Warlocks Alpha Notes Preview - Evrelia & Zagam

[Zagam 1,982]

https://www.icy-veins.com/forums/topic/5552-warlock-warlords-of-draenor-alpha-patch-notes-analysis/

 

Take a look and let us know what you think!

[Omaric 246]

Honestly I don't like many of the changes.  My thoughts:

 

Affliction - As stated, the loss of Drain Soul is huge. The skill is far too iconic to allow it to be slipped in with pruned skills. It's just not acceptable. It feels good to pump out crazy damage once the mob is in a weakened state. Everything makes sense and they need to revert that ASAP.

 

I'm agreed on the fact that with snapshotting in WoD, Affliction will be a bore in its current state. I'm not worried though. I can't see Blizzard allowing Affliction to be a super easy and uninvolved spec. Looking forward to seeing what new mechanics they add to spice it up.

 

Demonology - Why Carrion Swarm, why??? Such a cool ability tied to a different skillbar, which means that you don't need to prune it. Having options in Meta form is fantastic.  Losing Void Ray on top of it makes gameplay during Meta uptime less exciting. Given, I never really liked Void Ray and I always thought it played out pretty clunky.  It got the job done, but it left much to be desired. With the loss of these abilities *and* snapshotting, I feel like Demonology will be much less intimidating for people who always wanted to try out a pair of wings, but didn't want to be abused for not pulling off the numbers people expect to see.

 

Destruction - While Immolate has been buffed greatly over the expansion, I don't feel people worried over much about snapshotting it as well as possible. People who played Destruction on the daily got a pretty good feel for it. It's the only DoT you have to manage. That is to say, going forward into WoD, the loss of snapshotting won't feel like a huge hit in gameplay.

 

I don't understand the meaning behind removing mana gains from Shadowburn. They said they simplified it, but it looks like a straight up nerf. It's not like I'm calculating my mana gains on the fly while using up Shadowburn charges, I just know I'm getting mana back at an increased rate to supply the increased amount of Incinerates you cast during the execute phase. Are they trying to balance all the specs on not worrying about the low HP burn phase? If so, is Soul Fire exempt because it isn't as comparatively strong as Drain Soul/Soulburn? Maybe they are just sick of balancing classes that excel in that aspect.  If that's true then I'm a little disappointed because I look forward to finishing off mobs like that. It's actually pretty fun. I'd love to see the reasoning behind those changes.

 

General - I like the simplifed gateways. It was needed for balance, so the 1.5 min CD seems legit. Warlocks no longer seem necessary for Healthstones, due to the overall nerf to self healing during an encounter. The nerf of course being you now only get one use of a healing consumable. I *do* like the baseline curse changes, that's a huge quality of life improvement and possible balance for losing some of our raidwide Warlock perks. (HS/Gateway)

 

The only other questionable topics for me are Fel Flame and Soulshatter.  One is pretty damn nice on the move and the other is a safety blanket due to our insane DPS output. It makes you wonder if Demonology will lose their taunt due to it being tied to Soulshatter. Here's hoping they add in other outlets to pump out DPS while on the move with the loss of Fel Flame.

 

All of the above is not taking into account the new talents and how they work with these changes.

[vaeevictiss 17]

I just gotta say, this has nothing to do with WoD, but it got me thinking about nerfs, and...it must have happened recently but when the hell did they change it so we couldnt use Burning Rush on top of Darkflight lol. I used to love whipping by people with that.

[Astynax 24]

Just saw this glyph on sparkuggz.... 

 

Glyph of soul swap:

 

You can now hold your inhaled dots for 27 additional seconds.

 

 

 

WAT?! That sounds like something aff would trade numerous sexual favors for now, but that is going to prove like 95% useless when snapshotting goes away....

[Omaric 246]

And I'm pretty sure it will give you lung cancer.

[Hurtlocker 11]

Just saw this glyph on sparkuggz.... 

 

Glyph of soul swap:

 

You can now hold your inhaled dots for 27 additional seconds.

 

 

 

WAT?! That sounds like something aff would trade numerous sexual favors for now, but that is going to prove like 95% useless when snapshotting goes away....

 

Not necessarily.  I think it could be a very useful situational glyph.  On fights like Galakras where you have to wait for add waves, you can use the glyph to maintain your stacks of Agony vice having to reapply it cause another add did not show up in the 3 second window SS has now.  Obviously, it would depend on what blizzard will throw at us with the new Raids.  However, I can see it having its uses.

 

Aff:  I am sorry to see Drain Soul go, would have rather had them get rid of MG and make drain soul the filler channel with the execute bonus. Iconic.  Fel flame does have some utility (damage without applying dots, instant damage and totem killer), however as far as a dps movement filler, I think that time could be spent refreshing (now that snapshotting is gone), rolling or swapping dots on light movement fights.  High movement we will most likely take KC.

 

Demo:  Void ray removal is fine.  It was meh to me anyway.  I don't use it anymore.  I'd rather spam ToC and hope for 4 set proc with Immo Aura with MF than waste fury on expensive Void Ray.  I'm on the fence about carrion swarm.  I liked it, but if something must go I would choose that over Demonic leap.

 

Destro:  Don't many things affecting destro

 

Removing dot snapshotting will remove some of the challenge that makes certain specs fun to play, however, it will improve some quality of life.  I don't think it will be all that bad.  

 

 

[Eddie 16]

Realistically, if Blizzard plans on sticking with the Malefic Grasp style of gameplay, just kill MG and give drain soul it's function, so we aren't "losing" an iconic spell.

[Liquidsteel 279]

Celestalon has confirmed that they'll be merging MG into DS rather than the other way round.

Personally I quite like the MG animation. I can't see why the animation can't change under 20%...

[JvChequer 43]

I don't see why remove CoE because now ours in the only debuff that it's natively aoe.

 

So a lot of ppl can apply but we're the only that that can do it with many targets.

Useful in some fights.

 

Btw, I'm with u guys:

 

Blizzard remove Malefic grasp and keep Drain soul D:

[Zagam 1,982]

CoE needs baked in like most other classes' debuffs.

[vaeevictiss 17]

Celestalon has confirmed that they'll be merging MG into DS rather than the other way round.

Personally I quite like the MG animation. I can't see why the animation can't change under 20%...

Hold on, the way you are wording this...they are merging MG into DS...meaning we would retain DS. Are they giving it back?

 

CoE needs baked in like most other classes' debuffs.

I agree, but it helps that they made it an "AoE" cast. I wouldnt mind really since this does save time, but the fact other classes do it is dumb. However, i guess the point of choosing a class is having to weigh the pros an cons of one over the other. If every DPS class had the same type of abilities, then there wouldnt be anything different between them except the graphic used for the spell.

 

Although from a lorw perspective, locks should be able to do everything mages can since we were once mages lol. I mean, did we just forget how to blink teleport around the world just because we got a little friendly with demons haha.

Edited April 24, 2014 by vaeevictiss

[Liquidsteel 279]

Hold on, the way you are wording this...they are merging MG into DS...meaning we would retain DS. Are they giving it back?

 

Yes.

 

Celestalon ‏@Celestalon  Apr 22

.@lowbeyonder We're planning to merge Malefic Grasp into Drain Soul, instead of the other way around, in the next build.

Edited April 24, 2014 by Liquidsteel

[Evrelia 5]

Yes.

 

Celestalon ‏@Celestalon  Apr 22

.@lowbeyonder We're planning to merge Malefic Grasp into Drain Soul, instead of the other way around, in the next build.

 

Huzzah! Never say complaining doesn't get you anywhere :D

[Zagam 1,982]

Huzzah! Never say complaining doesn't get you anywhere

Now let's see if we can get Fel Flame back...

[Soulzar 42]

Now let's see if we can get Fel Flame back...

 

With Snapshotting gone, It would be nice if they gave the 3second duration increase on dots back to Fel Flame...  When they bring it back that is.

[JvChequer 43]

With Snapshotting gone, It would be nice if they gave the 3second duration increase on dots back to Fel Flame...  When they bring it back that is.

 

Amen to this.

 

 

CoE needs baked in like most other classes' debuffs.

 

Disagree, CoE now it's a unique aoe debuff.

Edited April 24, 2014 by JvChequer

[Omaric 246]

Huzzah! Never say complaining doesn't get you anywhere

 

Damn right they reverted it! :D

[Zagam 1,982]

Disagree, CoE now it's a unique aoe debuff.

Why can't it be an AoE baked into when Conflagrate, Haunt, or Soul Fire is used?  It's also not unique because a Combat Rogue can apply "CoE" to 4 targets simultaneously.  I'm also 99% sure that the pet that Hunters use to apply magic damage taken debuff is a conal breath.

 

Also, 10 yards is hardly that effective unless they're removing the glyph.  Typically, one Warlock glyphs this as a utility spell to reduce multiple uses of CoE.  I glyph it for Protectors - really no other reason to do it in the entire tier.

[mediocregatsby 18]

so in the latest alpha notes, malefic grasp and drain soul have basically merged into a hybrid spell that is named drain soul.

 

now we have a drain soul that:

- can be cast while moving with KJC

- channels for 4 seconds (current MG channels 4 seconds, current DS channels 12 seconds)

- executes targets under 20% hp (with the perk)

- gives ONE soul shard if target is killed

 

so basically this is a lot better. AWESOME. sucks that it doesnt give 4 shards but i guess blizz thought that was too op. they should refill faster when out-of-combat to compensate but that probably has PVP ramifications.

Edited April 25, 2014 by mediocregatsby

[Zagam 1,982]

They will modify Nightfall to make sure we're not Soul-Starved.

[mediocregatsby 18]

yeah so it's like a 10% chance with the perk? doesnt seem like a fix