ItriedoutanEchoesofDoomversionofSL/SLwithDemonicEmpowerment,DemonicResilience,andSiphonLifeforPvPbutitsimplywasn'tviable.AtLevel70,atleast,IfoundthatSL/SLnolongerstoodachanceagainsttheincredibledamagepotentialoftheotherclasses.RetributionPaladins,particularly,dealsuchridiculousburstdamagethatputtingpointsinsurvivabilityispointless.Pardontheirony.Clearlyhybridizationofthissortisnolongerviableinthenewage,andIhearthedeathknellofSL/SL,whichIdeeplymourn.
Totopitalloff,we'resimplysquishierthaneverinPvP.We'velostStamina,loweredsurvivability,andneedtomakemajorsacrificesinPvPifwe'retopursuedeepAfflictionorDestruction.Thankfully,Blizzardrecognizedthisand-accordingtoGhostcrawler-willbemakinganimportantchangetoSoulLinkbyincreasingthedamageabsorbedto20%.Itwillstillbeinacessibleifwetake51-pointtalentsatLevel70,butitshouldbealrightbyLevel80.Unfortunately,whenwefinallygetthere,we'llbesharinggearwithlowlifeMagesandPriests.Imeanthatliterally-thoseguyssimplyusedtohavelowerlifetotals.
Demonology
Let'sfaceit,playersdiveintotheDemonologytreejustforsurvivability.WiththelossofSL/SL,thebestwaytogetsomemeasureofprotectionagainstthebanesofourclassistogetthehalf-bakedMetamorphosis(herewego).IhateMetamorphosis.Itepitomizesexactlywhat'swrongwiththeDemonologytreerightnow.The51-pointtalentisahalf-bakedabilitythathelpsusescapethecrunchofmelee,aswellasgivesusamassivearmorboost-it'sexcellentforPvP.Infact,asidefromthe20%damageboost,itfeelsverymuchlikeaPvPtalent.
So...whyonearthdowegetChallengingHowl?ExactlywhenwillweneedtoAoEtank?ChallengingHowlissonarrowlyusefulthatIfeellikeit'sacompletewasteofanability.Wecertainlydon'teverwanttouseitinaraid,600%armornotwithstanding.Thenthere'sDemonCharge,whichisanawesomestun,buttheclasseswehavetroublewithandwanttostunaretheclasseswewanttogetawayfrom.Idon'tknowwhyIwouldwanttochargetowardsaRogue,aWarrior,or-demonsforbid-aRetributionPaladin.WhatamIsupposedtodowhenIgettothem?ShadowCleave?Why?SotheycanunleashKilingSpree,Bladestorm,orDivineStormonmydemonass,probably.InPvE,I'mnotabouttochargeabossandstartwhackingawayathim,amI?
ThebestabilityasademonisImmolationAura,whichdealsexcellentdamagebutagain-andthisreallybogglesme-Ineedtobeinmeleerangeforittowork.Metamorphosistransformsusfromarangedclasstoameleeclassfor30seconds.It'sacompleteparadigmshiftthat'sunnecessaryandclumsy.TheonlygreatpartofthisspellforPvEisthe20%bonustodamage,whichwecanworkintoourDPScycleatleastonceperfight.OneworkableuseistosacrificeeithertheSuccubusortheImpforthedurationofMetamorphosisforall-outdamage.
Still,whenwedothis,wewon'tbeusinganyoftheabilitiesasademon!Whenwe'vesacrificedourpetandstartspammingShadowBoltsandcyclethroughourspells,wewon'tbetouchinganyoftheuniquedemonabilitiesbecauseitwilldropourDPSsignificantly.I'mupsetaboutthistalentbecauseIseriouslycan'tfigureitout.Ithadthepotentialtobeoneofthecoolestspellsinthegame,butinsteadit'sjustconfusing.Ifyouguysmanagetousethissuccessfullyinraids,orevenPvPagainstmeleeclasses,feelfreetodiscussinthecommentsbelow.
Furthermore,therearenootheractivewaystoincreaseourpet'scritratingotherthantoinvestpointsinImprovedDemonicTactics.Whyisn'tthereacritversionofSporelingSnackorKibler'sBits?WithfullDemonicEmpathyandDemonicPact,wewanttohaveourpetcritscalesomehow.WewanttheDemonicPactbufftobecompetitiveotherspellbuffswithwhichitwon'tstack.
Well,forgetSL/SL.Thatclearlywasn'tworkingforme.InthisdayandageofArcaneBarrage,DivineStorm,andBladestorm,it'sallaboutdishingoutdamage.SoIwentfull56/0/5fullAfflictionanddecidedtofocusonjustdishingoutsomepaininsteadoftryingtotakeit,evenskippingoverPvPtalentsentirelyjustsoIcouldkeepupwithallthisinsanedamageinthe3.0.2world.ThegoodnewsisthatAfflictionisincrediblyfun.IknowGhostcrawlersaidinthesamepostastheSoulLinkchangethatWarlockDPSisn'twhereitshouldbe,andI'mgladthatwe'regettingpassivebuffs.ShadowMasteryfor15%moreShadowdamage?Nomnomnomnom!
Afflictionishauntinglybeautiful.ThetreefeelssosynergisticformeandcoupledwithGlyphofCorruptionstackingwithNightfall,itfeelslikeIcanspamShadowBoltsmorethanever.Becauseofthis,IslappedonGlyphofShadowBolt,too,althoughIneverquiterunoutofmanawiththisspec.Hauntisphenomenallyfun,andI'vebeenscramblingformorecritgearjusttosqueezemoreoutofPandemic.Damageoutputfeelsgood,natural,andsynergisticwithmanytalentsinthetree.ThenewSpellstonesarebrilliant,andIthinkI'mgoingtosavemoneyoffnoteverhavingtobuymanaoilsagain.
InPvE,thespecfeelsgreat.Ipresslotsofbuttons,slowlygettingmyrotationinorder,endupdoingwhopperdamage.IcheatinMountHyjalbecauseit'sjustaSeedofCorruptionfestandgettinghastefrommyspellstoneandEradicationprocsonlymeansIcankeepspammingitthatmuchfaster.Itcritsquiteabit,too,becauseofImprovedCorruption.ButAfflictiondamageonbossesisprettyawesome,toobecausethelengthofthefightjustletstheperiodicdamagejustgetstrongerandstronger,thankstoEverlastingAffliction.I'mnotgoingtothrowoutanynumbersherebecauseIjustdon'thavethemrightnow,butI'llsaythatplayingAfflictionrightnowisaboutthemostfunI'vehadinalongtime.
TheonlyrealcaveatisinPvP,becausegoingfullAfflictionwith5pointsinBanemeansIhaveaboutasmuchsurvivabilityasawettissuepaper.IskippedthemoveimpairingabilitiesbecauseI'lltellyourightnowthatthey'reuselessinPvPinthecurrentenvironment.Classessimplyhavetoomanyabilitiestocounterkitingandtheoneclassthat'seasytokite-thePaladin-caninstagibme.Afflictionisnotaboutsurvivabilityrightnow.ThatisstillthedomainofDemonology.
Tags:Patch3.0.2