Fear chaining come Wrath

[Vitandus]

Have you seen the tooltip for Improved Fear? Can you say Fearchain?

[Kotodama]

I'm a little confused....  In PvE that doesn't really help if your hit rating is high enough to not get resisted (except the 1% you can't avoid) in the first place, and in PvP it may help a little but it's not going to make you fear chain better really.  Now if it gave you a chance to get an insta-cast fear when you get hit...that'd be sweet.

[Vitandus]

Your hit rating makes no difference. Bosses can not be feared - their consorts can, but the bosses are immune to fear. Hit rating is irrelevant for trash mobs that can be feared - or rather, to be raiding, you should have a hit rating of at least 63. Heck, come patch, you'll just need 26 hit and Cataclysm.

In PVP, it absolutely makes a difference.

When your Fear spell is resisted, your next Fear spell has a 100% chance of being instant cast. Lasts 10 sec.

Try to trigger chained fears on someone - you'll get resisted. You do that enough times, you'll want insta-cast fears. That's why Affliction spec PVPers have Improved Howl of Terror.

[Kotodama]

My point was, you shouldn't get resisted in PvE (because your hit rating should be more than high enough for trash) and bosses can't be feared so it doesn't make a difference.

In PvP though, I can see how it would help when you use a macro to fear chain someone.  But it seems that not a whole lotta people stock shadow resist in PvP anymore.  More often you come across fear ward and other immunities, which this will NOT help.

[One Ear]

Most sane people don't stack hit rating on pvp gear. There is some, yes, but I think the S2 Dreadweave set has like a rating of 12 or something.

One is that you don't have to worry about the normal hit needed in pvp as the enemy is still only 70 (as opposed to 73). But, add in shadow resists from various sources and you will have resists here and there..... and those hurt badly at times.

AND.... the biggest reason why this rules.... Cloak of Shadows. SMART warlocks will know how to use this.

[Vitandus]

Other warlocks have shadow resistance. Paladins have shadow resistance.

In fights like the Opera event, it's helpful as well. You have to keep Roar fear-chained and he does resist.

[Kotodama]

But remember in PvP there are ways that you get around these things currently.  Curse of Elements works nicely to reduce resistances (88 at lvl 69), along with spell penetration which also negates resistance as you well know.  In PvP I put CoE on everything, with a few exceptions for CoW.

Cloak of Shadows is an interesting point, but how long does the instant-cast Fear buff last?  If it's like Backlash or Shadow Trance you only have a few seconds before you lose the proc, and Cloak of Shadows could likely outlast it.  You would get resisted on your instant-cast, which is pointless and you would have to wait out your GC.  Also more often than not if you have a rogue on you, I think it's wiser to cast a Death Coil first because it is always instant cast and doesn't get pushed back, and then cast fear while they're running.  If your Death Coil then gets removed by CoS and your Fear is resisted, your instant-Fear could land after the CoS wears off.  But a smart rogue is probably not going to use CoS on a Death Coil because it only last 3 seconds, he's going to wait for the Fear or dots.

I think it's really all moot because it seems most rogues in PvP have stunlock and you can't cast a damn thing anyway.   :'(  At least with the patch pushbacks are capped at 1 second (2 pushbacks of .5 seconds I believe), so hunters and melee can't stop you from casting just by beating on you.  Of course in that case, the instant cast fear on resists might be very useful.

Of course this is just my opinion ...

[One Ear]

Ummm. You do realize that resists due to spell resistance (which is what spell penetration effects) and resists due to lack of spell hit are two separate mechanics.

Like I said, a smart warlock will use the tools he can get to good effect. Just like any other class when well played. If you can't see the possible uses for the talent, I can't help you.

CoE and CoW? really? well, glad it works for you.

[Capuloclavo]

AND.... the biggest reason why this rules.... Cloak of Shadows. SMART warlocks will know how to use this.

Some days it's good to be a rogue.  With an undead rogue with Cloak of Shadows + Will of the Forsaken.. Hopefully I won't have locks setting my ass on fire too awful much...    I guess I'll have to make sure Mouse is close with Spanky...

[Kotodama]

I know what the difference between the two is.  And obviously most of the resists in PvP are not due to spell hit, as you're fighting players mostlly at about your level.  Of course you can't say all resists because there is still that 1% you can't spell hit your way out of.  And yes, it works well for me.

[Vitandus]

The latter part of Improved Fear is wicked:

Improved Fear   Rank 2
Causes your Fear spell to inflict a Nightmare on the target when the fear effect ends. The Nightmare effect reduces the target's movement speed by 30% for 5 sec.

30% reduction in speed. That is win - get a Paladin to follow with PoJ, and that's one dead target.

[Kotodama]

Now THAT IS wicked!  When did they add that?

[Vitandus]

Heh - between this morning and now, the spell has been updated again on WoWhead. Now there is no insta-cast function. That said, I still think the 30% reduction in speed is good. I am going to guess it's not stackable with Exhaustion.

[Kotodama]

My guess is it is stackable, unless it says so.  The debuff from the fear wont be a curse probably, and it will only last 5 seconds.  Personally i think this is much better than the insta-fear.  I hope it stays like this.  Fear someone off, they run 50 yards away and then have to crawl back to you....golden.

[Vitandus]

Movement impairing effects only take the highest debuff in the current mechanic. I don't see Blizzard changing that.