Increasing DPS with threat issues

Below article is based on my point of view as a mage. I believe it could apply to other DPS class, so please do read on and see which part of it could be applied to your class

Introduction
This article assumes all casters macro their spells to automatically trigger effects when they invoke the spell. If you are not doing this... you are losing a GREAT deal of damage. Do it ASAP!

Example:
#showtooltip Frostbolt
/script UIErrorsFrame:Hide()
/use [harm] 13
/use [harm] 14
/cast Icy Veins
/cast Arcane Power
/cast Presence of Mind
/script UIErrorsFrame:Clear()
/script UIErrorsFrame:Show()
/cast Frostbolt

Basically what it does is, you will activate both your trinkets, icy vein, arcane power and presence of mind, then cast frostbolt.

Another example:
#showtooltip Arcane Blast
/console Sound_EnableSFX 0
/script UIErrorsFrame:Hide()
/cast Icy Veins
/cast Arcane Power
/use [harm] 13
/use [harm] 14
/script UIErrorsFrame:Clear()
/script UIErrorsFrame:Show()
/cast Arcane Blast
/console Sound_EnableSFX 1

This is a very good and convenient way of increasing dps without manually clicking on all your activation keys, since we will definitely forget about it after some time.

However... the one problem there is with such macros... threat.

Even with Windfury totem, Heroism and MD on MT, it is very easy to catch up on aggro if we use those spells at the very start. We'll be forced to stop casting for 2-3 seconds just simply to drop our aggro, while all those 3-4 effects are being wasted. Or, we could cast a less effective unmacroed spell at the start just for threat gap to be wider.

Controlling, managing trinkets and talent/skills is crucial to allow dps to continue without aggroing.

Solution

Open Key Binder Menu and scroll to Action Bar Function and assign shortcut key to "Previous Action Bar" and "Next Action Bar"

The shortcut and binding keys for these 2 Action Bar are the same.

The second action bar is seldom used, as you cannot see them in the UI.

This is my first set of normal spell bar


This is my second set of action bar


As you noticed, the spells are exactly the same.
My first set of Action Bar dps spells are macros (Etc. Frostbolt, Scorch, Arcane Blast, Arcane Missile, Fireball...)
Second set of Action Bar dps spells are normal, without macros.

If you have already used the second set of button for accessing non combat abilities like tradeskill, I would recommend to download mod to allow more bars to be added in your UI and move those non-essential skills to the new bar. If you're using second bar for offspec spells or pvp, then it's.. too bad

You can now control the timing of macro execution by switching the action bar! The spell bindings you have assigned normally will still be the same key even after switching!

Now you can always start casting spells earlier during boss fight using normal spells with lesser aggro issue. Once MT aggro has a lot more threat (5 sunder etc), switch to the macro bar and go all out! You no longer have to pause casting and waste all the trinket/skill effects

Maximising Trinket / Skill effects

When you are able to control timing of macro execution, it becomes possible to optimise other aspects.

Good way to increase dps is to cast as many spell as possible during the duration of "Spell damage bonus" time frame. For example, Arcane Power increases damage by 30% and lasts 15 second. To maximise dps, aim to reduce casting time as much as possible during this limited time frame. For arcane mage, try to get max arcane blast debuff before using macro. This allows you to squeeze in one more arcane blast during the limited timeframe.

For some players that use darkmoon crusade in certain tank and spank fights, can wait until spell damage stacks 10 times (+80dmg) before executing macro. The bonus 80 damage will be affected by spell modifier such as Heroism +haste, Trinket effects, ( For mage, Arcane Power +30% dmg, Icy Vein +haste). Add them all up together, it's a great boost to dps.

If there are shaman in party, it is possible to liase with the shaman on specific timeframe before he should cast heroism (When MT has tons of threat advantage).

Executing macro together with heroism is an extreme increase of dps. However, do not sacrifice "too much" just to align macro with heroism.

Management of macro will always result in delay of execution. A general guideline I would personally follow is... in normal situation, if the delay causes you to lose one cycle of execution, it may not be worth it.

Usage
Here are some scenario where macro management can boost dps greatly, which can be critical to the particular situation

Curator - Evocate phase
Netherspite - After red beam has been tanked (Or if i'm wearing SR gear and on blue beam, wait till debuff have stacked 20+. )
Leo the Blind - Demon Phase
Lady Vashj - If I'm kiting Strider and it pops.
High Warlock Naj - 22 seconds before Shield incoming (Longest effect time + 2 second)
Supremus - 18 seconds before switching from P1 to P2 (Longest effect time - 2 second ). For allowing more aggro generation buffer.
Akama - Shade appears
Bloodboil - Phase 2 with Insignificance Debuff

With good macro management, you can easily increase dps in a fight by 100+ dps. (Anyhow gauge one). That's equivalent to +350 spell damage!!!

Bump.

In today's bloodboil, I saw a warlock activating trinket at the very start of the fight and going all out dps. The raider had macro binded to the normal casting spell

For warlock, bloodboil is a threat-constrained fight. Insignificance buff perfect for unloading all the trinket, because that is usually how you may generate the most aggro (And now it all becomes 0).

Best way... is to save trinket for p2 and then go all out dps. Make full use of the insignificance debuff =)

I think that the most important issue for this fight is to DPS without getting beyond of the aggro of the 3 tanks. P2 is phase to dish out our DPS but it is the NOT the only phase to DPS. We should really try to maximize the DPS during P1 as well. From what I see last night, our DPS is not very high. We are behind the timer a little bit. We have to DPS hard in P1 as well. Burning trinket does not really matter if we are checking omen and ensure we are below the tankers' aggro.

Btw, I think that Omen got some bugs and the tankers are not in my meter all the time.

Remarks: If we are those BIG guilds with all high level items, this boss is really easy. We need only to DPS it during P2 and P1 should be a sleep time for all DPSers.

I think that the most important issue for this fight is to DPS without getting beyond of the aggro of the 3 tanks.

Correct.

Question is, what are the things that are preventing your dps from going even higher?
For arcane mage, it's mana. (Mana-constrained)
For fire mage and warlock, it's likely threat. (Threat-constrained)

If anyone can go all out dps hard, burn trinkets at the very start yet remain below threat of 3 tankers, you don't have to manage threat.

We have to DPS hard in P1 as well.

We should really try to maximize the DPS during P1 as well.

Completely agreed. Maximising dps without aggroing (Threat management). That is the whole point of controlling macro.

Burning trinket does not really matter if we are checking omen and ensure we are below the tankers' aggro.

- It matters if you have to stop casting your spell or use lesser efficient spells to wait for aggro to drop.

- If trinket cooldown finish and macro is executed towards the end of P2, it's really sad

- If trinket procs almost before p2 starts, you have to run to the new position thus losing effect.. or if you get fel raged, you would be using survival spells

- Bloodboil is a movement heavy fight. You don't want to waste trinket effect while moving into waterfall position or away from it This won't happen at the start of fight, but if macro is executed on every shadowbolt, it may "overlap" during later stage of the fight.

Just an example... of threat generated without aggroing boss in p1.

Scenario:
Tank threat generation in P1: 20000
Maximum burst damage possible in 1 phase: 22000
Normal damage in 1 phase: 18000.
Threat generated per 1 damage: 1 point.

Case 1:
P1: 20000 Threat ( Burst damage, watched omen, reduced spell to avoid aggro )
p2: 18000 Threat ( DPS normally )
Damage done: 38000
Threat at end of p2: 20000

Case 2:
P1: 18000 Threat ( DPS normally )
p2: 22000 Threat ( Burst damage )
Damage done: 40000
Threat at end of p2: 18000

Case 2 do more damage with lesser threat generation. If threat is the bottleneck to dps, case 2 have more potential for dps continually even more for even more damage.

One misconception is managing macro will result in losing 1 cycle of trinket execution thus loss of dps. That is half true; it is ok if you can ensure you make full use of it when it is up Otherwise, you'll be losing dps anyway, when it executes at the wrong time or when you drop dps to avoid aggro.

Phase 1 of this fight is really like Void Reaver in threat handling. Difference is VR as some control over you with arcane orbs. With BB is just the BB rotations to keep you in check.

You need to DPS in phase 1 but you also need to be below the 3 tanks. Master this and DPS will not be an issue.

One thing I've mentioned before during agro sensitive fights - Gruul, VR etc..also burn your agro drop early.

Like in VR, no matter what, I'll Soulshatter at 90% whether I am high or not. This put me really low on threat and by the time I climb back up, soulshatter CD will be over and I can do it again....and go way down.
Similarly all other classes need to learn when to drop agro.....vanish, invisible, soulshatter all have long CDs..so use them early.
Priest, rogues, hunters have fade, feint, FD & Disengage..relatively short CDs so use them whenever its up.