Let me ask this, not from a trolling or calling out standing, but to better myself as a healer:

I was running a HM op with a sorc DPS. He was Lightning spec. In his rotation, I noticed that he was using Consumption 4-5 times, even when his force bar was over half full. As soon as the 4 stack debuff was off, he'd hit it 4 more times, but obviously not in dire need for Force. I found myself having to spot heal this DPS more than the tanks, and of course, he was the first to wipe since he was purposely depleting his HP.

Is there some reason he'd do this? Do DPS get some sort of benefit from doing this? I know in corruption, we can get a Force degradation free Consumption from Force Surge, but I was wasting a lot of my force on this DPS.

Again, not trying to troll, trying to learn. I've not played a DPS spec.

I was kind of thinking this is just a really poor rotation, but didn't want to be like:

"Y u do dis?!?!"

when I had never played the spec.

This is what we call in some circles as "A really really bad". As a dps lightning sorc there is no need to use consumption. More than likely he wasn't using the proper points in "Subversion", which grants willpower regeneration.

Subversion barely does anything. Its slightly force positive if all 3 LS were casted under Effusion, which is the ability that make lightning force management easy. (75% cost off the next two attacks). The sole reason you take subversion is the pushback reduction on LS and TB. The force regen is just a cute bonus no one cares about, and one more buff cluttering your bar.

I don't even take Reserves on my lightning sorc, never run out of force. Chain Lightning is also always free, since any lightning sorc worth his salt don't hard cast it. In some rare case my force dip a bit if I have offheal a lot.

As a side note, on my server I'm always astonished by the ammount of lightning sorc that are bad at it.

Maybe he doesn't play lightning spec that often and he doesn't know that it hasn't any force issues.

Maybe he thought it's better to regenerate force early than to wait until it's depleted.

Next time, tell him this skill is useless for DPS sorcs.

Maybe he doesn't play lightning spec that often and he doesn't know that it hasn't any force issues.

Maybe he thought it's better to regenerate force early than to wait until it's depleted.

 

Next time, tell him this skill is useless for DPS sorcs.

Consumption can be useful for any sorc, just less for lightning. As said in some rare case it can be used (offhealed a lot or just got in-fight rezzed for exemple). But madness sorc will possibly use it if they cast a lot of LS or shock in movement, or use Force Storm for aoe.

The thing is, consumption is a vicious circle. Even if you disregard life consumption, it applies a debuff to your regen. At 4 stack, you have no regen. So using it too much without a downtime = no more regen for you. Pass 2 stacks, and consumption become the only efficient option to get back force. Which only gets worse after that.

As a rule of thumb, if you don't know the fight to know when a downtime is coming, you don't go over 1 stack, which is force positive.

Obviously it goes without saying that you NEVER use that if your healers are currently taxed or if the raid is in an aoe heavy phase where you need every bit of HP to stay alive.

EDIT : To not be a weight on the healer, I normally make sure i have my self-heal off cooldown or can stand in an aoe heal already down.

Consumption can be useful for any sorc, just less for lightning. As said in some rare case it can be used (offhealed a lot or just got in-fight rezzed for exemple). But madness sorc will possibly use it if they cast a lot of LS or shock in movement, or use Force Storm for aoe.

 

The thing is, consumption is a vicious circle. Even if you disregard life consumption, it applies a debuff to your regen. At 4 stack, you have no regen. So using it too much without a downtime = no more regen for you. Pass 2 stacks, and consumption become the only efficient option to get back force. Which only gets worse after that.

 

As a rule of thumb, if you don't know the fight to know when a downtime is coming, you don't go over 1 stack, which is force positive.

 

Obviously it goes without saying that you NEVER use that if your healers are currently taxed or if the raid is in an aoe heavy phase where you need every bit of HP to stay alive.

i.e. 2nd Kell Dragon Burn Phase, where he kept wiping.

i.e. 2nd Kell Dragon Burn Phase, where he kept wiping.

That would be pretty much the epitome of a bad moment to do that.

Actually that whole fight is a bad moment, especially in HM