Warlock kiting Coilfang Striders

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Path: Classes | Warlock | Warlocks @ Raid Bosses | Warlocks @ Serpent Shrine Cavern

Here are my notes and tips on kiting the Striders in Vashj's fight. Kiting them is A LOT harder than it looks and very intense. I'll be making this as detailed as possible so, Xendo, feel free to copy a reduced, edited version

Contents

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Spec Needed

  • Curse of Exaustion, non kiting lock should CoS
  • Nightfall (2/2)
  • Improved Corruption (5/5)
  • Empowered Corruption (3/3)
  • Unstable Affliction
  • Dark Pact. You can't really Life Tap so, a must for mana regen
  • Shadow Burn (A MUST)

I'm sure it's possible to do this using different specs but it would probably be a lot harder.

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Preparation

I'm very bad in keeping up with multi-channel chatter, you may notice this by the fact that I some times take a while to respond, some times it looks like I'm ignoring but I just can't keep up. So,...

  • I'm constantly looking for Striders and looking down to read chat windows can mean missing a pickup point. I create a separate chat window for whispers ONLY, make it as small as it can be so it'll fit the STANDARD text warning format and move it to the top right of my monitor. Striders MUST be clicked to target (since you may be far and I don't use an addon to increase tab-targeting distance) and therefore this window can't block the very top of the monitor or you won't be able to click that area.
  • Make sure your assist macro is bound to a key on your keyboard. I prefer to keep it close to my directional buttons.
  • Learn to strafe, cast sideways, and juggle spinning plates on your head while you're at it
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Buffs

This mainly depends on how much damage you can dish out in from your DoTs which translates to aggro. This will depend on your gear and spec. My preference is:

It can be done without them (if you have the right gear) but they make it a lot easier.

  • Fear Ward can be helpful in an emergency but if you get feared=you are too close.
  • A [Swift Starfire Diamond] is extremely helpful here
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The Kiting Prep

  • P1 - Do what you do best... Pew, Pew the normal way
  • Once P2 starts, immediately REMOVE SALVATION and ZOOM OUT TO MAX DISTANCE. I've been able to do with it on and keep aggro but I've had A LOT of practice.
  • Run out to your favorite side group and start getting shards like a mad man/woman (you can get up to 4 shards per attempt depending how fast the elementals are killed). If we're having a difficult night with many attempts I spend an average of 45+ shards.
  • Keep your eyes glued to the BW timer, you should position yourself in the middle (where Vashj is) a few secs before a Strider spawns. Once the timer ends I spin around looking for a Strider. Whispers are very helpful but NEVER depend solely on them. I sometimes can see a Strider before I get whispered or I may get whispered the wrong direction.
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Strider Pickup

You basically only have two options here, an instant or very short cast which means Sadow Burn, Searing Pain or Shadow Fury. It's a lot easier to kite them as Affliction and you pretty much must have CoEx, so it's unlikely you'll have SF. So, get them mad at you with Shadow Burn.

Since the mob needs to be in front of you you MUST make sure you're far enough to have time to turn around and run. You almost never have enough time to start with SP; if the Strider reaches the center that means a healer will die. That's why it's VERY important for other people to help by netting or stunning the Striders BEFORE they get to the middle. SPECIALLY if one Strider dies in one spot and the new one spawns all the way in the opposite direction, by the time you get to it a healer will be dead if they're not netted/stunned.

  • Once you get they're attention IMMEDIATELY cast Curse of Exhaustion. It's possible to have a second warlock cast CoEx but I STRONGLY discourage it.
  • Cast Shadow Ward. Try to keep it up as much as possible as you'll be hammered with Mind Blast that does 3000 shadow damage.
  • Start with Corruption then Siphon Life as you run to get some distance from it, then cast Unstable Affliction. The great thing about UA is that being an affliction spell you don't have to face the mob to cast it, thus not wasting time to turn and run. Just make sure you have PLENTY of time left on CoEx and plenty of distance from Strider before you cast UA or SP, you DO NOT want to cut it close.
  • RE-APPLY CoEx as you run. NEVER let it drop bellow 3 secs. Use whatever method you like to keep track of it. I use Omni Cooldown and DoTimer.
  • Give it another sec for DoTs to tick or Dark Pact if needed and if you're far enough turn SIDEWAYS (no need to completely face the mob to cast it) and use SP, if you feel the Strider is getting too close while you cast SP stop, strafe and Shadow Burn instead.
  • Call Assist. By now you should be able to safely call assist and keep aggro. From this point on it's ALL about the NUKE from others in middle. Keep your DoTs up, cast Shadow Ward, Shadow Burn/SP as needed and make SURE you cast Shadow Bolt if Nightfall procs. Keep aggro high; only you can tell of how much aggro you are capable of. If during Nuke some one steals aggro, that would be VERY BAD
  • OH! and did I say Re-apply CoEx?
  • If DPS in middle is doing good, Strider will die and you'll have enough time to move to the middle to look for the next one. If they're doing extremely well you'll even be able to help with the Nagas. If your current Strider isn't dead or about to die when the next shows up it'll most likely be a wipe (this shows you how important this job is). If a wipe is actually called don't even bother trying to Hell Fire, move to a safe place and let your big-legged friend kill you.
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Kiting Path

This takes quite a bit of practice. Because the Strider is slowed, the first impression is that you'll have to circle on the stairs so the Strider will remain on it's path. The problem is that it CAN'T be done. The rocks are there blocking your way (possibly to make that nearly impossible). The reason you can't run on the stairs is because you'll need to run inward (toward middle) to get around it and while you're doing that the Strider is getting close enough to kill you. He's got huge freaking legs and is NOT AS SLOW AS YOU THINK.

The other thing that makes kiting very hard is that even with the Cam at max distance you can't see the Strider. The only time I'm able to turn the Cam to see where it is, is when I stop to cast UA/SP.

So, the best way I found to keep it as close as possible to the kiting path is by making sure it's never too far from me. I accomplish this by pausing to cast UA, SP or turning for SB and by running or strafing on somewhat straight lines in an octagonal shape moving as far out to the rim of the stairs as possible. The straight line helps clear the rocks but I strafe outward as soon as I've cleared it. If I notice the Strider is getting too close to the middle I move further out into the stairs but don't stay there or it'll move out too much and fear the healers of the side groups. In essence it's inevitable that people will get feared but better feared than dead.

Hope this is helpful

Yours,

Telsadar

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