How to make macros in Classic WoW
Postéle18/09/2019
620,516 115 5 Favorites
Welcome toour Macros guide for Classic woW. You will find out how to make macros andhow to use them in WoW Classic.
General Information
First of all, there is a question, what is amacro? Amacrois a list ofslash commands. Something like the following:
- /say (/s)
- /whisper(/w, /talk, /t)
- /emote (/e,/em, /me)
- /dance
Withmacros, these commands can be used from action buttons, and many of them can beused at once. Each unique command goes on its own line and is written exactlyas it would be typed it in the chat box.
While thisis not an exhaustive list of all possible / useful macros and /script, we willbe exemplifying almost all macro functionalities below.
1. Macros 101
Open up themacro window. You can do this either by opening the main menu and selectingMacros, or by typing /macro (/m) in the chat box. At the top of the window,you'll see two tabs:General MacrosandYournameSpecificMacros.
General macrosare stored on an account-by-account basis and are shared by all yourcharacters.
Immediatelyunder the tabs is a grid of 18 boxes where the macros are displayed. Underthose, there is a single box which displays your currently-selected macro with aChangeName/Iconbutton next to it. Below that is the edit box where you actuallytype the macro. Finally, at the bottom you have a number of self-explanatorybuttons.
To create amacro, click theNewbutton at the bottom of the window. This bringsup another small window off to the side where you choose the icon and type aname for the macro. If you choose the question mark icon, WoW will automatically pick anicon for your macro based on what spells or items are listed in the macro. Onceyou have chosen an icon and a name, click the Ok button.
A fewnotes:You can control what icon is shown in place of the question markwith the #showtooltip command.Although you can name two macros the same.
Now youwill notice that the macro icon you chose has been added to the 18 boxesmentioned earlier. The newly created macro will also be selected so now it'stime to start writing your macro. Click in the edit box of the macro window tostart typing.
Macros havea 255 character limit.
When youare done typing your macro, click the Save button, drag the macro's icon fromthe grid and place it on an action button.
2. Controlling button feedback and the question mark icon ( ?) with #showtooltip
By default,WoW uses the first spell or item that appears in a macro to showcooldown,range, and availability feedback on the button, and to pick which icon todisplay when you use the question mark icon. Take our multi-spell macro fromearlier as an example:
- /useTalisman of Ephemeral Power
- /castArcane Power
- /castPresence of Mind
- /castPyroblast
With thismacro, WoW chooses Arcane Power for the feedback. However, this is probably notwhat you really want. The main point of this spell is to cast Pyroblast.
You canmake the button behave as if Pyroblast were the first spell by adding thefollowing line to the top of the macro:
#showtooltipPyroblast
If you usedthe question mark icon for the macro, the button will even have the icon ofPyroblast without any extra effort on your part.
3. Attacking Macro : /startattack
Change yourtarget tounitand start auto-attacking.
/startattack
Stopauto-attacking.
/stopattack
4. Casting spells Macro : /cast
Enter/cast, the most common command you will see in macros. The /cast command allowsyou to cast any spell from your (or your pet's) spell book by name.
/castShadow Word: Pain
This macrowill cast Shadow Word: Pain on your target.
The actionbar code recognizes the spell and will showcooldownand rangefeedback on the icon. In fact, if you choose the question mark icon I mentionedearlier, the action bar will even show the icon for SW.
Cast sequence macro
Many times,you will find yourself casting a series of spells or use certain items in thesame order on pretty much any mob you fight. To make this job a bit easier, wehave the /castsequence command.
/castsequencetakes a list of spells and/or items separated by commas. These follow the samerules as /cast and /use. This means you can interchange spell names, itemnames, item IDs, inventory slots, and bag slot combinations. If the spell oritem is used successfully, the sequence will move to the next entry.Youmust repeatedly activate the macro to use all the spells in the sequence. Onceyou use the last entry in the list, it will reset to the beginning. Example:
/castsequenceImmolate, Corruption, Bane of Agony, Siphon Life
This mightbe something you would use for a Warlock's opening attack. Note, however, thatif Immolate fails to cast for some reason (out of mana, not in range, silenced,etc.), the sequence will remain at that point. Because of this, you cannot usea /castsequence to make a spammable macro like:
/castsequenceOverpower, Execute, Mortal Strike
Interrupt a casted spell
/stopcastingwas touched on briefly in other contexts but its main use, as you might guess,is used to stop another spell cast that's in progress. This is useful formaking "panic buttons" that interrupt whatever you're doing at themoment in favor of something more important.
5. Conditional: [@mouseover] - [@player] - [modifier] - [combat]
Conditionalsare a way to extend the macro interface. They allow limited decision-making tomacros; be aware that they are limited. A full list of conditionals willbe available at the bottom of this post once the initial posts in allcategories have been created.
As an example, let's take the simple macro from the initialpost:
#showtooltip
/cast Flash Heal
We are going to modify this macro with the [harm]conditional, so it does something different when an enemy is targeted:
#showtooltip
/cast [harm]Smite;Flash Heal
Now, the macro will use Smite if you have an enemy targeted,and Flash Heal otherwise.
You can use multiple conditionals in a macro command.Example:
#showtooltip
/cast [harm,mod:ctrl]HolyFire;[harm]Smite;[mod:ctrl]Heal;Flash Heal
The macro will now use Holy Fire if you are pressing CTRLand you have an enemy target, Smite if you have an enemy target and are notpressing CTRL, Heal if you are pressing CTRL without an enemy target, and FlashHeal if none of the other conditions are true.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT A MACRO WILL EXECUTE THEFIRST TRUE CONDITION.
In the above example, if you have an enemy targeted, themacro will never cast Heal or Flash Heal, no matter what you do. You need totarget a friendly or clear your target in order to cast a healing spell.
Conditionals available for use in macros:
(Note that any of these conditions (excepting @unit) can beinverted with no, meaning [nocombat], [nopet], etc, will work exactly as you'dexpect.
- [@unit]
Attempts to perform the action on the listed unit, unit canbe a UnitID (player, target, pet, party1, raid1targettarget, etc) or a name(Adreaver-Undermine). Names are case-sensitive and only valid if the namedplayer is a member of your group. Additionally, for Cross-Realm players, omitspaces (but not punctuation) in the realm name (Bob-SomeRealm rather thanbob-some realm). A full list of UnitIDs is available at WoWPedia.
A special unit is [@mouseover], which refers to the unit (orunitframe) you are pointing your cursor at. Particularly useful for healers tocast healing spells on party members without having to change targets, they arealso useful for things like interrupts, offensive dispels, and sending your petto attack one target while you attack another.
- [modifier]
This allows you to cast a different spell when pressingctrl, shift, or alt. [modifier] can be shortened to [mod] with the same effect.[mod] will register any modifier, while [mod:shift] will only register shift,and ignore ctrl or alt. If desired, you can use multiple modifiers together -[mod:ctrlalt] for example, will only register when pressing ctrl AND alt at thesame time.
- [button]
This checks which mouse button you used to click the macro.It can also be shortened to [btn]. [btn:1] is implied by default, but you canspecify [btn:2] for right click, [btn:3] for middle click, and 4/5 for sidebuttons on your mouse.
- [exists], [help], [harm], [dead]
These check the status of your target. [exists] simplychecks for any target, living or dead, friendly or hostile. [help] and [harm]check for a friendly or hostile target respectively, while [dead] check if yourtarget is dead. [help][harm][dead] all imply [exists] - if your target is dead,you obviously have a target.
- [combat]
Combat allows you to check if you are in combat. This ishelpful when you have certain spells that can only be used out of combat, forexample mounts.
#showtooltip
/use [combat]Aspect of the Cheetah;Brown Ram
for example would use your Aspect of the Cheetah in combat,and summon your mount out of combat, thus giving you a speed boost in eitherscenario.
6. Using items and trinkets Macro
The commandfor using an item is /use.
Like /cast,its simplest form takes the name of the item you want to use:/use GreenMechanostrider
/use <inventory slot>
This formof use allows you to use an item in the specified slot. Example:
/use 13
This commandwill use your Trinket 1. See alsoInventorySlotIdfor lists of theslot numbers below:
ammo = 0 head = 1 neck = 2 shoulder = 3 body = 4 (shirt) chest = 5
waist = 6 legs = 7 feet = 8 wrist= 9hand = 10finger1 = 11 finger2 = 12
trinket 1 =13 trinket 2 = 14 back = 15mainhand = 16 offhand = 17
Equipping items Macro
There arethree commands for equipping items: /equip, /equipslot, and /equipset.
/equipsimply takes an item name and will equip it to the default slot as if you hadright-clicked it in one of your bags.
/equipslottakes aninventory slot IDand an item name, and equips the item tothe specified slot.
Example :
- /equipHoned Voidaxe
- /equipslot14 Carrot on a Stick
7. Targeting Macro
Targetingis another common task in macros. This is accomplished either by usingdedicated targeting slash commands which actually change your target or byusing the [@unit] macro option on commands that accept them. When you use themacro option, you are actually casting the spell or using the item directly onthe unit without changing targets. Macro options will be covered in greatdetail in Part II. For now, I'll show you how to use the targeting commands.
The mostbasic targeting command is /target.
- /target Marcovitch
8. Pet control Macro
Asmentioned in the spell casting section, you can use /cast to cast your pet'sabilities by name.
- /petattack, sends your pet to attack your target.
- /petfollow, causes your pet to follow you, cancelling its attack if necessary.
- /petstay ,causes your pet to hold at its current location until given another command.
- /petmoveto, click on the ground at a location and your pet will move there.
- /petpassive,/petdefensive , sets the reaction mode of your pet just like the buttons onyour pet bar.
- /petautocaston,/petautocastoff, these commands manipulate the auto-cast of a given pet spell.The first will always turn auto-cast on, and the second will turn it off. Example:
- /petautocastonTorment
- /petautocastoffSuffering
9. Removing buffs Macro
The/cancelaura command allows you to remove unwanted buffs.
- /cancelauraIce Block
9. Dismounting Macro
Must have in Classic WoW : /dismountallows you to dismount when you have to. It’s good to insert before your firstattack macro. For example:
- #showtooltipCharge
- /dismount
- /castPosture de combat
- /castcharge
11. Leaving a form with macro
With theexception of Warriors, any class with stances (Druids, Priests withShadowform, Rogues withStealth, etc.) can use /cancelform to leave theircurrent form. Example:
- /cancelform
- /use SuperHealing Potion
- /castShadowburn
12. One SHOT Macro (that doesn't work sorry)
In general,you cannot cast more than one spell with a single click of a macro. Most spellsand some items trigger the globalcooldown(GCD) which keeps you fromtaking too many actions at once. Even if a spell fails to cast, ifitwouldtrigger the GCD, it prevents subsequent /casts in the macrofrom running.
- /castOverpower
- /castExecute
- /castMortal Strike
- /castSunder Armor
Macros likethis do not work anymore… Ahah
Thank youfor taking the time to read this Classic WoWmacrosGuide! If you’relooking for more informations, you can check out our othersGuides.
For moreVanilla WoW content, you can check out our other sections. Don't forget tofollow us on the social networks Twitter and Discord.
We are verymuch interested in your experiences and opinions. Please do not hesitate toshare your comments below and share thismacros guide in WoW Classic toyour friends. Good day.
Special Thanks
Thank you to all the following contributors and sources for helping us to create this guide : Marcovitch, Wowhead, Wowpedia
