A relatively confusing step in AMR's WW Monk rotation

Ask Mr. Robot
#1

In Theorycraft Wiki’s WW Monk rotation, step 10 Bonedust Brew has conditions that strongly imply that it is a single-target high-priority ability, since it is coming quite high on the priority list with a condition of having less than 3 targets in range. However, it is also defined with the quickly recognizable characteristics of an AoE ability in Theorycraft Wiki’s various rotations:

is a cooldown saved for AoE
AoE count = 3
AoE radius = 8

So, which one is Bonedust Brew, an AoE ability saved for 3+ targets or a single-target ability used as a priority with less than 3 targets in range?

I realize that the step says to save it if it won’t cooldown by the time an AoE need hits, but if it is an AoE ability, then why isn’t the AoE step higher up the priority list? Something like, “Use it with 3+ targets or if there are less than 3 targets in range but it will cooldown before the next AoE need arises.” This would make much more sense with the characteristics I quoted above.

The problem here is that if I design a WA or TMW icon that shows when the ability is off cooldown with a condition like “there are < 3 targets in range,” and this is the only programmable condition there as “or the ability will cooldown before the next AoE need arises” must be left to user judgment as far as I know, then such a design will be counter-productive and repetitively confusing for the user. Putting the 3+ targets condition higher on the list of priorities would work better as part of programmable conditions for a rotation.

And part of the reason I’m posting this is that I haven’t seen this sort of thing in all other AMR Theorycraft Wiki rotations that I studied.

#2

In an AoE situation you want to set it up more - look down to where it shows up in the rotation for AoE. You want to get 2+ chi and 3 stacks of cyclone strikes before you use it.

Rotation helpers are going to be somewhat limited in their ability to make judgment calls regarding when to save something for AoE. You are going to have to decide for your helper what to do. There’s no way for you to look ahead into the fight with a rotation helper.

#3

Thank you, Swol. Yes, this confirms what I was thinking, that the decision whether to use it if it will cooldown before the AoE need arises must be left to user judgment.

I ended up making it a boss / AoE priority for my personal rotation helper, but if it should be set up to be more effective for AoE, then I’m going to limit it with the < 3 targets condition as it says in the rotation.

And yes, rotation helpers aren’t enough by themselves for sure; user judgment and content experience must still be injected into the decision-making process to produce optimal damage output. Also, the existing rotation helpers are almost always sub-optimal and even downright weird with their prompts sometimes. For example, a top-30 addons rotation helper is currently showing Chi Wave quite high on the priority list for my WW Monk, and I don’t even need to look at a rotation to know that that is bizarre; the author(s) claim that they’re basing the priorities on Simcraft but that simply cannot be true if Chi Wave is a high priority; something is definitely wrong, and that is one example of countless similar issues. Hence, I’m forced to design my own personal rotation helpers, and frankly, AMR Theorycraft Wiki’s rotations, which I discovered only recently, have been much more helpful for this endeavor than looking at the simpler rotations on the AMR various guides. This is also why a stream of questions is flowing from me nowadays regarding those rotations.

Thank you again, Swol, for helping me understand the various rotations better.