Shadow Priest Player - Will I Enjoy Locks?

[jrch5618]

Hello, everyone. I'm considering rolling a warlock.

I have a shadow priest that I quite enjoy, but would like to expand my skillset to try to learn a type of warlock, probably destruction, from what I've seen.

My question is this - how similar is the gameplay of destruction warlock and shadow priest? If they're practically the same thing I'm not sure I'd want to bother.

Just asking for opinions. My actual main is an arms warrior, and I'm leveling a rogue.

Thanks

[Grubjuice]

Affliction lock is most similar to Shadow Priest

Unstable Affliction ~ Vampiric Touch (cast time DoT)
Corruption ~ Shadow Word: Pain (spammable DoT)
Bane of Agony ~ Devouring plague (except that it can be used on multilple targets)
Bane of Doom ~ Devouring plague (except it last 1 minute and ticks really slowly)
Haunt ~ Mind Blast (no shadow orb tracking though)
Shadow Bolt ~ Mind Flay (a spammable filler spell)

Their AoE is much different, Seed of Corruption is really weird spell
and you have to manage your pets.
and there are a few other differences: Shadow Flame is a frontal cone AoE, Curses must be applies, etc etc etc.

Destro and Demo are both less like Shadow Priests, so maybe you will want to try them for something different. I find Destruction locks to be a little frantic because they have to maintain a buff called Improved Soul Fire, and monitor three Dots, and two spell cooldowns. it's like spinning 6 plates at once. and you may find it either really entertaining or you may just think it totally blows. The Warlock community is rather divided in their opinions on the subject.

[Micke]

Only if you are a cool guy/girl

[Hellfury]

Its hard to say, SPs have 1 playstile if they never heal.

Locks have 3 and all are viable in PVE, some are better on certain fights, not all are viable on PVP thou.

Reducing warlocks to aff is being reductive.

[jrch5618]

So if affliction is like shadow priest, that's right out.

I think I will try a lock. I don't have an enchanter and it's nice to be able to dust my own BoEs without bugging my guildies.

I like complexities.

So, what's the biggest differences between demo and destro?

[Rustjive]

Demo/Destro are almost completely different. Destruction is an active buff management spec, where you are constantly maintaining and watching buffs and procs. Your main focus is maintaining a 20s buff in Improved Soul Fire that is dependent on a 2s hard cast, stacking procs for your Immolate, keeping Conflagrate on CD. Demonology, on the other hand, is focused around timing your major CD, Metamorphosis, for any major burst, or stacking every single proc/CD for Metamorphosis. Outside of Meta, Demo is a very boring spec (reapply 1 long duration DoT and 1 short duration DoT, keep HoG and Shadowflame on CD), with a lot of filler spam. Because of all the hardcasting and dependence on filler, Demonology is much less movement friendly. In addition, because Shadowflame and Immolation make up a significant portion of DPS, Demonology suffers from being outside of melee more than Destruction.

To be honest, if you play a Shadow Priest you'll likely find Warlocks just plain weaker.

[Hellfury]

So if affliction is like shadow priest, that's right out.

I think I will try a lock. I don't have an enchanter and it's nice to be able to dust my own BoEs without bugging my guildies.

I like complexities.

So, what's the biggest differences between demo and destro?

4.3 Destro and Demo are enjoyable in PVE, not so much in arena PVP, Destro is enjoyable in random BGs with great gear thou its not like 3.3 Destro but still fun nevertheless.

But you have to understand both Demo and Destro are getting completely changed in MOP, and MOP is arround the corner, aff is also changing but not as much as the other 2, and so far while everyone are praising Mop affliction, Demo and destro so far have been received with mixed reviews, from what I see more negative than positive.

[caninepawprints]

Warlocks have three play styles. You'll have to play each one to find which suits you best. Personally, I like Shadow Priests, but not Warlocks.

[Flatspriest]

Personally, I do really good with my shadow priest, but I seriously HATE playing my warlock. The play-style is nowhere near the same.

[xskarma]

Learning anything about warlocks outside of Affliction right now is pretty much wasted time, with Mists so relatively close at hand. And since you pretty much have a decent idea about Affliction through your Spriest, I wouldn't bother much about learning about them at all.

Just level 1 in Demo or Destro to 85, then forget about it till Mists pre-patch, or copy it to the PTR and play around with it there to learn what it's going to be about.

[Kathranis]

I wouldn't worry about Demonology or Destruction too much, since they're being completely revamped with new resource mechanics (Demonic Fury and Burning Embers), lots of new/changed abilties, and of course new rotations.

Personally, I've started a second warlock to run as Destruction (a goblin named "Kadoom") but won't be playing it until Mists of Pandaria. My main is dual Aff/Demo and I've never really given Destruction much of a shot.

[Venith]

I'm like a bunch of others here, I love playing my spriest but absolutely despised my warlock. So much so that I deleted it to make room for a mirror alt :P

[painweaver]

Honestly, I think shadow priests are every thing a lock should be (as far as general playability, self heals, defensive CDs, and just smoothness of mechanics). You are going to be overwhelmed with keybindings, and "situational" spells when you go from SP to lock. And you are going to feel very gimped when it comes to your defenses and burst (mind blast does what? like twice the damage of shadowbolt, with around half the cast time?). I've been playing both priests and locks since vanilla, and am speaking just from my experience.

[sugarfree]

If you like a Destruction playstyle, go Elemental Shaman honestly. I think they are what Destruction is supposed to be in MoP.

Destruction is ok in pvp, boring in PVE (MOP). I think the skill cap of this spec in PvP is going to be through the roof.

[Inactivity]

Right now a Shadow Priest is more like an Affliction Lock. Here's some general pros and cons (I know little about priests in MOP, but a good deal about them in live and about locks in live/MOP).

Both are similar for single target DPS. You use several DoTs and a channeled filler, with occasional casts thrown in.

Shadow has had a bit more options (mind spike/mind blast) for short-term burst compared to affliction. However, warlocks on a per-fight basis can swap to demonology and destruction for more DPS options (this is more true in MOP than live). Same goes for AoE, affliction has pretty horrible burst AoE especially with the loss of shadowflame. However, warlocks can swap specs per-fight for more burst AoE, while shadow has mind sear.

Shadow offers more self and raid healing than warlocks do, this can be useful on fights. Shadow can also contribute mass dispel which is useful since now dispel cannot be spammed. Warlocks "contribute" demonic gateway which, after having tested it on Live, seems almost completely useless.

Warlocks have several more options for personal cooldowns and defensive abilities. Shadow has an awesome personal cooldown and takes reduced damage.

Even in MOP, warlocks (especially affliction) seem to still have a ton more options for control than shadow. This comes in play with PvP of course as well. Warlocks traditionally are pretty strong in PvP, it seems MOP won't be an exception. The skill cap seems enormous still though.

Warlocks are traditionally better at soloing, this looks like it will be the case in MOP as well, if not more the case than it was with live.

---------------

Honestly, if it's just shadow versus affliction, then shadow is more versatile DPS than affliction. But warlocks have the ability to spec swap for more varied DPS than affliction as well as more varied soloing ability.

If you like to spec swap for DPS to hit all the corners, or if you like to solo content, warlocks look good in MOP. But if you like to play a single versatile spec for many fights, or if you like to heal and not only DPS, then shadow is the way to go.

[phlogistinator]

Come MoP, I will most probably re-roll a shadow priest from my current warlock, seeing the changes they have gotten in MoP.

[Inactivity]

Come MoP, I will most probably re-roll a shadow priest from my current warlock, seeing the changes they have gotten in MoP.

I'm 90% on re-rolling as well, but not because warlocks are technically "underpowered" - if anything, the 10% for me staying would be because they are overpowered and it would be advantageous.

But really, my reasoning is exactly what I posted above. I no longer wish to main a pure DPS class. I posted pros and cons, and personally the cons outweigh the pros for what I'm looking to get out of this game. Won't be the same for everyone though.

[Purpleisbetter]

Hello, everyone. I'm considering rolling a warlock.

I have a shadow priest that I quite enjoy, but would like to expand my skillset to try to learn a type of warlock, probably destruction, from what I've seen.

My question is this - how similar is the gameplay of destruction warlock and shadow priest? If they're practically the same thing I'm not sure I'd want to bother.

Just asking for opinions. My actual main is an arms warrior, and I'm leveling a rogue.

Thanks

With just 2 months from MoP (and even less to 5.0), you should consider how the class will look like in the next expac.

Playing PTR with both the classes, well. Lets say this: Shadow Priest is that spec that promises you everything you wish to do in WoW. But there's always something that kills the fun. Spectral Guise its the example. At the end of the day won't do what you wish.
PVP its tragedy, just doesn't work. Its all about mind blast. And seriously, you have this sad combo point system where at one point, lets say against a melee or a healer, you actually decide: i waited 20 seconds, now what do i do? Devouring plague or the only decent CC i've? Trouble is that the damage of a so long waited plague is so high, that Psychic horror is actually gone from the game. Too bad its the only thing that permits you to live those few seconds more to get healed.

PVE damage, since the DI nerf (well, i assure you that in multidotting with 15% proc chance it was like "dots up" Mind Blast "refresh" DP, DP DP, MB MB MB, refresh, DP, MB, DP. Totally broken ) its almost good on multi dotting and weaksauce on single target. Nothing new really, its just that you need 3 target to make a decent damage.Ah, Mind sear got nerfed to the ground. Now hits like the current Mind Sear, just without empowering shadow and 5x stacks of evangelism. Sad Aoe, sad(ehy weak mastery helps with that, you have a "full of style" 14% chance to copy-paste a very small tick to somone, somewhere :P ).

Locks on ptr (well lvl85 restriction is not like testing on beta) got Affliction wich is very good, and honestly i found it quite funny to play. It offers an immense toolset at your disposal, but i didn't find that spec very easy to play in PVP. Lets say, ehy this may sounds weird, feels like playing properly is rewarding

PVE damage is strong, very strong. Too strong to be honest :P

Destro and Demo, are, personal opinion, not as fun as in live (wich is...well boring vs outragiously clunky). PVP i found those spec just lacking, very weaker then spriests, still much more better on pve damage.

p.s.: about pve damage, still in balance patch, so everything may change, like decent SP single target damage or spectral guise worth of something.

[painweaver]

I'm 90% on re-rolling as well, but not because warlocks are technically "underpowered" - if anything, the 10% for me staying would be because they are overpowered and it would be advantageous.

Guess you'll be rerolling like the rest of us.

[Warsfeil]

nope you wont be having fun with lock because they are nerfing lock to ground .... our dots will hit like we are wotlk ... well my lock hits better than my cata lock and most probably hit better than mop lock.