PVE Warlocks: A Guide to 3.1 Spex and Rotations

[gherkin]

For heroics I stay raid spec destro.

Immo Chaos Conflag, spend my backdraft charges on Incinerating the second target while people kill the first. If I pull aggro, Death Coil or Soul Shatter or Drain Life.

[Hhavok]

Sorry. I have a lot of Lock questions. I'm still playing through the different builds. I was wondering about the 0/40/31 and 0/41/30 hybrid builds. Does it break the build so-to-speak, if you take points and move them over to suppression while still gearing up for hit rating like some people do for the destro build? I tried using two points in suppresion last night with the 0/41/30 build, and it seemed okay, but I don't have anything to compare it against.

[Kelpie]

Sorry. I have a lot of Lock questions. I'm still playing through the different builds. I was wondering about the 0/40/31 and 0/41/30 hybrid builds. Does it break the build so-to-speak, if you take points and move them over to suppression while still gearing up for hit rating like some people do for the destro build? I tried using two points in suppresion last night with the 0/41/30 build, and it seemed okay, but I don't have anything to compare it against.

It'll break the build. If you're low on it, Affliction is a better spec to play as. Second best is a 3/x/x Destro build

[Hhavok]

Okay. I think I'll stick with those until I have the hit rating for hybrids then. Shouldn't be too long. Thanks for the help.

[Vaah]

Just a couple criticisms on your Destro spec info: While 3/13/55 is your standard spec, shadowfury is a wasted point. In raids, there is little or no use for it. Moving that point into Demonic Embrace is probably a better choice.

For Locks with better gear, or those who have reached the hit cap via gear, a 0/13/58 spec is a must. Something around this is a decent choice. Soul Leech and Improved Soul Leech will add some utility, survivability, and let you get a couple more casts in before you have to tap.

As for the Destro rotation, it's actually more effective to (Curse), Immolate, Conflag, Chaos Bolt, Incinerate fill. The damage boost from Pyroclasm outweighs the .3 or .4 second wait.

[Jenerena]

clipping and only using CB when backdraft is up is a dps loss, period.

After being affliction so long i still obey the 'don't clip dots rule'...i conflag whenever it's off cooldown. with the starting rotation i do find that as soon as i hit it immolate is ready to be refreshed, if that's the case, conflag then immolate then CB, incinerate or whatever. As long as i get those conflags in and don't clip the immolate it doesn't matter.

[Ace23323]

Just a couple criticisms on your Destro spec info: While 3/13/55 is your standard spec, shadowfury is a wasted point. In raids, there is little or no use for it. Moving that point into Demonic Embrace is probably a better choice.

For Locks with better gear, or those who have reached the hit cap via gear, a 0/13/58 spec is a must. Something around this is a decent choice. Soul Leech and Improved Soul Leech will add some utility, survivability, and let you get a couple more casts in before you have to tap.

As for the Destro rotation, it's actually more effective to (Curse), Immolate, Conflag, Chaos Bolt, Incinerate fill. The damage boost from Pyroclasm outweighs the .3 or .4 second wait.

This isn't always true. Talents like Shadowfury have situational usefulness, especially in hardmode content (Freya +3), as do talents like soul leech, molten skin, etc. If you already have 2-3 sources of replenishment in the raid, those points are better spent elsewhere.

[gherkin]

This isn't always true. Talents like Shadowfury have situational usefulness, especially in hardmode content (Freya +3), as do talents like soul leech, molten skin, etc. If you already have 2-3 sources of replenishment in the raid, those points are better spent elsewhere.

If you are the 4th source of replenishment in a raid, respec. 3 players can give it 100% uptime on all healers, regardless of fight mechanics.

[superman111]

This isn't always true. Talents like Shadowfury have situational usefulness, especially in hardmode content (Freya +3), as do talents like soul leech, molten skin, etc. If you already have 2-3 sources of replenishment in the raid, those points are better spent elsewhere.

improved soul leech's main goal is not the replenishment aspect of it, although useful, but to keep you from life taping as much as possible,therefore saving a GCD and you are able to keep on dpsing.

[Arorn]

I apologize for such noobish questions, but when you say that Affliction is the best PVE spec WITH the doomguard, how is it when it is on cooldown? Is it worthless? Less than Destruction or Demonology? Again, sorry, I just started leveling a warlock and I have been leveling as affliction for most of it and just wanted to get an idea of a spec at 80 ???.

[rfarris]

[This may be in the wrong place. I didn't want to start a new thread. If I'm wrong let me know and I'll move it.]

I just graduated from Gherkin's leveling guide. I've got decent gear for someone that hit 80 five days ago. But I'm really confused about where to go from here.

http://www.wowarmory.com/character-sheet.xml?r=Echo+Isles&cn=Farloc&gn=BLOOD+n+GUTS


According to WarHeroes my gear level is g2g for 25-man Naxx and I'm currently running 5-man ToC (look at that hat I got last night from the Black Knight!)

I have dual-specs and am happy to completely respec both. I have the cookie cutter aff build. With my gear should I leave my second spec as 0/41/30? Should I change it to a full Destro spec? Under what conditions should I use which spec? (lol)

Any other pointers for me?

Thank you.

[Deleted]

This thread hasn't been updated in almost half a year and is out of date for the current patch. It seems the author no longer visits MMOC and thus will be unlikely to update it any time soon. As such, I'm unstickying this and sticking another guide