cast. When Roar is cast just use fel flame or reapply an ending corruption or agony dot to stop your cast. Use glyphed Unending Resolve as well so you can cast without being interrupted. Pay attention to your guild's devo auras. I never really stop cast and just use fel flame to end it.

[xuros]

Here is what you should really do. Keep KJC since that is what you're most comfortable with. Use MG till roar is about to be cast. When Roar is cast just use fel flame or reapply an ending corruption or agony dot to stop your cast. Use glyphed Unending Resolve as well so you can cast without being interrupted. Pay attention to your guild's devo auras. I never really stop cast and just use fel flame to end it.

Thanks. I was considering using Fel Flame to stop the cast but wasn't sure if was the best option. Thanks again. I'll be sure to try it out tonight. Also I have Unending Resolve glyphed for use on this fight and have a devo aura set up so I know when they are up and expiring.

[Deleted]

Fel Flame will trigger the GCD though so be aware of that.

At high stacks if you Fel Flame, you can't always MG much in between.

I found with just a cancelaura macro, you can get right back to channeling MG, and usually get 2-3 ticks of MG off depending on haste/procs.

Probably not that big of a DPS difference between the two, but something to consider nonetheless.

[yoloswagginz]

i stop casting after 2 MG ticks since thats all ill b able to fit without haste buffs. running with 15.2k haste atm

[EvreliaGaming]

Thanks. I was considering using Fel Flame to stop the cast but wasn't sure if was the best option. Thanks again. I'll be sure to try it out tonight. Also I have Unending Resolve glyphed for use on this fight and have a devo aura set up so I know when they are up and expiring.

Fel Flame will trigger a full global cooldown, whereas with good timing of MG you can stopcasting and recast again with barely any time lost at all. I'm sure the difference is minor either way, but that's by no means the only way to do it.

[Deleted]

Question about Thokk. I've only been able to do him on heroic with my hunter. Now I have a chance to work it with my warlock. How do you guys handle the roars and the silence. Do you place your buffed dots, haunt, and MG til the roar them stop the cast? Guessing I shouldn't take KJC for this fight and take AD instead to make it easier to stop my casts. What I was doing is just before the roar hits I would move and break my MG cast to avoid the silence BUT in the kite phase I would be screwed when trying to move while channeling MG.

Any detailed tips you all can share with me?

As others have said, a stopcasting macro - jumping or casting other spells is wasting time for no good reason, really sloppy play.

I run with an addon that gives audio feedback for drain soul / MG ticks - not advocating it since I'm sure it would drive some people insane having to listen to it, but I used to use it back in WOTLK for timing dot refreshes around DS ticks in the execute, but it's handy on the encounter for track ticking - I believe you usually get 2 ticks per MG inbetween fast shouts, 3 with a haste proc.

Not sure if the haste levels between affliction warlocks doing Thok would be varied enough to change that, but it's pretty easy to note off 2 ticks then press your stopcasting macro (which should be on something easy to press, obviously).

KJC is fine for this fight too, since the dps check is nonexistant so I just take it for convenience more than anything - if you're more comfortable with KJC I'd say to stick with it.

[xuros]

Ok - update. I went with the stopcasting macro and it worked great. Went with KJC for the kite phases and all went well. With the roar when Devo wasn't up or my Unending Resolve was on CD I would just hit my macro just before the roar went off and hit my MG again. First time really messing with affliction seriously. Normally go destro the whole way when I raid on him. Going to have to do protectors as affliction next week to see how well it works for me.

Thanks again for the advice.

[yoloswagginz]

Ok - update. I went with the stopcasting macro and it worked great. Went with KJC for the kite phases and all went well. With the roar when Devo wasn't up or my Unending Resolve was on CD I would just hit my macro just before the roar went off and hit my MG again. First time really messing with affliction seriously. Normally go destro the whole way when I raid on him. Going to have to do protectors as affliction next week to see how well it works for me.

Thanks again for the advice.

if u use burning rush on thok u can keep up with him for most of the fight. and as for aff on protectors i'd recommend watching this video if you're unfamiliar with extending ur dots with soulswap https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXymugBjoJQ

[Deleted]

Quick question :

With my actual gear : http://eu.battle.net/wow/fr/characte...C3%BC/advanced

What's the best choice between 16527 haste / 21467 mastery or 21206 haste / 17475 mastery ?

[Bonkura]

Quick question :

With my actual gear : http://eu.battle.net/wow/fr/characte...C3%BC/advanced

What's the best choice between 16527 haste / 21467 mastery or 21206 haste / 17475 mastery ?

It doesn't matter. At all.

[Deleted]

if u use burning rush on thok u can keep up with him for most of the fight.

Can't speak for every guild's strategy, but I'm usually tethered to my portal which prevents that to some extent - despawns if you stop staring at it and muttering threats.

Quick question :

With my actual gear : http://eu.battle.net/wow/fr/characte...C3%BC/advanced

What's the best choice between 16527 haste / 21467 mastery or 21206 haste / 17475 mastery ?

I've been out of the mathy side of things for a while, but last I read the difference between it was more or less negligable - I'd lean towards stacking mastery heavy since I feel that plays better with destruction offspec, but the choice shouldn't make a huge amount of difference.

[Deleted]

Did blizzard do a stealth nerf on BBoY since reset ?

Because during this week, he never proc at pull... Maybe bad luck but my GF have the same problem.

[cabana]

Not at all.