5.4 Destruction Tips and Quirks

[Zagam 1,982]

Now run LFR or Flex or something, really anything.  Upload the logs and link them here.  Then we will figure out how to make your performance grow.

[Zanzal 6]

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Edited November 19, 2013 by Zanzal

[Drafty53 17]

Hey Zag,

Looking to hear more about your feedback on your low haste build from the other night. Are you going to continue to experiment or do you think you are going to favor Mastery > Crit > Haste as a more set in stone priority now?

[Zagam 1,982]

It's just my preference.

[Drafty53 17]

It's just my preference.

So what about your OS? If you ever decide to play affliction/demo for a fight will you just reforge/re-gem for that fight (Since both those specs favor mastery>haste>crit) or are you comfortable enough to play destro on all SoO fights at this point?

[Cinaede 0]

Hey, Cinaede!

Zanzal here! Just like Zag said, don't sell yourself short for being a girl or a blonde. Took me a little bit to get of the hang of it, but that will happen to everyone. Now I'm proud to say I'm in a 9/14 Heroic guild and pullin' numbers like a champ, with much help coming from the warlocks at Icy-Veins.

At least you're looking in the right place. Some of the best warlocks (and players) in game are here and can answer all of your questions.

I'm always running things. I'll probably do a couple LFR wings this week if you want to join. I can tell you what I see immediately and then we can look at logs and see if there is any underlying performance issues.

 

Zanzal#1932

 Hey There THANKS! I sent you a battle tag req, I still need secrets so I am down with lfr =) just let me know

[Zagam 1,982]

So what about your OS? If you ever decide to play affliction/demo for a fight will you just reforge/re-gem for that fight (Since both those specs favor mastery>haste>crit) or are you comfortable enough to play destro on all SoO fights at this point?

I don't OS anymore.  Destruction is rock solid for all Heroic fights.

[Kazistrasz 216]

How do you handle Thok?

[Zagam 1,982]

Not let myself get interrupted.  Use Backdraft for Chaos Bolt.  Keep Immolate up.  Abuse Havoc with the Jailer to get 3 Shadowburns on the Jailer + Thok.  Use Ember Tap when necessary.  Rape the bats with Fire and Brimstone + Unending Resolve.

[Kazistrasz 216]

Do you have to have that 10124 breakpoint to fit CB with Backdraft in the window? Will Incin fit without Backdraft?

[Zilthy 36]

I probably will sound like a newbie here, but to me, the mastery > haste > crit (demo/aff) vs mastery > crit > haste (dest) seems fairly minimal once hitting 560 ilvl or so.

 

It's pretty easy to hit haste breakpoints (+2 shadowflame etc...) or get crit up higher for bigger hits.  As long as mastery stays highest priority, I can shift between those (at least with my gear) and keep mastery as high as I can get.

 

The one thing I *do* find, however, is I do better with haste.  One is, I like the feel better, the other is, I find it is slightly more forgiving.  But, the bottom line is, 5k haste and 10k crit, vs 10k haste and 5k crit, is probably around 500 - 800 dps tops, not a game breaker or maker there.

 

As far as Thok goes, Demo is not a magic bullet, at least not like during first couple weeks when UVLS still was, well either working or OP depending on POV.   At least from what I've seen, still need to weave in Soulfire and the occasional shadowbolt and cannot rely on the instant Touch of Chaos and still hold up numbers.

 

I did toy around a bit with still using Imp Swarm, but end up giving up far too much during the blood frenzy phase, when it's pretty much open season for ranged on Thok unless focused.

[Lezzr 0]

for thok hc:

 

use glyphed havoc

use glyphed unending resolve

use KJC

 

in p1 once interrupts get fast use backdraft for empowered Chaosbolts or easily fit incinerate between interrupts

if u feel not confident u can use fel flame

use unending resolve to get off some empowered chaos bolts

keep RoF up

as stated: abuse jailer for 3-6 (6 wont happen here) shadowburns

 

kiting phase: stay close to boss and spam incinerate - he wont ever target u if u are the closest person to him. ofc dont die after he turns around for new target ;)

 

in p2 bats incing and the party begins!

 

burn the shit out of them with UE + FnB - i usually pop second pot + dark soul here

 

remember glyphed havoc and execute 6 times on bats = instant ~ 12m damage

 

destro is totally viable and alot of fun to play on thok hc.

[Errinkel 9]

I probably will sound like a newbie here, but to me, the mastery > haste > crit (demo/aff) vs mastery > crit > haste (dest) seems fairly minimal once hitting 560 ilvl or so.

No you sound like an oldbie with that comment, though this forum does have trouble convincing people that the difference is minimal. Interesting how we find one vs the other to "feel" better; much as you prefer haste, I like crit.

[Zagam 1,982]

Do you have to have that 10124 breakpoint to fit CB with Backdraft in the window? Will Incin fit without Backdraft?

Nope.  I'm at 3k Haste and had no issues.

[Zanzal 6]

I don't OS anymore.  Destruction is rock solid for all Heroic fights.

This. There are certain fights where our Affliction lock with beat me (Protectors, duhhhh) but even with my lower ilvl I'm matching him in dps on all other heroic fights.

 

[Zanzal 6]

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Edited November 19, 2013 by Zanzal

[JvChequer 43]

Finally Got my 4tp.

 

i sacrifice an Warforged legs for it but it's OK.

 

But I feel that with 4TP crit loses a bit your value, I'm thinking about maintain at least 10k~ haste, to maintain certain uptime of the 4tp, filling up at least 1 e.bit per second.

 

 

PS: Now I play Affliction only on Protectors, Iron Jugg and Nazgrim Heroic. Thok Heroic I'll play destro for the bats probably.

Edited November 8, 2013 by JvChequer

[Muoric 3]

Well you gain an average of 3k crit from the 4 piece (with ~1/3 uptime). Considering how close crit and haste are for destro, I go for ~10k haste and then crit also. Served me just fine so far, it's all about how you play anyway. Then again I do go affli on protectors, nazgrim and thok. But that's mostly due to being more familiar with affli on those fights than a real necessity. I think out of our 4 locks the 3 others play destro on those fights also.

Personally if you're progressing just go with destro and get used to it for that fight. Works better in the long run imo. I'll prob grab destruction for those 3 fights also when we're done with garrosh. Keep my affli os purely for pvp funsies (=vicious saddle).

Edited November 8, 2013 by Muoric

[PhilColins 9]

Destruction is perfectly viable for all heroics because there are so many chances to shadowburn cleave onto the main target. Even for strictly single target, IJ I'm looking at you, GoSac destro with heroic KTT pushes 2M+ chaos bolts which is just silly.

Seriously nerf it already.

[gahhda 95]

Not let myself get interrupted.  Use Backdraft for Chaos Bolt.  Keep Immolate up.  Abuse Havoc with the Jailer to get 3 Shadowburns on the Jailer + Thok.  Use Ember Tap when necessary.  Rape the bats with Fire and Brimstone + Unending Resolve.

 

I entirely take credit for teaching him that :P, but in all seriousness affliction is better on thok in almost all cases for progression. Destruction requires perfect play to match/surpass affliction on it.

[Drafty53 17]

@ Zagam, in your current low hast/high crit build, do you find you have to consume 3 backdrafts in your opener to get a second chaosbolt in under those 10 second procs?? Or between the meta gem and troll racial you can do still get it? For whatever reason I am having trouble getting that second chaosbolt off before the proc from my KTT where's off. I hate that it procs so fast (usually when I apply CoE) and my second chaosbolt is usually a second late. I have the troll racial, meta gem and about 5,500 haste.

Edited November 12, 2013 by Drafty53

[Zagam 1,982]

I try not to, but I use Berserking, so it's no problem.

[Drafty53 17]

Sorry to sound like a noob, but I'm still working on it here at dummy's...Between 2x Conflagerate and 4 Incins before the two Chaosbolts how is it possible that your guys are getting off your second chasobolt before the KTT procs end?

[Omaric 246]

Generally by sacrificing 3 charges of Backdraft to fit in the 2nd.  I sacrifice 3 charges for CB's pretty liberally when I've got a lot of procs going.

[Muoric 3]

What Omaric said. Found myself using a lot of backdrafts on garrosh for cbs just to get them off before I had to move (annihilate, desecrate etc). With current gear levels (570 atm) I wouldn't worry too much about backdrafts.