Macro tip #11: Dual spec macros

This is from the Instance 145, at time index 1:29:38.

Now that Blizzard has introduced the option of a second talent spec for characters, macro commands have been updated to help manage this. Probably the most useful of these new commands are the ones that allow you to swap between specs. An example of this would be the following:

/usetalents 1

/usetalents 2

/usetalents 1
/usetalents 2

Clicking on this swaps the character to their other spec, whatever they’re currently using.

The updates also included a new conditional for macros: spec. This can be used to detect what spec a character is in and display appropriate abilities. For example, a Paladin specced for Retribution and Protection as a second spec could have:

/cast [spec:1] Crusader Strike; [spec:2] Avenger’s Shield

However, there’s no real point in using this conditional in a macro this simple, since your action bars swap when you change specs anyway. Consequently, the main value of this conditional would be if you have a large number of short macros – something that might happen if you have two very different specs. If that’s the case, you can combine macros by adding the [spec:] conditional in, and placing the same macro on both sets of action bars. Using it would then have a different effect for each spec, but you’d only be using up one macro slot.

As an example of this, a Warrior could combine these two macros:

#showtooltip
/cast [modifier] Rend
/cast [nomodifier] Mortal Strike

#showtooltip
/cast [modifier] Devastate
/cast [nomodifier] Sunder Armor

…into this:

#showtooltip
/cast [modifier, spec:1] Rend
/cast [nomodifier, spec:1] Mortal Strike
/cast [modifier, spec:2] Devastate
/cast [nomodifier, spec:2] Sunder Armornomodifier] Sunder Armor

Whether you think it’s useful to have fewer, denser macros like this is a matter of personal preference, of course.