tlbj6142
04-10-2009, 01:49 PM
I've been pure cat for the past 3 weeks on our 10-man Naxx runs. If I don't step in the fire, or pull agro and die early, I end up #1 or nearly tied for #1 in every boss fight (sometimes even when I have to do a brez, innervate and/or decurse).
Here's a few things I've learned over the past few weeks...
Get an addon to track the cooldowns. There are just too many and they are tough to see in the default UI. I suggest BadKitty as it more or less works out of the box. I do, however, disable "warnings".
Keep SR up at all costs. Even with 1 or 2 combo points. In fact, most of the time it is better to use SR with 2-4 CP. I aim for 3, but sometimes crits get in the way.
Use Rip at 5 combo points. Nothing less.
Use Rake when you get a chance.
Keep Mangle up. Duh!
Shred if you have nothing else to do. Or on those flights where you are not on the backside, Mangle.
Use FB rarely, and if so, only with 5 CP. I'd avoid it until you get a handle on when to use it. Eventually, you will see when it is OK. Basically when Rip and SR have plenty of time left (and TF will be available soon). Until you figure this out, just refresh SR, or if it looks like Rip will expire soon use Shred, until Rip is about to expire and Rip again.
It is OK to let Rip expire, but not for long. Do not refresh it if you have more than 4-6s left, it is a loss of DPS. Just wait (See #18).
Always let Rake expire. If you can't get it back up ASAP, no worries. In 3.1 Rake is less important since its DoT does not crit.
Use TF when you have less than 40E and it is off cooldown. I often time my TF to use right after I have refreshed SR and it looks like Rip will expire soon, that way I can get Rip going with minimal down time.
Create a Berserk macro that cast TF (does not generate a GCD) before Berserk. You can't use TF once you are Berserk'd. But you can use it before. Make sure you have plenty of time left on SR and 30+ energy before you use Berserk. If you use TF/Berserk with nearly 0 energy, you will have to wait a few seconds without energy which is a waste of DPS. Use Rip as your finishing move while Berserk is up (or nothing if Rip and SR are both max'd out). Otherwise shred away...
FWIW, Armor Penetration is a really nice stat in 3.1, especially if you DO NOT have a warrior tank using Sunder on your fights (I don't)
IMO, 2/3 IW is better for the raid than iLotP. In a 3-wing run this past week, I healed 200K (actually 500K, but 60% was overheal) with iLotP. We run with 3 healers. IW provides a nice DR for the tank. Plus it slows the adds you might be chasing across the room as they run after your healers. I might drop iMangle and max out both IW and iLotP???
You don't need more than 26 expertise (not rating). Anything more is a waste. T7 gear is loaded with expertise (but T8 is not), so watch out. You might find better items without it. Or give up 2/2 PP and put those in iLotP.:elfgrin:
Get as close as you can to the Hit Cap (263 hit rating), but if you come up short, don't worry. If you want, use hit food/potion to fill in the gap.
Use Feral Charge to return to the boss after killing an add, or running away from fire. You regen the energy costs waiting for the GCD, so the move is really free.
Create a /startattack /cast rake macro. I use this as my first attack on every mob. This way (mostly on trash), when I change targets I will at least start doing white damage.
Don't be afraid to let energy accumulate (never more than 80E). Sometimes it is better to wait a second or two before mashing a button. Don't feel like you have to mash a button the moment you have the energy to use it. With haste and ArmPen helping us more in 3.1, white damage will greatly improve. So, sometimes it is nice let those DoTs/buffs (SR, Mangle, rake, rip, TF CD, etc.) tick a second longer before you refresh them...
I just figured out #8 and #9 last night, and it was a huge improvement in my total Damage and DPS. Folks that I use to "tie" with for #1 are clearly #2 now.
Here's a few things I've learned over the past few weeks...
Get an addon to track the cooldowns. There are just too many and they are tough to see in the default UI. I suggest BadKitty as it more or less works out of the box. I do, however, disable "warnings".
Keep SR up at all costs. Even with 1 or 2 combo points. In fact, most of the time it is better to use SR with 2-4 CP. I aim for 3, but sometimes crits get in the way.
Use Rip at 5 combo points. Nothing less.
Use Rake when you get a chance.
Keep Mangle up. Duh!
Shred if you have nothing else to do. Or on those flights where you are not on the backside, Mangle.
Use FB rarely, and if so, only with 5 CP. I'd avoid it until you get a handle on when to use it. Eventually, you will see when it is OK. Basically when Rip and SR have plenty of time left (and TF will be available soon). Until you figure this out, just refresh SR, or if it looks like Rip will expire soon use Shred, until Rip is about to expire and Rip again.
It is OK to let Rip expire, but not for long. Do not refresh it if you have more than 4-6s left, it is a loss of DPS. Just wait (See #18).
Always let Rake expire. If you can't get it back up ASAP, no worries. In 3.1 Rake is less important since its DoT does not crit.
Use TF when you have less than 40E and it is off cooldown. I often time my TF to use right after I have refreshed SR and it looks like Rip will expire soon, that way I can get Rip going with minimal down time.
Create a Berserk macro that cast TF (does not generate a GCD) before Berserk. You can't use TF once you are Berserk'd. But you can use it before. Make sure you have plenty of time left on SR and 30+ energy before you use Berserk. If you use TF/Berserk with nearly 0 energy, you will have to wait a few seconds without energy which is a waste of DPS. Use Rip as your finishing move while Berserk is up (or nothing if Rip and SR are both max'd out). Otherwise shred away...
FWIW, Armor Penetration is a really nice stat in 3.1, especially if you DO NOT have a warrior tank using Sunder on your fights (I don't)
IMO, 2/3 IW is better for the raid than iLotP. In a 3-wing run this past week, I healed 200K (actually 500K, but 60% was overheal) with iLotP. We run with 3 healers. IW provides a nice DR for the tank. Plus it slows the adds you might be chasing across the room as they run after your healers. I might drop iMangle and max out both IW and iLotP???
You don't need more than 26 expertise (not rating). Anything more is a waste. T7 gear is loaded with expertise (but T8 is not), so watch out. You might find better items without it. Or give up 2/2 PP and put those in iLotP.:elfgrin:
Get as close as you can to the Hit Cap (263 hit rating), but if you come up short, don't worry. If you want, use hit food/potion to fill in the gap.
Use Feral Charge to return to the boss after killing an add, or running away from fire. You regen the energy costs waiting for the GCD, so the move is really free.
Create a /startattack /cast rake macro. I use this as my first attack on every mob. This way (mostly on trash), when I change targets I will at least start doing white damage.
Don't be afraid to let energy accumulate (never more than 80E). Sometimes it is better to wait a second or two before mashing a button. Don't feel like you have to mash a button the moment you have the energy to use it. With haste and ArmPen helping us more in 3.1, white damage will greatly improve. So, sometimes it is nice let those DoTs/buffs (SR, Mangle, rake, rip, TF CD, etc.) tick a second longer before you refresh them...
I just figured out #8 and #9 last night, and it was a huge improvement in my total Damage and DPS. Folks that I use to "tie" with for #1 are clearly #2 now.