Choosing specs for the new raid(Guide)

[kaamila]

so this thread is to basically give people an idea on what spec is better for the heart of fear and possibly terrace raids. As I don't know much of the fights myself this thread is helping me out as well so anyone who has done these fights on the beta(I have done a few), any input would be great. After all, this is for all of us warlocks

Heart of Fear :
Imperial Vizier Zor'lok : There's an execute element on heroic mode. Also I'm pretty sure Demo is much better at breaking mind controls than affliction. Adds (in heroic mode) might be better handled as affliction though.
-Winner : DEMONOLOGY/AFFLICTION.

Blade Lord Ta'yak : Single target, with a lot of movement starting at 20%. disappears during the fight for 5 seconds each time(dots falling off). A lot of movement here... a lot. So much so that you might not be able to gain fury. I'd probably have to go with affliction over demo for this one, to be honest.
-Winner : AFFLICTION > DEMONOLOGY

Garalon : Single target, boss fixates on people during the fight and you have to kite until you become too hard to heal and pass off the fixate to someone else. Demo is good for kiting (I think DPS are required to on heroic mode). Also, you don't get shards from killing Garalon's legs. Movement fight since I don't think our raiders will let us pass the fixate so we dont have to move
-Winner : DEMONOLOGY

Wind Lord Mel'jarak : The CC is done here with spears that you are provided with (you don't want to use other forms of CC, at least not as a warlock). This fight is a multidotting paradise (you want to actively be DPSing 4 targets at a time, using AoE on 7 targets is padding). I would have to go with Affliction here.
-Winner : AFFLICTION

Amber Shaper Un'sok : Didn't do much beta here, but I'm pretty sure you want to be affliction. The MC is long duration, so your DoTs will provide more DPS after you are MC'ed than direct damage-based specs. Also there's a lot of adds to kill, and pretty heavy multidot potential. There are usually 2 main burn targets up at once, also.
-Winner : AFFLICTION

Grand Empress Shek'zeer : Possible chance to get mind controlled(if done correctly probably wont). Have to fight different sets of adds. The MC means you basically failed the fight and need to wipe/reset (think someone going insane). Affliction fight here just IMO, but Demo might be good for mobility with setting up amber traps. Toss-up.

-Winner : AFFLICTION/DEMO

*Please feel free to correct me and let me know which spec you would choose and why. Any input would be great. If this thread is well received I encourage others that know more about the fights than myself to add and update a Fear/Terrace section or I will add the Terrace section with help from the lock community.
*Thanks to voidsparks for shedding some more light on the fights.

[Angarin]

I thought movement fights favored affliction?

[Ridcully]

With new KJC, movement is no longer an issue.

[kaamila]

I thought movement fights favored affliction?

with GoSac not being able to cast malefic grasp is a big loss. at least when the next patch comes out that will change since we'll be able to cast it(Kiljaedans cunning) but for now movement fights suck for affliction. at least with demo you can pop in meta and still spam touch of chaos for sustained dps while moving.

---------- Post added 2012-10-28 at 02:10 PM ----------

With new KJC, movement is no longer an issue.

true but as of right now the raids will be out before the new KJC goes into effect so I didn't add the new KJC into the decisions of the specs

[xskarma]

With new KJC, movement is no longer an issue.

Won't get that till 5.1, which is god knows when. Early on in progression you won't have it at least.

[Ridcully]

I checked WoL for spirit kings rankings. Most movement heavy fight without multidotting in MSV, affliction is still ahead.

[Expandus]

Ye, i think you seriously underestimate afflictions ability to do dps even when moving, and it's very rare that you have to consistently move for an entire fight.

[Screwtape]

I checked WoL for spirit kings rankings. Most movement heavy fight without multidotting in MSV, affliction is still ahead.

Affliction is highest possible DPS so if there's a fight, there are people who have gone out and squeezed every last bit of DPS from affliction in a fight. That doesn't mean it was the best when they were learning the fight. That doesn't mean they were doing anything but standing in one spot the entire fight and DPSing the boss the entire fight. Stop going to world of logs and quoting it like it means anything.

[Ridcully]

Stop going to world of logs and quoting it like it means anything.

Use raidbots "all parses" if you do not like WoL top 200, it will confirm current afflictions superiority on that fight.

[kaamila]

spirit kings is the highest movement fight in MSV but its hardly heavy movement. most of the abilities on the fight are "move 5 steps to the left/right." and thats if youre in the wrong spot at the time. on heroic the movement is more severe. from what ive seen in heart of fear, the movement in some/most of the times are alot more than spirit kings.

[ambident]

Affliction is highest possible DPS so if there's a fight, there are people who have gone out and squeezed every last bit of DPS from affliction in a fight. That doesn't mean it was the best when they were learning the fight. That doesn't mean they were doing anything but standing in one spot the entire fight and DPSing the boss the entire fight. Stop going to world of logs and quoting it like it means anything.

his post is far more useful in this discussion than yours

[Ridcully]

spirit kings is the highest movement fight in MSV but its hardly heavy movement. most of the abilities on the fight are "move 5 steps to the left/right." and thats if youre in the wrong spot at the time. on heroic the movement is more severe. from what ive seen in heart of fear, the movement in some/most of the times are alot more than spirit kings.

Heroic spirit kings also provide some multidotting opportunities.
So far I have not seen "lots of movement = affliction bad" pattern, if HoF fights are more movement heavy, it will be a good chance to test that. I might even choose my second spec then, didn't really need it until now

[Seezer]

I thought movement fights favored affliction?

that was an old train of thought. People thought that because affliction had dots rolling on a target most of the time that they had freedom to move around. But people didn't realize how much of their damage was from shadow bolt, and now MG. Affliction is dogshit for heavy movement.

[Expandus]

But it's important to remember that all specs are affected by movement, not just affliction. Even if demo has a lot of instant casts they requires meta form, and you still spend the majority of a boss fight in caster form not meta. If i fight has a lot of movement it's not realistic to assume you will be able to be in meta that entire time. On average you have about 30-35% meta up-time during a fight, and heavy movement will make that number less since it will hurt fury generation outside of meta

[kaamila]

But it's important to remember that all specs are affected by movement, not just affliction. Even if demo has a lot of instant casts they requires meta form, and you still spend the majority of a boss fight in caster form not meta. If i fight has a lot of movement it's not realistic to assume you will be able to be in meta that entire time. On average you have about 30-35% meta up-time during a fight, and heavy movement will make that number less since it will hurt fury generation outside of meta

oh i agree. although all specs will most likely be viable, the mechanics will hurt some more than others. the reason i chose demo for these heavy movement fights or fights where you will most likely be mind controlled and have dots fall off and lose dps is because with demo you can at least prepare yourself for when that heavy movement comes in and save fury for that moment

[Deleted]

Affliction is highest possible DPS so if there's a fight, there are people who have gone out and squeezed every last bit of DPS from affliction in a fight. That doesn't mean it was the best when they were learning the fight. That doesn't mean they were doing anything but standing in one spot the entire fight and DPSing the boss the entire fight. Stop going to world of logs and quoting it like it means anything.

Affliction is definately the harder spec to master, and definately the more rewarding if you do it right. The reason the WOL's are high is that the skillcapped players play affliction and that is the best for people who know their class inside out. Movement on an irregular basis is bad for all of the specs, argueably less bad for affliction.

[Deleted]

You've not even included Destruction in the ONLY situation it shines... Fights with adds!

So many fights with adds, destruction gonna be rocking it.

[kaamila]

You've not even included Destruction is the ONLY situation it shines... Fights with adds!

So many fights with adds, destruction gonna be rocking it.

ya its harder to choose a spec for the add fights since some of these add fights have gimmicks involved(stun add, dont stun add, aoe them down but dont kill them etc.) although im sure all specs will be viable

[Screwtape]

@ambident- I think we can all agree your post ranks a distant third.

Affliction is definately the harder spec to master, and definately the more rewarding if you do it right. The reason the WOL's are high is that the skillcapped players play affliction and that is the best for people who know their class inside out. Movement on an irregular basis is bad for all of the specs, argueably less bad for affliction.

Opinions. Opinions. Opinions.

Affliction does the highest dps. That means that when top raiders are bored and the bosses are on farm (as they basically are) and healers aren't stressed affliction will give the highest parses. It doesn't even matter when you know when all the adds will pop, where to move for the shit on the ground, when phases change. All of this because any time someone gives an argument for using another spec someone says "but teh parses!".

[Moggie]

oh i agree. although all specs will most likely be viable, the mechanics will hurt some more than others. the reason i chose demo for these heavy movement fights or fights where you will most likely be mind controlled and have dots fall off and lose dps is because with demo you can at least prepare yourself for when that heavy movement comes in and save fury for that moment

You can prepare yourself with any spec...? No spec was particularly bad during the Beta. >.<