World of Warcraft: Forever · class guide
Affliction Warlock
Ranged damage
DoTs that crit, drains that heal, and a Voidwalker in front. The levelling pick by every source, and the spec the beta talks about most.
Affliction puts Corruption, Bane of Agony and later Siphon Life on a target and lets them work while you drain, wand or move to the next mob. DoTs can crit in Forever, and Pandemic doubles the crit bonus on your DoTs and drains, so crit matters more than it did in Classic. Nightfall turns the odd Shadow Bolt instant. At 40, Wrack, a 6-second channel, raises your other Shadow DoTs' damage by 10% while it runs. Your damage curse is now a Bane, so Curse of the Elements or Recklessness goes on top for free.
Strengths and weaknesses
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| Strongest levelling pick: DoTs work while you drain, wand or move on | DoT threat pulls mobs off the Voidwalker |
| Drains heal, and the Voidwalker holds the front | Wrack is a 6-second channel, not an instant |
| DoTs can crit, and Pandemic doubles their crit bonus | Haste does not speed up DoT or channel ticks |
| Curse of the Elements or Recklessness goes on top for free | Gnome Eureka! does not boost DoTs |
| Life Tap converts Spirit into mana | Fear is 20 yards and Recklessness on the same target cancels it |
Stat priority
- Spell power
- Hit
- Critical strike
- Intellect
- Spirit
- Haste
- Stamina
Hit and crit are one stat each for spells and attacks in Forever. Suppression gives up to 5% hit: 3 points remove every miss that can be removed; alternatively take 4. Spirit is worth more than in Classic because Life Tap converts a base plus your Spirit. Haste doesn't speed up DoT or channel ticks (beta testing).
Do this
- Let DoTs finish: don't recast them early, and move to the next mob while the last one dies.
- Make Drain Soul the last spell on anything worth a shard; a new cast ends it.
- Use current ranks. Ranks far below your level trigger Nightfall less often.
- Keep Curse of the Elements up in groups: it covers every Magic school and costs you nothing now.
Watch out for
- Wrack is a channel, not an instant. Builds and macros that weave it between casts are working from old data.
- DoT threat pulls mobs off the Voidwalker. Take Suppression early and let the pet hit first.
- Fear is 20 yards and Curse of Recklessness on the same target cancels it.
- Gnome Eureka! no longer boosts DoTs, so it helps Affliction less.
- Wrack is not a level-30 talent, and Curse of Shadow doesn't exist in Forever.