Shadow Priest or Affliction Lock

[ShamanPVP]

So they both do dots, but Shadow has a burst, so does that mean afflictions dots do a lot more dmg than the shadows?

What is it about the defense that locks have that makes them so much strong people keep saying defense for locks but I don't understand it.

[Yvaelle]

So they both do dots, but Shadow has a burst, so does that mean afflictions dots do a lot more dmg than the shadows?

What is it about the defense that locks have that makes them so much strong people keep saying defense for locks but I don't understand it.

They have two teleports, allowing them to juke enemy burst cycles very easily - or to teleport away from melee to break their setup (and/or leave them on lower levels of the map). They also have an undispellable shield for their entire health pool every minute (Sacrificial Pact), a shield wall (3m cooldown 40% damage reduction for 12 seconds), and a 2m instant 30% self-heal (and pet heal) which also buffs the healing they receive by 25% for 12 seconds (which is significant).

They have Curse of Exhaustion, which can be glyphed to be a 70% 40 yard snare - and they don't need to cast to deal their damage (meaning sitting on them isn't really shutting them down, where as sitting on a spriest shuts down ~70-80% of their damage). They also have twilight ward (like ice barrier, but specific to magic damage - or about twice the absorption of power word: shield).

Locks in MoP can be very tanky - more tanky than tanky specs in RBGs usually.

[Nicola]

They have two teleports, allowing them to juke enemy burst cycles very easily - or to teleport away from melee to break their setup (and/or leave them on lower levels of the map). They also have an undispellable shield for their entire health pool every minute (Sacrificial Pact), a shield wall (3m cooldown 40% damage reduction for 12 seconds), and a 2m instant 30% self-heal (and pet heal) which also buffs the healing they receive by 25% for 12 seconds (which is significant).

They have Curse of Exhaustion, which can be glyphed to be a 70% 40 yard snare - and they don't need to cast to deal their damage (meaning sitting on them isn't really shutting them down, where as sitting on a spriest shuts down ~70-80% of their damage). They also have twilight ward (like ice barrier, but specific to magic damage - or about twice the absorption of power word: shield).

Locks in MoP can be very tanky - more tanky than tanky specs in RBGs usually.

Yes, yes, now stop exaggerating, will ya?

Sacrificial Pact is just terrible for Affliction. Soul Link is way better, or in case you play petless, Dark Bargain. In most cases Affliction also uses Glyph of Eternal Resolve, meaning we can't use Unending Resolve ( The shield wall). Dark Regeneration is a HoT, not an instant heal. Glyph of Exhaustion is pretty terrible so we don't use that either. Did I also mention our teleports require setup?

And because I like bitching about stuff, Twilight ward has twice the cooldown of Power Word: Shield and can't be used on other players

Now I do have to say that Warlocks are fairly tanky, but that's mainly because of their passive damage reduction and increased healing taken, not because of their active cooldowns ( Because all the cooldowns we use are affected by battle fatigue -.-).

When choosing between Affliction and Shadow, I think the better question is whether you want a dps offspec or a heal offspec.

[Yvaelle]

Yes, yes, now stop exaggerating, will ya?

I'm trying to pump myself up for Lock PvP next patch - Yva got no Prideful drops this week off Celestials - but my Lock got Prideful Neck + Cloak, and my Warrior got a piece too I think. So clearly the game wants me to FOTM, and clearly it believes all Spriests need free loot incentives to reroll to Lock! (I'm on to you, dev team! Spriest mains playing lock alts get free loot!)

[Nicola]

I'm trying to pump myself up for Lock PvP next patch - Yva got no Prideful drops this week off Celestials - but my Lock got Prideful Neck + Cloak, and my Warrior got a piece too I think. So clearly the game wants me to FOTM, and clearly it believes all Spriests need free loot incentives to reroll to Lock! (I'm on to you, dev team! Spriest mains playing lock alts get free loot!)

You finally giving up on your priest? That sure took you a long time.

[Deleted]

does that mean afflictions dots do a lot more dmg than the shadows?

Yes. Like twice as much with Haunt and MG. But it's not easy to get free casts MG. SPs Dot dmg is like non existing without DP. Affliction is the only viable and real DoT spec in the game right now, but you need a tons of mastery.

[Lulbalance]

I'm trying to pump myself up for Lock PvP next patch - Yva got no Prideful drops this week off Celestials - but my Lock got Prideful Neck + Cloak, and my Warrior got a piece too I think. So clearly the game wants me to FOTM, and clearly it believes all Spriests need free loot incentives to reroll to Lock! (I'm on to you, dev team! Spriest mains playing lock alts get free loot!)

i think you would regret it

[Yvaelle]

You finally giving up on your priest? That sure took you a long time.

At least until I get into WoD beta!

- - - Updated - - -

i think you would regret it

I doubt it, I didn't even play enough games this season to get the conquest / wins achievements - Shadow 3's just isn't enjoyable right now :/

Edit: and I lack a good fmage to carry me

[xhisors]

I switched from shadow to affliction in patch 5.4 - I will not look back until WoD.

[BobAwesome]

I play a shadow priest and I'd switch to an Aff lock if I didn't have Conqueror title on my spriest.

[KyrpYo]

afflic lock hands down lol.

[Kretan]

Aff lock is simply better right now. Aff has more defense, but spriest brings big burst and mass dispel.

[Illiterate]

Yes. Like twice as much with Haunt and MG. But it's not easy to get free casts MG. SPs Dot dmg is like non existing without DP. Affliction is the only viable and real DoT spec in the game right now, but you need a tons of mastery.

You are not there to do damage as aff, you are just a ua/fear bot.

[Gsara]

I have never once regretted rerolling a lock when I, along many many other high end shadow priests, realized MoP was going to be absolutely horrible for shadow priests way back in the beta. Shadow was really good for pvp early on in MoP but its pretty meh at this point for RBG's and arena's.
For arena's, Im having a great time playing warrior, lock, druid and mage, lock, shaman, both fairly strong comps. For pve you will not regret playing a lock over a shadow priest either unless you like healing.

[Werst]

While both options look similar at a glance they are very different. Shadowpriest is probably more well rounded on its own. Affliction has soulswap but dots are weaker than ever historically speaking. Too much reliance on haunt + MG channeling to do single target damage. You will have to very seriously outplay your opponent to kill them with aff's dots before they kill you. Also aff has serious problems finishing anyone off on their own. On the upside multidotting has never been easier due to soulswap so its easy to keep full dots on 3+ targets. Its critical the OP understands that as affliction in most comps your job isn't killing damage per se. Your job is to get several targets to 80%'ish so they can be swapped to by the bursty classes while putting out lots of CC. Aff's damage contribution during kill windows is extremely low. If you are fine with that playstyle then aff will work...its just important to point out on the front end so you don't get there and find it wasn't what you expected.

Shadow has the option of spread pressure like what aff does or nuking/procs to burst someone. Shadow can always go holy or disc as different role but that may not be for the OP's taste. If you want that from a warlock you go destro and drop any spread pressure options. Destro also itemizes differently than affliction so to min/max it you would have to regem between specs. Destro is good in bgs but in rated play its can become highly frustrating given how much it needs to stationary hard cast + how easily melee stick to/shut down destro locks. Generally speaking destro is inferior to nuke ranged specs like mage or MM due to how much easier it is to prevent its burst. When you get those big all CD's popped chaosbolts they clearly hurt its just so easy to prevent these days since chaosbolt is the longest in combat cast in the game.

[Lulbalance]

At least until I get into WoD beta!

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I doubt it, I didn't even play enough games this season to get the conquest / wins achievements - Shadow 3's just isn't enjoyable right now :/

Edit: and I lack a good fmage to carry me

lol yea.. i'm having fun i think because of that last line ^^.

[Deleted]

Looking at leveling one of these and just to have fun with in random BGs nothing more I think sitting back and dotting people up and fearing them sounds like a blast anyways I know its a personal opinion but in your opinions which do you think is more fun in BGs and if anyone could please tell me the difference in playstyles.

thanks

In Randoms ( that's all I do ) I enjoy my SP's more than my locks, sure they can be squishy but plenty of utility and off heals helps to keep it interesting. I'd take some convincing that an Affi Lock is a good spec for Random BG's, I never really got on well with Affi in randoms, but that could always be a L2P issue or 2

[Stiffkittens]

Both are pretty fun, i tend to prefer my Spriest for random BG's and RBGS however. The offheals and self healing are definitely a plus, not to say Warlocks are lacking cooldowns though. I also like the mobility compared to my warlock, feathers contribute a lot of fun into getting away from people. Warlocks are way better at peeling however which comes in handy to keep your healers happy. Feel free to send me a PM if you want additional info, both are fun classes and have certain advantages and disadvantages.

[Yvaelle]

In Randoms ( that's all I do ) I enjoy my SP's more than my locks, sure they can be squishy but plenty of utility and off heals helps to keep it interesting. I'd take some convincing that an Affi Lock is a good spec for Random BG's, I never really got on well with Affi in randoms, but that could always be a L2P issue or 2

My aff lock is pretty awesome at node defense in random BGs - but I agree they really shine in competitive pvp. I have enough portals and cooldowns and lifesteal and snares to make my node pretty much uncapturable in a 1v1 / 1v2 / sometimes 1v3 scenario.

Spriests are too prone to a good CC chain->Capture to be useful on defense, and the sorts of lurkers you encounter in those very small skirmishes and duels are rogues/ferals/hunters/cocky warriors - all of which aren't fun duels for spriests (but are more enjoyable on my lock). On my spriest, enemies have all these moves - CC's, burst cycles - and I feel like I don't have any buttons appropriate to respond to most of it - whereas my lock isn't as geared - but no matter what my opponent does, I always feel like I have a button for that situation.

Personally I prefer to random BG with Curse of Exhaustion glyphed and Kiljaedens Cunning though - which Nicola seems to dislike - but it feels quite effective when you can portal away, 70% snare, and then kite with Malefic Grasp going from 40 yards away. If you stick with the offense though on a Spriest, spriests are kind of like Assassins (to use the MOBA term) - we hang back dotting and dispelling and chilling until someone gets low, and then we drop DP/burst/Death into them - being a spriest in a random BG is nice when you are so often ignored: whereas in Arenas spriests are tunnelled all game every game, so that isn't fun.

[Dartungar]

I myself never did that well in competetive PvP (mostly due to being a very casual PvPer), but I really love both SPriest and AffliLock.

I'd say pick a SPriest if you like healing as an option (Holy and Disc are very fun to play! esp. holy).
And pick Lock if you like 3 completely different DPS specs.

(I myself just started playing on EU, leveling priest and want to make lock for WoD as well)