Clueless Affliction wannabe

[Noire 0]

I have been playing destro only in pve, always ..(yes i know, shame on me:P) but i just love the spec. However now that am in a much more serious guild and progressing on mythic i feel i need to finally man up. 

I went for affli offspec but feel really clueless most of the time running around recasting my dots and fatfingering what i prolly should not.

I did read IV class guide and forum guide but there are things am still unsure about and i have big issues planning my behaviour.

As for trinkets/procs I have Sandman's (640) and hc wf Quiescent Runestone, legendary ring with proc and weapon enchant i wasnt tracking (crit one).

 

1.

Single target, outside of procs/cds..how many shards should i be banking? I understood i should be casting Haunt when my cds are active but i just use most whenever keeping like two..

On pull i'll have Sandman's (crit proc even worth tracking for Haunt?) and Darksoul. When they expire should i Haunt while legendary ring procs? Should i switch weapon enchant to mastery (got Crit) and also use that proc for Haunts? When do i use my extra AD Darksoul, with ring/weapon proc? I like to 'plan' my play..especially since i dont feel so comfortable with the spec. 

 

2.

So far i only used affli for M Twin Ogron coz i felt i had no choice dps wise but i know i really need to imporve on that. I've watched multiple mythic affli pov videos and each of that person did the opener differently. Is it still worth to do the 29s pulltimer with soulburn? Each time my cooldowns are active (not just opener) do i Haunt BOTH targets? Assuming i play with Demonic Servitude how should i do a two target opener: 

 

(29s pulltimer) Soulburn >prepot> precast Haunt> Soulswap Tar1 ...and then? Darksoul?, dot Tar2, Haunt Tar2, Haunt Tar1 ...recast dots when needed, channel DS and maintain Haunt on both targets for the duration of opener cooldowns? Should Darksoul rather be used after i dot and haunt both targets?

 

the other opener i saw was prepot>precast UA> aggony>corruption>Darksoul>Haunt>SB:Soulswap tar2>Haunt Tar2>channel DrainSoul> recast dots and so on..

 

I've been reading posts here for the whole previous expansion and really grew as a player, so i trust i can find all the answers i need here:)

Edited January 2, 2015 by Noire

[Zagam 1,982]

You're asking a TON of questions even though you only numbered to 2.

 

Gem and Enchant Mastery.  Bank all Soul Shards for procs unless you get to 4 - then use 1 and stay at 3.  I'm not 100% sure on the strength of the ring proc, but if it's the 15% Intellect proc for 10 seconds, I would definitely qualify Haunt for that.  Haunt also lasts for 10 seconds, so that's nice.

 

A free Soul Shard is nice (for the 29 sec pull timer) but isn't necessary.  Warlocks aren't powerful enough to warrant that kind of ramp up time when no one else needs it.  I disagree with using Soulburn -> Soul Swap to apply DoTs.  Soul Shards are at a premium and you don't want to waste them.  You should be using 4 Soul Shards in your opener with Demonic Servitude - 2 Haunts on each target for the duration of your 20 second opener. 

[Liquidsteel 279]

Due to the buggy double shard return, I prefer to hover at 2 shards.

[Lockybalboa 618]

Using SB:SW in any situation right now is foolish. Using SW in any situation right now is foolish. Anything that costs a shard that isn't Haunt or SB:H is foolish.

 

Applying DoTs one at a time costs you VERY little and saves you so much.

[Paracel 165]

Dear @Noire,

Please, don't use Soulswap.
Ever.

Best wishes,
Not-a-godlock Affli with some N/HC experience, Paracel.

P.S. It's been said A LOT. And it will repeat until  buffs happen warlock community will get it/Soulswap will be removed from the game.



Sorry for some thread hijack, have pretty much the same concerns. Clueless as well.
@All Strong Players Around
29s Soulburn pull seems like a very smart idea (for me)! Took time to figure out the point of it.
My opener, however, features no such cheesy moves.
I prepot > precast Haunt (SB Haunt), then jam DoTs, DS and pray to RNJesus for shards. Very hard.
Taking Haunt's missile speed in( and DoTs/DS not having them),you get your Haunt debuff active just as all DoT's are applied and The Magic begins. 
No read opener guide, sorry. Figured it out on my own.  OK or not?

Can I bother you with going through yours opener? Imagine I'm a slow kid that need 5 times repeat and then a ton of homework 

Also, from The Overlords' words I can tell that Haunt is only to be used on-proc . And what about debuff uptime? Base damage x proc =much better?
It's not like we can give 100% uptime or something...  But It's still something. RIght?

Edit:grammar and clarity

Edited January 3, 2015 by Paracel