This post is a small compendum of affliction warlocking based and centered around my own warlock.
Also i would like to remember the wonderful people of EJ for putting in the time and effort to evolve an educated discussion about BIS specs and DPS benefits.
Also this thread is worth checking out: http://elitistjerks.com/f80/t110222-simulationcraft_warlocks_cataclysm_edition/
Before going into the warlock stuff tho, a small general tip about reforging:
Once you look at some peoples characters on Armory - you will sometimes notice that people have reforged let's say crit -> hit and then hit -> haste. And you will be thinking - why on earth would the take the "long way round"?
This is due to the fact that when you already have a stat on a piece of gear you cannot reforge the 2nd reforgable stat on that piece of gear into the 1st one.
As an example:
If you want to reforge crit to haste have an item with "+200crit and +200haste" and a second item with "+200 mastery and +200hit" - then you can just.
Reforge 200 crit on the 1st item to 120crit and 80 haste
Reforge 200hit to 200 haste on the 2nd item.
By doing this you have effectively reforged 200 crit to 200 haste. By using the help of a 2nd item. And while keeping your hit value the same (this is the main stat imo to use for such conversions at hit cap).
Some general affliction warlocking notes:
The rotation i personally try to use while still running heroics and which seems to put out quite decent dps (11-15k on heroic bosses - depending on group buffs).
While running in to initial position:
1. Curse of Elements
2. Soulburn -> Soulfire to get the 15% increased haste buff up
3. Corruption
4. Bane of Agony
Should reach designated nuking position:
5. haunt
6. Unstable affliction
7. Use shadowbolt as filler
Keep recasting soulfire every 15 seconds - to keep the buff up
Keep up your ISB buff
Try to hit Demon soul on cooldown.
Only use Fel-flame when moving and there are no other instant cast dots to refresh.
About which pet to use.
Using succubus seems to be the better choise for personal dps with the glyph of Lash of Pain.
However as a personal preference it seems better to use Felhunter - due to it's interrupt ability which seems to come in handy in a lot of situations in heroics these days. And the Felhunter mana regen / int buff is also nice.
Stat weights to aim for as an affliction warlock (based on simcraft):
- INT
- Spell Power
- Haste
- Hit
- Mastery
- Crit
Worth noting that - as you can reforge Hit,crit,haste and mastery then you should be aiming to reforge for haste whenever possible.
For real world encounters being hit capped should still be higher priority than getting a bunch of haste due to missing on some spells tends to overcomplicate your rotation.
General tips:
Dark intent is best used on a restoration druid or a shadowpriest - ensuring that the 9% increased dot damage buff remains active almost 100% of the time.
Don't be a recount whore - use felhunter if noone else is giving a mana regen buff (no Blessing of Might for instance).
Simcraft stuff about my own character below:
Some notes before displaying any actual simcraft results:
1. Some BiS enchants are currently unattainable due to the insane cost to actual stat increase value balance.
2. Some trinkets that are shown here - are still quite hard to get my hands on. I have been quite lucky and got the Gale of Shadows - imo the BIS pre-raid trinket from a heroic for an affliction warlock due to the high amount of haste + the 340SP buff.
Full compendum of caster trinkets has been calculated here: https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AnfJbiAHLcYgdDQ3ZHRuZS0xS052T0ktZk1XaUh6M1E&hl=en&authkey=CIXDjcsD
Down to business:
Imported character:
http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/character/alonsus/falc/advanced
Spec:
Affliction spec using shadowbolt as filler: http://www.wowhead.com/talent#IrGr0hsGcdZIMb
glyphs -> bane_of_agony/haunt/corruption/soul_swap/shadow_bolt/fear/unending_breath/eye_of_kilrogg/drain_soul
Rotation used for simcraft:
actions=flask,type=draconic_mind
actions+=/food,type=seafood_magnifique_feast
actions+=/fel_armor
actions+=/summon_felhunter
actions+=/dark_intent
actions+=/snapshot_stats
actions+=/volcanic_potion,if=buff.bloodlust.react|!in_combat
actions+=/demon_soul
actions+=/haunt
actions+=/soulburn,if=buff.bloodlust.down
actions+=/soul_fire,if=buff.improved_soul_fire.cooldown_remains<(cast_time+travel_time)&buff.bloodlust.down&!in_flight
actions+=/bane_of_agony,if=target.time_to_die>=20&!ticking&miss_react
actions+=/corruption,if=(!ticking|dot.corruption.remains<tick_time)&miss_react
actions+=/unstable_affliction,if=(!ticking|dot.unstable_affliction.remains<(cast_time+tick_time))&target.time_to_die>=5&miss_react
actions+=/summon_infernal
actions+=/drain_soul,interrupt=1,if=target.health_pct<=25
actions+=/life_tap,mana_percentage<=35
actions+=/shadow_bolt
actions+=/life_tap
Results:
Full Results set can be viewed here: http://falc.dev.delfi.ee/simcraft/results-20101231.html
Some of the more interesting results:
Damage sources and Scale factors (nice google pie charts from simcraft):
So the interesting bit about these is that:
1. About 50% of the damage seems to be still coming from dots (46%ish).
2. The hit scale factors are a lot lower than int and SP even when not capped. However comparing to other priorities and the complication of the affliction rotation seems that it is still better to get hit capped to make things easier on yourself and not risk loosing any crucial spell like haunt missing.
