Breakfast Topic: Macro madness
by Mike Schramm 
Apr 11th 2008 at 8:00AM
Yesterday, I bashfully admitted that I don't use the /focus feature in the default UI as much as I should -- in fact, aside from a totem dropping macro I put together a long time ago, I haven't used macros nearly as much as I should. It's not that I don't want to -- I'm sure I could be a better player with more macros (like the ones found in our Macro Anatomy column) -- it's just that as I said in the /focus post, there are so many ways to use macros that it's kind of tough to figure out just where to put them in your gameplay.So let's talk about macros -- do you use them? If not, why not? And if so, how do you use them? Of course, we all play different classes, but within your class, where do you find it's easier to use macros, and it's easier to play things manually?
A lot of good players could probably become great players with a few easy macros, but for players who have no idea what macros are for, it's sometimes hard to figure out where they fit. If you do use them, how?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Tips, Odds and ends, Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Apophis Apr 11th 2008 8:15AM
For my mage I use a focus macro for sheep.
Shift+L is casting sheep and setting focus.
L then sheeps the focus target if one is set, otherwise it sheeps the current target.
So I can resheep withouth switching the target I'm DPS'ing.
For my warrior I used a mouse over sunder armor macro.
Very easy to tank multiple targets, or already stacking sunder armor on a sheep/sap'ed mob while tanking others.
Saido Apr 11th 2008 8:16AM
Healers + mouseover macros = win.
Ryan Apr 11th 2008 8:32AM
No no no, a thousand times no. Use clique for heals, you don't need to clutter your action bars with four ranks of each heal.
Saido Apr 11th 2008 9:00AM
Who said anything about clutter? Mouseover macros plus modifiers for downranks. Clique works great for some classes but not every one.
Avonar Apr 11th 2008 9:31AM
Healbot ftw. Basically just macros, but in a handy box.
niels wenting Apr 11th 2008 8:26AM
Hi, I'm a lvl 65 takadin and i use the focus target feature in a macro te get the agro back with "Blessing of Freedom” when someone in the group over heal/dps. Its nice because I don't have to change the focus on my target mob.
I also use a macro (for each seal) to cast and judge a seal with. when I change a seal I judge the last seal automatically so I don't useless replace a casted seal ;).
greetz Dedge from alonsus
Nick S Apr 11th 2008 1:53PM
my little paladin is adding your "always judge before seal" macro as soon as i get home.
Despino Apr 11th 2008 8:26AM
I use a macro to cast Inner Focus before casting a big mana-consuming spell on my priest. Also one to use my trinkets before an often used attack so I don't have to remember to keep using them. And I have one to use my flying mount if I'm in Outlands, otherwise use a normal mount.
PeeWee Apr 11th 2008 8:26AM
My own favourite macros
---
WARRIOR:
/cast [target=mouseover] Sunder Armor
Apply Sunders to mouseover target without inflicting damage. This is made of Win for setting some initial Threat on CC:ed targets (shackles, sheeps) without breaking them. Don't use Devastate, since it will break CC.
HUNTER
/petfollow [modifier:ctrl]
/stopmacro [modifier:ctrl]
/petautocaston [nocombat] Charge
/petattack [target=mouseover,exists]
Send your pet to attack our mouseover target. Hold CTRL to abort pet attacking and have him come back to you...
/petautocastoff Charge
/assist pet
/cast Hunter's Mark
/startattack
...then you assist your pet, cast Hunter's Mark and start shootin'. When your pet has gathered enough Threat on the target to last throughout the entire mob, mouseover the next target and pop the first macro again. When the first mob dies, use the second macro to assist your pet.
Repeat until farming session ends. Profit!
And I use Clique to apply Misdirection, I have it bound to Shift-Leftclick. Shift-Leftclick on any unitframe (incl. raid, party, target, target's target, pet, pet's target, party target, raid target, focus, focus' target etc...) and you'll apply it.
DRUID
/cancelform
/cast Dire Bear Form
Instantly shapeshift out and back into Dire Bear Form. Instant snare-remover!
Xin Apr 11th 2008 8:27AM
Macros are king.
On my priest which i mainly play PvE on, i use only one macro and it's for dispelling. It cancels the current cast and then casts dispel.
Also when multi-box playing my shamans i use a lot of macros, mainly for targetting, movement and casting totems.
Kornakova Apr 14th 2008 1:13AM
Mount macros are a must.
/cast random , , etc
Trinket Marcos
/use
/cast
And since I'm a warlock my I win button
/use Master Healthstone
/use Battlemaster's soandso
/use Major Combat Healing Potion
Ryan Apr 11th 2008 8:39AM
On my shaman I have z,x,c,v each macroed with my three most used air, fire, water and earth totems (with the exception of earthbind, which I have bound to 4) using alt & shift alt codes. All my other abilities are hotkeyed to 1-5, r, t y, f and g, again using alt & shift for the letter binds and shift for 1-5. Doing it this way I can . I could use bongos or bartender to keep track of the modifiers, but I've found that the number of macros necessary for me to do that is usually more than the available slots.
For heals I just use clique and use a different modifier combo for each heal type (alt for chain heal, shift for healing wave and ctrl for lesser hw) and then have each button on my trackball cast a different rank.
Bombadilo Apr 11th 2008 8:59AM
On my hunter I have the 3:2 shot rotation macro (no...I dont need it, I can manually weave my shots, I'm just lazy).
#show Steady Shot(Rank 1)
/cast !Auto Shot
/cast [target=pettarget,exists] Kill Command
/cast Steady Shot
/script UIErrorsFrame:Clear()
I also this small macro to send my pet at a mob and cast Hunter's Mark on it at the same time:
/petattack
/cast Hunter's Mark
I also use a mount macro that I found a while back that will basically put me on my flying mount if im in outlands, otherwise it puts me on my regular mount. If i hit this while im mounted it dismounts me as well.
Here it is:
/use [nomounted, outdoors] Reins of the Veridian Netherwing Drake
/use [nomounted, outdoors] Reins of the Swift Frostsaber
/dismount
Thats about it for my macro useage.
alex.rushing Apr 11th 2008 9:01AM
Macros, macros, macros!
I used to never use them, if only because I was busy playing and not scripting. Then one day I buckled down and took notes on what I was doing for which I could write macros.
Some of my favorites:
Tela's Bombing Extravaganza. Simply set up macro to /use each of your bomb items and hotkey it. Now, you don't have to fish around in your bag or set up seperate hotkeys for each bombing dailiy/Halaa/etc.
Vashj. I have 5 different macros for her. One to /use the Tainted Core (and tell everyone that I have it/who I am throwing it it) and one to alert the raid to the direction the Tainted Elemental spawned.
Illhoof. /tar Demon Chains. 'Nuff said.
Vent macros. Nothing says 'vent up' to a pug like not having to type out your server, port, and password.
I could go on and on. I am a big fan of macros, if you can't tell. :)
Avonar Apr 11th 2008 9:03AM
- One to show who is in the guild healers channel (easier than remembering and typing the command in a hurry)
- One to say "All your bases are belong to us." just because I think it's funny.
- One with the reset command for SwStats, which I can never remember, let alone type when in a hurry.
- One for shackling (which is already easier when you have Healbot so don't have to deal with multiple targets, but still)
- The macro for the core in the Lady Vashj site
- When I'm doing healing assigns, I tend to macro them so they're easy to repeat when people forget.
wowwiki.com Apr 11th 2008 9:20AM
"bases"? /sigh
Avonar Apr 11th 2008 9:33AM
Typo - "all your base are belong to us!" That's what I get for typing too fast...
foxfyr Apr 11th 2008 3:46PM
Good thing you have a macro for it :)
Electrocuted Apr 11th 2008 9:03AM
My hunter is really macro'd up. Have one that marks the target and sends the pet in to attack, one for a shot rotation, with kill command and ap trinkets built in...
The lock has an amplified version of CoD and CoA set up, as well as a focus seduce macro (that works GREAT) and multi-pet first/second ability macros to make them spell lock or devour, or sacrifice depending on the pet
Druid has a macro set up that, if in caster, shifts to travel, or if in a form, shifts out and then back in using /cancelform so the change is a puff of smoke... and dispels any movement impairing effects.
I have one to prospect Tin ore, in one click without targeting, one to grind enchants on specific slots without needing to click gear. I want to set up one for my hunter to auto misdirect his pet... since the pet is low level and I'm working to level it. Be easier if it could try to keep aggro.
foxfyr Apr 11th 2008 9:05AM
My favorite macros:
For leading raids and 5 mans:
/script SetRaidTargetIcon("target", 8)
/script if UnitAffectingCombat("target") and UnitExists("focus") and not UnitIsDead("focus") then SendChatMessage("New target, kill the Skull: %t.", "RAID_WARNING") end
/focus target
This places a skull on my target and sets it as my focus. If I use it in combat and change the skull it will give a raid warning that the target has changed.
Rogue:
#showtooltip Garrote
/cast Pick Pocket
/castsequence reset=2 Garrote, Bloodlust Brooch
END
I have similar macros for Cheap Shot and Ambush. This macro is on my stealth bar so if I hit it twice quickly before I leave stealth it will use my trinket.
#showtooltip
/cast [equipped:Thrown] Throw; Shoot
END
One macro for ranged attack. Does not need to be changed when I change from throwing weapons to guns/bows.
#showtooltip blind
/cast [target=mouseover] Blind
END
Mouseover blind button.
Druid:
#showtooltip
/cast [stance:1/3] Faerie Fire (Feral)(); [stance:5][nostance] Faerie Fire()
END
One button for any kind of Faerie Fire.
#showtooltip
/castsequence [stance:3,stealth] reset=3 Tiger's Fury, Pounce
/cast [stance:3] Shred
END
I usually start fights with this macro when I'm soloing.
/cancelform
/use Healthstone
/use super Healing Potion
/cast Dire Bear Form
END
This macro can be very dangerous on fights that silence or prevent you from shifting back into bear. Use at your own risk.
/mountspecial
Try this one in flight form.