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Devastate Testing - 25 October
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Old 10-25-2007, 03:36 PM
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Devastate Testing - 25 October

** Updated 28 October **

More testing today. Since there was a PTR patch last night, it covers re-testing at the same time. I'll only put a couple of data points for each test so it doesn't get stupid long. All tests were done with a mage, as before (except for the Expose Armour test, duh). I changed to the basilisks in Terokkar as well since they have more health and can take the beating to test 5 Sunders + Devastate.

Expose Armour
Got a rogue to throw a two point Expose Armour on the mob, vanish, and then I did a Devastate. No Sunder in the combat log and no Sunder animation on the mob. So, there you go - the Sunder effect is separate from the Devastate effect. Since the rogue's threat was reset from the vanish and EA was still up, I had him hit until he drew aggro:

28 October: New and improved EA test (see post #44)

Warrior: Social aggro mob
Rogue: Make combo points, EA, vanish.
Warrior: 53 damage Devastate when mob turns back after rogue vanishes, no Sunder is applied due to EA
Mage: 262 damage
262/1.495/1.10 = 159 adjusted threat
159 - 53 = 109 threat remaining.

Appears that in the case where you're Devastating with no Sunders on and no Sunder will be applied by Devastate, the innate threat is 109.

For 0-4 Sunders before Devastate we'll assume that the Sunder generates its 301 threat, since the Sunder is a separate effect and that's the way the threat calculated out previously. As you'll see, the numbers still bear this out.

Devastate only
Warrior: 301 + 46 raw threat
Mage: 765 raw threat
765/1.495/1.10 = 465 adjusted threat
Innate = 119

Warrior: 301 + 45 raw threat
Mage: 763 raw threat
763/1.495/1.10 = 464 adjusted threat
Innate = 119

One Sunder, Devastate
Warrior: 602 + 89 raw threat
Mage: 1356 raw threat
1356/1.495/1.10 = 825 adjusted threat
Innate = 134

Warrior: 602 + 102 raw threat
Mage: 1378 raw threat
1378/1.495/1.10 = 838 adjusted threat
Innate = 134

Two Sunders, Devastate
Warrior: 903 + 117 raw threat
Mage: 1920 raw threat
1920/1.495/1.10 = 1168 adjusted threat
Innate = 148

Warrior: 903 + 134 raw threat
Mage: 1947 raw threat
1947/1.495/1.10 = 1184 adjusted threat
Innate = 147

Three Sunders, Devastate
Warrior: 1204 + 148 raw threat
Mage: 2489 raw threat
2489/1.495/1.10 = 1514 adjusted threat
Innate = 162

Warrior: 1204 + 149 raw threat
Mage: 2491 raw threat
2491/1.495/1.10 = 1515 adjusted threat
Innate = 162

Four Sunders, Devastate
Warrior: 1505 + 182 raw threat
Mage: 3063 raw threat
3063/1.495/1.10 = 1863 adjusted threat
Innate = 176

Warrior: 1505 + 181 raw threat
Mage: 3062 raw threat
3062/1.495/1.10 = 1862 adjusted threat
Innate = 176



And now the one everyone's been waiting for...
Here, we won't assume that the Devastate grants the threat from Sunder when 5 Sunders are already up. We count the threat from 5 Sunders (1505 threat) and the raw damage of the Devastate, and see what falls out. If we get more than 400, we know that we are getting the Sunder threat as well as the Devastate innate. If not, we aren't.

Five Sunders, Devastate
Warrior: 1505 + 200 raw threat
Mage: 3091 raw threat
3091/1.495/1.10 = 1880 adjusted threat
Innate = 175

Warrior: 1505 + 194 raw threat
Mage: 3084 raw threat
3084/1.495/1.10 = 1875 adjusted threat
Innate = 176

We get no Sunder threat once 5 sunders are on. That's good news for this:

Battle and Berserker Stance
I just threw a single Devastate on and assumed the Sunder threat was going on as well:

Warrior: 45 Devastate in Battle Stance
Mage: 409 raw threat
409/0.80/1.10 = 465 adjusted threat
Innate = 420 (= 119 + 301)

Warrior: 44 Devastate in Berserker Stance
Mage: 410 raw threat
410/0.80/1.10 = 466 adjusted threat
Innate = 422 (= 121 + 301)

Yes, you get the Sunder in Battle/Berserk, along with its threat. However, once the tank has got 5 Sunders on the mob you won't get the Sunder threat, as shown above.


Summary
1) The innate threat for Devastate has been increased per Sunder that is on the mob: 119/134/148/162/176 (These numbers should be pretty close - the mage was using unarmed hits for 1-4 at the end to draw aggro. Still could bear some independent testing for verification).

2) While Devastate is applying Sunders (i.e. the first 5 Devastates that land), you gain the 301 threat for the Sunder in addition to the Devastate innate threat. Note that the Sunder is a separate effect; its threat is not part of the Devastate innate threat.

3) Once 5 Sunders are stacked, Devastate will refresh the Sunder stack but does not apply a new Sunder, and as such does not gain the threat for a Sunder. Devastate threat at 5 Sunders is 176 + (1/2 damage + 175) [the damage portion is subject to mitigation]

4) You get the Sunder threat as normal in Battle and Berserk stance if you apply one of the first five Sunders. Once 5 Sunders are on, you will only get 176 + (1/2 damage + 175) [the damage portion is subject to mitigation], multiplied by stance modifier/Salvation/etc.

5) Expose Armour still blocks the Sunder component of Devastate. If there are no Sunders on the mob, and Sunder will be blocked from landing on the mob, the innate threat of Devastate is 109.

6) We also see that there is no difference in innate threat when we apply 4 Sunders and then Devastate and applying 5 Sunders and then Devastate. That tells us that the Sunder for the Devastate being performed counts towards the innate threat. So, we get:
Revised 28 October
- 109 innate for Devastate with no Sunders, and no Sunder landing (per EA test, above)
- 119 innate for Devastate adding the first Sunder
- 134 innate for Devastate adding the second Sunder
- 148 innate for Devastate adding the third Sunder
- 162 innate for Devastate adding the fourth Sunder
- 176 innate for Devastate adding the fifth sunder, and Devastate with five Sunders already in place

Added 28 October
This isn't an exact science. We can probably massage those numbers into a reasonable sequence: 105/120/135/150/165/180 (105 + 5 x #Sunders) and still be pretty much right. Or maybe they really are oddball as above. Here's where some independent testing would really be keen.

Personally, I like this. We get a nice extra kick of threat in the first 8-10 global cooldowns of a fight. Once the Sunders are stacked, Revenge and Shield Slam are still integral parts of the tanking rotation, but we still gain an extra 75 threat per Devastate over what we have now. Good changes, in my opinion.

I'd like to see some independent tests to compare with, and as always, am grateful for anyone to point out any errors I've made so that they can be corrected quickly.

Last edited by Satrina; 10-27-2007 at 11:55 PM. Reason: Updated results
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Old 10-25-2007, 03:40 PM
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wait, so we get the 300 innate threat from sunder plus innate from devistate for the first 5 then no more sunder threat ?
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Old 10-25-2007, 03:44 PM
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Clarified it a bit. Yes, that's how it appears to work.
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Old 10-25-2007, 03:45 PM
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Ok, thanks.

I kinda like this to, give us real nice start up threat that tapers out a bit. Its nice, willn't make things to easy and will protect us from blizz taking out the big ol' nerf bat and smashing our TPS in the future.

Last edited by Arrowson; 10-25-2007 at 03:50 PM.
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  #5  
Old 10-25-2007, 03:53 PM
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Interesting. I'm not sure if I like that. Plus, what are the implications of letting SA wear off, and then reapplying. I mean it is a pretty considerable threat bonus in that regard. Especially since I might only find 4-5 GCD's to spare on a devestate while tanking between SS and Revenge.

It is an obvious buff, I'm not denying that. But we'll have to see... It'll be really interesting in the first 5 applications of devestate generate more threat than revenge as well, we're in for a ride then in terms of theory craft.
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Old 10-25-2007, 03:55 PM
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If it does become worth it to let sunder wear off them im sure it willn't be long til blizz increases the duration of sunder
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Old 10-25-2007, 03:58 PM
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Interesting. I'm not sure if I like that. Plus, what are the implications of letting SA wear off, and then reapplying. I mean it is a pretty considerable threat bonus in that regard. Especially since I might only find 4-5 GCD's to spare on a devestate while tanking between SS and Revenge.
That was one of the things that crossed my mind right away, too. I've had my Sunders knocked off by other debuffs, so when that happens we'll get a nice boost mid-fight.

As for deliberately letting them slide off, I'm not sure the dip beforehand would be worth it. Someone needs to do some math on that to be sure, though.
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  #8  
Old 10-25-2007, 03:59 PM
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I don't think a 2k boost in Threat in the middle of the fight is worth the instablity it will bring before the sunders wear off
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Old 10-25-2007, 04:04 PM
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very interesting, thanks for the tests satrina, if I can, I'll try to do independent testing this weekend once i update my patch as well. Hopefully we come up with similar numbers unlike all of my previous stupid tests =P
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Old 10-25-2007, 04:45 PM
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Practice makes perfect Kaze
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