Warlock talent calculator and leveling order

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Other classes: Warrior, Paladin, Hunter, Rogue, Priest, Shaman, Mage, Druid

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 the channelled Affliction capstone, and gives Destruction the Conflagrate, Bane of Havoc and Incinerate talents.

Plan your Warlock talents for WoW Forever: click talents into the three trees and the calculator records the order you take them in, one talent per level, so you know what to pick at every level-up. Drag a level to move it, or click it to change its pick; every level is checked against the tree's tier and prerequisite rules. Share the build as a short link, load a recommended build in one click, and send the plan to the ForeverDB addon, which tells you where each new point goes in game.

Talent points in WoW Forever

From the Forever client (TraitCurrencySource): one talent point per level from 10 to 60, 51 in all. The Legacy perk Talented gives the same points up to 5 levels sooner (one more rank each at levels 9, 8, 7, 6 and 5). In each section a row needs 5 more points spent in the rows above it.

Warlock talents compared with Classic

Of the 52 talents in Forever's Warlock tree, 17 are new, 23 changed from Classic Era and 12 are the same. Classic talents Forever doesn't have: Improved Curse of Weakness (Affliction tier 2), Improved Drain Mana (Affliction tier 4), Improved Curse of Exhaustion (Affliction tier 5), Improved Healthstone (Demonology tier 1), Fel Stamina (Demonology tier 3), Improved Firestone (Demonology tier 5), Improved Spellstone (Demonology tier 7), Improved Firebolt (Destruction tier 3), Improved Lash of Pain (Destruction tier 3), Devastation (Destruction tier 3).

Recommended Warlock builds

Affliction: Instant Corruption and stronger drains (level 20)
Affliction: Hit and low threat for groups (level 20)
Affliction: Siphon Life and Nightfall (level 30)
Affliction: Affliction for groups at 30 (level 30)
Affliction: Wrack and Shadow Mastery leveling (level 40)
Affliction: Affliction for groups at 40 (level 40)
Affliction: Full Shadow crit leveling (level 50)
Affliction: Affliction with Bane and Improved Shadow Bolt (level 50)
Affliction: Affliction with Bane for open-world play (level 60)
Affliction: Affliction at 60 for dungeons (level 60)
Affliction: Instant DoTs and drain-tanking (level 20)
Affliction: Curse of Exhaustion kiting (level 30)
Affliction: Curse of Exhaustion and Wrack (level 40)
Affliction: Exhaustion, Wrack and Shadow crits (level 50)
Affliction: Affliction at 60 with Demonic Embrace (level 60)
Demonology: Tough Voidwalker leveling (level 20)
Demonology: Imp damage for groups (level 20)
Demonology: Soul Link leveling (level 30)
Demonology: Imp and Demonic Knowledge at 30 (level 30)
Demonology: Demonic Pact leveling (level 40)
Demonology: Sacrificed Imp and a Succubus (level 40)
Demonology: Demonic Pact with Unholy Power (level 50)
Demonology: Succubus Demonology with Bane (level 50)
Demonology: Demonic Pact with instant Corruption (level 60)
Demonology: Succubus Demonology at 60 (level 60)
Demonology: Tough Warlock with a Voidwalker shield (level 20)
Demonology: Soul Link and fast summons (level 30)
Demonology: Demonic Pact and Felhunter for PvP (level 40)
Demonology: Demonic Pact with Demonic Knowledge (level 50)
Demonology: Demonic Pact with instant Corruption (level 60)
Destruction: Fast casts, cheap spells (level 20)
Destruction: Fast Shadow Bolts for groups (level 20)
Destruction: Conflagrate leveling at 30 (level 30)
Destruction: Conflagrate and Bane of Havoc for groups (level 30)
Destruction: Incinerate leveling (level 40)
Destruction: Incinerate and Bane of Havoc for groups (level 40)
Destruction: Incinerate with full Ruin (level 50)
Destruction: Incinerate with Aftermath and Intensity (level 50)
Destruction: Destruction at 60 for open-world play (level 60)
Destruction: Destruction at 60 with Suppression (level 60)
Destruction: Shadowburn burst (level 20)
Destruction: Conflagrate daze and Intensity (level 30)
Destruction: Incinerate and Conflagrate daze (level 40)
Destruction: Conflagrate burst with full Ruin (level 50)
Destruction: Destruction at 60 with Demonic Embrace (level 60)

Popular builds

Seen in WoW Forever: 8 players (8 characters). How it works: signed-in players upload their Companion addon file (its Your talent builds setting records each character’s talents). Each character counts once per level range, at most 2 of one player’s, and no names are shown. A spec appears once 5 characters from 3 different players at that level range have uploaded, and a build once 2 players run it.

Levels 10–19

5 Warlock characters at Levels 10–19.

Affliction 4/0/0: 40% of Affliction characters (2 characters)

Levels 20–29

2 Warlock characters at Levels 20–29.

Affliction: Not enough players yet: 1 of the 5 characters needed, from at least 3 different players.
Destruction: Not enough players yet: 1 of the 5 characters needed, from at least 3 different players.

Levels 30–39

1 Warlock character at Levels 30–39.

Destruction: Not enough players yet: 1 of the 5 characters needed, from at least 3 different players.

Affliction talents

Tier 1: Improved Life Tap (2 ranks, level 10+): Increases the amount of Mana awarded by your Life Tap spell by 20%.
Tier 1: Suppression (changed from Classic) (5 ranks, level 10+): Improves your chance to hit by 5% and reduces all threat you generate by 20%. Classic: Reduces the chance for enemies to resist your Affliction spells by 10%.
Tier 1: Improved Corruption (changed from Classic) (5 ranks, level 10+): Reduces the casting time of your Corruption spell by 2 sec and increases the damage it deals by 10%. Classic: Reduces the casting time of your Corruption spell by 2 sec.
Tier 2: Grim Reach (2 ranks, level 15+): Increases the range of your Affliction spells by 20%.
Tier 2: Soul Harvest (new in Forever) (2 ranks, level 15+): Killing a non-trivial target afflicted by your Drain Soul increases your Mana regeneration by 100% for 10 sec and allows 100% of normal Mana regeneration to continue while casting.
Tier 2: Improved Drains (new in Forever) (3 ranks, level 15+): Increases Health drained, damage done, or Mana drained by your Drain Life, Drain Soul, and Drain Mana spells by 20%.
Tier 3: Improved Bane of Agony (changed from Classic) (2 ranks, level 20+): Increases the damage done by your Bane of Agony by 10%. Classic: Increases the damage done by your Curse of Agony by 6%.
Tier 3: Fel Concentration (changed from Classic) (3 ranks, level 20+): Gives your Drain Life, Drain Mana, Drain Soul, and Wrack spells a 70% chance to not lose casting time when you take damage. Classic: Gives you a 70% chance to avoid interruption caused by damage while channeling the Drain Life, Drain Mana, or Drain Soul spell.
Tier 3: Amplify Curse (1 rank, level 20+): Increases the effect of your next Curse of Weakness or Bane of Agony by 50%, or your next Curse of Exhaustion by 20%. Lasts 30 sec.
Tier 3: Pandemic (new in Forever) (3 ranks, level 20+): Increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Corruption, Bane of Agony, Bane of Doom, Drain Soul, Drain Life, Siphon Life, and Wrack spells by 100%.
Tier 4: Malevolence (new in Forever) (5 ranks, level 25+): Increases the critical effect chance of your Shadow spells by 5%.
Tier 4: Nightfall (2 ranks, level 25+): Gives your Corruption, Drain Soul, Drain Life, and Wrack spells a 4% chance to cause you to enter a Shadow Trance after damaging the opponent. The Shadow Trance reduces the casting time of your next Shadow Bolt spell by 100%.
Tier 4: Curse of Exhaustion (changed from Classic) (1 rank, level 25+): Reduces the target's movement speed by 30% for 12 sec. Only one Curse per Warlock can be active on any one target. Classic: Reduces the target's movement speed by 10% for 12 sec. Only one Curse per Warlock can be active on any one target.
Tier 5: Siphon Life (changed from Classic) (1 rank, level 30+): Transfers 11 health from the target to the caster every 3 sec. Lasts 30 sec. Classic: Transfers 15 health from the target to the caster every 3 sec. Lasts 30 sec.
Tier 5: Soul Siphon (changed from Classic) (3 ranks, level 30+): Increases the damage done or health drained by your Drain Life, Drain Soul, and Wrack spells by 12% per each of your other Affliction effects active on the target, up to a maximum increase of 36%. Classic: Increases the Health drained by your Drain Life spell by 10%.
Tier 6: Shadow Mastery (5 ranks, level 35+): Increases the damage dealt or life drained by your Shadow spells by 10%.
Tier 7: Wrack (new in Forever) (1 rank, level 40+): Tears the target apart from within, inflicting 86 Shadow damage every 1 sec and increasing the damage they take from your other Shadow damage over time effects by 10% for 6 sec. (Numbers at level 60; they grow with your level.)

Demonology talents

Tier 1: Improved Health Funnel (changed from Classic) (2 ranks, level 10+): Increases the amount of health transferred by your Health Funnel spell by 40%, reduces its health cost by 30%, and reduces all threat your Health Funnel generates by 100%. Allows Health Funnel to be used regardless of your demon's health. Classic: Increases the amount of Health transferred by your Health Funnel spell by 20%.
Tier 1: Improved Imp (changed from Classic) (3 ranks, level 10+): Increases the damage of your Imp's Firebolt spell by 30% and the effect of its Fire Shield spell by 30%. Classic: Increases the effect of your Imp's Firebolt, Fire Shield, and Blood Pact spells by 30%.
Tier 1: Demonic Embrace (changed from Classic) (5 ranks, level 10+): Increases your total Stamina by 15%. Classic: Increases your total Stamina by 15% but reduces your total Spirit by 5%.
Tier 1: Unholy Power (changed from Classic) (5 ranks, level 10+): Increases all damage done by your Imp, Voidwalker, Succubus, Incubus, and Felhunter pets by 10%. Classic: Increases the damage done by your Voidwalker, Succubus, Incubus, and Felhunter's melee attacks by 20%.
Tier 2: Demonic Aegis (new in Forever) (2 ranks, level 15+): Increases the effectiveness of your Demon Skin and Demon Armor spells by 30%.
Tier 2: Improved Voidwalker (3 ranks, level 15+): Increases the effectiveness of your Voidwalker's Torment, Consume Shadows, Sacrifice, and Suffering spells by 30%.
Tier 2: Fel Vitality (changed from Classic) (3 ranks, level 15+): Increases the maximum health and Mana of your Imp, Voidwalker, Succubus, Incubus, and Felhunter by 15%, and increases your maximum Mana by 15%. Classic: Increases the maximum Mana of your Imp, Voidwalker, Succubus, Incubus, and Felhunter by 15%.
Tier 2: Demonic Energies (new in Forever) (2 ranks, level 15+): You heal your pet for 15% of all spell damage you deal. When you gain Mana from Life Tap, your summoned demon gains 100% of the Mana you gain.
Tier 3: Improved Sayaad (3 ranks, level 20+): Increases the effect of your Succubus' and Incubus' Lash of Pain and Soothing Kiss spells by 30%, and increases the duration of your Succubus' and Incubus' Seduction and Lesser Invisibility spells by 30%.
Tier 3: Demonic Sacrifice (changed from Classic) (1 rank, level 20+): When activated, sacrifices your summoned Demon to enhance the opposing aspect of your power, granting you an effect that lasts 2 hours. The effect is canceled if any Demon is summoned. Imp: Increases your Shadow damage by 15%. Voidwalker: Restores 2% of your total Mana every 4 sec. Succubus/Incubus: Increases your Fire damage by 15%. Felhunter: Restores 3% of your total Health every 4 sec. Classic: When activated, sacrifices your summoned demon to grant you an effect that lasts 30 min. The effect is canceled if any Demon is summoned. Imp: Increases your Fire damage by 15%. Voidwalker: Restores 3% of total Health every 4 sec. Succubus/Incubus: Increases your Shadow damage by 15%. Felhunter: Restores 2% of total Mana every 4 sec.
Tier 3: Master Summoner (2 ranks, level 20+): Reduces the casting time of your Imp, Voidwalker, Succubus, Incubus, and Felhunter Summoning spells by 4 sec and the Mana cost by 40%.
Tier 4: Decimation (new in Forever) (2 ranks, level 25+): Reduces the cooldown of your Soul Fire spell by 90%. When you cast Shadow Bolt or Searing Pain on an enemy below 35% health, they deal 6% increased damage, and for the next 10 sec your Soul Fire spell has its cast time reduced by 40% and costs no Soul Shards.
Tier 4: Fel Domination (1 rank, level 25+): Your next Imp, Voidwalker, Succubus, Incubus, or Felhunter Summon spell has its casting time reduced by 5.5 sec and its Mana cost reduced by 50%.
Tier 4: Demonic Brand (new in Forever) (3 ranks, level 25+): Your Searing Pain generates 50% less threat and brands the target for 10 sec. Your pet's next 6 attacks against the target deal 65 to 68 (scales with Fire spell power and Shadow spell power) Fire or Shadow damage based on the pet. If Shadow damage is dealt, it has high threat. (Numbers at level 60; they grow with your level.)
Tier 5: Improved Felhunter (new in Forever) (3 ranks, level 30+): Increases the Attack Power reduction of your Felhunter's Tainted Blood, the healing of its Devour Magic, and the detection level of its Paranoia by 30%, and reduces the cooldown of its Spell Lock by 6 sec.
Tier 5: Soul Link (1 rank, level 30+): When active, 30% of all damage taken by the caster is taken by your Imp, Voidwalker, Succubus, Incubus, or Felhunter Demon instead. In addition, both the Demon and the master will inflict 3% more damage. Lasts as long as the Demon is active.
Tier 5: Demonic Knowledge (new in Forever) (3 ranks, level 30+): Increases your spell damage and your Demon pet's spell damage by up to 100% of your level while you have a summoned Demon pet active.
Tier 6: Master Demonologist (changed from Classic) (5 ranks, level 35+): Grants both the Warlock and the summoned demon an effect as long as that demon is active. Imp - Increases Fire damage done by 10%. Voidwalker - Reduces Physical damage taken by 10%. Succubus/Incubus - Increases Shadow damage done by 10%. Felhunter - Reduces Magic damage taken by 10%. Classic: Grants both the Warlock and the summoned demon an effect as long as that demon is active. Imp - Reduces threat caused by 20%. Voidwalker - Reduces physical damage taken by 10%. Succubus/Incubus - Increases all damage caused by 10%. Felhunter - Increases all resistances by 1 per level.
Tier 7: Demonic Pact (new in Forever) (1 rank, level 40+): Your Demonic Sacrifice effect is no longer cancelled by summoning a different Demon pet. Resummoning the sacrificed pet will still cancel the effect.

Destruction talents

Tier 1: Destructive Reach (2 ranks, level 10+): Increases the range of your Destruction spells by 20%.
Tier 1: Improved Shadow Bolt (changed from Classic) (5 ranks, level 10+): Your Shadow Bolt critical strikes increase Shadow damage taken by the target from your attacks by 20% for 12 sec. Classic: Your Shadow Bolt critical strikes increase Shadow damage dealt to the target by 20% until 4 non-periodic damage sources are applied. Effect lasts a maximum of 12 sec.
Tier 1: Bane (5 ranks, level 10+): Reduces the casting time of your Shadow Bolt, Immolate, and Incinerate spells by 0.5 sec and your Soul Fire spell by 2 sec.
Tier 2: Molten Skin (new in Forever) (5 ranks, level 15+): Reduces all damage taken by 10%.
Tier 2: Cataclysm (changed from Classic) (3 ranks, level 15+): Reduces the Mana cost of your Destruction spells by 10%. Classic: Reduces the Mana cost of your Destruction spells by 5%.
Tier 2: Aftermath (changed from Classic) (5 ranks, level 15+): Increases the initial damage of your Immolate spell by 50% and your Conflagrate spell has a 100% chance to Daze the target, reducing the target's movement speed by 50% for 5 sec. Classic: Gives your Destruction spells a 10% chance to daze the target for 5 sec.
Tier 3: Ruin (changed from Classic) (5 ranks, level 20+): Increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Destruction spells by 100%. Classic: Increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Destruction spells by 100%.
Tier 3: Shadowburn (changed from Classic) (1 rank, level 20+): Instantly blasts the target for 62 to 70 Shadow damage. If a non-trivial target dies within 8 sec of being hit with Shadowburn, the caster gains a Soul Shard. Classic: Instantly blasts the target for 87 to 99 Shadow damage. If the target dies within 5 sec of Shadowburn, and yields experience or honor, the caster gains a Soul Shard.
Tier 4: Intensity (changed from Classic) (3 ranks, level 25+): Gives your Destruction spells a 70% chance to not lose casting time when you take damage. Classic: Gives you a 70% chance to resist interruption caused by damage while channeling the Rain of Fire, Hellfire or Soul Fire spell.
Tier 4: Agonizing Flames (changed from Classic) (3 ranks, level 25+): Increases the critical strike chance of your Searing Pain spell by 10% and the damage done by all your Destruction spells by 10%. Classic: Increases the critical strike chance of your Searing Pain spell by 10%.
Tier 4: Conflagrate (changed from Classic) (1 rank, level 25+): Ignites a target that is already afflicted by your Immolate spell, dealing 84 to 106 Fire damage and consuming your Immolate effect. Classic: Ignites a target that is already afflicted by Immolate, dealing 240 to 306 Fire damage and consuming the Immolate spell.
Tier 5: Pyroclasm (changed from Classic) (2 ranks, level 30+): Gives your Soul Fire spell a 26% chance to Stun the target for 3 sec, and your Rain of Fire and Hellfire spells a 26% chance over their duration to Stun targets they damage for 3 sec. Classic: Gives your Rain of Fire, Hellfire, and Soul Fire spells a 26% chance to stun the target for 3 sec.
Tier 5: Bane of Havoc (new in Forever) (1 rank, level 30+): Afflicts the target for 5 min, causing 15% of all damage done by the Warlock to other targets to also be dealt to the cursed target. Bane of Havoc is limited to 1 target, and only one Bane per Warlock can be active on any one target.
Tier 5: Fire and Brimstone (new in Forever) (3 ranks, level 30+): Increases the critical strike chance of your Conflagrate spell by 25%.
Tier 6: Shadow and Flame (new in Forever) (5 ranks, level 35+): Hitting an enemy with Conflagrate increases all Shadow damage you deal by 20% for 20 sec, and hitting an enemy with Shadowburn increases all Fire damage you deal by 20% for 20 sec. In addition, Conflagrate has a 100% chance not to consume Immolate, and Shadowburn has a 100% chance to instantly refund a Soul Shard.
Tier 7: Incinerate (new in Forever) (1 rank, level 40+): Deals 90 to 104 Fire damage to your target and an additional 25% damage if the target is afflicted by Immolate.

Best in slot gear at any level: Affliction, Demonology, Destruction

Warlock abilities

Demon Skin (level 1)
Immolate (level 1)
Shadow Bolt (level 1)
Summon Imp (level 1, from the Classic class quest Piercing the Veil)
Corruption (level 4)
Curse of Weakness (level 4)
Life Tap (level 6)
Bane of Agony (level 8)
Fear (level 8)
Create Healthstone (level 10)
Drain Soul (level 10)
Summon Voidwalker (level 10, from the Classic class quest The Binding)
Health Funnel (level 12)
Curse of Recklessness (level 14)
Drain Life (level 14)
Unending Breath (level 16)
Create Soulstone (level 18)
Searing Pain (level 18)
Curse of the Elements (level 20)
Demon Armor (level 20)
Rain of Fire (level 20)
Ritual of Summoning (level 20)
Summon Incubus (level 20)
Summon Succubus (level 20, from the Classic class quest The Binding)
Eye of Kilrogg (level 22)
Drain Mana (level 24)
Sense Demons (level 24)
Curse of Tongues (level 26)
Detect Invisibility (level 26)
Banish (level 28)
Create Firestone (level 28)
Hellfire (level 30)
Hellfire Effect (level 30)
Subjugate Demon (level 30)
Summon Felhunter (level 30, from the Classic class quest The Binding)
Shadow Ward (level 32)
Create Spellstone (level 36)
Curse of Idiocy (level 38)
Howl of Terror (level 40)
Death Coil (level 42)
Soul Fire (level 48)
Inferno (level 50, from the Classic class quest Kroshius' Infernal Core)
Bane of Doom (level 60)
Portal of Summoning (level 60)
Ritual of Doom (level 60, from the Classic class quest Suppression)
Ritual of Doom Effect (level 60)

Data from the WoW Forever client, build 1.60.1.70862, extracted 2026-11-09.