1. #1

    Spell Lock vs. Counterspell - any chance of some balancing?

    First off, yes different classes are different, but not all abilities are. Look at melee interrupts - Kick/Pummel/MindFreeze/Rebuke/SkullBash are all essentially the same ability. Cooldown and Effect are standard. Yay.

    Why then we are we saddled with an inferior version of counterspell? 3 sec hard silence vs 4 sec is huge. And the mage pvp set bonus - 4 seconds off the CD - is flat out insane.

    Why are they different? 1 second is a pretty deal in pvp, and the mage set bonus is godly. Is there a reason we don't have an equal version? Does being able to cast it with a pet really warrant the drawbacks? Honestly, I find it infinitely easier to use CS on my mage than Spell Lock with my fel pup (turn evil, roots, range issues, etc etc) make it harder than casting it from the player. If you want to play the pet card as an advantage (I don't see it that way), then why is the GoSac version still weaker than CS?

    Btw, I'd be happy if they just nerfed CS to match Spell Lock. CS is overly powerful, and that set bonus is over the top.

    EDIT: Related note - maybe they need to consider finally making Spell Lock a baseline lock ability. Let's face it, we will NEVER choose any other pet for pvp than the felpup for 3s (maybe vs triple dps melee teams go succy, but otherwise felpup). Give us Spell Lock as a baseline tool and let us use a utility pet. Maybe that answers some of our control issues (see lock CC thread).
    Last edited by pokeadott; 2012-09-10 at 09:53 PM.

  2. #2
    Counterspell: 24 sec cd, 6 sec lockout, GCD
    Spell Lock: 24 sec cd, 6 sec lockout, 3 sec silence, No GCD

    Modifiers:

    Spell Lock: None. (Sacrifice will give it to you instead of your pet)

    Counterspell set bonus (-4 sec cd)
    Improved Counterspell: adds a 4 sec silence.
    Glyph: Increases cooldown by 2 sec, can be cast off GCD.

    The disparity is not that far off. If you don't like your felpup, sacrifice it. I just confirmed that sacrifice spell lock is innately off the GCD.

  3. #3
    Hey Xelnath is the gosac spell lock still bugged and not locking out casts still or is that fixed yet? I havent been on to check in awhile.

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Xelnath View Post
    The disparity is not that far off. If you don't like your felpup, sacrifice it.
    I don't and I do, but I still would like the extra 1 sec on silence (will fix the lockout part). I'm pretty sure if you nerfed Mind Freeze to lockout for 3 seconds instead of 4 while leaving kick as is, DK's would still be pissed. Even if the disparity isn't far off, why does it even exist? Baseline aside, the pvp set bonus is the real game changer. It's currently absurd for mages and should probably just be gone.

    Not sure if you saw the edit also, but is there any thought to giving us Spell Lock baseline? It's still too good to not use in the vast majority of real pvp settings (3s/RBGs). There might be a couple gimmick setups that call for Seduce or Singe, but 90%+ of the time we're all using or saccing a felpup. Spell Lock baseline finally gives us some choice in Demons and buffs our CC slightly, which is sorely needed at the moment.

  5. #5
    Speaking of the Spell Lock on the pet, it's pretty annoying that it has the 1 second delay when you use Command Demon.

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Nerraw View Post
    Speaking of the Spell Lock on the pet, it's pretty annoying that it has the 1 second delay when you use Command Demon.
    Yup. Can get around it with an old school /use Spell Lock macro. Silly that we have to work around it that way though.

  7. #7
    Part of the disparity is that Locks, with their pup out, can cast Spell Lock even when being cc'd, or at least I believe this to be the case.

    If you can't use it while being cc'd, which I'm not 100% on come to think of it, you can still use it WHILE CASTING, which mages can't.
    Last edited by Thirtyrock; 2012-09-10 at 10:01 PM.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Thirtyrock View Post
    Part of the disparity is that Locks, with their pup out, can cast Spell Lock even when being cc'd, or at least I believe this to be the case.
    Pros and Cons here. In practice, it's just much easier to land spell locks when you're casting them (GoSac) than when your pet is. In a perfect world where enemy targets are nicely grouped within range of each other and not crapping out snares/ccs everywhere it would be clutch, but in practice crappy pet AI makes it just better to be in full control of the ability. At best, it's a wash with CS - in reality I'd call it a disadvantage.

    It certainly doesn't warrant a lesser powerful version though.

  9. #9
    Deleted
    Quote Originally Posted by pokeadott View Post
    First off, yes different classes are different, but not all abilities are. Look at melee interrupts - Kick/Pummel/MindFreeze/Rebuke/SkullBash are all essentially the same ability. Cooldown and Effect are standard. Yay.

    Why then we are we saddled with an inferior version of counterspell? 3 sec hard silence vs 4 sec is huge. And the mage pvp set bonus - 4 seconds off the CD - is flat out insane.

    Why are they different? 1 second is a pretty deal in pvp, and the mage set bonus is godly. Is there a reason we don't have an equal version? Does being able to cast it with a pet really warrant the drawbacks? Honestly, I find it infinitely easier to use CS on my mage than Spell Lock with my fel pup (turn evil, roots, range issues, etc etc) make it harder than casting it from the player. If you want to play the pet card as an advantage (I don't see it that way), then why is the GoSac version still weaker than CS?

    Btw, I'd be happy if they just nerfed CS to match Spell Lock. CS is overly powerful, and that set bonus is over the top.

    EDIT: Related note - maybe they need to consider finally making Spell Lock a baseline lock ability. Let's face it, we will NEVER choose any other pet for pvp than the felpup for 3s (maybe vs triple dps melee teams go succy, but otherwise felpup). Give us Spell Lock as a baseline tool and let us use a utility pet. Maybe that answers some of our control issues (see lock CC thread).
    Don't agree with your points. Use pet spell lock, sac pet, use spell lock again.
    Double spell lock >>> counter spell

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by pokeadott View Post
    Pros and Cons here. In practice, it's just much easier to land spell locks when you're casting them (GoSac) than when your pet is. In a perfect world where enemy targets are nicely grouped within range of each other and not crapping out snares/ccs everywhere it would be clutch, but in practice crappy pet AI makes it just better to be in full control of the ability. At best, it's a wash with CS - in reality I'd call it a disadvantage.

    It certainly doesn't warrant a lesser powerful version though.
    Mouseover macros my friend, mouseover macros

    instead of targeting and sending your pet use

    /cast [target=mouseover] !spell lock and profit

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