Shadow Rotation Question

Do we still use Voidbolt during big AoE pulls? Or do we just focus on Searing Nightmare?

I usually dot everything I can with VE and cast MB/DP/VB on every CD. That seems to produce better numbers than just Searing for me. I also run the Misery talent to apply SW:P, Damnation to get a random instant cast and Psychic Link to increase the MB damage. If you’re looking for pure AOE numbers, you can also consider Auspicious Spirits. Searing is just filler between all that, kind of like face melt on your single target.

Conduits, Mind Devourer helps with that rotation. Dissonant Echoes for VB if you want the dot refreshes outside void form.

As far as Voidbolt, yes-ish. As far as AOE, it’s mainly for refreshing dots. Do it if the dot will roll off everyone before they die. It’s damage in AOE is meh.

If you are doing a big AOE pull where Searing Nightmare is worthwhile, don’t enter Voidform. Save Voidform for single targets and multidot/cleave situations.

For 4+ enemies with no real priority target, Searing Nightmare is marginally better than Devouring Plague. If there is <4 enemies and something is a priority target, better to just funnel Devouring Plagues into the priority target.

Edit: And for 5+ targets, drop Mind Blast and just Mind Sear.

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In short though… Void Bolt any chance you get. Even though yes… you don’t really want to Void Eruption in AOE packs… Mind Sear and SN will do just fine… unless you just want to throw everything at it to try and clean it up very fast and no boss is in sight.

Side note: Void Bolt is very important. You want to use that as many times as you can within the Voidform window.

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What… You realise voidforms interaction with our mastery often makes being in it for mass aoe a 30-40% damage increase? That’s ignoring the potential to be playing AM.

Voidform is a 90 second cooldown, use it on every decent sized trash pack you can.

Void bolt on cd up to 4 targets if you’re playing SN. If you’re playing misery try to have dots up before being in VF and bolt on cd regardless of target count.

It’s more that the packs that have like 10-30 tiny mobs die really fast anyways, and Mind Sear/ing Nightmare is enough, where Voidform is really useful for the next pull that has like 1-4 mobs and Voidform makes your multidotting worthwhile.

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Mhm. We’re talking about big AoE pulls based on OP.

Typically all the other DPS classes mow those packs down and we aid with SN (does plenty imo).

That’s fair, but also if you are doing a large pull of not insubstantial mobs (DoS) you should be doing your sear SN SN spam in voidform instead of holding it for some inexplicable reason. Especially if you’re playing night fae or S2M you’ll have a voidform of some kind for every single pull.

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Yea - it’s hard to create any clear rules for usage - pull size, combat length, group composition, next pulls, etc - all impact your choices.

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People telling you not to void form on AOE packs are wrong. You want to use your cd’s as often as possible in dungeons. The only time you hold it is if you know a prideful or boss is coming up within 30 seconds. If it’s longer than that you really should be using it nearly all of the time. This applies to PI as well.

If anything its more important than ever to use your void form on big AOE packs. It’s also the primary reason shadow priests take surrender to madness in keys.

It’s the primary reason for surrender to madness when it is taken in keys. Let’s just be clear that S2M isn’t just a go to in all M+ circumstances.

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Sure, but it’s a good starting point if you want to learn how to manage cd’s as shadow.

If you VT everything on that first pack in dos and the sanity very low. Do you bolt for the hv extension and continue SN spamming in between or do you just spam sear ?

I drop a turnip punching bag before every key to make sure I have insanity for the first pull.