[Feral] How to master that cat

[Deleted]

Hi guys,

so today I'd like to discuss Ferals and their rotation. I'm quite confident that I know how to play my second spec, I'm currently sitting @i553 with RoRO (522) and Cleave HC (574), got AoC 528 as well but not using it. I got an heroic weapon, LMG and cloak, no armory tho as I'm unfortunately in my main spec.

Here are a few logs where I dps'ed:
http://www.worldoflogs.com/reports/p...?s=7090&e=7296
http://www.worldoflogs.com/reports/3...?s=8975&e=9382
http://www.worldoflogs.com/reports/o.../?s=596&e=1022

I'm aware of things like missing dps-potions/flask (as I only switch for 1-2 bosses) and stuff like uptimes, e.g. SR uptime on that one Sha kill wasn't that good. I'm playing with SotF/DoC. My questions are as follow:

1) How do you use your clearcasts for Trash? I'm smashing my buttons like a mad lumberjack, I already used my proc for something else when I realized I just had a proc!
2) How do you manage to watch your buffs? I bet the best improvement for me would be to watch my buffs much better and do not clip my rake/rip that often! I need some kind of "do NOT refresh your DoT right now, wait!" icon on my screen, but I don't know how to organize that. In general I have a DoC'ed Rake up all the time and a TF'ed Rip (not 100%).
3) How do you get a Rip with DoC? Most of the time I only use my finishers with 5 CPs, which means I get that DoC. Do you keep that DoC and wait for the next 5 CPs to refresh Rip? I often find myself using DoC for a Rake and a Shred... I know that I need to get a Rip with DoC+TF+Pot up @25% or something to maintain it, but I don't get how. Is it just delaying to use my DoC-proc for Rake+Rip all the time? I'm fine with the general DoC-mechanic (in fact, it feels much easier than any other 90s-talent)
4) I guess using Treants or Incarnation is another DPS-increase. Which is better, and how to use it?
5) Mangle or Shred. Long discussion, different answers in every thread 8(
6) AoE situations. I love my burst with SR -> Trash Swipe TF Swipe Swipe. But after that swipe it gets lower (obv). On fights like Sha I just pop occassionally 1-2 Swipes when the reflections spawn, but I have a very hard time switching targets in general. There is no prob if the target is alive for 20s+ (e.g. the manifestation @sha), but what are you doing on the reflections or on fights like Galakras? Basically just keeping Trash-Debuff up and then go for Swipe only (well obv beside using stuff like vortex or interrupts or whatever is handy)? Or do you keep doing single-target dmg?
7) I try to not change my targets at all. Not because my bleeds may drop from my primary target (I'm aware of my debuffs and the durations), but because I feel it's a DPS loss to switch (e.g. MC-ed players @Garrosh). I switch, do 3 Mangle and 1 interrupt, they die and I have lost my focus on Garrosh. Would a well-timed interrupt be better and keep the rest of your dmg on the boss, as the other DPS'ers are better @switching? Spoils must be a very sucky fight for us then? I'm aware of symbiosing my Rogue/Warlock, but the cooldown is too long tbh
8) Even if I reforge to, lets say, 7k mastery and 6k crit/haste, how can you ensure to get a DoC'ed/TF'ed Rip up with the Trinket-proc?

Thanks for all your hints and tips

edit: I'm using TellMeWhen to track the duration of my SR, when TF is ready again and for Rip/Rake I use Pitbull to display them with the seconds remaining. I'm not tracking anything else atm, tho I guess getting that RoRO proc shown and using a Rip then will increase my DPS as well ;-p


Regards,
Tree

[Deleted]

1. Depends on the duration of Thrash. If it isn't present at all or the duration is below half, I refresh it, otherwise I just Shred/Swipe. I also don't 'spam' my buttons, which is why I can use most of my procs how I want to, but I gotta admit, that I had to learn not to smash my keyboard for quite a while, too^^ (I learned it back when I was maining a DW-Frost DK before mastery-frost was a thing, where every Obliterate using up a KM-proc is a dps-loss)
2. I have Tellmewhen icons close the the center of my screen where I look at every few seconds.
3. Pool energy. If you have a 5 CP FB ready, wait for your energy to fill up and use FB when you're at >80 energy, than spam your way to 4 CP, use Healing Touch to get the DoC proc and then Rake and Rip to have both DoC'ed. Use TF before you Rake, to get that damage bonus, too, even if using TF overfills your energy bar.
4. I like Treants, because I can use them with my Engi-Enchantment xD
5. Mangle, unless I have a OoC proc and Thrash is up
Can't respond to the rest now, because I got to catch my bus, maybe later^^

[Skadovsk]

Use SotF until you get better, same with DoC vs HotW, if Treants and DoC are used incorrectly they end up being a massive dps loss.
Always rake when switching targets asap, don't mangle/shred spam unless the target will seriously die in less than 1 GCD and it needs to die that same second, but that's very rare in raids, don't underestimate the value of rake.
If I were you I would use the AoC, it will help you handle DoC better since more TFs.
Use both mangle and shred, this has been discussed a thousand times, its probably somewhere in the guide.

[Glurp]

1) How do you use your clearcasts for Trash? I'm smashing my buttons like a mad lumberjack, I already used my proc for something else when I realized I just had a proc!

Don't mash your buttons. Ferals aren't a GCD capped class so there is no need to spam your buttons unless you are going to cap energy.

2) How do you manage to watch your buffs? I bet the best improvement for me would be to watch my buffs much better and do not clip my rake/rip that often! I need some kind of "do NOT refresh your DoT right now, wait!" icon on my screen, but I don't know how to organize that. In general I have a DoC'ed Rake up all the time and a TF'ed Rip (not 100%).

DroodFocus. There are also weakauras that will show you the value of your Rip/Rake and whether or not you should clip it

3) How do you get a Rip with DoC? Most of the time I only use my finishers with 5 CPs, which means I get that DoC. Do you keep that DoC and wait for the next 5 CPs to refresh Rip? I often find myself using DoC for a Rake and a Shred... I know that I need to get a Rip with DoC+TF+Pot up @25% or something to maintain it, but I don't get how. Is it just delaying to use my DoC-proc for Rake+Rip all the time? I'm fine with the general DoC-mechanic (in fact, it feels much easier than any other 90s-talent)

Use Predatory Swiftness procs at 4/5 combo points. Make sure you don't let it drop off trying to do this.

4) I guess using Treants or Incarnation is another DPS-increase. Which is better, and how to use it?

Treants > SotF > Incarnation. Use Treants with trinket procs. I highly recommend sticking with SotF until you are fully comfortable with the rest of the rotation though as it is just extra micromanagement for a tiny increase. Never use Incarnation.

5) Mangle or Shred. Long discussion, different answers in every thread 8(

Both. Use Shred during TF/Berserk/Clearcasting or any other time you are going to risk energy capping and use Mangle otherwise.

7) I try to not change my targets at all. Not because my bleeds may drop from my primary target (I'm aware of my debuffs and the durations), but because I feel it's a DPS loss to switch (e.g. MC-ed players @Garrosh). I switch, do 3 Mangle and 1 interrupt, they die and I have lost my focus on Garrosh. Would a well-timed interrupt be better and keep the rest of your dmg on the boss, as the other DPS'ers are better @switching? Spoils must be a very sucky fight for us then? I'm aware of symbiosing my Rogue/Warlock, but the cooldown is too long tbh

Symbiosis Soul Swap is amazing, use it lots. I wouldn't swap to MCs on Garrosh. Swipe them if you raid really needs it.


Just as a note I don't agree with Skadovsk about using HotW until you get better. DoC is a clear winner DPS wise and it has a much different play style than HotW does so while you're learning it's going to be better in the long run if you learn to use DoC well.

[Deleted]

One thing I'd like to add to the HotW vs Doc thing: I'm with Glurp on this one. Always use DoC, unless you ABSOLUTELY cannot stand the DoC rotation...Though if you're still on heroic progress, you might have to bite the bullet and deal with it ;P

[marcelush]

However - HotW still has its usefulness, as a raid CD, when massive AOE damage. You can also use it for 45 seconds as a tank and also succesfully use it as range with Wrath or AOE damage. i find those things far more important than 1-2k additional DPS

As a kitty use BadKitty addon - it gives you exactly the information you need: icons with abilities that are rolling on your victim. When that ability is going to wear off, the icon turns red. It also has a timer on the icon. The icon of the addon is exactly the icon of the ability on the bar.
You can customize the size of the icon, position, what icons to show, per column or row, in whatever order you want. Here - you can check my videos to see exactly how that looks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ty-tc...ziTWzAtsbcOcFw

[Rioo]

I don't really know how deaths affect your uptimes on WoL, so it's hard for me to say anything when you've died on both your Sha encounters. On fights like that I'm normally around 97%+ uptime with both Rip and Rake, and at least over 50% uptime on Thrash, closer to ~67%. While I think that's a bit higher than most ferals, anything below 90% for the two main bleeds is crap. So until you can get decent uptime numbers don't worry too much about clipping bleeds.

When it comes to switching targets on Garrosh I'd say you're better off just interrupting, maybe auto-hitting for a few seconds while you're pooling energy and switching back to Garrosh. Or get some combo points on the MC target and use them for a SR if you've just applied Rip on Garrosh and don't have any combo points on him.

[marcelush]

Not sure if it's OK to compare 10 men to 25, but here is a log from my Sha of Pride HC fight:

http://www.worldoflogs.com/reports/o...?s=5360&e=5822

[Deleted]

Thanks for your hints so far :-)

I changed my reforges and tried to DPS a lot today, especially Sha and Malkorok might be useful.
http://www.worldoflogs.com/reports/y...?s=2328&e=2687
http://www.worldoflogs.com/reports/y...?s=8298&e=8618
Armory: http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/characte...icillin/simple

If you have anything else to add I'd be happy. Trying to do most of the stuff you are talking about already.