Affliction help

[Arkpit 101]

I'm struggling to find out what I'm doing wrong with my Warlock right now, I'm not terrible but I can't figure out what I need to improve on or if it's an all-out gear issue.

Here is yesterdays log from a simple normal NH Krosus:
https://www.warcraftlogs.com/reports/rjnkcWV1wRbXDayh#fight=6&view=analytical&type=damage-done

With my ilvl 878 I can hover 400k on a dummy without any buffs and still onyl 1 legendary and mastery up at 97% (about 9500 mastery).
Crit 23% and haste 12%, I believe this should be swapped around as well though right?

Armory:
http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/character/magtheridon/Felark/simple

What I'm questioning the most is the Reap+UA usage since I don't get which is more important, to x2 UA and reap 2-3 through an entire DS OR, if you must choose, simply cast only 1 UA at a time to keep the contagion buff up?

Last but not least, as soon as there is more than 1 target (As in, Botanist), I fall apart completely with the standard talent build. I can't seem to keep all 3 dots up on all 3 botanists and do reap+UA at the same time while moving around doing mechanics... Is it worth swapping to Writhe+Absolute Corruption and possibly run Harvester since you can keep the 3 agony up?

[spikeysquad 50]

If no one else replies I will try and get to it when I can but this should keep you going for now:  https://www.youtube.com/user/Yipzarena/videos

Have a look particularly at Malefic Grasp for beginners, Fatal Echoes and Reap Soul Usage and the Multi target ones and then probably the boss guides. Be aware though some of the videos are often done in mind with what gives the best overall DPS (Affy as a turret like tunneler) not necessarily what is best for progression. 

If you haven't yet also check out the guide over on MMO-Champion. 

What I can see though is your drain cycles need some work. Even though you are using Contagion forget UA uptime on the whole and just focus on clean drain cycles and fully draining UAs (so at least two Drains and not one cast). 

Also if you are trying to triple DoT more than one target with MG you're doing too much. Sometimes you need to swap to a priority target but then you let DoTs, except Agony, fall on the last target but the MT video should sort you out. WiA though is DoT everything so that may be a little too much for you. 

Good luck.

[Arkpit 101]

11 hours ago, spikeysquad said:

Even though you are using Contagion forget UA uptime on the whole and just focus on clean drain cycles and fully draining UAs (so at least two Drains and not one cast). 

This is quite interesting since as a beginner in Affliction you feel obligated to keep at least 1 UA active at all times so I've always been confused about the 2+ shards wait since I've never had 2 shards available in a single target fight except the start :)

I did some simcraft business during the weekend and primarily I've been researching how much I lose of skipping Siphon compared to Soul Harvest which is my preferred playstyle. One less DoT to keep track of mainly and being able to give a bigger punch through certain damage checks. I sim 499k with SL and 488k with SH which to me honestly is an ok loss of dps compared to how much easier it becomes to manage as a new warlock.

Also WeakAuras, this could certainly be built to accomodate the Reap+shards points so I'll try to build one myself unless I see someone with a well made one!

Lastly, am I always supposed to wait for 4 shards befor the dumping part? Feels like it takes ages to just get 3 shards and waiting for 4 of them feels like your damage is losing so much potential but then again, I don't quite understand that part yet.

Edited April 10, 2017 by Arkpit

[spikeysquad 50]

On 10/04/2017 at 10:36 AM, Arkpit said:

This is quite interesting since as a beginner in Affliction you feel obligated to keep at least 1 UA active at all times so I've always been confused about the 2+ shards wait since I've never had 2 shards available in a single target fight except the start :)

I did some simcraft business during the weekend and primarily I've been researching how much I lose of skipping Siphon compared to Soul Harvest which is my preferred playstyle. One less DoT to keep track of mainly and being able to give a bigger punch through certain damage checks. I sim 499k with SL and 488k with SH which to me honestly is an ok loss of dps compared to how much easier it becomes to manage as a new warlock.

Also WeakAuras, this could certainly be built to accomodate the Reap+shards points so I'll try to build one myself unless I see someone with a well made one!

Lastly, am I always supposed to wait for 4 shards befor the dumping part? Feels like it takes ages to just get 3 shards and waiting for 4 of them feels like your damage is losing so much potential but then again, I don't quite understand that part yet.

Aye, you will be soul starved if you try for high uptime on UA. Without the 4 set and with your low haste the rotation can feel a little strained but that will change as you get gear.

You could consider going Soul Effigy (SE) for more extra shard regen as Soul Conduit only really works when you have shards to spend in the first place however that does make the rotation slightly more complicated which is probably not what you want at the moment. Usually you only put Agony on the Effigy. You can also try SE with Absolute Corruption (and then use one global putting Corruption on the Effigy)  which will take you back to only 3 DoTs to reapply. However I am not sure of the DPS changes of all of these anymore as I pretty much only use Contagion but as you can sim have fun!

Soul Harvest is a fine choice and it can shine on fights with adds especially Botanist and with certain fight lengths. However, like was pointed out in Discord Siphon Life (SL) is not really any harder than Corruption. You tend to apply them both together and you never put them on extra targets (except Corruption for tagging) so if anything with SL you gain another global where you can actually reposition without DPS loss. However, if it is too much at the moment that is fair enough do what works for you. Your Dot uptime is good though on the whole (though perhaps even a little too high assuming you got some Fatal Echo procs but can't tell with your lack of clear drain cycles) so you are managing. 

No I never intentionally wait for 4 shards for dumping but with my shard regen that often happens. You sound like you're talking more about WiA playstyle more there.

2 UAs is probably the best dump number for you at the moment though yes you do want to be on 3 shards or less when you start draining (not that I see you with your current gear shooting up like that but you never know).  

Again if you are running MG you only ever want 3 DoTs running on one target (except for a few seconds of overlap where you may be changing  to a priority target). You can tag quick dying adds for Wrath stacks and Souls usually with Corruption as that does the highest DPS usually in those few seconds the add is alive.

On longer lived adds so Botanist copies and Spellblade adds are a good example of this you can Agony up to 3 targets for shard regen. Once you go over 3 you are usually losing too many globals where you can actually be dumping/draining and/or capping anyhow.  

It should be better explained in those videos I mentioned. 

Good luck. 

[Nalar 0]

hello ,

ok looking at your loggs , 1st things 1st , you had bad RNG on sould shards as the fight went on the nearer the end you got the less you had sometimes shard starving yourself (which is bad) , but the good news you didnt do too badly on the fight as you think you hit 82% percentile for your ilvl.

 

but your rotation has some work to do about it , looks like you were just trying to keep UA for the whole fight , which is why as the fight went on you got shard starved, what you have to do is.........

Apply D.O.T'S with corruption being last (this is important and will help your rotation in the long run)

apply 2- 3 UA's then reap and then drain soul keeping an eye on shards and what the boss is doing ?

but just keep doing that (you will hear top locks call this 'drain cycle', and this is what they are talking about).

 

seeing as you BL at the start dont forget to pre-pot and then use a 2nd one later on in the fight (prolonged power here)

your stats

haste and crit arent look too bad but you loosing alot of bang with such low mastery.(try and get more , and looks like you have been unlucky with not getting another legendary, that could help depends on how lucky you are )

regards

Nalar