Back to Affliction: Instances = great, solo = out of mana

[spiffy jim]

Hey, everyone.

Long time reader - first time poster

I've recently switched from my favourite Felguard build to an Affliction build to be more useful to my guild in instances and, once we're attuned, Kara.

My problem right now is when I'm farming for motes (for my Frozen Shadoweave robe), I'm getting pummeled and I frequently find myself running out of mana quickly. I usually use Siphon Life > Corruption > Curse of Agony > Unstable Affliction and then Shadow Bolt (with appropriate Life Tap/Soul Siphon). I really don't think I should have to rest after a few mobs.

Maybe I got too use to my mini-tank Felguard and my gear isn't very good, or maybe I'm overdoing it with the DoTs, but I'm hoping you guys can help. My gear: http://www.wowarmory.com/character-s...er&n=Maddelena.

Thanks

[franky]

i dont userstand why you play affliction if you only take 1 mob at a time, then it is faster to go with Demonology, Affliction specc is a specc that handles multiple mobs per pull. And you dont drain life?. If you are going to stay Affliction i would recommend getting some pvp epics and then change your way of killing mobs.

dot up the mob with 3-4 dots and then move on to another mob, rinse and repeat until you have about 3-4 mobs, then use Howl of Terror and start drain life the mob you doted last, if you do it right, then all 4 mobs should die when you have killed the last one, and you get out of the fight with full hp and if you drain soul you would even come out of the fight with full hp AND mana.

It might take practise for someone who is new to affliction but its quite easy and should not take long to learn.

[Devicus]

Shadow bolt? If you meant that, it's the problem. Also, pull with UA, it has a cast time, cast it, turn and run while you cast other DoTs, then life tap, then turn and **drain life** then **drain soul** around the 10% (use your judgement here) mark health wise.

If your health goes down a bit, skip the initial life tap dark pact up at the end. If your mana falls short dark pact is there too..

I go one mob at a time if they're strong (69-71), if they're weaker I'll go for pairs. Ihot farming is risky and I play it safe though but taking 2 at a time without stopping pays off.... even one at a time means faster farming than most. Pair wise I dot one up fully, then 3 on the second, drain life then drain soul the second (takes some practice on an area, normally the timing can be mastered after 2 or 3 pulls) then switch drain life or soul the second as appropriate..

Taking multiple mobs needs gear. Especially as they approach your level.

[Seriun]

Start with UA first, so your not being smacked while casting. Instead of SB use Drain Life to heal from Tapping. Have your Imp out and DP him constantly. Use a shard manager Mod/macro with Imp Drain Soul and hit the mob with it when he is about to die. That way you don't clog your bags with shards you get 7% of your mana back. Still you will have to stop and drink from time to time but, not nearly as much as a mage.

[Valcoris]

Looks to me like it's a simple mater of a small gear improvement which you are working on and learning the affliction play style.

Idk if it is feasible at your current shadow damage but that sounds like it is improving soon. So I will walk you through how I affliction grind. Siphon Life>Curse of Agony>Curr then dot the next mob. I do this till I have about 3-5 mobs on me. Then IHoT and drain life on the last mob I dot'd up. Never let your imp sit at full mana. If the imp is full and your not dark pact. Never let yourself sit at full life. If you have 100% life and not 100% mana, Life Tap.

The only time I struggle with mana is grind for mana motes in wizard's row due to the mobs draining mana and even then I do alright.

One suggestion is find an affliction lock that knows how to grind well and see if you can group with them for a grind to watch the play style at work.

[sonte]

Since you are affliction you should be drain tanking instead of using sbolts. Life tap right after you finish casting your dots and then drain life. Finish off with Drain Soul to get some of your mana back. Rinse repeat. I would even suggest if you are killing you mobs really quick to drop unstable affliction from your rotation. Because if its not up for a good part of its duration then its just a wast of mana. The only time that I have ever had to stop to drink or eat was when i pulled more than one or two mobs and had to start using iHoT or DC.

[sonte]

Since you are affliction you should be drain tanking instead of using sbolts. Life tap right after you finish casting your dots and then drain life. Finish off with Drain Soul to get some of your mana back. Rinse repeat. I would even suggest if you are killing your mobs really quick to drop unstable affliction from your rotation. Because if its not up for a good part of its duration then its just a wast of mana. The only time that I have ever had to stop to drink or eat was when i pulled more than one or two mobs and had to start using iHoT or DC.

[cookins06]

i never have to stop to drink or eat with full affliction... you can use drak pact and drain life alot... i use voidwalker so even if i am real low on health and mana i send void in use siphon life and drainlife get to full health then lifetap to about half each and then do the just normal dots on the mob then you can put SOC on the last target and others should die while last one is almost dead, or use ihot

[spiffy jim]

Thanks for the great responses - looks like I have some work to do

[Medaho]

Maddelena:

I have recently switched from demo to affliction in increase my usefulness on raids.
My adivice to you is give it some time. The advice that has been given to you by the other posters is also very good: Affliction is a different playing style than Demo and it takes some time to get used to.

I'm in my 2nd month as an affliction lock. My guild has gone through Kara and we are now working on ZA and I can't say that my raiding dps is so much higher to have merited the re-spec, and I have to be smarter when it comes to AoE attackes because I no longer have SL ,but I am enjoying some of the affliction talents like farming with iHOT and using CoExhaustion.

One thing that you will find is that your pets are much weaker so you'll work you talents and spells more to conpensate.
Give it a while. I'd suggest you give it at least 1 month before making up your mind