[Destruction] A Guide (4.1)

[Harsesis]

I couldn't tell you since I haven't seen this fuss.

[Webbee]

Thanks for this guide! Just started leveling a Destro Warlock and it's very helpful in getting me to understand some of the class concepts.

I did have a question about Soul Shard usage. Based on this thread and comments I've seen elsewhere, as a Destro my main uses of Soul Shard are:
1) Insta-cast Soul Fire
2) Insta-resummon "Dead" Imp

and that's all I've discovered. I'm guessing the Searing Pain and Drain Life usages aren't useful at higher levels/groups, but what about the Healthstone? Is it even worth bothering with in groups because if I'm experiencing a near-death experience probably everybody else is, or just the regular health gained from the stone is enough to save me?

Also, I know and understand about the 4 shard trick, but I guess what are the tips and tricks for balancing shard usage? Obviously if I do the 4 shard trick my first SF will be insta-cast, but at what times in the fight should I be consuming shards? Movement phases when ISF would be dropping off (such as Argaloth's Fel Flames)? Is there any benefit for using a shard during bloodlust/heroism? Etc. I'm guessing on some add fights I can regenerate shards so that gives me more opportunity to use them (Shadowburn on the Maloriak Aberrations during the green phase, but I imagine the parasites in Magmaw don't help) so obviously there's no hard-and-fast answer. Also, is it worthwhile always keeping one in reserve for resummoning the Imp?

Thanks

Soulburn healthstone is a judgement call. If you're somehow tanking something and need all the hp you can get, then maybe do it. But usually just popping a hs should be enough.

In terms of saving a shard for resummoning your pet, it depends on the encounter. Go through the fight a few times and if your pet is indeed dying, then definitely save a shard or two for it. Best case scenario would be a point or two in Fel Synergy and some monitoring of your pet and then using the Flee command if the imp is standing in something (imps tend to stand in crap the most since they have a range attack and usually don't have to move at all). But of course, it depends on the encounter. For example, I had to go up Magmaw's head way back then and every time I came down, my imp would disappear. So for that fight, I made sure to always have a shard ready right after.

Generally, its not a big deal to hardcast a soulfire over an instant cast. You're saving around 1 second, which can add up, but sometimes during the heat of the battle, it'll fall off because you're busy or got distracted, so its nice to have a shard then available for a quick reapplication of the buff. Also, it helps to know the encounter as well. If you're going to be standing still for a bit, definitely hardcast and save your shards for the movement phases. Cho'gall and Atramedes are great encounter examples that have both standstill and movement phases.

Movement fights are dependent on how much benefit you can get from the soulfire buff. For example, during Atramedes air phase, you're not going to be doing optimal dps with refreshing doom, corr, immo with fel flame spam, and conflag so generally for something like that, I'll try to keep it up as long as possible, but wouldn't worry about refreshing it to the point where I could potentially get myself killed. Its all about risk vs. reward in that case and if there's a great deal of dps to be done with that instant soulfire refresh, then by all means. If not, don't risk dying over it.

And always shadowburn whenever possible. Its an instant (do it on the move), provides soul leech and replenishment, does more dps than incinerate, and most adds will provide a full set of shards. In your example, the parasites for the Magmaw encounter will provide shards.

[Sirjeize]

Glyph of Conflag vs Glyph of incinnerate, Seeing at 30% you're immolate gets another tick and it significantly affects the dmg Conflag does.Would it be viable to swap out a glyph for glyph of conflag. Reduced cooldown means you get more of them off in a fight. would this lead to a dps increase over let's say a glyph of incinirate ?

Edit: Clarification of the question

[Deleted]

Nice guilde. Thank you.

[Daggis0]

Thanks for the guide m8, helped me alot!

[Dotspwn]

great guide, very informative, however i'd like to point out one thing:

i love you saying that Mastery more or less sucks, yet HMirror is the second best trinket for Destro

why you ask?

it procs MASTERY

[Sirjeize]

great guide, very informative, however i'd like to point out one thing:

i love you saying that Mastery more or less sucks, yet HMirror is the second best trinket for Destro

why you ask?

it procs MASTERY

Other stat weigh more then mastery, therefore haste/crit is more dps then mastery. there is 1 exception tho. When gained in bulk. The trinket adds so much mastery that its a huge dps boost for a short amount of time. correct me if im wrong tho.

[Deleted]

I only have one question really. How do you know when your stats are balanced, cause I see in your post that everything is relative.
Example :

Any piece with Mastery and Crit or Hit should have Mastery reforged to Haste.
Any piece With Mastery and Haste should have Mastery reforged to Crit
Any piece with Crit and Hit should have Crit reforged to Haste.
Any piece with Haste and Hit should be left alone.

Again this depends on your gear, and could very well see Crit and haste switch places.


So I guess that means that if you have too much haste/crit you should reforge it in a different way.

Is there a theory I can apply to my gear at any time, so that whenever my gear changes I'll still know which stats I should be getting?

[Count Zero]

I only have one question really. How do you know when your stats are balanced, cause I see in your post that everything is relative.
Example :

Any piece with Mastery and Crit or Hit should have Mastery reforged to Haste.
Any piece With Mastery and Haste should have Mastery reforged to Crit
Any piece with Crit and Hit should have Crit reforged to Haste.
Any piece with Haste and Hit should be left alone.

Again this depends on your gear, and could very well see Crit and haste switch places.


So I guess that means that if you have too much haste/crit you should reforge it in a different way.

Is there a theory I can apply to my gear at any time, so that whenever my gear changes I'll still know which stats I should be getting?

If you want to squeeze out every possible last bit of dps, there is no general rule that will always apply.

[Deleted]

If you want to squeeze out every possible last bit of dps, there is no general rule that will always apply.

Then how do people know what to do with their gear, at any given moment with different types of gear?

[Sirjeize]

Then how do people know what to do with their gear, at any given moment with different types of gear?

constantly keep track of you're stats. New piece of gear reforge accordingly. an keep rereforging.

[Count Zero]

Then how do people know what to do with their gear, at any given moment with different types of gear?

Download Simcraft and sim your stat weights with each upgrade.