World of Warcraft: Forever · class guide
Affliction Warlock: Races
Every race Affliction Warlock can be, ranked against each other: best first, with how much the choice matters.
Best races for Affliction Warlock in PvE
Race matters a lot
Race matters a lot for Affliction Warlock, but mostly for safety and leveling: in damage the races are within about 1 to 2%. 
Undead leads with 
Cannibalize and 
Will of the Forsaken, 
Human 
Ruthless leads on damage because 
Pandemic doubles crit damage, and 
Gnome and 
Troll gain almost nothing because 
Eureka! and 
Berserking skip DoTs. Human is the best Alliance pick. Undead is the best Horde pick.
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Undead S tierCannibalize gives Undead the strongest leveling here, which makes it the best pick for Affliction Warlock.
Why S, and its scores
Touch of the Grave procs at 30% for about 1% more damage (an estimate), and Will of the Forsaken answers fears that hit Warlocks too. Will of the Forsaken removes Charm, 
Fear and Sleep every 2 minutes, and Cannibalize heals 35% of health between pulls. Safety scores 4 of 5 for Affliction Warlock. Cannibalize restores 35% of health and mana near a corpse every 2 minutes, which cuts drinking and eating time. Leveling scores 5 of 5.It has no race ahead of it. The next race,
Human, trails by 0.30 and sits in tier S. It falls short on leveling (
The Human Spirit against Cannibalize, 2 of 5 to 5) and safety (
Will to Survive against Will of the Forsaken, 3 of 5 to 4).Scores for Undead for Affliction WarlockCriterion Weight Score The spec's job 55 3 Survival and utility 25 4 Leveling and downtime 20 5 Weighted score 3.65, the best for this spec, which is S tier.
What would move it: It would lose first place if testing showed
Ruthless on Human worth more than the estimate for Affliction Warlock now, or if Touch of the Grave were cut in a patch. -
Human S tierThe Human Spirit trails Undead's Cannibalize on leveling.
Why S, and its scores
Ruthless adds 2% crit, and Pandemic doubles Affliction crit damage, so it is worth an estimated 1.5 to 2% more damage. The Human Spirit adds 5% Spirit, which feeds 
Life Tap. Will to Survive removes all stuns on a 3 minute cooldown, and 
Perception detects stealth for 20 seconds. Safety scores 3 of 5 for Affliction Warlock. The Human Spirit adds 5% Spirit, which helps regen a little. Leveling scores 2 of 5.Ahead of it:
Undead. The best, Undead, is 0.30 ahead because it is stronger on leveling (Cannibalize, 5 of 5 against 2) and safety (Will of the Forsaken, 4 of 5 against 3). This race wins on damage (Ruthless) but not by enough. That is within 0.50 of the best, so it stays in tier S.Scores for Human for Affliction WarlockCriterion Weight Score The spec's job 55 4 Survival and utility 25 3 Leveling and downtime 20 2 Weighted score 3.35, 0.30 behind the best race for this spec, which is S tier.
What would move it: It would lead outright if a test showed Ruthless worth more than the estimate now, or if
Touch of the Grave on Undead lost value. -
Orc C tierOrc's 
Hardiness trails Undead's Cannibalize on leveling.Why C, and its scores
Savage adds 1% crit, and 
Blood Fury raises DoT snapshot damage, about 0.5 to 1% on a pull (an estimate). Hardiness cuts stun duration 20%, and 
Shatter Curse removes Curses and 
Banes and cuts magic damage taken 5% for 8 seconds, every 3 minutes. Safety scores 3 of 5 for Affliction Warlock. Hardiness helps against stuns, and little else helps leveling. Leveling scores 2 of 5.Ahead of it:
Undead and Human. The best, Undead, is 1.40 ahead because it is stronger on leveling (Cannibalize, 5 of 5 against 2), damage (Touch of the Grave, 3 of 5 against 2) and safety (Will of the Forsaken, 4 of 5 against 3). Tier C covers up to 1.50 behind; tier B needs 1.17 or less.Scores for Orc for Affliction WarlockCriterion Weight Score The spec's job 55 2 Survival and utility 25 3 Leveling and downtime 20 2 Weighted score 2.25, 1.40 behind the best race for this spec, which is C tier.
What would move it: Closing about 0.23 of weighted score, through a higher tested value for Blood Fury or a change to Touch of the Grave on Undead, would lift it to tier B.
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Troll F tierTroll's Berserking trails Undead's Touch of the Grave on damage.
Why F, and its scores
Berserking is reported not to speed DoT ticks, and Affliction is mostly DoTs, so it adds almost nothing. 
Rapid Regeneration heals 50% of maximum health over 6 seconds, but any movement, action or damage cancels it. 
Regeneration adds 20% health regen. Safety scores 2 of 5 for Affliction Warlock. Regeneration adds 20% health regen (20% of it works in combat), and 
Beast Slaying adds 5% damage to Beasts. Leveling scores 3 of 5.Ahead of it:
Undead, Human and Orc. The best, Undead, is 2.00 ahead because it is stronger on damage (Touch of the Grave, 3 of 5 against 1), safety (Will of the Forsaken, 4 of 5 against 2) and leveling (Cannibalize, 5 of 5 against 3). That is beyond 1.83 behind the best, which is tier F.Scores for Troll for Affliction WarlockCriterion Weight Score The spec's job 55 1 Survival and utility 25 2 Leveling and downtime 20 3 Weighted score 1.65, 2.00 behind the best race for this spec, which is F tier.
What would move it: Closing about 0.17 of weighted score, through a higher tested value for Berserking or a change to Touch of the Grave on Undead, would lift it to tier D.
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Gnome F tierEureka!, the Gnome racial, trails Undead's Touch of the Grave on damage.
Why F, and its scores
Eureka! excludes periodic damage, which is most of Affliction, so it adds close to 0%. 
Expansive Mind adds 5% maximum mana. 
Escape Artist frees you from movement impairment and gives 3 seconds of immunity, every 2 minutes. Safety scores 2 of 5 for Affliction Warlock. Expansive Mind adds a larger resource pool, and Escape Artist helps with kiting. Leveling scores 2 of 5.Ahead of it:
Undead, Human, Orc and 1 more. The best, Undead, is 2.20 ahead because it is stronger on damage (Touch of the Grave, 3 of 5 against 1), leveling (Cannibalize, 5 of 5 against 2) and safety (Will of the Forsaken, 4 of 5 against 2). That is beyond 1.83 behind the best, which is tier F.Scores for Gnome for Affliction WarlockCriterion Weight Score The spec's job 55 1 Survival and utility 25 2 Leveling and downtime 20 2 Weighted score 1.45, 2.20 behind the best race for this spec, which is F tier.
What would move it: Closing about 0.37 of weighted score, through a higher tested value for Eureka! or a change to Touch of the Grave on Undead, would lift it to tier D.
How these are ranked
Forecast. Rated from the client data and our research, before anyone has played it at this level on this build. Where the data stops, the write-up says what it assumed. Rated as of , build 1.60.1.70450.
For each of the 28 specs, every race that can play it, ranked against each other for that spec: what the race's racials give it in PvE, leveling 1 to 60 and then in dungeons and raids at 60. It answers one question per spec: which race should I pick for it?
A tier says how far a race trails the best race for the same spec, never how it compares with another spec's races: an S 
Dwarf Protection 
Warrior and an S Undead Fire 
Mage are each the best for their own spec. The best race of every spec is S. Each spec also says how much the choice matters: on some specs the best and worst races are a few percent apart, on others one racial decides it.
The scores are the racials' worth on fixed anchors (1 to 5). The tier comes from the weighted score's gap to the spec's best: 5 minus 1.5 times the gap, against the thresholds, so S is within 0.50 of the best and F more than 1.83 behind.
The racials are rated from their tooltips and the client's numbers; none has been measured in play. The percentages are estimates, and no racial is worth more than about 3% of a spec's output, so a damage spec's races are often close and its pick is a matter of a few percent.
Where a racial answers something a spec cannot do without, the gap is larger: 
Stoneform for a tank, a mana return for a healer, a fear break for a melee spec. Those specs say race matters a lot.
| Criterion | Weight | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| The spec's job | 55 | What the racials add to what the spec is for at 60: damage for a damage spec, healing and mana for a healer, survival and threat for a tank. 5: about 3% or more of the spec's output, or one racial the role leans on most fights (a tank's Stoneform, a healer's large mana return). 3: about 1 to 1.5%, or a role racial that helps on some fights. 1: nothing that adds to the spec's job. |
| Survival and utility | 25 | Racials that keep this spec alive or help its group, beyond its main job: removing or ignoring a common danger (fear, poison, disease, curse, stun), a damage cut, a threat drop, an interrupt or stun the spec lacks. 5: helps on most fights. 3: one racial that helps on some fights. 1: nothing. |
| Leveling and downtime | 20 | Makes leveling this spec quicker or easier: less eating and drinking, more health, speed, a strong solo cooldown. 5: a large help throughout. 3: helps a little, or helps some of the levels. 1: nothing. |
- S 0.50 or less behind the best
- The best race for this spec, or as good as makes no difference.
- A 0.83 or less behind the best
- A little behind the best; a fine pick if you prefer it.
- B 1.17 or less behind the best
- Behind the best, but nothing you will notice most nights.
- C 1.50 or less behind the best
- Clearly behind the best on what this spec needs.
- D 1.83 or less behind the best
- Well behind the best; pick it for other reasons.
- F more than 1.83 behind
- The furthest behind for this spec.
What the ratings assume:
- Racials as of the stated build: the client's tooltips, cooldowns and numbers, after the 15–16 Oct racial rework.
- The spec played as its class guide sets it out, in its usual group role at 60, and leveled as that spec.
- Gear: leveling gear, then pre-raid blues at 60.
- No Legacy perks and no world buffs.
- Faction is not rated. Both factions' races sit on one scale; each spec names the best pick on each side.
- The game rules of the stated build. A patch that changes a racial makes a new version.
Best races for Affliction Warlock in PvP
Race matters some
Affliction has Fear, 
Howl of Terror and Death Coil for control, but no stun answer and no fear answer of its own, and it dies to burst while casting. Three races sit within 0.25. Damage racials count for less because most of its damage is periodic. The spread is 1.40, so the choice matters some. Human is the best Alliance pick. Orc is the best Horde pick.
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Human S tierHuman shares the lead with Orc for Affliction Warlock, carried by Will to Survive.
Why S, and its scores
Breaks scores 5 of 5:
Will to Survive frees you from all stuns on a 3 minute cooldown. Warlocks have no stun answer of their own. Burst scores 2 of 5: Ruthless adds 2% crit. The 2% crit works with Pandemic, which doubles crit damage; this is an estimate. Defensives scores 1 of 5: Human has no defensive racial. Mobility scores 2 of 5: Perception is a 20 second stealth detection on a 3 minute cooldown, and Spirit is 5% higher.No race is ahead of it.
Orc ties it on weighted score (2.65). The next race, Undead, is 0.25 behind and sits in tier S. It falls short on breaks (Will to Survive, 5 of 5, against Will of the Forsaken, 4) and mobility (Perception, 2 of 5, against 1 here).Scores for Human for Affliction Warlock Criterion Weight Score Breaks and escapes 30 5 Burst 25 2 Defensives 25 1 Mobility and detection 20 2 Weighted score 2.65, the best for this spec, which is S tier.
What would move it: It would lose first place if testing how often stuns chain on Forever (diminishing returns there are undocumented) went against it, or if its Will to Survive were cut in a patch. Undead is 0.25 behind, so a small change could close it.
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Orc S tierOrc ties Human for Affliction Warlock: Hardiness balances what it gives up elsewhere.
Why S, and its scores
Breaks scores 4 of 5:
Hardiness cuts stun duration 20% at all times, and Shatter Curse removes curses. Burst scores 3 of 5: Blood Fury adds 10% attack power and spell power for 15 seconds on a 3 minute cooldown, and Savage adds 1% crit. Blood Fury raises spell power, which lifts damage over time as well. Defensives scores 2 of 5: Shatter Curse cuts magic damage 5% for 8 seconds. Mobility scores 1 of 5: Orc has nothing here.It is level with
Human, the best race for this spec, at 2.65 weighted. It differs only in where the points come from: breaks 4 of 5 against 5, burst 3 of 5 against 2, defensives 2 of 5 against 1 and mobility 1 of 5 against 2. It sits in tier S.Scores for Orc for Affliction Warlock Criterion Weight Score Breaks and escapes 30 4 Burst 25 3 Defensives 25 2 Mobility and detection 20 1 Weighted score 2.65, the best for this spec, which is S tier.
What would move it: It is already level with Human, and settling whether Blood Fury's spell power raises damage-over-time ticks could decide which of the two leads.
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Undead S tierUndead stays close to Human for Affliction Warlock: Will of the Forsaken keeps it in tier S, short on breaks and mobility.
Why S, and its scores
Breaks scores 4 of 5:
Will of the Forsaken removes Charm, Fear and Sleep on a 2 minute cooldown. Warlocks have no answer to fear, so Will of the Forsaken fills a real hole. Burst scores 2 of 5: Touch of the Grave has a 20% or 30% proc chance and drains up to 5% of your health on a 25 second internal cooldown, worth about 1 to 2% damage as an untested estimate. Defensives scores 2 of 5: Touch of the Grave heals a little, and Cannibalize restores 7% health and mana every 2 seconds for 10 seconds but only after a kill near a corpse. 
Drain Life also sustains an Undead Warlock beside the Touch heal and Cannibalize. Mobility scores 1 of 5: Undead has nothing here.It is 0.25 behind
Human, the best race for this spec, and sits in tier S. The gap comes from breaks (Will to Survive, 5 of 5, against Will of the Forsaken, 4) and mobility (Perception, 2 of 5, against 1 here). It does lead on defensives (2 of 5 against 1).Scores for Undead for Affliction Warlock Criterion Weight Score Breaks and escapes 30 4 Burst 25 2 Defensives 25 2 Mobility and detection 20 1 Weighted score 2.40, 0.25 behind the best race for this spec, which is S tier.
What would move it: Settling how large Touch of the Grave is in practice (untested) could close the 0.25 gap to Human: one more point on burst is worth 0.25.
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Gnome A tierGnome stays close to Human for Affliction Warlock: Escape Artist keeps it in tier A, short on breaks.
Why A, and its scores
Breaks scores 3 of 5:
Escape Artist frees you from any movement impairment and gives 3 seconds of immunity on a 2 minute cooldown. Escape Artist answers slows and roots every 2 minutes. Burst scores 2 of 5: Eureka! adds 10% non-periodic damage and cuts costs 10% for 8 seconds on a 2 minute cooldown, but does nothing for DoTs or channels and fails in stealth. Eureka! excludes 
Corruption, Curse of Agony, 
Siphon Life and drains, which is most of Affliction's damage. Defensives scores 1 of 5: Gnome has no defensive racial. Mobility scores 2 of 5: Gnome adds only 5% more mana, energy or rage.It is 0.60 behind
Human, the best race for this spec, and sits in tier A. The gap comes from breaks (Will to Survive, 5 of 5, against Escape Artist, 3).Scores for Gnome for Affliction Warlock Criterion Weight Score Breaks and escapes 30 3 Burst 25 2 Defensives 25 1 Mobility and detection 20 2 Weighted score 2.05, 0.60 behind the best race for this spec, which is A tier.
What would move it: Reaching Human means making up 0.60. One more point on burst is worth 0.25, so settling which spells Eureka! covers (its text excludes periodic damage) would not be enough by itself. It would take a patch to its racials.
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Troll C tierTroll trails Human for Affliction Warlock on breaks and mobility, and Berserking does not make up the difference.
Why C, and its scores
Breaks scores 1 of 5:
Troll has no break from control. Burst scores 2 of 5: Berserking adds 10% attack and casting speed for 10 seconds on a 3 minute cooldown, and per player reports does not speed DoT ticks or channels, which is untested. Berserking is not expected to speed damage over time ticks, which is untested. Defensives scores 1 of 5: Rapid Regeneration heals 50% over 6 seconds but any damage, action or movement cancels it, so it works only out of combat. Mobility scores 1 of 5: Troll has nothing here.It is 1.40 behind
Human, the best race for this spec, and sits in tier C. The gap comes from breaks (Will to Survive, 5 of 5, against 1 here) and mobility (Perception, 2 of 5, against 1 here).Scores for Troll for Affliction Warlock Criterion Weight Score Breaks and escapes 30 1 Burst 25 2 Defensives 25 1 Mobility and detection 20 1 Weighted score 1.25, 1.40 behind the best race for this spec, which is C tier.
What would move it: Reaching Human means making up 1.40. One more point on burst is worth 0.25, so settling whether Berserking speeds channels and damage-over-time ticks would not be enough by itself. It would take a patch to its racials.
How these are ranked
Forecast. Rated from the client data and our research, before anyone has played it at this level on this build. Where the data stops, the write-up says what it assumed. Rated as of , build 1.60.1.70450.
For each of the 28 specs, every race that can play it, ranked against each other for that spec in PvP: what the race's racials give it at level 60 in open-world fights and battlegrounds, against players of similar level and gear. It answers one question per spec: which race should I pick for it in PvP?
A tier says how far a race trails the best race for the same spec, never how it compares with another spec's races. The best race of every spec is S. Each spec also says how much the choice matters.
The scores are the racials' worth on fixed anchors (1 to 5). The tier comes from the weighted score's gap to the spec's best: 5 minus 1.5 times the gap, against the thresholds, so S is within 0.50 of the best and F more than 1.83 behind.
The racials are rated from their tooltips and the client's numbers; none has been measured in play, and diminishing returns on control in this build are not yet confirmed.
A break from the control a spec suffers most weighs most: a stun break for a melee spec that must stay on its target, a fear break for a spec that can't answer fear itself. Where a spec already has its own answer, the racial is worth less to it.
| Criterion | Weight | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Breaks and escapes | 30 | Racials that free this spec from the control it suffers most. 5: an on-use break from a whole family of control (all stuns, or all fears and charms) on a cooldown of 2 to 3 minutes, or an always-on cut to control that works every fight. 3: a break for a narrower family (roots and slows, or one effect type such as curses or poisons), or one that only partly fits how this spec is controlled. 1: nothing. |
| Burst | 25 | Racials that raise this spec's damage (or a healer's healing) against players in its burst window. 5: about 10% or more, lined up with its own cooldowns, or an always-on gain the spec uses fully. 3: a smaller gain, or one the spec only partly uses (a physical bonus on a mostly spell spec). 1: nothing. |
| Defensives | 25 | Racials that keep this spec alive against players. 5: one that turns a losing fight: a large damage cut or immunity on use, more health, or healing in combat that a player can't stop. 3: a small or narrow one: a few % cut against one school, a small health or dodge gain, a heal that damage interrupts. 1: nothing. |
| Mobility and detection | 20 | Tools that win fights outside the numbers. 5: an area stun or interrupt the spec lacks, stealth or stealth detection that changes its fights, a lasting speed boost that works in combat. 3: one such tool, or several small ones (a short sprint, a safe fall). 1: nothing. |
- S 0.50 or less behind the best
- The best race for this spec, or as good as makes no difference.
- A 0.83 or less behind the best
- A little behind the best; a fine pick if you prefer it.
- B 1.17 or less behind the best
- Behind the best, but nothing you will notice most nights.
- C 1.50 or less behind the best
- Clearly behind the best on what this spec needs.
- D 1.83 or less behind the best
- Well behind the best; pick it for other reasons.
- F more than 1.83 behind
- The furthest behind for this spec.
What the ratings assume:
- Racials as of the stated build: the client's tooltips, cooldowns and numbers, after the 15–16 Oct racial rework.
- The spec in a PvP-minded build, as its class's open-world PvP research sets it out.
- Gear: pre-raid blues. No honor gear yet.
- Opponents of any class and race, so a racial is worth what it does against the whole field, not one matchup.
- Faction is not rated: population, queue times and which faction's classes are stronger are not part of the score. Each spec names the best pick on each side.
- The game rules of the stated build. A patch that changes a racial makes a new version.