Single Target DPS Help

[JillyBean4179 1]

So I've been told that I need to get my single target DPS up a little for ToT (which we are starting this weekend, apparently skipping over ToES, which is my favorite, but that's another story). My AoE is fine, no complaints, and I'm top or 2nd DPS in every fight, but still need to get single target better.

I follow the IV rotation for the most part. I tend to use my Molten Core procs when I'm not in Metamorphosis, so I can spend more time in Meta (which I have a feeling will come in as a handy habit when 5.4 hits and KJC gets screwed ... right?), I make sure Corruption is up before I go into Meta, and hit Doom first then hit it again right before I run out of Fury. Hand of Gul'dan is used normally, and I'm the only Lock in the group right now, so I've got Elements up at all times (I've been practicing keeping Enfeeblement up during LFR because we're supposed to have a second Lock start raiding with us). Um, what else. Oh, I just got a new ring, and haven't enchanted it or reforged yet (but there won't be that much change when I do, anyway).

I've got Destro as my offspec, but really had trouble getting the hang of it, so I'm sticking with Demon. If changing specs is going to be the only way to get my single target up while keeping my AoE damage high, I can do it, I'll just have to spend a lot of time getting used to the new rotation between now and Friday night.

I've probably got too much info, but I don't know what is helpful and what isn't, so I'd rather have too much than too little. And I'm not sure what info is needed off World of Logs, so this link is for the page that comes up when I select my name from the last run we did, the first 3 bosses (and wipes on the 4th) of HoF last weekend.

http://www.worldoflo...x7bs/details/3/

http://us.battle.net...d/Jilyan/simple

Thanks in advance for all your help.

[Zagam 1,982]

Imperial Vizier Issues:

1) Corruption and Doom uptimes are in the mid 70%. This is bad. Make this higher.

2) You never casted Soulfire in Metamorphosis. This should be done with Dark Soul up. My guess is you were likely capped on Molten Core charges for most of the fight.

3) Metamorphosis uptime of 30% is really low. Increasing your skill and rotation should see this rise into the mid to upper 40% uptime.

4) You used Dark Soul twice in a 6 minute fight. You missed out on 2 possible uses.

Blade Lord...

Your 2 DoT uptimes were 40%. Warlocks are a class designed around DoTs. Making their uptime as close to 100% is an absolute priority. Your spell priority, DoT uptimes, and buff uses are all critical errors in your DPS. These issues persist with all 3 fights that you provided logs for. There's really not much else to say other than take some time and get a better understanding of the rotation you are supposed to be using as well as spell priorities, buffs, and other mechanics.

EDIT: I see you were dead. Dying hurts your DPS, too... Regardless, these are the big things to worry about in order to increase your DPS.

Personally, Destruction is a MUCH MUCH easier spec to play. You have far fewer spells to worry about and much less micromanagement. Unless you take the time to mastery Demonology, I think switching to Destruction will have a much larger, more immediate impact on your DPS.

[JillyBean4179 1]

Yeah, we had some problems with Blade Lord, I got stuck in the tornadoes 3 times and had no heals (I really really *REALLY* hate that fight ... I always get a tornado spawning on me right as I get to the end of the hallway, it never fails). I don't die in that fight until the tornado hallway hits, then I die about 50% of the time. It's really fun when the tornado you're in drops you, and another runs over you before you can even move. There's a special layer of hell reserved for whoever thought up *THAT* mechanic. :)

I'm not sure how my DoTs were at 40% (plus I really don't know how to read the logs yet, this is the first guild I've raided with, aside from "old" Cata content right before MoP hit, and I was basically carried through that cause people were bored). I refresh Corruption when I have 3-5 seconds of it left, and I usually still have a few seconds of Doom when I hit my next Meta. Do I need to pop in and out of Meta as Hand of Gul'dan comes off cooldown?

As for Dark Soul, I have a macro that activates it when I switch into Meta, but discovered today that half the time it doesn't work properly, so I guess I'm going to have to figure out where on my bars I can put it, and just manually activate it. I was also sometimes holding off on going into Meta because I'd have a few seconds left on Dark Soul, should I not do that, and just hit Dark Soul while I'm already in Meta? Should I maybe change the macro so that it activates Imp Swarm at the same time as Dark Soul, then manually go into Meta?

I'll switch over to Destro for a while and mess around with the rotation, see if I can set it up so I'm comfortable with it, before I spend money regemming/reenchanting/reforging everything. On a side note, is there a training dummy that's off by itself, so I can see what my single target is at, without getting additional targets caught up in my Hand of Gul'dan attacks? I know it won't make much difference, but I try to keep my target practice as close to raiding as possible.

[Zagam 1,982]

I wrote this guide to help players read their world of logs records. Take a gander through that and let me know if you have more questions about how to read your logs. Once you understand that, your DPS will go up because you'll have records and proof of what you did and how you are improving!

[JillyBean4179 1]

OK, so I've re-arranged my rotation to take advantage of the Molten Core while I'm in Meta, and made sure to pay more attention to DoTs, and this is what I came up with (different run group, but same gear and gems/enchants/reforging). Looking at my overall damage done, I have 35 missed spells. I thought that hitting the hit cap would prevent that? (I'm actually at 15.02%) Here are links again:

http://us.battle.net/wow/en/character/whisperwind/Jilyan/simple

http://www.worldoflogs.com/reports/sz7qcm8ln2vkd8h3/details/1/

Any thoughts?

[Omaric 246]

Looks good to me. Keep practicing, improve that gear and pray for a UVoLS.

The misses you refer to most likely happened during Epicenter from Feng, which reduces your chance to hit by 75% while it channels.

[JillyBean4179 1]

Yep, those were where almost all the misses came from, I didn't even think about that! The only other one was a Voodoo Doll one.

Right now I just need good mojo to get new shoulders to drop. They're the only under 500 piece I still have, and I'm nowhere near Shado-Pan Assault rep to buy a 522 shoulder. And Jin'rokh has not been cooperating with that recently. :/ I'm still working my way through ToT in LFR, I haven't even killed the first boss of the last wing of it yet, so I have no idea when I'll even get to Lei Shen, much less get a UVoLS to drop.

[Omaric 246]

If you have time, then just grin and bear it through all of the last section. Determination buff will eventually see you through to a Lei Shen kill.

Edited June 26, 2013 by Omaric

[JillyBean4179 1]

I've tried it twice. After a 40 minute queue, I end up in a group with no tanks, 1 healer, and 6 dps. Then we sit around for 20 minutes waiting to get the rest of our group, only to have one of the tanks leave. Then the first healer gets tired of waiting and leaves, too. I'm going to try it again this week, but wasting an hour + to accomplish nothing doesn't really thrill me.

[Cruzan 71]

Usually depends on the time of day and which day of the week you try to run Pinnacle. Tuesday at peak hours? 8 minute queue with full groups that usually kill lei shen in under 2 stacks of determination. Late night on monday before reset? I'd rather gouge my eyeballs out with a rusty spoon.

[Tarazet 144]

I've tried it twice. After a 40 minute queue, I end up in a group with no tanks, 1 healer, and 6 dps. Then we sit around for 20 minutes waiting to get the rest of our group, only to have one of the tanks leave. Then the first healer gets tired of waiting and leaves, too. I'm going to try it again this week, but wasting an hour + to accomplish nothing doesn't really thrill me.

Try a different time of day. That doesn't sound like any of the Lei Shen attempts I've done.