Regarding Unleash Flame

[Sarcon]

Hi guys,

I recently started playing beta, and I'd consider myself pretty knowledgeable when it comes to all things shaman. However, I've been wondering about Unleash Flame. When's the best time to use it? As far as I know Unleash Elements was always negligible for Elemental. I'm Enhance/Resto on live so I haven't played Ele much in recent months. I try to work it in before Elemental Blast or an instant Lava Burst, but when questing and just killing regular mobs it really doesn't matter since everything dies pretty quickly. I've looked around the forums and tried googling it but wasn't able to find anything very informative on the subject. Is it still not worth the GCD or should I be using it more consistently? Thanks in advance!

[Slappyjoe]

I haven't done a tone of theorycrafting for beta Elemental, but as far as I can tell its usefulness will be about the same as it is on live, which is not much unless you have Unleashed Fury talented. Since we lose the ability to cast LB on the move, UE can be used while moving if you a) have no Lava Surge proc and b) Earth Shock is on cooldown, but even then its use is questionable simply because in WoD the ability no longer does damage itself.

[Deleted]

Check your LB dps. If [40% * GCD length in seconds] of a whatever-you-use-UF-on is higher than that it is worth replacing a LB for UF.
With how long UF lasts you don't have to use it right before your fire spell, you can just replace whichever LB with it, so you don't delay higher priority spells.

Or use it for movement phases.
Or use it to burst with LvB/Eleblast.
Or do it like I do and just say fuck UL and don't bother keybinding it .____.

[Rezhka]

If you take Elemental Fusion, it could make a great combo with Unleash Element (Flame) to heavily buff your FS dot (well, the direct damage as well) because of the stacked effect. It goes from 800 per tick to 2100 per tick on beta dummy. I myself find it useful only when i need to refresh my FS and my Elemental Fusion at 2 stacks. And i don't take Unleashed Fury talent. That's from my personal perspective on beta tho.

[Triggered Fridgekin]

Unleash Flame is to Shamans in WoD as Rupture was to Combat Rogues in Cataclysm (or at least T12). It's there, you can use it, but you won't get a lot out of it as far as damage is concerned.

Use it for the 30% 'sprint'.