Still CoP?

[Deleted]

So, do shadows still play with CoP?

Im stopped playing 4 months ago and looked at some logs today, seeing most people are back to old rotations.

[Kilee25]

Auspicious Spirits is generally considered to be the best spec to play right now. There's a few changes coming in 6.2 that might shake things up a little, but posts I've seen seem pretty confident that AS will remain strong into the next tier of content.

I'm currently playing CoP and loving it, but in this current tier of content, with these set bonuses, AS benefits more.

[Deleted]

I dont play shadow (in raids) but from the info i read Cop is better pure single target and if low crit geared. But with good rng AS will pull ahead on single target, but generally with multi targets AS is best. Someone correct me if im wrong tho.

[Thirteen]

I dont play shadow (in raids) but from the info i read Cop is better pure single target and if low crit geared. But with good rng AS will pull ahead on single target, but generally with multi targets AS is best. Someone correct me if im wrong tho.

You should pretty much use AS all the time, just because their stat priorities are extremely different, and you'd need a completely different set of gear for CoP to be significantly better than AS - and that's just on single target encounters.

[Relapses]

A CoP mastery build will likely be more consistent until you hit ~690ish ilvl. Playing AS ST w/ a low Crit chance is pretty miserable.

[Djriff]

Unless you have the GSR trinket. Then your static crit is pretty moot past ~15%

- - - Updated - - -

You should pretty much use AS all the time, just because their stat priorities are extremely different, and you'd need a completely different set of gear for CoP to be significantly better than AS - and that's just on single target encounters.

The nice thing about having my personal stat prio for disc being Mastery>Haste is I basically have a good CoP set in addition to a AS set.

If you have a disc spec, its easily swappable to CoP build at least for ST.

[Alanar]

Auspicious Spirits is generally considered to be the best spec to play right now. There's a few changes coming in 6.2 that might shake things up a little, but posts I've seen seem pretty confident that AS will remain strong into the next tier of content.

I'm currently playing CoP and loving it, but in this current tier of content, with these set bonuses, AS benefits more.

Funny how everything is a pve thread..

[Relapses]

Funny how everything is a pve thread..

OP specifically mentioned logs. Unless people are logging PvP these days, it's a pretty safe assumption this thread was in reference to PvE.

[Kilee25]

Yes, that is what I thought. Apologies if it wasn't the case. Although I actually thought pretty much the same was true for pvp last I heard. A lot of people I know said they use the same play style in pvp- pain all the things and funnel DP into a target. No?

[Deleted]

CoP still finds uses on Kromog and is generally the better spec, CoP is also useful for less geared players and some fights with bis players who don't start Gruul or Oregorger without 3-5 orbs.

I still like CoP for its consistency although you're unlikely to get any #1s with it.

[Xraychicken]

It all depends on the fight for which spec you play.
CoP is "technically" better on a Gruul style fight where you are prioritizing straight mastery but that is very unrealistic since mastery is near the bottom of your stat priorities when you introduce any movement.

CoP is still widely played as it shines on fights like kromog and oregoreger and operator and is still MUCH better in lower gear levels. Cop is also very nice since all its stats are very closely rated so it is very good as an offspec for a main healing priest.
AS is unarguably better once you get to higher levels of crit with the abundance of multi-target fights in blackrock but you need around 25% crit to play it competitively or 20ish with the goren soul repository which is not viable for all priests trying to play it.
In summary they are both still competitive and each is better on different fights but both are still very close in terms of average numbers so you shouldnt feel pigeon holed into either spec.
I suggest you check out Drye's SummonStone guide for shadow for a comprehensive guide on which spec is better for each fight in each set of gear for any more questions!

[Djriff]

I suggest you check out Drye's SummonStone guide for shadow for a comprehensive guide on which spec is better for each fight in each set of gear for any more questions!

Link to the guide: http://summonstone.com/priest/shadow/

[Deleted]

Yes, that is what I thought. Apologies if it wasn't the case. Although I actually thought pretty much the same was true for pvp last I heard. A lot of people I know said they use the same play style in pvp- pain all the things and funnel DP into a target. No?

Before I unsubbed from WoW a month or so back, I had completely retired from raiding and was a casual player dabbling only in LFR and trying to pick up PvP, mostly RBG's. Trying to find which spec was best was extremely difficult at the start of WoD, so as CoP was the go-to spec for HM, I just naturally went with that and it worked, with a mixture of PvP and PvE gear from LRF/world bosses/missions/crafted.

I did expect I might get to raid now and then, so felt I was in a good place with my gear and damage output, then BRF arrived and I found myself stuck completely. There was no way I could get the amount of crit needed to make AS viable so that confirmed that I would never be able to raid on any decent level. Coupled with the fact that BiS mastery pieces for PvP are obtainable through grinding rep in Ashran only, I felt I had little choice but to quit. Ashran is a nightmare, unless you have hours and hours to waste queuing and finding a good group, which I don't

Sorry end of rant! :P

I have always appreciated your guides Kilee and great respect for putting them together for us. Like you, I actually do like CoP, but the competition for DPS in raids have pushed it out, so that AS is the only spec to choose if you're into competitive/progressive raiding.

If I ever returned to WoW, it would be really nice to see a casual players priest guide, but I guess that wouldn't be possible and probably not worth the effort for anyone. But I like very much that you put a CoP guide up, because not everyone is fortunate enough to get the gear to play AS.

And if anyone is interested in a priest guide for PvP, Zunniyaki has put one up on skill-capped and definitely worth a read

[Relapses]

If I ever returned to WoW, it would be really nice to see a casual players priest guide, but I guess that wouldn't be possible and probably not worth the effort for anyone. But I like very much that you put a CoP guide up, because not everyone is fortunate enough to get the gear to play AS.

I touched on this in my first post, but moving into HFC -- should you desire -- even LFR and non-raid gear will be sufficient enough for AS to be a viable option.

[Alanar]

OP specifically mentioned logs. Unless people are logging PvP these days, it's a pretty safe assumption this thread was in reference to PvE.

Missed that, I take it back then.

[Cerbz]

Yes, that is what I thought. Apologies if it wasn't the case. Although I actually thought pretty much the same was true for pvp last I heard. A lot of people I know said they use the same play style in pvp- pain all the things and funnel DP into a target. No?

No one uses AS in PvP, no one good anyway. The problem with it is that it's too RNG, SW:P can and will be dispelled regardless of having VT up for dispel "protection", Mind Blast will have an increased CD and no longer be instant cast. I mean maybe in random BGs yeah it'd be fine but not in arenas.

[Kilee25]

Ah okay, thank you. I did not know how PVP was going this expac. I haven't even gone into the Ashran zone yet.

MzChief - thank you for the kind words. I do think that CoP is viable even in Mythic. Not competitive. Just viable, unless your definition of "viable" means competitive... my definition of "viable" is if you play it well and correctly you should easily pull your weight. No, you won't get 80k on some fights like wih AS, but a steady low-to-mid 40s with high 50s and low 60s in AE situations should be easily reachable. This isn't quite what AS can pull, but it's within a margin of safety that would make it difficult for you to be the lowest dps in your raid. And I would say that if your raid is so competitive that that is considered too low, then yes obviously you wouldn't be playing it anyway. I don't know a lot of guilds that are at that high of level, and I've seen a LOT of mythic raid logs where priests are pulling far lower numbers than I know that I could get with CoP, so obviously there's a safety net for what's considered do-able, at least 7/10 anyway.

But maybe that's just me.

[Thirteen]

No one uses AS in PvP, no one good anyway. The problem with it is that it's too RNG, SW:P can and will be dispelled regardless of having VT up for dispel "protection", Mind Blast will have an increased CD and no longer be instant cast. I mean maybe in random BGs yeah it'd be fine but not in arenas.

It's about 50:50 in RBGs, but most/all people I know that do arenas play with CoP. Personally I like AS more for RBGs, just because it gives more burst for when you build up orbs and have apparitions going out.

[Deleted]

CoP is easy mode, AP is old school rotation. Depending on your crit (and luck) AS can also pull high numbers on single target.

[Djriff]

CoP is superior to AS in a patchwerk ST fight. The second even the tiniest of movement gets introduced CoP starts to lag behind little by little. AS is only superior to CoP when you have to move, have 690+ gear, at least 20% crit AND the GSR trinket. Otherwise CoP does just fine.

Granted if you really like the CoP playstyle, take mindbender for movement heavy fights and just avoid dot weaving. It's not a terrible loss and frees up some GCD's for more personal PW:S.