Affliction opener

[Deleted]

As a quite unexperienced Warlock, I've been experimenting a bit with the Affliction opener. However, I'm really not sure if the way I do it can be considered the 'right' way to do it (far from), and therefore I'm intererested in hearing how all of you experienced Warlocks do yours.

What I'm doing at the moment is this:
Pot
Haunt pre-cast
CoE
SB:SS
Doomguard
Malefic Grasp 2x/3x, fishing for procs
Dark Soul
SB:SS
Haunt (previous one runs out about here)

Thanks in advance.

Oh, and: is it ever worth it using Fel Flame? I can imagine it maybe being handy in the opener, but I'm not sure.

[Xandy]

There is a "fix my DPS" thread which I think this topic would be suited for.

Anyway your opener is for the most part correct, however you want to be popping Dark Soul before you cast your initial SB:SS. Probably with a Macro in SB:SS or CoE.

Also Doomguard does not benefit from Haste therefore it's use is purely situational. It's worth holding onto until the >20% buff if it is practical to do so.

Fel Flame can be used to update UA and Corruption damage if you recently refreshed them and happen to get major procs immediately afterwards. (That's "update" not "refresh," don't use Fel Flame to refresh UA and Corruption)

[Deleted]

As Xandy said, there is a Fix my dps thread. But there is also a video in the sticky aff guide that goes over the aff opener. (Generally one of two ways to open)

I only use FF in the beginning (w/o BL at pull) to refresh dots when procs are up.

[Piando]

I cast Soulburn before the pull to get the chance of starting the fight with 4 soulshards. So my opener looks more like:
Soulburn
Prepot
(precast Haunt if 4 Soulshards)
Dark Soul
Soulswap
CoE
Doomguard
...
I refresh the dots with another SB:SS, when all procs are up, since I get tons of Nightfall procs, especially with Bloodlust.

I asked my raid to wait for my Soulshard to regen before each pull once, they were not amused :P

[warlockSTAR]

http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...liction-opener

or

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuIH1ppzJWU

[Deleted]

I guess I want to use my second SB:SS the second all my procs are up? Do I want to use it again (a third time) once the procs *almost* run out (but are all still up)(this happens usually 8-ish seconds after I use my second SB:SS), to make sure they're empowered for a good while after the buffs are down? Or will a Fel Flame/manual refresh of all of them cut it? Or should I do nothing at all?

[Deleted]

I guess I want to use my second SB:SS the second all my procs are up? Do I want to use it again (a third time) once the procs *almost* run out (but are all still up)(this happens usually 8-ish seconds after I use my second SB:SS), to make sure they're empowered for a good while after the buffs are down? Or will a Fel Flame/manual refresh of all of them cut it? Or should I do nothing at all?

Yes, you want to SB:SS just b4 your procs expire. (there are some deviations as to when the procs actually occur so it will be a bit dynamic). Typically for me relic, lightweave and LoC expire 2 sec after/before my DS runs out, and I SB:SS just before either of them expire. Jade SPirit is more random, and is often ignored.
During the opener I never manually refresh them. The first manual refresh I do is when uber-op UA is about to expire. I FF when all my procs have procced (ignoring to hard cast Agony) as I dont want to find myself unable to use Haunt on my empowered dots. As I said earlier in the thread, I do SB:SS instead of FF if BL is active since you will see alot more (hopefully) nightfall procs

[Deleted]

My opener with keybinds:

R - Trinket
F1 - Dark Soul
F2 - Soulburn
1 - Haunt
F3 - Soulswap
5 - Malefic Grasp


After my first malefic grasp usually all my procs will be up (at present that is: DS+Shieldwall Trink+lightweave+Jade Serpent+Sha Trinket+possibly heroism) so I will F2+F3 and pop Doomguard if required then MG until that 1st haunt is close to dropping off (if it is close before MG I go F2+1+F3).

This usually gives me quite high burst dps (unless the sha trinket decides to be awkward again and pops after the other procs have finished)

[Deleted]

This usually gives me quite high burst dps (unless the sha trinket decides to be awkward again and pops after the other procs have finished)

The sha trinket says that it will only proc when your harmful spells hits, which ive ended up assuming means SB+SS and Haunt, which is why it sometimes seems to screw us over abit. I've been a victim of the dreaded "late proc" as well by this trinket during the initial burst.

[Ezzyo]

My opener with keybinds:

R - Trinket
F1 - Dark Soul
F2 - Soulburn
1 - Haunt
F3 - Soulswap
5 - Malefic Grasp


After my first malefic grasp usually all my procs will be up (at present that is: DS+Shieldwall Trink+lightweave+Jade Serpent+Sha Trinket+possibly heroism) so I will F2+F3 and pop Doomguard if required then MG until that 1st haunt is close to dropping off (if it is close before MG I go F2+1+F3).

This usually gives me quite high burst dps (unless the sha trinket decides to be awkward again and pops after the other procs have finished)

Thought by trinket you were referencing FRG, you should drop that shock charger asap. In regards to the opener I would move haunt to precast prior to the pull, you're wasting some ds time with that one.

Two openers I've had varying success with. The rng one- Haunt->DS->SB:SS->MG (2-3 ticks)->Haunt->SB:SS->mg x 2 and one I've tried out recently: .5 seconds before pull: SB:SS-->mg 2-3 ticks-->DS-->Haunt--->SB:SS-->MGx3-->Haunt

[Deleted]

Thought by trinket you were referencing FRG, you should drop that shock charger asap. In regards to the opener I would move haunt to precast prior to the pull, you're wasting some ds time with that one.

Two openers I've had varying success with. The rng one- Haunt->DS->SB:SS->MG (2-3 ticks)->Haunt->SB:SS->mg x 2 and one I've tried out recently: .5 seconds before pull: SB:SS-->mg 2-3 ticks-->DS-->Haunt--->SB:SS-->MGx3-->Haunt

As I've told other people who've suggested i get rid of the shock charger, I fully intend to.... but you can't replace something if you don't have a replacement!

We've had two people now get the heroic Elegon trinket, both of them got it with their coins and both of them were offspec.... myself, our shadowpriest and our boomkin are still waiting :P

I shall change the rotation to put haunt 1st though