Soul Link + Ruin = Crazy Delicious

[Aphramzo]

Just daydreaming about the patch, and how I will spend that oh so sweet first new talent point. I could have a 0/31/21 build which would give me Soul Link AND Ruin. Now thats hawt! I would lose insta-corruption from the affliction tree but thats about it. I miss my 2500+ crits v_v

I have been tossing around the idea of respecing now to a MD/Ruin build. I figure since I dont plan on doing much with Aphramzo other than raiding (where I dont even use SL) any time soon, I wouldnt be missing much. Sure I couldnt brag about how I can wipe the floor with rogues, but hey, they know that already

Vith: Didnt you try this spec briefly? What were your thoughts?

[Mcguirk]

Just a note. . I heard somewhere (completely uncomfirmed) that post 60 you will get a new kind of talent tree, with new points that can't go towards the old talents.

From what I gathered, you will have like a second talent tree, maybe a hero talent tree or some such, and you will get hero talent points post 60.

Again, just a rumor. I'd love to have extra points for my current talents. .I'd love to try a combat build with Adreanaline Rush AND preperation.

[Malthorn]

The "patch" you are talking about, is this the expansion?

And yea mcg ive heard this also, about the new seperate trees for after 60 and everything. If thats not how it is, once some1 hits 61 they will gain so much power, too much really.

For Example: I would be able to do a PoM, arcane power, combustion pyroblast = an instant ~2300 hit with 2 500 dmg ignite ticks after, let alone id have a easy fireblast to cast also. So that means when cooldowns are up, i get an instant 3k dmg right there, and then another 1k in 4sec and more if u do some AOE. Does this not seem like a little overpowering? as much as id like it i think its too much.

[Aphramzo]

Err brain fart, yes by patch I meant expansion.

[Aphramzo]

Ok, so I did indeed respec to MD/Ruin. And last night in MC I did much better than I normally did on the damage meters. You defiantly need to watch aggro MUCH more in this build though. While I didnt DRAW aggro away from the tank more than normal (once or twice), it seemed that if a tank ever got aggro dumped, I was at the top of his shit list. This happened on several of the bosses

This build is fun, but I dont know how long I will stay here. Wondering what some of you other locks (and I know you're (not your) out there) are using, or thinking of using.

EDIT: Oh, what about something stupid like this build: SM\DS. You would have +25% shadow damage when you sacced your succy (which I do in MC when I am not MT imp). So no crazy crits, but constant insane dmg. Although this is the same effect as having a shammy rez your pet right after you sac it if you have MD too, and last time I tried that I had WAY too much dmg. Hmm.... I wonder.....

[Vithigar]

My foray into a DS/Ruin build was sort of fun, but I missed MD and SL too much... and wasn't willig to give up instant corruption.

As it stands though, I'm still my trusty Nightfall\Soul Link spec, and doing as well as ever. I'd actually be surprised if you're not getting 2500+ crits now. My build lacks Ruin and I'm still breaking 2k when everything lines up right, without the sacrifice/res trick. Assuming everything else is the same you should be flirting with 3k damage, unless I'm missing something...

Anyway, maybe I'm wrong, but I can't see the extra damage from Ruin being that much (if at all) greater than the extra damage afforded by the occaisional shadow-trance instant shadowbolt. I think the damage difference between my afflic/demon spec and your dest/demon spec might actually be due to your faster shadowbolt cast time.

[Aphramzo]

Could just be my play style. Before when I would go for an all out DPS night (even with my SL build I had the fast SB) I would get thrid tops, behind Guirk and Karu. Last Wendesday I went all out with the new build and got first (by about a single SB over Karu). But it was a noticable difference for me.

As for my hitting power: Before my highest crit with SB was 1648. Now I think its in the 2700's. I have crit line so I can check when I get home.

All in all, I would still say my 9/31/11 build has been my favorite and probably best. But I have extra cash now and am just trying things out, see how it feels. In the long run I will probably respec back to that unless I find some awesomer build in my trails. I think after this week I will try that SM/DS. Maybe... No SL AND no MD, life will be rough.

[Aphramzo]

Ok, ok. I have been looking over more specs (SUPRISE right?). While MD/RUIN is fun, I just want to try other stuff, make sure I find what is right for me.

ATM I cant really see myself without Shadowburn, and I really want insta-corruption back. For the first time I am actually looking into a tri-spec build (19/21/11).

CONS:
-I lose ruin. My SB crits in MC will go from 2400ish to 1500ish. I crit about once a fight so there goes about 900 dmg a fight.
-I lose MD. On dmg nights this doesnt matter what so ever. However this comes in REALLY handy in the Ony fight when I am Zrogs imp. It gives me a 20% aggro reduction, so I can slack a little and throw a few extra SB. However in MC it wont matter cause if I have my imp out I will not be doing enough damage to get real threat.

PROS:
-I will get instant corruption again. This will add another 800 or so dmg per fight in MC as I had stopped using it before.
-I get fel concentration (chance to not be interupped with draining life). This is good for soloing and in those OH SHIT situations. Not fantastic, but nice.
-NIGHTFALL! 4% chance to get an instant SB every time corruption ticks. This should add up to about half an extra SB per fight.

Oh, wow. After writing all that out I want to try it even more! I get Nightfall, Shadowburn, AND DS in one build? Why yes, I think this will be my next try.

[Aphramzo]

So I did indeed respect last night to the 19/21/11 build. And my damage was comparable with my MD/RUIN build. Infact it was even a little better, but I got the T2 head piece now¡K just +12 dmg extra, but that might have been enough for the small improvement I saw, who knows?

However before hand when I was farming shards I was MUCH MUCH MUCHO happier with this. FEL CONCENTRATION FTW! I can afford to jump the gun on drain soul a little and get hit two or three times and still get the shard.

Hehe it was funny too with NF. Before when I had it I seemed to remember hearing it proc each time. However either my game sound was too low, or the TS was too noisy, but this time I thought it wasn¡¦t procing at all. But every once in a while I would hit 2 (my SB key) and nothing would happen. I thought I was just getting lag and hitting it just a tad too early before my last spell had finished. NOPE, it was nightfall procing and me not noticing ƒº. It wasn¡¦t until just before Gehennas that I realized that. I felt pretty silly!

All in all I would say Viths guess was about right. The damage I lost in RUIN was gained back by the extra SBs I would dish out from my NF proc. Plus instant corruption back and fel concentration. All in all, I am liking this a lot so far and might stay here a while (which is like a month in my spec history)