Dark Intentions Revealed

Dark Intent is, quite possibly, the first widely useful Warlock buff that's been seen in a while. Locks are not really a buffing class in spirit, but I'm a huge fan of this new spell.  It makes us... helpful (/gag), without being too... helpful (/cough).  I've been fiddling around with its use in heroics and I wanted to reiterate some that's already been said, colored by my own preferences and opinions.

First, what's been said:  Nibuca has a great post up right now.  A lot of what I'm going to say is based on what she's already written, so obviously I agree with it.  It's key to note that her advice is a bit different from the message I've seen delivered by more theorycraft-heavy sites.  The meat of the discussion can be found here, on MMO-Champion, if you're interested in delving further.

Perhaps, I'm getting ahead of myself though.  Most people, especially if they don't have a 'lock, don't even realize we have a new buff.  I feel like I need a clever macro that whispers someone to let them know I've DI'ed them.  Even then, I'd get mostly blank stares and grunts.  "Buffed me with something? A Lock?  Thanks... I think."

So what does DI do?  Well, the base is a 3% haste buff for you and the target.  Good stuff.  You get that no matter what.  The tricky part, then, is the little bonus that doesn't show up on an icon mouseover.  Very simply put, every time a DoT or HoT tick crits for either of the DI'd folks, you will gain an additional stacking buff (up to three stacks).  This bonus buff simply increases DoT/HoT tick size by 3% per stack.  So either your heals get bigger or your dot damage gets better.  

What this means, though, is that there is clearly a need to choose wisely in our buff target.  As Affliction locks, we're already in a good place due to our extensive use of DoTs, but not every class is so fortunate.  The old adage "two heads are better than one" certainly applies here.  The more DoT ticks, the better your chance to engage and stack your bonus buff.  Thus, we want to maximize our chances.

It would seem very simple then: pick the biggest DoT/HoT user available.  Indeed, that is what the advice from theorycrafters seems to center around.  Yet, what Nibuca (and now I), argue is that we need to be smarter than a mere table.  All fights are not created equal.  All groups are not created equal.  Depending on the roll of the dice, we may need more help healing on one fight, and then DPS'ing on the next fight.  Or, maybe we're consistent through one run, but not night to night.  The bottom line is, we'll need to judge for ourselves.

Nibs advises that we look to DI a healer first, until DPS becomes a problem.  As such, she lays her priority out like this:

1. Resto Druid
2. Holy Priest on the Raid
3. Resto Shammy
4. Holy Priest on the Tank
5. Other healers.

If DPS becomes and issue, then one would look for this order:

1. Shadow Priest
2. Fire Mage
3. DPS Druids (Kitty, Boomy)

Now, I can totally get on board with this approach.  It's a solid one.  However, I don't think I'm nearly as magnanimous as Nibuca.  I'm willing to help healers out, but only to a point.  I will take an almost reverse stance in saying that I will only put it on healers if healing becomes a problem.  After all, my first job is to kill stuff.  I want to give us the best DPS possible, and this means choosing the best target possible for DPS, not healing.  It's a petty difference, because I'm totally in agreement that if a fight is heal-intensive, we help the healer out.  Similarly, if it's a clear DPS race, then your choice is made simple.  However, I sit on the other side of the "help a healer out first" fence.  They already have bloated egos as it is.

Therefore, my priority looks something like this (All things being equal.  That is to say, when there is not a clear deficit in either healing or DPS'ing):

1. Shadow Priest - This should be our best bet with our dotting brethren of the shadow.
2. Resto Druid - Is anyone hottier?
3. Fire Mage
4. Boomkin - They call them Crit Chickens
5. Kitty Druid
6. Holy Priest - I'm not going to bicker over assignments.
7. Resto Shammy
8. Survival Hunter - I often run with one of these.
9. Frost Mage - They have a DoT from Frostfire bolt.
10. ???

If you get to 10 without having one of the above, then I'd look mostly at who could benefit from haste and not worry so much about the DoT thing.  For me this generally means lobbying with the resident Disc Priest for Power Infusion.  You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours... 

Also, you're notice that nowhere on that list is another warlock.  That would be a waste, since the buff does not work to the fullest extent on one another lock.  They just don't play well together right now.  Don't do it!  Just like when a guildy whispered me last night that he was running with a lock that was making extensive use of his blueberry in a dungeon... I will facepalm at your expense.

Whether you prefer the more healer-friendly approach of Nibuca or my more selfish approach, you should most definitely give it due consideration.  As you learn raids and boss fights, you'll want to note which ones the healers tend to struggle on, and which ones you could benefit from increased DPS.  Make an informed choice, first! 

I feel I must also add that if a Mage is ever beating me on the charts, I will purposefully withhold DI from them out of spite.  Not that such a thing has ever, or will ever happen. Nope.  Nevah.

Catching Up From A Rough Weekend

So no actual post today. Instead, I wanted to direct all of the Warlocks out there to stop by and say a kind word at Destructive Reach.  Saresa has (now officially) announced that she's closing her doors over there.  I think it's something we knew was coming (especially if you bum around on Twitter), but nonetheless deserves a mentioning.  As I've said in the past, Saresa was one of my early blogging inspirations, so in that respect it's sad to see her go.  I prefer to think of it as simply "good bye for now" and wish her only the most epic adventures wherever her path may lead.

(Now I just need to get over there to leave a proper comment.  That'll have to wait until home since she remains blocked at my place of employment.)

Sar - Wherever you go, keep that green fire a-burnin! 

Catching Up With The Light

Fuubaar sat atop the big, flapping, smelly birdlion.  The Wildhammer Dwarves loved these things.  Fuubaar found them tiresome.  It wasn't that the birdlion - sorry, gryphon - was a poor method of transportation, just... give her a drake any day.

Still, she had to admit, she admired the way the Dwarves handled the beasts.  They careened carelessly around in the sky, chucking hammers as if they were Greatfather Winter in some sort of crazy, Winter's Veil blacksmith giveaway.  Fuubaar suspected she would like such a twist to the traditional holiday.  It sort of resembled how she used the Light to bless people.

She also respected the way they held their ale.  There wasn't a one of them that didn't suck down a pint before taking to the skies.  Yes, Dwarves, especially these Dwarves, were her kind of people.  The namby-pamby Night Elves could have their forests. 

The thought of ale triggered a yearning in the Paladin as she flew over the hotly contested areas of the Twilight Highlands.  Her hand fished down into her breastplate and reemerged with a leather covered flask.  She popped off the cork that was shoved in the top, and it flipped to the side, still held to the container by a tie.  Tipping her head back, she downed a hearty drag of the biting liquid within.  A familiar warmth raced down her throat and into her gullet, settling her mind once more.

She'd been dealing the best she could.  Fuubaar had thought that, once the Lich King was dealt with, she'd be afforded some kind of peace.  She'd been wrong.  It had all gone downhill.

First, she'd thought her husband dead in the Citadel.  Months had passed and she'd gotten a bit reckless, joining a cult, playing the role of double agent.  Who could blame her?  Of course, things had spiraled out of control and she'd found herself defending Stormwind from a deluge of angry elements.  Then he'd appeared - with her undead father to boot! - in the Park in Stormwind, only to be snuffed out by a gigantic, stupid, metal plated dragon-thing felbent on destroying Azeroth.  In the name of all that was holy!

She threw back another swig of the bitter liquid.  It would not do to dwell.  She had to live in the now, not it in the past.  There was no time.  Azeroth was falling apart. 

As she flew over what remained of Thundermar, she saw two figures attempting to hold a road from Horde forces below.  A tell-tale bolt of shadow flew from the fingers of one, and glowing green leaves of healing passed from the other.  Apparently a druid and a warlock, then.  They were quite overwhelmed, and as Fuubaar watched she contemplated swooping in to the rescue.  Problem was, she felt a bit drunk.  Her thoughts were slowed and she wasn't sure how much help she'd be anyways.  She wasn't sure of anything lately. 

Indecision played in her favor.  Below, the two stout members of the Alliance were polishing off the last of the raiders.  Seemed they were just fine on their own. 

She watched the two figures celebrate by sauntering over to a nearby keg and filling some broken mugs they dug out of a ruined dwelling.  There was something about the way the Warlock moved; they way he carried himself.  Stop it, Fuu, he's gone.  She chided herself.  And his last act was to save you.  How do you repay him, by drinking you life away?  She took another deep drink.  Shut up, self, she thought back. 

Her flask felt light.  Might as well go below and join in the celebration, she decided.  And as she began spiraling her smelly, feathered mount downward, she still couldn't shake the feeling that there was something familiar about that Warlock.

Treasure Hunter: Lost City Episode

There we were in the midst of anchient desert ruins, sand blowing at our feet, the boiling sun beating down our backs.  The strange, four legged manbeasts were trying to keep us from discovering the secrets of their Lost City, but we were well equipped adventurers.  We'd barely begun to sweat when we saw... it.

You see, we'd been progressing carefully, avoiding what we could and subduing what we could not avoid.  We used every trick at our disposal to keep the scuffles quiet and manageable, lest we become overwhelmed.  The five of us - two paladins, a priest, a mage, and, of course, a warlock - had many tricks at our disposal.  We'd seen a lot together: the destruction of an Old God in Ulduar, the glory of the Tournament in Icecrown, even the Fall of the Lich King in the Citadel.  Yet, nothing we'd seen could prepare us for... it.

(Dramatic Cat is jealous.)

It began with the pigmies.  Those stinkin' pigmies, ridin' on each other's shoulders and shit.  What do they think they're playing at, pretending to be one mob, yet really being three?  It's ludicrous I tell you!

But then, some things happened - there may have been drinking involved - and we were presented with the opportunity to view two rare beasts: The Sheepdoublepigmy and the Pigmysheeppigmy.  What those pigmies are doing with their sheep, I don't want to... I don't even... In the name of all that is...  Well, you look at the pictures!

Look closely now!

I want a sheep mount!

Now what?

I'll pass on the sheep sandwich.

Needless to say, it was difficult to focus on proper exploration with such shenanigans going on around us. This whole city and it's freaky sheep rituals can just stay lost!

Warlock Macro Update... Again

The Azerothian Weather Service (AWS) has confirmed a Rain of Fire in the Warlock CC Posting province.  They are classifying it as a full Deluge. 

As such, I've picked up a thing here or there and returned to modify some of my macros.  Warlocks are, apparently, now the upper echelon of Crown Control.  I wanted to pass along the changes in case you're a weather lover like I am.

I'm also honing my Spanish since we leave on a vacation to Mexico in a little less than two weeks. 

Numero Uno
I have never been a pet micro-manager.  The concept is abhorrent to me.  If I wanted to micro-manage a pet, I'd go demo.  Or BM Hunter.  (/shudder)  However, with the increased emphasis on Warlock CC, I could no longer ignore the issue that my pet, on defensive, kept wanting to attack the damn CC target since I'd lead off with that.  So I did what I should have done a long time ago, I added a simple "petattack" line to one of my spells.  I generally lead off with Corruption, so that's where I did the work.  You may want a different spell, which is fine.  Also on this, you can see that I'm triggering my trinkets.  I use the slot numbers so that when I switch in and out gear, the macro doesn't need updated (like if you were to use the item name).  

#showtooltip Corruption
/use 13
/use 14
/cast [nomod] Corruption
/cast [mod:alt] Bane of Agony
/petattack target

That's it.  I don't need any more.  This sends my pet in to attack the target I've put Corruption on until it is dead.  I then leave the pet set to passive to avoid any CC-breaking unpleasantness.  The only down side is that I do have to pay attention and sick him on the next target, since normally I soul swap over my DoTs.  This is acceptable to me for now.

Numero Dos
Sort of a corollary to uno, if you are an engineer, you may be looking for a clever way to macro your Nitro Boost.  I used to have a button I could hit for my boots, then they switched it to belt and that broke.  I had to play around with numbers to find it (a quick google search yielded no results), so I wanted to make note of it.  If you're looking to use the item in your belt slot, use the following:

/use 6

I even chose a speedy-looking icon.  This is for my DK though, so the Warlock is a lie on this one.  I wouldn't think many 'locks are engineers, but I've heard of crazier things.

Numero Tres
Finally, I decided to further complicate my CC macro(s).  I added mouseover capability.  It kept happening where I'd have my CC target targeted, successfully pacify it, then fail at clicking over to skull for one reason or another.  Really annoying to just have plopped Corruption on your CC target, let me tell you.  If it's banish, not so bad, but if it's fear... ugh.

Mouseover solves this by letting me focus the correct guy without clicking.  I also bound one of my button slots to the "F" key, and I swap in the Banish or Fear version depending on my target.  Previously, I'd been clicking, but it makes it a lot nicer to not have to. 

#show Fear
/clearfocus [target=focus,dead][target=focus,noexists]
/focus [target=focus, noexists][target=focus, dead] mouseover
/cast [target=focus] Fear
/clearfocus [mod:alt]

The change from before is that I basically just replaced the "/focus" line with a new one that triggers on mouseover.  Now the only tricky part is mousing over the correct target if I don't have a good vantage point.  I think I can handle that.

Uno mas cerveza por favor.  Gracias.  Donde esta el bano? 

Non-WoW Storytime

Going to have a quick, non-WoW story time today. I promise it won't be a prolific bearwall of a story, but perhaps entertaining all the same.  I also need to do it right quick, because I need to get back to the grind of office life before someone notices I'm being naughty once more.  If the following is fraught with typos, please forgive me.

So I walk in this morning, sit down, and immediately get a call on the phone from my boss  We shall call him "B".  B needs my help.  "Now?" I ask.  "Yay, now," is the reply.  So I respond as any good employee would, "Give me just a second."

I then close up and save whatever I was working on, which, since the first day back from winter break is, officially, National Check Your Email Day, wasn't anything all that significant.  My laptop is likely needed, so I gather my cord, because as we all know, company laptop batteries never work for more than a year, and this is my third year with this overgrown paperweight.  Every office and conference room is equipped with at least one, maybe two power strips.  Standard office issue.  Some have even been cleverly zip tied up underneath the table to prevent people from kicking out the cords.  Nothing but the best.

I hustle up two flights of... I take the elevator to the second floor.  My boss has one of the high-walled cubes, as bosses generally do, so I meander my way in and plop down on a chair.  He then explains to me that his boss, whom we shall call "J", will be along shortly.  Cool beans, a two level encounter.   At this point, I wish I'd worn an undershirt because I am sweating a bit, but it's not that big of a deal.  This is a guy I've at least met before and can converse with easily enough.

As we're waiting the problem is explained to me thus: some other, vaguely related group has had a snafu.  There were given some software by a customer and just assumed it was good, neglecting to test it.  As a result, an error occurred down the pipeline.  In perhaps any engineering field, there is an obsession with "root causing" any error.  That is to say, we don't just acknowledge when mistakes are made, but we bask and wallow in them until the full weight of their errorness have been explored, felt, understood, analyzed, and dealt with.  We aren't satisfied until we know them in a biblical sense.  This isn't to say they're permanently remedied, because people will be people and history will repeat itself.  The goal, then, is to have a sheet of paper at the end of all this that says "The problem was X and is solved by process Y."  That way, when the error occurs again, you can simply point to process Y and say "process fail."

So what is my role in all of this?  Well, I'm sort of what you might call a "process expert".  It is an unofficial title born from the fact that I'm proficient in the use of computers, can communicate, and have excellent organizational skills.  A stellar memory helps as well.  Basically, I can read our crazy process, remember it, and recount it to others.  This makes me an expert.   In the world of the blind, the one eyed man is king.

If you are heading for a murder trial in which the insanity defense is to be used, you make damn sure you have your expert witnesses prepped and ready.  I am being called as such a witness to a procedural trial.  Is the process to blame, or the people?  There is no jury, mind you, only a judge.  A big, high up judge that makes significantly more money than I do.  Thus, this initial meeting is prep work.

Eventually J walks in, and recounts the problem to me.  That always has to be done - restatement of fact - each time a new person enters.  How else are we all to stay on the same page, right?  We then get down to the prep work, halfway through which it is decided that while the original intention was to have me explain things to B and J, and have them represent me in the court of procedural law, it is probably better if I just come along to give expert testimony.  So now I've been invited to attend a meeting with my boss, my boss's boss, his boss, and his boss's boss... the Judge.  Count them, that's like a penta-level meeting.  Did I mention I work for a big, global company?  Lot's of levels, and I think there are two more above what I'm seeing today.  I don't know, things get fuzzy that high up the mountain. 

"When?" I ask.  "In ten minutes," is the reply.  Great, now I feel like I should have worn a tie and prepared slides or something.  Oh well, elbow grease ftw.  Just need a piece of gum to get rid of my coffee breath... okay, let's do this!

I trudge down to the swanky executive area.  Being expected by the personal secretary, we're waved right in. We knock on the door, which seems to open of its own accord.  Inside we're presented with this scene: a collective of bosses of bosses, some of whom I've vaguely heard of, and behind the gigantic oaken desk, the Godfather of the Company.  The Judge.

He even looks like you might expect a Godfather to, sort of portly and smug.  If he'd had a snifter amber liquid dispensed by a crystal decanter and a cuban cigar in one hand, the picture would have been complete.  I feel like I should have been greeted with: "And what brings you here on this, the day of my daughter's wedding?"

Instead, he does what all executives do: finds a nearby clock (not the rolex on the arm, mind you) and rifles through an important looking scheduling organizer.  That's right, they're behind schedule.  Imagine that!  So this fella, who looks very much like a mob boss, gives us a semi-apologetic look and spreads his arms.  He then lets for with a thick Russian accent: "We have been very busy.  How about you come back, say, 3 o'clock?  Ok?"  Like I said, we're a global company.  I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised that the mobster looking big wig would have a matching accent.  Especially since his name was definitely not like Vladmir.  More like John.

How does one respond when the Godfather asks you to come back at 3?  Well, if your schedule wasn't clear, it's clear now, but you can't say that outright.  You have to think for a moment, because we're all certainly very busy, yes, busy busy, precious.  Then, only then, can you say: "Sure, I believe my afternoon is clear.  I'll be here."  Like there was any other option.

And I spun on my heels and thanked the Lords of Corporate America (Bill and Steve, right?) that I'd escaped with my job and life.  All bets are off at 3, though.  I commute, so running home for a tie is out of the question.  At least we have some time to prepare, and I didn't spill anything on myself at lunch.  I'll call that a win, because that always happens when you've got an important, impromptu meeting.  Now, if only I'd gotten that New Year haircut...

All work and no play... I know, I know.  I'll get back to WoW tomorrow, promise.

Affliction Warlock Pre-Raid Shopping List

I was able to do some shopping over the weekend.  Basically, I went to each rep QM and made a list of what was good for 'locks, then checked off what I either had covered or had already purchased.  It seems to me like rep gearing is the way to go, as I'm not too thrilled with the Justice Points offerings.  There are some decent pieces, but I seem to like the rep gear better.  Valor Point stuff is good, of course, but it's going to take a while to build those up with my current heroic success rate (few and far between).  Focusing on rep gear basically lets me face smash against heroics, not worry too much about building up JP or VP, and still gear up steadily.  In any case, I wanted to put the list up on here in case it is helpful, and for my own reference.  Definitely let me know if I missed some items. 

Some caveats: There was a good comment yesterday that mentioned PvP gear might be a good alternate route into heroics and raiding.  With the boost to a Tol Barad win, you get almost a piece each win.  Maybe every two.  So you can upgrade quickly.  I'm not really doing TB, so I didn't take that into account.  I'll probably use that route on my DK when I get her to max.  Also, I'm not looking at heroic drops in this list, only stuff you can buy.  Drops will come and if I get lucky, then I can just check these off my list.  Sure I may have it happen where I get a drop right after buying something, such is life, but I don't want to depend on drops.  I don't have the time to run them enough for that to be a valid gearing path.

With that being said, here's the list.  The faction is on top with the location of the QM in parenthesis.  Then the item below with the rep level in parenthesis, and perhaps a comment from me.  Bada bang, bada bing:

Pre-Rad Purchaseable Items

• Hyjal (Nordrassil) - Will get tabard last.
• Arcanum (Rev) - The rest of their stuff has spirit, so we don't need much from here.
• Wildhammer (Thundermar)
• Gloves (Hon) - Got these already, good chunk of hit.
• Ring (Rev)
• Neck (Ex)
• Therazanes (Throne of Therazanes) - Doing dailies here first, then WH.
• Lesser Shoulder (Hon) - Got this easily.
• Ring (Rev) - Have this.
• Greater Shoulder (Ex)
• Ramkahen  (Ramkahen) - Using my tabard for this first, feet are my worst slot right now.
• Chest (Rev) - Don't need this as I was fortunate to come across and epic drop: Dizze's Whirling Robe
• Feet (Ex)
• Earthen Ring (Silver Tide Hollow)
• Helm (Hon) - Got this, good for hit.  I used an old meta gem cuz the new ones are so expensive.
• Cloak (Rev) - And this.
• Gloves (Ex)
• Baraden's Wardens (Tol Borad)
• Insidious Staff (Rev)
• Stump of Time (Ex)
• Justice Points (Stormwind)
• Gloves (1650) - Better than the WH early rep reward, but no hit!  Probably will not buy these.
• Helm (2200) - Basically a straight upgrade to the ER rep reward.  This is definitely on my list.
• Off-hand (950) - I have always liked MH/OH better, but am using a staff right now.  If I get a good MH drop, this is pretty cheap and good.
• Legs (2200) - I have Narkall's Leggings (a quest reward!) and these are a decent upgrade, but I'll go helm first I think.
• Neck (1250) - I got this right away because it has a good chunk of hit.  Great to get to that heroic hit cap early.
• Chest (2200) - I got that epic, so this is not needed for me.
• Shoulders (1650) - I have another decent quest reward here in Blight-Lifter's Mantle, so I'll be holding off on this one.
• Belt (1650) - This was one of my earliest heroic drops with Stratosphere Belt, so I'm set in this slot.