Breakfast Topic: Consumable consumption
by Mike Schramm 
Jul 9th 2007 at 8:00AM
So I have a question: how exactly do you use your consumables?I noticed a few weeks ago now that I never really used my consumables when I was supposed to. On my Resto Shaman, I have Nature's Swiftness bound to Q (since my left hand is always on WASD) as a panic button-- need a heal instantly, hit it fast. But consumables like potions and healthstones just sat in my bag-- I almost never remembered to whip them out when the party was going down.
So recently, I opened up the second hotbar on the right side, and put all my various pots and healthstones there. That way I'm just one click away from one if I need them. And that's worked pretty well-- now, even the tank sometimes forgets to use his healthstone, but I always have them available in a clinch.
But they're still all the way on the side of the screen, and it seems like I could do it faster. How do you have your consumables set up? Do you forget to use them all the time, or do you have them bound to a certain key, ready to jump into action at a moment's notice?
Filed under: Items, Analysis / Opinion, Tips, Breakfast Topics, Buffs
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Goolup Jul 9th 2007 8:11AM
autobar, look it up.
PsyOp Jul 9th 2007 8:26AM
I used to use totemus for mine, it has a slot for food/water (left click for water, right click for food) and a slot for potions (left click for health right click for mana). I stopped using totemus awhile back though, and now I just have a small DAB bar on the side for it.
Junzim Jul 9th 2007 8:20AM
Personally I started with them on the right bound to * - + (ie: the buttons on the far right of the calculator numberpad on a keyboard.
However I found eventually that it wasn't fast enough, so I changed them to 3 and 4 for mana and health respectively.
Then to cut out as much hassle as possible, I put together simple macros to use the best available pot of that type so:
/use Super Healing Potion, Combat Healing Potion
Would use whichever is available starting from your best, if the best wasn't there it would use the next best. The shared cooldown would prevent you from drinking multiple pots at once.
However, for a real burst-damage nullifier in BGs, nothing beats the macro:
/use Master Healthstone, Combat Healing Potion
Since they don't share a cooldown (for reasons I don't understand) you end up eating both for a hefty 4k+ HP boost.
Tagor Jul 9th 2007 8:20AM
When I first started playing the game I rarely used them, however after rolling a few new characters I learned to use then when ever I can, there's no point in saving a minor mana potion until it's use does not do a thing for your bar.
Scarcheek Jul 9th 2007 8:23AM
> autobar, look it up
I think the commenter meant AutoBar-K03c, which I haven't used, but it sounds useful.
I've always kept those consumable on my Action Bar on the right-hand side, although I STILL forget to use them.
Paw Jul 9th 2007 8:26AM
Move them closer to the middle of the monitor and you won't just-miss as often.
Get Bongos...or any other replacement bar. I prefer Bongos because of the versatility, down to being able to move a single button to anywhere on the screen I like. I have tried a few others, but have settled on this one. It has helped in the the proper...and timely...use of potions for me.
On the built-in UI I was limited to health and mana, but I can now set up my various other potions and I have them set on a bar in two rows in an area of the screen that makes sense to me. I can't type worth a d@mn so hot-keying is no good for me.
Also, when I was more n00b than I am now, I didn't use the potions properly. In time, I learned the best time and the best potion to use from my inventory in most situations.
Kimkong Jul 9th 2007 8:35AM
Autobar too (#1) at files.wowace.com : the most powerful potion/bandage/healthstone/mana gem/etc are displayed (but the other minor one are accessible with the mouse), right click to autocast, you can move the bar where you want. No more excuses to forget your potions !
www.chillinwithmygnomies.com Jul 9th 2007 8:35AM
I forget them all the time. I'm a priest, 70, dwarf so it actually takes a lot for me to consider "oh oh time to use a pot" - if I've really used all my mana, popped my shadowfiend and used my Desperate Prayer, the fight really isn't going well *at all*, anyway.
On the occasion I need a pot - and it's usually a mana pot - I have enough warning to open my bag and click on it.
Addie Jul 9th 2007 8:57AM
*nods* AutoBar! ...and keep up to date with the updates 'cuz he adds in all the different flavors of water/food whatever as they come along. I got a stack of Black Coffee for the fun of it and it was already on the pop-out with the rest of my water. (I dunno what the -K03c #4 is talking about is. The one I love is on wowace.)
irishstu Jul 9th 2007 9:02AM
If you are using Health and Mana pots a lot, you should look into making Alchemist's Stone - http://www.wowhead.com/?item=13503 - you must have alchemy to make it though.
PyroAmos Jul 9th 2007 9:17AM
Well, as a feral druid, u don't get the luxory of using potions alot. I have my /cancelform /use healstone/healing potion /cast dire bear form macros on top left horizontal action bar (I do a 2 rows, 2 colums horizontal bars above main action bar setup). When i've speced resto for one reason or another though, mana pots come in prty handy, which i have on the top right horrizontal action bar.
I very very rarly use healing potions though, mana potions on the other hand are very helpful, espeachally in a long boss fight raid encounter, properly timing mana potion usage so potion cooldown is over quickly and you can pop another is pretty useful (I've used 4 mana potions in an encounter before lo), espeachally prior to being really well geared.
BillDoor Jul 9th 2007 9:20AM
@10 Alchemists Stone is Bind on Pickup, so yes, you must be an Alchemist to make and use one.
I almost always forget to use my consumables in battle; I'm a druid, so I'd have to shift out of form inorder to use them. In the time it takes me to shift out of bear while tanking and use a pot or healthstone, I could die or lose agro, neither of which is good.
chris poloncic Jul 9th 2007 9:30AM
@12
I've never understood posts like this. Why did you "correct" him on exactly what he said by repeating what he said?
Razhlok Jul 9th 2007 9:39AM
I just plop them on my toolbar and click when needed. I'm pretty fast with the clicky-click. But, I'll have to check out Autobar as others have suggested. I'm always looking for cleaner and faster ways of doing things.
On a side note; Mike. MIKE! You're like one of the few bloggers on this site I have respect for! You're playing a healer and you don't have pots on your hotbar. Please tell me you come to an instance/raid with mana pots (and elixers and food and oils) and you use them when necessary! At least tell me that! ;)
Seper Jul 9th 2007 10:01AM
I have BOTH right side bars open. So I throw all my pots at the bottom of those bars. Mana on one line healing on the other. Above that comes food. Then I leave a line. Then All my food buffs and other potions that aren't used as often. Then my hearthstone and profession abilities at the very top.
keegan Jul 9th 2007 10:07AM
Blizzard has broken end-game healing. When popping a mana potion every cooldown you're getting(+-)100 mana/5 (140mana/5 with alchemist's stone). Combine that with food, oil, and a flask, and suddenly all that mp5 gear doesn't look so great. It's a bit of a joke that mp5 costs as much as it does in itemization, since mana pots provide *so much*. That 6 mp5 from your shoulder upgrade just pales in comparison to the amount of regen gained from chugging mana potions.
irishstu Jul 9th 2007 10:41AM
@13 - I was correct to say it requires Alchemy to make, however I should have said it requires Alchemy to equip it as well - I think that is what I was being corrected on.
sablak Jul 9th 2007 12:03PM
I use macros like this:
#showtooltip Healing Potion
/script UIErrorsFrame:Hide()
/use Bottled Nethergon Vapor
/use Master Healthstone
/use Super Healing Potion
/script UIErrorsFrame:Clear()
/script UIErrorsFrame:Show()
What this does is make a single icon for health pots. But it will try to use any Healthstones or Nethergon Vapor that is in my inventory before using the expensive health pots.
The extra code in the script is for quickly hiding and showing the UI error frame, so you don't get error messages displayed when you don't have one of the listed items.
You can add as many /use items as you like in the script.
Make one of these for mana type items and one for health and you'll only ever need 2 icons used up on your bars for health and mana replenishment.
Stavmar Jul 9th 2007 11:50AM
Autobar is the way to go you will use your consumables more often this way often.
Only get it form the wowace.com website. And update it constantly.
Freehugz Jul 9th 2007 11:51AM
I have autobar but I still just open my bags and click them.