How do you use situational abilities in PvE?

Just read a quick blurb on Wowwiki regarding a tactic for dealing with King Ymiron's "bane" ability: use spellsteal.

I have a TON of spells in the back of my mixed group's spellbook that I never use. (This includes my racials I'll admit.) I'm wondering how folks may use these non-core abilities/spells in general or for specific encounters. Seemed like a different and fun topic.

One of the things I do for example is with the shaman I add

Code:

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/castrandom purge,

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to the dps button it'll only go off if there something to purge


another example is with my druid resto specced I add

Code:

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/castsequence reset=6 Wild Growth,Tranquility

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just tap one every 6 seconds for yer basic aoe heal and double tap for an "oh shit" moment

i have various racial and special use abilities bound to 'z' 'x' and 'c' then those are set to round-robin so i generally have something available in the situations where i need it.

Phreak, you are a DPS button masher I presume? Interesting concept which I may add to my shaman macro. I already have a castrandom with lb,cl,lb,fs so I could just add purge to it.

Dorffo, care to elaborate? I'd love to hear what you have set and where you use them. Do you run a multi-race/class team?

I'm wondering if spellsteal would be interesting to add to my mage macro. Have to think about that.

Blood elf + Tuaren shams primarily

Z = warstomp
shift Z = bloodelf silence
X = bloodlust
C = Earthbind for roots (tend to use this one as a miscellaneous talent key, was stoneform on my dwarf)

For other teams I've used Z and X for things like the Draenei heal, or the undead priest DoT or Cannibalize. Basically I don't tend to spam with those keys since I use WASD for movement, but they are very accessible for things that I don't use often but need at the tip of the finger if I do need to use them.

edit - also use those slots for Paladin "Hand of" spells if I am out in BGs :)