Random Question Thread

[Plow]

Should i use divine storm on single target bosses?ø (totc 10 etc=')

You should be using every dps ability you have. (and no, hand of reckoning is not a dps ability! lol)

As ret your goal is to always be using something as soon as it's off cd.


First come first serve rotation is what it's called, and basically it means never wait for something better to come up, ever, just use what's up. (more on this later)

When 2 things are up at the exact same time, then you consider priorities.

Currently, priority without 2t9 is:

HoW > CS > judge > DS > Consecrate > Exorcism (swap cons and exo priority on ud/demon)


Priority with 2t9 becomes:

Judge > HoW > CS > DS > Cons > Exo



Now, when you get really good, the "first come first serve" becomes less of an absolute. It's still the primary philosophy, don't get me wrong. But, you can get used to the exact dps numbers for the different abilities, and you'll find situations where, say, exo is coming off cd, but judgement will be off in .1-.2 sec, and is therefore mathematically the right choice.

[Correction]

Okay, I'm using my mage for the first time in like...a year and I'm confused about my mana issues. She's fire specced and buffed up she has maybe 13.5k mana. Shooting at a practice dummy she'll run out of mana in less than two minutes, using evocate, a pot and a mana gem in the process.

This is clearly unacceptable, which leaves me thinking that I have to start using Mage Armor like Hunters use Aspect of the Viper and just eat the DPS loss while I regen mana, but really this doesn't seem like a good long-term solution.

Does this problem go away with better gear (hers kinda sucks) or is there something I'm missing that I can do to solve this issue?

[Plow]

As an undergeared arcane mage, in any fight over like 90-120 sec, I do considerably better damage with mage armor than molten.


For the most part I'm able to figure out exactly what to do to run out fast, evo back up, and then run out right as the fight ends, with mana gem usage on cd.


The option of spamming 4 stack AB is really powerful now that MB makes the missiles free. On most fights I literally just spam AB non-stop until I'm completely oom, hit the free missile, then evo and go into mana management to end up ooming right as the fight ends, or right when evo's back up.

[Correction]

So the answer is go arcane? She's only got 25-26% crit and 1700 spell power, tops. That to me means 'stay away from FFB/Arcane.'

[[Cookies]]

So the answer is go arcane? She's only got 25-26% crit and 1700 spell power, tops. That to me means 'stay away from FFB/Arcane.'

Crit is shit for Arcane but yes, Arcane will be the better dps spec. By a lot. Besides, heroic fights last a minute tops.

[Plow]

in general fire and ffb require more gear (crit specifically) than arcane, I'd recommend a ffb build if you're running lots of heroics just for the aoe factor, but if you're focusing on raids or have dual spec available, yes, I'd definitely make one arcane

it seems pretty mindless at first, but once you realize all the different levels of dps you're capable of and the time frames they take to fully drain your mana, it's pretty fun imo

[Kaylia]

Yes, and consecration too.



http://www.wowhead.com/?item=41367

These work wonders.

Any channeled spell will turn you directly toward your target, if it's in range and in your frontal 180º. If you don't have a channeled spell to use, http://www.wowhead.com/?item=42420 and other focusing lenses are usable items that channel. That's about the best I've been able to come up with, but it's not a great solution.

Thanks for the solution. I was hoping it would take less inventory space, but oh well. whatever works.

[Boyiee]

Ugh I'm at such a loss... Not sure which spec to gear out first again lol.

I've been working on my DPS set, but I got a thing or 2 from 10toc and now my prot gear is catching up, only 3 blues left to replace, and I just picked up the 245 T9 pants from VoA... almost up to 30 triumphs and not sure if I should buy tanking gloves/shoulders or continue going for dps gear like I have been (currently have 232 t9shoulders).

Here is tank set so far: http://www.wowarmory.com/character-s...+Blade&n=Exuro T9 legs i got puts me at 545def

I don't know the site where I can set up 2 gear sets to show you guys for advice, anyone know it?

[Tricen]

58 emblems of conquest = t85 body and head. There's a 213 tank cape from emblems of valor. Pick a single spec to gear since having 2 meh geared specs is not as good as having 1 good geared spec. Buy craftable stuff if you can, there's some pretty good bracers for tanking and decent bracers for dps (armor pen is kinda meh for ret pally). You can gear up a spec relatively easy from just badges. try to do toc10/25 ony10/25 and the H daily as well as vaults as much as possible so you can stock up on triumphs.

[Boyiee]

58 emblems of conquest = t85 body and head. There's a 213 tank cape from emblems of valor. Pick a single spec to gear since having 2 meh geared specs is not as good as having 1 good geared spec. Buy craftable stuff if you can, there's some pretty good bracers for tanking and decent bracers for dps (armor pen is kinda meh for ret pally). You can gear up a spec relatively easy from just badges. try to do toc10/25 ony10/25 and the H daily as well as vaults as much as possible so you can stock up on triumphs.

To point is to make it easier to get the gear, and wondering which I should spend the triumph badges on since I have 1 pc t9 for both now... if dps or tanking would get me the gear faster when I'm mostly pugging. Both sets are pretty comparable except for the 3 blues in tanking set, which I know where and how to upgrade but thanks for answering a question I never asked.

Also I'm not a paladin so why did you even go there?

[Boyiee]

Here we go... I found a way to link multiple sets... too bad it shows everything unenchanted/gemmed. Ignore the low hit as dps, I have a hit neck to get me around 7.5%.

Anyway...

DPS set: http://www.wowhead.com/?profile=18647426
Tank set: http://www.wowhead.com/?profile=18647345

fun times now I can link shit. I'll prob spend the triumphs on dps since I'm already pulling around 4k.


Heres another question, why doesn't rawr care about my hit or expertise? I know everyone values expertise differently as warrior, but it's pretty strange how rawr is like, go ahead drop 2-3% hit.

[Norellicus]

I know at least as a druid it makes precious little difference whether I'm hit/exp capped or not, the only thing it ultimately affects is how often I can get Ferocious Bites in between my usual rotation. The same principle may apply to the warrior model, I'm not sure.

I've personally always been suspect of the idea that hit > all, it does make you efficient but certainly does not mean that you've got the highest potential dps.

[Izzy]

As an undergeared arcane mage, in any fight over like 90-120 sec, I do considerably better damage with mage armor than molten.

I can go through an entire TOC25 with molten armor up and not OOM once. Make sure you're always using your gems when they're up (arcane torrent if you're a blood elf), and time your evocates to go along with icy veins. Use the applicable ward spell for the fight you're doing. (Frost ward for icehowl/ulduar/anub, fire ward for Koralon/Onyxia/etc.) I get so much mana back from absorbing fire/frost spells it's ridiculous. You should never be using mage armor unless you're doing it for some defensive capability.

DO NOT LET YOUR EVOCATES GET INTERRUPTED!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Plow]

I can go through an entire TOC25 with molten armor up and not OOM once. Make sure you're always using your gems when they're up (arcane torrent if you're a blood elf), and time your evocates to go along with icy veins. Use the applicable ward spell for the fight you're doing. (Frost ward for icehowl/ulduar/anub, fire ward for Koralon/Onyxia/etc.) I get so much mana back from absorbing fire/frost spells it's ridiculous. You should never be using mage armor unless you're doing it for some defensive capability.

DO NOT LET YOUR EVOCATES GET INTERRUPTED!!!!!!!!!!!!

The "goal" of arcane is, actually, to oom.

You just want to do it at the right times.

Take, for instance, NRB.

Spam @ 4 stacks, use mana gem as soon as you have the room to get the full mana. Depending on how much mana you have, you might be able to maintain this all the way until Gormok dies (also depends how fast your group is, our togc10 group is killing gormok in like 90 seconds now).

If you don't have the mana to make it all the way to the end of gormok, you learn the timing of where you need to switch to lower mana rotation like 4stac>am>repeat.

Regardless, your goal should be to get to the end of gormok with low enough mana to use a full evo. If you're not getting *at least* that low (and that's factoring the time spent outside 5 second rule meanwhile as well), either you outgear the instance and are killing fast enough it doesn't matter, or you could be using a higher dps rotation (which basically means spamming at 4 stacks more).

So, then you evocate, and you do the exact same thing for worms. Rinse and repeat once again for Icehow.

The basic pattern being, use all your mana up right as you get to a good point to evocate, then do it again.


Oh, and how all this relates: I'm way undergeared for what I'm doing (toc25 in naxx10 gear), so I'm rocking mana gem glyph, the t7 mana gem set bonus, and mage armor glyph, and the fights are generally short enough that it's matching the timing perfectly for me to just run the absolute highest raw dps rotations (read: 111111111111111111111111) full time. Once you're geared enough (you know, more than 19.8k mana raid buffed), you start phasing all that stuff out and still being able to maintain a similar rotation. Even now on twins I can manage with molten running 4 stacks the whole way.

[Arcana]

How important would you value block over dodge/parry in the same slot?

current situation; i have t.85 head (has BR & BV) and T2 remodel 10m version, t2 remodel adds something like 300 hp to my character over 8.5 helm, this is ofcourse a knock on effect with sanct/kings. personally im leaning towards 8.5 because i do block fairly often.

however im also currently using t7.5 body (again BR & BV) and im about to purchase t8.5 body which is dodge/parry. sorta unclear as to this one, the stat improvement is probably alot better and will allow me to gem out of using a defense gem on my chest slot.

How would you guys approach this, i want to believe in the heart of the block, but will stam & pure avoidance beat it out?

[Plow]

block is the least valuable tanking stat for raiding

it's good for heroics, though



for raids the ony helm, well, I'll put it this way, the 25 man version is the best tanking helm in game atm easily, due to the huge amount of hit and the huge lack of hit on toc gear

[Jodwahh]

There's only one place I can really think block value is invaluable, and thats when you're the only add tank on Anub25hc.

[Tricen]

To point is to make it easier to get the gear, and wondering which I should spend the triumph badges on since I have 1 pc t9 for both now... if dps or tanking would get me the gear faster when I'm mostly pugging. Both sets are pretty comparable except for the 3 blues in tanking set, which I know where and how to upgrade but thanks for answering a question I never asked.

Also I'm not a paladin so why did you even go there?

Idk why I thought you were a pally lol <_<. I should prolly read posts all the way, I figured you were asking which way to gear, not how to show 2 gear sets. wow-heroes.com is another place that shows 2 gear set I'm pretty sure.

[Izzy]

The "goal" of arcane is, actually, to oom.

You just want to do it at the right times.

Yea you're right. I do make sure by the end of the fight I'm dumping my shit so I'm ending with 0 mana lol. It's awesome that you mentioned getting a full evocation right after Gormok, that's exactly what I do haha. I always see some mages evoacte during that fight...it pisses me off so much. What a waste of DPS.

[Tricen]

Yeah, that little bit before jorms come out is awesome for chargin up the army of the undead that gets lusted :3