World of Warcraft Warlock Talent Builds Guide
Unlike other classes, all three warlock talent trees are versatile enough to be useful in leveling, end-game PVE and PVP, although each will fit in better than the other with a particular role. But unlike a priest, or a druid, getting a different talent build for your warlock won't change your role and your playing style in PVE or PVP, it will just change the way you approach a fight and the way you make use of your new found strengths. Let's start with a few Warlock leveling builds, then we'll pass on to PVE and PVP builds at level 70.
World of Warcraft Warlock Leveling Talent Build - Affliction
The affliction tree is considered by many as the best for leveling warlocks because it offers endless abilities to regenerate even in mid-fight, heavily reducing downtimes.
On the other hand, being a DoT based talent spec, fights will take longer. So you'll have to decide for yourself if Affliction is wrapped around your playing style, or you're more the "nuke'em down" type of player. If you go this way, your first target is the Dark Pact talent.
Anyways, here's how an affliction talent build could look like:
Levels 10-14 – Improved Corruption (5/5) Levels 15-19 – Improved Drain Soul(2/2), Soul Siphon (2/2), Improved Life Tap (1/2) Level 20 – Amplify Curse(1/1) Levels 21-25 – Improved Curse of Agony (2/2), Improved Life Tap (2/2), Suppression (2/5) Levels 26-27 – Grim Reach (2/2) Levels 28-30 - Empowered Corruption (3/3)
Levels 31-32 - Nightfall (2/2)
Level 33 - Siphon Life (1/1)
Levels 34-35 - Suppression (4/5)
Levels 36-40 - Shadow Weaving (5/5)
Level 41 - Dark Pact (1/1)
Levels 42-46 - Contagion (5/5)
Levels 47-48 - Improved Howl of Terror (2/2)
Level 49 - Curse of Exhaustion (1/1)
Level 50 - Unstable Affliction (1/1)
Levels 51-55 - Improved Shadowbolt (5/5)
Levels 56-60 - Bane (5/5)
Level 61 - Shadowburn (1/1)
Levels 62-66 - Demonic Embrace (5/5)
Here's how the spec looks like at level 68: Affliction Warlock Leveling Spec . Note that if you can live without Dark Pact for some levels, you could go for Shadowburn earlier. Depending on your gear, you could also choose to put points in Demonic Embrace earlier, to get the Stamina bonus, but it's a lot more effective at higher levels.
World of Warcraft Warlock Leveling Talent Build - Demonology
Your pet becomes an important factor when solo leveling, and Demonology is the best way to buff him. You can either go for Summon Felguard, the 41 point talent, which is a great grinding and leveling pet, or you could just settle down for Demonic Sacrifice and level without a pet, using this talent's bonus in conjunction with Affliction or Destruction. Levels 10-11 – Improved Healthstone (2/2) Levels 12-14 - Demonic Embrace (3/5) Levels 15-16 - Improved Health Funnel (2/2) Levels 17-19 - Improved Voidwalker (3/3) Level 20 - Fel Domination (1/1) Levels 21-23 - Fel Stamina (3/3) Level 24 - Fel Intellect (1/3) Levels 25-26 - Master Summoner (2/2) Levels 27-29 - Unholy Power (3/5) Level 30 - Demonic Sacrifice (1/1)
Levels 31-32 - Unholy Power (5/5)
Levels 33-34 - Fel Intellect (3/3)
Levels 35-39 - Master Demonologist (5/5)
Level 40 - Soul Link (1/1)
Levels 41-43 - Demonic Knowledge (3/3)
Level 44 - Demonic Resilience (1/3)
Levels 45-49 - Demonic Tactics (5/5)
Level 50 - Summon Felguard (1/1)
You can go with either Affliction or Destruction as secondary trees for Demonology, aiming for some nuke ability with Shadowbolt and Shadowburn in destruction and Empowered Corruption/Nightfall in Affliction. When you start investing points in these trees is entirely up to you, although getting the Felguard early on is great. Here's my Demonology build at level 68: Demonology/Destruction Build
World of Warcraft Warlock Leveling Talent Build - Destruction
The Destruction tree is all about nuking and high number crits, so if you're not the type of player patient enough to cope with the slow killing rate of Affliction builds, then Destruction is for you.
Your main leveling spells will be Shadowbolt, Immolate, Searing Pain and Shadowburn and you'll have to aim for the latter as soon as possible. After Shadowburn, your next target is Ruin, for the increased crit damage and beyond that is entirely up to you, but I'd recommend Conflagrate.
Levels 10-14 – Improved Shadowbolt (5/5) Levels 15-19 – Bane (5/5) Level 20 – Shadowburn (1/1) Levels 21-25 – Devastation (5/5) Levels 26-27 - Destructive Reach (2/2)
Levels 28-29 - Improved Searing Pain (2/3)
Level 30 - Ruin (1/1)
Level 31 - Improved Searing Pain (3/3)
Levels 32-36 - Improved Immolate (5/5)
Levels 37-39 - Emberstone (3/5)
Level 40 - Conflagrate (1/1)
Levels 41-42 - Emberstone (5/5)
Levels 43-45 - Backlash (3/3)
Levels 46-50 - Shadow and Flame (5/5)
Level 51 - Shadowfury (1/1)
In addition to these Destruction build spells, you can go for the Tier 1 Demonology Improved Healthstone (2/2) and Demonic Embrace (5/5), with the latter taken at higher levels, since the Stamina % will really count then. In Affliction, take Improved Corruption (5/5) to make it instant, Improved Life Tap (2/2), Soul Siphon (2/2) and Suppression (1/5) with the last two points spent in Amplify Curse (1/1) and Suppression (2/5) or Improved Curse of Agony (1/2). Here's the Destruction Nuke Leveling Build
World of Warcraft Warlock - Level 70 Builds
World of Warcraft Level 70 PVE Affliction Warlock Build
45 Affliction / 5 Demonology / 11 Destruction
This is a rather common Warlock raiding talent build, which is great for DoT-ing but not so good for focused fire. You'll be damage king when taking out the trash mobs, but will be slightly lower on DPS in a boss fight.
The Improved Imp and Healthstone in Demonology will buff your raid better and the Shadowburn in Destruction will add to your burst DPS. The spec: Affliction PVE Build
World of Warcraft Level 70 PVE Destruction Warlock Build
21 Demonology / 40 Destruction
The PVE Destruction build is based around getting 2 talents: Conflagrate in Destruction and Demonic Sacrifice in Demonology. The latter will help you boost your Fire Damage for quite a lot, but the downside is that your party loses your Imp's Stamina buff.
In order to be effective, this build also needs heavy +crit and Intellect gear. And mana WILL be a problem since you won't have the mana efficient talents from Affliction. Anyways, here's the build: Conflagrate/Demonic Sacrifice Build
World of Warcraft Level 70 PVP Affliction Warlock Build
43 Affliction / 7 Demonology / 11 Destruction
This Affliction PVP spec is based on 3 things:
• heavy DoTs with improved and empowered Corruption, improved Curse of Agony, Siphon Life and Unstable Affliction.
• Good Drains and mana efficiency
• High Stamina to keep you alive while your DoTs do the dirty work
The Improved Shadowbolt/Bane and Shadowburn give you some finishing burst. The spec: Heavy PVP Affliction
World of Warcraft Level 70 PVP Demonology Warlock Build
17 Affliction / 44 Demonology
Based around buffing your Felguard and Succubus, your two main PVP pets. You'll be able to quickly Sacrifice a Voidwalker, then summon back a felguard or succubus while your enemy is feared or far away.
The 17 points in affliction give you an instant Corruption and a powerful Curse of Agony and also some Draining capabilities. DoTs + Strong Pet + Drains = happy PVP warlock. Here's the build: Demonology/Affliction PVP
World of Warcraft Level 70 PVP Destruction Warlock Build
15 Demonology / 46 Destruction
This spec is based around high burst damage and getting your enemy down quick. You'll actually NEED to get him down quickly, because this is a very ineffcient build mana-wise and you'll run out fast.
If you prefer to use an Imp with this build (although the Succubus is more useful in many PVP situations) go for the Improved Imp and Improved Firebolt talents and you'll have a heavy damage Imp gattling gun. The build:
