Power Auras may be the most versatile addon I've come across. Capable of tracking buffs, debuffs, weapon enchants, procs, combo points, and usable actions (and many more things!), it's incredibly powerful. Depending on the number of auras you're running, it CAN be a little memory intensive, but its versatility and power I feel outweigh that drawback.
What is Power Auras?Power Auras is an addon that is capable of tracking just about anything you might need to keep track of - all visually. Want to track simple buffs like Hot Streak? It can do that. Want to track debuffs like Unchained Magic on Sindragosa? It can do that. Want to track how many combo points you have (and hate the piddly little dots the default frames and many unit frame addons have)? It can do that. Want to track if one of your buffs, such as Seal of Wisdom falls off? It can do that. Want to track when Riptide comes off cooldown? It can do that. Want to track when Lord Jaraxxus has Nether Power and you should spellsteal it? IT CAN DO THAT. I'm not kidding when I say it's incredibly versatile.
How does it work?
Well, I don't claim to know how the .lua file is set up because I'm not quite THAT nerdy about my addons (yet!). Simply put, you set it up with a specific graphic you want, such as above with skull and cross bones. From there, you set what you want to trigger that graphic showing up - in this case, combo points. If you wanted a specific buff or debuff, you'd simply put in its name and what type of aura it is (buff vs. debuff). From THERE you can change how it actually shows up on the screen (fading in, zooming in, zooming out, spinning, whatever), how it leaves the screen, any animations while it's active, timers, sounds, stacks.. it's almost endless what you can do here.
I'm not going to say it's the end-all/be-all of addons. It is, however, close. It's very useful for PvE raiders who really don't want to stare at their buff/debuff bars waiting to see if something procs or if they have a debuff that needs to get out of the raid. As you can see in my screen shots, I have a fair amount being tracked (and I could be tracking more if I wanted!). Some things are just things I like to know when they happen (such as my Pandora's Plea proc, or my Ashen Verdict ring proc), but don't necessarily affect how I play. Others are skills such as Divine Illumination and Divine Plea that I want to know when they fade so I know when to possibly chain another cooldown such as wings. One that I find absolutely NECESSARY is tracking my Emerald Vigor debuffs for Valithria Dreamwalker in Icecrown Citadel.
On my warlock, you can see all my dots being tracked, something I find MUCH more accessible than staring at my target's debuff frame. It keeps everything centered so I don't have to look all over for what I need to know while I'm standing in the middle of Lord Marrowgar's blue fire of death. I can easily notice, "Oh hey, Haunt is about to fall off and a fire is coming.." move out of the incoming blue fire of death, and continue on casting. (Note: I do have the export set code for this if you want this particular layout. Drop me an email at caelys@gmail.com if you do. It's a long code.) For those curious, this is what my warlock's set up looks like in combat. What are the drawbacks?
It can be a bit of a memory hog at times. I try rather hard to keep my MiB usage under 20, and in a raid, Power Auras can very easily push me over 22-25 if everything is active. I imagine it could be better if I cut out some auras, or some of their animations, but I like things the way they are and as often as I change my UI, I'm not sure I could for this one.. at this point.
Additionally, depending on the colors you choose (I try to keep mine somewhat close to the color of whatever the icon's spell is so I can associate it more effectively), it can be hard to see on some fights. When fighting Lord Marrowgar, I have a hard time seeing my Haunt aura on my warlock. On fights with a lot of fire or aoe going out, it can be difficult to see specific colors. One way to help combat this is that you can actually set the auras just to be the icon of the spell itself. It's a bit easier to see a large, floating icon in the middle of your screen than perhaps a big ol' arc or lightning bolt.
Should I get it?
If you PvE regularly? Yes. Are you tired of looking at the boss's debuff bars? Or your own? Yes. Are you a strict PvPer? Maybe. I haven't really tried it in a PvP setting, but I have guildies who do and swear by it as much as I do. Do you play on a computer that gets about 5 fps in a raid or five-man party? Probably not. Like I said, it's a bit of a memory hog and would probably bog you down more than you're already at. When I'm in a raid, I'm usually about 15-25fps, so it doesn't bog me down too much.
My rating of Power Auras?
Most definitely a 4/5 stars. I strongly suggest you get it if only to try it out. It may not be your cup of tea, but it might just blow your mind at its capabilities. :D
Addon on deck for next review: Skada Damage Meters
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