Bane of Agony

Bane of Agony
	Bane of Agony; Warlock ability; 40 yd range; 10% of base mana; Instant; Banes the target with agony, causing X Shadow damage over 24 sec. This damage is dealt slowly at first, and builds up as the Curse reaches its full duration. Only one Bane per Warlock can be active on any one target.;
Usable by
Class	Warlock
Properties
School	Shadow
Cooldown	None
Improvements	[Shadow Mastery], [Doom and Gloom], [Shadow Embrace]
Related debuff
	Curse ; Bane of Agony ; X Shadow damage over 24 sec. ; Duration: 24 Sec ;

Bane of Agony is a warlock Bane that does increasing Shadow damage over time over 24 seconds.

It is learned at level 12 for 10 76.

Description

Bane of Agony is a "back-loaded" DoT, meaning that it delivers most of its damage toward the end of its duration. Damage is dealt in 12 two-second ticks. Without spell bonuses, the first four ticks deal 1/24 of the damage each (about 4.2%), the next four each deals 1/12 of the damage (about 8.3%), and the last four 1/8 of the damage each (12.5%). In other words, the first four ticks combine to 1/6 (16.6%) of the damage, the next four 1/3 (33.3%), and the last four together deal one half (50%) of the total damage.

Another way of breaking down the damage: Compared to a flat DoT, the first four ticks each deals 1/2 of the average damage-per-tick; the next four deal the average damage-per-tick; the last four deal 1.5 as much damage per tick.

For example, a total damage of 1356 would be broken down by tick as: 56.5, 56.5, 56.5, 56.5, 113, 113, 113, 113, 169.5, 169.5, 169.5, 169.5.

Bane of Agony receives 120% bonus from spell power items.

Improvements

Talents

Affliction:
- [Shadow Mastery] (Specialization bonus): Increases Shadow spell damage by 30%
- [Doom and Gloom] (Tier 1): Increases the critical strike chance of your Bane of Agony and Bane of Doom by 4/8%.
- [Shadow Embrace] (Tier 4): Your Shadow Bolt and Haunt spells apply the Shadow Embrace effect, increasing all Shadow periodic damage dealt to the target by you by 3/6/9%. Lasts for 12 sec. Stacks up to 3 times.

Glyphs

Glyph of Bane of Agony
Prime Glyph
Use: Use: Permanently teaches you this glyph.

Increases the duration of your Bane of Agony by 4 sec.
Classes: Warlock
Requires Level 25
Sell Price: 1

Tips and Tactics

Using Bane of Agony in a party or raid is difficult. The problem here, as for other DoTs, is that the mob may die before the DoT is complete. If that happens, the warlock is not using mana efficiently, and may not be providing maximal damage. However, in raid groups, you sometimes have the possibility of casting your DoTs at several opponents at once, therefore greatly increasing your damage per second and the likelihood your DoTs will last their full duration.

For solo play with a VoidWalker, CoA is most likely to reach its full duration if you let the VW tank a mob while you start dealing damage to a second mob. Typically, casting CoA and Corruption on a mob of near your own level and sending the VW in will allow the warlock to start attacking a second mob, using Immolate, CoA, and Corruption, then either drain life or wand. Combined with your CoA, the VW will likely kill the first mob about the time you solo the second one.

Patch changes

Patch 5.0.4 (2012-08-28): Renamed to [Agony].
Patch 4.0.3a (2010-11-23): Damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
Patch 4.0.1 (2010-10-12): Renamed from Curse of Agony.
Patch 1.8.0 (2005-10-10): Duration reduced to 24 seconds and damage per tick increased. Total damage over duration approximately identical.
Patch 1.3.0 (2005-03-07): Now benefits from items that increase shadow damage.