Optimal Openers w/ t20 2p?

[seoh]

After getting my t20 tp, I was doing some fishing around for some insight into openers. Initially I was doing 4ab-moa-rop-ap-abarr-pom(at end of GCD)-am>ab.

However, looking at some top logs I see some precast moa-rop-ap-pom-am>ab, like the CU opener. Additionally, the new arcane apl defaulted by simcraft does abx4-moa-rop-abarr-ap+pom(at end of gcd)-am>ab. This I found interesting as it sacrifices some rop+ap uptime to focus on ab/am during ap/crackling energy/rop.

Has there been any math on this? What are your thoughts/data on openers? I assume the apl is some combo of theoretically optimal + not too complicated to execute, so my tendency is to go with the apl.

[Forrader]

I personally do precast MoA -> RoP -> AP -> PoM -> AM/ABs -> ABarr at the end of RoP -> CU -> AM/ABs and feel it's very satisfying, often above 2.5M burst dps.

[maynord]

I do the same as Forrader, and with BL it's easy to fit in the 2 instant ABs + any AMs you generate in the 6s buff window. Without BL I generally prioritise AM > AB after I cast PoM -- a TotM proc would technically do more damage but it's kinda RNG.

[Cames]

I generally don't cast AMs in my openers unless I get 3 capped so that I use mana to get back from the MoA explosion and stretch that first burn as long as I can.

[maynord]

@Cames on paper it feels like a good idea, but the extra burst damage from AMs during your burst window often outweighs the extra mana you save. Because of so many stacking %dmg modifiers AM's DPS is absolutely massive. For example, assuming godlike RNG with Amplification, RoP, OP, Erosion, t20 2piece PoM, a TotM proc, and Rule of Threes, some napkin math shows the multipliers should look like:

SP*1.48*1.4*1.6*1.08*1.1*1.2*1.6 = 7.56*SP = 6811% SP (4 charge AMs SP = 5*3.4*53% SP)

This is compared to AB which hits a 2778% SP cap. Worst case scenario (no procs) the math works out to 3548% vs 2315% for AM/AB respectively -- so either way, AMs will do at least 50% more damage than AB, and at best almost 2.5x the damage, which is huuuuge. This is all conditional on dumping them in the stacking windows, i.e. ideally during t20 + RoP + a TotM proc, but mostly RoP which is the biggest modifier. Casting mostly ABs back to back during AP is a biiiig DPS loss during the stacking windows, and although you'll save around 75-100% of your mana pool this way, the normal extra ABs you cast outside of AP will struggle to compensate the damage you lose from not casting AM.

Sorry for dumping a wall of math on you! I just wanted to emphasize that you should be really aggressive with AMs in the opener, even if you're fishing for a TotM proc with ABs you need to make sure they all fly out during RoP.