Demo Pet Swapping vs Fel Hunter Only

[Harsesis]

After watching the Paragon video and I noticed something. The Paragon locks started with Felguards did the switch to Fel Hunters and never switched back. The kept using Demon Soul: Felhunter instead of Demon Soul: Felguard. This intrigued me so I ran some sims and noticed that using the pet swap vs just starting with a fel hunter and leaving it out is only about a 200dps difference. Now I know my sims are not your sims but I figured if I can avoid the pet swap and get numbers that close together why bother swapping?

[Stridulent]

Pet swapping is only theoretical and should never be used on any fight with movement.

[Lockula]

It depends on the fight, and only if you can execute it correctly. Or else that 200 dps would be considered nill.

[Sensei_Sin]

My opinion is that when you are on the bleeding edge like that and, assuming you have the skill to pull it off, you cannot afford not to do it because those 200 dps can eventually mean the difference between wipe and a world's first.

[Harsesis]

See that's what I'm thinking. If you miss that 5 sec window I think it's a dps loss.

[shapow]

Do it right after shannox tosses out crystal trap and/or spear, doesn't matter on beth, if you have a feather summon it during tornado phase on alys, baleroc is tank/spank, do it on majordomo right after a kitty pounce.

On ragnaros, the usefulness of a felguard can be more than just saccing him, felstorming molten elementals and an extra stun for sons.

Also, you have to do this fairly soon after a hand of guldan cast, or you risk losing that immolate.

Quite literally every fight has some movement. Arcane mages find a way to get off a full evocation, you're smarter than an arc mage, right?

[Micke]

the pet swapping gets more worth it the better gear you have, below ilvl 370 its really low gain, but at ilvl 380+ it's pretty good

[Gohzerlock]

I'm surprised they didn't pet swap more tbh, felhunter p1 until felguard p2 sons and back to felhunter p3..
Soulburn pet summon is 1 sec, oh you'll also notice that most of them have points in master summoner AND demonic rebirth? I just wish honestly they'd buff felguard, I don't think any spec should have to think much about swapping.

[kosuko]

didn't watch the video, but the felguard is pretty awesome to have out for the transition phases.. felstorm to burst + 4 second axe toss stun

[Snowmist]

Indeed, these ppl pull of those numbers, simply because they do everything possible to win dps charts.
That means, perfect target switching, dotting all targets with 0% dropoff or overlap, dps pots, engineering bombs etc, 100% on time procs and trinkets, heroism/bloodlust, shadowflame, shadowburn, felfire when proc'd or moving, hellfire (if spec'd), 0% dropoff from improved soulfire. If you loose even 1 cast or overlap etc....massive dps loss.

Most ppl don't even do half those things...it's an Extremely punishing class to pull off competitive dps, hence why so few play locks anymore. I stopped playing my lock months ago...I just got burned out, and have no desire to go back until Blizzard seriously overhaul the class...which given lock history, will be never.

[kosuko]

Best way to avoid this burn out effect is to simply play affliction. I concider it the only decent spec atm..
"decent" here means you can play with in a normal/fun way, aka no pet swapping or improved soulfire :>