Considering Warlock, but what's your opinion of the class?

[iLive]

I know how the Destruction and Demonology rotations works, since the are some nice videos etc. on our forum, but I know nothing about Affliction and the raiding compendium was last updated october, and I heard it was changed a lot since 3.3. Can anyone tell me how it works (without making the spell names shorter :P)?

[Jenerena]

Well i find demo a little harder to play than affliction, but that's because i've never played it full time so whenever i go back to it i'm not as comfortable with the rotation. I'm sure those of you who are used to it probably find it 'easier'. Looking from an outside perspective, i do think it's more complex. But that is derailing the thread anyway.

The only alt i have is a shaman, so i can't really compare, but i'm also not going to be biased. Fact is, if you roll a priest, and get bored of dps, you can heal if you want. It happens. If you desperately want a good dps class, don't roll a priest, because shadow priests have been messed around with too much and if they ever do become awesome it won't be for long until Blizzard nerfs them again. But if topping the meters isn't your concern then it is a nice option. The problem is, you may easily get bored of the laid back 'dotting' and lack of burst playstyle, and you can't change.

I would honestly say warlock simply because all three of our specs now are viable. I can't actually believe i'm saying this. I could play and spec and do well. None of them are terrible, not like demo was at 3.1. They have very distinct and interesting spec designs, the playstyles, i feel, are different and rewarding in themselves (except perhaps destro, but that is a matter of opinion). We can also play affliction or destruction in PvP as well, both work. Having this choice and variety means that if we want a pure dps, that isn't centered around one spec, then the warlock is for you. If you want a class that is based around simplicity but gets you high numbers, whilst also being agile and providing a little more utility in both PvP and PvE, then the mage is for you.

[Impurath]

iLive, basically affli rotation goes like this:

One Shadow Bolt (for the 5% crit and Shadow Embrace debuff) -> Haunt -> Curse of Agony -> Corruption -> Unstable Affliction (well, dot order may differ, however I do it in that order) -> Shadow Bolts as filler -> refresh Haunt/Curse of Agony/Unstable Affliction when needed (Haunt has top priority) -> Spam some more Shadow Bolts -> refresh again etc...

Continue this until boss health reaches 25% and start execute phase. Refresh all your dots and cast Drain Soul. Let it tick for maybe 3 times -> Haunt -> Drain Soul few more ticks -> refresh Unstable Affliction -> Drain Soul again -> Haunt etc... Just keep your dots up and Drain Soul.

And the pet of choice is Felhunter.

Glyphes: Quick Decay, Life Tap, Haunt

Stone: Spellstone

[harky]

It's harder than affliction.

That rotation is actually more complex than most rotations in game.

Affliction is much simpler. It's just keep dots up, use haunt, and shadowbolt spam until 25% then drain soul spam while keeping dots up. See? That has many less steps than demo. You forgot that when you go meta you have to be in melee btw. Highest dpct ability for demo.

On fights where you'll be using Immolation Aura you'll be in Melee range already. You hit Meta, then Immolation, then that's it. Otherwise you just use Meta and continue as usual. If you want to do poorly as Affliction, then yes it's quite a bit simpler. If you want to do well then you have to worry about monitoring a lot of timers to minimize downtime on CoA and UA while maximizing how many Shadow Bolts you can throw between Haunt. Demo doesn't need to worry about anything like it. You use cooldowns on cooldown unless you want to save them, then you use them then. You keep up a few DoTs and spam Shadow Bolt, Incinerate on proc, Soul Fire at low health... that's it. Afflic does have fewer steps, but only if you include a 40+ second cooldown with no GCD and a 2 minute set of cooldowns. Without those 'duh' steps, it's not only fewer steps, but there are less things to monitor.

Edit: Opening Afflic rotation should be - Shadow Bolt > Haunt > Corruption > UA > CoA which is the DoTs effective worth in order. You should get used to putting your DoTs up in order of priority.

[Pure Lunacy]

iLive, I did the same thing as yourself. I started as a resto druid and played her for years (Up until ToC). Then I wanted a dps class and was debating among the same 3 you are. I first rolled a shadow priest (back in bc) and had a lot of fun with her, but the lack of aoe at the time made it kind of lame. Then in wrath I rolled a mage, got terribly bored the moment she hit 80. After that I got my priest to 76, and while I'll admit mind sear was really fun, I ended up having to heal more than I got to dps. I then leveled the class that I had really wanted the whole time, a warlock. I have had a blast with her. You don't have to worry about healing, rezzing, buffing, anything you are accustomed to as a druid. Just kill stuff as fast as you can while not overwhelming the tank.

Best of luck and I hope you find the class that makes you happy.

[Thizzlol]

Something not mentioned.

As a lock, everyone is going to hate you. And your mother. And made a move on your sister.

In PVE, you will be expected to top the dps charts with a gearscore of 500 less than anyone else in the raid.

In battlegrounds, you will be zerged first. If you join a battle, half the opposing team will peal off to kill you. You are actually a higher priority than the healers to a good portion of the population. When your teammates notice your die a few times, you will be told to l2fear.

In arena, you will be bitched at for being op regardless of truth. We have been op. We have been balanced. We haven't been crap. Either way, you will be considered op and easymode and faceroll.


Shadow Priests tend to be measured much better to their worth and you don't have to worry about constant bitching about how op you are in PVP. You are a good and viable spec, but not so OP to gather needless bitching. You are however immediately identifiable, which has its disadvantages. You offer good deeps and nice utility in PVE, but will be expected to heal allot while leveling (though this is probably mitigated more by the new LFG).

Mages are good. The class is well designed, and feels just right. It has good synergy with itself and others. You will be considered faceroll. Every. Freaking. Day. Good in PVE. Good in PVP. But endless faceroll comments.

/Agree fully! I just hit 80 a week ago. I am rocking more DPS and I am getting hated on by all the lolnoobs out there!

[gherkin]

The only people who hate Warlocks are people who are bad at PVP or bad at the game entirely. Anyone with some semblance of skill will know that the class is on the low end of DPS, for pures, and that they are easily shut down in PVP.

And I use "bad at the game" subjectively. You can still kill bosses and top the meters in your guild and be bad, compared to every other warlock in every other guild that can down the same boss. It just means that your entire guild is bad too, or worse than you.

[ricks]

Make a Warlock. :-*

All three builds are fun in PvE, destro has the most slack-rotation which fits me. :-X

When it comes to PvP I've always played destro, never getting tired of it. 8) And affliction is hell lot of fun too!

[Saverem]

I looked at pictures of your interface some time ago and found a familiar name in your grid and you were the only druid in that raid so...

Professional stalker in the works, kids.

[vigiro]

Ive played a lock since pre bc and its a fun experience. The classes abilities are easy to fall in love with. Here is my warning to you that no one else has mentioned. Every baddy has a warlock , especially some of those left over from the sbolt spam bc days. Getting in a guild will involve you doing a ton of work pre raiding. The good thing is that you can tell who is having trouble with the class and staying destro. If you ask any of the old locks who are actually worth a damn, we love it when affliction becomes the main stay(we hate blizz for nerfing the aff spell rotation). We know the baddies have issues with this spec and love it. You may have a ton of heart ache trying to prove yourself as an underdeveloped pure class that isnt on par with a rogue,mage,or dk. If you want to be on top of the meters get your mage hit 2 buttons , if you want to find a guild easy and have a raid spot make a spriest, if you want a challenge play this class. that is all, pz.