Spellsteal

[Tiraline]

I had to ask.

Now that I have Spellsteal (http://www.wowhead.com/?spell=30449#comments) and am enjoying some of the benefits thereof, I was curious to know if there are any ugly little gotchas when using it in PvP.

A priest guildie of mine swears that it triggers a mana-restore effect should I steal one of his buffs. Haven't had occasion to try it yet, though, and I don't remember which buff it is he mentioned.

I tried it out on Issachar, and I managed to siphon off everything but his aura and his seal, naturally. I'd be curious to know, though, if stealing a blessing from an enemy pally would overwrite one that Issa drops on me. (Probably not, but...)

So, with the information I want not present on the Wowhead entry, does anyone know about these issues?

[Resinous]

In my experience playing mage, I actually found that against a disc or holy priest it was best to not use spellsteal. Using it would just play into their hands and help oom the mage, so I would just keep a constant frost bolt and fireblast on them until their hp dropped below 45% then improved counterspell and a shatter combo. Spellsteal though only adds to their mana burn on you.

Its most effective for removing things that impair you or your teammates abilities, like hand of protection and hand of freedom. Most Paladins won't even use Avenging wrath against a mage so they don't get it spellstolen.

But for your main question, I would just go offense against a priest and force them to play defense until you can get them low enough to finish them. Its always better to keep them casting heals on themselves rather than mana burns or any dmging spells on you, and eventually they'll screw up or you'll get some good crits and their buffs won't save them when that happens.

Also back in the day, like say I used spellsteal against another mage and it took arcane intellect, it would replace my own arcane intellect with the 2 minute version of the one I stole. They did change that though so it won't replace a buff of higher quality that you already have.

[Naheal]

Its most effective for removing things that impair you or your teammates abilities, like hand of protection and hand of freedom. Most Paladins won't even use Avenging wrath against a mage so they don't get it spellstolen.


Most heavy damage/healing CDs can be spellstolen. This makes poping these CDs a major decision against a mage.

[Swerto]

Against a mage my choices are more along the lines of 'when do I waste my trinket?" and 'when do I pop bladestorm'

The answer to bladestorm is AFTER they waste blink (therefore making sure they get hit by it's full force)

[Kadrieave]

Stealing a buff from a pally won't overwrite one on you because technically it was cast by a different paladin. Each pally can have one blessing on a person, while you can only have one arcane int, or fort or whatever. So spellstealing kings when you have Wis won't be an issue.

[Lailinarel]

I imagine the priest was refering to the talent in the disc tree called Rapture. 8th tier talent that restores mana to the priest upon removal of their shield, as well as restoring mana/rage/rp/energy to the person it's dispelled from. I would assume that spell stealing it has the same effect.
2.5% of the priests mana and then 2% of the targets mana as well for 4.5%.

However I don't actually play a priest so I'm not sure this is exactly how the mechanic works. I've just been yelled at once or twice in naxx by a disc priest as to why I should take my damn bubble and like it.

[Qabian]

Yes, Spellsteal's biggest drawback is its mana cost. Difficult to spam and not kick yourself as a result. I generally only use it when I see an effect I really want gone or want to have for myself. Or when I don't actually want to attack someone and still want to be a jerk. I haven't noticed any issues with it rewriting things it shouldn't, but then again, I'm pretty selective about when I bother to use it in PvP.

[Aquizit]

Speaking of spellsteal.. man did I miss it yesterday on Thorim!

"Kill the Evokers!"
"We're TRYING!"

-sigh-


Er... on topic, um...

I can see it useful for something like Divine Plea, but not something like Shadow Ward..

[Tiraline]

I imagine the priest was refering to the talent in the disc tree called Rapture. 8th tier talent that restores mana to the priest upon removal of their shield, as well as restoring mana/rage/rp/energy to the person it's dispelled from. I would assume that spell stealing it has the same effect.


That's the one, and that's what I'm trying to find out: if it counts as a dispel.

I mean, I guess I could just duel my guildie and see what happens. I don't like doing that, though; seems clumsy and something of a waste of time.

[Lisbet]

Speaking of spellsteal.. man did I miss it yesterday on Thorim!

"Kill the Evokers!"
"We're TRYING!"

-sigh-


Er... on topic, um...

I can see it useful for something like Divine Plea, but not something like Shadow Ward..

THIS IS TOTALLY OFF TOPIC - Quizzy, if you have a disc priest at all in there, have them drop a MD every so often to get rid of that bubble. Or have a rogue spec into fan of knives and aoe their way to victory. Its really the easiest solution outside of having Leonidas/insist/Heidenreich in your raid :cool:


ON TOPIC -

Priest buff spell stolen - Rapture (http://www.wowhead.com/?spell=47537#see-also-ability)

When spell stolen, dispelled, or out right damage-removed. Which means if you're fighting a disc priest you're giving them mana if you want to or not. Thankfuklly though(or horribly) it has a 12second internal cooldown, so you could easily burst down the first shield, then spell steal the second with out them gaining ADDITIONAL mana beyond the initial burst. ;p

[Lailinarel]

Lisbet's got it. Hammer through the first, steal the second and then light them up while the weakened soul debuff is still up and they're relying on heals to stay up. Utilize counterspell at that point when they start trying to throw those damn uber annoying penances at themselves...

[Tiraline]

Ooh. Yes, thanks. I wanted to know these things. Now, if we EVER meet a priest in battle who isn't Shadow-spec, I'll do this, and whisper a prayer for your everlasting happiness.

[Anorah]

Spellsteal can be useful, in my experience. But more often than not I see mages spamming it against me, rather than focusing on DPS. This.. is a sure fire way to lose. Many buffs, especially paladin buffs are resistant to it. And can be re-applied very cheaply. I've had a mage run in circles desperately trying to steal Hand of Freedom while I beat him into a bloody pulp, never tried for poly, blink.. anything.

Don't spam it. Watch for important, non resistant buffs to use it. Otherwise, you're probably better off blasting something IMO. Mages who spam spellsteal on me usually get /laughed at.

Disclaimer, I don't play a mage in pvp. For all I know it's the most important spell in the world. Just advising you to use it situationally against Ret Paladins.

[Lailinarel]

Spellsteal can be useful, in my experience. But more often than not I see mages spamming it against me, rather than focusing on DPS. This.. is a sure fire way to lose. Many buffs, especially paladin buffs are resistant to it. And can be re-applied very cheaply. I've had a mage run in circles desperately trying to steal Hand of Freedom while I beat him into a bloody pulp, never tried for poly, blink.. anything.

Don't spam it. Watch for important, non resistant buffs to use it. Otherwise, you're probably better off blasting something IMO. Mages who spam spellsteal on me usually get /laughed at.

Disclaimer, I don't play a mage in pvp. For all I know it's the most important spell in the world. Just advising you to use it situationally against Ret Paladins.

From what I've seen, the most important spell to steal IS that hand of freedom, specially if you're playing frost. If a mage is dumb enough to turret as they spell steal it, well then they are a tard and will probably die regardless. Pallies who rely on that HoF and don't cleanse (Trust me there are a lot of those.) will find a frost mage who understands how paladins play to be an absolutely brutal adversary.

[Yatokth]

From what I've seen, the most important spell to steal IS that hand of freedom, specially if you're playing frost. If a mage is dumb enough to turret as they spell steal it, well then they are a tard and will probably die regardless. Pallies who rely on that HoF and don't cleanse (Trust me there are a lot of those.) will find a frost mage who understands how paladins play to be an absolutely brutal adversary.

HoF is good to steal when you fight a cleave team because the other DK/Warrior can't snare you so you can kite alot easier.

[Anorah]

From what I've seen, the most important spell to steal IS that hand of freedom, specially if you're playing frost. If a mage is dumb enough to turret as they spell steal it, well then they are a tard and will probably die regardless. Pallies who rely on that HoF and don't cleanse (Trust me there are a lot of those.) will find a frost mage who understands how paladins play to be an absolutely brutal adversary.

If they get it, and the paladin doesn't know how to cleanse I can definitely see it being the turning point. I guess I'm so used to it either never being stolen despite them casting spell steal 10 times or more, or having cleanse on a mouse button XD

But I can certainly concede your point.

[Kained]

If they get it, and the paladin doesn't know how to cleanse I can definitely see it being the turning point. I guess I'm so used to it either never being stolen despite them casting spell steal 10 times or more, or having cleanse on a mouse button XD

But I can certainly concede your point.

SPELL STEAL SPELL STEAL SPELL STEAL crap I'm out of mana.....

[Daly]

The only issue with spell-stealing against a buff heavy class like a Pally is, unless you have a dispeller with you, you are essentially rolling the dice when they pop wings, Freedom, etc. The effect is random and now they have 4 other garbage buffs up to try and protect the one they want.

That isn't to say when you get the BoP off someone it isn't magical.

Also, spellstealing a fear ward from a priest is money.

[Lysimachus]

Remember the days, back in Burning Crusade, when a mage would get laughed at for losing to a paladin?

Ah...

*wipes tear from eye*

NOT ANYMORE.

[Szordrin]

It works wonders when a warlock tries to fear you and you spellsteal during his cast, then proceed to blow him apart.

[Gorvena]

It works wonders when a warlock tries to fear you and you spellsteal during his cast, then proceed to blow him apart.
Ooh, nice catch. I'll definitely have to try that one.

[Catilyn]

It works wonders when a warlock tries to fear you and you spellsteal during his cast, then proceed to blow him apart.

Ooh, nice catch. I'll definitely have to try that one.

Wait, what?

Spellsteal doesn't have the same effects as counterspell!

and, to those who were wondering, yes, it IS classified as a dispell mechanic; meaning abilities/talents/stuff that grant you extra resistance to dispells will also count toward Spellsteal.

[Gorvena]

Well, if it works as well as spell reflect does for warriors fighting warlocks, I'm going to have a ball in the BGs.

Then again, any warlock dumb enough to try to fear a warrior (especially now that BR is available to all stances) deserves the quick death they get.

[Lailinarel]

Well, if it works as well as spell reflect does for warriors fighting warlocks, I'm going to have a ball in the BGs.

Then again, any warlock dumb enough to try to fear a warrior (especially now that BR is available to all stances) deserves the quick death they get.

Who said what about who? It's not a spell interrupt. Spell steal takes a magical type buff from the target and gives it to the caster. It's not a spell reflect, or an interupt and has no changed effect if used on a target while casting.

And as a warrior I would rather spell reflect the 9k conflag or the 8k chaos bolt than the fear that does little to nothing against me.

That said, spell stealing a warlocks demon armor (or whatever the newest one that converts Spirit to Spell Power is) could prove extremely effective. From what I've been told, the mage class gets better damage returns out of Spell Power than any other stat by a massive margin, so as long as it's not a competing buff with your mage armor (or whatever you're running at the time) it might be worth hijacking.

[Szordrin]

Wait, what?

Spellsteal doesn't have the same effects as counterspell!

and, to those who were wondering, yes, it IS classified as a dispell mechanic; meaning abilities/talents/stuff that grant you extra resistance to dispells will also count toward Spellsteal.

My bad. Meant to say.. counterspell. Guess I'm in the wrong thread >.>

*Brain fog is bad, yus ._.*

[Catilyn]

That said, spell stealing a warlocks demon armor (or whatever the newest one that converts Spirit to Spell Power is) could prove extremely effective. From what I've been told, the mage class gets better damage returns out of Spell Power than any other stat by a massive margin, so as long as it's not a competing buff with your mage armor (or whatever you're running at the time) it might be worth hijacking.

Actually, they changed things like Demon Armour, Fel Armour, Moltern Armour, Mage Armour (etc) so they cannot be spellstolen or dispelled - it was only back before WotLK where that was possible for specific spells like that.