Hey guys,
Just wondering, in a group, which totem do you use? Stoneskin or Strength of the earth? Do you find a particular one 'better'?
/ty
- Forums
- World of Warcraft
- Class Discussion
- which earth tote do u use?
which earth tote do u use?Follow
Scholar
44 posts
I use StoneSkin on must pulls for groups of mobs, and Strength of Earth on bosses. This unless our group is easily handling the pulls (and the tank is doing a good job holding aggro), then I'll use Strength.
I don't usually have much trouble choosing which Strength totem to use; usually it's Air that gives me trouble. With Wrath of Air, Grace of Air, and Windfury, usually as soon as I start putting one of them down, somebody in the group is asking me to put the other down. Recently I've been just dropping Grace and doing my best to appease the Windfury crowd with Flametongue.
Since I get conflicting requests sometime, I've recently made it pretty clear to the people I play with that I'll try to Totem Twist to their advantage (cycling totems to grant temporary buffs like Windfury and switching to another totem for stats temporarily). Totem Twisting used to be more of a pain because of mana issues, but with the buffed Mana Spring and Water Shield, it's become a lot easier, particularly now that I have a few points in Totemic Focus.
With good situational awareness, Totem Twisting can really do a lot for the group. I love quickly slamming down a Grounding right as an NPC caster throws off a spell, or a Wrath of Air and Mana Spring when I see that our healer is struggling, or a Tranquil Air totem when I see him pulling too much threat. As soon as the crisis is averted, cycle back the totems for DPS or defense. I wouldn't say StoneSkin or Strength of Earth are any better than the other, because it all depends on the situation... sometimes mid-fight I'll find myself changing to one or the other depending on how well the fight is progressing.
But, without too much more jabbering on my part, a good thing to keep in mind is that StoneSkin is of the most benefit when multiple people in the group are taking damage (or if your tank is having serious trouble surviving). Otherwise, Strength of Earth will benefit more people by upping all the melee users DPS, allowing the mobs to be taken down faster and subsequently reducing the total damage they end up dealing.
I don't usually have much trouble choosing which Strength totem to use; usually it's Air that gives me trouble. With Wrath of Air, Grace of Air, and Windfury, usually as soon as I start putting one of them down, somebody in the group is asking me to put the other down. Recently I've been just dropping Grace and doing my best to appease the Windfury crowd with Flametongue.
Since I get conflicting requests sometime, I've recently made it pretty clear to the people I play with that I'll try to Totem Twist to their advantage (cycling totems to grant temporary buffs like Windfury and switching to another totem for stats temporarily). Totem Twisting used to be more of a pain because of mana issues, but with the buffed Mana Spring and Water Shield, it's become a lot easier, particularly now that I have a few points in Totemic Focus.
With good situational awareness, Totem Twisting can really do a lot for the group. I love quickly slamming down a Grounding right as an NPC caster throws off a spell, or a Wrath of Air and Mana Spring when I see that our healer is struggling, or a Tranquil Air totem when I see him pulling too much threat. As soon as the crisis is averted, cycle back the totems for DPS or defense. I wouldn't say StoneSkin or Strength of Earth are any better than the other, because it all depends on the situation... sometimes mid-fight I'll find myself changing to one or the other depending on how well the fight is progressing.
But, without too much more jabbering on my part, a good thing to keep in mind is that StoneSkin is of the most benefit when multiple people in the group are taking damage (or if your tank is having serious trouble surviving). Otherwise, Strength of Earth will benefit more people by upping all the melee users DPS, allowing the mobs to be taken down faster and subsequently reducing the total damage they end up dealing.
Nine times out of ten I'm laying Strength of Earth, Grace of Air, and Mana Spring Totem.
Stoneskin isn't really necessary or worth it unless your tank has a large number of weak or rapidly attacking mobs on him. It serves to reduce damage over time, but it isn't going to save anyone's life. If that Rogue pulls aggro, he's still going to die in a stand-up fight.
Conversely, even if the tank is the only melee in your party, Strength of Earth is going to help him put out more white damage, which is not only going to provide a DPS increase, but increase his threat generation, thereby indirectly benefitting your entire party.
That's me, anyways. Really, what totem to lay and when is not at thing that can be taught. It must be learned, and one can only do so through experience and the knowledge of what totem benefits what class in what situation. Party make-up and the scenarios your party may or may not find itself in will vary greatly, and you need to be adaptive.
Stoneskin isn't really necessary or worth it unless your tank has a large number of weak or rapidly attacking mobs on him. It serves to reduce damage over time, but it isn't going to save anyone's life. If that Rogue pulls aggro, he's still going to die in a stand-up fight.
Conversely, even if the tank is the only melee in your party, Strength of Earth is going to help him put out more white damage, which is not only going to provide a DPS increase, but increase his threat generation, thereby indirectly benefitting your entire party.
That's me, anyways. Really, what totem to lay and when is not at thing that can be taught. It must be learned, and one can only do so through experience and the knowledge of what totem benefits what class in what situation. Party make-up and the scenarios your party may or may not find itself in will vary greatly, and you need to be adaptive.
what i tend to use is... Strength of earth, Mana Spring, ToW, and Grace of air.
edit : i dont use windfury because i find it pretty wasted as most people have weapons too fast for good prots so i find GoA better for groups in pvp i usually drop windfury around my offensive team when they have two handers which are pretty standard for melee pvp ^_^
Edited, Nov 23rd 2007 9:04pm by Draeneipally
edit : i dont use windfury because i find it pretty wasted as most people have weapons too fast for good prots so i find GoA better for groups in pvp i usually drop windfury around my offensive team when they have two handers which are pretty standard for melee pvp ^_^
Edited, Nov 23rd 2007 9:04pm by Draeneipally
thanks guys for your thoughts; much appreciated
Usually I'm dropping GoA, Strength Of Earth, Mana Spring, and Searing Totem.
If I'm grouping with an Arms Warrior, then I drop WF instead of GoA.
If I'm grouping with an Arms Warrior, then I drop WF instead of GoA.
Quote:
Stoneskin isn't really necessary or worth it unless your tank has a large number of weak or rapidly attacking mobs on him.
/agree. If there's only one or two mobs, stoneskin is a waste compared to what SoE can do--even if SoE only benefits the tank. My other problem with stoneskin is that it does not scale at 70; the damage reduction will always be static, making the totem next to useless as you enter 25-man content. Because of this it becomes a specialty totem, used best for AoE pulls. Good examples are the panther adds from the ZG panther boss (old school, I know), or the guests before Moroes in Kara which the mages always pull agro on.
Personally, I always give the tank (and melee) the extra AP from SoE unless the healer is really struggling.
Quote:
i dont use windfury because i find it pretty wasted as most people have weapons too fast for good prots
Unlike our self-buff Windfury, the totem's buff has no internal cooldown. The result is that it will benefit them the same no matter what speed weapon they use. Faster weapons will hit for less, but proc more often.
Quote:
Unlike our self-buff Windfury, the totem's buff has no internal cooldown. The result is that it will benefit them the same no matter what speed weapon they use. Faster weapons will hit for less, but proc more often.
thx for that comment. I'll probably use WoA more but still ill drop WF from time to time now.
Recent Visitors: 197
All times are in CST
Anonymous Guests (197)
- Forums
- World of Warcraft
- Class Discussion
- which earth tote do u use?
© 2024 Fanbyte LLC