[RG1] Elenea, Lvl 100 Retribution Paladin
Posted: 18 Jun 2016, 16:01
Who is your character?
That'll be Elenea, Retribution Paladin. A lovely character with a rich backstory!
I currently have a Protection off-spec. As for Legion, I'll pick whatever is needed most.
Here's her armory: http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/character/d ... nea/simple. As you can see, I'm quite behind on gear and I will explain very clearly why, and what I'm after, in a later question!
Who are you?
Hi all, my name is Elly (24) and I currently live in Scotland. I've been here since about 4 years, before that my main residence was in Belgium, my birthplace. I've visited several countries such as France, Netherlands, Germany and Norway, but I decided to stick with the UK due to my boyfriend.
I've actually applied before, 3-4 years ago. You can find my previous app here: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=4334&p=40952&hilit=nea#p40952. Don't linger too long, it's kinda bad..
At that time, I was searching for a semi-hardcore raiding guild to tackle SoO. I applied to several guilds at the same time, including you, not expecting I'd be offered a trial for each one. In the end, I had to make a very difficult decision, and I think I just rolled a die. I wouldn't say I made the "wrong" choice per say, but the circumstances did change... So here I am, again, and this time I'm focusing exclusively on you!
I see you have an "about you" question later on, so I'll go in-depth about myself once there. Take heart!
To which Raid Group are you Applying?
That would be RG1, however here are a few notes I've already discussed with some of you on Mumble:
My aim is to raid Mythic come Legion. Due to the Beta "sneak peak" if you will, and a bunch of RL preparations, I'm readying myself to once again dive into the challenge, theorycraft the ships out of the class I love, and go as far as I can get.
My current gear is far behind because I took a 10 month break from WoW, in order to focus on a great job opportunity. Now, I've achieved what I wanted out of RL and I'm going to work part-time, allowing me to raid again at a high standard.
I don't expect to be carried through HFC Mythic. However, after a chat with some of you on Mumble, it was advised that I should at least do a trial once I gain a bit better gear, so that you may gauge my performance. It would also help to get to know people, get used to the way you raid, and get fully comfortable for when Legion launches. Better apply too early, than too late, right.
Therefore, I've been working hard to obtain the legendary ring first of all. Big thanks to Bowick for some great tips, which have already accelerated the process tremendously. I expect I'll have it next week, at which point I will PUG some Heroics to re-learn the rotation, learn the fights, and hopefully upgrade my gear just a bit more. At that point, if you'll have me, I could be comfortable to try something together.
Experience
I started playing at the end of MoP where I started out as a social player in Firelands, then as a casual raider in DS and later DS HC. At the start of MoP, I joined a hardcore raiding guild to clear MSV HC, HoF HC, and finally ToES. This was as a Holy Paladin.
At that point I focused on PvP, got some fancy titles, and skipped ToT. I returned back to raiding in SoO, where we rushed through the first 6 or 7 bosses HC, before the raid team sadly died due to RL (real shame, it was going well). I focused on PvP and RP for a while, until near the end where I returned to SoO to finish the tier on HC (pre-6.0). It saddens my heart to admit we didn't get Garrosh HC, due to a great amount of D/Cs (among other circumstances). We were so very close, but despite my enthusiasm, the raid leader decided to relax. Garrosh Mythic was a piece of a cupcake. I was mostly tanking here, but I had a Ret off-spec.
WoD. The guild had to find 10 new raiders. We found 5. The others were socials. Clearing HM, BRF and later HFC on HC was no issue. However, we only got a few Mythic bosses (me as a Resto Druid, no less). Eventually, the progression team fell apart. At the end of BRF, I was leaning back to my Retribution Paladin (Ret as MS this time), because it was/is my favorite character (only reason I went Druid is because they had too many Paladins).
Recently, the decision was made that come Legion, there will be no more progression team. I'm an enthusiastic and passionate player who wishes to push everything out of her character, share the love, and partake in challenging content. Sadly, that will no longer be possible in my current guild. That's why I'm here.
Raid Role
I have great respect for Elitist Jerks, MMO, and theorycrafters like Theck (from Sacred Duty). However, I perform a great amount of research myself. For this, I often make use of SimulationCraft to estimate stat weights, sim gear, and create my own experimental rotations. I also do a lot of math by hand, using some scripts to help me out. This way, I obtain a clear understanding of the underlying formulas of most classes and specs, and helps me to draw logical conclusions and spot mistakes. (I've reported several bugs in spells/abilities/rounding errors to Bliz this way, most of which have been addressed and fixed).
After all the theory, it's time to hit a dummy for a very long time. After I'm satisfied, I can test it out in dungeons and raids, before applying it to serious content. The studying never stops. Even mid-way in the expansion, you can still learn new things.
Two of my personal motto's: critical thinking (1), and relentless progression (2) that I use to keep myself afloat.
1) Take positive criticism at heart, practice and get better. However, don't rely solely on advice. Just because some high-end raider claims that X is best, don't brainlessly believe it. Test it out. See for yourself. Understand WHY it is best. It might not apply to everyone. Or perhaps, find that something else might be better. You never know.
2) The skill cap can never be reached. I'm sadly but a mere human. I have emotions, I get distracted, I have a cat, I have a bad day or a slip-up. Keep at it, fall down and get back up, maybe add a little jump to it. Always strive to get better. Always research, always practice. For the moment you assume you've reached your max potential, you will stop improving.
That said, I pay close attention to Warcraft Logs. I must aim to take 0 avoidable damage, reach the DPS that my sim suggests (or higher), prioritize the right targets, and use my support optimally.
So, on the subject of my role in a raid team. A Retribution Paladin is a support and a hybrid. This means that they will deal sub-par DPS compared to a pure DPS'er, and that's fine (however I will still aim to go as high as I can get). My main focus, however, is to focus on the versatility this spec has to offer - which once again gets emphasized come Legion.
As a Ret, you have great survive-ability by means of plate armor, damage reduction glyphs, decent on-demand selfhealing, DP and bubble. You can even bypass certain mechanics. This means that a Ret is very reliable, and is likely to stick around all fight long.
In addition, they can heal others on-demand, especially with SH. Better yet, a variety of hands offer several life-saving opportunities that make many encounters just a bit more bearable. Abilities like HoS and HoP most specifically, can really make or break some encounters. Optionally, HoF and Purity exist, as does LoH. Why not a Holy/Protection Paladin you ask? You can only have so many of those. Also, especially in Legion, Ret will offer chances that the others do not.
Your Spec
Rotation
I've not had the chance yet to update my SimC rotation to HFC, I still got the one for BRF saved (with ExoBC). I'm working on a new one though. I'm strategically postponing until I have the infamous ring, which will push me into learning Sera rather than FV and EmpS. To be continued.
Would you care to see a simplified version?
Some important notes I'll give:
- Respect the holy duo CS > Judge.
- Exo is only used to fill up gaps, that rarely come up.
- HoW on CD, very important.
- Pool HP whenever possible, only finish later. Possibly save EmpDS procs for add spawns.
- ES on CD. All the time.
- Use every charge of Wings. Once every minute, never letting a charge go to waste, or save up for important phases.
- SoR on 3+ or 2+ DH equipped (which I don't have yet).
- Exo (glyphed) exceeds Judge in priority on 2 targets, unless you also have Double Jeopardy. On 3+ targets, Exo (glyphed) wins again.
- HotR on 4+ or 3+ with DH equipped.
I've not looked at how Libram changes rotation yet as I don't have it yet (tried really hard tho!). Hopefully soon. I don't expect it will change much, except encourage to use CS on pull.
Want to know more? Let me know, I have an entire blog dedicated to this, quite in-depth...
Stats
Earliest processed haste cap is 15% buffed, however this changes quite dramatically dependent on Sera/EmpS/FV. I'll need to research the exact number that works for my character, after I get the ring.
It's followed by multistrike, believe it or not. Reason is due to its incredible scaling factor, surpassing mastery despite our atunement. However, multistrike will have a soft cap between 25-30%.
Closely followed by mastery. While it's not as valuable as multistrike, due to our atunement and our naturally good mastery, it's really really close.
Finally crit and versa stagger behind. The reason is a really bad scaling factor, as well as no interaction with our spec. However, since crit also has a soft cap, it will at some point be slightly "surpassed" by versa.
These weights work for me, and might not apply to your character. It's highly dependent on gearing. Either way, it's all very close and in the grand scheme of things the difference is small.
Gearing
I got the 4set, fruit yes!
Going after the legendary ring ASAP. 1 week.
I'll also want a heroic weapon, and better trinkets. DR seems amazing. So does Libram. I already have the cleave trinket, and I'm currently using the heirloom trinket which is alright.. But it could be better (+ addons and SimC don't like it for some reason).
I'm working on upgrading my gear with VP where possible. Weapon, trinkets, chest/legs, etc. Got most of it by now.
Glyphs
I value damage reduction highly. A dead DPS is no use. That's why I always have Glyph of Templar's Verdict equipped, no exception.
Second glyph is often Double Jeopardy, on any fight with 2 regular targets. It's a good damage increase.
This second glyph sometimes gets replaced where necessary, and the third one is always a big choice. Mass Exorcism for AoE. Avenging Wrath for selfhealing. DP for physical damage reduction. HoS when I'm specced Clemency. Whatever is necessary to offer better support.
Talents
Note, I'm very accepting of feedback. In my current guild, there are few who can share my love and dedication, and thus I can partake in little to no discussions. Below (and above) choices are my own, and I'm curious to hear other's views.
T1: I don't like Long Arm of the Law for high-end raiding. Reason is that judge is a rotational ability and might not be available when you really need a speed boost. Therefore, I prefer Pursuit of Justice for a reliable 25% speed increase (on average), always active, no management. Yet, it has some disadvantages. For one, you need to know exactly where to stand and react very quickly to avoid certain mechanics (such as seeds on Zakuun). Second, you can not always get a perfect opener without a rogue. That's why Speed of Light is a good second, to me, on certain fights.
T2: I don't like Blinding Light because it's weak AoE CC with a long CD. Most other classes with AoE CC can do it better than us. I don't like Repentance either, due to its cast time and the fact it doesn't work on most encounters (+again, others can do it better). That leaves FoJ as the only option, but it's pretty ok.
T3: EF seems to overheal and consume precious HP. Therefore, the choice is between SH and SS. I like both, a lot.
T4: I'll take Purity and Clemency on request to further support the raid on certain encounters. If there is no request, I'll stick with the baseline Unbreakable Spirit which is all-around a good benefit.
T5: SW seems best given our current set bonus. I can see HA outperforming it on speedkills. DP might be better on some hectic AoE fight, but even if so, the added value will be very limited. I wouldn't chose it.
T6: Prism messes up our rotation. LH multi-target (on request), else ES.
T7: FV is best for cleave. EmpS wins on single target. However, Sera surpasses EmpS with the ring (probably? I'll have to confirm but it makes sense that it would). The talents shift around a lot dependent on encounter, speed of kill, raid composition, gearing, stats, etc. At the moment, I'm proficient in FV and I will try my best to learn Sera. However, I won't be 100% perfect. Don't worry, I'm already working on Legion rotation which will air soon.
Any questions, feel free to ask.
Off-specs and Alternative characters
I'm happy to see that you are still reading, thank you for the persistence!
My main character is my Paladin, as Ret. I can take any one OS, either Holy or Protection, as to your preference. I could even take a third, however.. (more soon)
I have confidence I could, in theory, learn most classes/specs to an acceptable degree. Especially during MoP, I've played with many characters including but not limited to: WW Monk, DK (all), Demo/Affli lock, Spriest, Resto/Feral Druid, Resto Shaman, etc.
However, due to the way Legion is going to be, I highly doubt any of the above will be a great option other than a literal alt run. It takes a very, very long time to fully upgrade your artifact. Months. More than months. There's additional upgrades even after it's filled up completely. True enough, for every 1 point you put in a high-level MS artifact, you could put 2 points in a lower-level OS artifact. Yet, every point not put in the MS...
See what I mean? My goal would likely be to play 100% Ret and not stop until the artifact is fully complete, which will take a very long time. Unless you don't mind me losing 0.x% dps in favor of having a mediocre off-spec. Please do let me know, because this will influence the way I play Legion greatly.
Communication
I have just about every voice chat in existence installed. I'm always listening. I'm willing to talk, however I prefer not to. I will call out if I must. I will share my opinion when asked. Otherwise, during a raid, I remain quiet. There's enough clutter as it is.
I'm shy at first, but I open up later. I can be quite spammy in chat or text, and it may translate into voice chat when I feel comfortable and we're doing relaxed content.
I'm incredibly active on forums, even at work. I post lots of stuff, all the time, when appropriate. I comment and give my opinions. I write RP stories. I talk about HotS, Hearthstone, DnD, real life. I eagerly join Paladin discussions. Nothing escapes my gaze!
I also have Skype, and three phones for some reason. If you need me urgently for whatever reason, dial me up and I'll do what I can.
Combat Logs
As discussed, I will post logs when appropriate. Watch this space.
I'm going to wait until either:
a) I get the ring and am proficient with Sera.
b) New rotation gets released.
c) I actually know the fights, as a DPS.
If you're very eager, you can already search for past logs. However, none of those will be anywhere close to optimal. Just Thursday I joined a social normal raid, where the first boss got pulled on accident. I was ready to die, when the raid leader suddenly called "just go" 15 seconds in.
Either way. Please give me some time to get gear, learn my rotation, get the rust off of my fingers after 10 months of not playing, and learn the fights. I'll get back to you.
Your UI
Currently at work, don't have a screenie here. I'll upload & post when home.
EDIT: here you go http://i.imgur.com/OnY2i7b.jpg
Basically, what I find very important in a UI is to have as little clutter as possible. I want to be able to see far and wide, other players and myself, the boss, the adds, the fire. I want as little buttons as possible, only those that are necessary to see the CD. I want those buttons, my own status, the boss frame, my HP and cast bar all together in 1 confined spot so I don't have to look all over the place.
Some encounter buffs are important, but I will make weak auras for those. I track some of my own buffs, such as Wings, procs, Bubble duration etc so I have a very clear view on that. Same for debuffs. I have little interest for the map, the chatbox, or other fancyness. I like pretty buttons, clean, sleek. I like gold and pink.
I can provide a list of addons I use if you wish, to accomplish this UI. I use lots of different ones, yet I try to keep it to as little as possible (memory and stuff).
I realize not each UI is for everyone. But I'm confident that mine works for me. After heavily adjusting it, it increases my performance, awareness, and makes me happy about the way it looks, the way I can play.
Guild History
I started out as a social player on SSL in a guild called Homeland. I raided as a social player, in a social group, in Firelands. I was a gnome Frost Mage, because surely Frost would do more damage against fire elementals. I felt very smart. It was an awesome first raid, to me. Rose-tinted glasses.
Then, I changed to paladin to raid DS. However, the social guild wasn't really progressing.
Therefore, I joined Menethil Motorcycle Gang to conintue in DS HC.
Later on, I made my own guild "Illusive" together with some lovely people to continue after MMG's raid team quit. Went pretty good.
We didn't have enough for 25m HC though. So we merged with another guild "Resistance". Bad call. Lesson Learnt.
Joined Ascendance for a while, to ease out Cata.
Start of MoP, I joined "Helly Kitty Adventures". Hardcore, raiding 4-5 times a week, 5+ hours a day. It was rough. Lots of screaming, shouting. Very, very strict. Yet, we cleared content fast and I learnt a lot.
After the tier was done, I went to chill a bit. Focused on PvP via Shrike and Bloodwind, two fairly renowned PvP guilds on DFB. It was good.
SoO, wanted to raid again. I continued to PvP, but for my paladin I sought a raiding guild. You guys were high on the list. Yet, in the end I chose to join Tin Hats Inc. Small guild, great people. Went very well, until most raiders had to quit due to RL. Shame.
After that, I continued PvP and joined several RP guilds on several alts, purely for RP reasons. It was relaxing, fun, for a while.
Wanted to finish SoO though. Joined CoJ who happened to need a Paladin and were doing good on progression. Passed the trial, and it went great. However, WoD was a bumpy ride. Now, 3 years later, they've announced they will no longer be raiding progressively. That's a real shame. I love them with all my heart. We've done so many fun events together: RP, races, quizes, transmog contests, gnome punting, and so much more. But, I dread the thought of never progressing past Heroic, never developing myself, never having the chance to evolve. For me, there is no point in being top DPS on mediocre content.
Why you? Out of all previous apps I did in the past, you seemed the most promising. That, or the other guilds have died (Yawning Dragon?). I have very fond memories of our conversations and interactions earlier. You're a long-standing, trustworthy guild. You seem nice people, with good progress, with a good recruitment system going. All the cards seem to fit.
Raid availability
I can make it 100% of the time. Even more so once I start working part-time, in Legion.
References
I think initially it was just a bunch of research that lead me to apply to you. Afterwards, I remember fondly Bowick the MW Monk. We did some dungeons/scenarios together, and PvP'ed together against the onslaught of Horde at the Shrine of Seven Stars. It was short, but sweet.
I already had the honor to talk to KramT about some Paladin considerations. It's a rare opportunity to talk to someone so knowledgeable and experienced, and I hope to do it more in the future. A different view on things is always good, and brings me all the faster to reality.
Thank you for your time thus far. Really appreciated.
About you
Cool.
Hi all! So I'm Elly, yadiya, explanation prior.
In Belgium, I lived together with my mom, stepfather, and two adorable siblings in a lil' farm in the countryside. We had horses, birds, (guinea)-pigs, rabbits, dogs, cats, mice, chickens, and several exotic animals. It was very nice, peaceful.
I initially studied Latin/maths, after which I switched to economics-maths for a more practical approach. I was very interested in economics and politics anyway. I also followed extra languages to make my CV look pretty: in addition to the typical French, Dutch (Flemish) and English, I sharpened my German and learnt Spanish. Great school, great class mates, great times.
Age 17, I got a car, an apartment, and I joined university. ICT-maths. Very interesting, very difficult. Using the knowledge, I learnt especially how to make useful little applications (a skill I took with me in WoW, same with the math). I paid my bills by programming databases for recently-starting companies, making websites (not the graphical part, only the code) and being a badminton teacher for some reason. Funny story that, I actually wasn't qualified at all.. ^^ But more on that another time, if you wish.
Eventually, due to lack of funds I had to quit after 2 years. Sat stuck at home for a while, and started to play WoW to keep myself busy. Made some money from boosting people and partaking in small projects of my own.
I saved up a lot, also due to various small jobs I did when I was younger. I've worked in restaurants, cafes, garages, beer companies, old people's houses, bakeries, etc. Used some of the coin to travel around. Eventually ended up in Scotland, where I met a guy and stuck around. 4 years now, and planning to stay.. :3 In fact we got a house now and everything, it's pretty sweet!
10 months ago, I got a brilliant job opportunity which I grabbed with both hands. Now, I'm a senior customer adviser & tech support, as well as sales expert for a company called Sonos, in their Edinburgh location. They sell a high end WiFi HiFi sound system. It's a brilliant product, a good company, and I'm very proud of my job. I put as much dedication into it as I do in WoW, probably even more, and that means a lot!
I could talk a lot about what i do, why I do it, about the company or their products.. And I'd be happy to, if you'd want me to. However, I'll leave that an optional question to prevent me going "out of bounds" as they say.. I think this post is long enough as it is, rite.. :3
Miscellaneous
I'm truly amazed you made it all the way here. You Sir/Madam, have just won the ultimate award of patience and persistence, and I salute thee.
Any questions, feel free to ask. As for the parts I still need to fill in, I'll get back to ya.
Kind regards,
Elly xx
That'll be Elenea, Retribution Paladin. A lovely character with a rich backstory!
I currently have a Protection off-spec. As for Legion, I'll pick whatever is needed most.
Here's her armory: http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/character/d ... nea/simple. As you can see, I'm quite behind on gear and I will explain very clearly why, and what I'm after, in a later question!
Who are you?
Hi all, my name is Elly (24) and I currently live in Scotland. I've been here since about 4 years, before that my main residence was in Belgium, my birthplace. I've visited several countries such as France, Netherlands, Germany and Norway, but I decided to stick with the UK due to my boyfriend.
I've actually applied before, 3-4 years ago. You can find my previous app here: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=4334&p=40952&hilit=nea#p40952. Don't linger too long, it's kinda bad..
At that time, I was searching for a semi-hardcore raiding guild to tackle SoO. I applied to several guilds at the same time, including you, not expecting I'd be offered a trial for each one. In the end, I had to make a very difficult decision, and I think I just rolled a die. I wouldn't say I made the "wrong" choice per say, but the circumstances did change... So here I am, again, and this time I'm focusing exclusively on you!I see you have an "about you" question later on, so I'll go in-depth about myself once there. Take heart!
To which Raid Group are you Applying?
That would be RG1, however here are a few notes I've already discussed with some of you on Mumble:
My aim is to raid Mythic come Legion. Due to the Beta "sneak peak" if you will, and a bunch of RL preparations, I'm readying myself to once again dive into the challenge, theorycraft the ships out of the class I love, and go as far as I can get.
My current gear is far behind because I took a 10 month break from WoW, in order to focus on a great job opportunity. Now, I've achieved what I wanted out of RL and I'm going to work part-time, allowing me to raid again at a high standard.
I don't expect to be carried through HFC Mythic. However, after a chat with some of you on Mumble, it was advised that I should at least do a trial once I gain a bit better gear, so that you may gauge my performance. It would also help to get to know people, get used to the way you raid, and get fully comfortable for when Legion launches. Better apply too early, than too late, right.
Therefore, I've been working hard to obtain the legendary ring first of all. Big thanks to Bowick for some great tips, which have already accelerated the process tremendously. I expect I'll have it next week, at which point I will PUG some Heroics to re-learn the rotation, learn the fights, and hopefully upgrade my gear just a bit more. At that point, if you'll have me, I could be comfortable to try something together.
Experience
I started playing at the end of MoP where I started out as a social player in Firelands, then as a casual raider in DS and later DS HC. At the start of MoP, I joined a hardcore raiding guild to clear MSV HC, HoF HC, and finally ToES. This was as a Holy Paladin.
At that point I focused on PvP, got some fancy titles, and skipped ToT. I returned back to raiding in SoO, where we rushed through the first 6 or 7 bosses HC, before the raid team sadly died due to RL (real shame, it was going well). I focused on PvP and RP for a while, until near the end where I returned to SoO to finish the tier on HC (pre-6.0). It saddens my heart to admit we didn't get Garrosh HC, due to a great amount of D/Cs (among other circumstances). We were so very close, but despite my enthusiasm, the raid leader decided to relax. Garrosh Mythic was a piece of a cupcake. I was mostly tanking here, but I had a Ret off-spec.
WoD. The guild had to find 10 new raiders. We found 5. The others were socials. Clearing HM, BRF and later HFC on HC was no issue. However, we only got a few Mythic bosses (me as a Resto Druid, no less). Eventually, the progression team fell apart. At the end of BRF, I was leaning back to my Retribution Paladin (Ret as MS this time), because it was/is my favorite character (only reason I went Druid is because they had too many Paladins).
Recently, the decision was made that come Legion, there will be no more progression team. I'm an enthusiastic and passionate player who wishes to push everything out of her character, share the love, and partake in challenging content. Sadly, that will no longer be possible in my current guild. That's why I'm here.
Raid Role
I have great respect for Elitist Jerks, MMO, and theorycrafters like Theck (from Sacred Duty). However, I perform a great amount of research myself. For this, I often make use of SimulationCraft to estimate stat weights, sim gear, and create my own experimental rotations. I also do a lot of math by hand, using some scripts to help me out. This way, I obtain a clear understanding of the underlying formulas of most classes and specs, and helps me to draw logical conclusions and spot mistakes. (I've reported several bugs in spells/abilities/rounding errors to Bliz this way, most of which have been addressed and fixed).
After all the theory, it's time to hit a dummy for a very long time. After I'm satisfied, I can test it out in dungeons and raids, before applying it to serious content. The studying never stops. Even mid-way in the expansion, you can still learn new things.
Two of my personal motto's: critical thinking (1), and relentless progression (2) that I use to keep myself afloat.
1) Take positive criticism at heart, practice and get better. However, don't rely solely on advice. Just because some high-end raider claims that X is best, don't brainlessly believe it. Test it out. See for yourself. Understand WHY it is best. It might not apply to everyone. Or perhaps, find that something else might be better. You never know.
2) The skill cap can never be reached. I'm sadly but a mere human. I have emotions, I get distracted, I have a cat, I have a bad day or a slip-up. Keep at it, fall down and get back up, maybe add a little jump to it. Always strive to get better. Always research, always practice. For the moment you assume you've reached your max potential, you will stop improving.
That said, I pay close attention to Warcraft Logs. I must aim to take 0 avoidable damage, reach the DPS that my sim suggests (or higher), prioritize the right targets, and use my support optimally.
So, on the subject of my role in a raid team. A Retribution Paladin is a support and a hybrid. This means that they will deal sub-par DPS compared to a pure DPS'er, and that's fine (however I will still aim to go as high as I can get). My main focus, however, is to focus on the versatility this spec has to offer - which once again gets emphasized come Legion.
As a Ret, you have great survive-ability by means of plate armor, damage reduction glyphs, decent on-demand selfhealing, DP and bubble. You can even bypass certain mechanics. This means that a Ret is very reliable, and is likely to stick around all fight long.
In addition, they can heal others on-demand, especially with SH. Better yet, a variety of hands offer several life-saving opportunities that make many encounters just a bit more bearable. Abilities like HoS and HoP most specifically, can really make or break some encounters. Optionally, HoF and Purity exist, as does LoH. Why not a Holy/Protection Paladin you ask? You can only have so many of those. Also, especially in Legion, Ret will offer chances that the others do not.
Your Spec
Rotation
I've not had the chance yet to update my SimC rotation to HFC, I still got the one for BRF saved (with ExoBC). I'm working on a new one though. I'm strategically postponing until I have the infamous ring, which will push me into learning Sera rather than FV and EmpS. To be continued.
Would you care to see a simplified version?
Some important notes I'll give:
- Respect the holy duo CS > Judge.
- Exo is only used to fill up gaps, that rarely come up.
- HoW on CD, very important.
- Pool HP whenever possible, only finish later. Possibly save EmpDS procs for add spawns.
- ES on CD. All the time.
- Use every charge of Wings. Once every minute, never letting a charge go to waste, or save up for important phases.
- SoR on 3+ or 2+ DH equipped (which I don't have yet).
- Exo (glyphed) exceeds Judge in priority on 2 targets, unless you also have Double Jeopardy. On 3+ targets, Exo (glyphed) wins again.
- HotR on 4+ or 3+ with DH equipped.
I've not looked at how Libram changes rotation yet as I don't have it yet (tried really hard tho!). Hopefully soon. I don't expect it will change much, except encourage to use CS on pull.
Want to know more? Let me know, I have an entire blog dedicated to this, quite in-depth...
Stats
Earliest processed haste cap is 15% buffed, however this changes quite dramatically dependent on Sera/EmpS/FV. I'll need to research the exact number that works for my character, after I get the ring.
It's followed by multistrike, believe it or not. Reason is due to its incredible scaling factor, surpassing mastery despite our atunement. However, multistrike will have a soft cap between 25-30%.
Closely followed by mastery. While it's not as valuable as multistrike, due to our atunement and our naturally good mastery, it's really really close.
Finally crit and versa stagger behind. The reason is a really bad scaling factor, as well as no interaction with our spec. However, since crit also has a soft cap, it will at some point be slightly "surpassed" by versa.
These weights work for me, and might not apply to your character. It's highly dependent on gearing. Either way, it's all very close and in the grand scheme of things the difference is small.
Gearing
I got the 4set, fruit yes!
Going after the legendary ring ASAP. 1 week.
I'll also want a heroic weapon, and better trinkets. DR seems amazing. So does Libram. I already have the cleave trinket, and I'm currently using the heirloom trinket which is alright.. But it could be better (+ addons and SimC don't like it for some reason).
I'm working on upgrading my gear with VP where possible. Weapon, trinkets, chest/legs, etc. Got most of it by now.
Glyphs
I value damage reduction highly. A dead DPS is no use. That's why I always have Glyph of Templar's Verdict equipped, no exception.
Second glyph is often Double Jeopardy, on any fight with 2 regular targets. It's a good damage increase.
This second glyph sometimes gets replaced where necessary, and the third one is always a big choice. Mass Exorcism for AoE. Avenging Wrath for selfhealing. DP for physical damage reduction. HoS when I'm specced Clemency. Whatever is necessary to offer better support.
Talents
Note, I'm very accepting of feedback. In my current guild, there are few who can share my love and dedication, and thus I can partake in little to no discussions. Below (and above) choices are my own, and I'm curious to hear other's views.
T1: I don't like Long Arm of the Law for high-end raiding. Reason is that judge is a rotational ability and might not be available when you really need a speed boost. Therefore, I prefer Pursuit of Justice for a reliable 25% speed increase (on average), always active, no management. Yet, it has some disadvantages. For one, you need to know exactly where to stand and react very quickly to avoid certain mechanics (such as seeds on Zakuun). Second, you can not always get a perfect opener without a rogue. That's why Speed of Light is a good second, to me, on certain fights.
T2: I don't like Blinding Light because it's weak AoE CC with a long CD. Most other classes with AoE CC can do it better than us. I don't like Repentance either, due to its cast time and the fact it doesn't work on most encounters (+again, others can do it better). That leaves FoJ as the only option, but it's pretty ok.
T3: EF seems to overheal and consume precious HP. Therefore, the choice is between SH and SS. I like both, a lot.
T4: I'll take Purity and Clemency on request to further support the raid on certain encounters. If there is no request, I'll stick with the baseline Unbreakable Spirit which is all-around a good benefit.
T5: SW seems best given our current set bonus. I can see HA outperforming it on speedkills. DP might be better on some hectic AoE fight, but even if so, the added value will be very limited. I wouldn't chose it.
T6: Prism messes up our rotation. LH multi-target (on request), else ES.
T7: FV is best for cleave. EmpS wins on single target. However, Sera surpasses EmpS with the ring (probably? I'll have to confirm but it makes sense that it would). The talents shift around a lot dependent on encounter, speed of kill, raid composition, gearing, stats, etc. At the moment, I'm proficient in FV and I will try my best to learn Sera. However, I won't be 100% perfect. Don't worry, I'm already working on Legion rotation which will air soon.
Any questions, feel free to ask.
Off-specs and Alternative characters
I'm happy to see that you are still reading, thank you for the persistence!
My main character is my Paladin, as Ret. I can take any one OS, either Holy or Protection, as to your preference. I could even take a third, however.. (more soon)
I have confidence I could, in theory, learn most classes/specs to an acceptable degree. Especially during MoP, I've played with many characters including but not limited to: WW Monk, DK (all), Demo/Affli lock, Spriest, Resto/Feral Druid, Resto Shaman, etc.
However, due to the way Legion is going to be, I highly doubt any of the above will be a great option other than a literal alt run. It takes a very, very long time to fully upgrade your artifact. Months. More than months. There's additional upgrades even after it's filled up completely. True enough, for every 1 point you put in a high-level MS artifact, you could put 2 points in a lower-level OS artifact. Yet, every point not put in the MS...
See what I mean? My goal would likely be to play 100% Ret and not stop until the artifact is fully complete, which will take a very long time. Unless you don't mind me losing 0.x% dps in favor of having a mediocre off-spec. Please do let me know, because this will influence the way I play Legion greatly.
Communication
I have just about every voice chat in existence installed. I'm always listening. I'm willing to talk, however I prefer not to. I will call out if I must. I will share my opinion when asked. Otherwise, during a raid, I remain quiet. There's enough clutter as it is.
I'm shy at first, but I open up later. I can be quite spammy in chat or text, and it may translate into voice chat when I feel comfortable and we're doing relaxed content.
I'm incredibly active on forums, even at work. I post lots of stuff, all the time, when appropriate. I comment and give my opinions. I write RP stories. I talk about HotS, Hearthstone, DnD, real life. I eagerly join Paladin discussions. Nothing escapes my gaze!
I also have Skype, and three phones for some reason. If you need me urgently for whatever reason, dial me up and I'll do what I can.
Combat Logs
As discussed, I will post logs when appropriate. Watch this space.
I'm going to wait until either:
a) I get the ring and am proficient with Sera.
b) New rotation gets released.
c) I actually know the fights, as a DPS.
If you're very eager, you can already search for past logs. However, none of those will be anywhere close to optimal. Just Thursday I joined a social normal raid, where the first boss got pulled on accident. I was ready to die, when the raid leader suddenly called "just go" 15 seconds in.
Either way. Please give me some time to get gear, learn my rotation, get the rust off of my fingers after 10 months of not playing, and learn the fights. I'll get back to you.
Your UI
Currently at work, don't have a screenie here. I'll upload & post when home.
EDIT: here you go http://i.imgur.com/OnY2i7b.jpg
Basically, what I find very important in a UI is to have as little clutter as possible. I want to be able to see far and wide, other players and myself, the boss, the adds, the fire. I want as little buttons as possible, only those that are necessary to see the CD. I want those buttons, my own status, the boss frame, my HP and cast bar all together in 1 confined spot so I don't have to look all over the place.
Some encounter buffs are important, but I will make weak auras for those. I track some of my own buffs, such as Wings, procs, Bubble duration etc so I have a very clear view on that. Same for debuffs. I have little interest for the map, the chatbox, or other fancyness. I like pretty buttons, clean, sleek. I like gold and pink.
I can provide a list of addons I use if you wish, to accomplish this UI. I use lots of different ones, yet I try to keep it to as little as possible (memory and stuff).
I realize not each UI is for everyone. But I'm confident that mine works for me. After heavily adjusting it, it increases my performance, awareness, and makes me happy about the way it looks, the way I can play.
Guild History
I started out as a social player on SSL in a guild called Homeland. I raided as a social player, in a social group, in Firelands. I was a gnome Frost Mage, because surely Frost would do more damage against fire elementals. I felt very smart. It was an awesome first raid, to me. Rose-tinted glasses.
Then, I changed to paladin to raid DS. However, the social guild wasn't really progressing.
Therefore, I joined Menethil Motorcycle Gang to conintue in DS HC.
Later on, I made my own guild "Illusive" together with some lovely people to continue after MMG's raid team quit. Went pretty good.
We didn't have enough for 25m HC though. So we merged with another guild "Resistance". Bad call. Lesson Learnt.
Joined Ascendance for a while, to ease out Cata.
Start of MoP, I joined "Helly Kitty Adventures". Hardcore, raiding 4-5 times a week, 5+ hours a day. It was rough. Lots of screaming, shouting. Very, very strict. Yet, we cleared content fast and I learnt a lot.
After the tier was done, I went to chill a bit. Focused on PvP via Shrike and Bloodwind, two fairly renowned PvP guilds on DFB. It was good.
SoO, wanted to raid again. I continued to PvP, but for my paladin I sought a raiding guild. You guys were high on the list. Yet, in the end I chose to join Tin Hats Inc. Small guild, great people. Went very well, until most raiders had to quit due to RL. Shame.
After that, I continued PvP and joined several RP guilds on several alts, purely for RP reasons. It was relaxing, fun, for a while.
Wanted to finish SoO though. Joined CoJ who happened to need a Paladin and were doing good on progression. Passed the trial, and it went great. However, WoD was a bumpy ride. Now, 3 years later, they've announced they will no longer be raiding progressively. That's a real shame. I love them with all my heart. We've done so many fun events together: RP, races, quizes, transmog contests, gnome punting, and so much more. But, I dread the thought of never progressing past Heroic, never developing myself, never having the chance to evolve. For me, there is no point in being top DPS on mediocre content.
Why you? Out of all previous apps I did in the past, you seemed the most promising. That, or the other guilds have died (Yawning Dragon?). I have very fond memories of our conversations and interactions earlier. You're a long-standing, trustworthy guild. You seem nice people, with good progress, with a good recruitment system going. All the cards seem to fit.
Raid availability
I can make it 100% of the time. Even more so once I start working part-time, in Legion.
References
I think initially it was just a bunch of research that lead me to apply to you. Afterwards, I remember fondly Bowick the MW Monk. We did some dungeons/scenarios together, and PvP'ed together against the onslaught of Horde at the Shrine of Seven Stars. It was short, but sweet.
I already had the honor to talk to KramT about some Paladin considerations. It's a rare opportunity to talk to someone so knowledgeable and experienced, and I hope to do it more in the future. A different view on things is always good, and brings me all the faster to reality.
Thank you for your time thus far. Really appreciated.
About you
Cool.
Hi all! So I'm Elly, yadiya, explanation prior.
In Belgium, I lived together with my mom, stepfather, and two adorable siblings in a lil' farm in the countryside. We had horses, birds, (guinea)-pigs, rabbits, dogs, cats, mice, chickens, and several exotic animals. It was very nice, peaceful.
I initially studied Latin/maths, after which I switched to economics-maths for a more practical approach. I was very interested in economics and politics anyway. I also followed extra languages to make my CV look pretty: in addition to the typical French, Dutch (Flemish) and English, I sharpened my German and learnt Spanish. Great school, great class mates, great times.
Age 17, I got a car, an apartment, and I joined university. ICT-maths. Very interesting, very difficult. Using the knowledge, I learnt especially how to make useful little applications (a skill I took with me in WoW, same with the math). I paid my bills by programming databases for recently-starting companies, making websites (not the graphical part, only the code) and being a badminton teacher for some reason. Funny story that, I actually wasn't qualified at all.. ^^ But more on that another time, if you wish.
Eventually, due to lack of funds I had to quit after 2 years. Sat stuck at home for a while, and started to play WoW to keep myself busy. Made some money from boosting people and partaking in small projects of my own.
I saved up a lot, also due to various small jobs I did when I was younger. I've worked in restaurants, cafes, garages, beer companies, old people's houses, bakeries, etc. Used some of the coin to travel around. Eventually ended up in Scotland, where I met a guy and stuck around. 4 years now, and planning to stay.. :3 In fact we got a house now and everything, it's pretty sweet!
10 months ago, I got a brilliant job opportunity which I grabbed with both hands. Now, I'm a senior customer adviser & tech support, as well as sales expert for a company called Sonos, in their Edinburgh location. They sell a high end WiFi HiFi sound system. It's a brilliant product, a good company, and I'm very proud of my job. I put as much dedication into it as I do in WoW, probably even more, and that means a lot!
I could talk a lot about what i do, why I do it, about the company or their products.. And I'd be happy to, if you'd want me to. However, I'll leave that an optional question to prevent me going "out of bounds" as they say.. I think this post is long enough as it is, rite.. :3
Miscellaneous
I'm truly amazed you made it all the way here. You Sir/Madam, have just won the ultimate award of patience and persistence, and I salute thee.
Any questions, feel free to ask. As for the parts I still need to fill in, I'll get back to ya.
Kind regards,
Elly xx