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  1. #1

    I've started a warlock from mage, needless to say I am a bit overwhelmed.

    To start off, hello Warlocks, I am new to this neck of the woods, but have slowly been increasing my knowledge about the class little by little.

    I have played mage since 2008, and know the class inside and out, after my guild stopped raiding in 5.0, I haven't ever attempted to find another guild. However I want to raid again next expac for sure, and possibly find a guild this expac to be ready for the next.

    I have been leveling, so I am only still in my 40's, but I have decided to start watching Warlock guides, reading up on the class/specs/ rotations etc. To be honest I am very overwhelmed. Mainly, I have never played a dedicated dot class. Mage had fire, but spreading dots was done with a single button, and other than that, the class was simple and straight forward. I know everything a mage can and cannot do. But the warlock specs all seem so different from eachother, and the demo rotation confuses me, not to mention soulswapping dots, and maintaining dots etc.

    I had planned on playing only affliction, the spec looked the most fun to me, but again on mutli target fights, I can see me over committing to keeping dots on 8+ mobs, and maybe suffering from it. I don't know, maybe this looks so intimidating to me because it's a class I've never played, and I've spent so much time on my mage. I also don't know if I can pick affliction, and only play that, because the other 2 specs look very complex to me. Of course again, it could just come with practice.

    I dropped mage because I found when I was raiding with it, the class was very gimmicky. One week a new fire bug was discovered, or someway to exploit alter time and you had to change everything to exploit it. I leveled a shaman, and it was my primary choice to try, and maybe I can still.

    I need some assurance from some veteran warlocks, I know that if someone had come to the mage forums with the problem I would tell them to stick it out because mage is fairly easy to play, just have to get used to it. Though my switching from mage to lock, seems like a completely different game having to corporate intense multidotting. Do I just need to calm down, level the lock, learn the spells as I go, and let myself sink in to the class? Also would I be allowed to strictly play affliction, or is demonology and destro in an ever-changing race with affliction where all 3 specs must be mastered at the same level to be able to play a warlock.

  2. #2
    Deleted
    welcome to the Darkside!

    Yes at first it can be very overwhelming trying to juggle and keep track of dots, but a good dot timer will help. There's plenty to choose from.
    you can play any spec you want, All are pretty level pegged for leveling, However for dungon grinding I would suggest demo / dest for the burst.

    It will take time, But once you master the class you will have a lot of fun with it, Just dont over extend yourself trying to learn all three specs at the same time, as unlike mages, Warlock specs offer completely different play styles per spec.

  3. #3
    The Lightbringer GKLeatherCraft's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sigma View Post
    welcome to the Darkside!

    Yes at first it can be very overwhelming trying to juggle and keep track of dots, but a good dot timer will help. There's plenty to choose from.
    you can play any spec you want, All are pretty level pegged for leveling, However for dungon grinding I would suggest demo / dest for the burst.

    It will take time, But once you master the class you will have a lot of fun with it, Just dont over extend yourself trying to learn all three specs at the same time, as unlike mages, Warlock specs offer completely different play styles per spec.
    That entirely depends on what you play, all 3speccs are very different playstyles for PvP, I'm not sure on PvE as I don't do that, But they're not just the same old thing regardless of specc

  4. #4
    I change up my mains pretty frequently and have mained and raided with every class except rogue and shaman. Warlock I picked up at the beginning of this expansion and has been the most challenging class for me to master. But stick it out and it is very rewarding. As a previous poster said, learn one spec at a time so you don't get overwhelmed. But stick with it and it is a lot of fun.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Sigma View Post
    welcome to the Darkside!

    Yes at first it can be very overwhelming trying to juggle and keep track of dots, but a good dot timer will help. There's plenty to choose from.
    you can play any spec you want, All are pretty level pegged for leveling, However for dungon grinding I would suggest demo / dest for the burst.

    It will take time, But once you master the class you will have a lot of fun with it, Just dont over extend yourself trying to learn all three specs at the same time, as unlike mages, Warlock specs offer completely different play styles per spec.
    Thanks! ^^ Yea I am leveling as affliction as that is the spec that appeals to me the most and looks like I can learn it fairly quickly. I used to play on someone else's account as a demo lock in ICC and I loved it, but the spec is nothing like it used to be imo.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by DrStiglit View Post
    I change up my mains pretty frequently and have mained and raided with every class except rogue and shaman. Warlock I picked up at the beginning of this expansion and has been the most challenging class for me to master. But stick it out and it is very rewarding. As a previous poster said, learn one spec at a time so you don't get overwhelmed. But stick with it and it is a lot of fun.
    Thanks, yea I think I am over thinking, and not giving myself time to learn it. In my head, like my mage I have to know all 3 specs, since with mage, you changed your spec a lot, so you had better know all 3 bacwards and forwards like I did.

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Keyblader View Post
    Do I just need to calm down, level the lock, learn the spells as I go, and let myself sink in to the class? Also would I be allowed to strictly play affliction, or is demonology and destro in an ever-changing race with affliction where all 3 specs must be mastered at the same level to be able to play a warlock.
    As you said. Just learn the class as you progress. Switch spec as you lvl.

    Destruction is the spam/caster. You'll play it like an Elem or a Frost Mage. I used to spec for lvling since its the most efficient (IMO) on 1v1, as nice burst and good aoe. When you get Chaos Bolt/Execute, you'll have almost all the spells for your final rotation. The spec I use so far.

    Affliction will be a good farming spec and is THE dot class of the game. Dot them all, make your pet aggro as much as he can, loot, heal pet, repeat. If you farm mobs 1v1 you will find this spec slow. Haste is also this spec's best friend and you wont have much (and no reforge) until lvl 80ish. So you wont be able to be as efficient gearwise. affli is may also be the worst for Fast paced Dungeons. any fast dps/melee will makes you feel useless except on bosses. (Mobs die too fast).

    Then demono, the only spec I havent played so far. This spec is a good balance and have a slow building but powerfull DPS when needed. Your pet is stronger (tank/dps) and you get that badass transformation. Good for lvling.

    All 3 specs are viable. But learning a bit of the gameplay of all 3 wont hurt. If you wanna try something different Try Demono or Affli. If you wanna stick to a pure caster/spam type, go with Destruct. Try websites like noxxic or icy-veins to know your rotation (at lower lvl its the same, except you have fewer spells/CDs).

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Ravingmad View Post
    All 3 specs are viable. But learning a bit of the gameplay of all 3 wont hurt. If you wanna try something different Try Demono or Affli. If you wanna stick to a pure caster/spam type, go with Destruct. Try websites like noxxic or icy-veins to know your rotation (at lower lvl its the same, except you have fewer spells/CDs).
    Yea, I have been to both, doing my homework. I like affliction so far, but as time goes on I may enjoy a different spec later.

  8. #8
    I transitioned to lock from elemental shaman. I found just running the AffDots addon helped my game a ton early on because it let me know visually how better to manage the dots. Now I still use it because the information it provides is still good.

    For me, demonology is my favorite spec. Get crit Dooms rolling and not only do they tick for a couple hundred thousand, but they ALSO summon an army of imps. Nothing like a battalion of fel-flaming minions at my back! The Meta transformation cycle of build / dump Fury is quite a lot of fun as well, in addition to giving me that high mobility that I loved as elemental.

  9. #9
    Dunno about veteran part but actually destruction is the spec I always recommend to new warlocks, not just being powerful in lvling but offers a safer and easier way of understanding the class. But If you see afflication as the way to go for yourself, I must say the only thing that makes it hard is that you want to obey guides while lvling and learning. play afflication to full. ofc use rotations and stuff here and there but not very deep-down (who really wants you to multi dot everything in a lvl 40 dungeon? thats not a practice for you to learn the class, its just a way of annoyance to you as a newcomer).And when you reach 90 I assure you, you will have a much easier way to understand the class/spec.
    green is the color!

  10. #10
    Yeah, as Akakishin says, I'd recommend starting off as destruction aswell. Easy to learn and not to much to keep track of.

  11. #11
    I am level 41 now, so I could try adding destruction as my second spec and trying it out.

  12. #12
    Immortal hellhamster's Avatar
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    Hello and welcome new fellow lock!

    I think that locks seem hard from the outside, but once you learn them they are just like any other class, only way more awesome! Like many people said, try out one spec at a time and learn it while you level. I suggest starting off with destruction as it is by far the easiest to learn and covers all the basics of playing a lock, and then if you feel you have learned it, go for demonology and affliction, which are a bit harder at first but still not really that hard to learn, they just take time. However, like all classes, you don't really get all the actual cool stuff till after you hit level 80+, that's what I was thinking as I was leveling a new warlock recently, why couldn't we get some of the more awesome high level stuff earlier...

    But anyway, I think you will love it more as you keep leveling!

  13. #13
    MoP destruction takes as much effort as the old arcane. After you get used to juggling a few dots (setting up an addon you like helps a lot) affliction is not that complicated either. Demo is a weird spec that changed a lot, but also not rocket science once you get down the basics.

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Thelxi View Post
    MoP destruction takes as much effort as the old arcane. After you get used to juggling a few dots (setting up an addon you like helps a lot) affliction is not that complicated either. Demo is a weird spec that changed a lot, but also not rocket science once you get down the basics.
    Definitely Demo has changed, I remember having a lot of fun with it back in icc on a friend's lock, but it is nothing like it used to be.

  15. #15
    To me MoP demo feels less hectic than old demo. You used to move to melee range during Meta and it felt like you always had some cooldowns, procs or dots needing your immediate attention back then. I like the new demonology better, it's not too easy but you can now take your eyes off the timers and look at the fight too.

    As with all new things, first you need to focus hard just to do all the basics right. After a ton of repetition it starts to come more or less automatically and you can move on to give your spare attention to "finer details". Trying to do everything a detailed guide asks you to do is a tall order for someone who just started.
    Last edited by 6kle; 2013-09-23 at 05:55 AM.

  16. #16
    Deleted
    i was the same... played mage for a LONG time... switched to lock and never locked back. although: YES, it is a huge change in gameplay. the mage class has a lot of possibilities, the lock has even more. it will take some time till you will get used to play out the portals right etc.

    in the end its personal referance, but to answer your question clearly: yes, it takes time. a lot of time till you will play the lock perfect and enjoy it the most.

    for me the answer was: it was worth it. i couldnt go back to mage ever.

  17. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by 6kle View Post
    To me MoP demo feels less hectic than old demo. You used to move to melee range during Meta and it felt like you always had some cooldowns, procs or dots needing your immediate attention back then. I like the new demonology better, it's not too easy but you can now take your eyes off the timers and look at the fight too.

    Like all new things, at first you need to focus hard just to do all the basics right. After a ton of repetition it starts to come more or less automatically and you can move on to give your spare attention to "finer details". Trying to do everything a detailed guide asks you to do might be a tall order because they have much more than basics in them.
    Definitely, I don't think it helped that I was enjoying leveling as affliction, and I decided to look at raiding affliction guides, then demo then destro, and I was just overwhelmed. And I'm still in my 40's.

  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by Keyblader View Post
    Definitely, I don't think it helped that I was enjoying leveling as affliction, and I decided to look at raiding affliction guides, then demo then destro, and I was just overwhelmed. And I'm still in my 40's.
    Yes, it's good to take a brief look at all three specs but leave it to that if your head starts to hurt . Learning one of them inside and out is something that will keep you busy for a long time.
    Last edited by 6kle; 2013-09-23 at 06:25 AM.

  19. #19
    Deleted
    I rerolled from a Hunter and I was overwhelmed too! I leveled and raided my first weeks as destruction and I was doing okay-ish but when I started to learn affliction I was absolutely horrible at it. After three resets of raiding I am becoming better and can pull anywhere from 150 to 220k dps in SoO in 527 gear depending on the fight. I play affliction/destruction currently I plan to use demonology when I get my meta gem. Good luck!

  20. #20
    Deleted
    I came from the exact same background as you. I played Mage for 8 years and rerolled to Lock this tier. Overwhelming is exactly the word. I started out as Destro for the 2 final ToT HC resets and practiced some Affliction on dummies. I found both Destro and Aff fairly easy to get into, but as always not so easy to master.

    What help can I give you that helped me:
    -Read a lot. Guides on this forum are very high quality and will be a good head start to wrap your head around mechanics.
    -Watch a lot. Evrelia his guides are extremely helpful and watching both him and Sparkuggz do encounters on Youtube helps to get an idea of how they play. It won't teach you how to play, but at least it teaches you how 2 of the best Warlocks react to certain circumstances.
    -Affdots. Snapshotting and optimizing dots is the biggest change from being a Mage. We just refresh ours when they are about to run out, so it's a huge change. Affdots helps you understand dots behavior better.
    -Weakauras/Tellmewhen. Get used to highlighting procs. Warlocks specs interact a lot more with procs than how Mages play. Having an efficient and clear overview of them is crucial.
    -Like with every other spec: play a lot. Practice on a dummy can be good, but run LFR even if you don't need anything. Run a Normal/HC ToT pug or even MSV/HOF/TOES. Doesn't matter. Practice, practice, practice.

    I'm playing Aff/Demo now. Got my ilvl up to 540 in 2 weeks, but no meta/cloak yet. It's anything but optimal, but i'm keeping up more or less. My personal preference goes out to Demo. With UVLS it's easily the most enjoyable DPS spec I've ever played: Several strong cooldowns, 2 resource mechanics, different playstyle in and out of Meta, reacting to strong int procs, mobility, etc. It's never boring and I always have to be alert. Part of it might be that I'm just not as comfortable as on my Mage, but I'm never dozing off casting fireball, inferno blast, fireball, pyro, bomb refresh, repeat.
    Last edited by mmoc112630d291; 2013-09-23 at 12:44 PM.

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