[Raiding/PVP] Affliction for current gear?

[WRXHokie]

Character Name: Romil
Armory Profile: http://www.wowarmory.com/character-s...Thrall&n=Romil
Wowhead link of current build in use: http://www.wowarmory.com/character-t...Thrall&n=Romil

Wowhead link of proposed build: 41/0/20

PvE Play style and Requirements of build:

I'm current raiding Kara with my guildmates. We've started getting into ZA and we're looking to move on to Gruul's in the near future. I'm disappointed with my current DPS numbers with my current build.

PvP Play style and Requirements of build:

I play battlegrounds quite a bit when not raiding, and I also have two arena teams 2v2 and 3v3. I'd like the build to be friendly for both raiding and PVP.

Additional Comments:

My current build I switched to at 70 for farming and PVP purposes, but i'm finding it less and less applicable for raiding. My latest numbers for raiding Kara were not pretty and I was dead last amongst DPS members of the raid. I've read quite a bit about affliction for early raiding, and I'd like to switch to it eventually, I prefer the playstyle. My gear isnt maxed out for spell hit, and i'm currently replacing all my blues with Kara/tailoring purples. With my current gear set and where i'm gonna be headed with my gear eventually, does my current spec fit my playstyle? I'm finding demo really tough to deal with in raids.

[WRXHokie]

Follow up to my original post... I respec'd to 41/0/20 as i stated above. Since then i've become hit capped through my gear and gems. My crit is still relatively low (13%)... so i figure I should stay affliction, but I have no need for 5 points in Suppression any more.

Where should I put those 5 points? Am I wrong, should I go destro now?

[Jordan Cou]

well unfortunately thanks to Resilience gear, PvP Spec's for Arena, and the necessity for hit cap in pve, you cant have it all. here is a great link of what in my own opinion is some sound warlock advice...

Warlock guide and tips to 25 man raiding. @ 07.11.2007 - 22:34 | Nihilum.eu - MMORPG Gaming Guild and Community

basically it is some general info, nothing too in depth, but nonetheless it is some good advice for warlocks who are interested in pve.

But here is my take on your current spec...
like you said you dont need 5/5 into supression because you got hit cap from gems and gear, so your options are...
(a) take 5 pts from supression and use em for pvp
(5 pts into fel concentration) and keep your current build... or
(b) go more pve with your spec
(put an extra point in the destro tree for ruin to make your SB crits worthwhile, not to mention all that spell hit. also you might wanna think about putting 2 pts into Grim reach, for pve as well as pvp max range on your spells can really help and can keep you alive. Another option to really think about is 3/3 in malediction. while it would probably take away from your pvp talent pts like instant aoe fear or pts into fel concentration, the recent merger of Curse of Shadows and Curse of Elements has really opened the door for affliction spec to really help out in raid caster dps.)
(c) once you start to get some better gear and more spell crit you can think about putting 21 pts into the destro tree and the rest into affliction, you wont get UA, but the crits of your SB spams will make up for the loss of an extra dot

So here is my opinion of an ideal pve spec for you at the current time and gear:

WorldofWarcraft.com - Talent Calculator

it is a bit unconventional but imo max spell range is important, because you only have like 13% crit 21 pts into destro for ruin and 5/5 devastation would be wasted talent pts that you could use for some pvp portion of the spec (atm 2/2 imp howl of terror and 3/5 fel concentration)

so keep in mind while you cant have a perfect pve dps spec and pvp stay alive spec, affliction is a very versatile spec tree. once you start getting up into t5 and definately once you got yourself some t6, then you can go destro. like Bizzkill says, its merely a gear issue with t4 being destro spec, it just doesnt have enough spell hit crit and damage to make the spec worthwhile and to max dps.

Like i said this is all my own personal opinion, a lot of people have different opinions of what rotation to use and so forth but from personal raiding experience and many hours up at dr boom what Buzzkill says is completely accurate and 3/3 malediction will make you some new shadow priest and mage friends in the guild

[Nohero]

At your current level of progression(looks like Kara & Gruuls) I'd stay Affliction. Destruction doesn't start to pull ahead until late tier 5 content, and even then Affliction can still kick some serious ***.

If you want to go destro, keep your current hit rating and spell damage, and at the same time increase your crit. When you can get about 800-900 damage, 16% hit, and 25% crit with talents start considering 0/21/40.

I'm in BT/MH right now with a destro build. we have an affliction lock for support(shadow embrace+malediction+imp). Even with our Afflic lock using CoE instead of Agony/Doom he still does great DPS. Usually in the top 5, with a mage, warlock(me), and 2 rogues(nerf rogues!).

With your current gear you could go Destro, although your crit would be on the light side. Try it out and see what you think. Usually when i change specs/spell rotations I go to Dr. Boom to test out my DPS.

It really comes down to preferance. Some people like the utility/endless mana of affliction, some like to see big shadowbolt crits with destro. Both have advantages over the other.

[Oliselia]

I am not sold on the points spent in iHot, think it might be wiser to take the points and put them into into Shadow Embrace upping it to 3. Would also consider removing the point in CoEx (its a PvP talent IMHO) and place it into Shadow Embrace giving you a tot of 5 Shadow Embrace.

Or, if you want put 2 in Shadow Embrace and 3 into Malediction providing the raid even more support.

Like the SS and FSW gear, that should last you until T5 content (unless you are looking to badge replace them). See a green and a couple of blues, IMHO they would be my first priority to replace (green then blue).

Maybe something like this might be worthwhile? removes Suppression, iHot and CoEx while adding Shadow Embrace (3), Grim Reach (2) and malediction (3)

[Jordan Cou]

"I am not sold on the points spent in iHot, think it might be wiser to take the points and put them into into Shadow Embrace upping it to 3. Would also consider removing the point in CoEx (its a PvP talent IMHO) and place it into Shadow Embrace giving you a tot of 5 Shadow Embrace." - Oliselia

like i a said Imp Howl of terror is primarily pvp, i kinda explain my post if you read it... the origanl poster mentioned they liked to pvp and was looking for a spec for both... but ya totally you can not have to worry about pts into Curse of Exhaust but they did say they liked to pvp so i figured it was worth using for the talent tree, besides it is one of those things that people use to get to the next tier in their talent tree

[Oliselia]

I agree, failed to note the PvP aspect of the OP's original post :( I read the Additional Comments section and based my post on it :(

[WRXHokie]

Thanks everyone so much for all the comments and advice... i'm gonna stick with affliction and go with Jordan's spec.

Thanks to all.