Shadow Bolt: which rank to use
Warlock · Shadow · 10 ranks, 5 learned by level 30.
At level 30 with 45 spell power, Shadow Bolt rank 1 gets the most damage per mana; rank 5 does the most damage per second.
Most mana-efficient rank by gear: rank 2 up to 35, rank 1 from 36 spell power.
"Forever sims spam rank 2 Shadow Bolt"
Not at level 30 with 45 spell power: rank 1 gets the most damage per mana (1.44, rank 2 1.41). But rank 5 still does the most damage per second (39.7 against 25.6 for rank 2), so spam rank 2 when mana is what runs out first, as when levelling, and rank 5 when a fight is short.
Why: Forever's client gives rank 2 its full spell power share, 0.629, where Classic Era's gave 0.299, and rank 2 costs 40 mana against 160 for rank 5. Speculation: if Blizzard's servers used Classic Era's low-level penalty, rank 2 would be the most efficient; with The Burning Crusade's downrank penalty, rank 2.
Every rank at level 30 with 45 spell power
| Rank | Damage per cast | Mana | Cast | Damage per mana | DPS | Mana lasts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank 1 (level 1) | 36 (34–38) | 25 | 1.7 s | 1.44 | 21.2 | 1 min 42 s |
| Rank 2 (level 6) | 56 (53–60) | 40 | 2.2 s | 1.41 | 25.6 | 1 min 23 s |
| Rank 3 (level 12) | 81 (77–84) | 70 | 2.8 s | 1.15 | 28.8 | 1 min |
| Rank 4 (level 20) | 99 (95–103) | 110 | 3 s | 0.90 | 33 | 41 s |
| Rank 5 (level 28) | 119 (114–124) | 160 | 3 s | 0.74 | 39.7 | 28 s |
DPS counts the global cooldown. Mana lasts: casting only that rank from 1,500 mana.
Forever against Classic Era
- Rank 1: 36 damage for 25 mana in Forever instead of 22 for 25 in Classic Era (spell power share 0.486 instead of 0.140).
- Rank 2: 56 damage for 40 mana in Forever instead of 42 for 40 in Classic Era (spell power share 0.629 instead of 0.299).
- Rank 3: 81 damage for 70 mana in Forever instead of 82 for 70 in Classic Era (spell power share 0.800 instead of 0.560).
- Rank 4: 99 damage for 110 mana in Forever instead of 137 for 110 in Classic Era (spell power share 0.857 instead of 0.857).
- Rank 5: 119 damage for 160 mana in Forever instead of 194 for 160 in Classic Era (spell power share 0.857 instead of 0.857).
How it's worked out
- From the client, for each rank: base damage or healing and its range (SpellEffect base points and variance), the extra per level up to the rank's max level, the spell power share (coefficient), mana cost, cast time, duration, global cooldown and cooldown.
- No downrank penalty in the Forever client. Classic Era's client puts a penalty for spells learned before level 20 inside the coefficient (Shadow Bolt rank 1: 0.14); Forever's client gives the full share (0.486), for 80 low-level ranks across the classes. Anything else would be on Blizzard's servers, so the calculator shows Classic's rules only as Speculation.
- Speculation: crits count only on direct hits, at 150%, as in Classic; the example gear (1.5 spell power per level) is not client data.
Other Warlock spells
Immolate, Corruption, Bane of Agony, Drain Soul, Drain Life, Searing Pain, Shadowburn, Conflagrate, Hellfire, Siphon Life, Incinerate, Death Coil, Soul Fire