Banishing and you...

[capnpop]

Since the server is still down...

Here's a little info on banishing in raids (couple fights where you need to in MC and apparently in AQ20).

If the mob MUST REMAINED BANISHED (Garr and lava packs are my primary EXP for this) there are some things you need to do that make it VERY EASY.

1.  Make sure you have a VW out
2.  During the pull make sure you have your target
3.  Cast Curse of Shadow on your target (this makes it mad at you)
4.  Sick your VW on your target and cast your banish (make sure it's rank 2 unless you wanna be tricky, i'll explain later)
5.  Allow your VW to beat on banished mob, make sure to keep at max range and before the mob breaks banish pull your VW off the mob to keep it alive.
6.  Re-banish as needed until it becomes a primary target for the group/raid.  I usually sac my VW to ensure that if the mob is still angry at me it won't kill me.

The one thing I change (which can be considered stupid...) is that I pull my mob with Curse of Shadow, but then I toss Curse of Doom on it during my banish routine.  Once I put Curse of Doom on the mob the first banish is 30 seconds, 2nd one is 20 to ensure that Curse of Doom doesn't proc while the mob is banished.  You can do that a couple times during the Garr fight but, you will die.  It is really really hard for the tank to grab aggro (or your VW to hold it) if you've dealt 6-10k dmg to the mob already. 

That is all...I'd suggest you stick with the keep it banished routine...it's easier and safer...

[Grendeel]

So far ive had no problems banishing the mobs in MC.  Curse of shadows ensures mobs will stay banished longer, however it isnt necessary (or hasnt be so far).  Without CoS, it just means u might  have an extra banish to cast at some point.  Although with the dps our guild has done in our 2 attempts at MC, a second banish hasnt been necessary.  CoD on it before its banished sounds like a good idea.

As a side note, ive read on the forums that the mobs being attacked by the raid, should have  CoR on it as opposed to any other curse.   This will reduce the overall damage done by the lock, but apparently it increases the overall damage done from the raid by  9% (through the 560ish reduction in armour).

[capnpop]

I've never used CoR in an instance unless it was to stop runners (just rank 1 then).  For the most part Sunder is able to reduce the armor by 2200+ for mobs...and if that lowers them to 0, all CoR is doing is making them hit harder.  It tends to be easier to toss up CoS or CoEl to help ourselves or our mages. 

Once you get to Garr, keeping it banished is vital.  The more of his adds you kill, the harder he hits, and if they are free to roam they not only create chaos, but he can select one and have it explode in the middle of the raid (very painful...).  These suggestions aren't much good for killing an add or something like that, i've rarely had to re-banish there...but with Garr adds and lava packs, you need to keep them gone or you will lose people and prolly wipe...with curse of shadow on a garr add i've had at least 1 complete resist and some partial resists (breaking before the 30 seconds are up...) and I have watched fellow warlocks get terrible luck and get a couple resists in a row (with Curse of Shadow on the target) so it's very dependant on luck.  And, like I said, Curse of doom can be fun....until a garr add slaps you across the room when he explodes right on you...

[Grendeel]

Heh ..thats why i put in brackets "or hasnt been so far".  I know nothing about MC past lucifer.   

The message boards say the CoR is common practice in raids on bosses.   A 9 percent increase in overall raid dps is problably 100 times more damage than if we used CoS or agony.   If 560ish armor reduction wouldnt mean much then we would have our tanks stop at 4 sunders or 3.  If they had 6 or 7 im sure we would be asking them to apply them as well.  The people on the boards do the math on these things.  I cant see it staying there if it isnt correct.

[Peligrie]

One thing that has worked in groups in the past I've run is...to attach a hunter to the elemental first. They pull to the Warlocks who then banish farther out of the group. When banish breaks and until the Warlock gets it rebanished, the hunter keeps it's pet on it (and possibly any spare warrior should BOL for stray elementals who break free- the more warlocks that go down the less re-banishing you can get done)so the elemental doesn't go after and kill the banishing warlock. Generally speaking, the sole purpose of a warlock in this fight is to watch for rebanish on their elemental and not put curses or DPS any other mob until their elemental has been killed. It's worked wonders in the past.

Good mods like Necrosis can make the Banish button easier to find (assuming that still works with the new patch  ).