Affliction Rotation Questions.

[yeerk009]

Hi all, with the new 4.1 patch, it seems like affliction's the way to go for locks now. Thus i am currently under the process of picking up affliction after having been a destro lock for a longggg time. There are a few key issues in the rotation whereby i am confused by and i hope will be addressed.

1. What is the point whereby a lock STOPS casting drain soul (assuming target is below 25% hp) ? does he stop drain soul cast to refresh all dots and cast haunt? on fights like heroic v n t does he cast drain soul on a single target over soul swapping dots to other dragon and then casting drain soul again?

2. What is the priority of keeping shadow embrace buff up at all times? At fights where there is more then one enemy, (like v n t) does he prioritise keeping shadow embrace up on both targets before refreshing dots on one target?

3. I find it quite hard to keep shadow embrace buff on both targets (assuming its a muliti target fight) as the duration of the buff is really short.. any tips?

Thanks

[Hystify]

1. During execute phase (<25%), the DPCT order is as follows (Assuming a 2 target fight like V&T):

- UA (Refreshed by DS via Pandemic), but if you get unlucky due to only having 1/2 in DL spec, manually hardcast it.
- Corruption (Refreshed via Haunt)
- Bane of Agony
- Drain Soul
- Haunt

Although Haunt has a lower DPCT than DS, you would prioritize it over DS since it boosts all your DoTs' damage (including DS, it is recognized as a DoT on the target when channeled).

2. The effect of Shadow Embrace updates in real-time with your DoT ticks, so it won't hurt for you to cast your dots before stacking it. Unlike Shadow and Flame, the debuff from Shadow Bolt, it has to be on your target before you cast your DoTs to gain the 5% crit effect. If you're confident of constantly swapping targets to cast SB to keep SE up, it'll be great, but it'll probably be hard when you still need to focus on boss mechanics/other stuff during the fight as well. I usually just fire off instant SB's from Nightfall procs at my secondary target to keep up SE, but I don't go out of my way to maintain 3 stacks on it.

3. Aff/SB is better for fights with multiple targets (e.g. V&T, Omnoton, Magmaw(H)) due to the ease of re-stacking SE when you swap to a secondary target, due to shorter SB cast times and your main filler being SB as well. Aff/DL specs would have to hardcast ~2.5s SB's to stack up SE on the secondary target, and when you get your 3 stacks, it'll probably be a matter of seconds before the secondary target dies. For a fight like V&T, you'd be better off as Aff/SB than Aff/DL due to spending most of the time casting SB's to refresh SE on both targets, and you'll rarely be casting DL anyway.

[Greyarea]

hey. I have some answers for you, but they may not be perfect:

1: DS refreshes UA via a talent so no need to worry about refreshing UA. Corruption is refreshed via Haunt. Haunt should be cast on cool down AFTER a drain soul tick. If single target, Bane of Doom should be refreshed like it normally is, I personally refresh it whilst doing a haunt cast, just makes the DS'ing flow easier, same with BoA really. On multi targets like V&T soul swap to teh other dragon on CD then go back ot the primary target, I suggest Soul Swapping after haunt, to ensure shadows embrace doesn't drop off by mistake.

2: Keeping SE on both would be optimal in your example of V&T. You do less shadow bolt/drain life damage, but your dots will easily outpace it. Just be VERY careful with engulfing magic. If you get it with full dots on both targets, anyone nearby is frakked pretty much. Just be smart where you are 5 seconds before Engulfing goes out so if you get it, no-one takes any ticks, or you can stop applying/refreshing dots 8-10 seconds prior to it going out if your having to stay clmped for some reason...depends on how your guilds doing it.

3: Haunt the main target on CD as per normal, keep dot's up on the main target and if needed CoE. Soul swap on CD as normal. For SE stacks the primary target will be getting it with haunt (focus macro works wonders) then target teh other fire off some sbolts onces all dots/soul swaps are done and then back to teh other one. It's a little hectic and your not doing as much shadowbolting but the results speak for themselves.

[yeerk009]

wow thanks guys..alot of valuable advice there, cant wait to try it out on the next raid night!
one last question

At which point would it be optimal to soup swap my dots over to the secondary target? When soul swap is on cool down (and UA and Corruption has finished ticking but BOA has not), or when ALL dots have finished ticking? I know option one has the risk of clipping BOA's last most damaging tick, yet if i go with option 2 I miss out on potential UA and Corruptions ticks. :S

[Raqu]

Haunt
Demon Soul
Bane of Doom
Corruption
Unstable Affliction
Drain Soul (below 25%)
Shadowflame
Shadow Bolt or Drain Life

(copy from http://elitistjerks.com/f80/t112939-...u_4_1_updated/)

[Hystify]

wow thanks guys..alot of valuable advice there, cant wait to try it out on the next raid night!
one last question

At which point would it be optimal to soup swap my dots over to the secondary target? When soul swap is on cool down (and UA and Corruption has finished ticking but BOA has not), or when ALL dots have finished ticking? I know option one has the risk of clipping BOA's last most damaging tick, yet if i go with option 2 I miss out on potential UA and Corruptions ticks. :S

Just soul swap when its off CD.

All the combat logs that I've analyzed show that 2 ticks of Corr + UA does more dmg than the last 3-4 ticks of BOA added together.