Enhancement Question...

[bigcountrywookie 0]

Hey guys/gals,

 

I have a rotation question.  Apologies if it has been covered already and I missed it.  The site recommends using Elemental Blast on cooldown.  I noticed that the Maelstrom Weapon buff also effects Elemental Blast as well as Lightning Bolt.  By the time I am able to complete the theorized rotation, it comes down to Elemental Blast and Lighting Bolt with one time for one instant cast before the skills start coming off cooldown. Seeing how Elemental Blast is much more effective, plus has a buff, than Lightning Bolt, would it make sense to drop Lightning Bolt altogether and just hit Elemental Blast when at 5 stacks and start the rotation over?

 

Thanks in advance.  :)

[Stoove 347]

If you're only choosing between Lightning Bolt and Elemental Blast, use EB every time.

 

However, this doesn't sound right. You should be able to fit some Lighting Bolts in, even when using EB in your rotation. Don't but it out completely!

 

With EB, uptime is one of the most important aspects. Maybe it would help to sit on a target dummy and practice the rotation for a while, making sure to hit that Elemental Blast on cooldown?

 

In fact, re-reading the guide, we recommend delaying your Stormstrike and Lava Lash until after you have used your EB; if EB is on cooldown and you have high MW stacks, definitely use them up with Lightning Bolt before casting Stormstrike.

[bigcountrywookie 0]

I see. My normal rotation is as follows:

 

Unleash Elemental > Flame Shock to start.

 

Then Stormstrike > Lavalash > Elemental Blast.

 

I use Earth Shock as Filler.  Refresh Unleash + Flame Shock as needed.

 

To start a encounter I try to drop my Fire Elemental Totem and then hit all three Cooldowns in between Flame Shock and Stormstrike.  Then I hit the Earth Elemental Totem and the cooldowns as they come available.

 

I can try to move Elemental Blast in between Flame Shock and Stormstrike and then sneak in a Lightning Bolt every so often.

Edited July 13, 2014 by bigcountrywookie

[Liquidsteel 279]

You shouldn't use Ascendance before your first Storm Strike because it resets the cooldown, allowing you an extra Storm Strike, and getting the debuff up asap.

[bigcountrywookie 0]

I see. I didn't think of that.  I appreciate all the advice.  Just gotta keep experimenting

 

Also, I can see that the go to stat is Mastery After Agility and Hit.  However, being that we are melee based, I my gut says I should look into Haste instead?

Edited July 13, 2014 by bigcountrywookie

[Stoove 347]

I can try to move Elemental Blast in between Flame Shock and Stormstrike and then sneak in a Lightning Bolt every so often.

 

The guide certainly advises that EB should be your top priority, and I think I agree. If you're losing uptime, the talent is WAY less valuable to you. :)

 

AFAIK Haste doesn't do an awful lot for Enhancement, whereas almost all your damage benefits from Mastery.

[Hybrys 199]

These guys have all the right answers!  To reiterate:

 

EB is your top priority, even if you have to full hardcast it.  Try not to hold Maels too aggressively, but if you're within 1-2 seconds it's alright.  Along with that, you can also cast it on the prepull, so around when the pull timer is at 2, start casting it, then immediately hit Spirit Walk and rush in as fast as you can.  You could even make a macro to combine Spiritwalker's Grace and Elemental Blast, just because Enh doesn't really use Spiritwalker's.

 

 

Liquid is on point here; you want to make sure that you get that bonus reset out of Ascendance.  So a solid opener w/ EB would be:

EB --> Unleash --> Flame Shock --> Lava Lash --> Stormstrike --> Asc --> Stormstrike --> Spend Maels (Hopefully on EB)  --> Earth Shock

 

That opener applies even if you don't get to precast, as again EB is your number 1 priority.

 

 

Stoove is absolutely right with the stats.  Although Haste does 'feel' a little better, Mastery is going to end up being way better, buffing pretty well everything except for your white hits.

 

 

Now, just to throw this out there, have you tried the Primal Elementalist build, where you combine Fire Elemental with Elemental Mastery every chance you can?  Alternatively, you could also try the Unleashed Fury build, where you move Unleash Elements to the top of your priority.  I mention these builds because I never find Elemental Blast really fitting with the style of Enhancement.  Mind you, that's just my opinion.

[bigcountrywookie 0]

Thanks guys.  I appreciate all the advice.  I would like to change gears here for a bit and ask another question or for advice rather if I may.

 

I am currently enjoying Enhancement.  It has great burst damage which really helps for grinds out quests, dailies, leveling, etc.  However, I am considering switching to Elemental.  Both specs seem to be awfully close concerning DPS.  However, if I switch to Elemental, I can also have healing as a moderate off-spec sense from what I gathered, they share very similar gear obviously, aside from some Spirit.

 

See I am stationed in Germany, playing on the US Servers as I always have and I do not really want to switch over to EU Servers.  This combined with sporadic playing times can make it very difficult to find a guild that will take me along for raids and even makes it difficult to grab any FLEX or Normal PUGs sometimes.  I figure by widening my talents to Ranged DPS and Off-Healing, I would have a better chance to get picked up for Raids as this expansion seems to really favor Ranged DPS this time around.

 

Aside from playing what I enjoy as I can really go either way.  I was going Enhancement recently to just experience something different as I used to play Elemental back in WotLK and Cata.  Does it make better sense to spec Ranged DPS/Healing in order to meet more needs rather than just focus on Melee DPS?  I am asking because this toon is still relatively early in the gear grind and I can change gear a bit easier if I do it now versus changing later after I have invested a lot more time.

Also, on a side note, as far as Elemental goes, Veins says to gem and enchant out for Mastery after obtaining Immerserus's Bindings but most other research I have done calls for Haste as the priority?

 

Thanks again.

Edited July 15, 2014 by bigcountrywookie

[Hybrys 199]

Honestly, I can't believe you're playing Enh with that kind of latency (I'm assuming you're at a min. 250ms), especially when you're trying to do snap mechanics like Maelstrom Weapon.  That sounds... way too annoying.

 

I really like Ele over Enh.  They're so similar in damage (until very late gear), but Ele is easier to play and being a Ranged has huge perks.  Finding groups and feeling super useful is very nice.

 

That being said, play what you find the most fun!  If you can find the same level of enjoyment out of Ele, with the added bonuses of being a Ranged, you should definitely go for it.  If it's going to get too boring and you're going to be strained to keep it up, then I'd suggest sticking with Enh.

 

 

For Ele stat priority, I've been recommending this lately.

 

EB:

Haste to 30% > Mastery to 88.4%-(3500 * PBoI Amp %) > Haste > Crit

 

Haste and Mastery are very very close in their benefits, but Mastery comes ahead slightly after you reach the Haste soft cap for Legendary Meta + Heroism/Bloodlust (which is around 30%).  That '88.4%' is the point when EB's Mastery proc would cap your Mastery, which has a 1/3 chance of happening, and thus significantly lowers the value of further Mastery.  You can go right to 100% if you change over to UF.

[Liquidsteel 279]

Or do what I do and play both!

 

566 enhance/570 elemental.

 

Mail is in such short demand compared to cloth/plate that it's easy peasy to gear both specs.

[bigcountrywookie 0]

The ping is not as bad you would think.  Then again, this is the first melee spec I have played since I moved here.  :P

 

I am gonna to switch over to Ele and save the gear from Enhance just in case I regret the move in the future. I kind of wish Enhance would utilize Int instead of Agi sometimes. :P

[SparkSovereign 61]

Or do what I do and play both!

 

566 enhance/570 elemental.

 

Mail is in such short demand compared to cloth/plate that it's easy peasy to gear both specs.

 

It's fun to play both!  I was ele/resto in 5.0, but we didn't have any other mail-wearers or rogues, so I got all the enh. gear too.  Tried it, sucked at it terribly, tried it again a few months later and loved it to death.  Due to the calender boss one-shotting our healers and the loot gods frowning upon me (as well as us picking up both a hunter and a rogue) I've had to go back to ele/resto, but I can't wait for WoD's trispec-friendly item setup!