Legion Class Preview Series: Warlock

[Christhammer]

Drain Life is gonna be insanely OP in PvP. 18% health over 6 seconds? Come on!

[JPR776]

I really wonder who complained for "Warlock resources have also become too cumbersome, causing confusion that outweighed their depth". Really...

I don't know about them being too cumbersome, but as someone who remembers (with equal parts fondness and ruefulness...) spending the hour before raid sucking the souls out of random creatures to fill my bags with shards, it did feel like some essential part of the class was lost the day they made it an affliction only thing.

[Qaenos]

Well, to be fair, they didn't say they were removing it, just that it wouldn't be our primary filler. It may be that it's something we use for quick soul shard regeneration at a slight dps loss, or maybe they're going back to it being our "execute" thing, where we want to switch to it when the target is under 25%.

Technically, they didn't say they were removing it, but they said they were replacing it with Drain Life in the rotation. If it was meant to be the execute (like it used to be), wouldn't it have been mentioned as one of the "core" spells?

I can only hope that Drain Soul is still in the game, perhaps as a talent. Of course if they extended it to be AOE (particularly with a chain lightning like effect), I would be ecstatic, but for now I'm just hoping that they didn't get rid of it.

[Bakis]

Nice to see Affliction resemble more like TBC.
Blizzars tried numerous fillers and none felt really affliction-like, Drain Life always has been the most suitable filler.

For once BLZ make perfect sense. I dislike haunt as well. Perhaps it is gone but then I wonder what burst we get when the target is above execute range.
Anyhow I would love to once again be able to play affliction in bgs like it is meant to be, multidotting.

[Jazdren]

Hopefully Drain Soul is still in the game. LOVE the new Demonology! Can't wait to try it out!

Really wish they'd give us back Harvest Life (AoE) now with Drain Life beeing more important in our core rotation.

[Mazinger-Z]

Silly question, and I know this is the Warlock thread, but everyone's in here...

With the Holy Power going away for Prot Paladins, what's the resource management for the spec? The preview wasn't very clear. Is it entirely cooldown driven like GW2 abilities now?

[roahn the warlock]

Our masteries remain incredibly boring. I'm not thrilled about the Affliction changes. Besides that, not too bad. I was hoping for a bit more, but it seems all classes are getting simplified.

[Edlarel]

Silly question, and I know this is the Warlock thread, but everyone's in here...

With the Holy Power going away for Prot Paladins, what's the resource management for the spec? The preview wasn't very clear. Is it entirely cooldown driven like GW2 abilities now?

I read this and pictured a bunch of warlock players hanging out in a room together enjoying the preview when Mazinger pokes his head in from the hallway to ask his question. Holy relies entirely on its mana now. No more holy power to deal with.

On topic, I've played demo on my lock since I created her (then him) back in Cataclysm. I like this change very much and look forward to blowing my imps up all over my enemies. Also, I may finally try affliction now, considering it looks like fun (it didn't before).

[Hawthorne Wipes]

Demonology sounds like a total aoe bomb!
5 shards Hand of Guldan, Demonwrath followed by implosion... and watch them burn

[Kanariya]

Meh @ these Aff changes. They really should just bring the spec back to its Cataclysm playstyle. Haunt, DoTs, Shadow Bolt filler, Drain Soul execute.

Drain Life is gonna be insanely OP in PvP. 18% health over 6 seconds? Come on!

Yeah, I'm sure an Aff lock will be able to sit there and freely channel all that health back. It would still take over 30 seconds of just channeling to restore 100% hp.

[Bakis]

Meh @ these Aff changes. They really should just bring the spec back to its Cataclysm playstyle. Haunt, DoTs, Shadow Bolt filler, Drain Soul execute.



Yeah, I'm sure an Aff lock will be able to sit there and freely channel all that health back. It would still take over 30 seconds of just channeling to restore 100% hp.

I miss Wrath Naxx affe, immolation Mmmm, the more dots the more challange to maximize damage on multiple targets.
But those nerfs are in line with BLZ longtime view of dumbing down the gameplay to a bare minimum of keys

[Xandrigity]

The affliction and demo changes look very nice, destruction sounds meh so far.

[Coils]

Affliction: doesn't seem like much has changed, other than replacing Haunt with UA, which simplifies the rotation. Multi-doting being encouraged makes sense. Drain Life now the new MG/DS (I remember devs specifically saying they didn't want DL as a filler two or so years ago...), which really is a flavor only change. I don't see much reason to be excited about Affliction yet.

Demo: Sounds like what they were hinting at. Rotational abilities that summon demons are neat, though the novelty may wear thin and there may be pet issues. Implosion looks really fun and adds some depth. Demon-empowering abilities sound like it will be a little unsatisfying to press though.

Destro: shards fulfill the destroy fantasy less than embers, but just optics. Incinerate no longer generates resources along with CB costing two shards will slow the spec down a lot.

Ultimately, the driving message these previews leave me with is that the core specs are very basic and simple to play, and that most of the additional complexity and depth will be coming from the talents and artifacts. Eagerly shifting my attention towards waiting for beta.

[Deleted]

i think that burning embers is better source in fantasy then soul shard.
Now most of us will feel like affi or demo warlocks.I dont see any spell that destruction warlock can generate soul,
generate soul shards with fire or fel spells ? When affliction warlock had drain soul spell and dots ... I dont see this and many
people can have the same thoughts like me.Also generation in destruction will be bad.

Affliction changes for me great but where is haunt ?
Demonology changes .. ? U done great job now maybe i will play this spec a little bit

Second topic. In mist warlocks had good mobility also spell like fel flame it was great.In warlords you cut it and add talent that
nobody using this Kil'jaeden's Cunning bcs archimonde's Darkness is soooo much better in increasing dps.Also during expansion u
decrease dmg or rain fire that nobody anymore using talent manoroth fury and even me forgot about using rain of fire in most battles.
It is good only in old raids.


What do you think about evertyhing above ?
There is a lot of time then and i think that devs will change some or this or add more details .

[Sabrescene]

New Demo sounds a lot more fun than I expected, really looking forward to what they're doing with Shaman though personally... please something good :/

Also wtf is going on with that Orc's hand in the Demo pic haha

[Gumboy]

And rogues are left for the end, almost like they think of them as a complete afterthought!

[Deleted]

Melee will be fucked even more with these millions of freaking pets and shit on the ground

[ComputerNerd]

Hopefully Drain Soul is still in the game. LOVE the new Demonology! Can't wait to try it out!

Really wish they'd give us back Harvest Life (AoE) now with Drain Life beeing more important in our core rotation.

We don't know it isn't coming back, given how they describe only one "core" talent for each spec.
Given the use of Drain Life as the Affliction filler then it makes sense at least one talent will be altering it.
I think that gives a good opportunity for it to return, especially as Affliction needs better AoE than Seed of Corruption in its current state.

Also interesting is that shards are increased in quantity to 5, as shown by the Hand of Gul'dan usage, as a spender with greater effect the more you spend.
I said previously that warlocks were a generator/consumer of the simplest form with fixed discrete costs for the spending.
This is a welcome extension to the dynamic that combo points offer in terms of spending.

i think that burning embers is better source in fantasy then soul shard.
Now most of us will feel like affi or demo warlocks.I dont see any spell that destruction warlock can generate soul,
generate soul shards with fire or fel spells ? When affliction warlock had drain soul spell and dots ... I dont see this and many
people can have the same thoughts like me.Also generation in destruction will be bad.

Affliction changes for me great but where is haunt ?
Demonology changes .. ? U done great job now maybe i will play this spec a little bit

Second topic. In mist warlocks had good mobility also spell like fel flame it was great.In warlords you cut it and add talent that
nobody using this Kil'jaeden's Cunning bcs archimonde's Darkness is soooo much better in increasing dps.Also during expansion u
decrease dmg or rain fire that nobody anymore using talent manoroth fury and even me forgot about using rain of fire in most battles.
It is good only in old raids.


What do you think about evertyhing above ?
There is a lot of time then and i think that devs will change some or this or add more details .

Affliction was too reliant on haunt, taking too much away from the DoTs themselves.
They hit like a wet fish without it.
This is an early preview of what they deem to be the core abilities and mechanics of each spec.
This is by no means meant to be the full set of tools each spec will have, and we only see one talent for each spec.
There will be more.

[Soikona]

And rogues are left for the end, almost like they think of them as a complete afterthought!

I know right?!? Warlocks were left till like 5th. Clearly blizzard only loves warlocks 5th most! Those bastards just love priests more than us!! How dare they?!?

You do know how idiotic your post is? "Oh we were left till last. Confirmed blizzard don't care about rogues".

[Deleted]

I know right?!? Warlocks were left till like 5th. Clearly blizzard only loves warlocks 5th most! Those bastards just love priests more than us!! How dare they?!?

You do know how idiotic your post is? "Oh we were left till last. Confirmed blizzard don't care about rogues".

indeed, rogues last again, wow has only 5 classes just ignore him