Synopsis: First time rolling warlock. Wanted to do something new in classic. Am DS/Ruin spec. Getting top damage among warlocks every raid. Getting thrashed in PvP. I’m not interested in the compromise of SM/Ruin.
Question: Is soul link shadow burn viable for raiding? Have you seen anyone do this with success/failure? Thinking something like 7/31/13.
Thanks in advance!
Demon spec is just meh in pvp. Sure you’re a tank, but if someone doesn’t want to fight you they can just run away, lol.
Engineering helps with that quite a bit. And besides, your role in group pvp is a tank/disruptor.
That may not appeal to everyone though.
It’s viable the same way 31/8/11 Dark Pact is viable. Don’t use SL, be the Improved Imp bot for the tank group. Don’t expect to top the meters anymore. If you’re not in one of the hardest of the hardcore guilds you’ll be fine. I used to raid as Dark Pact because I liked it for farming and didn’t have any issues (just get Imp. Imp and get parked in the tank group).
It’s fine honestly molten core and ony are so easy just do whatever you want I don’t want to out myself or anything but i’ve been showing up to raids as SM/DS because I use it to farm for my epic mount
Concur with this, Demon tree is the way to live, but rather boring. Demon tree wasn’t good until BC patch.
To OP:
I do enjoy Afflic for pve/pvp, but if you are not liking SM/Ruin you could go Afflic/Demo… but your lacking the burst sometimes needed in PvP that others will have.
Destru/aff is fun for pvp as you have the burst, but you don’t sac the Suc, as she is often needed to Seduce the 2nd person who tries to fight you. Seduce is often useful to get the Soul Fire off with a quick Imo/conflag into another Seduce or Fear. If into another Seduce it’s funny as they can’t do much about it without a trinket, and your about to burst them again.
PvE Raid spec, really isn’t needed for MC/Ony so you can just lose some DPS for more pvp utility.
I’m running 6/33/12, myself, and I’ve found it to be very good at PvE, and in dungeons. I don’t PvP, so don’t know about that side of things.
I focus on the Succubus. Two main reasons: she offers CC vs. humanoids, and she doesn’t AoE taunt like voidwalkers.
The build goes like this:
Affliction - Improved Corruption 5, Improved Drain Soul 1
Demonology - Demonic Embrace 5, Fel Intellect 5, Improved Succubus 3, Fel Domination 1, Fel Stamina 5, Master Summoner 2, Unholy Power 5, Demonic Sacrifice 1, Master Demonologist 5, Soul Link 1
Destruction - Cataclysm 5, Bane 5, Improved Lash of Pain 2
I’m sure there are more optimized builds out there, but I find that this works for me, and my play style.
For pvp your going to want Soul link… now 2 different styles SL/nightfall for dot draining no real burst, or SL/shadow burn where you have there ability for burst
Curse you all, making me want to pick my Lock back up again… such an amazing class.
SL/SB seems baller for PvP.
There is also the the MD/ruin spec which you can play like a pvp spec, but mostly a raid spec for when your topping threat
SM/Ruin actually does very similar dps as Demo Sac. You’re basically trading Nightfall for +5% shadow damage/no pet, so at best you would only do 5% more damage than a SM/Ruin spec, but potentially less depending on proc RNG.
I’m SM/Ruin and i’m almost always #1 DPS for warlocks and mages. I definitely wouldn’t call it a “compromise”.
One thing you should know, is that SL is significantly weaker as an alliance lock, and is by no means the strongest pvp lock spec (though the strongest dueling spec). Shamans will hard counter you with purge. SM/Ruin would be great in raid based wpvp (and is very good in pvp in general), as you can just corruption up and spam instant shadowbolts at everything, and conflag is where you’d be aiming to 1 shot people/down flag carriers.
SL/SB wouldn’t be great in raiding, as you’d simply do less damage. But most guilds probably wouldn’t care, as no one needs to min/max current raids.
I am curious on your aversion to SM/Ruin as literally the only raid difference is that you would cast corruption for instant shadow bolts. It’s essentially the exact same mechanically.
If it’s PvP you’re interested in doing, deep affliction is your ticket. Supplemental demo or demon is optional
My favorite pvp spec is the conflag 7-7-37 spec.
It lacks survivability compared to soul link for sure, but you can pull off some really insane burst damage to targets and I find that appealing 
I did pretty well with it in the BG’s back in our pvp grinding days. The pvp reward gear is great for that spec.
I spent waaay to much gold re-speccing when I needed to raid, though heh.