Fire-based warlock

[Dr. Doom]

Hello.
Interested in a fire-based, rather than shadow-based, warlock. Has anyone tried it yet? If so, what talent build did you use and how did you set up your spell rotation use? Is itemization of +fire more tricky compared to +shadow one?

Just having a quick look over the talents, it would seem getting 5/5 emberstorm and then sacrificing the imp for +15% fire damage would be a good way to try to go at it:
http://db.vanillagaming.org/?talent#IZfxMzg0oZVx0tr0px

Or I guess one could go Conflagrate and just pick every single increase to fire spells, and get the utility of imp life tap, the regeneration from Imp Drain Soul and the Stamina:
http://db.vanillagaming.org/?talent#IVzbZzxZVx0trxtt

Constructive feedback is most welcome.

[Darkwinjax]

Hello.
Interested in a fire-based, rather than shadow-based, warlock. Has anyone tried it yet? If so, what talent build did you use and how did you set up your spell rotation use? Is itemization of +fire more tricky compared to +shadow one?

Just having a quick look over the talents, it would seem getting 5/5 emberstorm and then sacrificing the imp for +15% fire damage would be a good way to try to go at it:
http://db.vanillagaming.org/?talent#IZfxMzg0oZVx0tr0px

Or I guess one could go Conflagrate and just pick every single increase to fire spells, and get the utility of imp life tap, the regeneration from Imp Drain Soul and the Stamina:
http://db.vanillagaming.org/?talent#IVzbZzxZVx0trxtt

Constructive feedback is most welcome.

What do you want to know? How good these specs are for PvE & PvP? They're shit for both, I don't understand how more constructive you want me to be, do you want an explanation on why what you call a fire based warlock is not viable and not only that but also terrible pvp spec?

i don't get the point of your thread

[Dr. Doom]

What do you want to know? How good these specs are for PvE & PvP? They're shit for both, I don't understand how more constructive you want me to be, do you want an explanation on why what you call a fire based warlock is not viable and not only that but also terrible pvp spec?

i don't get the point of your thread

I do exercises like this all the time: With X given conditions, what is the best thing one could do?
I am not hoping for the idea to one-up the more mainstream and minmaxed builds, only to find what would be the best thing one could do if the condition is for the warlock to rely on fire spells instead of shadow.

[Aethelwulf]

If you're going DS/ES, at least get 5/5 Improved Searing Pain instead of 4/5 Improved Immolate. If you get Improved Shadow Bolt you can raid like DS/Ruin, except without Improved Life Tap or the instant Corruption. If you don't care about Shadowbolts you might consider grabbing 5/5 Aftermath instead of Bane. You're probably looking at DS/ES as a spec that sacrifices the Imp for lots of fire damage but odds are you'd do better sacrificing the Voidwalker for the health regen. To be honest being down a pet is pretty terrible for PvP. You can still use Enslave Demon and summon the occasional Infernal and Doomguard, for whatever that's worth.

Conflag spec usually leans NF/Conflag or around 40 points deep into Destruction, by the way.

Also, no one grabs Improved Drain Soul. It isn't done. Warlocks do not gear Spirit, mana regen while casting only applies while you cast Drain Soul (and no one uses Drain Soul for DPS), and typically Life Tap + Bandages are enough to cover uptime issues. Aside from that Imps are not used in PvP unless you're the odd guy who felt like doing the machinegun imp build (1/2 Improved Firebolt because 2/2 GCDs anyway, 3/3 Improved Imp, and get a Black Book trinket). Theoretically, you could also wear Pimgib's Collar for even more Imp DPS.

[Ravni]

Fire is totally unviable for PvE due to the lack of a basic fire nuke. The initial hit on Immolate has a very low coefficient (~15%) and a wasted debuff slot - either of which would kill it, Searing Pain has a 2x threat modifier which kills it, and Soul Fire has a 1-min cooldown and uses up a shard.

Nightfall+Conflag is a fun solo world pvp ganking spec if you are horde, but Conflag can't compete with CoEx + Siphon Life. There is also nothing stopping you from casting Immolate, Searing Pain, or Soul Fire while using SM Ruin spec, they just hit for 10% less, no big deal.

[Darkwinjax]

Fire PvE warlock is a very stupid idea so I'm not going to argue the pros and cons of it cause people already talked it over here on some other thread, debuff slots, no shadowbolt equivilent in the fire tree, fire resistances in MC / BWL, 2x threat on searing pain to add to the lack of dmg compared to shadowbolt, SM / RUIN and DS / RUIN already beat it out to the point where other talent trees are just a waste of DPS slot.

http://db.vanillagaming.org/?talent#IA0bGRbZZxx0tMbtp

That is the best PvP spec, for destruction, you can try the deeper variants with 5/7 points in afli / Demo for the obvious healthstone boost + demonic embrace if you want a more solo build, it will objectivly be shit in premade PvP cause you need Grim Reach for every competitive build, but I don't doubt the 20% bonus healthstone + 15% more hp on a deep destro lock is a viable and strong solo PvP spec, but that raises the question of why would you play a spec without Grim Reach, just use either SM / ruin or NF / conflag since it has a higher skill cap and are both PvP viable both premade & solo.

One last thing, I wouldn't touch conflag specs until you have the best gear in game, the spec is viable @ big amounts of spell power (560+) but is only 50% of what it should be should you have all the correct itemiziation for it, (volatile / staff / mish) are core, you will just be playing a gimped spec and spoil yourself some real fun when you do get those items.

[elrim208]

Fire based locks have 2 specs. Conflag or pyroclasm. While I agree that neither are optimal, they both still have a niche. Pyroclasm spec is an incredibly powerful aoe spec, with the most damage mitigating aoe in game. It can be useful in dungeons and in AV, but it will never shine in raids or smaller group PVP. I have used it since I level exclusively with a prot paladin, so we aoe grind everything we can. Once I hit 60 I will probably respec, but I could see it being useful in a few situations.

[bleik]

Conflag actually becomes viable for PvE in Naxxramas if your guild lets you have another dot.

I remember our top dps warlock back in vanilla used it atleast. Then again you really arnt "fire warlock" as you still spam shadowbolts outside of immolate+conflag..

[Darkwinjax]

Conflag actually becomes viable for PvE in Naxxramas if your guild lets you have another dot.

I remember our top dps warlock back in vanilla used it atleast. Then again you really arnt "fire warlock" as you still spam shadowbolts outside of immolate+conflag..

when will people realize this isn't 2006 and that what your top warlock was doing back in vanilla would make me be bottom dps in 2016?

[bleik]

Conflag actually becomes viable for PvE in Naxxramas if your guild lets you have another dot.

I remember our top dps warlock back in vanilla used it atleast. Then again you really arnt "fire warlock" as you still spam shadowbolts outside of immolate+conflag..

when will people realize this isn't 2006 and that what your top warlock was doing back in vanilla would make me be bottom dps in 2016?

Because it is so hard to pop all pots and press 1 button to maximize DPS as ds/ruin? I think our warlocks was doing that just fine in 2006 aswell.. We cleared Naxxramas, having most serverfirst with exception of KT which a transfer guild (Curse) got before us.

So yeah, I know that its a decent DPS spec that works just fine when you get to AQ/Naxx..