Right now, Demonology and Affliction are the highest DPS builds. The benefits of Haunt and improved life draining abilities can not be understated for many of the Naxxramas fights.
Something like this build (http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=IfxMbzMAoVq0IstZE0hV) gives you hit, faster cooldowns, and enough Destruction to give you Ruin.
This build (http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=IZ0xIzsgMq0sxuAoE0hV) gives you all of the Demonology for raiding you want. I am not sold on Metamorphosis, but people seem to like it. (Don't ever pop it in PVP unless you like being obliterated by Retribution Paladins.)
I am a fan of Affliction, especially with the current state of Warlock damage.
http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=IZfxc0cZEchVrMu0sAfot
I'm going to try this Dem/Dest build. I'm curious as to how much dps I can generate with Chaos Bolts. Afterwards I will try an Affl/Dem spec and compare.
Baseline for Comparison: 1150-1200 dps with current spec in heroics
Chuck, I think your build will work out well. Just use Immolate/Incinerate/Conflagarate/Chaos Bolt as your rotation and you should see your DPS rocket. You may also want to look at this build:
http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=IZfxc0cZVchVrMuVsAfot
to get Emberstorm. Your rotation probably won't have as many Shadowbolts and Emberstorm reduces cast time and Fire damage.
That spec FAILED. Aparently we didn't realize there's a 12 second cooldown on Chaos Bolt and it doesn't almost no damage unless it crits. I ended up with the Affliction Spec anyway...
Chaos Bolt works fine. As I said, though, Demon and Afflict are the better builds now.
Chaos Bolt actually sucked. It hit for 2600 normally, where my shadowbolt hits for 4-5k normally. Chaos Bolt critted for about 7k and my shadowbolt crits for about 6k+. The only thing Chaos Bolt has going for it is that it ignores all absorbing effects and such. A 12 second cooldown is way too much for a spell that doesn't hit hard imo.
The Immolate/Incinerate/Conflagorate/Chaos Bolt rotation doesn't work with a 12 second cooldown. I tried Immolate/Incinerate/Conflagorate/Shadow Bolt/Immolate/Incinerate/Conflagorate/Chaos Bolt and ended with less dps than just Immolate/Incinerate/Conflagorate/Shadow Bolt. Which makes sense because Shadow Bolt hits harder.
Overall the spec looks nice on "paper" but sucks in actual use. Chaos Bolt miht be nice for PvP, but you would have to figure out some way to make it hit harder. With even mages having over 14k hp or more in PvP gear (that's probably low for PvP gear), even a 3k hit every 12 seconds is not going to bother them. It just doesn't make any sense.
It may just be my fustration talking, but that's my opinion as it stands right now.
I don't know what you're doing differently from everyone else. Hell, look at the base stats alone:
Chaos Bolt, Rank 4: Sends a bolt of chaotic fire at the enemy, dealing 1036 to 1314 Fire damage, cost 7% base mana.
Shadow Bolt, Rank 13: Sends a shadowy bolt at the enemy, causing 690 to 770 Shadow damage, cost 17% base mana.
There really is no such thing as a set rotation any more. I'd try rolling Chaos Bolt earlier in the sequence.
From the stats and the number crunching, there is no way that Chaos Bolt should underperform if you are specc'd correctly. You can verify on WWS runs from good guilds. Warlocks in blues are pushing more than 5000 DPS with Chaos Bolt.
I don't know. Maybe their crit is higher than mine. But for some reason my rank 4 Chaos Bolt wouldn't hit for more than 3k unless it crit. Which is why i'm pissed because it's base dmg is higher than Shadow Bolt's. Maybe it's broken right now and it's not getting the bonus sp like Shadow Bolt is. I don't know. I just know that it is weak compared to Shadow Bolt for me.
Did you train up extra ranks of the spell? :)
so now that i am starting to get some gear im looking to spec back into affliction right now im running with the Fel/emberstorm build
http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=IZ0xIzsgRV0sxzZVshVr0uV (http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=IZ0xIzsgRV0sxzZVshVr0uV)
which has been giving my undergeared self 1.3-1.5k dps in heroics basicly casting CoA and Corruption to proc molten core, then Immolate and spam Incinerate
but I cant decide which affliction build I should use:
http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=IfxMbzMAoVq0IstZEzbV (http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=IfxMbzMAoVq0IstZEzbV)
which should have me covered as far a specing into hit cap across the board while allowing for molten core to proc, i can also move the molten core talent over to cataclysm and be set for hit.
or should i go for the SL and benefits of increased spell power with Demonic Aegis and Fel Armor and forget about cataclysm and Imp SB
(the only qualms i have about this one is SB is used as a filler, and improved shadow bolt will increase shadow damage by 10% so will the increase in spell power even matter?)
what is gonna give me the most DPS so i dont feel ashamed at the end of a run?
I like Dark Pact, Skree. I would find a way to throw that into your build.
I'm Affl atm as you know, and I'm honestly considering trying out a Dest spec I saw recently. Guy was pushing 4k dps as Dest/Dem (heavy on destruction). Course his gear was stupid good too, but still...
Here is his wowamory:
http://www.wowarmory.com/character-sheet.xml?r=Zul%27jin&n=Cramit (http://www.wowarmory.com/character-sheet.xml?r=Zul%27jin&n=Cramit)
Looks like he respecced since I last looked unfortunately.
Demonology: http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=IZ0xIzsgMq0sxzZVchVrzuVZ is a valid raiding spec.
Affliction spec cookie cutter: http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=IdxMMurAkViM0st0gczsMZZ
If you want to maximize your raid potential in 3.0.8, you go as Demonology or Affliction. Period.
my armory
http://www.wowarmory.com/character-sheet.xml?r=Zul%27jin&n=Skree (http://www.wowarmory.com/character-sheet.xml?r=Zul%27jin&n=Skree)
What is your usual spell rotation?
haunt
SB (those two to proc 2x shadow embrace)
immolate (for when molten core procs)
UA
CoA
Corruption
SL
Haunt
then i can get about 2 SBs before immolate+UA again from there its all juggling cooldowns
Try this, it works for me...
Corruption
Haunt
Siphon Life
Curse of Agony
Unstable Affliction
Immolate
And I only throw Shadow Bolts when Nightfall/Shadow Trance procs. I never really have time to throw a normal shadow bolt, and if I did I would throw Incinerate instead because it works with Immolate and the casting time is shorter. Usually I end up using Drain Soul if I'm waiting for a few seconds on a cooldown, usually ticks for 1500-2000 or more depending on how many Afflictions are on the target (great on bosses with multiple warlocks, too bad it's capped at 60% improvement). If for some god uknown reason I didn't get an instant Shadow Bolt to double up Shadow Embrace, casting Haunt as soon as it's cooldown is up will also double it up and can also double up Haunts (going from 20% to 40% dmg increase for a few seconds) which is nice but not something to go crazy over. That is quicker and more effective IMO. Also once I cast Corruption the first time on most fights I never cast it again because it is constantly renewed by Haunt, so my rotation actually ends up being:
Corruption (on initial engagement only)
Haunt
Siphon Life
Curse of Agony
Unstable Affliction
Immolate
Drain Soul untill haunt cooldown is up (could be as much as 4-5 seconds sometimes, longer with Bloodlust)
well, my corruption always ends up running out, im not sure why as i cast haunt everytime the cooldown is up, but as im speced into improved shadow bolt, i think the proc from that is worth using shadow bolts as a filler, as it increases shadow damage by 15% until i cast 4 sb/haunts or 12 seconds
Quote from: Skree on Mon, 2009-03-30 : 12:36
well, my corruption always ends up running out, im not sure why as i cast haunt everytime the cooldown is up
You can't be standing too far away, as Haunt takes time to get there. Standing closer also helps because it increases the chances of you double stacking Haunt for a few seconds, but like I said before it isn't something you want to go crazy over.
Quote from: Skree on Mon, 2009-03-30 : 12:36but as im speced into improved shadow bolt, i think the proc from that is worth using shadow bolts as a filler, as it increases shadow damage by 15% until i cast 4 sb/haunts or 12 seconds
I prefer Drain Soul because mine tends to hit harder with all of my afflictions and then the other warlock's on top. Also Shadow Embrace counts towards this too. With just my own afflictions I can add up to 24%. It only takes 15 afflictions to hit the 60% cap, with just two affl locks you have 12. I do not have the Bane talent so my Shadow Bolt cast time is approx 2.7 seconds after haste is applied and Drain Soul ticks every 3 seconds. But I do have Fel Concetration so pushback doesn't affect my Drain Soul as much as it affects my Shadow Bolt casting.
I'm really not sure on which is better. I've been trying to figure out which of our builds may be better, if one even is better than the other.
yeh, with bane:
SB
cast: 2.31 s
Dmg: 798-891
Incen
Cast: 2.31 s
Dmg 727-845 w/immolate
im going to respec to your spec tonight and check my overall dps against last night's, wont be the best gauge, but its a start
ok, im thinking of trying
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/classes/warlock/talents.html?tal=235002200102351005150033135123500000030000000000000000050000000000000000000000000
(http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/classes/warlock/talents.html?tal=235002200102351005150033135123500000030000000000000000050000000000000000000000000)
but im not sure if i should put the 5 points in bane instead, i dont know if casting SB .5 seconds earlier will make that much of a difference or if waiting for a crit is better
the problem is you have to get a SB crit with Imp SB and i dont think i crit enough for it to proc much
I don't know if it's worth it because with low crit and then not having time to just spam shadow bolts (slow ones at that), you wont get the proc very often at all. Also you kind of want Improved Drain Soul for the threat reduction, anything that reduces threat is a good thing IMO.
I'm thinking about my spec also btw. Looking at maybe trying one of these:
http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=IfxrbzMAkVA0Istfx00c <- has CoExhaustion for shits
http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=IfxrbzMAoVA0Istfx0zc <- has Soul Link
http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=IfxrbzMAoVA0IstcZxch <- Affl/Dest, no Shadow Bolt spamming intended
http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=IfxrbzMAoVi0IstcZxMG <- Affl/Dest
All of them are intended to use the Imp as supplemental damage. For the Shadow Bolt debuff the plan is just be patient and really only throw instant procs.