Nifty thorns macro (for 4.x)Follow

You can add a bit to the macro if you're lazy like me and don't want to manually set and clear someone as the focus target.

#showtooltip
/clearfocus [mod:alt]
/stopmacro [mod:alt]
/cast [@focus,nodead,help] Thorns; Thorns
/stopmacro [@focus,nodead,help]
/focus [@target,help]


I'm sure most of you already know what it does, but for those of us a bit less macro savvy, I'll go through it line by line.

Title
#showtooltip will cause the macro button to display the tooltip of the next spell/ability in the macro. In this case we're only using Thorns, so it'll show the tooltip for Thorns all the time. Tip: If you use the question mark icon for your macro, it will also select the Thorns icon.

1st line
The first two lines are a sort of addendum. They have the Alt-key modifier [mod:alt] in there, so basically it's the shy kid in class, sitting in a corner, asking 'Excuse me, but did you have the Alt-key pressed down while you clicked the macro button?' If the answer is yes then it'll clear your current focus target. If the answer is no then it'll just move on.

2nd line
Again an Alt-modified command. If you hold down Alt (and thus cleared focus), this line stops the macro so that you don't instantly set your new target as focus target again.

3rd line
Translated, this line asks 'Do you have a focus target and is it alive and friendly?' If the answer is yes then it'll cast Thorns on it. If the answer is not yes (;) then it'll cast Thorns on your current target.

4th line
Translated again, this line asks 'Do you have a focus target and is it alive and friendly?' Now, if the answer is yes again then it'll stop the macro. If the answer is not yet then it'll not stop the macro.

5th line
Now, remember, if you already had a friendly and alive focus target then the macro stopped (reset) on the 4th line, so this line only comes into play if you don't have a friendly and alive focus target. And now it's done asking questions, because it knows it only comes into play if the answer is no, so it's bossy and says 'Well, your current target is now your focus target - if it's friendly'.

And now the macro ended, so it'll start from the top.

Remember, all of this happens every time you click the macro, so it's not like you have to click the button four times to go through all four lines. The above explanation was sort of stretched out to better show what goes on. Basically, the macro just checks if you have a friendly and alive focus target and casts Thorns on it. If you don't have one, it'll set your target as the focus target (provided the target is friendly) and then reset the macro.

If you hold down Alt while clicking the macro, it will clear your focus target.

Notes
I used @ instead of 'target=' to save space. Because I'm lazy like that.

Edited, Oct 24th 2010 4:26pm by Mazra

Is it really any good to waste a GCD casting thorns at the tank? Is it really that helpfull?

I don't know about how useful it is raiding (Besides as the tank pulls). But I've found it invaluable in 5-mans. I decided to look at recount and when I used it every time it was on cooldown it accounted for 20-30% of the tanks damage. Keep in mind the threat caused by thorns damage counts as the tanks threat. With tanks AoE having been nerfed pretty heftily the extra AoE threat provided by thorns is very, very useful.

Well, you can do the math. Calculate how much dps thorns gives you and if it's worth a GCD.

Uhh, what?

This has nothing to do with the number that appears on WWS, and everything to do with "what do I get for the cost of my GCD/button press/mana?"

Total damage dealt by casting Thorns on tank vs total damage you can deal in a single GCD with another spell. That's all there is to it.

Exactly. You always have to take the attitude of more damage for the raid is a good thing. It doesn't matter if recount or WWS tracks it or not. Although WWS is pretty good, there is a good chance it would take this into account.

Edited, Nov 3rd 2010 2:08pm by Xsarus

As the quote above shows, you guys asked if it would count towards my DPS. I said that probably no, but I never said it would be a bad thing. Actually, I was asking about it for the reasons below:

I`m @work right now, dont have the proper tools to do the math, but you can`t consider Thorns like IS, but with a CD, since it procs onhit.
Several things would have to be take in account, not only DPET, such as mana spent, eclipse (I dont think it get buffed, but maybe it does just like the other dots), when to cast, if haste/crit affects it (I dont believe haste does, dunno about crit), if different mobs/boss proc thorn more than others, wich boss abilities/spells proc thorns and wich doesn`t and considerate that to see when its better to cast it and when you should save the CD...

Then, you have to compare it to something else. And that something can be a plethora of things, like eclipsed spell, non eclipsed spell, eclipsed dot, non eclipsed dot, starsurge, etc...
Unless you just want to see if it has the highest DPET or not. Than you just have one comparision to do, but it wont mean anything.


I`m not saying it`s impossible to calculate. I`m not saying it`s a bad thing. I`m just saying its not that simple and my FEELING is that it wouldnt add dps to the RAID, since I THINK it would be better if you cast something else.

Btw, AFAIK, the highest DPET right now for moonkins is starsurge.

Edited, Nov 3rd 2010 6:15pm by Brisin

Linky



Someone else did the math for you.

It'll be interesting to see how many Feral tanks go daredevil and try to cast Thorns on themselves while tanking a raid boss. If the boss has a swing time of over 1.5 seconds, it should be possible to cast Thorns and not take damage while out of Bear Form, right?

I know but agreeing and not posting doesn't pad my post count.

It's the scaling with spellpower that actually makes it good so the tank casting it on himself won't be all that amazing; but if there's a resto or boomkin in the raid, it's probably in their interest to cast it on you.

I've got trouble remembering my keys when I leave my apartment in the morning. I think I'll stick to just mashing the keyboard and winning.