Improve your Warlock DPS on each encounter (boss specific)

[Cybx]

Hey guys, i make this thread to everyone share your experiences of how are you maximizing your DPS on each encounter.

Example Thread: (Just for example purposes)
Boss: Stone Guard 10m - Normal
DPS Strategy: Dotting the stacked guards and using haunt every time (forgetting the ss management), using MG asap on the haunted guard.
DPS average: ~70kdps
Specialization: Affliction
Armory Link: h t t p: // us.battle.net/wow/en/character/goldrinn/Cybx/simple
WoL if possible:
Macro Improvement:



This thread will be helpfull to everyone who are getting (do i dot everyone? keep focusing? use SoC.. etc..) questions..


Im not english language native.. sorry for any mistaken.

---------- Post added 2012-11-11 at 07:45 PM ----------

reserved for future instructions.

[bryanmathis]

Boss: Stone Guard 10m - Normal, elegon, garajal, terracotta army
DPS Strategy: cleave everything
DPS average: not sure
Specialization: Destruction
Macro Improvement:

2 macros

macro 1

/focus [@target]

set this to something easy like shift + spacebar

macro 2

#showtooltip Havoc
/target [@focus]
/castsequence Curse of the Elements, Havoc
/targetlasttarget


replace your havoc button with that

set you focus to whatever gaurd you want w/ s+sp
then hit your havoc button 2x and it will put coe + havoc on them then swap back to your last target

very handy for cleaving


for other bosses simply change the /target [@focus] to whatever mob you wanna cleave like elegon energy balls, shadowy minions, or emperors rage

for terra cotta army i just leave one of the bosses as focus

[Nekrosislol]

Boss: Elegon - Normal
DPS Strategy: Normal dps rotation on boss., spec into mannorths fury and Spam seed on elegon during orb phases (Soulburn+SoC too!) This will hit all the orbs each time and does a lot of dmg to all them over all. I average around x6 the orb dmg as second place.
DPS average: ~120k++++
Specialization: Affliction
Armory Link: N/A
WoL if possible: N/A
Macro Improvement: N/a

[burnthru]

Any tips like this for Garalon?

Thanks!

[Deleted]

I think this is a good idea! Maybe the OP can edit the good posts into the first for a better overview as this thread grows bigger . I will give my oppinion on the bosses I feel comfortable with:

Boss: Embershaper Un'soc
DPS-Strategy: Use Glyph of Soulswap. Pop your cooldowns (DS and trinkets) 5-10 seconds after pull so you can apply buffed dots (with ss) to the first abommination. Keep all dots on the abo+Boss in p1 and on the monstrosity+Abo in p2. Always cast haunts on the abominations and use MG on the haunted target when possible. Just dot the small adds with corrution for NF proccs. When you have aggro from a blob use your unending resolve (no spell pushback).
DPS-Average: 105k, depends on when you are turned into an abomination though
Specc: Affliction
WoL: http://www.worldoflogs.com/reports/m...s=9626&e=10026

Boss: Grand Empress Sheek'zeer
DPS-Strategy: p1 single target rotation with all cooldowns + prepot etc. on the Boss, nothing special. Pop your defensive cooldowns when the voidzones are close to 0 energy. For phase 2 you should have 3-4 Soulshards ready. When the adds spawn use SB + CoE to slow all the adds (I used the glyph for the 70% slow) so people can position themselves better and dps more before the adds reach them. From here on just spam all the small adds (ignore the big ones) with SB+SS and dot manually if necessary. DS on low hp adds for shard refills. Final phase: Normal single target rotation again. Try to get a countdown for heroism so you can pop your Doomguard before. Use your defensive cooldowns so you live longer = more damage
dps average: 70k
specc: Affliction
WoL: http://www.worldoflogs.com/reports/a...?s=5552&e=6121

[Orinoco]

Love the idea, i'm only a casual so this is more for the people at the lower end of progression but I started doing this on Garajal on my 2nd kill when I was put as top prio for the spirit totems.

Boss: Garajal 10N
DPS-Strategy: Dots up, pop CDs, SS:SB, Haunt, MG etc. If called for the spirit totem put dots up on it and use DS even if above 20% HP to get shards. Once inside, SS:SB a target and either 2x haunt and DS - 2x haunt the ticks that go off in that time usually kills it for me so stand a moderate distance away from the target so that DS can replenish all your shards before haunts kill it - or assist the other DPS who is in with you making sure to finish it off with DS so you can then carry on on your own with the SS:SB -> 2x haunt rotation. Be sure to time your last kill as close to getting out of there as possible so you kill maximum adds and return to the normal realm with full shards.
Spec: AFF
DPS Average: ~58k.

[ykza]

Love the idea, i'm only a casual so this is more for the people at the lower end of progression but I started doing this on Garajal on my 2nd kill when I was put as top prio for the spirit totems.

Boss: Garajal 10N
DPS-Strategy: Dots up, pop CDs, SS:SB, Haunt, MG etc. If called for the spirit totem put dots up on it and use DS even if above 20% HP to get shards. Once inside, SS:SB a target and either 2x haunt and DS - 2x haunt the ticks that go off in that time usually kills it for me so stand a moderate distance away from the target so that DS can replenish all your shards before haunts kill it - or assist the other DPS who is in with you making sure to finish it off with DS so you can then carry on on your own with the SS:SB -> 2x haunt rotation. Be sure to time your last kill as close to getting out of there as possible so you kill maximum adds and return to the normal realm with full shards.
Spec: AFF
DPS Average: ~58k.

If you spec mannoroth's fury you can just SB:SoC the adds for much higher dps and shard return, besides, your raid is more likely to wipe from the berserk than from the damage the adds do, so coming out halfway through provides a good balance between add killing and using the spirit realm buff to get more damage on the boss

[nightfalls]

I like this idea, and perhaps the better ideas from the post can later be combined/consolidated; right now especially I feel we're missing too many "how-to" discussions that are on other class forums. Here's two fights I think I did very well on this week:

Boss: Feng the Accursed 25H
Encounter Type: Single Target, with some burst AoE
Average DPS: 90k+
Specialization: Affliction + Archimonde's Vengeance
Armory Link: Signature
Strategy: This is a single target fight, so do your best to maximize uptime while making sure to follow mechanics. For the staff phase, you can use a Demonic Circle to get out quickly after each Arcane Velocity. For the shield phase, you can drop a Soulburn: Seed of Corruption as the adds are spawning, try your best to make it explode as soon as possible to get your corruptions up. You can then spam seed of corruption as needed (depends on your raid's AoE abilities). Do your best to fully use Haunts and Soulburn: Soul Swap here, and then snipe a low add with Drain Soul (you will need about a global of channeling) to refill your shards with as little uptime loss as possible. For the fist phase, try to get full DoT timers up before you know an uninterrupted/shielded Epicenter will hit and do your best to start a channel. Finally, in all phases you can time your Archimonde's Vengeance activated ability for his specials to add a small amount of DPS. Depending on when your raid uses Bloodlust, pop your Doomguard accordingly (with Potion), and use your other potion for execute phase. Most raids will be doing the staff phase last, meaning you have minimal movement for execute.
Specific Difficulties: While being rather straightforward there are two big areas that can mess you up here: The Shield Phase and Fist Phase. For the shield phase, you really need to be good at timing your AoE. Make sure you get that Soulburn: Seed to explode immediately on the adds, but not too soon that it "misses" and blows up before the adds spawn (a massive DPS loss). You want to kill the adds as soon as possible, but you want to blow your seeds up before your raid (depending on their AoE abilities) uses low-cast-time moves to kill the adds too soon. And finally you want to Drain Soul an add to get shards for boss DPS, again you don't really want to channel too long on this (since it's a DPS loss over MG on the boss) but you don't want to waste a global missing and having the add die too quickly. For the fist phase, you want to be aware of when uninterrupted epicenters are coming, so you can refresh DoTs and start a channel.

Boss: Gara'jal the Spiritbinder 25H
Encounter Type: Single Target, with some burst AoE
Average DPS: 100k+ (World of Logs is not accurate for this)
Specialization: Affliction + Mannoroth's Fury (Demonology is an alternative)
Armory Link: Signature
Strategy: This is a single target fight again with heavy AoE phases if you are assigned to going down, which you should be. When Spirit Totems spawn make sure you DoT them with corruption/agony as necessary. If it is your turn going down, you can save a Dark Soul: Misery for the Spiritual Innervation buff (you will have a maximum of 3 of them in the fight, so time that accordingly). Use Haunt more liberally up top if you know you are heading down, when you go down save two shards. You will want to Soulburn: Soul Swap followed by Soulburn: Seed of Corruption on an add - make it a Severer of Souls if one is up - and then just start hitting all of the adds with Seed of Corruption. As soon as the time on Corruption is getting low, use a Soulburn: Seed of Corruption followed by a Fel Flame or Soulburn: Soul Swap to blow it up immediately, this should also explode your other seeds which should clear the adds in pretty short order. Before heading up, do your best to expend all your shards and quickly snipe a Drain Soul on a low add to have 4 shards going back up for your buff.
Specific Difficulties: On progression this fight is very tough on the berserk timer and you will want to maximize DPS to the greatest extent possible. Again the kicker here will be proper handling of the add phase, similar to the shield phase above for Feng. You need to get two shards quickly so you can get that initial Soulburn: Seed blown up (the corruption you spread should quickly regenerate shards for you afterwards). You want to pillar off Severers if they are up so they don't kill your tanks. And you want to max-AoE downstairs - but make sure you kill your adds. In other words, when you are running low on time, focus on finishing off groups of low adds rather than getting the fresh adds low (for a bunch of low adds). Finally, keep an eye on the health of the adds, so you can snipe a low one before you head up (if you are going to miss, don't die and just leave) for maximum boss damage.


Good luck to everyone on these fights!

[Deleted]

Any tips like this for Garalon?

Thanks!

i havent tried this in an actual raid as i only have access to lfr atm but i would imagine mannoroth's fury fury and SB:SoC will be of great help here provided ofc the blast radius is big enough to hit the legs.

[nightfalls]

i havent tried this in an actual raid as i only have access to lfr atm but i would imagine mannoroth's fury fury and SB:SoC will be of great help here provided ofc the blast radius is big enough to hit the legs.

Not a very good method, since there are only 4 legs possibly up at a time, and it is more optimal to be hitting specific legs or letting melee cleave them.

[Bonkura]

i havent tried this in an actual raid as i only have access to lfr atm but i would imagine mannoroth's fury fury and SB:SoC will be of great help here provided ofc the blast radius is big enough to hit the legs.

KJC to follow legs and get some extra (slow ticks of) MG/DS during movement. For our heroic kill everyone in the raid xcept our DK did pheromones too which makes KJC the only viable talent choice.

[burnthru]

KJC to follow legs and get some extra (slow ticks of) MG/DS during movement. For our heroic kill everyone in the raid xcept our DK did pheromones too which makes KJC the only viable talent choice.

Good call on the Seed idea, I was thinking about that as well. Only doing 10 man version and my DPS was all over the place and pretty disappointing since we are melds heavy and its easier for them to DPS the legs. KJC seems the way to go.

[420codguyxx]

wow awsome thread gonna help so much

[Rajidon]

This is a great idea for a thread. Would be really awesome to see OP list all of the strats in the OP, just organize them by boss.

I'd like to see one on Ambershaper!

[Xami]

I seem to be good at Spirit Kings 10N (it's so easy but can't hurt, right?) than other bosses so I'll chime in.

Boss: Spirit Kings 10N
DPS Strategy: Normal single-target
DPS average: ~70kdps
Specialization: Affliction
Talents: Harvest Life and Unbound Will are the two things that I believe are must-haves. Harvest Life for when we become hostile to each other, and Unbound Will for when you take an arrow to the knee (it breaks you free). That's about the only thing that I could be doing different from others.

My gear isn't great (we primarily raid normals) so I usually come around 85~90th percentile, but for this boss I often ended up with like 97th percentile. Not sure why.

[imoryn]

This thread is great, OP should gather all the data and update it into a guide!

[Spoir]

If I can't get to the legs of Garalon, wouldn't Grimoire of Supremacy be the choice here?

Pets now correctly gain Weak Points when attacking Garalon's legs.

[Moggie]

Garalon has become the bane of my raiding existence. No matter what I try, my dps just is so spectacularly sucky on this fight that I sit myself every week. I tried the SB:SoC deal but tbh, it's sorta redundant least in Normal mode due to only one legs being up at a time. I've tried following a leg, tried going to each 'live' leg (if one can reach it). Tried just standing there focusing the head. Nothing. /wrist =P

[Sabsy]

i'm not sure why so many people use manaroths fury for sb:soc on heroic garajal... i found that just using sb:soul swap onto as many adds as i can as soon as i get down there (right after popping my heals to get stacks faster, ofc) then focusing down the low ones and drain souling when theyre about to die to refresh your shards... then use the remaining shards to sb: soul swap the rest of the adds... rinse and repeat-- works wonders!

have u guys tried this instead of using seeds? i should also add i'm doing this on 10man... so there may be more adds on 25 when you guys go down which may make seeds much more viable

also on elegon manaroths fury is pretty nice if u can get a sb: soc and a soc off just when the sparks spawn... it's tricky to time it though, and takes a few tries... although again, it may just be better to use a regular soc and use 2 shards to soul swap 2 sparks at once, since you will only get a few seconds of corruption ticks before the adds die anyway

[nightfalls]

i'm not sure why so many people use manaroths fury for sb:soc on heroic garajal... i found that just using sb:soul swap onto as many adds as i can as soon as i get down there (right after popping my heals to get stacks faster, ofc) then focusing down the low ones and drain souling when theyre about to die to refresh your shards... then use the remaining shards to sb: soul swap the rest of the adds... rinse and repeat-- works wonders!

1) There are more adds on 25m

2) An argument for MF: you will spread more corruptions to more adds, which means more shards to use for soulburn: soul swap, without having to drain soul. Besides, the alternative is AV, and while you can use it while under voodoo doll, I highly doubt it would be worth more damage in the end considering how pitiful the damage done by it actually is.