I want burning embers
Looking at the Demonlogy Dragonflight build, doesn’t “The Expendables” and and “Stolen Power” make more sense to be flipped? “Sacrificed Souls” leading to “Stolen Power” just fits more right?
5 Likes
Thoughts on the Affliction Tree
What I love:
- Return of soulrot and DSS (actually gasped when I saw this in the tree). Especially with the ability to get ID easily, love the multidrain, I never feel more like an affliction lock when I’m draining multiple mobs, very excited to be able to use this in more situations.
- Return of Malefic Rapture - I am a fan of this ability, especially with the two piece returning. This is a fun, satisfying ability that gives afflicition a competitive dmg profile with modern wow. (Nathria aff was some of my favorite game play)
- The AOE dot abilities and potential builds, VT changes are awesome. AOE haunt ability, and agonizing corruption are all great additions. I like the thought of mixing in Raptures and Seeds. Using them to spread and buff dots as well as do direct dmg.
What I’m worried about:
- Very low single target damage when specc’d into an AOE build. Would like to see synergizing talents that would allow for better single target dmg when specc’d mostly into AOE
- Very lackluster cooldown in Darkglare - without having Dark Soul to pair with it, it will not feel particularly effective or fun. Dark Soul Misery was a cooldown that felt very impactful and like a core part of the affliction rotation. Would like to see DSM perhaps integrated into Darkglare or darkglare otherwise significantly buffed.
- Overly complex single target management and too much focus on buffing filler, too many buttons. Between juggling malefic wrath, nightfall, decimating bolt, shadow embrace, haunt, and all your dots for withering bolt to make sure drain soul is doing good damage, there is just too much to manage. On top of that we’ll be trying to cast deathbolts at the best time (which eat shards you need to maintain Malefic wrath).
What I’d like to see:
- In single target, it would be great to see a focus on synergies between Malefic Rapture and dots. This would focus on MR increasing dot dmg and duration, and dots in turn increasing MR and Deathbolt dmg. This doesn’t synergize with the filler focus at all.
- Potentially a big filler build could exist in the tree, as it might have some niches (such as execute), but right now it doesn’t seem optional. Either remove this focus, add more choice nodes, or make it a more independent part of the tree. This would mean adding choices or moving nightfall/decimating bolt/Malefic Wrath/withering bolt.
- Make decimating bolt a choice node, preferably with a passive ability to reduce button bloat.
- Remove or dramatically rework Malefic wrath - this ability is simply unfun. It is extremely punishing to movement, mechanics, or low procc’s on calamitous crescendo. If it stays as part of a big filler build option, increase the buff to 20 seconds (like balespiders).
- Return focused malignancy - the ability to separately tune Rapture for single target and AOE means that it can do decent dmg in single target without being overpowered in cleave and that it can be tuned down in single target without ruining affliction for AOE.
- Rework and move creeping death - the reduced duration on dots has anti-synergy with the rest of the kit. It has no reason to be gated behind SR and DSS. Has a lot of potential.
- Consider adapting Rapid Contagion for PVE, would be a great addition to the kit.
- Improve or remove the two point node after Haunt, this is super lackluster but gating a build making capstone.
3 Likes
Had another thought about the bottom rows of both Affliction and the class tree.
I am not saying that I would delete the added abilities in the class tree, I just think that those spells aren’t entirely universally Warlock. And other spells could fill that role a little better. What those abilities are, I just threw some stuff out there, I don’t have a dog in that fight. What I do want to say is that maybe they should be swapped for minor throughput gains or be pure utility.
The affliction part is more about how you just pick all 4 big abilities and call it a day. There should be more emphasis on specializing imo.
Mythic +
Affliction.
Malefic Rapture
Don’t mind keeping this ability as shard spender, but with Deliberate Malice being removed, the ability will be again underpowered compared to Seed of Corruption. In this case, idea would be to bring Seed of Corruption to the similar damage level as Malefic Rapture but compensate a both ability damage loses with an Agony, Corruption and Unstable Affliction buff.
Additionally, the Damage-over-Time extending effect from Deliberate Malice could be moved into an Affliction as baseline, and work with shard spending and hard-cast abilities like Malefic Rapture/Seed of Corruption.
This effect did very well for Affliction when it came during Shadowlands season 3. I understand that in the current form it can move away little too much Affliction from necessity of refreshing dots. To reduce impact of it, the 2 second value can be reworked and extend DoT’s timer base on of which shard spending ability was casted; 1.5 second in case of Malefic Rapture and 2.5 second in case of Seed of Corruption both scaled with haste. The key result which would be welcome is to being able to spend shards without worries that DoTs will expire while doing it but not move away Affliction from refreshing his DoT’s.
Unstable Affliction
At the current state an Unstable Affliction is doing barely same damage as Agony with Writhe in Agony, which is weird feeling as the Unstable Affliction is limited to one target and should be one of our Single Target core abilities. Later in the tree it can be buffed it with Malefic Affliction, which is nice, but require casting Malefic Rapture and does not work with Seed of Corruption.
Propose solution would be to make Unstable Affliction damage buffed but cost of 1 Soul Shard, unlimited by number of targets but not stackable, a bit similar like it was in Legion in BFA.
In this case Affliction will gain additional shard spender outside of Malefic Rapture for people who prefer such playstyle, especially in PvP. In PvE, with this change Unstable Affliction will become something more than just another point on the rotation checklist.
In case of AoE in could create more interesting choice, if you what to spend shard to cast Seed of Corruption for more stack-cleave, Malefic Rapture for more spread-cleave or Unstable Affliction for priority target.
With a Soul Shard cost a little more power can be gained behind it.
Seed of Corruption
Cast time of 2.5 second is a little too long, with helping Affliction to ramp up faster it could be reduced by 0.5 - 1.0 second as a baseline or with a talent, like Agonizing Corruption.
Nightfall
With a current talent location and necessity of going away from buffing Affliction filler spells like Shadowbolt and Drain Soul, this talent would work way better with Unstable Affliction, buffing priority damage little further.
Xavian Teachings
Corruption must be instant baseline for Affliction. It would be good spot for Drain Soul as it is now in a weird location and both Single Target and AoE build might what to have easy access to it.
Sow of Seed
No remarks.
Shadow Embrace
With currently Affliction ramp-up time this talent gives even more delay to iy. Great to see another Unstable Affliction talent like Contagion .
Harvest of Souls
Nice talent, but it’s location should be more optional and not locking from going further in the build.
Writhe in Agony
To be honest it is “must pick” for both Single Target and AoE builds which makes it not real choice talent. Solution would be to make Agony stack up to 18 as baseline and remove “starting at 4 stacks” component of it as we have access to Agonizing Corruption right now. In Single Target, faster Agony stacking is not as important as in AoE.
With current location in the tree (AoE side) it would be good to see an Agony duration extend talent, same as conduit from Shadowlands.
Agonizing Corruption
New Affliction talent which will help with specialization ramp up time. Two-point investment feel little too much in the current form, as it brings no value after Agony reach 18 stacks. Reasonable solution would be to make it also reduce Seed of Corruption cast time by 0.25/0.5 or 0.5/1.0 seconds.
Drain Soul
As there are Shadowbolt and Drain Soul lovers it’s logical solution to keep a filler as a choice for Affliction. In the current form it’s too high in the talent tree, it would be good to move it into a second row and make Corruption instant as baseline.
Siphon Life / Absolute Corruption
Personally, I’m not a fan of Siphon Life since it came back. I don’t agree that a complexity of the Affliction and its rotation should be locked behind increasing number or damage-over-time effects and things to maintain.
It could be choice talent for Harvest of Souls / Absolute Corruption or Sacrolash’s Dark Strike/Absolute Corruption when tuned correctly. With Sow of Seeds being a thing and easily accessible, it can be no big benefit to invest one point into Absolute Corruption outside of it’s pure Corruption damage increase**.**
Phantom Singularity / Vile Taint
As long as both Single Target and AoE build want to have access to one of those talents, it should be good to move it more into middle, might be in the place of Withering Bolt.
For Vile Taint being count by Malefic Rapture, I don’t like cooldown extension up to 30 second.
In the end, you would like to cast it in M+ at 30% of pack HP to deal more damage but you know the cooldown will not refresh uniting next pack. Adding an Agony and curse spreading into this spell was good step but need to keep it mind this it’s still one of our main damage ability with the current stage of Malefic Rapture.
If Affliction is going to be more sustain damage dealer with would be good to make it back 20 second cooldown or removed it applying additional damage over time effect and keep only Agony and curse. In such case a shard cost could be also removed. With doing that, Phantom Singularity could be little more for AoE build to Vile Taint if someone prefer to put Agony manually.
Soul Tap
I don’t feel this talent yet. Can be good to refill shards just before combat. Maybe instead we could gain: Sacrifice 5% of your Soul Leech to make you next Malefic Rapture, Unstable Affliction, Seed of Corruption an instant spell.
Inevitable Demise
Nice talent, but it’s location should be more optional and not locking from going further in the build. More like optional talent, at the current stage Affliction need to invest into many of 2-point talents, so we are running out of point for such Quality-of-Life talent.
Soul Swap
Soul Shard cost and cooldown is too much, in the current stage one must be removed. If there is need to swap target fast it can be a good choice.
More like optional talent, at the current stage Affliction need to invest into many of 2-point talents, so we are running out of point for such Quality-of-Life talent.
Soul Flame
Current not working to test out. But no additional remarks, talent will help Affliction a lot in case of low-HP targets.
Grimoire of Sacrifice
Unsynergetic with many talents in class tree.
Pandemic Invocation
5 second window look too short, especially when I come to refresh Agony applied with Vile Taint, so far damage value and shard generation chance is low.
RNG component in this talent feels bad. Would be better to make it more predictable, like: when damage over time is refreshed you gain one stack of buff, after stacking up to 5 or any number, it will grant you Soul Shard.
Withering Bolt
No remarks. Good with Drain Soul as it increases our execute damage.
Sacrolash’s Dark Strike
Good talent which could be a choice note with Absolute Corruption when Siphon Life removed.
Creeping Death
Nice to see talent finally fixed. Probably must pick for both Single Target and AoE.
Malefic Affliction
Interesting. Huge disappointing it does not work with Seed of Corruption as our other shard spender, if is it would open possibility of new AoE builds.
Doom Blossom/Dread Touch
Interesting talents if Doom Blossom damage will be tuned correctly. Now it can not compare to others. RNG component is bad, it would be better to scale damage with Malefic Affliction stacks instead of its chance to proc.
Calamitous Crescendo
Not a fan of it. As o damage over time manager, I think you would like to be more predictable of your rotation and go away from random procs which forcing you a spell to press. It would be much better if it would just generate a shard instead of making Malefic Rapture free cost.
Haunt / Seized Vitality / Haunted Soul
Nice to see Haunt have more value in AoE builds. Seized Vitality feels less interesting right now as its number is very low. Healing of it will be also mostly random, with Haunt on 15 cooldown it cannot be pressed on demand. Could work little better if it would also reduce Haunt cooldown but keep it limited to one target.
Summon Darkglare / Antoran Plating / Wilfred / Grim Reach
Nice to see some changes to our core offensive cooldown. Will see how it’s end up.
Wrath of Consumption
Not a fan of it as it is completely death in Single Target. I understand that this is in AoE talents area but making last tier talent which totally 0% value in any scenario is not ok. Should be reworked.
Soul Rot / Soul-Eater’s Gluttony / Decaying Soul Satchel
Well, not fan of it. Without conduit radius extension it can be pain to playout if targets will not be very closely stacked. Also think that Decaying Soul Satchel and Soul-Eater’s Gluttony should be swapped in place and amount of spending points. Decaying Soul Satchel ground buff effect is also sometimes very painful and unforgettable, as others buffs in that row it should be bound to a target/player not being a ground effect.
Something quick for the devs:
Re: fun/flavor/meaty play
UA should be shard spender, a monstrous majority want it. Stackable or multi target.
Maybe make UA/MR the first choice and you pick one. Then gameplay revolves around UA spender or MR spender. Everyone wins.
Try playing a Soul Fire build with Grim Sac.
I dare you to enjoy your talent ‘choices’.
Whatever the solution is to make that build viable will fix two problems simultaneously.
Doom. This needs some proper thought. Cleavable? Maybe it ticks low dam every sec then does 75% of its damage on the last tick. if the target dies before its final tick it transfers to nearest mob and continues time left - until it Booms.
Something fun. And damaging.
Demonbolt - how is it demony? Maybe make all demons crit when you cast it. Or 50% chance to summon a Pit Lord on crit.
3 Likes
Similar idea, but I would not make it a choice talent 
Rapture is sometimes useful, even in it’s current state.
I mean, if blizzard would get me a beta key I could test demo myself, nether portal being possibly viable with a pit lord seems very fun… But I want some sort of different variant for my fel guard, it’ll be utter laziness if blizzard doesn’t give us at a least few new glyphs.
3 Likes
Oh I don’t particularly hate it. But it is SO divisive this would be a way to sort that out 100%. 
What got me into Aff was exactly this. DoT juggling. To do it well required real concentration. However SoC spamming for AoE was boring AF.
I think a sweet spot is having abilities like Inhale/Exhale and Misery. To accelerate spread.
Then developing mechanics to compress the duration of DoTs and really haste the ticks, instead of ‘bursting’ like MR - but thats just me. I liked the fantasy of corrupting and slowing and melting away the enemy while DL to rub salt in the wound. 
2 Likes
First off, I love imps and welcome any way to make them more interesting and effective. But the IGB talent in demo tree has questionable value. If you’re doing implosion cycles for AoE, you probably need to cut a cycle short if you get an IGB spawn imp in order to implode it before it despawns. At that point I’m doubtful it’s even a gain. Seems very underwhelming for 2 pts at that position in the tree. I’d love to see our current 4pc in that spot.
Few other points of feedback on demo tree:
-Having to pick balespider to get to nether portal feels bad. It forces you to play the maintenance buff mini game which sometimes requires hard casting shadow bolts and overcapping cores for a gain on a very small portion of your dmg. Feels bad.
-With both guillotine and demonic strength, it feels like you almost need to micro manage a rotation on your pet. I’d like to see guillotine replace DS so you only have one.
-Shadows bite is very weak, feels bad having to pick it just to get to grim inq
-Tyrant feels too weak even with Reign of Tyranny. He’s weaker than aff’s darkglare. I get not wanting the 1 minute “ tyrant does all your dmg” profile we had in SL but I think it’s gone too far especially with RoT being choice node against Wilfred’s. Could probably buff both baseline tyrant’s demonfire and RoT.