Preferred End-Game PvE Spec?

[krazzee]

What PvE Spec do you guys recommend as a 50 marauder, I've been carnage all 1-50, but I hear people say that Annihilation is the better raiding dps spec. What do you guys think? Stick with carnage or switch to annihilation? Edited February 11, 2012 by krazzee

[Tumri]

Annihilation.

[darkonnis]

Depends, personally I think annihilation does more DPS, however i would also say that it does less instant DPS, it takes time to build annihilate charges and get your bleeds on. Once you have 3/3 Annihilate charges, it's definitely game on! and the DPS will be through the roof.

This is important because most silvers and many normal elites die before your bleeds actually manage to start hitting with a full stack (deadly blade) Meaning a huge DPS drop while you wait for the cooldown. On bosses and things with a lot of HP, it really is a case of blitzing them into the floor.

Carnage i suspect does less DPS, but its DPS can be switched on/off with next to no warning. So overall, i think they probably offer similar DPS over an entire HM but in an operation where your main targets are bosses, annihilation will probably come out slightly ahead.

Ultimately this means you can play either, and be happy in the knowledge it probably wont make much difference

[Kibaken]

Annihilation and Carnage are both viable - Annihilation will do more but you're not overly gimping yourself by going Carnage.

 

The problem with Carnage is that - specifically in Nightmare modes - the Ataru proc range bug (it doesn't proc on large hit-box bosses) is almost game-breaking for some fights, for example Bonethrasher.

[xDreegan]

Anni builds also have a Force Camo perk that turns it into a 100% damage shield. Good for aggro drops and emergency AoEs. Not to mention faster Fury gain so you can keep Predation up almost all the time and be able to throw up Berserk easier without having to burn your Fury Gain CD.