Classes & races
Affliction Warlock — Build, Talents and Rotation
Affliction Warlock is the master of DoTs, curses and draining. It is the king of duels and PvP: it stacks Corruption, Curse of Agony and Drain Life, kites with Fear and is nearly unkillable thanks to constant self-healing. On WowX5 x5 the affliction warlock is a solid pick for solo content, PvP and duels.
Affliction's strength is a stack of DoTs on the target: Corruption, Curse of Agony, Drain Life/Mana and Siphon Life tick at once while you kite. Dark Pact returns mana from your pet — keep an Imp or Succubus with a mana pool ready.
Contents
What this build is for
Affliction is DoT damage, control and survivability:
- PvP and duels — the best spec: DoTs, Fear, draining and shields make the warlock unkillable in a trade.
- Solo/leveling — non-stop grind with Drain Life self-healing.
- Raids — taken as a DoT warlock or moved into the SM/Ruin hybrid for Shadow Bolts.
Pure affliction shines outside raids, but most raid locks lean into the destruction hybrid.
Talent layout
Deep Affliction with a splash into Demonology/Destruction:
| Tree | Points | Key talents |
|---|---|---|
| Affliction | ~31 | Nightfall, Siphon Life, Fel Concentration, Shadow Mastery, Improved Curse of Agony |
| Demonology | ~15 | Dark Pact, Improved Imp Health |
| Destruction | 0 | — |
Nightfall procs instant Shadow Bolts, and deep Affliction boosts every DoT through Shadow Mastery.
Rotation and play
Open with Curse of Agony and Corruption, add Siphon Life and Drain Life for damage with self-healing. Against dangerous foes use Fear and kite; Drain Mana dries out casters. Sustain mana with Life Tap and Dark Pact.
In PvP use Enslave and shields, finish with Shadow Bolt on Nightfall procs. Macros are in warlock macros, details in warlock rotation.
Stats and gear
Affliction priority: shadow spell power → spell hit (to the cap) → stamina (survivability) → intellect. Stamina matters more than for pure nukers since the warlock often plays a health trade.
Gear sets are in pre-raid BiS warlock, damage formulas in character stats. The tree overview is in warlock talent builds.
◆Pros, cons and how to start on WowX5 x5
Pros: unmatched PvP and duels, survivability, self-healing, safe solo grind. Cons: lower raid DPS than the Shadow Bolt build; damage is spread over time and needs ramp.
A DPS comparison is in best DPS class, best race in best race for warlock. On WowX5 x5 the fast grind is a treat for affliction. Create an account, download the game and connect to play.wowx5.ru.
FAQ
?Why is an affliction warlock so strong in PvP
It stacks several DoTs at once and heals constantly with Drain Life, kites with Fear and drains enemy mana. In a health trade and at range, affliction is nearly unkillable.
?Should you play affliction in a raid
Pure affliction trails the Shadow Bolt build on damage, so raid locks usually run the SM/Ruin hybrid. Still, as a DoT spec with Curse of the Elements and debuffs it stays useful.
?How does a warlock restore mana
Life Tap converts health into mana and Dark Pact takes mana from the pet. Combined with DoT self-healing the warlock rarely runs out of resources.
Related
Now jump into WoW Classic X5
Theory alone gives no XP. Join WoW Classic X5 — Vanilla 1.12.1, x5 rates, blizzlike mechanics — and try this guide in game.
- Create an account on wowx5.ru
- Download the WoW Classic 1.12.1 client
- Put into realmlist.wtf:
set realmlist play.wowx5.ru
Experience ×5
Loot ×5
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