Improved Shadowbolt change

[Craigadiddle]

This. Destro does NOT use iSB...and for anyone that instantly thinks "Well they will now!!!" That now makes 2 lock specs that have to spec away from personal performance for the benefit of the raid(demonology).

While I don't mind that myself, I raid as Demo anyway, I think it's a shiesty move on Blizz's part. >.>

whats wrong with casting 1 shadow bolt every 30 seconds?
its easier than a mage casting scorch 5 times, and its a HUGE dps increase.

[Kelesti]

whats wrong with casting 1 shadow bolt every 30 seconds?
its easier than a mage casting scorch 5 times, and its a HUGE dps increase.

Mage casts scorch twice, and then once every thirty seconds.

[Kharay1977]

It's a pretty solid change really.

And, sorry to say, Kelpie... I'm inclined to agree with some of the other responses you're getting - try again on the build(s) you're suggesting.

[gherkin]

This. Destro does NOT use iSB...and for anyone that instantly thinks "Well they will now!!!" That now makes 2 lock specs that have to spec away from personal performance for the benefit of the raid(demonology).

While I don't mind that myself, I raid as Demo anyway, I think it's a shiesty move on Blizz's part. >.>

Incorrect. If you happen to be in a guild like mine where all the mages lootwhore and gquit when we distribute the loot fairly, 1 or 2 points in ISB as a destro lock will turn into a very large net raid dps increase, even though it results in a personal dps decrease.

5% crit = 3% dps increase, per person, including yourself. A shadow bolt or two every 30 seconds will result in a decrease but the buff itself applies an increase. Net result is breaking even, if not coming out ahead.

[faris1]

This change isnt going to change anything you still have to spend 10 points between 1st and 2nd tier to get to ruin. And the 3 talents in the 2nd tier dont help much. I guess you could go 3/3 cataclysm and 2/5 isb and just get the little benefit of tapping less.

[gherkin]

This change isnt going to change anything you still have to spend 10 points between 1st and 2nd tier to get to ruin. And the 3 talents in the 2nd tier dont help much. I guess you could go 3/3 cataclysm and 2/5 isb and just get the little benefit of tapping less.

The point isn't to fuck around with the talents you already take by default, but rather to allow you to get full benefit of the raid buff with the least amount of points taken from elsewhere. If you don't need the buff, you don't take the talent. If you need the talent, you yourself get to pick where to sacrifice your dps. I'd recommend this suggestion, as your pets dps will not make that much of a difference across the whole of Ulduar (or Tourney)

Keep in mind the quoted suggestion means you get less Imp casts which means less Empowered Imp procs.

[Chaosmongler]

Wait

People are SERIOUSLY suggesting that a fire destro lock should cast "1-2 shadow bolts every 30 seconds" with only a 40% chance to even proc the damn buff?

dot dot dot

[gherkin]

Wait

People are SERIOUSLY suggesting that a fire destro lock should cast "1-2 shadow bolts every 30 seconds" with only a 40% chance to even proc the damn buff?

dot dot dot

You're damn right I'm suggesting a destro lock replace two Incinerates with two Shadowbolts every 30 seconds.

5% Crit and 42 Rating per % and around .9 dps per crit rating for every dps class.
5 x 42 = 210
210 x .9 = 189 dps per person
~7 casters in a 25 man x 189 = 1323 raid dps

For me:
The DPCT of Shadowbolt is 3798
The DPCT of Incinerate is 4834
4834 - 3798 = 1036 damage difference, twice per 30 seconds
1036 x 2 / 30 = ~70 dps lost.

70 dps lost. 1300 dps gained. YOU DO THE MATH.

[MLX]

Interesting responses, overall I'm going to have to agree that it's a relatively worthless change that will simply add confusion to dest specced locks, it won't affect affliction in the least as a build.

In essence it would appear that if anything it may make dest slightly more useful as a raid buffer, but less viable in their own personal dps, pretty much like CoE used to be. Gotta love how Blizz likes to make the same mistake repeatedly.

[Leialyn]

Time to change Scorch... it sucks that Mages have to
- cast another spell every 25sec that gets poor Spell Power benefit
- glyph a useless glyph and waste damage
or
- cast the weak spell Scorch 5 times
to achieve what warlocks can with 1 Shadowbolt

In Endgame Raids there are hardly Warlocks that cast Shadowbolts, most of them just use Incinerate and leave the crit debuff to Mages which sucks.
So they should change the improved Scorch talent to:
- remove the stacking and provide 5% crit debuff at the first cast (the glyph turns into something else)
- increase the spell power benefit from Scorch

[MLX]

Well the solution here is to simply up afflictions overall dmg to make it even with destruction, leaving mages free to maximize their dps, either via a slight increase to the actual dmg SB does, or via an across the board lesser increase to CoA Corr ua etc.

The only thing as far as I can see that boosts dest as much as it does is Conflag, with it's seemingly astronomical crits, however given my own SB crits run around 10k-11k I think perhaps a 10% increase might do the trick and play out well on longer fights, returning affliction to viablility as a choice in UD.

Time to change Scorch... it sucks that Mages have to
- cast another spell every 25sec that gets poor Spell Power benefit
- glyph a useless glyph and waste damage
or
- cast the weak spell Scorch 5 times
to achieve what warlocks can with 1 Shadowbolt

In Endgame Raids there are hardly Warlocks that cast Shadowbolts, most of them just use Incinerate and leave the crit debuff to Mages which sucks.
So they should change the improved Scorch talent to:
- remove the stacking and provide 5% crit debuff at the first cast (the glyph turns into something else)
- increase the spell power benefit from Scorch