how are warlocks doing so far?

[breadisfunny]

my main is a warlock and as the title states i would like to know where they stand this expansion. how is affliction? how is demonolgy? how is destruction doing? is our class viable for raiding/dungeons? how is our mobility/dps/rotation in relation to other classes? how easy/hard are they to play as a whole this time around?

[Gaidax]

PvE destruction, doing well in HC Dungeons, I'd even say one of the most powerful there actually. Mobility is not an issue due to Terroguard and simply RoF and moving in bursts only when needed. Encounters with adds supercharge you to almost godlike status if you are playing it well.

The bad part is that I like this version of Destruction less, since Terroguard is almost mandatory now (it is almost bloody OP really), the warlock himself feels less powerful, since you are outsourcing a huge chunk of your damage to a pet, so your spells are not that hard hitting like in MoP, which makes me sad.

I tried Demonology too and basically it is a lot of work for worse results.

[-Zait-]

Yeah basically that. My friend calculated it all, I don't remember the exact numbers but it was basically:

Affliction is the best single target, Destruction is second best with amazing aoe, demonology is just bleh compared. So destruction looks like the spec of choice for pve while pvp has afflic.

[A Dark Knight]

burning ember regain seems pretty low to me
affliction is a disaster, 625 ilvl and took for ever to kill lvl 90 mobs in frostfire.

trying demo next

[Ghaltur]

I dont understand why people are shitting on Demo so hard.

I have been running mostly Demo and have been doing amazingly well in dungeon groups so far.

[kamuii]

PvE destruction, doing well in HC Dungeons, I'd even say one of the most powerful there actually.

DK, monk, boom, hunter, mage all have just as good aoe, but better single target. Most powerful is not correctly used.

[fenixazul]

I have better results as Destro than Demo, and yes, I use the doomguard and GoS to have a second doomguard every 1 minute

What I think is the main problem with Demo is that with the current gear, you cant exploit demonbolt

Right now I am doing like 13-16K in bosses

I am so far 623 ilevel, have some greens and the epic legendary ring 640

I dont have good trinkets

[Deleted]

Currently running Demo, avg single target is between 17-20k, 23-26k burst in heroics, Felguard with Synergy is surprisingly strong. I haven't had any problems in terms of damage thus far.

Only thing negative I can say is that the felguard gets wrecked by mobs when questing and farming

edit: probably should put that my Item level is 615

[Gaidax]

I dont understand why people are shitting on Demo so hard.

I have been running mostly Demo and have been doing amazingly well in dungeon groups so far.

Right now Demonology at best is same result for twice the work as Destruction and even that is a stretch because once you start cheesing Shadowburns with Havoc Destruction becomes simply better.

The mobility advantage is not a factor really, since not much encounters require much mobility besides sidestepping.

- - - Updated - - -

DK, monk, boom, hunter, mage all have just as good aoe, but better single target. Most powerful is not correctly used.

I am running HCs with a guild groups so either people I know for 2 years became shit or Destruction is actually pretty good really. They do give me a run for my money, but overall I usually produce best output, besides maybe warrior derpstorming some trashpack. Hunters single target is stronger but I usually still get on top due to Shadowburns on adds.

[Averrix]

Destro seems to be fine atm. My warlock is at 608 ilvl and I'm keeping up or beating people with 620 ilvl. I'm sure they are just bad, but yeah, it's not so bad. Just, when you have no embers, you suffer a bit.

[Deleted]

Playing as Destruction, I've never died as much leveling up in an expansion as WoD. It's partly my own arrogance thinking I can take something while I actually can't. But the other part is because Destro is quite weak now. I can keep hitting even a normal questmob for ages and I see another class come in and do 3 times my damage. I've even died on simple stuff that I should never die too. I think that says enough.

Surely with gear we'll be better again, I don't doubt that. But it seems we're very gear dependant. So in the beginning of an expansion we're mediocre or maybe even slightly weak compared to other classes.

Starting a fight with full embers = I can take powerful foes
Starting a fight with 0 or 1 ember = I might even die on a common questmob

That's basically the difference.

[Gaidax]

Playing as Destruction, I've never died as much leveling up in an expansion as WoD. It's partly my own arrogance thinking I can take something while I actually can't. But the other part is because Destro is quite weak now. I can keep hitting even a normal questmob for ages and I see another class come in and do 3 times my damage. I've even died on simple stuff that I should never die too. I think that says enough.

Surely with gear we'll be better again, I don't doubt that. But it seems we're very gear dependant. So in the beginning of an expansion we're mediocre or maybe even slightly weak compared to other classes.

Starting a fight with full embers = I can take powerful foes
Starting a fight with 0 or 1 ember = I might even die on a common questmob

That's basically the difference.

How do you manage that?? At level 90 I started with ilvl 587 rigged to the teeth and I wrecked packs of mobs and rares as Destruction until like level 96-97 where it started slowing down. As ilvl 590-600 I had no issues in Nagrand at all and now as 630 I have no issues doing daily Apexis zones and such either, unless I pull like 5-6 full fledged normal mobs (not saplings and rabble like that) as a dungeon spec.

If you truly have such a big issue with mobs at 100 - I suggest taking Cataclysm and GoSac and simply mow and nuke the shit down before it kills you or take Charred Remains+GoSac and Glyph/Spec Ember Tap and you will be immortal really unless you pull half a zone or something.

One common quest mob? You should not die to one mob even if all you do is binding every button on keyboard to Incinerate and rolling your face over that keyboard really.

[Averrix]

Playing as Destruction, I've never died as much leveling up in an expansion as WoD. It's partly my own arrogance thinking I can take something while I actually can't. But the other part is because Destro is quite weak now. I can keep hitting even a normal questmob for ages and I see another class come in and do 3 times my damage. I've even died on simple stuff that I should never die too. I think that says enough.

Surely with gear we'll be better again, I don't doubt that. But it seems we're very gear dependant. So in the beginning of an expansion we're mediocre or maybe even slightly weak compared to other classes.

Starting a fight with full embers = I can take powerful foes
Starting a fight with 0 or 1 ember = I might even die on a common questmob

That's basically the difference.

I leveled up as destro and I didn't die for the first time till I was level 97 and that was cause I ran in to a level 100 area exploring and got about 6 mobs coming after me and one dazed me off my mount. Were you in like boosted gear?

[Durantye]

DK, monk, boom, hunter, mage all have just as good aoe, but better single target. Most powerful is not correctly used.

Not at all actually, Boomies, monks, and hunters are the only things that really compete (balance blows me out of the water though) with me in dungeons, mages are actually very bad from what I've seen at the moment.

[Baconeggcheese]

mages are actually very bad from what I've seen at the moment.

You've been playing with bad mages :P

Only class I see struggling at all is ele shaman, everything else seems to be fairly competitive.

Dungeons are a super shitty gauge for this stuff though because fights are typically sub 2 minutes.

[Thelxi]

Destruction will always do well in dungeons because execute whoring for recount padding and free embers with shadowburn is real.

[frangeek]

So far I've been running H dungeons as destroy and I gotta say it has been performing better than expected . I've been trying to adjust to the low mobility though, but is not a GREAT issue... yet.

[Santoisms]

So far I've been running H dungeons as destroy and I gotta say it has been performing better than expected . I've been trying to adjust to the low mobility though, but is not a GREAT issue... yet.

Destro is still insane DPS in dungeons due to short burst situations and using MF and Cata. Don't take the DPS in heroics as what you'll be doing in a raid. Destro is definitely in a good spot now though.

[Durantye]

You've been playing with bad mages :P

Only class I see struggling at all is ele shaman, everything else seems to be fairly competitive.

Dungeons are a super shitty gauge for this stuff though because fights are typically sub 2 minutes.

I been running with a mage that used to raid at a very competitive level not sure if he is out of practice or not, I haven't ran with our real mage (jokes; crispy isn't that bad) yet but every mage I've ran with so far is just horrendous on the meters (easily 5-6k lower)

Poor fuckin shamans wow I feel bad for them atm

Yeah they are a pretty bad gauge for exact comparisons but there are some fights where you can understand how classes stand somewhat (such as even though I can push that 56k burst if I time it right to keep all embers and have procs still I'm gonna drop like a rock but I get somewhat steady around 18-20 depending on movement screw skyreach cmode like for real) I imagine we'll definitely see destruction doing well in raids though I have no doubts unless demo gains a significant buffs affi might be able to make a comeback later on though.

[Baconeggcheese]

I been running with a mage that used to raid at a very competitive level not sure if he is out of practice or not, I haven't ran with our real mage (jokes; crispy isn't that bad) yet but every mage I've ran with so far is just horrendous on the meters (easily 5-6k lower)

Don't even know how its possible to pull 6k as any class if you're pressing your buttons.

Was in one dungeon with a pug rogue who just auto attacked mobs and nothing else and he pulled 5k.

Mages can easily shit on warlocks if they're doing everything right.