Moving Beyond Dualboxing. Feasable 5 Boxing Classes

[beyond-tec]

I'm looking for a group composition that is easy to manage (1-2 classes at most) that can do heroics and still kick ass in arena.

2 different classes:

2 x Paladin, 3x Mages or 3x Warlocks
1 Pala to tank, 1 Pala to heal, Mages or Warlocks for Damage / CC

2 x Druid, 3x Mages or 3x Warlocks
1 Druid to tank, 1 Druid to heal, Mages or Warlocks for Damage / CC


Problem is that the tank and the healer are the same class but don't use the same actions. So it is the same as if you play two different classes.


only 1 class setup:
5x druid (1 tank, 1 healer, 3 moonkins)

[Tonuss]

-- 5 Shamans
Think we've seen how badass 5 shamans are and also the limitations they face. With 2.3 reducing cast time on lighting and chain lighting, the overall burst damage will be diminished due to reduced spell damage modifyer. Plus the lack of damage and relying purely on kiting might make things difficult.

Keep in mind a couple of other changes being made to the class:

- 1/3 of spell healing will be added to spell damage
- Mana Spring Totem is getting a buff

I am not entirely sure how big a difference the first change will make, if you gear up for +spell damage you usually have at least that much in +heal. So it may not be better to go from 700/700 +heal/dmg to 1300/500, (guessing at the numbers there). But I'm wondering if it would make sense (with a 5 shaman team) to have one of them gear up in +heal, since she'd still be able to do good spell DPS after this change.

The second change could be huge. Mana Spring Totem is being changed to 20 mp5 untalented, up from 12 mp5. The talented version is 15 mp5 and there was a blue post claiming it may be buffed to 75 mp5 when fully talented. Now that may be a typo or someone heard the info wrong, because going from 15 mp5 to 75 mp5 seems ridiculously over-the-top.

It would make it so you could have one shaman spec into 5/5 Restorative Totems and provide enormous mana regen during and between battles.

[Phsyclone]

Too bad mana springtotem doesn't stack. :cry:
Though 4 healing stream totems would equal 400+ health per tick, so I'd probably use 4 healing stream and 1 mana spring in most cases.

With Shaman's Lightning and Chain Lighting cast times being reduced and receiving a reduced +damage coefficient, I'm wondering if their reduced nuke capability makes it worth it.

I actually have a level 57 BE paladin in storage who I've been dualbox leveling with a hunter, so Latency's suggestion of 4 warlocks + 1 priest with a pally to tank heroics and such does make a strong case.

Despite the warlock nerf bats in 2.2 and 2.3, I think 4 warlocks + 1 priest or 3 warlocks + 1 priest + 1 holy paladin (most 5v5s do better with 2 healers, especially if a moonkin cyclones 1 healer).

So far my picks would be either
4 warlocks + 1 priest (with pally on side for heroics)
4 shamans + 1 paladin

Most of this discussion is up in the air atm, probably once 2.3 classes changes are set in stone, I may change my setup. I still working on my computer and display setup, more on that later.

Edit: more spelling mistakes than I care to admit. lol

[Vyndree]

4 shamans + 1 paladin

Copycat.

Just kidding. I have mid 40's team of 1x pally 4x shammy. The shammies heal only when needed, which isn't much. However, I do like my warrior with the 4 shammies better - she can't hold much aoe damage, but chain lightning is on a cooldown anyway and hte shammies aren't really aoe'rs.

I've started a couple other multiboxing groups -- I'm having alot of fun with 1xpally, 2xshadowpriest, 2xlocks. Because the 2 shadowpriests and locks both are dot classes (primarily) it works really well. The pally heals during trash (blueberry tank) and tanks harder elites. The hardest part about a dedicated pally tank is runnign up to the mob. Such a waste of time.

I have a macro set up so that the pally only uses offensive abilities when the blueberry is NOT her focus. This really simplifies things for me when doing easy quests with a voidy tank.

With the pallies and 4x shammies, the pally rushes in while the shaman lay totems. She grabs all the aggro, and the shaman dps each one down one at a time - chain lightning every cooldown only whenever there are at least 3 mobs. However, it still feels slow. They're basically unkillable and 4x selfrez plus DI makes it so I never have to corpse run. The warrior is better for questing and such as she uses charge which, to me, speeds up the grind.

SUMMARY:

Paladin + shammies: can use EVERY totem my shammies lay, somewhat slow pulling, great aoe aggro but chain lightning is on cooldown which slows things down, shammies LOVE blessing of wisdom -- paladin sometimes goes oom even with regular healing, mana totems, seal/judge wisdom, AND bless of wisdom. Horrible to die to oomness.

War + shammies: WINDFURY! Some totems not helpful for war (i.e. mana spring), warrior can charge which speeds up quest grinding and easy mobs, war seems to last longer before needing heals -- if shammies go oom, warrior can zomg windfury them to death

My vids thus far only show warrior tanking, but I'll make a couple with pally tanking so you can see how it's done. Check the vid forum.

[Phsyclone]

Yup one warlock will be swapped out as needed.

I was thinking of the 1 pally, 2 shadow priest, 2 locks approach but for some reason shadow priests just don't appeal to me. I played a while ago and don't feel like playing a 2nd one. Though a shadow priest's shadow word death does the dot equivalent of corruption and curse of agony in less time when the lock / priest have equal spell damage.

Plus with 4 warlocks, each affliction on the target increases drain life by 5% (4% in 2.3) ... 4 locks x 4 dots each (corruption, siphon life, shadow embrace if it stacks, coa) 16 affliction dots on target ... 16 x 4% = 64% ... effective cap 60% healing and damage bonus to drain life. With enough spell damage and improved fel armor that would heal for nearly 500 per second. IMBA!