I don't understand something in Affliction Warlock DPS Easy Mode

[nixao 2]

https://www.icy-veins.com/wow/affliction-warlock-pve-dps-easy-mode

 

In Basic Rotation, when it says: 

1. Cast  Seed of Corruption as a filler on 3+ stacked targets.

What does that mean? 3+ stacked targets?

And also the next:

1. Cast  Reap Souls at 2-4 stacks. Save 3+ Soul Shards for your  Reap Souls for maximum damage.

2-4 stacks of what?

[Breadgehog 4]

Stacked targets means enemies grouped up together. Generally DPS classes have a single-target rotation and a "cleave" rotation against 3 or more targets in close proximity. AoE abilities are almost universally less damaging than single target ones, and 3 is the usual breakpoint where having multiple targets outweighs the initial loss in raw damage. For instance, if you do 30k DPS in your single target rotation but 12k in your AoE rotation, using your AoE rotation on only two targets amounts to 24k DPS so you're better off using your single-target on one target until dead and then switching to the other one afterward. Obviously there's exceptions but that's why most guides will differentiate between single-target and AoE rotations.

Tormented Souls are the stacks you want for Reap Souls. You get them passively as you kill enemies, and you trigger its effect to give yourself a significant buff; you want 2-4 stacks to give yourself enough leeway to use other spells between refreshing its effect by casting Reap Souls again.

[nixao 2]

1 hour ago, Breadgehog said:

Stacked targets means enemies grouped up together. Generally DPS classes have a single-target rotation and a "cleave" rotation against 3 or more targets in close proximity. AoE abilities are almost universally less damaging than single target ones, and 3 is the usual breakpoint where having multiple targets outweighs the initial loss in raw damage. For instance, if you do 30k DPS in your single target rotation but 12k in your AoE rotation, using your AoE rotation on only two targets amounts to 24k DPS so you're better off using your single-target on one target until dead and then switching to the other one afterward. Obviously there's exceptions but that's why most guides will differentiate between single-target and AoE rotations.

Tormented Souls are the stacks you want for Reap Souls. You get them passively as you kill enemies, and you trigger its effect to give yourself a significant buff; you want 2-4 stacks to give yourself enough leeway to use other spells between refreshing its effect by casting Reap Souls again.

Awesome, I see. Thank you very much.

[Valks 2,375]

Also worth adding the difference between stacked and split cleave. Stacked cleave/AoE is when the mobs are specifically positioned to let AoE effects hit them. Split cleave is where DoT classes, for example, can maintain their single target rotation on multiple targets, whereas others would simply do single target damage due to the distance between them. Felhounds is an example of this.

[nixao 2]

On 12/22/2017 at 5:12 AM, Blainie said:

Also worth adding the difference between stacked and split cleave. Stacked cleave/AoE is when the mobs are specifically positioned to let AoE effects hit them. Split cleave is where DoT classes, for example, can maintain their single target rotation on multiple targets, whereas others would simply do single target damage due to the distance between them. Felhounds is an example of this.

I see. Thanks for the explanation!