Setup and configuration can be one of the most important things when trying to improve your gameplay, this includes: quick access to frequently used abilities, macros, addons, even having the right hardware attached to your computer can make a notable difference. I would like to start a discussion about things you can do to improve your game. There’s a lot to cover, so this week let’s start with AddOns & Macros.
AddOns
There’s a dizzying array of AddOns available to cover every aspect of the game. Tanking is one of those jobs that requires a lot of responsibility, to do it well – you have to want to do it. In some ways it’s like working in construction, the job just gets easier when you have the right tools. Here are a few of my favorites.
■ Blood Shield Tracker Death Strike is one of the most important abilities a Death Knight has, however the mechanics of our Mastery ability Blood Shield can be a bit tricky at the best of times. This AddOn gets rid of a lot of the guess work, giving you a real time representation of your current shield status and an estimate of your next shield stack. This information is invaluable for those tanks that like to have as much control over their shields as possible.
■ Omen An invaluable tool for both DPS and Tanks, if you’re unfamiliar with Omen or other threat meters – you need to fix that and quick. This addon lets you know when someone is about to pull aggro from the tank.
■ ForteXorcistI’ve used this addon for a very long time, it’s great for timing diseases and other relevant abilities. Highly configurable, good for any class.
■ Tidy Plates – Threat Plates A favorite of the nameplate addons, this one is compact and doesn’t use a lot of system resources.
■ DKIRunes A highly configurable rune addon, however if you’re looking for something else check out this discussion at the pwnwear forums.
■ Power Auras This one is interesting, basically it’s an addon for giving easy tracking of abilities and events at a glance. However, the addon is highly configurable allowing tracking of multiple abilities and events. Below are three events that I’ve used for a while.
POWER AURAS CONFIGURATION
Type /powa
choose “Import”
Copy the code from here and paste it into the box that pops up.
-20% Attack Speed Debuff (Frost Fever; Applied through Outbreak and/or Icy Touch Baseline):
Version:4.7; Instance25ManHeroic:true; target:true; icon:Ability_Paladin_JudgementsoftheJust; buffname:Frost Fever/Thunderclap/Judgements of the Just/Infected Wounds; x:-64; customname:Frost Fever; bufftype:2; Instance10ManHeroic:true; Instance5Man:true; Instance25Man:true; Instance10Man:true; customtex:true; Instance5ManHeroic:true; combat:true; size:0.23; y:74; inverse:true
-10% Physical Damage Debuff (Scarlet Fever; Applied by Blood Boil, Talented):
Version:4.7; Instance25ManHeroic:true; target:true; icon:Ability_Creature_Disease_03; buffname:Scarlet Fever/Demoralizing Shout/Vindication/Curse of Weakness/Demoralizing Roar; x:88; customname:Blood Boil; bufftype:2; Instance10ManHeroic:true; Instance5Man:true; Instance25Man:true; Instance10Man:true; customtex:true; Instance5ManHeroic:true; combat:true; size:0.23; y:73; inverse:true
■ How it Works: It scans your Target for any type of Debuff that reduces either Attack Speed by -20% or Physical Damage done by -10%. If it can’t find any, then it shows you the icon letting you know to use Blood Boil.
Shows an icon and timer for Will of Necropolis.
Version:4.7; icon:Ability_Rogue_FeignDeath; buffname:Will of the Necropolis; x:4; customname:81163; alpha:1; isResting:0; duration:8; exact:true; spec2:false; customtex:true; size:0.19; y:-42; texmode:2; ismounted:0; timer.Texture:Original; timer.enabled:true; timer.Relative:TOP; timer.x:-9; timer.ShowActivation:true
Macros
Below are a few macros I’ve been using to make my job easier.
Focus Taunt
#showtooltip Dark Command
/cast [target=focus] Dark Command
Mouseover Taunt
#showtooltip Dark Command
/cast [@mouseover] Dark Command
■ Use of these macros depends on your use of focus target, additionally you can use similar macros for interrupts by changing the spell names.
Raise Dead/Raise Ally Macro
#showtooltip Raise Dead
/cast [nomod:shift] Raise Ally; [mod:shift] Raise Dead
Lichborne Self-Heal Macro
#showtooltip Lichborne
/cast Lichborne;
/cast [@player] Death Coil
That’s it for this week, check back next week when I’ll be talking about customizing your hardware, keybinds, and overall interface.