Stormbringer New Opener + Advanced Rotation Tips

Summary

In a recent update on his Stormbringer guide, Zor Thas reveals new tactics and rotation tips. He highlights the significant enhancements including a new ascendance rotation and the prioritization shift due to the buff to Tempest, which now takes precedence. The key focus is on maximizing Tempest usage with ten Maelstrom, synchronizing Primordial Storm with as many wolves as possible, and utilizing Wind Strikes efficiently. Zor Thas also emphasizes the need for strategic pooling and cooldown synchronization to optimize damage output during battles.

Highlights

• Tempest has become the top priority spell due to recent buffs, being more powerful than ever in the Stormbringer rotation. 🌩️
• The latest Ascendance rotation is designed around maximizing Tempest and Primordial Storm effects with wolves. 🐺
• Pooling Tempests before Ascendance is key to burst damage, making efficient use of your cooldown windows. ⏱️
• Primordial Wave provides a massive haste boost and should be synchronized with Ascendance for maximum effect. 🔥
• Embrace the randomness of resource gain with flexible decision-making focused on maximizing output. 🎲

Key Takeaways

• Prioritize Tempest usage with full Maelstrom for maximum damage. ⚔️
• Strategically use Primordial Storm in sync with wolves for enhanced effects. 🐺
• Maximize Wind Strikes while achieving other rotation goals. 🌪️
• Efficient pooling of Tempests is crucial before engaging in Ascendance. 🌊
• Properly synchronize cooldowns with Ascendance and Primordial Wave for optimal haste boost. 🕒

Overview

Zor Thas kicks off his latest video with a confession—his past Stormbringer guide is outdated. New developments have emerged that have reshaped optimal strategies for Stormbringer users, primarily revolving around updated Tempest prioritization in rotations due to significant buffs to the spell. The focus is now on achieving maximum efficiency through careful planning of resource usage and cooldown management.

The guide underscores three primary goals during the new rotation: using Tempest optimally with ten Maelstrom, syncing Primordial Storm with wolves, and efficiently filling attack gaps with Wind Strikes. The approach is to maintain flexibility, responding to the dynamic nature of resource availability, and capitalizes on the high damage potential of these newly prioritized spells.

Pooling for Ascendance, a strategic change, is about holding multiple Tempests before entering the Ascendance phase. This change aims to unleash a burst of damage that aligns with the spec’s randomness. Additionally, Zor Thas stresses the importance of timing Primordial Wave with Ascendance to benefit from the combined haste boost and increased damage output, reshaping how players optimize their cooldown cycles.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction and Stormbringer Updates The latest updates for the Stormbringer guide are discussed, focusing on new developments since the last video. The presenter admits that the previous guide is outdated, particularly due to a new ascendance rotation and changes in priorities due to a buff to tempest. While the basics in the last guide remain valid, the current video aims to expand on the opener and priority in gameplay. The speaker emphasizes that enhancement is a specification that involves making decisions based on variable resource gains, which means that goals may not always be achievable.
• 00:30 - 01:00: Goals During Ascendance This chapter focuses on setting priorities while entering ascendance in a game. The primary goal, referred to as 'goal zero,' is to accumulate as many tempest spells as possible before ascendance. Following this, the chapter discusses casting tempest with a full 10 mastrom since it is the most powerful damage spell. Additionally, it mentions that the primordial storm benefits greatly from having multiple wolves, thus, it should be cast with as many wolves as possible. Lastly, the chapter advises using as many wind strikes as feasible while still meeting the other objectives, alluding to the complexity of balancing these tasks within the game's rotation strategy.
• 01:00 - 03:00: Maximizing Ascendance Opener The chapter titled 'Maximizing Ascendance Opener' discusses strategies for optimizing a specific gameplay sequence in a game. The speaker explains using different visual aids how to effectively utilize a timeline for AOE (Area of Effect) ascendance. Key points include the importance of spreading flameshock, saving two tempests, and using primordial wave without concern for overcapping mastrom. The strategy involves starting an 8-second window with six lightning rods and a 12-second window for splined elements with 30% haste, then pressing a tempest immediately before entering ascendance to maximize its effect.
• 03:00 - 07:00: Clip Analysis and Pooling Strategy The chapter titled 'Clip Analysis and Pooling Strategy' provides a detailed breakdown of a strategic sequence used in gameplay to maximize buffs and maelstrom management. Initially, the player may experience low maelstrom after using the ascendance ability. The strategy involves using crash lightning followed by a second tempest, then continuously using wind strike until the third tempest is available. The third tempest is used mid-way through ascendance, transitioning into the doom winds phase. The aim is to enhance the effectiveness of the doom winds window by incorporating multiple buffed dogs instead of just a few. The chapter includes a sample sequence to illustrate the strategy, although it is not a strict rotation guideline.
• 07:00 - 09:00: Cooldown Usage and Priority Updates This chapter discusses the dynamic nature of cooldown usage and priority updates in the context of a gaming scenario. The key variables influencing decisions include random factors such as awakening storms, target count, and resets for static accumulation. A visualization is provided to illustrate decision-making windows along with a flowchart detailing the sequence of actions following a 'doom winds' spell cast. The primary focus is on managing 'tempest' within the context of maelstrom levels—spending it when maelstrom is full and opting for 'crash lightning' when maelstrom is low. The same logic applies to the use of 'primordial storm' when it is nearing expiration.

Stormbringer New Opener + Advanced Rotation Tips Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 So, I lied in my last video when I said my Stormbringer guide was up to date. There are new developments that have been made since then. There is a new ascendance rotation that people are doing and the buff to tempest means you are prioritizing spending above all. Again, if you want to know the basics of Stormbbringer, my last guide is valid, but the opener and priority I will expand on in this video. Now, before we start talking about Ascendance, I want to give a list of our goals during it. And I describe enhance as a spec that makes decisions based on random amounts of resource gain. Meaning that these goals are not always achievable and
• 00:30 - 01:00 sometimes you have to settle for less. The preliminary goal, goal zero, is to have as many tempest stacked up as possible before you enter ascendance. The first goal is that because tempest is now by far our biggest damage spell, we want to cast it with 10 mastrom when possible. The second goal is that primordial storm scales very well with wolves, so we want to cast it with as many wolves as possible. And the third goal is that we want to fill with as many wind strikes as possible while still achieving the other goals. And this might be a bit confusing, but these goals are what the rotation is designed
• 01:00 - 01:30 around to maximize these things. Now, I'm going to give a similar piece of information in three different visual representations here. I think it's a bit hard to fully explain. Here is a timeline of a standard AOE ascendance. You have already spread flameshock and you will have two tempests saved up. You're going to press a primordial wave regardless of your mastrom. Overcapping is fine. This will start an 8-second window where you have six lightning rods and a 12-second window for splined elements 30% haste. You're going to press a tempest immediately and then enter ascendance to maximize ascendance
• 01:30 - 02:00 up time in these two buffs. We will probably be on low maelstrom after pressing our ascendance. So, we will press a crash lightning and then our second tempest. And then after that, we are just spamming wind strike until we get our third tempest. We will use our third tempest and then halfway through our ascendance we are entering doom winds. And the reason for this is because we are buffing our doom winds window with a lot of dogs as opposed to just one or two. Now, here is a more condensed timeline. This is what a sample sequence could look like. This is not a guideline because the rotation
• 02:00 - 02:30 will always change based on random variables like awakening storms, target count, and static accumulation resets, but this might be a good visualization on how the windows look. And here is a flowchart of the way we make decisions. namely after we cast doom winds. Say we have a tempest that means you would be looking to spend that tempest. If you have full maelstrom, you would spend it. If you had low maelstrom, you would not be able to spend it. So instead, you would press crash lightning. If you have primordial storm and it's about to expire, you would treat it in the same way using the same logic. And then
• 02:30 - 03:00 otherwise, we are pressing wind strike. And the three main reasons we are doing this opener is one, we are pressing primordial wave early to maximize lightning rod damage. Two, we are pressing dooms late to maximize the doomwinds and primordial storm damage through rolling thunder dogs. And three, we are maximizing mala spent for more tempests. All right, so here are some clips I want to show you of these openers. This is the first pool of rookery. I have two tempests and 10 mastrom going in from the pre-pool. I walk in, I press flame shock into lava lashes spread, and then I instantly go
• 03:00 - 03:30 into a primordial wave even though it overcaps me on Maelstrom. I'm going to press tempest here. Then I press a crash lightning because I'm getting forced out of Malle. I go ascendants and then I'm spending a few wind strikes until I get a tempest. I press that tempest. I wasn't 10 mastrom because I was forced out of Malle, but it's whatever. And I continue to wind strike until I get my third tempest. I press my third tempest. I press my dooms and I press my primordial storm because with these awakening storms procs, there was no way I was going to get a fourth tempest before the primordial storm expired. Now
• 03:30 - 04:00 from this one onwards, I'm just pressing wind strike. I get one Tempest and I press that one Tempest. Now, this was a very unlucky pull. I did not get a Tempest proc from awakening storms. I did not get any resets. So, this is basically like the lower bound. This is what your rotation will look like if you got no procs. All right, so here is a bit of a different pool. It's the first pool of priority. My Tempest is almost running out. I'm going to use one Tempest very early and then use my arc discharge chain lightning which has a
• 04:00 - 04:30 weird interaction where it refreshes Tempest. Then I will use this Voltaic Blaze that I procked with a crash lightning and I will use primordial wave to spread lightning rods and then Tempest and I'll enter ascendance. Spam a few wind strikes. I get my third tempest. I use that. I have three awakening so I go for a fourth Tempest. I use a fourth Tempest and I go into Doom Winds. Now, realistically here, I should go for a fifth Tempest before I press Primordial Storm, but I don't do it. And I just press Crush Lightning into Primordial Storm. Then I press Tempest, and then I'm just spamming Wind
• 04:30 - 05:00 Strike for the remainder of my ascendants. So, here is a different clip. This is a no lust pull. I have no Tempest going in, but I do have 27 Progress three awakening going in. So, I can realistically proc a Tempest pretty early. So, what I'm going to do, I'm going to walk into the pack. Waiting for my tank for a bit. I We walk into the pack. I'm going to flame shock and spread it because I don't want to press too fast for aggro. So, I flame shock spread. I press a few chain lightnings
• 05:00 - 05:30 and that gives me a tempest. And now that I have a tempest, I can enter ascendance. I do primordial wave tempest ascendance. And now I'm just wind striking. I press this tempest when I get to 10. And I press that dooms. probably pressed it a little bit earlier, but it doesn't really matter in the end. As long as it's not just like the first global, it's completely fine to do it like that. And now I'm just pressing wind strike. Press a crash lightning into a primordial storm cuz I wasn't really going to get another Tempest before that ran out. Okay, so what's important in these clips is that
• 05:30 - 06:00 I always aim to have multiple Tempest going into Ascendance. So I wanted to talk about pooling. Essentially, Stormbbringer is a very much of a cooldown based spec, but your major cool down is actually tempests. If you walk into pack with four tempests back to back, then you will do way more damage than if you went into a pack, pressed descendants, and then spanned wind strike for 15 seconds with no tempest. So, we look at Stormbringer as a 30-second spec with primordial wave, which is a very strong cool down. Essentially gives you lust and a lot of lightning rod damage. Uh, we are committing a certain amount of tempest to each primordial wave. I drew up a
• 06:00 - 06:30 timeline here where you could say, say you've saved up two tempests. You're a minute into the pool. You've saved up two tempest. You press primordial wave. You spend those two tempest and then maybe a third. And then after that, splined elements is over. We don't really want to press tempest while nothing is happening. We are just going to keep spamming chain lining until a minute 30 where we will again commit our tempest with our primordial wave. And after that, ascendance is going to be coming up. We're about a minute 40 into the pool. We're going to put extra stress on pooling. We are hard not using tempests. We are just using chain
• 06:30 - 07:00 lining. Saving up as many tempests as we can for this ascendance. And here is a simple rule. If you are pressing ascendance in 20 seconds and you have a tempest, you are spending on chain lining even in single target. Now, here is a clip of single target of my efforts to pre-stack pre-pull tempest before an ascendance. So, I press primordial wave and I'm using my tempers with this primordial storm because that's how I should use tempests. Now, I get 20 seconds before my ascendance. I proc a
• 07:00 - 07:30 tempest and now I'm just building up maelstrom. I'm going to build up to 10. I'm not going to use this tempest. I'm going to use chain lining on single target. And I'm just using chain lining on single target. I get to one tempest to awakening 34 progress. And now I'm ready to start my ascendance. I press a wave. I press dooms. And then I enter ascendance. Uh I'm primed to chain lightning. So So that is something you need to think about. You don't want to be primed to chain lightning. I should have just pressed one of the tempest
• 07:30 - 08:00 before I enter ascendants, but I do just manly press a tempest there. And now I'm just pressing wind strike every global. Uh I press primordial storm before my dooms ends. And now I'm just pressing wind strike every global some more. And this is a pretty high single target ascendance because I managed to use five tempest. I went out to five dogs at the end there. That was pretty good, I would say. To talk about cooldown usage, if you're desincted, you always want to pray a primordial wave with ascendants. It is a massive haste boost. delay one of them for the other depending on your timings. It is very big. Doom wins is
• 08:00 - 08:30 not very important in comparison. You don't really need to pair it with anything. If you are pulling a pack and ascendance is in 30 seconds, it is fine to just send dooms there and not have it for ascendance. Now, I have some slides from my last guide that are now incorrect. Here's my updated priority list for non-cooldown spells. You're looking to spend and if you can't spend, then you're looking to build with storm strike or crash lightning dependent on target count. Voltic Blaze is used to refresh flameshocks or as a builder if you only need one maelstrom and lava lash is unimportant unless you need to refresh flameshocks. And for how much we
• 08:30 - 09:00 spend on, we aim to spend at 9 to 10, but we are fine with spending lower if we cannot efficiently get maelstrom at the time. And this is the talent build. Tempest strikes over elemental blast in M plus always. You can experiment with other things like dre for fun, but I don't think you'll beat this build in mythic plus.