05-11-2005, 01:37 AM
While its a good read for newbies, her guide is severely biased, and doesn't really explain the signifigance of the talents, or address their synergistic relations to other talents and skills.
Suppression:
Its useful for
--extending fear duration with dots on
--good for fighting enemies abouve your level,
--a PvP talent
--end game talent
This is arguably one of the best talents in the game, and the more powerful ones. You'll especially notice it against enemies with high resists, or enemies above your level. End-game, both are frequently the case. Also useful if you simply like taking on enemies above your own level, which you'l get a taste for as a warlock.
Your fears will also take a lot more damage before breaking, useful both in kiting and pvp.
Corruption:
You want instant corruption for nightfall, and to DoT anything that cannot self-dispel magic.
As long as a spell is instant, you may cast it on the run. High value for versatility and PvP sake.
ICoW:
ISD:
Both worthless talents given warlocks aren't +spirit based, and curse of weakness is only useful vs dagger rogues.
Improved LT:
Great for all builds because it increases mana efficiency in the health --> mana cycle. Cast spells, life tap, life drain or bandage up to heal, and life tap again. End result = net health + mana gain.
Improved Life drain:
Get life tap and then fel concentration before getting this. If you plan to PvP with life drain, consider suppression before investing in this, as resisted life drain = wasted mana. Interrupted life drain is wasted too. Get fel conc first.
Fel Conc:
See above. With this talent, you may life-drain tank going toe-to-toe with most enemies.
Drain-tanking is even more effective if you have soul link, which halves your damage taken, which means every hp gained through life drain is worth double while your pet is alive.
Amp Curse:
Synergies with CoA and CoEx. Best for 1v1 situations.
Grim Reach:
Absolute must for end-game, and improving life drain effectiveness. However if you're starved for points, we'll understand.
Nightfall:
Get instant corruption before considering this skill. Great for group battles, and taking on multiple enemies, but very unreliable skill otherwise. Approx 30% chance for one corruption to proc a nightfall in the 27 seconds it lasts at highest rank.
Its one of the few instant DD spells warlocks have. Must either this or shadowburn (or both for SM/Ruin damage dealing lock builds) to have the much needed instant damage.
I once managed to proc and successfully cast 5 instant shadowbolts in a row. Except maybe 2-3 in a good minute long battle mixed in with life drains.
Siphon life:
Never cast this when going toe-to-toe, however if you have feared an enemy, casting this is just another good dot for you. Otherwise, only very mediocre spell. Time wise, not worth it. Life drain is far superior dps.
Curse of Exhaustion/Improved
Max it and aim for 25 point minimum affliction investment, or don't get it at all. Weakest snare in the game, absolutely requires amplify curse to be useful, but at least it doesn't suffer from diminishing returns.
You'll notice the difference even more with boots minor speed increase enchant.
If you notice, key spells are at 11 point, 17 point, 20 point, 21 point, 25 point and 31 point investments. Nightfall is 17 poitn investment, for example. Ruin is a 21 poitn investment. Curse of Exhaustion is 25. You get 51 talent poitns total by level 60. Keep this kind of math in mind as you mix and match talent trees. 30/21? Nice. 17/17/17? Taste of all worlds, all powers.
Dark Pact:
Honestly, you can live without it. Its not enough mana per time at end-game. Early on, dark pact is fun and safe. Wonderful spell to have. There are better investments of your talents though. Infinite mana is fun for a while... but there's better out there.
Demonology:
iHS only works for you. Doesn't work for people you pass your healthstones to you. More value PvP than PvE, and to soul-linked warlocks. It can save your life.
Improved Imp:
What's not to love? You'll use imp whenever you have no shards, which will be a lot of the time. Never a bad idea by itself, just weigh it against its marginal cost, the other talent you could be spending it on.
Demonic Embrace:
Far more use PvE when you can have buffs from everyone and everything, than PvP. Still useful PvP. Moreso for soul-linked than others.
Healthfunnel:
Ultimate pve Tanking talent. Get it. Even better with improved voidwalker. Get both, and your voidwalker can off-tank anything with healer support. Off-tank elite mobs solo with health funnel.
Improved Voidwalker:
Keeping aggro is very important, and the current +25% holds a LOT more aggro. It'll be increased to 30%, and sacrifice absorbed increased with talent point investments. Worth considering.
Improved Succubus:
+increased seduction charm is the whole reason why to get this 3 point investment. Every secondof charm matters PvE. You do not want it to break, and potentially kill your pet and wipe your party. Improved Lash of pain with this spell is sickenly fun.
You won't want Succubus out if you're a soul-linked warlock though, she simply has too few hp.
Fel Domination/Master Summoner
Absolute gems, reasons to get demonology at all. If you spend 17 points, get them here.
Get 2nd or 3rd pets out in battle, and scare friends and enemies alike with your fearsome demonic powers. If your pet falls, its usually game over, but not with this talent combination.
Demonic sacrifice:
Can improve Curse of Doom damage.
Highly useful with +enslave demon. Sacrifice your pet, then enslave one and retain both bonuses of having a pet and demonic sacrifice buff up.
Sacced Imp = Better hellfire damage, great immolate and searing pain. Hellfire especially.
Sacced Succubus = Better curse of doom damage and Shadowbolts
To be continued
Suppression:
Its useful for
--extending fear duration with dots on
--good for fighting enemies abouve your level,
--a PvP talent
--end game talent
This is arguably one of the best talents in the game, and the more powerful ones. You'll especially notice it against enemies with high resists, or enemies above your level. End-game, both are frequently the case. Also useful if you simply like taking on enemies above your own level, which you'l get a taste for as a warlock.
Your fears will also take a lot more damage before breaking, useful both in kiting and pvp.
Corruption:
You want instant corruption for nightfall, and to DoT anything that cannot self-dispel magic.
As long as a spell is instant, you may cast it on the run. High value for versatility and PvP sake.
ICoW:
ISD:
Both worthless talents given warlocks aren't +spirit based, and curse of weakness is only useful vs dagger rogues.
Improved LT:
Great for all builds because it increases mana efficiency in the health --> mana cycle. Cast spells, life tap, life drain or bandage up to heal, and life tap again. End result = net health + mana gain.
Improved Life drain:
Get life tap and then fel concentration before getting this. If you plan to PvP with life drain, consider suppression before investing in this, as resisted life drain = wasted mana. Interrupted life drain is wasted too. Get fel conc first.
Fel Conc:
See above. With this talent, you may life-drain tank going toe-to-toe with most enemies.
Drain-tanking is even more effective if you have soul link, which halves your damage taken, which means every hp gained through life drain is worth double while your pet is alive.
Amp Curse:
Synergies with CoA and CoEx. Best for 1v1 situations.
Grim Reach:
Absolute must for end-game, and improving life drain effectiveness. However if you're starved for points, we'll understand.
Nightfall:
Get instant corruption before considering this skill. Great for group battles, and taking on multiple enemies, but very unreliable skill otherwise. Approx 30% chance for one corruption to proc a nightfall in the 27 seconds it lasts at highest rank.
Its one of the few instant DD spells warlocks have. Must either this or shadowburn (or both for SM/Ruin damage dealing lock builds) to have the much needed instant damage.
I once managed to proc and successfully cast 5 instant shadowbolts in a row. Except maybe 2-3 in a good minute long battle mixed in with life drains.
Siphon life:
Never cast this when going toe-to-toe, however if you have feared an enemy, casting this is just another good dot for you. Otherwise, only very mediocre spell. Time wise, not worth it. Life drain is far superior dps.
Curse of Exhaustion/Improved
Max it and aim for 25 point minimum affliction investment, or don't get it at all. Weakest snare in the game, absolutely requires amplify curse to be useful, but at least it doesn't suffer from diminishing returns.
You'll notice the difference even more with boots minor speed increase enchant.
If you notice, key spells are at 11 point, 17 point, 20 point, 21 point, 25 point and 31 point investments. Nightfall is 17 poitn investment, for example. Ruin is a 21 poitn investment. Curse of Exhaustion is 25. You get 51 talent poitns total by level 60. Keep this kind of math in mind as you mix and match talent trees. 30/21? Nice. 17/17/17? Taste of all worlds, all powers.
Dark Pact:
Honestly, you can live without it. Its not enough mana per time at end-game. Early on, dark pact is fun and safe. Wonderful spell to have. There are better investments of your talents though. Infinite mana is fun for a while... but there's better out there.
Demonology:
iHS only works for you. Doesn't work for people you pass your healthstones to you. More value PvP than PvE, and to soul-linked warlocks. It can save your life.
Improved Imp:
What's not to love? You'll use imp whenever you have no shards, which will be a lot of the time. Never a bad idea by itself, just weigh it against its marginal cost, the other talent you could be spending it on.
Demonic Embrace:
Far more use PvE when you can have buffs from everyone and everything, than PvP. Still useful PvP. Moreso for soul-linked than others.
Healthfunnel:
Ultimate pve Tanking talent. Get it. Even better with improved voidwalker. Get both, and your voidwalker can off-tank anything with healer support. Off-tank elite mobs solo with health funnel.
Improved Voidwalker:
Keeping aggro is very important, and the current +25% holds a LOT more aggro. It'll be increased to 30%, and sacrifice absorbed increased with talent point investments. Worth considering.
Improved Succubus:
+increased seduction charm is the whole reason why to get this 3 point investment. Every secondof charm matters PvE. You do not want it to break, and potentially kill your pet and wipe your party. Improved Lash of pain with this spell is sickenly fun.
You won't want Succubus out if you're a soul-linked warlock though, she simply has too few hp.
Fel Domination/Master Summoner
Absolute gems, reasons to get demonology at all. If you spend 17 points, get them here.
Get 2nd or 3rd pets out in battle, and scare friends and enemies alike with your fearsome demonic powers. If your pet falls, its usually game over, but not with this talent combination.
Demonic sacrifice:
Can improve Curse of Doom damage.
Highly useful with +enslave demon. Sacrifice your pet, then enslave one and retain both bonuses of having a pet and demonic sacrifice buff up.
Sacced Imp = Better hellfire damage, great immolate and searing pain. Hellfire especially.
Sacced Succubus = Better curse of doom damage and Shadowbolts
To be continued