When to switch out NIC?

[Hajduk]

Alright, so atm I have Reign, Eye of the Broodmother, and NIC.

I know that NIC is great for rolling corruption, and Reign has a good set of static sp, but with 20% crit unbuffed (as affliction) I feel I am not utilizing the proc to the max potential.

For affliction i generally run NIC/Reign, but would it be better to swap out NIC for eye, or even eye in for reign.
What would be the best combo for affliction?

The spreadsheet I used to use on my lock isn't supported anymore, since I am coming back to play him from a long break, suggestions on the new lock spreadsheet are greatly appreciated.

[Bakis]

If you do normal mode ICC - "never"
If you do heroic mode - when you feel you will have a hard time keeping it rolling
There is no easy answer, its about skill, even such a small thing as race. For example on Queen my human lock got his racial trinket which saves its uptime during the fears if massdispel misses etc.

Personally I stopped using it when I had 277 Dislodged and 264 Spyglass (spreadsheet dps is ~equal there), couldnt stand the "tactic" since it just scream how much BLIZZ fails at balancing if critrolling is needed to be competative. Warlock higher gear is competative, lower gear isnt, they need critrolling *shame on BLIZZ*

[Ormula]

Bakis had it pretty right on, but there are still some normal mode fights where it's obvious to switch out NMIC. Valithria, LK, Sindragosa, Putricide (unless you have an ungodly low amount of haste), Gunship (Though it doesn't matter), Blood Princes... there are a lot of fights where you just don't sit on a single boss.

[Goatonlb]

I'd argue for keeping it on Putricide. The phases are long enough that you can use it in P2 and in P3 again when you really need it for the burn. If you make a /tar Prof. /cast (insert Corruption refreshing spell here, DS or DL as they insta refresh it) then you can DPS the slime/cloud easily while keeping corruption rolling on the boss. Granted, in P1 it'll just be the static spellpower, but our P1 only lasts 1.5-2 adds, so that's not a big deal.

[Bakis]

Hence my "never". If ppl dont understand where to swap it out in normal they shouldn't play the game
Personally I didnt use it (when I were still usign NMIC) at normal mode LK, 3 little prince's, Funship, Sind, Dream, rest are pretty much standard NMIC fights.
As I said tho, as massdipel can make it be viable at some fights, human racial, your spell haste, your skill most of all, so general answer is the above mentioned fights and on the rest it comes down to other variables. A nasty I-need-to-puke at Fester might even fuck it up for someone with some bad luck on the remaining corruption timer and low haste etc

[Deleted]

and of course you don't have to be rolling a corruption for a full fight to be making good use of it. Primarily add based fights like gunship and dreamwalker are the only times when i'd say it's not worth using at all. Putricide you can get at least one full phase out of it. I normally use it in p2 since p3 goes extremely quickly, though as was mentioned before, you can likely use it p1 and again in p3 if you want.

A trick I discovered completely by accident: Take a malleable goo just before tear gas between p2 and 3 on putricide and refresh your corruption. Malleable goo will slow corruption to the point where it will last through the gas and you can refresh at the other side with your crit still rolling. Probably not worth trying to achieve, but was a very welcome consequence of standing in bad stuff.

[ZzXK]

Personally I stopped using it when I had 277 Dislodged and 264 Spyglass (spreadsheet dps is ~equal there), couldnt stand the "tactic" since it just scream how much BLIZZ fails at balancing if critrolling is needed to be competative. Warlock higher gear is competative, lower gear isnt, they need critrolling *shame on BLIZZ*

Right on target bro
I got tired of playing with NIC because it is just really REALLY frustrating to maintain in some fights

[Bakis]

Yea, well it is fun I think but the penalty for not being able to at those times when its nothing you can do about it pissed me off. Lets say im really good at it but some encounters fuck me over so its out of my hands. Then its not fun cos i get punished so severly.

Bunch of asshats at BLIZZ imo, fuck em !