Shadowflame - Why is it a DPS increase?

[GrimNights]

alot of encounters i am in melee range so using is a norm for me

[zvix]

I use rangedisplay, going from O --> dark X --> orange X --> visible.
40-20-10-8 range.

http://wow.curse.com/downloads/wow-a...e-display.aspx

Video Example (notice the X on the buttontimerbar its covering shadowflame at start) :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oey0e...=youtube_gdata

[Deleted]

It is a dps increase for every warlock specc and i find it very annoying that a aoe ability is a part of our single target rotation. Pre-cata warriors used whirlwind as one of their main dps abilites and that was fixed. Its just not good class design.

[Velocet]

i like variations in rotations depending on encounter. obviously i use it when the opportunity arises.
specs are just too boring if every single target encounter has exactly the same rotation/priority list.

[Reyn]

First, don't think of warlocks as a ranged DPS class. We are a caster DPS class. Big difference.

It doesn't bother me being up close since I leveled by lock via drain tanking. Getting up close and personal, seeing the life drain from the eyes of your enemy, this is what makes us warlocks and not mages.

[gherkin]

I highly recommend to people to level and do heroics with a melee class. You learn cleave mechanics and max melee range stuff very quickly, which you can then apply to your warlock.
<--- Warlock, Warrior (Tank/Fury), Priest (Shadow/Holy)

And after playing a shadow priest at 85, I can safely say that while the spells may be identical, a shadow priest is MUCH different to play than an Affliction Lock.

[bobsmith06]

I highly recommend to people to level and do heroics with a melee class. You learn cleave mechanics and max melee range stuff very quickly, which you can then apply to your warlock.
<--- Warlock, Warrior (Tank/Fury), Priest (Shadow/Holy)

And after playing a shadow priest at 85, I can safely say that while the spells may be identical, a shadow priest is MUCH different to play than an Affliction Lock.

Yeah leveled a pally dk rogue so being right up there for a dos gain is no strange feat and how is a spriest I've been wanting to level one

[gherkin]

Shadow Priest: Complicated and strange. All of your spells are the same as Affliction, but what you cast when completely makes or breaks your dps. You need to manage 2 self buffs (one stacks to 5, the other is dependant on rng shadow orb procs), a third buff that consumes the first but does not affect dots, and you actually have to think about regenerating mana vs using your shadowfiend as dps vs using dispersion as a defensive cooldown. And then you can completely overthink your dots and end up losing dps when you think you're gaining dps.

I do ok, but I gotta say it feels really weird.

[Hellfury]

Tbh Shadowflame could get the treatment that Shaman's Fire nova got.

# Fire Nova has been redesigned and decoupled from shaman Fire totems. Instead, it now pulses that same area-of-effect from each target that is afflicted by the shaman's own Flame Shock debuff. It now damages all enemies except the target hit by Flame Shock. The ability's cooldown has been reduced from 4 seconds, down from 10.

Shadowflame could use the same mechanics but using UA/immolate on the target doing X damage over Y seconds to the surrounding targets. This would eleminate the need to be in melee range and accomplish the goal that elemental shamans got to be in melee range for they AOE to be decent

[gherkin]

Personally I like magtheridon burp

[Hellfury]

Me 2 it could retain the actualy graphic

[GotDots]

Fint think anyone has adressed that it increases backdraft uptime by quite a bit..

[Boyiee]

I played a melee in wrath, we only have 1-2 melee dps in my 10man group...

I prefer to be in melee range lol. On some fights it makes life easier, VT for example, feels like there is less movement. On others, screw being in melee range (atramedes).

[gherkin]

Heroic Atramedes melee range is amazing providing your raid is full of people who understand how to stand in a straight line relative to the boss.

I'm right in there 100% of the time and it works wonders for me.

[andromalia]

You can use shadowflame in some form or another for every single encounter in Cata so far. If you aren't using it, I hope you consider yourself a "causal raider" at most.

[ComputerNerd]

By the arguement of it being useless because we should not be in melee range then you would have to also exclude warlocks from the use of hellfire, immolation aura and even howl of terror due to their limited range and intention of their use vs nearby as opossed to ranged targets.
Being in melee range may not be the aim of a warlock, but it is useful utility should we find that happening, and the fact it is so situational does not make it part of a rotation by any means.

[Speaknoevil]

Shadowflame wasn't a wotlk cop out. It is a PvP utility ability because of shadowsnare.

[Velocet]

in wotlk shadowflame was only useful via glyph which made the spell itself completely useless, yeah.