I’ve started using Potion of Concentration on some of the more difficult fights more out of necessity than anything else. That additional ~10000 compared to the standard issue mana potions offer a sizeable advantage. The catch is that you need to find a time during the encounter where you can spare the time. Although you can interrupt it anytime, don’t do it. Maximize the gain. There were times where I’ve cheated and took a tick or two of needless damage to squeeze out as much drops as I can out of these potions.
Heroic Magmaw? Any of the head phases.
Heroic Maloriakk? I use it during the first part of any Dark phase.
Nef? Once I’m on a pillar.
Cho’gall? Any part where there is no abomination (Or whatever its called) up.
I’m not sure if I can find a spot for it consistently on other bosses. I’ve only recently started using it. It’s going to take a bit of trial and error until I find the perfect sweet spot on encounters like heroic Chimaeron, Atramedes, and Theraliona.
Also, ding guild level 25! It took us about 4 months but we did it!
I’ve been pushing my healers to use potions of concentration for quite a while now. If healers work together on it, it seems to work well. If it helps anyone, here’s where I try to use them:
Omnotron: Preferably when lightning / archanotron are up. If I need to during magmaw its right after healing up an incendiary measures
Magmaw: Head down
Maloriak: On regular during a blue phase, although I dont think I’ve used one
Chimaeron: After my PoH lands on massacre
Atramedes: I run off to the side and use it after the first modulation when atr lands
Nefarian: Either right before Ony goes down or when my platform is stabalized in p2
Halfus: Once the third drake dies before going into the last phase
Twin Dragons: After a blackout when Valiona lands
Ascendant Council: after arion/terrestra’s major ability and lightning rods go out
Cho’gall: After a set of oozes have been taken down and the OT is stable
In all honesty I find myself only using them on the harder fights but as we progressed I think I highlighted most of the spots I tried to utilize the potion.
Garthok: Same here. I’ve only started using them on some of the serious progression encounters. I’ve been able to get away with the instant mana potions on farm content (or no potions at all) .
Gratz on the guild level 25!
And, as a max lvl alch., it’s good to see that people are starting to realize the plus side some of the potions have over flasks.
Solitudeone: You mean potions in addition to flasks?
Matt: yes, my oversight.
“I’m not sure if I can find a spot for it consistently on other bosses.”
Ask your mages when there’s a decent time for an evocation on each fight. Arcane mages in particular because their optimal rotation pretty much requires it. You may not get a full 10-second lull, but even a few seconds where you don’t have to worry about incoming damage would certainly help.
Aeven: The difference is that Mages can afford a few seconds without DPS. My worry is finding the right time where I can use a potion without compromising anyone (since I’m raid healing). Or conversely, if a tank healer wants to use it. We’ve started practicing calling out our potion usages. That’s helped. Just need to refine it a bit further.
I’ve been using these since cata launched. The method that worked well for me is to call it out in a binding over vent during ideal parts of a fight(those times have been covered by others) so my fellow healers knew to watch out. Those potions were life savers the first couple weeks. We don’t need them on farm content any more of course, but I keep them around just in case.
I’ve found these potions to be very handy during raid encounters, especially coupled with an Alchemist’s Stone. I haven’t pushed my healers to use the, but if any of them ask me a good way to get more mana back, I refer them to the potion.
I also tell my healers to call out in vent or use a macro to let the healing team know when to pick up the slack a bit. We’ve come up with a one-word codename for when someone is using a Concentation Potion: they’ll call out “meditating” or “concentrating” on vent, myself included.
I could just +1 this post, as its exactly how we handle it. Plus, I always rock the Alchy Stone. 32000 mana is just so much. Plus, you are not casting while “Concing” – pronounced Conking, so 32000 actually feels more like 40,000.
I also can’t think of a progression fight that I don’t Conc pot. Put it this way – if there is time to Hymn of Hope (there always is), then there’s very likely a second such opportunity to Conc pot. Often, there are 3 or 4 times. Take Nef for example, you can do it 1) as Ony goes down, 2) During P2 outside of crackles, 3) During the P3 transition while the adds are slowly activating, and 4) If on the kite tank, when the adds reset. The key is to plan ahead and use your mana CDs accordingly.
And if you’re an alchemist, Potion of Concentration + Alchemist stone = 28k mana, making it unbelievably amazing. Coordination is definitely key. My guild has a healer channel that we can use a macro to notify the other healers. What we have done to make it most effective, however, is to let the other healers know generally when individuals will use the potion. If more than one wants to use it in generally the same time frame, we just say HealerA first, HealerB second, etc. It is simple and works well.
I also encourage private key binds in vent (not sure if Mumble does them?) setup to broadcast to just your fellow healers, that way saying “Lument out for 10 seconds” only goes to those who need to know (the other healers).
This probably won’t apply to hardmodes or even 25-man, but here’s some thoughts:
Omnotron: If you get Lightning Conductor, and you’re out of the raid anyway. Otherwise, any time Magmatron isn’t up is usually a good time (doubly so if Toxitron isn’t up, either).
Chimaeron: It’s really touchy, and you have to get everyone up pretty quick, but right after a Feud has been my best opportunity for this (I also solo heal the Caustic Slimes as a 10-man priest).
Atramedes: I’m pretty sure there *isn’t* a good spot, unless you’re not getting targeted during air phase, and even then, it’s pretty risky.
Halfus: Right after Furious Roar, though on some weeks I’ve been forced to pot during drake phases (again, due to 10-man healing, and usually this is when we have whelps up).
V&T: Phase 2, right after Fabulous Flames hits, or when you’re out of the raid for Engulfing Magic.
Ascendant Council: I’ve had the most luck so far during phase 2 between quakes/thundershocks (as long as phase 1 goes well, I don’t even have to fiend/HoH til phase 3 – we haven’t cleared them, but some very close wipes so far).
Conclave: On Anshal’s platform, during ultimates (the ultimate is 15 seconds, so you’ll have a good deal of time to get your tank up, and a Guardian Spirit is definitely handy as well as a just in case).
Haven’t done Al’akir, Nef or Cho’gall yet, sadly, so I have no input there. 🙁
Been using it since day 1 as well and have found it to be mandatory for myself in the beginning, with gear upgrades I have become more comfortable with mana to sometimes not need one (not doing hardmodes yet).
For V&T, right after the second collapse before the phasechange you actually have just enough time to start concing, your last tick will coincide with the first Purple Twirls.