Pally / Mage / 2 x Lock / Priest - improve?

[wakasm]

Hey guys, my "Main" group I'm boxing with currently is:

Pally Tank
Mage
2 x Lock
Priest (healer)

I haven't done Cata content yet - (just ordered the 4x $21 copies on amazon) so I'm excited to do actual level endgame with my first group of 5. That said... I leveled a about 6 groups to 60 on RAF that expired (before this stupid increase to 80) and before I get set on doing 80+ content....

Would I benefit greatly swapping out a lock with a DK? I've never played a DK so I'm not sure if I'd be able to use more gear, but I know DK is popular right now.

If NOT DK, I was thinking Druid Caster instead?

Any other ideas, or is my set-up just fine?

Thanks!

[Sam DeathWalker]

Seems solid enough you have a tank, healer, 3 dps, offtanking, some CC, ecellent transport.

I would go with pally tank, restro shaman healer and 3 mages for dps but thats all just preference. Mine might have a bit better dps CC and simpler healing but yours has better offtanking and ritual of summoning cannot be understated.

DK is click intensive, I would not add a DK to your group as your offtanking seems solid with two pets.

[topgear]

In my opinion I like the group you have already. I want to know how it plays for you because I've been considering something similar.

[wakasm]

For the most part - instances until 80 have been easy. I try to take the first run on all new instances with this team fairly seriously (CCing, etc) just for practice purposes - but nothing has given me trouble as of yet, but it quickly devolves into mindless runs - and I'm assuming that is because it's pre-cata content.

I chose priest just because I know priests better (my main was a priest) - I have 5 other teams all waiting at 60, but I have yet to roll a DK.

My main complaint is that I feel like I will quickly get frustrated with gearing up 3 caster dps in cloth, so I was trying to figure out how to swap in a 5th class that could maybe utilize leather or mail.

I guess overall I love playing 5 distinct classes or 5 of the same (My next favorite team has been my 5 feral druid team).

I was also considering another priest - shadow?

I guess I just don't know enough about DK's to know if replacing a Lock would be any benefit. I don't mind adding a melee - but I feel like a rogue/hunter might be too much due to the spacing/movement issues.

[Akoko]

My opinion on mixed teams, is that if you're going to take the trouble to play more than the usual "all of one class" or "all of one class + either a tank or healer", you may as well at least make each of them use a different armor type so it's easier to gear up =)

[topgear]

What if you added a shaman? Wears mail after 40, and you can decide if you rather cast or melee with it.

[wakasm]

What if you added a shaman? Wears mail after 40, and you can decide if you rather cast or melee with it.

I guess shaman would be best? Now that I think about it, I think I even came to this class combination decision because of the Blood elf race restrictions. All my teams I've done 5x same race combination. So that meant no Druid / Warrior / Shaman at the time.

So frustrating wow is with choices sometimes... lol.

I guess the better question - am I gimping myself by having 2 of the same class?

I wish I played more classes in single toon form to know what the best option would be. I suppose once I get many teams to 85 it won't matter as much but i forsee myself exploring 85 content for a bit before leveling another team fully.

[topgear]

Unless I misunderstand your team is at 80? If so I would personally stay with the group I have rather than solo a shaman to 80. I don't think you're gimping yourself since you could have 1 demo-lock (uses the bane of doom, since the talents increase the chance of getting a guardian)(gives the demonic pact buff), and 1 other spec.

[zenga]

swapping out a lock for a druid gives you both an extra dps, tank, healer if you were ever in the need

[Littleburst]

I question warlock's destro dps atm. Especially in heroics. They just don't seem to do really good dps on targets with low HP.

Nothing beats arcane dps or boringness. spam 1 spell to victory.

I'd definitely mix a bit, swap a lock for a shaman, so you can use mail gear, or a doomkin.

[topgear]

I use 3 warlocks, and about to switch them out of destro because they are always out of mana. Thinking 1 demo and 2 afflict but I haven't decided.

[Andreauk]

You could consider a hunter, their pet can also bring you another buff for your group, and you can pick up a tanking or dps pet as needed.

[Littleburst]

You could consider a hunter, their pet can also bring you another buff for your group, and you can pick up a tanking or dps pet as needed.

And make use of physical dps drops!

[wakasm]

And make use of physical dps drops!

I've only used 3x hunters on my RAF teams so far - never mixed - are there more spacing / line of site issues with Hunters if they are mixed in with a DPS, or do they play considerably the same?

Meaning that, will I have issues that a HUNTER is doing nothing because I misjudged the range while the other two caster dps range is longer / shorter, etc?

Thanks for all this awesome feedback, it's really making me happy that I leveled so many RAF teams.

[Littleburst]

I've only used 3x hunters on my RAF teams so far - never mixed - are there more spacing / line of site issues with Hunters if they are mixed in with a DPS, or do they play considerably the same?

Meaning that, will I have issues that a HUNTER is doing nothing because I misjudged the range while the other two caster dps range is longer / shorter, etc?

Thanks for all this awesome feedback, it's really making me happy that I leveled so many RAF teams.


Personally I always left my casters + healer at a good range. Easy to spot when someone grabs aggro or something like that. Just gives a bigger window to react to things. Besides that a hunter has no deadspot anymore, or you can shoot or you can melee since tbc or so.

[Khatovar]

Been a while since I've used a hunter and I've got brainfuzz going on, but if you have automatically melee disabled, doesn't IWT move them in range against attackable targets without letting them run all the way up into melee mode?

Either way, I have run with a mixed ranged&melee group, it's no different than leaving your healer at range. As a matter of fact, it was kinda nice in some situations, like Ionar in HoL. I could send 1 of my melee guys to follow my healer and the other to follow my hunter to lessen issues with AOE damage across the team.