Oi!
I have a Holy Paladin for a main that has raided from Kara to Sunwell Plateau. Recently my little Priest dinged lvl 70. I have Frozen spellweave and full epics out of Kara. I wish to fine tune him to the level my pally is on, if not in terms of Tier 6 gear at least in terms of having macros, knowing the ins and outs, and flat out getting the best out of him that I can.
Couple Questions:
1) Spell Rotation is pretty simple. Keeping dot uptime maximized is not. Is there a good UI for this, someone recommended DoT Timer to me and frankly it didnt float my boat.
2) Maximizing Mana return. Lets face it when I do an off night Kara/Gruul/Mag with alts I am not there for DPS I am there to be a Mana Battery. Other than constant dot uptime is there anything you do to squeeze the most out of it?
3) Mob Targeting! I have been a healer for the last year and before that I was in EQII. There has to be a better way to select a mob than tab targeting is there an assist macro I can set?
4) FAQ's, guides suggestion. I have checked out Elitist Jerks and other sites some are good and I will sit down and do some more reading today, some are very general
5) Basically any advice, suggestions, etc to help squeeze the most out of my SP, things you wouldnt do without etc throw at me.
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Fine tuning Shadow Priest RaidingFollow
Bode - 100 Holy Paladin - Lightbringer
www.shadowpriest.com is your bible. If you head there, make sure you read alllll the stickies before you even think of posting. They're pretty tough on posts that ask questions that have already been answered.
I'll let someone else answer your questions, thinking about my shadow priest since I changed mains makes me feel sad :'(
I'll let someone else answer your questions, thinking about my shadow priest since I changed mains makes me feel sad :'(
ClassTimer for DoT tracking. DoTTimer for multiple targets, if you want to track that; I usually just use a /focus with ClassTimer (or even just kinda guess) on two and tab-target on three+.
Maxing mana return = always have DoT's up and always have SWD and Blast on cooldown. Pop mana pots like candy, fully flask/food/oil every serious boss (I skip out of Hydross/Lurker and Gruul/Mag, myself, pop food and maybe oil for those). I usually drop VE, then trinket->VT/Pain/IF+DP/Blast/Death at a boss pull. If you're going to have plenty of mana (and it's a serious boss attempt), throw a destro pot in there at the beginning as well, though as of yet I haven't run into any non-farm bosses that I don't have to chainchug pots.
Mob targeting on larger pulls (SSC), I just click-target. Crazy pulls like Hyjal or Tidewalker trash, I usually just tab-DoT-tab-DoT-tab-DoT until I'm out of mana, and if I run into a mob that's already DoT'ed and my GCD is up I'll drop Blast or Death (I also tend to watch for Cannibalize then as well, on Hyjal ghouls).
Maxing mana return = always have DoT's up and always have SWD and Blast on cooldown. Pop mana pots like candy, fully flask/food/oil every serious boss (I skip out of Hydross/Lurker and Gruul/Mag, myself, pop food and maybe oil for those). I usually drop VE, then trinket->VT/Pain/IF+DP/Blast/Death at a boss pull. If you're going to have plenty of mana (and it's a serious boss attempt), throw a destro pot in there at the beginning as well, though as of yet I haven't run into any non-farm bosses that I don't have to chainchug pots.
Mob targeting on larger pulls (SSC), I just click-target. Crazy pulls like Hyjal or Tidewalker trash, I usually just tab-DoT-tab-DoT-tab-DoT until I'm out of mana, and if I run into a mob that's already DoT'ed and my GCD is up I'll drop Blast or Death (I also tend to watch for Cannibalize then as well, on Hyjal ghouls).
Picked up a lot of the UI, set Dispel and shield to grid+clique(bad healing habit) got my rotation working pretty well. Keep up the good advice and man alive I need a good Main Assist macro.
Bode - 100 Holy Paladin - Lightbringer
In terms of targetting, does your guild not use ora2 or something similar that sets main tanks and lets you see what they are targetting? I just click the target I should be on from those. Same in 5-mans, I have my party UI set up to show the targets of party members, so I just target off that.
Assist macro? Simple.
/assist <Name of Main Assist>
As for spell rotation, I'm fond of Touch -> Pain -> Embrace -> Blast -> Death -> Flay -> Blast -> Touch -> Flay -> So Forth.
Mana returns, remember that your mana pool is less important than everyone else's. That in mind, I developed the above rotation. It ensures that Touch is always active.
Some people would say to leave out Embrace, as it reduces the DPS in your cycle. My argument to that is the very essence of your class. You're there to support, not add super burst damage. Healing the party is support.
On that regard, I've learned to not spec improved Embrace. It draws too much threat, and a dead Shade adds no mana or HP to the group.
/assist <Name of Main Assist>
As for spell rotation, I'm fond of Touch -> Pain -> Embrace -> Blast -> Death -> Flay -> Blast -> Touch -> Flay -> So Forth.
Mana returns, remember that your mana pool is less important than everyone else's. That in mind, I developed the above rotation. It ensures that Touch is always active.
Some people would say to leave out Embrace, as it reduces the DPS in your cycle. My argument to that is the very essence of your class. You're there to support, not add super burst damage. Healing the party is support.
On that regard, I've learned to not spec improved Embrace. It draws too much threat, and a dead Shade adds no mana or HP to the group.
The main limitation on a Shadowpriest's damage in the early 25s is the threat cap. Without vanish/FD/invisibility/soulshatter, you have watch Omen like a hawk. Learn how high you can keep your threat without any risk of pulling aggro.
That said, more Shadowpriests should know about the Bracing Earthstorm Diamond. It only gives you +9 damage, true...but the -2% threat is *huge*, essentially a 2% increase to your overall damage. And of course you should have Subtlety on your cloak.
Not casting VE is another good way to keep your mana return to threat ratio high.
That said, more Shadowpriests should know about the Bracing Earthstorm Diamond. It only gives you +9 damage, true...but the -2% threat is *huge*, essentially a 2% increase to your overall damage. And of course you should have Subtlety on your cloak.
Not casting VE is another good way to keep your mana return to threat ratio high.
I went out and did alright in Kara the other night, course having done it once a week every week for the last year on my pally probably helped.
I need to find a shackle macro, fine tune keeping dots up at all times, few minor things.
Now I need to get my brothers 450+ res warrior out and get some practice in PvP
I need to find a shackle macro, fine tune keeping dots up at all times, few minor things.
Now I need to get my brothers 450+ res warrior out and get some practice in PvP
Bode - 100 Holy Paladin - Lightbringer
13 posts
If you want a good website for shadowpriest go to www.shadowpriest.com they have a lot of usefull informations.
And for the shakle macro i usually use this one:
/cast [target=focus,nomodifier:shift][modifier:shift] Shackle Undead
/stopmacro [target=focus,exists,nodead,nomodifier:shift]
/run SetRaidTarget("target",5)
/focus [target=focus,noexists][target=focus,dead] [target=focus,modifier:shift]
Edited, May 9th 2008 10:42am by Fitzqc
And for the shakle macro i usually use this one:
/cast [target=focus,nomodifier:shift][modifier:shift] Shackle Undead
/stopmacro [target=focus,exists,nodead,nomodifier:shift]
/run SetRaidTarget("target",5)
/focus [target=focus,noexists][target=focus,dead] [target=focus,modifier:shift]
Edited, May 9th 2008 10:42am by Fitzqc
Scholar
46 posts
I use DoTimer, and I do like it. Can I ask what you dislike? I just took a screenie to show my DoTimer setup to someone asking a similar question. (Yes... I need to tweak a few things, but I made a UI-punt after 2.4.2, and my interface/bindings have yet to be polished.)
As for gearing... The FSW set plus the spellstrike infusion set is an excellent start. The attainability of the Belt of Blasting just went up exponentially with the influx of Nether Vortices into the market. For a complete gear list of what you might aim for, here is the "casual" version of gear that you can pick up. Here is the raiding version, which will probably be what you want.
Granted, the weighting that they use is a subject to criticism, and I don't know how well this is updated through the current patch. Nonetheless, it should give you a good idea of where to begin.
To put things simply, I would drop my first investments into:
(1) FSW set (which you have)
(2) Spellstrike Infusion set (some will argue this one--if you are an engineer, you can get a good headpiece from that)
(3) Carved Witch Doctor's Stick (AFAIK, still the best DPS caster wand in the game for 25 badges)
(4) Belt of Blasting
(5) Orb of the Soul Eater or Fetish of the Primal Gods (more badge gear--only reason I put it at #5 is that the Saga of Terokk will serve you well until you can get one of these)
Thoughts?
Edited because Imageshack links almost always break. Photobucket, ftw?
Edited, May 17th 2008 11:52am by Acoe
As for gearing... The FSW set plus the spellstrike infusion set is an excellent start. The attainability of the Belt of Blasting just went up exponentially with the influx of Nether Vortices into the market. For a complete gear list of what you might aim for, here is the "casual" version of gear that you can pick up. Here is the raiding version, which will probably be what you want.
Granted, the weighting that they use is a subject to criticism, and I don't know how well this is updated through the current patch. Nonetheless, it should give you a good idea of where to begin.
To put things simply, I would drop my first investments into:
(1) FSW set (which you have)
(2) Spellstrike Infusion set (some will argue this one--if you are an engineer, you can get a good headpiece from that)
(3) Carved Witch Doctor's Stick (AFAIK, still the best DPS caster wand in the game for 25 badges)
(4) Belt of Blasting
(5) Orb of the Soul Eater or Fetish of the Primal Gods (more badge gear--only reason I put it at #5 is that the Saga of Terokk will serve you well until you can get one of these)
Thoughts?
Edited because Imageshack links almost always break. Photobucket, ftw?
Edited, May 17th 2008 11:52am by Acoe
Scholar
46 posts
Okay... In my insomniatic haze last night, I missed addressing a few things.
As for point #2, your DPS and efficacy as a mana-battery are the same thing, assuming that you always have Vampiric Touch up (which you should--this is your primary responsibility and hence why a mod like DoTimer is so important).
As for point #3, this takes me back to the early days of WoW. You know, back before everyone started using Lucky Charms to mark all the mobs. My guild always used a MT/MA setup, where we would focus fire on the target of the Main Assist (generally a hunter or melee-DPS). Obviously, a
/assist <main tank's name>
macro isn't going to be very good, as the tank is going to have to switch targets. This is likely over-explaining a well-known concept, but in most guilds I have been in, people are completely unfamiliar with the concept of MT/MA. The response I get is when I ask, "Do you guys understand the concept of a Main Assist?" is almost always, "Yeah... That's like an off-tank, right?"
/em shakes head in sorrow.
Basically, if you are not already employing one player as the Main Assist, I feel that doing so helps the flow of any group. The macro is obviously
/assist <main assist's name>
As for point #4, I will mirror what everyone here has said. Shadowpriest.com is very nice.
And one last thing that I forgot... Somehow I failed to mention a main-hand weapon in all of those gear suggestions. One of the easiest to obtain items that is very nice is the S1 Gladiator's Gavel. With Soulfrost and Superior Wizard Oil, it pushes out +295 spell damage. With the more economical +40 enchant, you are looking at +281 spell damage.
That's all for now. Let me know if you have any follow-ups.
Edited for inability to add.
Edited, May 17th 2008 11:43am by Acoe
As for point #2, your DPS and efficacy as a mana-battery are the same thing, assuming that you always have Vampiric Touch up (which you should--this is your primary responsibility and hence why a mod like DoTimer is so important).
As for point #3, this takes me back to the early days of WoW. You know, back before everyone started using Lucky Charms to mark all the mobs. My guild always used a MT/MA setup, where we would focus fire on the target of the Main Assist (generally a hunter or melee-DPS). Obviously, a
/assist <main tank's name>
macro isn't going to be very good, as the tank is going to have to switch targets. This is likely over-explaining a well-known concept, but in most guilds I have been in, people are completely unfamiliar with the concept of MT/MA. The response I get is when I ask, "Do you guys understand the concept of a Main Assist?" is almost always, "Yeah... That's like an off-tank, right?"
/em shakes head in sorrow.
Basically, if you are not already employing one player as the Main Assist, I feel that doing so helps the flow of any group. The macro is obviously
/assist <main assist's name>
As for point #4, I will mirror what everyone here has said. Shadowpriest.com is very nice.
And one last thing that I forgot... Somehow I failed to mention a main-hand weapon in all of those gear suggestions. One of the easiest to obtain items that is very nice is the S1 Gladiator's Gavel. With Soulfrost and Superior Wizard Oil, it pushes out +295 spell damage. With the more economical +40 enchant, you are looking at +281 spell damage.
That's all for now. Let me know if you have any follow-ups.
Edited for inability to add.
Edited, May 17th 2008 11:43am by Acoe
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