5.4 Demonology Tips and Quirks

[Khalam 3]

Thanks Zagam.

 

So in case new wave comes with adds (4-5) that will be alive for about 20 sec. I should just HoG, apply corruption to main target, SB, HoG and pop into meta to apply Doom to all and then dps single target?

 

Zagam are you doing any streams?

 

Regards

[Zagam 1,982]

I'd keep Corr up only on main target or a major secondary target.  For 4+ adds, it would depend on the length of time spent alive.  I won't usually bother Doom'ing them, but they definitely get the Shadowflame and Felstorm treatment.

 

I don't stream.  My guild has 3 streamers as it is and I don't feel the need to add to that.  There are better Warlock streamers out there than me.

[Khalam 3]

Thanks already seeing flaws in my rotation. I used to corruption all, doom all and when I was finally able to launch SB almost everything was dead.

 

I need to be in meta and score killing blow to receive bonus DF?

[tassadar 1]

Is it worth it trying to play Demo only having 510 UVLS?

[Zagam 1,982]

Thanks already seeing flaws in my rotation. I used to corruption all, doom all and when I was finally able to launch SB almost everything was dead.

 

I need to be in meta and score killing blow to receive bonus DF?

Yep.

 

Is it worth it trying to play Demo only having 510 UVLS?

Proc rate isn't largely different.  Still procs at the beginning when it's important.

[Soulzar 42]

Hi,

 

Recently I wanted to learn demo for aoe fights since its affli weakness (main spec). I tried demo on Galakras and was doing 170-200k dps, 

Regards

 

To add to what Zagam wrote, Corruption is pathetic right now and is barely more than a fury generator so as mentioned don't fret much about getting it up on mobs that are not going to be your focus target or live for its duration.  The Legendary proc does more dmg than Corruption single target, which gives you an idea of where it stands.

 

Main things for Demo AoE is to get your Double Stacked Shadowflame up, buffed by going into meta before it lands.... and your Pets Felstorm.  I like to make sure I have Aura of elements up, and make liberal use of Glyphed Carrion Swarm.  Unfortunately Voidray is a bit broken right now, and Harvest life is no longer an Aoe option as a backup.

 

Mannoroths Fury and GoServe are also talents that can further boost your demo aoe burst.

 

And yes, you need the killing blow while in meta for the 100 DF bonus

[Twinkielock 15]

Zagam,

I know you're playing affliction now, just wondering if you had time to try demo yet?

[Zagam 1,982]

I'm Demo/Destro.  I dropped Affliction because it's my least favorite.  Affliction has people using Soul Swap with UVLS a lot...it's pretty easy to transfer 100% crit DoTs around.  I just prefer Demo's playstyle.

[Zagam 1,982]

For those curious, I'm looking at 20-25% uptime on the 2pc bonus (expected with 1 out of 5 Soul Fire casts) with a priority on casting it until the buff is up then switching to Shadowbolt/Touch of Chaos.

 

The real amazing thing is popping in the 4pc bonus.  This bonus is INCREDIBLY potent.  I tested it for one hour last night and found the 8% to be pretty accurate.  You can expect a proc every 12.5 casts...the beauty is the synergy between the two in that you use one to get a damage buff then fish for 4pc procs. 

 

I can confirm HoG does NOT stack above 2 for Shadowflame. 

I can confirm that HoG procs do NOT consume a charge.

I can confirm that the proc can happen when you do NOT have any charges.

I can confirm that popping into Metamorphosis while a proc'd HoG falls WILL receive the benefit of Meta much like using Meta to buff your casted HoG.

I can confirm that Chaos Wave procs do NOT cost Demonic Fury, nor do they use a charge.

I can confirm that HoG procs do NOT cost mana.

 

Basically, it's free damage.  I haven't gotten to test the 4pc in a raid situation yet, but that'll be tonight if I don't sit for normal cleanup or Flex on Sunday.  I can tell you in the 5 man and test dummy experiments, the extra damage was HUGE. 

 

http://www.worldoflogs.com/reports/rt-83u1tdz9ai61gjtz/details/3/?s=6821&e=6987 <- here is a shitty 2:45 parse on Malkorok where I wiped the raid with Displaced Energy.  Call it a brain fart...I thought the range was 5 yards, not 8, so I killed everyone.  But, what I want to point out is the number of casts, uptimes, etc.

 

23 Soul Fires for a Fiery Wrath uptime of 18%.  It had proc'd 3 times.  This was on the low end of RNG as I would have expected 4 or 5.

 

24 Shadow Bolts and 56 Touch of Chaoses for a total of 80 "fillers."  With an 8% proc rate, I would expect approximately 6-7 free HoGs or Chaos Waves with 4pc (will see tonight if I don't sit). 

 

Shadowflame uptime was 30.6% which will be buffed with 4pc.  Shadowflame was also my 3rd highest damage source coming from me, not counting my Wild Imps.  Note that at this point, I had 9 HoGs, so getting an extra 6-7 would almost DOUBLE the number of HoGs during an attempt.  This is HUGE.  Increased Demonic Fury is an extra bonus coming from Shadowflame.  I'm pretty sure Shadowflame also procs Molten Core.

 

I think it's pretty hilarious to see Displaced Energy under my DPS.  I hope the WoW logs fix this or people will have a hayday killing teammates for better DPS numbers.  I promise you, that was not my intent...

[mediocregatsby 18]

that's awesome news!

 

so then would it be ideal to get a 4pc proc in caster form, use 1 manual charge of HOG to get 2 stacks of shadowflame, then use the 2nd manual charge of HOG and pop into meta? sounds like this would get a 3x duration of shadowflame with 2/3 of that being a double stack shadowflame plus the stance-danced bonus damage on the last hit.

[Zagam 1,982]

Not sure you want to delay Meta waiting for a proc that long.  I think if it happens, sweet.  If not, don't wait on it type ordeal.  It's just as nice getting a satisfying free Chaos Wave.  I did have a satisfying moment in a 5 man last night.  Some 4 man guild team came in to get quick valor and probably thought they were carrying the 5th, which happened to be me. We pulled first boss and I did 750k to it while they did like 350k.  This is the dialogue:

 

Other Warlock: must be nice to be so geared but so bad.  Only noobs cast Chaos Wave single target

Me: yeah, you're right about two of those three comments.

Other Hunter to his Warlock: um, that dude has his 4pc.  Think maybe it proc'd?

Me: the cake is a lie

Other Warlock: ...my bad dude.  Are you the Zagam on Icy Veins?

Me: no, that dude is a tool

Other Warlock: ...

Tank: ROFLMAO

 

Instance went on to be the fastest Scarlet Armory ever. 

[Hurtlocker 11]

It probably felt like the longest Scarlet Armory run for that other lock.

[Soulzar 42]

Scarlet Armory is so fast!  My fav thing to do is to sprint/leap, double HoG the first mini boss and kill him before anybody else gets in range :D

 

More on topic, from my testing of 4p on PTR, there is really no gaming of the 4p bonus outside of meta.  Its literally just free dmg that happens.  Outside of Meta you are generally chewing up MC charges to fish for the 2 piece and with UVLS you will be casting SF half the time single target and even less multi target.  Additionally due to the RNG of the proc, it generally overlaps a fresh Shadowflame due to procing as your casting HoG in the first place.  You get more benefit from the bonus in Meta IMO since while Shadowflame does more DMG, Chaos Wave does not overlap itself and can be procced more frequently with an instant cast vs SB cast time.

 

Seems like we'll be procing 2p outside of meta and fishing for 4p while in meta.

 

That said, 2p/2p is a sexy combo

[Rakupenda 15]

Want to buy...

[mediocregatsby 18]

Not sure you want to delay Meta waiting for a proc that long.  I think if it happens, sweet.  If not, don't wait on it type ordeal.  It's just as nice getting a satisfying free Chaos Wave.  I did have a satisfying moment in a 5 man last night.  Some 4 man guild team came in to get quick valor and probably thought they were carrying the 5th, which happened to be me. We pulled first boss and I did 750k to it while they did like 350k.  This is the dialogue:

 

Other Warlock: must be nice to be so geared but so bad.  Only noobs cast Chaos Wave single target

Me: yeah, you're right about two of those three comments.

Other Hunter to his Warlock: um, that dude has his 4pc.  Think maybe it proc'd?

Me: the cake is a lie

Other Warlock: ...my bad dude.  Are you the Zagam on Icy Veins?

Me: no, that dude is a tool

Other Warlock: ...

Tank: ROFLMAO

 

Instance went on to be the fastest Scarlet Armory ever. 

omg lol that is gold. kinda sad he'd check meters for your spellcasts when he just got smacked on DPS anyway.

[Omaric 246]

Not sure you want to delay Meta waiting for a proc that long.  I think if it happens, sweet.  If not, don't wait on it type ordeal.  It's just as nice getting a satisfying free Chaos Wave.  I did have a satisfying moment in a 5 man last night.  Some 4 man guild team came in to get quick valor and probably thought they were carrying the 5th, which happened to be me. We pulled first boss and I did 750k to it while they did like 350k.  This is the dialogue:

 

Other Warlock: must be nice to be so geared but so bad.  Only noobs cast Chaos Wave single target

Me: yeah, you're right about two of those three comments.

Other Hunter to his Warlock: um, that dude has his 4pc.  Think maybe it proc'd?

Me: the cake is a lie

Other Warlock: ...my bad dude.  Are you the Zagam on Icy Veins?

Me: no, that dude is a tool

Other Warlock: ...

Tank: ROFLMAO

 

Instance went on to be the fastest Scarlet Armory ever. 

 

I have so much respect for you right now.  I'm going to start doing 5-mans until people recognize me now too.

 

"Hey, aren't you that mod fart on Icy Veins?"

 

"OMG YES I AM!  No more words......"

[Annoroth 5]

I have so much respect for you right now.  I'm going to start doing 5-mans until people recognize me now too.

 

"Hey, aren't you that mod fart on Icy Veins?"

 

"OMG YES I AM!  No more words......"

 

Actually, speaking of, are you the Omaric from the Descendants of Draenor blog stories?

[Omaric 246]

Maaaaaaaaaaybeeeeee.......

[mediocregatsby 18]

random question i've always wanted to ask: does anyone else have trouble getting their felguard to use felstorm? sometimes i press it and it does the GCD animation on the hotkey but doesnt actually fire. i dont know if this is a weird bug or lag, but if it's because the felguard doesnt have enough energy, then shouldnt the button be greyed out and NOT trigger the GCD animation? 

[bangorme 0]

omg lol that is gold. kinda sad he'd check meters for your spellcasts when he just got smacked on DPS anyway.

Yeah, if I were in that situation I would have said "Teach me... PLEASE!!!!!"  Even if it wasn't you, the difference in dps should have inspired a degree of humility.

Edited September 19, 2013 by bangorme

[Zagam 1,982]

random question i've always wanted to ask: does anyone else have trouble getting their felguard to use felstorm? sometimes i press it and it does the GCD animation on the hotkey but doesnt actually fire. i dont know if this is a weird bug or lag, but if it's because the felguard doesnt have enough energy, then shouldnt the button be greyed out and NOT trigger the GCD animation? 

Yes, Felguard spams his abilities, so pooling his energy is an issue.  Wrathguard behaves in the opposite...he uses abilities when he gets to full energy.  It's a thing I've sent tickets to try to get improved.  No such go.

[mediocregatsby 18]

speaking of wrathguard, how are you enjoying supremacy? i'm still seeing top parses using service but that could just be old habits, or a super marginal difference.

[tassadar 1]

Now that's a silly question, I know. I've played destro all the way from 5.1, and now am trying to switch to demo - just for fun. I easily do 210-220 sustained dps as a destro (Sha of Pride), but cannot pass 140k mark as demo. Now, the question is: how does one learn playing demo? Is it raid dummy training, constant stream of LFRs and LFGs, doing dailies with one hand tied to your back, or what? Do I have to play "Live to win" in background in order to succeed in learning?

 

Thank you.

[vladMTL 1]

Now that's a silly question, I know. I've played destro all the way from 5.1, and now am trying to switch to demo - just for fun. I easily do 210-220 sustained dps as a destro (Sha of Pride), but cannot pass 140k mark as demo. Now, the question is: how does one learn playing demo? Is it raid dummy training, constant stream of LFRs and LFGs, doing dailies with one hand tied to your back, or what? Do I have to play "Live to win" in background in order to succeed in learning?

 

Thank you.

 

hehe somewhat i feel your pain bro

 

i'm ok with aff and destro ( which is a total failure now imo ) and trying to get back in the saddle with demo but goddamn i feel it to be such a pain ... i'm somewhere 180k-200k dps with demo but ... i feel that i fail badly sometimes because of lack of practice i presume but overall YES i don't get it sometimes how can i be so damn stupid trying to bust my fingers playing something that's everything but fun due to its complications / micromanagement nig*ery yet in the end it's the same ... still wanna have THAT viable offspec when its needed or like Zagam says don't pigeon in one spec hoping for the best ... so frustrating

 

i think practice makes it perfect but it sure looks like damn slavery sometimes loel 

 

edit: forgot to mention that  the ULVS opener is just ... LOL ... i feel like shooting someone for making me just remember that :(

Edited September 20, 2013 by vldsb

[ungas 0]

this is my first post here not sure if this is the right thread to post at.

anyway is it just me or does t16 2pc and 4 pc for demo bonuses doesnt sync. by the time you reach burn phase t16 4pc bonus would be useless..

Edited September 20, 2013 by ungas