Warlock

Warlock
Favored by	Blood elf  Dwarf  Forsaken  Gnome  Goblin  Human  Orc  Troll  Worgen
Role(s)	Ranged DPS
Specializations	Affliction (ranged DPS) Demonology (ranged DPS) Destruction (ranged DPS)
Resource(s)	Primary: Mana Secondary: [Soul Shards], [Demonic Fury] or [Burning Embers]
Primary attribute	Intellect
Weapon proficiency	Staff, Wand, Dagger, One-handed Sword and held in off-hand items excluding shields and weapons
Armor proficiency	Cloth
Skill(s)	Summons various demonic minions, [Shadow Bolt], [Drain Life], Enslave Demon, [Chaos Bolt]

Classes
Class races	Death Knight	Demon Hunter	Druid	Ev	Hunter	Mage	Monk	Paladin	Priest	Rogue	Shaman	Warlock	Warrior
Quests	Death Knight	Demon Hunter	Druid	Evuid	Hunter	Mage	Monk	Paladin	Priest	Rogue	Shaman	Warlock	Warrior
Abilities	Death Knight	Demon Hunter	Druid	Evuid	Hunter	Mage	Monk	Paladin	Priest	Rogue	Shaman	Warlock	Warrior
Trainers	Death Knight	Demon Hunter	Druid	-	Hunter	Mage	Monk	Paladin	Priest	Rogue	Shaman	Warlock	Warrior
Armor sets	Death Knight	Demon Hunter	Druid	Evuid	Hunter	Mage	Monk	Paladin	Priest	Rogue	Shaman	Warlock	Warrior
Useful macros	Death Knight	Demon Hunter	Druid	-	Hunter	Mage	Monk	Paladin	Priest	Rogue	Shaman	Warlock	Warrior
Class Halls	Death Knight	Demon Hunter	Druid	-	Hunter	Mage	Monk	Paladin	Priest	Rogue	Shaman	Warlock	Warrior

"Behold those who have power, and who are not afraid to wield it. Behold... the warlocks!"

– Gul'dan

The warlock is a damage-dealing spell-caster class, known for their wide range of debuffs and damage over time effects. Warlocks are also recognisable by their demonic minions, used to deal damage to foes, as well as to provide both offensive and defensive utility.

Warlocks are magical practitioners that seek to understand darker, fel-based magics, including destructive spells. While many warlocks willingly follow the Burning Legion, there are those who work against it, using their magic to fight against evil. Warlocks have proven themselves to be powerful allies - as well as powerful foes.

Warlocks have a number of crowd control options, and a wide range of utility spells, which can be used to benefit the entire group. Warlocks also have an interesting relationship with health, capable of converting their health into mana, sacrificing their minions to save themselves, and even trading their own blood in exchange for powerful effects, and possess numerous dark methods for restoring their health, including draining the life from their enemies, and bringing themselves or their allies back from the dead through Soulstones. Warlocks expend mana to cast their spells, but can also draw upon other, darker resources to empower and transform their abilities, harvesting the souls of their enemies, fuelling their powers with demonic fury and even allowing the fel fire they command to engulf them entirely.

Warlocks are renowned for their damage over time (DoT) spells and sinister Shadow magic, as well for summoning demonic minions and their ability to wreak havoc with destructive Fire spells. Warlocks can specialize in any of these areas: Affliction warlocks are the masters of damage over time, draining their targets' health with an array of powerful debuffs; Demonology warlocks summon improved demons to do their bidding, drawing power from their minions and even transforming into demons themselves; while Destruction warlocks call down a rain of fire upon their enemies, specializing in potent burst damage and Fire spells.

Being a warlock demands certain things: being able to engage multiple targets simultaneously while keeping tabs on your minion, to make split-second strategic decisions on cast rotations depending on the situation, and careful resource and cooldown management. Being a warlock also offers many rewards: they are PvP powerhouses due to their powerful crowd-control and sustained damage abilities, and in PvE their damage output is among the highest in both single and multiple target situations.

Class overview

In the face of demonic power, most heroes see death. Warlocks see only opportunity. Dominance is their aim, and they have found a path to it in the dark arts. These voracious spellcasters summon demonic minions to fight beside them. At first, they command only the service of imps, but as a warlock’s knowledge grows, seductive succubi, loyal voidwalkers, and horrific felhunters join the dark sorcerer’s ranks to wreak havoc on anyone who stands in their master’s way. Warlocks can ignite distant enemies in searing flame, send them fleeing in terror and pain, or afflict them with corrupting diseases and curses that steal the victim’s vitality.

These practitioners of the profane are feared across Azeroth, and many who have felt their wrath now prefer to fight alongside a warlock than against one.

Warlocks burn and destroy weakened foes with a combination of crippling illnesses and dark magic. While their demon pets protect and enhance them, warlocks strike at their enemies from a distance. As physically weak spellcasters bereft of heavy armor, cunning warlocks allow their minions to take the brunt of enemy attacks in order to save their own skin.

Warlocks are the most volatile and insatiable of spellcasters. Though they often pledge themselves to the service of noble causes and are not innately evil, their desire to understand darker magics and exercise unwavering command over demonic forces breeds mistrust among even their closest allies. Warlocks peer into the Void without hesitation, leveraging the chaos they glimpse within to devastating ends in battle—their greatest abilities are fueled by the souls they’ve harvested from their victims. They exploit powerful Shadow magic to manipulate and degrade the minds and bodies of their enemies. They employ Fire magic, dropping hellish rain from the sky, to immolate the opposition. They summon and command indomitable demons from the Twisting Nether to do their bidding, or even to be sacrificed as the Warlock sees fit, empowering and protecting the dark caster from harm.

Background

Born of the Eredar race, warlocks are absolutely corrupt and unimaginably powerful. Their chaos magics have burnt out whole worlds and annihilated countless species over the aeons. Kil'jaeden taught the orcs the secrets of warlock magics, but the orcs could never master the powers of entropy and destruction as well the wicked Eredar. Under Archimonde's command, the warlocks serve as the Legion's tacticians and strategists – Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos Manual - Warlock

Nearly twenty-five thousand years ago, the eredar race arose on the world of Argus. They were extremely intelligent and had a natural affinity for magic in all its myriad forms. Using their gifts, they developed a vast and wondrous society. Unfortunately the eredar's accomplishments caught the attention of Sargeras, the Destroyer of Worlds. He had already begun his Burning Crusade to eradicate all life from the cosmos, and he believed that the brilliant eredar would be pivotal in leading the vast demonic army he was gathering. Thus, he contacted the eredar's three most prominent leaders: Kil'jaeden, Archimonde, and Velen. In exchange for the loyalty of the eredar race, Sargeras offered untold power and knowledge.

Although the offer sounded very tempting, Velen had a vision of the future that filled him with sick dread. Sargeras had spoken the truth: the eredar who joined the Dark Titan would indeed gain enormous power and knowledge. However, the eredar would themselves be transformed into demons. Velen saw the Legion in all its terrible might and witnessed the destruction it would wreak upon all of creation. He hastened to warn Kil'jaeden and Archimonde, but they dismissed his concerns, for they had been enticed by Sargeras' promises. They gave Sargeras their allegiance and were transformed into colossal beings of depthless evil. The sheer power that Sargeras commanded made direct opposition unthinkable. Velen nearly despaired, but his prayer for help was overheard. A being came to Velen and explained that it was one of the naaru, a race of sentient energy beings bent on stopping the Burning Crusade. The naaru offered to take Velen and any other like-minded eredar to safety. Deeply relieved, Velen gathered the other eredar who had thus far refused to join Sargeras. Naming themselves the draenei, or "exiled ones" in the Eredun language, the renegades barely escaped from Argus, with the Burning Legion only moments behind.

At Kalimdor's center was a mysterious lake of incandescent energies. The lake, which would later be called the Well of Eternity, was the true heart of the world's magic and natural power. Drawing its energies from the infinite Great Dark beyond the world, the Well acted as a mystical fount, sending its potent energies out across the world to nourish life in all its wondrous forms. In time, a primitive tribe of nocturnal humanoids cautiously made their way to the edges of the mesmerizing, enchanted lake. The feral, nomadic humanoids, drawn by the Well's cosmic power affected the strange tribe, making them strong, wise and virtually immortal. The tribe adopted the name, Kaldorei, which meant "children of the stars" in their native tongue. The Kaldorei grew powerful from their use of magic, but they did not understand its nature. They did not understand that there were other, powerful forces in the Great Dark Beyond, moving in the space between worlds, that hungers after magic and were very interested in any who tamed it and refined it to their own ends. The Highborne's reckless use of magic sent ripples of energy spiraling out from the Well of Eternity and into the Great Dark Beyond. The streaming ripples of energy were felt by terrible alien minds. Sargeras - the Great Enemy of all life, the Destroyer of Worlds - felt the potent ripples and was drawn to their distant point of origin. Spying the primordial world of Azeroth and sensing the limitless energies of the Well of Eternity, Sargeras was consumed by an insatiable hunger. The great dark god of the Nameless Void resolved to destroy the fledgling world and claim its energies as his own. Only by the heroic actions of a few was the shimmering doorway through the Great Dark shut, exiling Sargeras and his followers. But the very was at great cost. The Well of Eternity exploded when the doorway was shut down, and the resulting explosion ripped the heart out of Azeroth, destroying the Kaldorei lands and the very continent it rested upon.

The race of humans survived those dark days as well, and thrived, and soon, with magical energy worked into the fabric of the world itself, they too were scratching at the doors of reality, beginning to summon creatures from the Great Dark, prying at the shut gates of Sargeras's prison. That was when the Kaldorei who had survived and changed themselves came forward with the story of how their ancestors had almost destroyed the world. The first human mages considered what the surviving Kaldorei had said, and realized that even were they to lay down their wands and grimoires and ciphers, that others would seek, innocently or less so, ways to allow the demons access once more to their green lands.

Kil'jaeden was furious with what he felt was Velen's betrayal, and the demon vowed to hunt Velen and the rest of the draenei to the ends of the cosmos if need be. The Legion chased the draenei for many thousands of years. The draenei visited many worlds and explored much of the known cosmos in their quest to find safe harbor. Still the Legion would not give up its pursuit. Meanwhile, the enigmatic naaru race blessed the draenei with Light-given knowledge and power. The naaru explained that there were other forces in the cosmos that would stand against the Burning Legion. One day the naaru would forge them into a single unstoppable army of the Light. Deeply affected by the naaru's words, the draenei vowed to honor the Light and uphold the naaru's altruistic ideals. Eventually Velen and his draenei settled upon a remote and peaceful world that seemed an ideal refuge. They named it Draenor, or "Exiles' Refuge", and there they quietly cultivated their society once again. Ever wary of being discovered again by Kil'jaeden's forces, Velen and his mystics kept their magics hidden for generations.

In time the draenei met and befriended the shamanistic orc clans that already lived in the tranquil southern grasslands of Nagrand. Aside from engaging in some limited trade, the draenei and orcs regarded one another with respect but kept mostly to themselves. In spite of the draenei's caution, Kil'jaeden discovered their secret refuge on Draenor. He learned more of the world and its inhabitants, and he grew intrigued by the mighty orc race. A plan unfolded in his mind, and the demon lord began to laugh. He could see precisely how to mold the orcs into the instrument of his wrath. It was merely a matter of time and pressure. He enthralled the elder orc shaman, Ner'zhul, in much the same way that Sargeras brought Queen Azshara under his control in ages past. Using the cunning shaman as his conduit, the demon spread battle lust and savagery throughout the orc clans. Before long, the spiritual race was transformed into a bloodthirsty people. Kil'jaeden then urged Ner'zhul and his people to take the last step: to give themselves over entirely to the pursuit of death and war. Yet the old shaman, sensing that his people would be enslaved to hatred forever, somehow resisted the demon's command.

Frustrated by Ner'zhul's resistance, Kil'jaeden searched for another orc who would deliver his people into the Legion's hands. The clever demonlord finally found the willing disciple he sought - Ner'zhul's ambitious apprentice, Gul'dan. Kil'jaeden promised Gul'dan untold power in exchange for his utter obedience. The young orc became an avid student of demonic magic and developed into the most powerful mortal warlock in history. He taught other young orcs the arcane arts and strove to eradicate the orcs' shamanistic traditions. Gul'dan showed a new brand of magic to his brethren, a terrible new power that reeked of doom. Kil'jaeden, seeking to tighten his hold over the orcs, helped Gul'dan found the Shadow Council, a secretive sect that manipulated the clans and spread the use of warlock magics throughout Draenor. As more and more orcs began to wield warlock magics, the gentle fields and streams of Draenor began to blacken and fade. Over time, the vast prairies the orcs had called home for generations withered away, leaving only red barren soil. The demon energies were slowly killing the world.

First War

This section concerns content related to Warcraft: Orcs & Humans.

Main article: Warlock (Warcraft I)

The Orc Warlock chess piece in World of Warcraft.

During the First War, the warlocks were the most powerful of the orcish sects, these dark brethren of Hades went where none others dared in search of ultimate power. Their towers held the keys to unleashing the very essence of evil upon those they saw as a threat to their devious plans. Spells that channelled the fire and brimstone of hell through their bodies, or could summon forth great creatures - even daemons - were theirs to use.

There are references to a Warlock clan though they may be euphemisms for more formally named clans, such as the Shadowmoon clan and Stormreaver clan, who might have included warlocks in their ranks. Perhaps they refer to the warlock class as a group, not unique to any clan.

Second War

This section concerns content related to Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness or its expansion Beyond the Dark Portal.

The warlocks of the Horde were slaughtered by Orgrim Doomhammer. Gul'dan later imbued some of their spirits into the death knights, while the magical energies of other long dead warlocks were infused into the bodies of the ogre magi.

Third War

This section concerns content related to Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos or its expansion The Frozen Throne.

Main article: Orc Warlock (Warcraft III)

During the Third War, orc warlocks still served the goals of the Old Horde, especially among the ranks of the Blackrock Warlocks.

Quotes about warlocks

• "Warlocks go after spells like an addict to a poppy plant. It's revolting."

— Aegwynn

• "We may operate in the shadows of polite society, but out here on the battlefront our powers are properly respected at last."

— Visiting Warlocks

Notable warlocks

Name	Role	Status	Location
Archimonde	The Defiler, Eredar Overlord of the Legion forces	Alive	Hellfire Citadel
Kil'jaeden	The Deceiver, acting leader of the Burning Legion	Alive	Sunwell Plateau
Gul'dan	First orcish warlock, Master of the Shadow Council, Chieftain of the Stormreaver clan	Deceased	Died in the Tomb of Sargeras
Cho'gall	Leader of the Twilight's Hammer	Deceased	Various Locations
Medivh	The Last Guardian of Tirisfal	Unknown	Various Locations
Nekros Skullcrusher	Second-in-command to the Dragonmaw clan	Deceased	Unknown
Meryl Felstorm	Member of the Council of Tirisfal, founding member of the New Council	Active	Hall of the Guardian
Ner'zhul	Warlord of the Shadowmoon Clan. Uses Void magic.	Deceased	Various Locations
Wilfred Fizzlebang	Master Summoner of the Argent Tournament	Deceased	Trial of the Crusader; Crusaders' Coliseum, Icecrown

Organizations

• Shadow Council, its alternate self and its cults: the Burning Blade clan, the Searing Blade, the Argus Wake, the Cult of the Dark Strand, the Cabal, the Sargerei
• Ratchet Warlock coven
• Council of the Black Harvest

Abilities

Summoning

Elithys Firestorm, a blood elven warlock, and her succubus.

Tarn Darkwalker, an orcish warlock, and his voidwalker, Neqzon.

Warlocks are adept at summoning their allies to their presence, whether said allies are other heroes or bloodthirsty demons. Warlocks bind demons to their will; these infernal denizens defend their masters with their lives or rain death upon their enemies.

Warlocks have access to spells that summon these demonic entities:

• [Summon Imp] - Imps are small, cackling demons. This creature is best used for support of a larger group.
• [Summon Voidwalker] - The voidwalkers' strength and endurance are significant, making them ideal for defense.
• [Summon Succubus] - A creature of incredible mental powers, a succubus can lull those of weak minds into its servitude.
• Eye of Kilrogg - A demonic eye sentry that is used for scouting.
• [Summon Felhunter] - Felhunters feed on magical energies ... and those who wield them.
• [Summon Felguard] - Soldiers of the Burning Legion, felguard can be controlled only by those most skilled in the demonic arts. They serve as warriors for warlocks specialized in Demonology.

In addition to these normal minions the warlocks can summon two greater demons to defend them for a short time:

• [Summon Infernal] - A guardian useful in AOE situations
• [Summon Doomguard] - A guardian useful in single target situations

The warlock can also summon Nightmare steeds into their service as mounts:

• Felsteed - A basic mount
• [Dreadsteed] - A much faster mount

Warlocks may also use Enslave Demon on some demons, forcing them to serve as their minions for a short time.

Ranged Damage

Warlocks deliver fire and shadow damage with their spells, and they’re able to hurt others both instantly and with ongoing afflictions.

Demonic Resources

Warlocks make use of burning embers, demonic fury or soul shards to empower their own spells, making them swifter or more deadly.

Races

Kelena Ashford, an undead warlock.

Main article: Warlock races

The warlock class can be played by the following races:

			Strength	Agility	Stamina	Intellect	Spirit	Armor	Health	Mana
Alliance	Dwarf		22	16	24	21	21	33	63	125
	Gnome		15	22	21	26	22	44	53	200
	Human		20	20	21	22	22	40	53	140
	Worgen		23	22	21	18	21	N/A
	Void elf		N/A
	Dark Iron		N/A
	Mechagnome		N/A
Horde	Blood elf		17	22	21	25	20	44	53	185
	Goblin		17	22	21	25	20	N/A
	Orc		23	17	22	19	24	34	63	109
	Troll		21	22	22	18	23	N/A
	Undead		19	18	21	20	27	36	53	110
	Nightborne		N/A
	Vulpera		N/A

The only races unable (or unwilling) to be warlocks are the night elves, the tauren, the draenei and the pandaren.

Racial traits

Each race comes with its own racial traits. Below is a brief list of the abilities that interact directly with the warlock's abilities, playstyle and needs in specific situations; other racials are not listed. For a complete list, see Racial trait.

Hunrik Blackiron, a dark dwarf warlock.

Dwarf

• [Stoneform] is a useful defence and debuff-dispelling cooldown which can be useful in PvP and PvE.
• [Frost Resistance] can be useful in reducing damage taken, especially versus frost mages.

Gnome

• [Expansive Mind] is one of the most important mage beneficial racial abilities as it increases mana by 5%. Note that it increases mana pool but not Intellect, spell power or spell critical.
• [Escape Artist] removes snares and speed reduction effects. Usable to PvP and certain PvE encounters. (Note: does not remove stun effects).

Helena Demonfire, a human warlock.

Human

• Every Man for Himself is another beneficial trait enabling players to remove all incapacitating effects on the character (Slow, stun, fear, immobilize effects)

Worgen

• [Viciousness] is another of the most warlock beneficial racial abilities as it increases spell critical strike by 1%
• [Darkflight] enables the player to move faster. Usable in both PvP and PvE encounters.

Blood elf

• [Arcane Torrent] Provides a similar mana increase too life tap without the loss in health. Due to its limit in AoE range, it has limited use in Boss PvE encounters and is half effective on PvP.
• [Arcane Acuity] increases spell critical strike rate by 1%, therefore is handy in both PvP and PvE. It is worth noting that this passive assures higher damage of [Chaos Bolt] (Destruction specialization).

Goblin

• [Rocket Barrage] as small damage ability.
• [Rocket Jump] similar to [Blink] for use in PvE and PvP. Can be used to stay out of the fire.
• [Time is Money] is a slight reduction in casting time.

Orc

• [Blood Fury] gives an increase in spell power whenever activated.
• [Hardiness] a 15% reduction in the total time of stun effects.
• [Command] increases damage dealt by all minions by 5%, especially useful for Demonology warlocks.

Troll

• [Berserking] Provides a buff that increases casting speed which will also provide the warlock with one of it's few cool downs besides trinkets, 3 minutes cooldown but the most important is that unlike [Bloodlust] does not place a 10 minutes debuff thus making it an extremely beneficial racial ability.
• [Regeneration] is useful as an additional health regeneration effect, especially beneficial on long encounters, useful with [Life Tap].
• [Da Voodoo Shuffle] has use in both PvE and PvP.
• [Beast Slaying] increases damage dealt versus Beasts by 5%, which can be helpful for PvE.

Undead

• [Will of the Forsaken] is usable in all cases in PvP and PvE when losing control of character (does not include slow or immobilize effects)
• [Touch of the Grave] adds a chance to deal Shadow damage and heal oneself when attacking. This is a significant DPS increase.

In the RPG

This section contains information from the Warcraft RPG which is considered non-canon.

Warlocks are masters of the dark arts, devoted to furthering their understanding and use of shadow and Fire based magics, along with the summoning of demons from within the Twisting Nether. They first appeared on Azeroth during the First War, when Gul'dan, the first of their kind among the invading orc clans of Draenor, led the Horde across the dimensional gulf through the Dark Portal while in servitude to the Burning Legion.

Specializations

For a full list of specialization abilities, see Warlock abilities

Affliction

A master of shadow magic who specializes in drains and damage-over-time spells.

Affliction warlocks are the masters of damage over time spells, plaguing their enemies with an array of Curses and DoTs. Affliction locks can snare attackers with the [Curse of Exhaustion], and afflict them with DoTs such as [Agony] and [Unstable Affliction], the latter serving to prevent other DoTs from being dispelled. Affliction warlocks' periodic effects are further improved by their mastery [Mastery: Potent Afflictions], and can be quickly spread or transferred between targets with [Soul Swap] and  [Glyph of Soul Swap]. Affliction warlocks gain [Soul Shards] as a secondary resource, which can be used to empower certain spells.

Affliction warlocks are masters of shadow-touched powers, but unlike shadow priests—deadliest when pushed to the brink of insanity—these warlocks delight in using fel forces to cause intense pain and suffering in others. They revel in corrupting minds and agonizing souls, leaving enemies in a state of torment that would see them undone in due time. Even the most battle-hardened warriors can be deceived, landing blow after blow against the warlock, only to succumb to their suffering as their very vitality is siphoned away by the dark spellcaster.

Demonology

A master of demons who compels demonic powers to aid him.

Demonology warlocks transform themselves into demons in order to crush their foes, with their dark [Metamorphosis] empowering their attacks and granting them fiendish new powers. As well as improving their damage and survivability, these warlocks' demonic mastery empowers their minions ( [Mastery: Master Demonologist], [Demonic Rebirth]) and grants them new demons to command ( [Wild Imps], [Doom], [Summon Felguard]). Demonology warlocks wield a mixture of Shadow, Fire and Chaos damage to immolate and corrupt their enemies. Demonology warlocks use [Demonic Fury], generated through various spells, as a secondary resource to fuel their demonic [Metamorphosis].

By their very nature, demons are leeches on the living universe—but the demonologist has mastered harnessing the power of these malefic beings on the field of battle. Warlocks harvest the souls of their defeated enemies; those specialized in the ways of demonology use this life essence to tap into the Void, pulling all manner of abomination from the chaos of the Twisting Nether. While such a practice is often considered by outsiders to be wicked and reckless, the demonologist maintains absolute control over the summoned creatures. These malignant entities are fully beholden to—and empowered by—the will of the warlock, until banished to the realm from whence they came.

Destruction

A master of chaos who calls down fire to burn and demolish enemies.

Destruction warlocks focus on demolishing opponents with fast and powerful direct damage spells. They use the [Burning Embers] generated by their spells to fuel their most powerful attacks, deal splash damage and even restore health. With enviable abilities such as [Shadowburn], [Havoc] and [Chaos Bolt], Destruction warlocks can rapidly reduce unprepared opponents to a pile of cinders.

Warlocks who command the power of destruction favor incantations of pure chaos and aggression in battle. In this regard, they’d find a stronger kinship with fire mages than warlocks of other disciplines—if not for their propensity to make use of magic deemed detestable by all mage orders. The destruction warlock is well-versed in discharging a dizzying array of shadow, fel, fire, and chaos magics upon opponents that rattle souls and conflagrate bodies. They require little motivation for the havoc they wreak, happy to revel in the destruction they cause—thrilled at any opportunity to watch the world erupt in discord around them.

End-game expectations

Warlocks are taken to raids for their incredible dps and their raid utility. Warlocks are usually one of the highest sources of ranged DPS and also possess an array of utilities such as using [Ritual of Summoning] for late comers, casting [Soulstone] for combat resurrections, and distributing [Healthstone]s. They also provide a raid buff ( [Dark Intent]) and a variety of enemy debuffs through curses such as [Curse of the Elements]. Warlocks are also well known for their CC abilities such as [Fear] and [Banish].

In PvP, Warlocks are incredibly useful as a support class for arenas and battlegrounds. DoT abilities such as [Corruption], Bane of Agony, and [Unstable Affliction] spread between multiple player targets are excellent at generating pressure for opposing teams. [Unstable Affliction] also provides opponents with a hefty penalty for spam-dispelling debuffs. The felhunter also provides excellent anti-caster and anti-healer abilities with [Spell Lock] and [Devour Magic]. Finally, they are infamous for their PvP CC abilities such as [Fear], [Howl of Terror], and [Death Coil]. While burst damage is not as strong, [Demon Soul] can be used to help finish off low-health players. [Demonic Gateway] is also an iconic and powerful contribution to any group.

Warlocks are renowned for their damage over time (DoT) spells and sinister Shadow magic, as well for summoning demonic minions and their ability to wreak havoc with destructive Fire spells. Warlocks can specialize in any of these areas: Affliction warlocks are the masters of damage over time, draining their targets' health with an array of powerful debuffs; Demonology warlocks summon improved demons to do their bidding, drawing power from their minions and even transforming into demons themselves; while Destruction warlocks call down a rain of fire upon their enemies, specializing in potent burst damage and Fire spells.

Being a warlock demands certain things: being able to engage multiple targets simultaneously while keeping tabs on your minion, to make split-second strategic decisions on cast rotations depending on the situation, and careful resource and cooldown management. Being a warlock also offers many rewards: they are PvP powerhouses due to their powerful crowd-control and sustained damage abilities, and in PvE their damage output is among the highest in both single and multiple target situations.

Mists of Pandaria

This section concerns content related to Mists of Pandaria.

Warlock Tier Sets 1 to 13.

Mists of Pandaria introduced massive revamps to the Warlock class and all three of its specs. Soul Shards were removed as a non-replenishable resource for all warlocks. Each spec was given its own secondary resource, and the playstyle for all three specs was greatly changed. In addition, the overhaul of the talents system changed some formerly standard spells into optional talents and introduced new spells to be integrated into rotations.

Spells

• [Demonic Gateway] - a [Demonic Circle: Teleport] useable by the entire raid between two set points.
• [Dark Intent] - changed to a raid buff providing stamina and spell power.
• Tier 5 talents manipulating demons: [Grimoire of Supremacy], [Grimoire of Service] and [Grimoire of Sacrifice]

Affliction changes

• [Soul Shards] as a secondary resource, replenished by [Corruption] and [Drain Soul].
• [Malefic Grasp] scales with the strength of one's DoTs already on the target.
• Haunt serves as a debuff increasing personal damage on that target in addition to doing upfront damage.

Demonology changes

• [Demonic Fury] as a secondary resource.
• [Metamorphosis] changed from a cooldown to a stance that can be entered and exited.
• [Doom] and [Agony] no longer mutually exclusive.

Destruction changes

• [Burning Embers] as a secondary resource.

Please add any available information to this section.

Videos

• Official Crash Course: Level 90 Warlock (Destruction)
• Cataclysm Talents and Abilities
• Cataclysm DPS Run Down

Macros and addons

Main article: Useful macros for warlocks

• AffDots is an addon that tracks DoT strength. Specifically designed for Affliction locks to attain maximum DPS from [Malefic Grasp], it also provides spell tracking for the other specs. Also features integration with Tidy Plates.
• Natur EnemyCastBar shows all buffs and debuffs on your character making it exceptional for raiding.
• ForteXorcist (also here) shows spell timers, cooldown timers and messages that you can set for yourself or the raid. On top of that, it also offers support for tracking Soulstones, shards and healthstones as well as a summoning assistant. Also, although the addon is primarily targeted at Warlocks, ForteXorcist can also be used with the other classes. In essence, ForteXorcist provides what Necrosis and DoTimer does with a few added extras.

See also

• List of warlocks
• Warlock quests
• Warlock patch history

Patch changes

• Patch 5.0.4 (2012-08-28):
  • Each warlock specialization now has a unique secondary resource which allows them temporary surges in power:
    • [Soul Shards] are now an Affliction-only resource
    • [Demonic Fury] is a new Demonology resource
    • [Burning Embers] are a new Destruction resource
  • Warlocks no longer use armor spells, instead gaining additional armor and bonus health passively.
  • All demons deal similar damage and are no longer linked to a specific spec.
  • Doomguard, Infernal and Soulstone cooldowns reset upon wiping to a raid or dungeon boss.
    
• Patch 4.0.1 (2010-10-12):
  • [Soul Shards] have been removed from the game as items. Instead, they now exist as a resource system necessary for using, or altering the mechanics of certain spells.
  • Warlocks now start with an Imp at level 1.
  • Firestones and Spellstones can no longer be created, and existing ones cannot be used.
    

External links

World of Warcraft Official Game Guide - Warlock

[1] Warlock forums (US)

[2] Warlock forums (EU)

The Warlocks Den 

WowInsider Blood Pact - Warlock weekly feature at WoW Insider.

WowInsider Warlock guides at WoW Insider.

Icy Veins Affliction, Demonology, and Destruction Warlock Raiding Guides (Mists of Pandaria)

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