Anyone else have a really hard time getting into higher keys as a lock? 1100io and a decent ilvl but can’t get into a 14 to save my life unless I run with a guild group.
I heard warlocks are getting nerfed but I can’t find any details besides threads complaining, considering quitting and changing classes.
Anyone else feel the same?
Naw we ain’t getting nerfed, we getting buffed, atleast demo is
Warlocks aren’t a meta class - we underperform in AoE but CAN hold our own in the right group composition, provided we don’t overlap our cooldowns with a burst class (i.e. mage combustion, druid convoke). We excel in ST fights so we’re a bit more useful on tyrannical weeks, but people hate running tyrannical keys so we often get left behind too.
We are NOT getting nerfed - we were initially, but the nerf was reverted on the current PTR so affliction will remain more-or-less unchanged. Which isn’t the best, but I guess when you’re top 3 raid damage you can’t easily complain.
1100io is insufficient for 14s in general - at this stage in the cycle, many people have gotten keystone master which defaults to an io of ~ 1330. 14-16 are the most competitive spots for M+ invites - everyone wants a few easy 14s for their weekly vault chance, and 15/16 is for those still seeking keystone master.
Even as a moonkin or fire mage, you’d struggle to get invites to 14s as 1100. As a warlock you’d likely need a 1300 io and 220 ilvl to be considered. But even if you were a mage, you’d likely not get invited until 1150-1200 io and 213 ilvl.
The playerbase has been more snotty towards the meta than it ever has been so far this expansion. Everyone running keys is wanting to take the best, meta comp which usually consists of a mage, boomy, rogue, hunter or something along those lines.
Affliction in the right circumstances is a very strong spec, the issue is it does’t do much that other classes can’t do just as well, if not better at the momment.
On non fortified weeks if you have a mage/rogue + a warlock in your group, the adds are gonna be dead before the lock can build any dots. I feel like Affliction Locks gain more value on Tyranical weeks because we have strong single target damage that can be sustained over a while, but then again boomy’s can pump us pretty comfortably here.
The only things a warlock brings to the group that no other class can bring is healthstones, and in most groups those arne’t gonna be anywhere near as valuable as bringing a spec that melts things quickly, and gateways for the odd gateway skip.
An 1100 IO isn’t that high for 14’s, and because so many players with higher IO’s will apply just to get their weekly 14’s done you are much better of pushing your own key than trying to join someone else’s key.
I think part of the reason the playerbase is more meta-oriented is the difficulty level of the ‘relevant’ keys (i.e. 14+, which awards max vault level). The actual dungeon rewards are relative trash in terms of ilvl, so the only thing that matters is the vault reward. The 14+ were challenging and every tank needed to be a kiting god every week to survive - and the meta classes were not only burst gods (who could kill mobs before tank needed to kite seriously) but also had incredible utility to assist in kiting / tanking - treants, entanglement, dragons breath, etc…
By contrast in BFA the ‘relevant’ M+ difficulty felt easier and weaker burst classes with higher sustain (warlocks) were more valuable since tanks could keep things alive. Also keys below 14 mattered because the ilvl wasn’t hot garbage and titanforge / warforge could still get you a high item no matter what.
In BFA the current version of warlock mage etc… would still be significant, but I’m willing to bet the meta wouldn’t be so set-in-stone.
Go look at Raider io, multiple classes are above 3k IO. Lock isn’t able to get over 2500 with the best BiS gear.
BFA never changed meta, Rdruid was always God tier along side Rogue, Mage, and Prot Warrior. There was multiple patches but no change in meta because the changes Blizzard makes don’t change a thing.
It was impossible to get an invite for a 15 as a lock in BFA either even if you had done 15 in time.
BM hunter was super meta at the end of BFA.
Even early on? I don’t recall struggling for higher keys early on. Later in the seasons absolutely, but I was only referring to why the ‘meta’ seems so set-in-stone this early into the expansion cycle. It didn’t feel that way to me in early BFA and I didn’t play late BFA to be able to comment.
In no way, however, am I defending our current state of play in M+. I’m just trying to figure out why there is such a strong mindset towards ‘meta’ this early into an expansion.
Dogs build is getting buffed and should be solid for m+
Good luck op. Finding groups is bad enough as locks.
I was not playing my lock at the beginning of BFA i was referring to the last season where it was next to impossible to find a group as a lock in a 15 even though they were super easy to complete in time with the corruption. Sorry did not realize you were talking about the beginning of BFA.
lock might not be meta but it’s still pretty strong in keys. You should be able to get up to the 15-16 range without too much difficulty if you’re able to do 5k+ dps aggregate in a run. A lot of efficiency in M+ is simply knowing your CD timings based on specific packs (usually Tyrannical vs Fortified timings).
Ye its all about how many tyrants you squeeze in, while having it up for bosses, and how to implode. You need to know the dungeon paths well not just your class. SoA tho is kinda hard to do well in as demo.
I got into a +8 pug group with my alt hunter today as 300 IO with 203 ilevel. I can’t get in anything higher than 5-6 with my lock who is 1k IO with 218 ilevel. This is how stupid it is.
they want strong dps like MM hunters and class with bloodlust and you need be the right Covenant to join whatever key they are doing. If played a lock, you get auto declined because locks are bad since Legion.
Locks aren’t bad. They just aren’t meta.
People need to learn the distinctions.
That’s still a problem. I always have a hard time finding a group for mythic+ because I main a lock and I have able to do 15s with my lock.
There are ways around it.
Make your own group or make friends.
See above