A helping/attacking macro using focus

[Outlaw73]

I dualbox a pally/druid combo and have seen a few of the other leaderless macros that allow me to help/attack whatever the focus is targeting, but they didn't quite work right if I wasn't partied and they all locked the slave's target and didn't switch with the main right.

Occasionally I run with just the druid, so macros that refer to my paladin by name or party position (eg; target=party1) is not helpful if I am not group leader.

To solve this I poked around wowwiki and a few other threads and came up with this:

/cast [modifier:alt,target=player][target=focustarget,exists,help][target=playertarget,help][target=focus,exists] Abolish Poison

This allows me to /cast Abolish Poison (or anything helpful) under the following conditions in this order:

target myself if I happen to be controlling my toon at the moment and I hold down alt
[modifier:alt,target=player]

or

target my focus' target if the focus has a target (or if I even have a focus set) and it's helpful to the target
[target=focustarget,exists,help]

or
target my own target if it's helpful
[target=playertarget,help]

or
target the focus if I have a focus
[target=focus,exists]

Now when I want to abolish poison (or remove curse, or cast thorns, motw, etc) it will work from my main as well as my slave, grouped, focused, solo or otherwise!

I just figured this out, so I might play with the order of the conditions in case my focus is targeting a friendly I don't want to cast at and I want the slave's target to be first condition in line.

This also works for attack spells as well, eg:

/cast [target=focustarget,exists,nodead,harm][target=playertarget,exists] Starfire

Cast Starfire at:
My focus' target (if I have a focus and they are targeting a target that is alive and unfriendly)
[target=focustarget,exists,nodead,harm]

or
my own target if I have something targeted
[target=playertarget,exists]

You might change the order if it's desirable for you to "set" your slave's target pre-fight and you want to leave it there. I read in another thread a few people like to do this when fighting mobs with minions.

Hope that helps someone!

[Kaynin]

target=playertarget

Isn't that basicly just whatever target you have? So in other words, redundant.

/cast [target=playertarget] Spell = /cast Spell



PS: I use a similar macro set up myself, utilizing focus in much the same way, it's very deadly if used right.

[Outlaw73]

In the case of the second macro, I believe you are right. Since target=playertarget is the last conditional it is probably redundant. I am not sure if having it there triggers wow NOT to send a "you have no target" error if you aren't targeting something. I will play around with it and check.

In the case of the first macro though, the target=playertarget comes before the target=ffocus, that way your target is the priority over the focus.

Thanks for the feedback.

One more thing I noticed is that casting seems to be quicker. The old way I had to give the slave a half second to pick up the new target, otherwise they would cast at old target. This is anecdotal and I don't have any timings for it, but with the new way I don't have to wait, I can just mash it.

-j

[thinus]

This also works for attack spells as well, eg:

/cast [target=focustarget,exists,nodead,harm][target=playertarget,exists] Starfire


You can write it as:

/cast [target=focustarget, harm][harm] Starfire

This will cast Starfire on your focustarget if it is an enemy otherwise it will cast on your current target if it is an enemy. There are numerous examples in the threads that discuss setting your main as focus.

[Kaynin]

One more thing I noticed is that casting seems to be quicker. The old way I had to give the slave a half second to pick up the new target, otherwise they would cast at old target. This is anecdotal and I don't have any timings for it, but with the new way I don't have to wait, I can just mash it.

-j

That's exactly what I use it for in PvP.

First target the focus target, second target a seemless switch once the focus is dead without any client lag related problems. And without having things like: "Ok, on this cast he will die, retarget, oh shit, he didn't die! Target back!" xD

That and the other teams healers will not be able to see you dps the focus until his hp is dropping. So its hard for them to anticipate my first move then.