As a low level, my usual way of grinding is to start out with Corruption (not instant), hit the mob with Curse of Agony as they're running closer, hit an Immolate, then spam Shadow Bolt. Fear is more of a last resort for me -- I've only used it once, and I really don't need it. If I run out of mana, I'll use Life Tap. When I run out of health, I'll use Drain Life. My imp adds some damage when needed as well, or I can use my voidwalker to take some of the damage/add some.
However, everywhere I see, no one really talks about SB...it seems to be more of a closer than an often-used spell. What I was wondering is...what instant cast spells are there that do instant damage, as SB or Searing Pain do? Not many that I can see in the low levels. So...why doesn't anyone use them? I know the Warlock class is all about DOTing, but wouldn't one kill the mob faster with instants?
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Once you get up in levels and go either Affliction or Demonology, you'll never really have to use Shadow Bolt. It's not the most mana efficient spell you have and lots of people prefer using Drain Life and Life Tap to keep the mana and health balanced which allows for non-stop grinding.
Tossing Shadow Bolts interrupts this delicate balance and often results in people having to sit and drink. I'm not talking about tossing a single Shadow Bolt once in a while, but if you spam it you'll run dry fast.
Affliction Locks are going to be using Drain Life to keep their health up while they take a beating. Their Shadow Bolt tossing will more or less be restricted to Nightfall procs because it's not efficient to load a 2.5/3-second cast while you're being hit at. They do have Dark Pact to make up for the occasional Shadow Bolt.
Demonology Locks will be balancing the damage to avoid taking aggro from the demon, so they rely on slow, but steady damage dealt by DoTs as well. And since they usually don't have Dark Pact they can't afford to spam Shadow Bolts constantly. Drain Life balances out the mana it costs by returning health which can be converted into mana.
Destruction Locks tend to use it a bit, or at least I did when I was Destruction spec'd. I had the talent Backlash which gave me an instant Shadow Bolt at least once every pull. Went out of mana damn fast though because Shadow Bolts usually pulled aggro since my demons sucked, and unlike the Affliction Warlock I couldn't just spam Drain Life and use Dark Pact to make up for it. So I had to kill fast and it was the suckage on my mana pool, in more than one way.
I use Shadow Bolt a lot in PvP though. Burst damage is king there.
Edited, May 22nd 2007 12:19am by Mazra
Tossing Shadow Bolts interrupts this delicate balance and often results in people having to sit and drink. I'm not talking about tossing a single Shadow Bolt once in a while, but if you spam it you'll run dry fast.
Affliction Locks are going to be using Drain Life to keep their health up while they take a beating. Their Shadow Bolt tossing will more or less be restricted to Nightfall procs because it's not efficient to load a 2.5/3-second cast while you're being hit at. They do have Dark Pact to make up for the occasional Shadow Bolt.
Demonology Locks will be balancing the damage to avoid taking aggro from the demon, so they rely on slow, but steady damage dealt by DoTs as well. And since they usually don't have Dark Pact they can't afford to spam Shadow Bolts constantly. Drain Life balances out the mana it costs by returning health which can be converted into mana.
Destruction Locks tend to use it a bit, or at least I did when I was Destruction spec'd. I had the talent Backlash which gave me an instant Shadow Bolt at least once every pull. Went out of mana damn fast though because Shadow Bolts usually pulled aggro since my demons sucked, and unlike the Affliction Warlock I couldn't just spam Drain Life and use Dark Pact to make up for it. So I had to kill fast and it was the suckage on my mana pool, in more than one way.
I use Shadow Bolt a lot in PvP though. Burst damage is king there.
Edited, May 22nd 2007 12:19am by Mazra
Please "talk up" if your comprehension white-shifts. I will use simple-happy language-words to help you understand.
I am the example of inefficient warlock, I use SBs quite a lot. Since I most often team with mage I felt bit inadequate with just DoTs, and I got used to bursting so I do it now when I solo too.
Yes, I drink every now and then but it doesnt bother me much and I kill fast.
I sic my felguard, CoS, eventually Corr and SB twice - anything that isnt elite is dead.
I pull aggro only when it crits but I keep distance enough to send another one before mob gets to me or I just finish with Shadowburn.
I burn down mana but having quite a lot of hp I can lifetap good amount back and I can go through 6-7 mobs in row very fast.
I only started using SB after I hit 70 though, I leveled on affliction and never used it since level 10.
I almost never use fear, I find felguard sufficient enough to hold aggro on multiple mobs and keep them away from me.
Edited, May 22nd 2007 3:51am by Sethy
Yes, I drink every now and then but it doesnt bother me much and I kill fast.
I sic my felguard, CoS, eventually Corr and SB twice - anything that isnt elite is dead.
I pull aggro only when it crits but I keep distance enough to send another one before mob gets to me or I just finish with Shadowburn.
I burn down mana but having quite a lot of hp I can lifetap good amount back and I can go through 6-7 mobs in row very fast.
I only started using SB after I hit 70 though, I leveled on affliction and never used it since level 10.
I almost never use fear, I find felguard sufficient enough to hold aggro on multiple mobs and keep them away from me.
Edited, May 22nd 2007 3:51am by Sethy
During the levelling process it's nowhere near as useful to spam SBs.
70 is a whole different ballgame. With the +damage we stack at 70 and all the nice buffs you're getting from demonology (5% from MD Felguard, 5% from Demonic Tactics, Lots of +damage from fel armor if you have demonic aegis) SBs are reasonably mana efficient.
Farming motes of water for my frozen shadoweave set I would toss on unending breath and hit up the 63s in the pond north of cenarion in Terokkar. Those things are "sic the Felg, SB, ShadowBurn" and move on to the next one. Gotta love kills that barely live through one GCD.
70 is a whole different ballgame. With the +damage we stack at 70 and all the nice buffs you're getting from demonology (5% from MD Felguard, 5% from Demonic Tactics, Lots of +damage from fel armor if you have demonic aegis) SBs are reasonably mana efficient.
Farming motes of water for my frozen shadoweave set I would toss on unending breath and hit up the 63s in the pond north of cenarion in Terokkar. Those things are "sic the Felg, SB, ShadowBurn" and move on to the next one. Gotta love kills that barely live through one GCD.
Sylmir lake eels. I use them to farm shards now. With this trinket you can kill them endlessly.
They go down so fast one SB is overkill really, but the droprate on motes suck. I go to Nagrand and just fish in pure water pools, I get 3-4 primals in no time that way.
But farming BEs in SMV is another thing, they are higher level and have bit more hp. I still havent found better place for netherweave and signets though, arcane tomes seem to drop more often there too.
Edited, May 22nd 2007 6:21am by Sethy
They go down so fast one SB is overkill really, but the droprate on motes suck. I go to Nagrand and just fish in pure water pools, I get 3-4 primals in no time that way.
But farming BEs in SMV is another thing, they are higher level and have bit more hp. I still havent found better place for netherweave and signets though, arcane tomes seem to drop more often there too.
Edited, May 22nd 2007 6:21am by Sethy
TBC needs a deal like thisthe old ZG one is getting all dingy.....
As an affliction lock I use SB either as an opener or to burn down mobs in instances.
While solo'ing I'll close to just within range, fire off a SB and immediately start casting UA. Both should hit about the same time, and even if the bolt hits first, the mob still has to run to you, giving you time to finish UA. Other than that I'll use it if I'm chaining a lot of mobs and I just HoT'd my first group or whenever nightfall procs. Other than that there's no point in trying to cast it while a mob wails away on me when I could be DL'ing that hp back and increasing my chance of nightfall.
During instances it's something else. You shouldn't be getting hit that often, so using drain life is sometimes a bit of a waste. Now and then I'll do a LT/DL, but if I need mana that's what my imp and dark pact is for. Additionally, a lot of healers will still waste heals on you if you LT a lot, even if you tell them not too, so I find it more efficient to lay on a few dots, finish up the mobs with SB, and then DP back to full. This goes doubly so against bosses. Load them up with dots and then SB until they need refreshing. The chance to crit with SB vs DL already makes it better for long fights, and if you talent imp SB those crits will boost your damage even more, along with any shadow priest's in your group, which always makes them happy.
While solo'ing I'll close to just within range, fire off a SB and immediately start casting UA. Both should hit about the same time, and even if the bolt hits first, the mob still has to run to you, giving you time to finish UA. Other than that I'll use it if I'm chaining a lot of mobs and I just HoT'd my first group or whenever nightfall procs. Other than that there's no point in trying to cast it while a mob wails away on me when I could be DL'ing that hp back and increasing my chance of nightfall.
During instances it's something else. You shouldn't be getting hit that often, so using drain life is sometimes a bit of a waste. Now and then I'll do a LT/DL, but if I need mana that's what my imp and dark pact is for. Additionally, a lot of healers will still waste heals on you if you LT a lot, even if you tell them not too, so I find it more efficient to lay on a few dots, finish up the mobs with SB, and then DP back to full. This goes doubly so against bosses. Load them up with dots and then SB until they need refreshing. The chance to crit with SB vs DL already makes it better for long fights, and if you talent imp SB those crits will boost your damage even more, along with any shadow priest's in your group, which always makes them happy.
I use this and this usually and I swap to little mushroom only when I kill something really easy.
Funny you mentioned ZG, last week our guild wanted to do some raiding practice so they picked Zul'Gurub. It was such a mess and the funniest raid I had a chance to participate in. Actually I dont think anyone wanted any of drops they were all DEd :)
I really wish people would do Old World instances more often, some of them look so amazing.
Funny you mentioned ZG, last week our guild wanted to do some raiding practice so they picked Zul'Gurub. It was such a mess and the funniest raid I had a chance to participate in. Actually I dont think anyone wanted any of drops they were all DEd :)
I really wish people would do Old World instances more often, some of them look so amazing.
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I really wish people would do Old World instances more often, some of them look so amazing
well idk u but my guild and I did AQ40 the other day, it went about 2x as fast as wehn ay 60, but besides that, it was the same thing, fun to go back and remember ol' times, but nothing more,nothing more :p
redbarrom wrote:
i am SM/ruin(best spec ever) with a few extra points for conflag and backlash, all i do to kill pretty much anything non elite is stack dots then one shadowbolt, conflag and drain soul...dead, and the drain soul gives me 15% mana back so in all iv used only about 2% mana same for PvP and when SB crits(which it does a lot) i dnt need to conflag plus my nether prot scares the sh*te out of shadow priests(******** and PoM/fire mages.
O.o
I wonder if you talk the same way you write... and how people around you react on that.
Best spec for you doesnt have to be best spec for everyone.
For anything nonelite I dont even use DoTs anymore except Cos and eventually Corr on noncasters and when my SB crits the mob is usually oneshotted. Well, lets say my felguard counts as one more DoT...
Same as I dont like big words about best specs - it all depends on player and how he/she likes to play; I dont like to see other classes being called ******** There are idiots in every class.
I suggest we just ignore that crazy fool above me, I've not seen him post anything notable other than "Demonology sucks/Felguards suck/you suck/vacuum cleaners suck."
Despite my spec (Demonology) I use the occasional Shadow Bolt... one after I DoT the mob up, maybe one later on if it's a tough mob. SInce the rest of my time is spent Draining/Tapping Life, I can make up the mana if I limit myself (conveniently, the point at which I gain aggro is around the point where I can't make up my mana afterwards :P) to one or two.
In a group, however, everything changes. I DoT everything up and chain-cast my Shadow Bolts but stop the second I think I'm about to aggro.
Edited, May 25th 2007 9:51am by ecirphsoj
Despite my spec (Demonology) I use the occasional Shadow Bolt... one after I DoT the mob up, maybe one later on if it's a tough mob. SInce the rest of my time is spent Draining/Tapping Life, I can make up the mana if I limit myself (conveniently, the point at which I gain aggro is around the point where I can't make up my mana afterwards :P) to one or two.
In a group, however, everything changes. I DoT everything up and chain-cast my Shadow Bolts but stop the second I think I'm about to aggro.
Edited, May 25th 2007 9:51am by ecirphsoj
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if ur master demo buff and other demo spec buffs disapear its ur own fault for taking the worst lock spec then, demo spec sucks.
O RLY?
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and i never liked the fel guard
YA RLY.
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I never said Felguards suck, there's just no point to them. In saying this, I fully prove my hypocrisy to everyone around these boards.
By the way, a spell-checker wouldn't help this guy. Ran it through Word...
I never seed Felguard sucks threes just no point to it.
Damn, where does this guy get it from! My posts aren't half as funny as his!
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if u want u play demo spec its up to u if want low dmg,
Have you ever tryed demo spec? Are you aware of the tallents it provides? Look I am no Demo spec Fanboy, but if you take the time to look at the tree you see that survivability allows a demo lock to unload damage the same as any other spec, they just do it diffrently and at a diffrent rate. Take a felguard lock to Scholo and see who can kill the magic immune skellies faster, the demo spec or any other lock....
What a fleguard lock should have that makes them fantastic.
Master Demonolgist buff(+35 to all resists) and +5% to all damage
Soul Link +5% more damage and the whole 20% mitigation deal
Demonic knowlage +15% of summoned pets STA+INT is added to your spell damage
Demonic Tatics +5% mroe crit for you and pet.
Now thats not "Low Damage" specialy when they have 20 tallent points to fortify themselves even more.
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i am actually a comedian
Not a very good one
That and my oh-so-subtle sarcasm throughout the post...
You would be stupid to spell right because I would have to be retarded to read it?
I have a terrible sense of humour in thinking that a comedian is laughable (note: BIG difference between laughable and funny)?
Oh-kay, and another question for you. Your Imp dies while soloing. Say, every fifteen minutes. How would you feel if you could get it back for less than half the mana of a Shadow Bolt (hey, a reminder of how OT we're becoming!) in half a second?
You would be stupid to spell right because I would have to be retarded to read it?
I have a terrible sense of humour in thinking that a comedian is laughable (note: BIG difference between laughable and funny)?
Oh-kay, and another question for you. Your Imp dies while soloing. Say, every fifteen minutes. How would you feel if you could get it back for less than half the mana of a Shadow Bolt (hey, a reminder of how OT we're becoming!) in half a second?
Low damage indeed.....
You should see dps meter from our last fun run.
1. 70 mage
2. me - 70 demo lock
3. 68 mage (quite a bit under me)
4. my felguard
5. 70 druid
6. 69 paladin
Now if you add 2. and 4. place together...
You, sir, have no clue.
Edited, May 25th 2007 4:40pm by Sethy
You should see dps meter from our last fun run.
1. 70 mage
2. me - 70 demo lock
3. 68 mage (quite a bit under me)
4. my felguard
5. 70 druid
6. 69 paladin
Now if you add 2. and 4. place together...
You, sir, have no clue.
Edited, May 25th 2007 4:40pm by Sethy
All by myself? I AM all by myself when I include my pet..... that is why I have 43 talents in him. My pet is part of my toolbar and my damage.
Telling demo lock he can or cant do something without his pet is same as telling the mentioned mage to dump fireball/frostbolt/arcane missiles/we - idiotic.
Now you convinced me you have no idea about locks whatsoever. How about log in WoW and actually play something before you start trolling forums?
Telling demo lock he can or cant do something without his pet is same as telling the mentioned mage to dump fireball/frostbolt/arcane missiles/we - idiotic.
Now you convinced me you have no idea about locks whatsoever. How about log in WoW and actually play something before you start trolling forums?
I agree: telling a Demonolgy 'lock to win with no minion is like telling a polar bear to kick your *** in the Sahara. They're out of their element but trust me, we'd be eating your corpse if we could.
I think this has gone on long enough, can someone make this crazy fool shutb his jibber-jabba?
I think this has gone on long enough, can someone make this crazy fool shutb his jibber-jabba?
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