This is a significant variation to the Drain Hunter.
I am currently a level 54 straight Demon speced lock. I have always gone Aff/Dem build for PvE soloing, but tried the straight Demon build and the Drain Hunting works to perfection.
Name: Demon Drainer
Level Req: 40ish
Mandatory Talents: Skill:HERBALISM, Fel Synergy, Demonic Brutality, Mana Feed, 5/5 Master Demonologist, Demonic Empowerment, etc (anything that improves the tanking qualities of the VW)
Boosting Talents: All extra points to improve your DPS. Demonic Aegis a given as critical
Description: The herbalism skill gives you a free healing spell that makes your downtime nearly zero. The mana feed guarantees the VW never runs out of agro spell mana. At level 48 I was taking 6 pulls of level 45-46 mobs. Last night (level 53) I did a 9 pull of lvl 45-47 pirates in Tanaris.
Play Style:
1) target mob, send VW, slap three dots, activate Dem. Empowerment as available
2) repeat step 1 for everything you can find.
If you gain agro,
3) activate the VW's Sacrifice ability, send VW on mobs that are on you.
If shield drops and you still have mobs on you
4) AoE fear. Drain Life for the kill on weak opponents
5) AS NEEDED: Tap for mana
5a) when life is low use herbalism healing first.
5b) second round of tapping, use Demonic Coil for about 3/4 lifebar
5c) third round of tapping use health potion
5d) fourth round of tapping use bandage
5e) fifth round of tapping use health stone
5f) go back to 5a, the cooldowns are done by now
6) syphon soul here and there to keep your shard count healthy
Top priorities in heat of battle - you do not take damage! Your health is your mana, not damage soak. In my 9 pull I took no more than 3 hits on myself. (many hits against the sacrifice shield, which I cast twice during the battle) If you gain agro, sic the pet on that mob ASAP! With the spec mentioned, the pet WILL gain agro very soon, and with Mana Feed he will never run out of mana.
Sidenotes:
I finished the 9 pull with full life and 3/4 mana. It took all of 6 minutes and I went straight into another 4 pull right after the battle. (after recasting health stone and looting, I was full mana)
I have been favoring INT, STA, and spell power gear, in that order. Spirit is a distant fourth. It's not about the speed of the kill, its about the staying power. INT gives me a big enough mana bar that I can do what I need to do. STA gives me enough health that I can tap 4 times on a full health bar.
I always keep my soulstone active with a backup waiting in my backpack. since level 20 I have had to use it only twice and I have never died after soulstone recovery. This is another key "No Downtime" feature to the build.
As the toon grows, I plan to add metamorphosis to the build as yet another "I Win" button, then start putting my remainding points into affliction, mainly to get the imp lifetap.
I love my lock. I hope y'all can find some useful info in what I have come to learn about it.
Morguent 54 Lock
Edited, Jul 23rd 2009 1:28pm by Mourgan
Edited, Jul 23rd 2009 1:59pm by Mourgan