the simple mode for shadow wl uses 4 only when there are 3 spectral orbs
No, Simple Mode displays Dragon Call/Dragon Helix only when it's available (meaning enough orb to cast it) and not in GCD (the hidden cooldown that prevents from spamming a skill over 9999 times in a second, even if the description clearly states that is "instant cooldown".)
So, in Simple Mode, if "Empowered" Dragon Helix (costing only 1 orb) is not displayed even if you have 1 or more orbs, it means that the skill is in GCD - the irreducible cooldown that the skill has (note that cooldown is lower when you use Cursed Dragon Helix, buffed with Ravaging Curse). The speed you can recast Dragon Helix is determined by your ping and how the GCD compensation algorithm works.
After many tests on some classes (gunslinger, summoner, warlock), it appears that forcing the display of a skill that is under GCD "may" speed up the recast of that skill on normal and high ping (120 ms or more), reaching what you would have with low ping (100 ms or less). Meanwhile, you can understand that how the Simple Mode works, fusing all DPS skills into only 1 button, you can NOT do such optimization on only 1 button.
Furthermore, we can't change casting conditions of any Normal or Simple Mode. These parameters are not in XML and I think that nobody know how to modify this.
So, to boost your Dragon Helix rate in Simple Mode, you have to use 2 buttons AT LEAST, the first button that is forcing the display of Dragon Helix (even in cooldown) then the second that is the right button of Simple Mode.
