Some lock specs and gear choices

[Grendeel]

  To begin with, our new hit cap is 447.  That number is without any talents and without any buffs.  It will be significantly lower depending on what classes are present in raiding.

For affliction the priority to stats is as follows (in general):

1. Spell hit
2. Spell power (both 1 and 2 are close in affliction with spell hit outperforming spell power marginally)
3. Spell Haste
4. Spell Crit   (Crit is slightly higher than haste in one build without using drain soul)
5  Spirit
6  Intel
7 Stam  (the last 3 are factors but signifcantly lower than the other 4)

Ironically Stam provides no extra dps value whatsoever now.

Destro (only one build available atm)

1.  Exact same as affliction with distinct differences in the ranks.   Nothing is marginal.

Demo (again one build only with available info on it)

1. Spell hit
2. Spell power
3. Spell haste
4  Spell crit
5 and 6  (intel and spirit are equal)
7  stam (still minimal but does have some dps value with demo)

Demo build and links to the best gear available for this build (in general)

1.   0/53/18 ...  http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=IZcxIzsxoqcsguhoE0hV

gear choices if spell hit is needed ....

http://www.lootrank.com/wow/wr.asp?Cla=256&Max=40&Gem=3&Str=0&mh=0.98504&mp5=0&Sta=0.194432&mcr=0.765641&spd=1.01392&mhit=1.591&spp=0&Int=0.490568&Spi=0.495075&Ver=5&Title=Warlock_0_53_18

gear choices if you are spell hit capped ...

http://www.lootrank.com/wow/wr.asp?Cla=256&Max=40&Gem=3&Str=0&mh=0.98504&mp5=0&Sta=0.194432&mcr=0.765641&spd=1.01392&mhit=0&spp=0&Int=0.490568&Spi=0.495075&Ver=5&Title=Warlock_0_53_18_NOHIT

Destro build and gear available (in general)

1. 2/13/56   .....    http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=IbZcLc0cZVcGVd0uVsAfct

gear ranking with spell hit needed

http://www.lootrank.com/wow/wr.asp?Cla=256&Max=40&Gem=3&Str=0&mh=1.05214&mp5=0&Sta=0&mcr=0.707538&spd=1.6112&mhit=2.00944&spp=0&Int=0.378737&Spi=0.482613&Ver=5&Title=Warlock_2_13_56

gear ranking without spell hit needed

http://www.lootrank.com/wow/wr.asp?Cla=256&Max=40&Gem=3&Str=0&mh=1.05214&mp5=0&Sta=0&mcr=0.707538&spd=1.6112&mhit=0&spp=0&Int=0.378737&Spi=0.482613&Ver=5&Title=Warlock_2_13_56_NOHIT

Affliction builds (they are similar in builds...one without drain soul and one using CoE

1. 56/0/15  (drain soul being used)  ....     http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=IfxMbzMAoVAoIstZE00V  

gear with spell hit needed ...

http://www.lootrank.com/wow/wr.asp?Cla=256&Max=40&Gem=3&Str=0&mh=0.95719&mp5=0&Sta=0&mcr=0.633611&spd=1.47142&mhit=1.56953&spp=0&Int=0.328519&Spi=0.484234&Ver=5&Title=Warlock_56_0_15

gear without spell hit needed  ....

http://www.lootrank.com/wow/wr.asp?Cla=256&Max=40&Gem=3&Str=0&mh=0.95719&mp5=0&Sta=0&mcr=0.633611&spd=1.47142&mhit=0&spp=0&Int=0.328519&Spi=0.484234&Ver=5&Title=Warlock_56_0_15_NOHIT

2 56/0/15  (elements being used) ...     http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=IfxMbzMAoVAoIstZE00V

gear with spell hit needed  ....

http://www.lootrank.com/wow/wr.asp?Cla=256&Max=40&Gem=3&Str=0&mh=0.979323&mp5=0&Sta=0&mcr=0.677404&spd=1.44309&mhit=1.63085&spp=0&Int=0.308787&Spi=0.446887&Ver=5&Title=Warlock_56_0_15_CoE

gear without spell hit needed

http://www.lootrank.com/wow/wr.asp?Cla=256&Max=40&Gem=3&Str=0&mh=0.979323&mp5=0&Sta=0&mcr=0.677404&spd=1.44309&mhit=0&spp=0&Int=0.308787&Spi=0.446887&Ver=5&Title=Warlock_56_0_15_CoE_NOHIT


3.  56/0/15  (no drain soul being used) .....    http://www.wowhead.com/?talent=IfxMbzMAoVAoIstZE00V

gear with spell hit needed    ....

http://www.lootrank.com/wow/wr.asp?Cla=256&Max=40&Gem=3&Str=0&mh=0.668273&mp5=0&Sta=0&mcr=0.755167&spd=1.3688&mhit=1.8545&spp=0&Int=0.342437&Spi=0.4511&Ver=5&Title=Warlock_56_0_15_NoDS

gear without spell hit needed   ....

http://www.lootrank.com/wow/wr.asp?Cla=256&Max=40&Gem=3&Str=0&mh=0.668273&mp5=0&Sta=0&mcr=0.755167&spd=1.3688&mhit=0&spp=0&Int=0.342437&Spi=0.4511&Ver=5&Title=Warlock_56_0_15_NoDS_NOHIT


This isnt the be all end all list of builds for locks, but it is however the only quantifable statitstics i could find at the moment.   

There is several other builds being talked about, but with respect to performance and numbers, its all based on raiding experience and not actual numbers.   

This at least provides us with a list of gear we should be shooting for (in general) and as we get more experienced with Wolk im sure it will be adjusted.   At least we got a starting point.

[Grendeel]

  Ok, ive been trying the  56/0/15 spec without the improved drain soul talent for just over a week now.   It appears the 5% less threat from this talent isnt needed.   I never get to steel aggro anymore.  Tanks are op and good

As far as my gear goes, im mostly in Wolk blues with 3 epic pieces from faction quartermasters.  This was a bit of a challenge to get used to and it still can be if your rotation is thrown off,  but with it, on tank and spank fights,  im able to pull off 2000 to 2300 dps on fights.   This is on par with all classes ive raided with, except for that damn DK class and Rock pulling over 3000 dps on some fights   .  Ive read some locks saying they can pull 3000 to 4000 dps with this spec, so we are ok as far as im concerned. 

This is the rotation i used - (edited for a more efficient rotation)

Shadowbolt >  Haunt > UA > Immolate > Corruption > CoA > Siphon Life

After that cycle you can do Shadowbolt > Haunt > UA >  Immolate > Shadowbolt > Shadowbolt.   The longer dots will now come into play so you must keep an eye on them

after this you need to watch the timers on CoA and Siphon Life and mix them in.  Those dots are much longer and you can typically go through the above rotation twice before you have to reapply SL and CoA.  I perfer using CoA over doom because i believe it does more dps (from my experience). However i do use doom on certain bosses, therefore its situational for me.  If you feel overwelmed by a rotation such as this, simply always use doom to remove one dot from the rotation.

A  couple notes:

Always, always, always keep haunt up on the boss.  I think it adds 20% more damage to all other dots while it is active.
Keeping Haunt refreshed on the boss also refreshes Corruption, so you are essentially taking Corruption out of the rotation.
Dont expect to ever lead on overall damage in a group/raid setting.  We will never ever come close with this build.  Mobs simply die too fast for our dots to be maximized.

Edit  ----

After playing around a bit more ive changed the rotation to make it much easier to use.  Immolate and UA have the same duration so it seems natural to cast them one after the other.   Also i forgot about the shadow embrace talent, which applies a debuff that stacks up to 2 times. This debuff significantly increases our damage, so it stands to reason it should be applied as soon as possible.   Casting shadowbolt and then haunt at the start will put the debuff up and stack it.  With these 2 changes my rotation is


Shadowbolt >  Haunt > UA > Immolate > Corruption > CoA > Siphon Life

After that cycle you can do Shadowbolt > Haunt > UA >  Immolate > Shadowbolt > Shadowbolt.   The longer dots will now come into play so you must keep an eye on them

Also on a side note, after the boss reaches 20% hp drain soul outperforms shadowbolt (at 20% ds has a x4 spell damage increase).   So swap out shadowbolt for drain soul.  Even if u can only get one tic out of drain soul before u have to renew the dots, it still does more dps than shadowbolt

[fiere redfern]

Dont expect to ever lead on overall damage in a group/raid setting.  We will never ever come close with this build.  Mobs simply die too fast for our dots to be maximized.

I'm doomed to never see myself top the DPS charts. I enjoy the challenge of keeping a DoT rotation up too much to go "pewpewdestro" mode on Fireheart. 

And btw, great post Gren, thanks!

[KittyPurple]

My plan at 80:

http://talent.mmo-champion.com/?warlock=550012050200010000000000000000000000000000000000000000205003311352001500135200350&glyph=031510020406

With the succubus out, that's 20% crit to shadow spells from talents, I may move points from demonic empathy to improved demonic tactics if demonic pact up time isn't close to 100%

edit: I may have found the new SB spam spec... /cheer /cry