Warlock PvE

Rotations & Guide · PvE · PvP · Builds · Abilities · Talent Calculator · Changes vs Classic

Warlocks are DoT and shadow casters with demon pets and strong self-sustain via Life Tap. Forever splits Curses and Banes (Bane of Agony and Bane of Doom can stack with a Curse like Curse of the Elements), adds Wrack as a channelled Affliction DoT amplifier, and adds Incinerate and Bane of Havoc for Destruction alongside the level 40 Conflagrate talent.

Affliction Warlock PvE guide

Affliction brings the most damage over time at 20: instant Corruption on every mob in a pull, Bane of Agony and a curse on the kill target, and Shadow Bolt in between. Suppression adds hit and cuts your threat, so you can dot freely without pulling mobs off the tank. Wrack, the Forever channel the spec is built around later, arrives at 40.

Your job in a group

Damage over time spread across the whole pull, with low threat thanks to Suppression. Curse of the Elements on the kill target makes it take more magic damage from every caster in the group, not just you. You have no interrupt at 20 and only one crowd control spell, Fear, which works on one mob and can send it running into another pack, so use it only when there is open space. Curse of Recklessness stops a mob from fleeing at low health and bringing friends back with it. Before bosses, put a Soulstone on the healer; between pulls, Ritual of Summoning brings missing group members to you, and the Imp's Blood Pact raises party members' Stamina. Leave the pulling to the tank.

Opener

Cooldowns

Stats

Spell Power, Shadow Damage, Hit, Intellect, Stamina, Spirit, Critical Strike. Every Affliction DoT scales with spell power, and in Forever Corruption, Bane of Agony and Immolate all have higher spell power coefficients than in Classic, so Spell Power and Shadow Damage come first. Hit keeps your DoTs from missing elites; Suppression already adds some. Intellect gives you Mana, Stamina gives Life Tap room, and Blizzard's notes say Life Tap converts more with Spirit. Critical Strike comes last: no Affliction talent builds on it.

Tips

Demonology Warlock PvE guide

Demonology plays through its demon. The group build keeps the Imp out, where Improved Imp makes its Firebolt and Fire Shield 30% stronger, and Fel Vitality gives you a bigger Mana pool. Destruction deals more damage of its own at 20; Demonology is the steadier choice, with more Stamina and Mana and a pet adding damage from range.

Your job in a group

Damage from you and the Imp together. The Imp stays at range, casts Firebolt at the tank's target, and gives the party Blood Pact for extra Stamina. Have it cast Fire Shield on the tank, so every enemy that hits the tank takes Fire damage back; Improved Imp makes that shield stronger. Curse of the Elements helps you, the Imp and every other caster. You have no interrupt at 20 and only Fear for control, which is risky in tight dungeons. Bring a Soulstone for the healer and a Healthstone for yourself, and use Ritual of Summoning to bring group members to the dungeon. Leave the pulling to the tank.

Opener

Cooldowns

Stats

Spell Power, Shadow Damage, Hit, Intellect, Stamina, Critical Strike, Spirit. Your own damage is Shadow Bolt, Corruption and Bane of Agony, so Spell Power and Shadow Damage come first, then Hit so it lands. Intellect and Fel Vitality together give you a deep Mana pool, and Stamina gives room for Life Tap. The client doesn't say whether your gear's stats carry over to the Imp, so don't count on them boosting its Firebolt.

Tips

Destruction Warlock PvE guide

Destruction deals the most personal damage at 20. Bane makes Shadow Bolt and Immolate cast faster, Cataclysm makes them cheaper, and Devastation adds critical strike chance. Bane of Havoc, new in Forever, copies part of your damage onto a second target. The tree has no threat reduction, so watch your threat.

Your job in a group

Single-target damage with a little cleave. Curse of the Elements goes on the kill target and Bane of Havoc on a second mob that will live a while, so part of the damage you deal to others also hits it. Rain of Fire handles packs. You have no threat reduction, so start a little after the tank and skip Searing Pain, which causes a high amount of threat. You have no interrupt at 20 and only Fear for control, which is risky in tight dungeons. Bring a Soulstone for the healer, keep a Healthstone, and use Ritual of Summoning to bring group members. Leave the pulling to the tank.

Opener

Cooldowns

Stats

Spell Power, Shadow Damage, Hit, Critical Strike, Intellect, Fire Damage, Stamina. Shadow Bolt is most of your damage at 20, so Spell Power and Shadow Damage come first, then Hit so it lands. Devastation adds crit, and at 30 Ruin makes crits hit much harder, so Critical Strike ranks higher for this spec than for the others. Intellect keeps you casting, and Fire Damage helps Immolate and Rain of Fire.

Tips

Checked against WoW Forever beta build 1.60.1.70009.

Warlock abilities