Thanks for the community and DPS rotation?

[Bena]

do you use CL when available or stick with LB? I've been using CL on 2+ mobs.. is it better to stick with LB?

I still disagree on chain lightning being > lightning bolt -- chain lightning has a lower +spelldamage coefficient and scales worse than lightning bolt.

[vindicated]

For MAX dps you do lb, lb, lb, cl if the fight doesn't restrict your mana or it would break needed cc.
For conserving mana you use lb spam

[Vyndree]

I guess your arguement is hinging on the spell rotation of spamming frost bolt - or coa, immolate, shadow bolt spam, refresh dot/immolate, shadow bolt spam(refering to destruction locks)

I'm comparing the classes as a whole.

In general, destro locks are referred to as "shadow mages".

It's just the playstyle in general -- a mage in a PvE situation will likely be spamming spells with cast times which require facing the target. In general warlocks will be more of a drain class, using DoTs (though the destro spec or demo/destro -- do people actually run that? -- are exceptions) or drains (mana/life). Warlocks also have some casted DoTs and direct damage spells, but in general when you think "lock" you think "MOAR DOTS!"

Priest and Shaman are the "slimmed down" hybrid versions of the above two classes. Shaman are spamming spells with cast times that require facing the target. Priest is using dots and channeled spells (flay) while also using direct damage (mind blast/death) though you typically think of the dots/drains first.

It's a comparison -- if priests and shaman had the CC that warlocks and mages, then they wouldn't BE priests/shaman. They would be warlocks/mages. There are similarities and there are differences, but they are the closest comparison I can think of.

It's just a contrast of playstyles. If you make the lock destro it will very much be like the shaman in that it relies on cast times and crits. I agree here. I hadn't really thought of destro locks since to me, they're just "shadow mages".

[vindicated]

When I think warlock I think shadow bolt spam - you realize how much more dps destruction spec'd locks do than affliction locks

[SuS]

Ya know I go home do some levelling come back to work and see a plethora of really helpful replies cheers guys.

The Shammys are indeed spec for mana reduction and Elemental focus I guess its just a case of pushing on until I hit 60+ and get the crit gear.

I have just 3 shammys and 1 Warlock for DPS and I’m starting to question my Locks place in the team, has its uses but still feel I’m missing that Fourth set of totems?
Its tough to weigh up some CC Vs the missing totems anyone else experienced a similar team on both counts? 4 shammys ‘and’ 3 shammys + Lock?

I had CL in the front of my DPS macro due being on a PVP server and I’m glad as the two Rogues 4 levels above me reminded me in STV last night right before I killed them, odd they choose to try and take my Paladin down rather than my currently Destro speced squishy lock? /lol nubs.

Think I shall make a rotation Macro for Questing/world PVP and one for PVE. Cheers for the great feedback.

[yarr]

i find myself agreeing with both sides of this argument, CL or not to CL? I think there is a place for both. Single target, i tend to find myself spamming LB exclusively unless I am sure that I will not run out of mana and DPS is important. Multitarget, i like to squeeze in CL's after my tank has solidified aggro. It allows me to do that much more DPS.

A 3 LB (or 4 with haste) + CL rotation *does* increase your dps if done properly, CL does have a lower spell coefficient, BUT, its cast time is 0.5 sec lower than LB. So it actually gains *more* DPS per spell dmg than lightning bolt, because of its faster cast time. However, its DPM is horrid for single target.

I used to LOVE using a LB LB LB CL rotation with a castsequence, but i found that if I threw out the CL too quickly, my pally sometimes would lose aggro over some of the adds. However this was before I was even level 70... perhaps now that my pally has a much higher spell damage, i can hold aggro over CL's better. Oh well I have alreaady gotten used to having a separate button for CL and LB, and throwing each spell out when appropriate =D