Advice on my Lock.Follow

Hi guys. I am wondering what I can do to improve my lock. His armory link is here: http://www.wowarmory.com/character-sheet.xml?r=Balnazzar&n=Banzaiburger


I know the spell hit is low, and I may need to resocket my gems to improve+hit. Any advice on my spec? I like affliction, and have tried 21/40, but dropped it because it is too mana inefficient. Also, I am trying to get enchants on my head.


Thank you in advance.

You're stacking haste waaaaaaaaaaaay too early, for starters.

Spec:
Go with this: http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=IEMrcRckVtboZxx0xM There are three points left over to place wherever you choose. Suppression is filled in order to cover the gap in your spell hit. Eventually, you'll want to go with this spec (as you progress into 25-mans, especially): http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=IVMrcRctVtcoZxx0tr

Note that some people like Nightfall instead of Intensity, but due to the high amounts of AoE damage in T5 content, Instensity outweighs Nightfall in terms of actual usefulness. Always, always, always, though, try to spec for Imp. Drain Soul and Destructive Reach for threat reduction. If you're not having problems with threat, your tanks are really freaking awesome, or you're not doing enough DPS.

Gear:
Ok I can see you're not a tailor, so you don't get the benefit of Frozen Shadoweave. Unfortunately, you actually need to drop some of the T4 gear for other stuff (most of it's really not that great anyway).

Helm: Go with the Spellstrike Hood. You're not a tailor, so you won't get the set bonus, but Spellstrike set is BoE.
Neck: Pick up the Brooch of Unquenchable Fury from Moroes if possible.
Cloak: Ruby Drape of the Mysticant (Prince) or Cloak of the Betrayed (Delrissa, MgT). Do yourself a huge favor and get your cloak(s) enchanted with Subtlety.
Robe: Shroud of the Lore'nial (100 Badges) may be a piece to consider for its spell hit, but I never found it necessary, because gems and enchants can cover spell hit.
Bracers:{/i] Vindicator's Silk Cuffs are comparable to your current bracers. You lose 2 crit, 2 dmg and instead gain some sta and int.
[i]Gloves: Gloves of Arcane Acuity (Kael'thas, MgT), Handwraps of Flowing Thought (Attumen), or Gloves of Oblivion (Bladefist, Shatt. Halls).
Pants: Spellstrike Pants.
Boots: Ruby Slippers (Oz), Boots of Incantations (75 Badges)
Rings: Ashyen's Gift (Cen. Exp. Exalted) and/or Fused Nethergon Band (60 Badges)
Trinkets: If needed, use Scryer's Bloodgem for the spell hit.
Main Hand: S2 dagger.
Off Hand: Jewel of Infinite Possibilities (Netherspite)
Wand: Tirisfal Wand of Ascendancy (Shade of Aran)

Enchants:
Helm: You have high enough reputation with Sha'tar to get your helm enchanted.
Shoulders: Get your Scryer rep up to exalted. It's not hard, and far easier than Aldor rep.
Cloak: Subtlety, always.
Robe: +6 stats.
Bracers: You have spell damage, but also, if you need a cheap one, get healing.
Gloves: Spellstrike (+15 spell hit) until you no longer need it, then use +20 dmg.
Legs: Runic Spellthread, or Mystic if you're cheap.
Boots: Boar's Speed, or at the very least, Fortitude.

Gems:
Note: Don't socket for bonuses unless (1) the socket bonus is spell hit, or (2) the spell damage obtained is 5 or more. If you're using epic gems, don't socket for dmg bonuses. I'm gonna list gems based on your current gear, to try to get your spell hit up and retain some damage. Never, ever, ever socket for straight stamina.

Shoulders: 2x Veiled Noble Topaz.
Robe: 3x Veiled Noble Topaz.
Bracers: 1x Veiled Noble Topaz.
Belt: 2x Veiled Noble Topaz.

If you absolutely need to keep blue gems for a meta gem to be active, use Glowing Nightseyes. After you've obtained hit cap (202, regardless of spec), use Runed Living Rubies or Runed Crimson Spinels.

One last note, Warlocks are not mana efficient, regardless of spec. That's why we have Life Tap and Dark Pact.

I hope this helped some.

I have Subtlety to cloak, both Destructive Reach and IDS, and always have salv on in a raid. I'm still hitting at least #6 consistently on threat meters, even on fights where we have 4 tanks (we tend to run 4 on Void Reaver, actually - though this is usually dependent on whether we have one or two shadow priests, or if our 21/40 lock is present - then I am still in top 10 on threat regardless, but have hit #2 before). We only have one Pally in the raid in most cases, so it's almost always only Salv. http://www.wowarmory.com/character-sheet.xml?r=Runetotem&n=Roxanne is my warlock's armory if you want to check it.

Don't underrate Spell Hit, even as affliction. Spell hit is stacked to 202 for your non-affliction spells (Immolate, Shadow Bolt, Banish and Soulshatter - the 4 most used non-affliction raiding spells). If your elemental shaman almost never dies, and you are ALWAYS in group with him/her, you can drop your spell hit by 3% as long as Totem of Wrath is always down, and you are always in range (though some fights WILL disallow this because of the movement involved).

I realize that you mentioned you specced 21/40 and found it a boring spec - well, for one, you're undergeared for it. Secondly, it's not meant to be a fun spec (though some will find a personal preference for it).

Spec:

Ok, so you're not the Malediction lock.
http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=IVMrcRstVtboZxx0tr - if you're the Shadow Embrace lock (you could move a point from Intensity to Nightfall in this build; I personally don't like Nightfall but that's because I value Intensity a lot higher for various reasons).
http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=IVMrfRfkqtboZxx0tr - if you're not

However, even though you end up with Imp. CoA in the latter spec, and someone else is running CoEl, you should be tossing Curse of Recklessness or Curse of Doom. CoR should only be used if there's a warrior or druid specced for Imp. Demo Shout/Roar, however (our guild doesn't have one of those, though, so we don't get to toss CoR).

One last thing - Only 2pc T4 is useful as affliction, because 4pc screws up UA/Corr timing.

Edited, Aug 26th 2008 10:01am by wingsofscion