Is affliciton a lost cause for M+ and arenas this expansion?

[meekus]

Zyky, go in to any random high rated stream and ask them about the current state of affliction. Or just watch them play and count the affliction warlocks. I have no idea how you can think it's a good spec right now.

I'm not gonna lie about being a top player myself, because I'm not. But I have played a decent bit in the 1,8k-2,4k bracket this season on different toons, and have encountered a total amount of two affliction warlocks at the lower side of that (1800s) in 3s. In 2s I have only come across Dakkroth streaming it without any success.

- - - Updated - - -

Say what you will about skill-capped, I have no experience of it. But I had this linked to me the other day when a friend was coming back to the game:
http://www.skill-capped.com/content/...wow-tier-list/

That is their take on affliction in both brackets.

[Zyky]

Zyky, go in to any random high rated stream and ask them about the current state of affliction. Or just watch them play and count the affliction warlocks. I have no idea how you can think it's a good spec right now.

I'm not gonna lie about being a top player myself, because I'm not. But I have played a decent bit in the 1,8k-2,4k bracket this season on different toons, and have encountered a total amount of two affliction warlocks at the lower side of that (1800s) in 3s. In 2s I have only come across Dakkroth streaming it without any success.

The problem is the bracket where you're saying is very different from the Gladiator bracket, generally 1500-2100 is an overwhelming majority of comps that make no sense. You can't use that as statistical evidence towards anything. I'm not arguing the quality of player you are, I'm just saying in my personal experience up to 2600(this season and 2740 last season) I've played against a couple handfuls of different Affliction warlocks(to the point of losing to a double Affliction/Resto Druid team), as I said in my first post Destro is significantly better, but Affliction is still viable if you play it well. The argument you opened with is that it's a lost cause, but that isn't true, and I'm stating my personal experience saying that it isn't.

[FelPlague]

You're lying. Here's actual data:

https://www.arenamate.net/?region=&r...class_filter=9

Aff is one of the worst pvp specs in the game, to the point it's nearly non-viable. There is a single aff warlock over 2400 rating. Nobody plays aff because it is just a trash arena spec and has been for 2 xpacs now.

Furthermore, warlock is one of the least represented classes in arena as a whole:

https://www.arenamate.net/?region=&r...r=3v3&faction=

It's also one of if not the worst m+ spec.

there is 53 destro 4 demo 1 affi...
so no, affi is not "BY FAR THE WORST" both it and demo are shit ocmpared to destro... this is not just an affliction thing... its just destro is insane, so both are left in the dust.

and yeah surprise a class with little mobility and heavy casting reliance is underplayed.

- - - Updated - - -

Zyky, go in to any random high rated stream and ask them about the current state of affliction. Or just watch them play and count the affliction warlocks. I have no idea how you can think it's a good spec right now.

I'm not gonna lie about being a top player myself, because I'm not. But I have played a decent bit in the 1,8k-2,4k bracket this season on different toons, and have encountered a total amount of two affliction warlocks at the lower side of that (1800s) in 3s. In 2s I have only come across Dakkroth streaming it without any success.

- - - Updated - - -

Say what you will about skill-capped, I have no experience of it. But I had this linked to me the other day when a friend was coming back to the game:
http://www.skill-capped.com/content/...wow-tier-list/

That is their take on affliction in both brackets.

its not affliction warlocks
its destro locks

destro locks are insane

demo and affliction are both under it, its not just affi, i join many i say "demo" kicked over and over i say destro, never kicked.
its NOT JUST AFFLICTION its demo too, its just destro is insane, so both specs are being crushed down.

its not "oh boo hoo affliction is so worse then the other 2 buff it" its "oh god destro is insane nerf it, and buff the other 2 abit"

also affi has been top teir for literally like... 4 years now my dude.

[meekus]

The problem is the bracket where you're saying is very different from the Gladiator bracket, generally 1500-2100 is an overwhelming majority of comps that make no sense. You can't use that as statistical evidence towards anything. I'm not arguing the quality of player you are, I'm just saying in my personal experience up to 2600(this season and 2740 last season) I've played against a couple handfuls of different Affliction warlocks(to the point of losing to a double Affliction/Resto Druid team), as I said in my first post Destro is significantly better, but Affliction is still viable if you play it well. The argument you opened with is that it's a lost cause, but that isn't true, and I'm stating my personal experience saying that it isn't.

Gotcha. My experience alone is quite irrelevant of course. But I watch streams quite a bit as well, and I have never heard or seen anything that remotely reflects your experience either. That's mostly what I base my views on I suppose. I would absolutely love to be proven wrong though.

[asil]

there is 53 destro 4 demo 1 affi...
so no, affi is not "BY FAR THE WORST" both it and demo are shit ocmpared to destro... this is not just an affliction thing... its just destro is insane, so both are left in the dust.

and yeah surprise a class with little mobility and heavy casting reliance is underplayed.

- - - Updated - - -



its not affliction warlocks
its destro locks

destro locks are insane

demo and affliction are both under it, its not just affi, i join many i say "demo" kicked over and over i say destro, never kicked.
its NOT JUST AFFLICTION its demo too, its just destro is insane, so both specs are being crushed down.

its not "oh boo hoo affliction is so worse then the other 2 buff it" its "oh god destro is insane nerf it, and buff the other 2 abit"

also affi has been top teir for literally like... 4 years now my dude.

I'm honestly baffled as to where you people come from. Not even destro is that represented, warlock as a whole is one of the least played classes in arena.

These excuses you people are making? They make literally no sense. Destro is viable, it is playable, it is absolutely not "insane" and if it were "insane" you'd see far more warlocks playing arena.

Aff has absolutely not been "top tier" in pvp since at least MOP ( I didn't play WOD) from what I recall. It's gotten worse literally every xpac in arena. It wasn't even "strong" in BFA season 1 with ID 1 shots.

Aff is, by far, one of the worst arena specs in the game. No high rated player, nobody with any relevant experience thinks anything else. Data has been provided showing you are wrong. Until you can provide some data refuting the previous data, you have no argument.

no if's, no and's, no buts. You have no argument.

To come here and claim there are tons of "aff warlocks playing at gladiator rating" is basically on par with coming here and claiming grass is blue and the sky is green.

It's how I knew right away that person was full of shit.

[Zephire]

Provide data countering the data I just provided that shows more aff warlocks playing at that rating.

Because from what I can see, you just got blown the fuck out and are making excuses for your bad argument.

Well, if there's only garbage then you can't really show anything but garbage. What I mean is that just because you show data doesn't mean it is good data or accurate etc and if that's the best data there is then it's hard to top it. That doesn't make it any better though!

This was just meant as a general thing. Nothing personal.

OT:
Would you say that the low representation in PvP (it's low, right?) has to do with the spec being weak or that other warlock specs have a better time against the current meta?

[evertonbelmontt]

New arena talent seems amazing, but afflic is still a target dummy. The only comp this will work is another really heavy caster comp like fire mage or destro warlock because if they stick onto you your partner will do his thing.

We need something to do while interrupted, it feels really really bad and there's no player in this world that can deal with the ammount of crap that DK can put atm. You barelly have time to cast even if you juke every interrupt in 3's.
It's so many microstuns and such, you have to risk some casting and this talent rewards that a lot but the punishment in case it goes wrong is way too high still.

[Fuqup]

aff is probably the closest thing this game has to a flat-out unviable spec for m+ content. its strongest asset by far is phantom singularity, but it really just has nothing going for it outside of that. if you want to make it work, your best bet is probably to just run the cookie cutter build and do good boss damage on tyr weeks. this spec has needed a serious overhaul since bfa beta

if you're interested in experimenting more with the spec, you could try stuff like:
- running 3x sudden onset + WiA and stacking as much mastery as possible (try AC if you aren't getting good mileage out of WiA's damage, or if you don't have enough globals to keep all your shit up)
- at least 1x inevitable demise for hard swaps+ amazing self-heal
- 1x pandemic invocation? performs way better in sims than in real situations, but worth trying i guess. prob shit though. only useful if you refresh dots properly & it loses value if you run AC
- grimsac? objectively worse than haunt on st, but it'll give you some more freedom on target swaps, and grimsac+voidwalker is also a good defensive if you don't need an interrupt
- voidwalker is better multi-target dps than felhunter/imp if you don't need interrupt or purge for whatever reason
- maybe you can make something happen with drain soul+creeping death?? (drain soul being more valuable in situations where you'd normally spend less time shadowbolting, and creeping death will let you dedicate more globals to dot refreshes)

no idea if any of that would actually work, just throwing ideas out there. imo just go demo but godspeed if you stick w/ aff

[Lulbalance]

There are many Affliction Warlocks participating in Gladiator "Elite" rating. That makes them, factually, fine.

Please stop, lol.

- - - Updated - - -

Well, if there's only garbage then you can't really show anything but garbage. What I mean is that just because you show data doesn't mean it is good data or accurate etc and if that's the best data there is then it's hard to top it. That doesn't make it any better though!

This was just meant as a general thing. Nothing personal.

OT:
Would you say that the low representation in PvP (it's low, right?) has to do with the spec being weak or that other warlock specs have a better time against the current meta?

Combination of the 2.. destro is just all around stronger atm.

[Zyky]

Please stop, lol.

Nice necro. Please don't bring up dead threads that have been proven as troll threads.

[meekus]

Nice necro. Please don't bring up dead threads that have been proven as troll threads.

Well, to be fair you are the one trolling it with your going against what every top player has to say about affliction in arenas.

[Zyky]

Well, to be fair you are the one trolling it with your going against what every top player has to say about affliction in arenas.

There's zero trolling then and now, they're a perfectly viable spec, the fact that bad players can't manage dots doesn't make it bad, this is a fact.

[meekus]

There's zero trolling then and now, they're a perfectly viable spec, the fact that bad players can't manage dots doesn't make it bad, this is a fact.

-Many classes in the meta are direct counters to affliction
-Dots are easy to dispel without much punishment
-Only one spell school
-Squishy without the ability to kite very well

Those are some of the reasons why everyone but you thinks affliction isn't viable in arenas these days. No one is arguing that managing dots has become increasingly difficult with the removal of snapshotting.

I think you are the only one still to encounter all these affliction warlocks playing at high ratings.

[Zyky]

-Many classes in the meta are direct counters to affliction
-Dots are easy to dispel without much punishment
-Only one spell school
-Squishy without the ability to kite very well

Those are some of the reasons why everyone but you thinks affliction isn't viable in arenas these days. No one is arguing that managing dots has become increasingly difficult with the removal of snapshotting.

I think you are the only one still to encounter all these affliction warlocks playing at high ratings.

You need to let this dead thread stay dead, it's very clear that no one agrees with you, yet you insist on reopening this thread every few weeks when you're very clearly wrong.

[YallAintReal]

I think the real problem here is the Azerite pieces. I like all specs.

I like affliction for raiding and PvP, but i know it sucks for M+. But guess what? I need to reroll my ONLY current Azerite pieces to go Demo/or Destro.

I did this to the point where it cost me 10k to reroll my Azerite pieces. I finally said enough and stuck with Destro--it's fair to pretty good for each kind of content.

This is the problem. Granted once i get multiple Azerite pieces for each slot, it'll be fine respeccing for the content i want to play but rerolling costs of Azerite is ridiculous.

[JustaWarlock]

You need to let this dead thread stay dead, it's very clear that no one agrees with you, yet you insist on reopening this thread every few weeks when you're very clearly wrong.

I don't know about everyone else, but I'm pretty sure the reason nobody is replying is because they agree with OP and CBF dealing with your trolling.

[meekus]

You need to let this dead thread stay dead, it's very clear that no one agrees with you, yet you insist on reopening this thread every few weeks when you're very clearly wrong.

Reopening it every few weeks, huh? I was just late to reply to you once. Also I think a majority of players would agree with me over you on the state of affliction.

- - - Updated - - -

I think the real problem here is the Azerite pieces. I like all specs.

I like affliction for raiding and PvP, but i know it sucks for M+. But guess what? I need to reroll my ONLY current Azerite pieces to go Demo/or Destro.

I did this to the point where it cost me 10k to reroll my Azerite pieces. I finally said enough and stuck with Destro--it's fair to pretty good for each kind of content.

This is the problem. Granted once i get multiple Azerite pieces for each slot, it'll be fine respeccing for the content i want to play but rerolling costs of Azerite is ridiculous.

While I agree that rerolling azerite pieces sucks when you want to play different specs and/or change traits around for different kinds of content, I don't think it affects how good affliction is for M+ or arenas this expansion.

[Zyky]

I don't know about everyone else, but I'm pretty sure the reason nobody is replying is because they agree with OP and CBF dealing with your trolling.

The truth is in the facts and the facts agree with what I've been saying this entire thread. So the only people trolling are you and the OP who refuse to let a dead thread die.

[agentsi]

There's zero trolling then and now, they're a perfectly viable spec, the fact that bad players can't manage dots doesn't make it bad, this is a fact.

When is the last time you saw a lock that wasn't destro in the MDI? Answer? Over a year in and in legion. Not a single Lock that was AFF in the tourney. Not one.

[Zyky]

When is the last time you saw a lock that wasn't destro in the MDI? Answer? Over a year in and in legion. Not a single Lock that was AFF in the tourney. Not one.

With an argument like that when was the last time you saw a lock pass the proving grounds stage of the MDI. If you want to get into an actual debate about the MDI and how it required the same 3-4 DPS specs(with small changes based on the dungeon) we can, but the reality is Destro is no more viable for the MDI than Affliction or Demo or several other DPS specs that aren't optimal.