26 May 2013

Focus, Target And Modifier Macros For Beginners

Here i'll explain the 2 basic ways to start your macro
/cast and /use both of them can be used for spells (melee ability's also count as spells, Sinister Strike for example), mounts, trinket, parachute cloak or even items from your inventory.

There is just one little difference between them.

/cast will use your equipped trinket, but if it's not equipped it will do nothing.
Where as /use will equip the trinket and use it. Now you know how to start a macro, and to finish it all you do is add the spell/item you want it to use behind it like in the example below.

/cast scatter shot

Now we'll move on to making the macro actually useful, adding lines.
We'll discuss 2 things you can add. Making the spell cast on a different target then the one you are selecting, and making it do something else when you hold down shift (or any other modifier key).


To cast something on different target then your main target you have to add [target=name] or [target=focus].
[target=name] will cast the spell on the target who's name you have filled in, and [target=focus] will cast it on your focus target. If there isn't anyone with the name you filled in in range, or you have no focus target it won't do anything. A example for both is given below.

/cast [target=achai] scatter shot 
/cast [target=focus] scatter shot

To make the macro do something else when you hold down a modifier key (shift, ctrl or alt) we're gonna add [mod:shift], [mod:ctrl] or [mod:alt].
This is pretty straightforward, you add it on the same we did previously, between /cast and your spell so it looks like the example below.
/cast [mod:shift] scatter shot
But this isn't enough for it to be actually worth making the macro, as you might as well just keybind it with shift at this point.
To actually make it useful and safe some space we're gonna have to add something the macro will do when the modifier key isn't pressed.
To do this you add ; behind it and then the name of the spell/item you want it to use when you don't press the modifier key like in the example below.
/cast [mod:shift] scatter shot; arcane shot
The macro will now use scatter shot if you press it without holding shift, and cast arcane shot if you hold down shift.


Now lets try combining the two
We're gonna make it so that if we don't press shift the macro will cast scatter shot on my main target and if i press shift it will cast it on our focus target.
To achieve this we are gonna combine [mod:shift] and [target=focus]. You can't just put those two together and make it work, we're gonna have to remove the ] and [ and add , like in the example below.
[mod:shift,target=focus]
But we want it to cast scatter shot, so we will have to add the rest as well like in the example below.
/cast [mod:shift,target=focus] scatter shot; scatter shot
And there you go.
It will now cast scatter shot on the target you have selected when pressing it and cast it on your focus target when holding down shift.

I hope this helps making your own macros now go and have fun pawning.
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