PVP - Arena guide: USING DISPEL MAGIC

TABLE OF CONTENTS
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1. DISPEL MAGIC BECOMES IMPORTANT IN ARENA
2. WHEN TO USE DISPEL MAGIC (with video examples)
3. USE AGAINST CLASSES
4. KEYBINDS
5. MACROS

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1. DISPEL MAGIC BECOMES IMPORTANT IN ARENA

Dispel Magic is a completely different spell inside the arena than compared to a 1v1. It is also the most fun learning process as you increase skill in PvP.

The shadowpriest encounters very new challenges when he steps into the arena. The shadowpriest can dispel a teammate from fear, polymorph, Hammer of Justice, slows, frost nova, and, he can dispel an enemy's buffs: a warrior's Hand of Freedom and Sacred Shield, a warlock's Heroism. When a priest steps into the arena, Dispel Magic transforms, it becomes much more powerful in ways that are never true in a 1v1.

If you are confused why Shadowpriests are told to use Mooncloth gear, and use Haste off-pieces, I have the answer for you: it is because of Dispel Magic. Many high-rank players use Mooncloth and Haste because they play high-rank games where Dispel Magic uses so much mana, and it needs to be used instantly. The priest has a huge demand on their global cooldowns in arena; dispel teammate, dispel enemy, cast dots, heal. Haste reduces the global cooldown of your spells, so that you can smash a dispel quicker at crucial moments. They use Mooncloth to be able to increase mana regeneration, because Dispel Magic uses so much mana over time in competitive and long arena matches. (Notice that Dispel Magic does 0 damage but costs 450 mana. You can't kill an enemy by using the spell, though you will use it many times).

You, personally, the learner, can still use Satin gear. Because you do not play long, strategically nuanced arena matches. But I hope you will learn the importance of Dispel Magic from my writing here, and learn to use it more.

The most important difference between a shadowpriest's duties in a 1v1 and a 2v2 is to cast Dispel Magic. In a 1v1 with a warrior, you will never use Dispel Magic, but in a 2v2 you will need to use Dispel Magic many, many times when you face a warrior and a holy paladin (to dispel sacred shield).



2. WHEN TO USE DISPEL MAGIC?

Start of fight

Use Dispel Magic at the start of the fight to clean enemy's core buffs. You will get their core buffs instead of trash buffs that spawn during the fight; and you will clear the way to dispel their cooldowns later when they pop their cooldowns during the fight (if a paladin uses Wings after they have been dispelled, you can dispel Wings immediately).

video example: https://www.twitch.tv/connoram/clip/...suJhMia0ovneBL

In this clip I dispel the feral druid three times and I remove all his buffs. Then later, he is trying to survive, and I am able to instantly dispel Sacred Shield and Barkskin. Since he was fully dispelled, I can remove these buffs quickly, and he dies. Look at chat box to see Dispels.

Secondly, use Dispel Magic on your teammate at the start of fights. Your enemies will try to start their rotations and your enemies will use cooldowns at the start of the fight, so if you are spamming Dispel Magic on your partner, you will quickly dispel magic that is cast on him, like Frost Nova, Corruption, Fear, Frostbolt and Hammer of Justice, Shadowfury, Cone of Cold, Chains of Ice, Shadowflame, and allow him to move freely.

video example: https://www.twitch.tv/connoram/clip/...nZmdUieUC9suPa

In this clip, my rogue is caught and so I spam Dispel Magic on him, because he will be tanking spells at the start of the fight.




Before a kill

The shadowpriest's Dispel Magic can fully delete an enemy's buffs. This is useful before attacking the target, you clean their buffs and make them weak, and then attack them. You can prime someone for death by casting dispel magic on them.

video example: https://www.twitch.tv/connoram/clip/...25zj4pW-oy3P4X

In this example, my rog is running at the hunter. So I press dispel on the hunter quick before the rogue gets there. The hunter loses Power Word: Fortitude buff, and Power Word: Shield. I removed like 10k HP from hunter with this Dispel Magic before my rog stuns him. We create pressure on this attack (we eventually win the game before the other team recovers).

video example: https://www.twitch.tv/connoram/clip/...Gde41IbJohNLq2

In this example I see my DK wants to attack the mage. So I start game by Dispel Magic on the mage. I dispel Power Word: Shield, Frost Barrier, Power Word: Fortitude, and some other buffs. The DK then one-shots the mage because he is fully dispelled.




When you are out of range

When you are too far away to do damage, you should spam dispel on your teammate. Your teammate will be tanking spells like slows, stuns, roots. You will empower your rogue to be released from many slows, stuns and roots.

video example: https://www.twitch.tv/connoram/clip/...nZmdUieUC9suPa

In this example, my rogue gets caught and he is in a very bad location alone beside enemies, so he is going to tank spells. I spam Dispel Magic on my rogue in this scenario to let him flee the danger or reposition himself. The rogue flees to safety as I spam dispel on him. I am not in a position to cast any aggressive spells. So I spam Dispel Magic on my rogue.




3. USE AGAINST CLASSES

Mages. The main goal of a mage is to get someone polymorphed. You can shut down their game because you can dispel polymorph (as long as you make sure he doesn't polymorph you). But there are a list of other uses as well: when you face a mage in arena, you will use dispel magic much more than normal. Frost barrier can be dispelled. Polymorph can be dispelled. Frostbolt can be dispelled. Frost Nova. Deep Freeze can be dispelled. Fingers of Frost, a buff which gives the mage critical strike, can be dispelled. The buff that gives the mage an instant Frostfire Bolt can be dispelled. Mages understand that you can dispel their entire spellbook, and so they will always want to polymorph you. Stay out of the mages line of sight and dispel your teammate. Peek out from line of sight to cast a dispel on the mage when you get a chance, then go back out of his sight.

video example: https://www.twitch.tv/connoram/clip/...Gde41IbJohNLq2

In this example, I have completely cleaned the mage of all his protection by spamming dispel on him. The mage dies in a quick burst afterward.

Warriors. You will often run into a warrior who is being supported by a holy paladin. You will want to dispel Sacred Shield, Blessing of Kings and Hand of Freedom. When your rog is approaching warrior to attack him, or your mage or whatever is about to go on the warrior, you cast dispel on the warrior and clean him in advance of the attack, to set up the attack. Careful: the paladin will be able to rebuff many spells after you dispel them, and many have addons that alert them to rebuff when something is dispelled. So you want to use dispel against warrior seconds before you are actually going to burst damage with your teammate. Otherwise, it will not be a good use of mana.

Feral druids. You can dispel the druid's ability that gives them an instant cast cyclone. You will need to clean the druid so that when he gets this ability proc, you can dispel the buff immediately. The druid gets this buff after he uses a finishing move in cat form.

Death Knights. You can dispel Chains of Ice, which Death Knight uses to slow you. You cannot dispel the AoE slow they place on the ground.

Priests. You can dispel everything off an enemy priest. It is incredibly strong to dispel an enemy priest. Power Word: Shield, Renew, Prayer of Mending, Power Word: Fortitude, Power Infusion. Dispel Magic is most powerful against priests and paladins.

Paladins. You can dispel their stun Hammer of Justice. You can dispel their cc Repentance. You can dispel Hand of Freedom, Sacred Shield. You can dispel their Judgement that slows your rogue. Dispel Magic is very strong against paladins.




4. KEYBINDS

If you are stepping into the arena, I recommend making a few keybinds, and finding a good spot for them on your keyboard: one each to dispel yourself, dispel your teammate. Then, you can keep the enemy targeted, but also dispel your teammate when something happens to him, and dispel yourself when you are slowed.

I recommend to keybind Dispel Magic to buttons on your mouse if you have them. The reason is because you can press Dispel Magic with one hand, while pressing movement keys with the other hand. This allows you to do a strategy that is powerful as priest: you will often want to step out from a line of sight structure and cast Dispel Magic, and then step back inside a line of sight structure. Keybind Dispel Magic to mousewheel scroll up or mousewheel scroll down if you do not have a mouse with any special buttons.




5. MACROS

Dispel your teammate: /cast [@party1] Dispel Magic
Dispel yourself: /cast [@player] Dispel Magic

Cool guide, thank you for putting this together.

But dispel magic nonstop its not about Satin ? its about mooncloth then. In satin crit gear when you play 2x2 against sp + mage your mana go down of so many dispels . You need to dispel your rogue and 2 casters and yourself.