Improving my spells and macros in group setting...

[Vincentt]

I feel I'm doing fine, but I think I can do better. Currently I rarely drop below 70 mana (with full mana regen buffs) and still manage to chain nuke and click and have a decent amount of RS pets up. I have 1500aa. I rarely use the macro button unless I'm boxing, as the combo of spells is very situational dependant. Here's what I'm doing:

Usually we pull 2 at a time in HoT. I open up with a Sands and send in air pet. Any time GoM goes off it's dedicated to RS, or an ice clicky as those are my two biggest mana drains. If both are up, it goes to a bolt.

My lineup:
1-Sand
2-malo AA
3-RS/Fickle
4-Bolt
5-clicky
6-fickle
7-clicky2
8-Bolt
...
last - finish off with Sand.

Notes:
Often times 1 RS pet is enough as the mob is brought down below 40% in 24 seconds. After that only GoM will allow another pet. I often send the 2nd RS pet onto the add.

I've read over posts on burn setups etc., but I can't shake the feeling I'm forgetting something. My main mash is sand,fickle,bolt, with alternate clickies. The rest is subjective, like when to RS, when to malo. I save Host / FireCore / Intensity etc. for nameds. I also use Forceful rejuve on nameds to double RS pet.

Is there anything I can use differently?

V

[Cielli]

I'm not sure why you'd start with Sand... or use it at all?

FOrce of the elements should be used first ( so it can reload and be used as many times as possible during the fight )

THen you should cast Servant before Malo, It's never resisted, so no need to malo first, and he'll be on the mob for maximum time, & increases the possibility you can use another servant if the fights r a little longer. There is an exception to this, and that is when you're pet tanking, and you need the pet to establish initial aggro, so the mob does NOT turn to fight your servant ( which will negate your damage shield damage on pet, which does basicaly the same dps as servant, but at a lower mana cost, and without the need for casting time, caan be cast between fights. ) In this case I'd suggest FoE, Malo, then a nuke or two.. THEN servant. Give your pet rage swords to decrease the amount of time your pet needs to establish aggro, the DD proc swords really dont do much damage, anyway.

In a group setting, you're going to hit ALOT harder using your 99 Rain, than using bolts or fickle. It crits for about 150k over the three waves vs one mob, and 200k if there's a second mob in range to make the 4th strike possible. That's more damage than even your lvl 100 Spear, and at half the mana cost ( just 1500 mana for 99 rain ). You can use your pet to maintain aggro on both mobs when using rains very easily.

Try this

/pet attack
Force of elements
Servant
AA Malo
99 Rain

the rest is up to you...

I like to follow with

92 Rain
then Fickle.
for efficiency...
& if you're fighting 2 mobs at once, this becomes even more efficient, bc rains do a 4th strike when fighting 2 mobs.

For faster groups or if you really just wanna crank it up, use the 100 Spear after rain.

If I need a last-hit spell before mob dies, I use Blistersteel.. it's twice as efficient as sands, and also Hits the mob instantly ( vs bolts which have to travel to the mob )

In group settings, I highly suggest using Archons battle staff, or something similar ( sympathetic allev burst VII ) with another SYmpathetic alev burst aug in it... Mine goes off 80% of my casts, returning 130+ mana every time. It's like adding +200 Mana regen per tick during fight time.

[Cielli]

Oh you said HoT :/ ... * foot in mouth *

If you're not lvl 100, alot of what I said is irrelevant to you.

Though that 92 Rain is still going to work really well for you, and your servants should always be cast before Malo when your using any player-tank or pet who can hold aggro ( fire pet with range swords will also hold aggro over servant, so will water pet with rage swords if you give him 5 seconds or so to establish aggro, maybe air but I don't use mine anymore @ lvl 100 )

Use FoE ( force of the elements )first too, its mana-free dps, and you want to get as many in per fight as possible.
If you don't have it, I suggest buying it.

ANyway, food for thought for later lvls, good luck