Elegantly sinister, wielding the powerful magic of shadow and hellfire, and summoning a range of perilous, demonic demons to obey their bidding, warlocks are a very distinctive class of the World of Warcraft game, centered on dealing damage. Warlocks are fairly vulnerable thanks to their cloth armor, but can improve their survivability by using fear spells to send their enemies running in a panic while damage over time (DoT) spells gnaw away their health. The WoW warlock guide you are reading gives some hints on how to use these dangerous spellcasters to best advantage.

The warlock is another purely damage-based class, although many of this caster’s spells and abilities give the class considerable self-healing potential. This WoW warlock guide notes that tanking and healing are beyond a warlock, but these dark magic-users have a role to play both in dungeon and raid content, and in PvP, where, if handled correctly, they are a deadly threat to the opposing team.

Dungeon, raid, and PvP battleground groups can expect more utility than plain damage from warlocks, however. This WoW warlock guide notes that soulstones are probably the best utility items a warlock can conjure for PvE groups of all sizes. These stones can be used to “store the soul” of one player, so that they can self-resurrect – a critical item for healers in any dungeon. Healthstones are conjured items that the whole group can receive, and restore a specific amount of health instantly, much like a healing potion.

Demonology is the talent spec usually preferred for leveling, and is often used in PvP as well, which is the focus of many a WoW warlock guide. This specialization enhances the warlock’s various pets – the imp, the voidwalker, the succubus, and the felhunter. Demonology warlocks also gain the ability to summon a powerful, small-headed, axe-wielding demon called the felguard at level 10. This demon is very useful both in PvE and PvP, combining damage dealing and tanking roles to keep the warlock safer and slay their enemies quickly.

Demonology eventually gives your warlock the spell Metamorphosis (the talent tree’s 31-point talent), which allows them to transform into a demon for half a minute. As WoW warlock guides tell you, this demonic form is extremely tough and gains several abilities, as well as casting normal spells.

Destruction is the warlock talent tree focused on direct spell damage from the warlock themselves. Soul Fire is at the heart of higher level spell priorities, but lower level warlocks usually content themselves with blasting away at their foes with Shadowbolts and Conflagrate. If you are leveling your warlock as destruction, you should use your voidwalker to “tank” for you while questing, but in dungeons and raids at all levels, the imp is destruction’s demon of choice for increased damage output.

Affliction warlocks are firmly centered on damage over time spells rather than the direct damage spells favored by destruction; they are the “DoT spec” of the class and are described as such in this WoW warlock guide. These DoTs are highly effective at burning away a foe’s health, and affliction is frequently used to good effect in PvP.

PvP is the situation where affliction warlocks shine, according to this and other WoW warlock guides. Their enlarged range of DoTs, including Haunt and Unstable Affliction, as well as their improved “drain” spells, make them formidable foes who can leave a trail of rapidly-dying foes in their wake as long as they apply DoTs fast and stay mobile.

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