25 November, 2005

SoC vs SoC

Unstableone's shot me an email about his work regarding collecting data and and comparing 1.8 SoC with 1.9 SoC.
(His entire email intact, links slightly altered for convenience):
I see many paladins complaining with words about how seal of command got nerfed. I decided to prove with numbers, and hoping my test gets slightly more recognition to the community so this can be changed, before paladins quit. I consider this my “baseline” of one vs. the other, and hoping some of my info makes a news site for others to see and decide for themselves based on REAL playing, what needs to be done. Yes with the new stuff it’s possible to stack judgements similar to a combo effect a rogue has and get some dps (assuming they aren’t dodged/missed/immune), but pallys aren’t rogues. The holy/ret build is basically ruined because of the skill tree “tweaks.”

My 2nd post on the forums is below. Though there are a lot of other issues at hand, this is the main one for many.
Link.

Links to images for the tests:
10 minute, 99 swing test

45 minute, 500 swing test

1 hour, 640ish swing test, continued from the 500swing test played for 15 more mins

Conditions for the test. Full retribution pally, blessing of kings, unstoppable force, around 4k hp and mana. Lightforge shoulders/chest/legs/belt/wrists with 2 of the pvp set (boot/gloves) and a crappy imperial plate helm. I have exactly the same talent tree/gear with 1.8 and 1.9. The game does not give you a free respec, or force points out of your current tree, regardless of the new pre-reqs. If I were to respec, I would lose the skill tree equality. All tests were done in western plague lands, around the same area, mainly in the fields around the 4 towers, as I made my best attempt to kill the 56-58 elite guy in the tower for each test the same number of times for each test. Also made the best attempt to kill the same number of mobs, in the same time, in the same way. IMO based on the swings I got per hour, I achieved what I was after, which was a direct comparison of only 1.8 vs. 1.9 seal of command.
The results are interesting but also puzzling, quoting one of the people responding to Unstableone's thread who nails it with "...It's the one step forwards/two steps back. Why increase the proc rate by an entire 4% while dropping the damage 25%?"

3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

any was you cut it, burst damage is what rules in pvp, and our best path twards that was nerfed.

3:16 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I've discovered the "new hotness" build in 1.9 and it ain't Ret.

I was getting down having specced 16/0/35 and seeing lackluster results with the nerfed SoC. Having respecced, I now see where the real value lies in SoC - the Judgment.

35/0/16 gives you the mana-free crit heal back, along with the new fear resist talent, SoC, Holy Shock, Conviction, Holy Power (that's +5% chance to crit in melee AND holy spells, damage and healing - uber when linked with illumination).

I'll let you in on another secret - Sword and Board is now viable again. Your burst damage comes from holy damage spikes YOU CONTROL - your melee is only to keep your debuff up and the mana flowing back to you from JoW.

Combat is INTENSELY interactive now. Start off judging Wisdom, then throw up improved SoR. I like to keep imp BoW on myself, and use Sanctity Aura for 10% more holy damge. Everytime Judgment cools down (8 sec with Imp Judgment), judge SoR and reseal. When you want burst damage, throw in a Holy Shock. Want more burst damage? If your HoJ is cooled down, stun->SoC rank 5->Judgment.

On another note, the new debuff mechanics are AWESOME. I saw a pally DESTROY a similarly equipped shaman outside AQ in a duel. The Pally simply let the Shammy run out of mana. By the end of the fight, the Paladin had almost a full mana bar, and the Shaman was drained. The Shaman could have probably been more proactive in his purging, but the fact that they can't remove JoW from themselves should work greatly in our favor now - especially since it renews with every whack.

I've got to say, this patch is growing on me.

On a completely unrelated and HILLARIOUS note, I discovered a new bug that lets you mount a BLACK WAR KODO as a Paladin. Put 4 talent points into Improved Seal of Righteousness and 2 into Improved Judgement. Then go judge SoR Rank 6 (has to be rank 6, not 8) on a mob and BAM - you're instantly mounted on an EPIC black war kodo. Yes, even when in combat.

9:19 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Some pics from my experience tonight.

Paladin War Kodo...
http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/2402/kodos12do.jpg
http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/9277/kodos20tw.jpg
http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/605/kodos39ev.jpg
http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/7943/kodos43iv.jpg
http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/3712/kodos59cw.jpg
http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/5750/kodos67kt.jpg
http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/5029/kodos79np.jpg
http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/2169/kodos87mz.jpg

40 Paladin Orgrimmar "Raid"
http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/7840/raid13cn.jpg
http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/7995/raid29mf.jpg
http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/2009/raid38ct.jpg

9:54 AM  

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