Demo recount padding

[Asaron]

Hey,

My wife started playing the game, and chose a warlock. We're using refer a friend, so she isn't as good as the average level 32 warlock should be. I don't have a lock, but I'm done some research into them and know how they work in an end-game boss situation, but what I need is some basic advise on how she can put out respectable numbers in low level dungeons. Bosses and particularly trash. Should she hellfire spam groups or should she be dotting etc?

She ran an instance for the first time yesterday (Gnomeregan), and some nobby priest started slating her DPS. Now she is recount-aware (and jackass-aware) and scared to play the game as she doesn't like the pressure.

TY for any advice.

[Ormula]

The best way to level will be affliction, to be honest. Drain tanking when soloing, and then just dotting everyone up when running instances. Demo isn't respectable until you reach level 50 and you get the Felguard.

[harky]

While Demo is a good soloing build, especially <30, it really doesn't put out competitive DPS until much, much later. Warlocks in general don't put out decent DPS until you're free to put some points over into Destro. It's a pretty big flaw with Warlocks right now as no DPS build can go less than 15 into Destro, but leveling builds typically avoid Destro entirely until at least level 64. The main thing to keep in mind is what you can do. You should have your Succubus out instead of Voidwalker, or Imp. Single target throw up a curse, Corruption and Immolate, then use Shadow Bolts. They'll be very slow, but it's better than just standing around.

You might try having her switch over to Affliction, but really it's a Warlock problem in general. You might want to avoid dungeons until you hit outland since you're doing recruit a friend. At that point you can play around a bit more and Warlocks have a lot more to do at those levels. Early on the class is pretty crappy in groups. It's not like a Mage where you pick a tree and that tree gives you a nuke and you spam it. All our nukes are in a tree that sucks for leveling early on. So if stuff dies really quick, we have nothing to do.

[Asaron]

Lvl32 dps is srs bsnss.

I'm well aware that it isn't, I'm just after some basics to help her feel better about playing.

Thanks to those that gave advice. Solo play really isn't ever a factor, she only plays alongside me anyway. Dungeons are a great way to pass some of the more dull levels, so I'd like to keep doing those. I think I'll get her spamming rain of fire on groups for now, dots and shadowbolt single target even on the short fights as it is probably good practice for her to learn to monitor the dots. Should be a passable contribution.

Thanks.

[Lilixer]

That's all you can really do at such low levels.

Sure you can go immo corr sbolt, buuuut. Eh.


+ demo only kicks in when you are in high end gear, otherwise i'd also recommend affliction or if you are doing mainly dungeon, destro is pretty good too.

one dot nuke spam

[UltmageNathrezim1]

lvl 32 linking dps metre wtf

[eluan]

If your going to do a lot of instances Destro would be a good choice, the AOE with rain of fire is better then a frost mage at the same level in the same gear (tested at level 40). You may also want to see about getting her as much SP gear as possible, it should be possible to get 100 SP at level 30.

[Deleted]

I think destro is too mana-intensive for levelling. Let her go for affliction, it's the original WL anyway (:P).
From lv 50, demo is a nice choice for lvling also, but gets caught up again by affli in the early 60ies again. strictly imo, ofc.

[tricknick76]

3rd topic i've posted this in, but demo locks can go over 3k dps at lvl 60, and i have a pic to prove it. even if the numbers dont pad at level 30, by level 60 people will be in awe at your awesomeness. It's pretty much because Immolation Aura + hellfire (or rain of fire if you're scared) makes a sick dps combo, and the felguard adds an extra 5% dps.

[Rayzan]

I'm only lvl 60 on my lock right but I've lvl'd most of it destro with mabye 10 lvl'd total as afflic. Usually I just rain of fire everything down and do 1st or 2nd dps. If I get bored I'll throw up some dots before the aoe.

[Simbert]

Mana should not be a problem in instances.

And i totally understand that you want to be good, even if you are not at max level. Do yourself a favor and ignore these people who tell you that it does not matter, or similar things. I also try to optimize stuff while levelling. It is much more fun than letting yourself be carried through everything.

As for an rotation, at that level it should probably be that you spam rain of fire when there are more than 1 enemies, and shadowbolt if there is only one. We are talking about instances now, just to clarify. In levelling instances, dots should be pretty useless because the typical time an enemy lives is about 5-8 seconds, very rarely more. Following this line of thought, you would want to optimize your direct damage spells, not your dots, meaning going into destro instead of affliction. Demo could also be a good idea as soon as you reach meta.

To do more damage, you should firstmost try to have more time to do damage. This does not mean nuking and pulling aggro as soon as the tank hits one mob, but that you should start moving towards the next group as soon as casting stuff would no longer make sense, and then be ready to start raining fire on the enemies as soon as the first thunderclap hits them.

Note that all of the above only applies to instances. While Destro is still playable solo, affliction is much easier and more effective. Destro can still be fun, though, and you blow up stuff pretty fast when you have conflagrate.

[Peepo]

Hey,

My wife started playing the game, and chose a warlock. We're using refer a friend, so she isn't as good as the average level 32 warlock should be. I don't have a lock, but I'm done some research into them and know how they work in an end-game boss situation, but what I need is some basic advise on how she can put out respectable numbers in low level dungeons. Bosses and particularly trash. Should she hellfire spam groups or should she be dotting etc?

She ran an instance for the first time yesterday (Gnomeregan), and some nobby priest started slating her DPS. Now she is recount-aware (and jackass-aware) and scared to play the game as she doesn't like the pressure.

TY for any advice.

i love when people post recounts when running WC... lol...

just keep adding names to your ignore list... it won't be the last "nobby" she runs into... they get worse at 80...

as far as dps, meh... she should think of herself more as utility... she brings soulstones and healthstones to the mix... just dot and keep up your soulshards...

[Tarshish]

I would suggest this spec at level 32: http://talent.mmo-champion.com/?warl...Hd21W,Rr,11723 It will be the best for doing quests, and should give you very consistent dps in dungeons. Just agony, corruption, tab repeat. Make sure you have a tank that is holding aoe threat. If you start pulling mobs, try to assist the tank and only dot the mobs he has attacked. Try to only cast shadow bolt when it's an instant cast. If you've got corruption and CoA on every mob, then cast some immolates. I would use Glyph of Corruption and Siphon Life. I'm not sure at what level you get to use 2...

The trick to get the most out of your dots is to determine how long the mob will be alive. Getting all the mobs dotted asap, will give you the most dps and you will rock any recount. Of course, this is very dependent on a good tank.

Another tip for soloing is to not overkill a mob. If a mob is going to die with the damage done by just your coa and corruption, there is no need to cast immolate or shadow bolt on it. Rather move on to the next mob. From my experience, most mobs your level will die from one immolate, coa, and corruption.

Of course, when you reach level 41, you will replace immolate with Unstable Affliction.

I would keep putting points into affliction to get haunt and then in demonology until level 71 (this seems like a long ways away, but it will be faster than you think). Once you reach 71, the best leveling spec in the game becomes available to you: http://talent.mmo-champion.com/?warl...FOEB,QrJ,11723

Just some humble advise from a long time lock.

[PurechaosSK]

Affliction is the best leveling spec period IMO. You dont even get all of the spells/abilities necessary for the other 2 specs till much later.

[Bakis]

Hey,

My wife started playing the game, and chose a warlock. We're using refer a friend, so she isn't as good as the average level 32 warlock should be. I don't have a lock, but I'm done some research into them and know how they work in an end-game boss situation, but what I need is some basic advise on how she can put out respectable numbers in low level dungeons. Bosses and particularly trash. Should she hellfire spam groups or should she be dotting etc?

She ran an instance for the first time yesterday (Gnomeregan), and some nobby priest started slating her DPS. Now she is recount-aware (and jackass-aware) and scared to play the game as she doesn't like the pressure.

TY for any advice.

Just tell her the fact that 10% of all players are morons, 50% are totally clueless and mediocre players at best so she can ignore them. The ones screaming and yelling the most are the ones who seen good players and want to be like them but failed misserably and thus run around yelling out of sheer frustration. Anyways, WOW is so crapeasy of a game anyway so a 5man instance or whatever during leveling doesnt demand 5 experiened players, tbh you can 3man most of the leveling 5mans even tho it will take some time. Being pro or newcomes has nothing else to do with the game other than it might take a bit longer and the instance wont prevail or fail of how your wife plays.

Keep her in the game for 2 week no matter if someone flames her now and then and she will understand perfectly well of what I have typed here and simply ignore them
Best of luck to you and her.

Regarding tips, other posters covered them already.

[ComputerNerd]

Let here concentrate on the utility of the class.
Succubus for CC, and affliction for spec.
Most of those fussed about damage meters at such a low level are those with mains, often with alts in heirloom gear and are simply stroking their epeen.
Topping meters is not as important as learning to play your class, unfortunatly too many forget that a class can do a lot more than dps.

[melloncollieowl]

If your going to do a lot of instances Destro would be a good choice, the AOE with rain of fire is better then a frost mage at the same level in the same gear (tested at level 40). You may also want to see about getting her as much SP gear as possible, it should be possible to get 100 SP at level 30.

^this.

If you are there with her, make her go destro. Rain of fire on anything more than 2 mobs, and immolate and Shadow bolt spam on single targets.
Spending a couple 100 gold on enchants and gear made leveling fun.

[Cirque]

Let here concentrate on the utility of the class.
Succubus for CC, and affliction for spec.
Most of those fussed about damage meters at such a low level are those with mains, often with alts in heirloom gear and are simply stroking their epeen.
Topping meters is not as important as learning to play your class, unfortunatly too many forget that a class can do a lot more than dps.

^ This too. I leveled affliction alongside my enhancement (!) shaman boyfriend and it was really the most pointless thing I've ever done. I was absolutely awesome at tanking huge groups, but the true dps came from him. I even tanked instances as affliction, and when I didn't, my dps simply was terrible. Mobs die too fast for dots to tick or for SB to cast. Show her what she can do as warlock, make her practice using her pets, her dots, her fears. I went destro when I could get shadowfury and our survivability dropped like a rock. In return however I was able to actually do something to the mobs and kill them as fast as he could. In retrospec, I should have tried desto earlier.

That said, with the heirlooms and everything nowadays, mobs probably die even way faster than they did in my warlock leveling days. I see little point to affliction (or any dot heavy spec) for her right now. If you're together anyway, make her try to go desto. Destro is horrible for solo'ing but it might work out fine with you there. It's worth a shot in any event.

Also, for those who've forgotten - mana is absolutely terrible as affliction, too, at that level.

[Peppyroni]

You're seriously debating optimal dps in leveling dungeons? That is really OCD...

Demonology is FINE for leveling and dungeons. It offers more stamina, better healthstones, better armor, and more survivability in general which is PERFECT for leveling with a friend if she hasn't gotten twitchy dps fingers yet.

As far as AoE goes... warlocks in general suck at AoE until we get Rain of Fire. Hellfire can and will probably end up killing her. I would suggest simply focus firing a target or multi dotting then focus fire. Just make sure she keeps the imp out until she picks up master demonologist at which point swap to the Succubus (yes... the succubus).

Once she gets Rain of Fire and Master Demonologist (pull the Imp back out)... AoE will not be a problem anymore.