Warlock

Warlock
Available to	All playable races (except Dracthyr)
Specializations	Affliction (ranged DPS) Demonology (ranged DPS) Destruction (ranged DPS)
Resource(s)	Primary: Mana Secondary: [Soul Shards]
Primary attribute	Intellect
Weapon skills	Staves, Wands, Daggers, One-handed Swords and held in off-hand items excluding shields and weapons
Armor type	Cloth
Signature abilities	Summons various demonic minions, [Shadow Bolt], [Drain Life], Enslave Demon, [Chaos Bolt]

“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. They are magical practitioners that seek to understand darker magics, among other fel-based and destructive spells. While many warlocks willingly follow the Burning Legion, there are those who work against it, using their magic to fight against evil. They have proven themselves to be powerful allies, as well as powerful foes, and are known to be interested in seeking power in the darkest of places and making bargains most people in their right minds wouldn't make.

Warlocks burn and destroy weakened foes with a combination of crippling illnesses and dark magic. While their demon pets protect and enhance them, they 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. They deliver fire and shadow damage with their spells, and they're able to hurt others both instantly and with ongoing afflictions. 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. They also make use of debilitating curses to weaken and disable enemies, reducing their ability to fight back.

Warlock talents can improve the damage of their searing magics, increase the potency of their curses and persistent damaging spells, and empower their demonic servants:

• Affliction warlocks are masters of shadow magic who specialize in drains and damage-over-time spells.
• Demonology warlocks are commanders of demons who twist the souls of their army into devastating power.
• Destruction warlocks are masters of chaos who call down fire to burn and demolish enemies.

Class overview

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.

Game guide

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.

Creation screen description

Warlocks are the bane of all life. Empowered by demonic blood, they can inflict great torment upon their foes. To replenish the dreadful energy their spells expend, warlocks drain vitality from their victims. The warlock can also summon and control terrifying demonic entities. Still, warlocks are feared above all else for their singular wickedness and cruelty.

Warlocks cast Fire or Shadow magic to damage, drain, or curse their enemy. They summon demons as servants.

Classic guide

Utilizing forbidden sorcery to wreak havoc on their enemies, Warlocks commune with dark powers that enable them to summon demons, curse foes, and channel destructive magics.

Background

See also: Warlock races

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

Before the Dark Portal

The Shadow Council lording over Ner'zhul.

The first known eredar who Sargeras whispered to and instructed in the art of summoning demons and using fel was Thal'kiel and his Wakeners. Archimonde was at this time an apprentice under him, but ultimately betrayed him to the Second Duumvirate (Kil'jaeden and Velen), guaranteeing his rise to power, and would eventually be the first to accept Sargeras among the eredar.

In the human societies of Azeroth, there were legends among the populace of the First Days, where demons roamed free and great heroes arose to drive them out. Knowing the real truth, the Kirin Tor forbade demonology—any attempt to summon demons were to be found and stopped at once, often by force. As such, demons had a limited public impact on the people of the Seven Kingdoms, mostly existing through rumors and folk legends. Most situations involving demon worship ended up taken care of by local authorities, with individuals such as teenagers indulging in magicks they didn't understand or venal farmhands and greedy merchants committing sacrifices and other foul acts in the name of some old demon whose name they couldn't even properly pronounce after hearing their whispers in their sleep. Real ceremonies involving demon summoning and fel spells did happen, such as with the case of Zmodlor's cult at Jortas, but they were secretly neutralized by the efforts of the Kirin Tor and the Council of Tirisfal. In time however, some of those mages charged with hunting demons turned to the dark arts themselves, and Aegwynn fought against some of the greatest spellcasters of her age when they fell into demonic lore.

On the world of Draenor, Kil'jaeden himself created a new generation of warlocks by instructing the orc shaman in the use of fel and demonic magics. The demon lord first targeted Gul'dan, a weak and crippled orc who the elements had refused, offering him a taste of shadowy power. The orc became an avid student of demonic magic and developed into the most powerful mortal warlock in history. He then faked becoming the apprentice of the elder shaman Ner'zhul, who himself ultimately resisted the eredar lord's promises of untold power. But Gul'dan still taught other orcs the arcane arts and strove to eradicate the orcs' shamanistic traditions. Gul'dan showed this 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. The first orc warlocks other than Gul'dan were from the Blackrock clan, but more and more shaman volunteered for warlock training once they stopped hearing from the elements after they had started genociding the draenei. Blackhand also ordered the new warlocks to artificially age every orcish child in order to bolster the ranks of the nascent Horde with a plethora of fresh soldiers. 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.

Not all orc warlocks joined the Shadow Council. Some, such as Drek'Thar and Nekros Skullcrusher, stayed loyal to their clans instead.

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 went where no 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 channeled fire, brimstone, and shadow 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 included warlocks in their ranks. They may refer to the warlock class as a group, separate from their clan membership.

Second War

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

An orc warlock during the Siege of Blackrock Spire.

Most warlocks of the Shadow Council were slaughtered by Orgrim Doomhammer at Blackrock Spire. Gul'dan later transferred some of their spirits into the first death knights, while the magical energies of other long dead warlocks were infused into the bodies of the ogre magi.

Few living warlocks had survived Doomhammer's rampage. Most of them joined Gul'dan's Stormreaver clan, where they fought alongside death knights in the battle for Hillsbrad. Other warlocks were involved in the creation of the first Altar of Storms.

The orcs of Draenor also learned of Doomhammer's defeat of the Shadow Council. This resulted in a purge of the warlock and dark magic user ranks on Draenor too, as the Draenic orcs feared they would afflict any more of them.

Third War

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

Main articles: Orc Warlock (Warcraft III), Stormreaver Warlock

During the Third War, orc warlocks could still be found among the ranks of the Old Horde (notably the Blackrock Warlocks) and of the Stormreaver exiles.

World of Warcraft

This section concerns content related to the original World of Warcraft.

Warlock with a voidwalker.

Warlocks would remain shunned and hunted out by society until after the Third War, where their expertise on demonic subjects would be employed for the good of their respective factions. The Alliance and the Horde as such began pressing warlocks into their service. Although many societies considered such dark arts disreputable, their efficacy in combat was considered undeniable. Most warlocks still kept practicing their arts in secret within hidden enclaves so that they could escape the prejudice of the public, however.

In Stormwind City, when Lord Wishock was made aware of the warlock coven under the Slaughtered Lamb, he lobbied for a full investigation and closure of the tavern. Zardeth of the Black Claw, however, implied that the noble was actually trying to shut the establishment down in order to avoid paying his tab there. In the end, the warlocks had Lord Wishock assassinated.

In Khaz Modan, all warlocks were trained under the auspices of the masters of Gnomeregan. However, after the fall of the city, they were all forced to relocate into a "rat's hole" in Ironforge and to send their novices to Stormwind for training as King Magni Bronzebeard decided to keep a careful watch on them.

In Orgrimmar, warlocks operated discreetly in the Cleft of Shadow. Neeru Fireblade was a warlock who claimed not to wish to destroy the Horde from within or gain control over it, but he was secretly an agent of the Shadow Council. Thrall knew about this and tolerated his presence in order to fool him and better watch over him.

In Silvermoon City, demons were more accepted than elsewhere, as the succubus Nimrida was walking with her master Keyanomir in the Murder Row of the city.

During the war against the Lich King, warlocks were still considered as pariahs, operating in the shadows of polite society, but were now starting to be respected on the battlefronts.

Mists of Pandaria

This section concerns content related to Mists of Pandaria.

Banner of the Council of the Black Harvest.

After the war against Deathwing, six of the greatest warlocks gathered together to make a pact stipulating they share the knowledge they gathered and innovated from the defeat of their powerful enemies. Thus the Council of the Black Harvest was created to teach all warlocks advanced forms of magic stolen from the adventurers' defeated foes, learning from the likes of the Twilight's Hammer, the Firelands, the demons of Outland, and the secrets of Illidan's transformation.

When he created the True Horde, Garrosh Hellscream sent his Kor'kron guard led by Ureda of the Black Flame to have most of Orgrimmar's warlocks executed for being demon worshippers.

Warlords of Draenor

This section concerns content related to Warlords of Draenor.

At the time of the war in Draenor, warlocks were originally forbidden in the ranks of the Iron Horde, but Gul'dan trained a whole generation of warlocks to marshal against the forces of Azeroth, first as members of the Shadow Council and then as Iron servants of the Legion. The Shadowmoon clan are also referred to as warlocks, using the void to bind souls and control the undead.

Legion

This section concerns content related to Legion.

During the third invasion of the Burning Legion, the warlocks of Azeroth united against the Legion via the Council of the Black Harvest, obtaining the  [Scepter of Sargeras] once used by the first warlock Ner'zhul, the  [Skull of the Man'ari] that still retained Thal'kiel's soul, and  [Ulthalesh, the Deadwind Harvester] that belonged to the first necrolyte Sataiel. They would go on to conquer Dreadscar Rift.

Dragonflight

This section concerns content related to Dragonflight.

After the discovery of the Dragon Isles, Lord Banehollow disguised himself as Madam Shadow on the Darkmoon Island and lured new warlocks to his side, posing as a teacher, but in order to obtain their souls. After his true identity was revealed, the nathrezim announced that he had already stolen the souls of thousands of warlocks on Azeroth and wouldn't stop, but was ultimately defeated by a warlock adventurer before he could enact his plans.

Notable

See also: List of warlocks

The first orcish warlock, Gul'dan.

Name	Role	Affiliation	Location	Status
Archimonde	The Defiler, Eredar Overlord of the Legion forces.	Burning Legion	Died at Hellfire Citadel	Deceased
Kil'jaeden	The Deceiver, Supreme commander of the Burning Legion and chief lieutenant of Sargeras.	Burning Legion	Died in the Twisting Nether	Deceased
Gul'dan	First orcish warlock, Chieftain of the Stormreaver clan and creator of the Shadow Council.	Stormreaver clan, Independent	Died in the Tomb of Sargeras	Deceased
Gul'dan (alternate universe)	Lord of the Shadow Council who opened the Felstorm gateway.	Shadow Council, Burning Legion	Died in the Nighthold	Deceased
Cho'gall	Leader of the Twilight's Hammer, formerly the avatar of C'Thun.	Twilight's Hammer, Old Gods' forces	Died at the Throne of the Apocalypse	Deceased
Teron Gorefiend	Leader of the death knights of Draenor, former acolyte of the Shadow Council.	Illidari, Shadowmoon clan	Died in the Black Temple	Deceased
Nekros Skullcrusher	Second-in-command of the Dragonmaw clan, holder of the Demon Soul.	Dragonmaw Clan, Old Horde	Died in Grim Batol	Deceased
Meryl Felstorm	Champion of the Tirisgarde, former founding member of Council of Tirisfal and the New Council.	Tirisgarde, Magocracy of Dalaran, Armies of Legionfall	Various	Active
Ner'zhul	Warlord and elder shaman of the Shadowmoon Clan. Used Void magic.	Shadowmoon clan, Iron Horde	Died in the Edge of Reality	Deceased
Felgrim	Member of the Garad'kra, once gathered the ingredients for Putress' New Plague.	Garad'kra, Horde	Unknown	Active
Wilfred Fizzlebang	Master Summoner of the Argent Tournament who accidentally summoned Lord Jaraxxus.	Alliance	Died in the Crusaders' Coliseum	Deceased
Kanrethad Ebonlocke	Former leader of the Council of the Black Harvest.	Council of the Black Harvest; Stormwind (ostensibly)	Dreadscar Rift	Alive
Tehd Shoemaker	Warlock companion to the demon hunter Marius Felbane.	Independent (and Marius)	Various	Active

Organizations

The Dreadscar Rift, class hall of the warlocks during Legion.

• Shadow Council (alternate self)
  • Argus Wake
  • Burning Blade clan
  • Cabal
  • Sargerei
• Cult of the Green Flame
• Cult of the Nethersworn
• Council of the Black Harvest
• Ratchet Warlock coven
• Stormwind Warlock coven
• Ironforge Warlock coven
• Orgrimmar Warlock coven
• Silvermoon Warlock coven

Defunct organizations

• Cult of the Dark Strand
• Searing Blade
• Veiled Hand
• Blackrock Warlocks
• Warlock clan

Abilities

Summoning

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

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

An orc warlock with his felhunter as originally seen on the official World of Warcraft website.

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 voidwalker's strength and endurance are significant, making them ideal for defense.
• [Summon Sayaad] - A creature of incredible mental powers, a sayaad 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, felguards 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 or as permanent pets.

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

The warlock can also summon demonic horses into their service as mounts:

• Felsteed - A fiery steed.
• Dreadsteed - A fiery, horse-like demon from the planet Xoroth.
• Wrathsteed - A new type of Dreadsteed created by Lord Hel'nurath.

Warlocks may also use Enslave Demon on some demons, forcing them to serve as minions with their own special set of abilities 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 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

As of Patch 10.1.5, all races and allied races (with the exception of dracthyr) can play as warlocks.

Racial traits

Each race comes with its own racial traits. Below is a brief list of the traits 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 Iron dwarf warlock.

Dwarf

• [Stoneform] is a defense 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 useful racial abilities for warlocks, as it increases total mana by 5%. Note that it increases your mana pool, but not Intellect, spell power or spell critical.
• [Escape Artist] removes snares and speed reduction effects. Usable in PvP and certain PvE encounters (Note: does not remove stun effects).
• [Nimble Fingers] is a very beneficial racial trait, increasing haste by 1%, a stat favored by all three warlock specializations.

Helena Demonfire, a human warlock.

Human

• [Will to Survive] is another beneficial trait enabling players to remove all stun effects on the character.
• [The Human Spirit] enables the human to gain extra stats gain from all sources, increasing all secondary stats considerably.

Worgen

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

Void elf

• [Entropic Embrace] has a chance to empower your attacks and self-healing by approximately 5%. This is a solid all-around buff, though Demonology warlocks won't get as much from it as it doesn't affect pet attacks or abilities.
• [Preternatural Calm] prevents spells from being delayed by damage, and is one of the best racial passives for casters.
• [Spatial Rift] has interesting uses, especially in PvP but also on PvE encounters.

Dark Iron dwarf

• [Fireblood] is much like [Stoneform] with a pretty hefty stat bonus on top, which makes it valuable for both defense and attack purposes.

Mechagnome

• [Combat Analysis] gives a stacking buff to your primary stat while in combat. During long fights, this is essentially a permanent bonus to your intellect, which makes it one of the best racial passives out there.
• [Hyper Organic Light Originator] is a niche ability that could nonetheless be helpful by reducing your threat level when you need it.
• [Emergency Failsafe] heals you for 15% of your maximum health whenever it falls below 20%. This is a nice passive bonus that could prove decisive in more than one occasion.

Blood elf warlock.

Blood elf

• [Arcane Torrent] provides a mana increase similar to Life Tap without the loss of health. Due to its limited AoE range, it is only situationally useful in PvE encounters and is half as effective in PvP.
• [Arcane Acuity] increases spell critical strike rate by 1%, making it handy in both PvP and PvE. It is worth noting that this passive assures higher damage of [Chaos Bolt] (Destruction specialization).

Goblin

• [Rocket Barrage] does a small amount of damage at range.
• [Rocket Jump] is similar to [Blink], and is useful in PvE and PvP. Can be used to stay out of the fire.
• [Time is Money] provides a 1% increase to the haste stat, a very useful stat to all warlock specializations.

Orc

• [Blood Fury] gives an increase in spell power when activated.
• [Hardiness] provides a 20% reduction to the duration of stun effects on the character.
• [Command] increases the damage dealt by all minions by 1%, which is especially useful for Demonology warlocks.

Troll

• [Berserking] provides a buff which increases haste, effectively granting the warlock another damage-dealing cooldown besides trinkets. It has a 3 minute cooldown, but unlike [Bloodlust] it does not cause a 10 minute debuff preventing its reapplication, 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] reduces the duration of all movement-impairing effects on the character, useful in both PvE and PvP.

Undead

• [Will of the Forsaken] removes any Charm, Fear, or Sleep effect on the character, which is useful in both PvE and PvP.
• [Touch of the Grave] adds a chance to deal Shadow damage and heal oneself when attacking.

Nightborne

• [Magical Affinity] increases magical damage dealt by 1%.
• [Arcane Pulse] deals damage to nearby enemies and slows them by 50%, which makes it useful for disengaging from melee, though its three-minute cooldown is a serious drawback.

Vulpera

• [Bag of Tricks] can be used either to damage enemies or heal allies on a 1.5 min cooldown. While the default is Nature-based damage, if you manage to get the versions that drop from Ragnaros and Cho'gall, you can change it to deal Fire or Shadow damage instead.

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 warlocks can afflict their foes with DoTs such as [Agony] and [Corruption]. Affliction warlocks' periodic effects are further improved by their mastery [Mastery: Potent Afflictions] and through their powerful artifact weapon. Affliction warlocks gain [Soul Shards] as a secondary resource, which are necessary to cast 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 summon and enslave demons in order to crush their foes. 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.

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 [Soul Shards] 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

Warlock Tier Sets 1 to 13.

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]. 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 [Mortal Coil]. [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; 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.

Macros and addons

Main article: Useful macros for warlocks

Gallery

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  Warlock art in the Warcraft: Orcs & Humans manual.

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  Undead warlock with an infernal in the cinematic intro for World of Warcraft.

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  Undead warlock casting Hellfire in the cinematic intro for The Burning Crusade.

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  Warlock Gul'dan in the cinematic intro for Warlords of Draenor.

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  Vendellin Soulfire using fel to consume life around him, as seen in The Comic.

Warcraft III

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  Orc warlock in Reign of Chaos.

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  Fel orc warlock.

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  Stormreaver warlock in The Frozen Throne.

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  Eredar warlock

Trading Card Game

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  Acolyte Demia, a human warlock.

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  Felbender Lara, a human warlock.

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  Dimzer the Prestidigitator, a gnome warlock.

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  Field Commander Foggo, a gnome warlock.

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  Mazar, a gnome warlock.

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  Kamboozle, Bringer of Doom, a gnome warlock.

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  Izza Spindleflame, a gnome warlock.

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  Turane Soulpact, a blood elf warlock.

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  Malistra the Demonmistress, a blood elf warlock.

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  Gahrunt Foulfang, an orc warlock.

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  The Soul Conductor, an orc warlock.

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  Morlug Soulslaver, an orc warlock.

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  Garell Strout, a undead warlock.

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  Corruption

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  Life Tap

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  Shadow and Flame.

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  Mor'zul Bloodbringer, a human warlock.

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  Kaal Soulreaper

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  Demonic Reclamation

Hearthstone

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  Vital Adventurer

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  A gnoll warlock using Soul Barrage.

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.
    

See also

• Warlock quests

External links

World of Warcraft Official Game Guide - Warlock

World of Warcraft Community Site Warlock forums (US)

World of Warcraft Europe 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)