World of Warcraft: Forever · class guide
Destruction Warlock: PvP
How Destruction Warlock fights other players in the open world: where it ranks on the PvP tier lists, and why.
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.
Battlegrounds are not rated yet; builds, matchups and battleground roles are being written for this spec. Honor, ranks, gear and the battlegrounds themselves are on PvP in World of Warcraft: Forever.
Verdict
- At 60
- Ranked 10 of 28 on Open-World PvP
The Warlock burst spec: instant
Conflagrate and 
Shadowburn at range and full-strength crits, but it cannot out-heal anything. - While leveling
- Ranked 12 of 28 on Open-World PvP Leveling
Immolate from level 1, 
Searing Pain at 18, Shadowburn at 20 and Conflagrate at 25: the damage waits for the talents. - Battlegrounds
- Not rated yet.
Profile
The rubric the lists score on, 1 to 5 on each line, with the weight each line carries. The class’s other specs are shown at 60 for comparison.
| Criterion | Weight | At 60 | While leveling | Affliction | Demonology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burst and kill pressure | 25 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Survival and escapes | 20 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Control | 15 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Fighting outnumbered | 15 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Choosing the fight | 10 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Sustain between fights | 10 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Group fights | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Weighted score | 3.30 | 2.90 | 3.60 | 3.40 |
Strengths and weaknesses
At 60
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| Highest Warlock burst | Cannot out-heal damage |
| Instant Conflagrate and Shadowburn at range | Weakest sustain of the three |
 Aftermath daze and  Pyroclasm stun |  Soul Fire is a 6 s cast |
 Fear, Howl and  Death Coil | No speed or stealth |
| Crits no longer reduced in PvP | Poor against two |
Why it ranks where it does on Open-World PvP
Destruction has the most burst of the three Warlocks: 
Shadow Bolt with Improved Shadow Bolt, instant Conflagrate and Shadowburn, 
Incinerate at 40, Soul Fire at 48, and 
Ruin crit damage. Blizzard says crits in PvP no longer have reduced efficacy. Control is Fear, Howl and Death Coil, an Aftermath daze (50%, 5 s) from Conflagrate and a Pyroclasm stun (26%, 3 s) on Soul Fire, Rain of Fire and 
Hellfire.
Backlash gives an instant Shadow Bolt when it is hit, 
Intensity resists pushback, and Healthstone and 
Shadow Ward help, but it cannot out-heal damage. Against two it has Rain of Fire, Hellfire, Howl and one Fear, with poor sustain. Instant Conflagrate and Shadowburn at range make it easy to start a fight, though Soul Fire is a 6 s cast and it has no speed. 
Life Tap and 
Drain Life are all it has for recovery, so resets are slow. Area fire and a Soulstone are its group tools.
It is not A because sustain is 2 and survival, outnumbered and engage are all 3. Its burst is the best of the Warlocks, but it cannot out-heal what it fails to kill. 3.30 is 0.45 short of A.
While leveling
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| Immolate and Searing Pain at range | Weakest sustain of the Warlocks |
| Shadowburn at 20 and Conflagrate at 25 | No extra self-heal |
| Rain of Fire at 20 | Burst talents arrive late |
| Fear at 8 | No speed or stealth |
| Voidwalker and Healthstone |
Why it ranks where it does on Open-World PvP Leveling
Immolate is there from 1, Searing Pain arrives at 18, Shadowburn at 20 at the earliest and Conflagrate at 25. Fear at 8 is its main control, Aftermath adds a daze at 25 and Pyroclasm a stun at about 30, which is unverified. Incinerate at 40 and Soul Fire at 48 come after the beta cap.
The Voidwalker, Healthstone and Drain Life are all it has to survive a gank, with no extra self-heal. Against two it has Rain of Fire at 20, Hellfire at 30, Howl and one Fear, with the pet. Immolate gives it range to start a fight. Life Tap is its only recovery, so resets are slow, and Soulstone and area fire are its group tools.
It is not B because sustain is 2 and everything else is 3, with its stronger burst not yet unlocked on the road. 2.90 is 0.35 short of B.
Leveling timeline
The level each of Destruction’s PvP tools arrives. A talent shows at the earliest level a point can reach it; the Talented Legacy perk brings talents 5 levels sooner.
- Level 8 Fear
- Level 14
Curse of Recklessness - Level 20 Shadowburn (talent)
- Level 24
Drain Mana - Level 25 Conflagrate (talent)
- Level 26
Curse of Tongues - Level 32 Shadow Ward
- Level 40
Howl of Terror - Level 42 Death Coil
Races
The Warlock’s races as Races PvP ranks them, best first.
Alliance
Human: 
Will to Survive is the only full stun break in the game, and 
Ruthless and 
Perception add steady crit and stealth detection.
Gnome: 
Escape Artist breaks roots and slows and its burst racial adds +10% damage, but Gnome lacks defense, mobility and class choice.
Horde
Undead: 
Will of the Forsaken breaks fear and charm and 
Touch of the Grave drains in combat, but it has the weakest burst and no mobility.
Orc: 
Blood Fury is the strongest burst cooldown of any race, and 
Hardiness and 
Shatter Curse give some breaks and defense, but no mobility.
Troll: 
Berserking is a burst for seven classes, but Troll has no control break or mobility and 
Rapid Regeneration works out of combat.
What we don’t know yet
At 60
Rated on assumptions:
- Everything at level 60 is projected from client data and the spec's own talent tree; nobody has played past the beta cap of 30.
- Incinerate at 40 and Soul Fire at 48 are client data, not played.
- Pyroclasm's stun chance is from the own tree and unverified.
- Diminishing returns on stuns, fears and silences are not documented for Forever.
What would move it: Level-60 play showing the burst killing before a target can answer, or Pyroclasm's stun proving reliable in a fight.
While leveling
Rated on assumptions:
- Levels past the beta cap of 30 are projected from client data and the spec's own talent tree; nobody has played past 30.
- Pyroclasm's stun at about 30 is unverified.
- Hellfire at 30, Incinerate at 40 and Soul Fire at 48 are client data past or at the cap, not played.
What would move it: Play at 25 to 40 showing Conflagrate and Aftermath making fights short, or Pyroclasm's stun arriving at 30 as projected.