Zagam's Fixing your DPS FAQ!

[Zagam 1,982]

HOW TO FIX YOUR DPS LIKE A PROFESSIONAL!

 

Alright, so analyzing logs is a specialty of mine, but the work is becoming overbearing with the frequency of logs coming in.  More troublesome is the consistency with the issues.  Here will be a list of tools YOU can use to fix YOUR DPS!

 

Incredibly awesome World of Logs guide: https://www.icy-veins.com/forums/topic/1007-world-of-logs-a-comprehensive-guide/

Incredibly awesome Warcraftlogs guide: https://www.icy-veins.com/forums/topic/4392-warcraftlogs-a-comprehensive-guide/

 

^This guide shows you how to find issues, solve them, and track so many things you didn't know you could track.

 

ALL WARLOCKS FAQ'S

 

1) Did you prepot and use a 2nd pot?  You should see 49 to 50 seconds of uptime on your Potion of the Jade Serpent.

 

2) Did you keep Curse of Elements up the entire time?  Remember, it wears off after 5 minutes. 

 

3) Did you use your Doom/Terrorguard and get all of his casts off in time?  If not, cast him earlier or use him at the beginning of fights.

 

DESTRUCTION FAQ's

 

1) Is your Immolate uptime below 90%?  If yes, bring it up.  Immolate should be on anything you can't one shot. 

 

2) Are you using Shadowburn?  This should be used on every single thing possible including adds and bosses.  This does high damage, is instant cast, and generates 2 Embers upon killing something.

 

3) Are you using Rain of Fire on 2+ targets?  If no, then use it.

 

4) Are you using Dark Soul every 2 minutes?  If no, then do it.

 

5) Are you maximizing your Chaos Bolt?  Prioritize using Chaos Bolt during trinkets procs.  Average Chaos Bolt should be as follows:

ilvl 540 - 800k

ilvl 550 - 900k

ilvl 560 - 1M

These are general guidelines.  If your average Chaos Bolt is below these numbers, you're not using Chaos Bolt with procs correctly.

 

6) Are you allowing yourself to hit 4.0 Burning Embers?  If so, stop it. 

 

7) Are you consuming Backdraft with Chaos Bolt?  If so, stop it. 

 

8) Is your Chaos Bolt damage higher than Incinerate?  Good, it should be.  If not, work on maximizing Chaos Bolt damage.

 

9) Are you using Havoc in multi-target situations?  Havoc has a cooldown of 25 seconds.  You should see at least 2 uses per minute when the situation exists.  For Sha of Pride, for example, you should see one every minute.  For Heroic Sha of Pride, you should see 2 per minute.  Use Havoc with Shadowburn if possible; otherwise, use it with Chaos Bolt.

 

10) Curious about your 2pc or 4pc?  2pc is called Destructive Influence and 4pc is called Ember Master.  You can check their uptimes.  If you felt like your DPS was otherwise unexplainably low, check to see if these two were giving you trouble.

 

11) Trinkets: PBI > KTT > BBoY > KFC Mashed Potato Bowl > FCoR

 

DEMONOLOGY FAQ's

 

1) Is your Doom uptime over 99%?  If not, bring it up.  Doom should be on anything it will tick on at least ONCE.

 

2) Is your Corruption uptime over 99%?  If not, bring it up.  Corruption should be on anything it will tick on at least FOUR times.

 

3) Is your Metamorphosis uptime over 40%?  If not, bring it up by making sure you are building Demonic Fury and spending Demonic Fury properly.

 

4) Did you have a pet out?  If not, you should do that.  Using GoServ?  Use that Felguard on CD as well.

 

5) Are you using Felstorm every 45 seconds?  If not, you should be. 

 

6) Are your Metamorphosis Soul Fires a higher damage portion than your caster Soul Fires?  If not, work on casting more Soul Fires in Metamorphosis to bring your damage portion up. 

 

7) Are you using Dark Soul:Knowledge every 2 minutes?  If not, you better be.  Also, are you keeping Metamorphosis up throughout the entire 20 second buff? 

 

8) Are you casting Soul Fire when a mob hits 25% HP?  Soul Fire has a built in execute mechanic which makes it superior to Shadow Bolt.  Make sure you're casting lots of Soul Fires.

 

9) Is Doom hitting like a truck?  Without UVLS, our focus should be on maximizing the spell power of Doom when it is applied.  Use Affdots to track this.

 

10) Trinkets: PBI > BBoY > KTT > KFC Mashed Potato Bowl > FCoR

 

AFFLICTION FAQ'S

 

1) Is Agony's uptime over 99%?  If not, make sure that 10 stack never falls off.

 

2) Is Unstable Affliction's uptime over 99%?  This is difficult, but strive for it.  UA is now the most powerful DoT and takes precedence over everything. 

 

3) Is Corruption's uptime over 99%?  If not, make sure it gets better.

 

4) Are you using Haunt?  Haunt uptime should ALWAYS be over 50%, usually in the 60-70% range with some overachieving RNG giving 90% uptime.  Haunt MUST BE USED.

 

5) Are you using Soulburn:Soul Swap too often?  You should only be using this in your opening sequence and during brief, important windows of opportunity such as a 10 stack of Black Blood to snapshot awesome DoTs.

 

6) Is the damage from Agony and UA very close?  Sometimes Agony wins, sometimes UA wins, but they should NEVER be far apart.  If they are, look at questions 1 and 2.

 

7) Are you using Malefic Grasp when DoTs don't need reapplied and Haunt is on the target?  This is your filler spell, but only on targets above 20%.

 

8) Are you using Drain Soul when a mob goes below 20%?  This is a high damage option that gives you tons Soul Shards. 

 

9) Are you keeping Haunt up 100% during execute?  If not, do it.

 

10) Do you have Affdots installed?  If not, get it.  Use appropriately to employ the Empowered DoTs method in getting the most out of your DoTs.

 

11) Is your DoT damage high because of appropriate snapshotting?  Your UA ticks should be breaking into the 100,000 range on crits around 555 item level.  If you're a little below, you should be a little below.  If you're higher, you should be higher.

 

12) Are you using Soul Swap correctly?  Are you using Soulburn:Soul Swap too often?  Soul Swap should be used to spread DoTs to new targets, not Soulburn:Soul Swap.

 

13) Trinkets: PBI > BBoY > KTT > KFC Mashed Potato Bowl > FCoR

[Twinkielock 15]

Great guide! I would move Affdots to the main section though. You can use the baseline feature to track your SP. If you see it at above 100 (higher the better) you should be firing off Chaos bolts.

[Rakupenda 15]

If you see it at above 100 (higher the better) you should be firing off Chaos bolts.

????

Edited October 16, 2013 by Rakupenda

[Zagam 1,982]

Great guide! I would move Affdots to the main section though. You can use the baseline feature to track your SP. If you see it at above 100 (higher the better) you should be firing off Chaos bolts.

Using Affdots to gauge when you use Chaos Bolts can be confusing and misleading.  In your case, you're saying if the number reads 101 I should be firing off CB.  That's simply not correct.  You should be using WeakAuras or some notification of getting a proc such as Toxic Power (KTT's proc) or Expanded Mind (PBI's proc) to let you know when to use Chaos Bolt.  Affdots' strength is for determining the power of a DoT on a target relative to your current power if you were to apply that DoT again that very instant.

[Eddie 16]

Zagam, why are you so good to us?

 

Edit:

I would also recommend putting in a point about not using RoF on single targets anymore, since changing that one bad habit was an amazing increase in my DPS when that advice was given to me by you and Omaric.

Edited October 16, 2013 by Eddie

[Twinkielock 15]

Using Affdots to gauge when you use Chaos Bolts can be confusing and misleading.  In your case, you're saying if the number reads 101 I should be firing off CB.  That's simply not correct.  You should be using WeakAuras or some notification of getting a proc such as Toxic Power (KTT's proc) or Expanded Mind (PBI's proc) to let you know when to use Chaos Bolt.  Affdots' strength is for determining the power of a DoT on a target relative to your current power if you were to apply that DoT again that very instant.

I don't cast it at 101, but if it's at 150,200,300, I think my record is 400 I certainly will use it. Where does it pull that number from?

[Zagam 1,982]

The number in Affdots?  It's a multplicative factor of your power against the power of an existing DoT.  If you had 30k spell power when you applied the DoT and now you have 40k, with no other changes, the number should read 133 indicating your spell power now is 133% of what it was when you applied it.  It does a conversion with Haste and other procs to give you an estimated proc multiplier.  You must have had something horrid happen to have your power magnified by 400%.  I've seen 285, but never 300.  285-289 is with Bloodlust, Berserking, Tempus Repit, Potion, Dark Soul, Jade Spirit, Lightweave, Toxic Power, and Black Blood proc. 

[Rakupenda 15]

Using Affdots to gauge when you use Chaos Bolts can be confusing and misleading.  In your case, you're saying if the number reads 101 I should be firing off CB.  That's simply not correct.  You should be using WeakAuras or some notification of getting a proc such as Toxic Power (KTT's proc) or Expanded Mind (PBI's proc) to let you know when to use Chaos Bolt.  Affdots' strength is for determining the power of a DoT on a target relative to your current power if you were to apply that DoT again that very instant.

I see, I thought I missed some hidden feature of Affdots or something. You mean you (Twinkielock) base your Chaos Bolts usage on your relative power of a previous dot you applied?

 

Affdots does a n estimate based on your Int/Haste/Crit/Mastery values at the time you apply a dot and compares that to your current stat levels.

Elaborating on this...

If you have no buffs and apply your Immolate...your Affdots will say 100. When you apply an immolate with a ton of Int/haste procs, it will read 100 until the buffs fall off, and then it will drop.

 

Reason you don't want to rely on Affdots rankings is that it's not just calculating Int:

If you have a haste proc or two, Affdots will probably rank Immolate 150+ compared to an unbuffed one. Haste doesn't make your Chaos Bolts hit harder, just cast faster. See the problem?

 

As Zagam said, track your trinket Int Procs and cast Chaos Bolts with them.

Edited October 16, 2013 by Rakupenda

[Twinkielock 15]

The number in Affdots?  It's a multplicative factor of your power against the power of an existing DoT.  If you had 30k spell power when you applied the DoT and now you have 40k, with no other changes, the number should read 133 indicating your spell power now is 133% of what it was when you applied it.  It does a conversion with Haste and other procs to give you an estimated proc multiplier.  You must have had something horrid happen to have your power magnified by 400%.  I've seen 285, but never 300.  285-289 is with Bloodlust, Berserking, Tempus Repit, Potion, Dark Soul, Jade Spirit, Lightweave, Toxic Power, and Black Blood proc.

No not the number for the actual dots. I forgot the name of it, I will check when I get home, but it's separate from the main UI. Going by memory it's baseline damage.

[Rakupenda 15]

No not the number for the actual dots. I forgot the name of it, I will check when I get home, but it's separate from the main UI. Going by memory it's baseline damage.

So there is an additional feature of Affdots?

 

It still would be more beneficial to track your Int Procs so you know when they will expire/reach a 10 stack. Nothing worse than casting a Chaos Bolt that finishes half a second after the buff wears off.

[zombiecurse 0]

This is all good stuff. Thanks Zagam.

[Guest WeeWilly]

you mean some still play warlocks... mu-hahahahahaha    

 

nice post, thanks Zagam (again, you are consistent with great stuff) (I hope that is spelled right)

 

the Wee Willy "forsaker of daggers"

 

PS - how did you put your location under your photo?

Edited October 16, 2013 by WeeWilly

[Twinkielock 15]

It's a small screen shot, but it's one I had on my photobucket account.

http://imgur.com/0ng6P4a

The 100 you see in that picture is my baseline. If a trinket pops, a drink a potion, or anything to effect my int this number goes up. I will look up the feature name when I get home.

[Brown 14]

Affdots is good for some stuff, not so good for other stuff. TBH, just getting WA for procs is the easiest bet and then you can come up with real mature choices regarding sound triggers 

[LukSluneko 1]

Zagam, I´m a mage and wouldn´t touch a fel-stained heap of evil that locks are with a ten-foot poker, but I give you that: your dedication to the lock community and expertise are impressive and thanks to you, I´ve probably learned more about lock gameplay than I about mages. If you ever find yourself on Frostmane Alliance, you can have a keg of brew on me! :)

 

(and it hurts to say that, but compared to locks, mages these days feel bland and uninspired)

[Zagam 1,982]

You're always welcome to join the dark side where it's more fun and no one asks for meals, just dessert and summons to the desserts.

[Omaric 246]

Zagam, I´m a mage and wouldn´t touch a fel-stained heap of evil that locks are with a ten-foot poker, but I give you that: your dedication to the lock community and expertise are impressive and thanks to you, I´ve probably learned more about lock gameplay than I about mages. If you ever find yourself on Frostmane Alliance, you can have a keg of brew on me!

 

(and it hurts to say that, but compared to locks, mages these days feel bland and uninspired)

 

We also have cookies.  So if you were at least one cookie short of coming to the Dark Side, then there's no better time!  (offer expires with your soul)

[Omaric 246]

Zags what did I tell you about assaulting people with too much sugar?  We turn them away.

[vladMTL 1]

regarding uptimes as affliction Zagam, on fights like sha of pride sure, everything is in place, 99%+ on dots 50%+ on haunt etc ... but on others like protectors, norushen or jugernaut meh ... mechanic wise I find it hard to hit those markers with all the moving, target swaping, push back and other crap that happen during these fights ... might get too old for this game maybe 

 

thank you

 

edit: now that i'm thinking of it, sha of pride is a lot of moving target swaping and hectic shit going on at its best way more chaotic let's say than protectors ... i wonder why on protectors the mage beats me regardless of the fact that in some situations there you dont get shards back ... hmmmm

 

with my gear i feel i should be doing more and i feel 95.1% on agony, 91.2% on UA and 96.9% on corr + 32.5% on haunt uptime might not be the best ... however the fucking 3 seconds rule of dot swaping makes me curse in my mind blizzard each time i do it  but maybe this is just my excuse ...

 

what do you think ? such uptime is decent for that fight ? my armory link --> http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/character/kazzak/Vladimirov/advanced

 

i rly do feel there i should be doing much more tbh

 

thank you everyone !

br o/

Edited October 17, 2013 by vldsb

[Lockybalboa 618]

what do you think ? such uptime is decent for that fight ? my armory link --> http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/character/kazzak/Vladimirov/advanced

 

Armory means nothing in a case like this. If you want real help then I would suggest you make a new thread with logs.

[vladMTL 1]

Armory means nothing in a case like this. If you want real help then I would suggest you make a new thread with logs.

 

the purpose of armory link was to give a hint as to what my gear is

 

the logs are private and im not the admin so i dont think its visible for analysis ... if you read my post you'll see i gave some relevant enough uptimes for the main things needed.

Edited October 17, 2013 by vldsb

[Wolland 1]

Great, post Zagam, thank you so much for the time you take to help us out!

 

There is one thing I'm still doing against the recommendations: I still RoF a single target

Reasons being:

1) Bad habit :(

2) It still seems to me that I'm generating embers faster when RoF is up, even on single target.

 

Is 2) true but still not wroth doing, or is it really just me imagining things? (I blame the rum)

[Zagam 1,982]

regarding uptimes as affliction Zagam, on fights like sha of pride sure, everything is in place, 99%+ on dots 50%+ on haunt etc ... but on others like protectors, norushen or jugernaut meh ... mechanic wise I find it hard to hit those markers with all the moving, target swaping, push back and other crap that happen during these fights ... might get too old for this game maybe 

 

thank you

 

edit: now that i'm thinking of it, sha of pride is a lot of moving target swaping and hectic shit going on at its best way more chaotic let's say than protectors ... i wonder why on protectors the mage beats me regardless of the fact that in some situations there you dont get shards back ... hmmmm

 

with my gear i feel i should be doing more and i feel 95.1% on agony, 91.2% on UA and 96.9% on corr + 32.5% on haunt uptime might not be the best ... however the fucking 3 seconds rule of dot swaping makes me curse in my mind blizzard each time i do it  but maybe this is just my excuse ...

 

what do you think ? such uptime is decent for that fight ? my armory link --> http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/character/kazzak/Vladimirov/advanced

 

i rly do feel there i should be doing much more tbh

 

thank you everyone !

br o/

Armory has no relevance to your ability to keep your DoTs up.  It's all mechanics and gameplay and proper execution of the right spell at the right time.  That said, on a lot fights, you should strive to keep DoTs up, even if you have a shit ton of hectic things going on.  For Heroic Juggernaut, I found that if I apply DoTs right before Shock Pulse, I can wait til the 2nd Shock Pulse, run up, re-DoT, drop my Teleport, then as soon as he does the third Shock, I use my Teleport and continue my onslaught while my raid team is running up trying to get back in range.  Same goes with every fight.  Proper planning, thinking, and coordination ensures you can almost always keep your DoTs up all the time, at least Agony.  Sure there might be a slight drop-off, but this FAQ page was meant to fix DPS issues, not completely optimize per fight.  If you are looking at an IJ log, you can see UA up 94% and think 'ok, I did it right here' because you probably did.

[Zagam 1,982]

Great, post Zagam, thank you so much for the time you take to help us out!

 

There is one thing I'm still doing against the recommendations: I still RoF a single target

Reasons being:

1) Bad habit

2) It still seems to me that I'm generating embers faster when RoF is up, even on single target.

 

Is 2) true but still not wroth doing, or is it really just me imagining things? (I blame the rum)

RoF is good on one target during Haste procs such as Tempus Repit.  It is not, however, worth the global over an Incinerate in terms of Embers and damage.  Which 2) are you referring to?  Shadowburn?  Curse of Elements?  Either way, both are worth maintaining.

[Wolland 1]

RoF is good on one target during Haste procs such as Tempus Repit.  It is not, however, worth the global over an Incinerate in terms of Embers and damage.  Which 2) are you referring to?  Shadowburn?  Curse of Elements?  Either way, both are worth maintaining.

I was referring to #2 on my post: "2) It still seems to me that I'm generating embers faster when RoF is up, even on single target."

 

I just need to learn to use it under a haste proc as you noted, and stop spamming it as if it were 5.3.