Wrong choice?

[kurugi]

<p>So I've been thinking about respeccing to a different KoS line. Right now I'm 4/6/4/6 in WIS. I figured starting out in this line would be the most reliable as it's been my experience in other MMOs that increasing your base damage is more reliable than increasing your crit or anything like that since base damage affects every single attack.</p><p>Anyway, I'm thinking of respeccing because the increase to base damage just doesn't seem significant. At 8th rank and going by the pattern Brainstorm increases damage by 4%. That just doesn't seem significant to me. If I hit for 1000 with 8 AA in Brainstorm I do another 40 damage (obviously that amount goes up if I do more than 1000 damage I'm just using that as a simple example). 40 extra damage per 1000 damage just doesn't seem super awesome to me or worth 8 AA points.</p><p>I'm also thinking of respeccing because I haven't really been enjoying my Warlock in groups, and the main reason is because on normal encounters I'm only able to get off 1 or 2 spells before the mob dies, so I was thinking of respeccing to AGI to reduce my casting/reuse times. This could stem from the fact that I've lvled up a Brigand to 47 prior to creating my Warlock so I'm use to being able to fire off a ton of attacks really fast, but I just don't feel like I'm contributing a whole lot to a group when I only get a couple spells off every fight.</p><p>Yes, I realize that it probably doesn't matter whether I respecc or not right now, and I also realize that I can eventually go down the AGI line in addition to WIS, but my intentions with this respecc were to get out of the WIS line and go with STR, AGI, and INT instead (since I've been hearing alot about warlocks having threat troubles etc.).</p><p>Thanks for any advice or suggestions.</p>

[SageGaspar]

<p>I wouldn't make an AA build without the full AGI line, casting speed and reuse are both very nice. AGI is far more important than any other line in my opinion.</p><p>I'd probably go for STR over WIS if you have to choose, in raids right now I sit around 112% crit so i have to imagine in some of the nice group gear that's out there now you can achieve 60-70% crit, which makes it feel considerably less random. Crit is a very important stat for warlocks.</p><p>INT line would be decent if you are having aggro problems, if you go that way I'd definitely get the INT endline over the STR endline. Otherwise really the only warlock spec right now is WIS and AGI to the endlines with STR up to full crit.</p><p>In high DPS groups though only being able to get off a couple spells a fight is the norm on trash, you just have to make sure you know which spells to get off. It's just the way it goes, we tend to hammer them with slow hits instead of needling em with fast hits. In the newer expansions bosses have more health which is nice so you have time to go to work.</p>

[Fendaria]

<p>If you are fighting solo mobs or doing solo quests with a group, I don't think any AA changes you make will make a serious difference.  Warlocks just don't have any fast casting spells.  Scouts will always be able to pop off a bunch of abilities before you can.</p><p>If your trying to top the parse, one thing you can do is not lead off with your big spells, but start small (dots).  Then finish it off with a big spell.  Sure, casting a nuke that hits for 45% of the mobs HP when its at only 5% of its HP is kinda worthless, but the parser doesn't know.</p><p>Another thing you can do is start casting earlier, way before the tank gets agro, so your spell lands right around the time the tank gets his initial pull or taunt off.  Might not make him happy, but you will get another spell or two in.  Along with this you could do a defensive AA spec, put 10 into the shield AA so you can easily handle the hits from those solo mobs.  This would also let you pull your group nukes out easier since you can live if you get agro off the tank on group encounters.  This definately is a bonus for you group since they can grind through the mobs even faster now, if your fighting grouped solo mobs.</p><p>The best solution is to get your group to start fighting heroics.  The mobs will take longer to kill, you can cast more, and generally the XP per mob is better for a group.</p><p>Fendaria</p>

[Ojojida]

<p>My personal choice is to go down Agi: 6-4-4-8-2. If you solo alot you could take the first one up to 8 as well. Higher Agi = better chance to avoid getting hit.</p><p>We by no means are fast casters so anything that reduses reuse and increases casting speed is going to benifit. In single group encounter your just not generally going to get more than one or two spells off so I just would not be concerned about it. I try and get off the Absolution line spell as the tank pulls. If you get the timing down they will have agro before it goes off and it leaves time for another attack if the mob is still standing.</p><p>My next choice would be to go over to the Warlock tree and start working on the Hastenings and Explosives lines. Again, if your going to group alot and your concerned about dps on single target encounters then I'd go Hastenings first.</p><p>Honestly through, Warlocks are not set up to be the single target kings. Thats for Assassians and Wizards. Warloks by far are the masters of the group encounter and thats where you going to roll over everyone else on a pars.</p><p>Final throught: does it really matter whos on top of the pars? If the mob goes down and you don't you still get the same loot.</p><p>Edited the AGI line info</p>

[DwarvesR]

<p>I'm STR 4-4-4-8, AGI 4-4-6-8-2, and WIS 4-7-4-8-2 in the KOS tree.  I've got Explosives, Hastenings, and Propagations as well.  All told, I cast decently fast, and even though 4% base dmg from the WIS line isn't *that* much, it's still an increase, and I'll take every drop of DPS I can get.  Working up through the Shadow lines now, but I'm newly married, so I don't play much anymore, so it will be a while.  Even so -- looking forward to those damage increasers I can get there as well.</p>