Season of Discovery Warlock Guide - Best Builds, Runes, and Rotation

Welcome to our comprehensive WoW Season of Discovery Warlock guide, disciples of dark magic! Within these pages lies the key to mastering the sinister powers that course through Azeroth. Whether you are a veteran of shadowy arts or a fledgling acolyte, this text will illuminate the path to mastery during this thrilling season.

In this extensive article, we delve deep into the abyssal depths of the Warlock class, sharing the best Warlock build Season of Discovery, as well as powerful runes that augment our spells and let you experiment even further. Besides, we will also go over all possible rotations that shall render your foes powerless. As WoW Season of Discovery unfolds, new challenges and realms emerge, and you wield the power to manipulate shadows, bend demons to your will, and invoke chaos upon your enemies.

Whether you aspire to reign supreme in PvP arenas, conquer the darkest dungeons, or stand triumphant in the fires of raid encounters, this guide is your grimoire through the lands of Azeroth. Embrace the shadows, harness the might of fel energies, and let the arcane mysteries unfurl as we journey to unveil the true potential of Warlock Season of Discovery further in this text.

 

Warlock Changes in Season of Discovery Phase 4

In Phase 4 of WoW's Season of Discovery, Warlocks undergo significant changes that enhance their gameplay dynamics. With the introduction of new runes, existing meta builds discussed in the article receive empowering boosts, amplifying the class's effectiveness on the battlefield. Additionally, the newly-added Molten Core 20-man raid brings forth a plethora of new items tailored to Warlocks, enriching their arsenal for Phase 4.

The brand-new runes added for this class are as follows:

• Mark of Chaos
• Decimation
• Infernal Armor

You can learn more about the latest runes and the way they are discovered by reading our WoW SoD Warlock Runes & Locations Guide. Warlocks find themselves equipped with a diverse range of tools and abilities to excel in various encounters. Whether summoning powerful demons or wielding devastating spells, they maintain their position as formidable damage dealers and crowd control specialists. Furthermore, the expanded item pool from Molten Core offers Warlocks ample opportunities to optimize their gear setup for optimal performance in raids and dungeons alike. Overall, Phase 4 of Season of Discovery heralds a promising period for Warlocks, with new runes and raid loot enriching their gameplay experience.

Warlock Pros & Cons

We all know how time-consuming it is to level up a new character from scratch. Therefore, we suggest you weigh all the Warlock Pros and Cons in Season of Discovery we share below to understand whether this class is even worth your attention. After all, a lot of experienced players often treat Warlocks as something unreliable and we are here to change your mind or confirm it:

Beginning with the Warlock Pros, they are as follows:

• Powerful AoE and single target damage;
• Strong debuffs, which are must-haves in all raids;
• Can level up solo easily.

Moving further, we have a list of the following Warlock Cons:

• Dependable on Soul Shards;
• Quite squishy and Life Tap only makes it worse;
• Too vulnerable to pushbacks and interruptions.

As you can see from both lists we have provided above, Warlock 1.15.3 seems quite balanced and stable. In the long run, it is up to you whether you wish to try it in action and experiment with the brand-new build combos Season of Discovery has to offer.

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How to Play Warlock in WoW Season of Discovery

The first question you want to think about when speaking of how to play Warlock in WoW SoD is what specialization you wish to focus on. While you can always choose another option later on, you should get acquainted with all three specs, such as:

1. Affliction;
2. Destruction;
3. Demonology.

Affliction focuses on draining enemies' life force, Demonology emphasizes the mastery of demonic minions, while Destruction harnesses fiery chaos for devastating bursts of damage.

Master your spells like Shadow Bolt, Corruption, and Fear while effectively utilizing your demon pets for additional support and control. Manage your Soul Shards for summoning and utility spells, and maintain control over your health and mana through Life Tap and Drain Life. BLOG20

Adding a few words on WoW Season of Discovery Warlock PvP, your ability to control opponents through curses and fear effects while maintaining a relentless assault makes this class a powerful enemy to face off against. Dungeons and raids rely on your curses, crowd control, and summoned demons to tilt the balance in your group's favor.

Best Warlock Race in WoW Season of Discovery

Speaking of the best Warlock race in WoW SoD, you have two options to choose from, whether you consider playing for Alliance or Horde.

Alliance:

Choosing out of these two options obviously makes Gnome the best Warlock race WoW SoD when playing for the Alliance faction. This race’s traits are too good to miss out on and you will benefit from opting for them much more compared to what you get for playing as Human.

Horde:

Comparing all the racial traits described above, we would make a conclusion that the best Warlock race WoW SoD when playing for Horde is Undead. The latter offers more traits for you to benefit from and they are more helpful considering you play as a ranged caster, not a melee DPS.

Warlock Stat Priority

While you are free to experiment with the Warlock stat priority, we still recommend that you stick to certain basics when trying to achieve perfection playing this class in WoW Season of Discovery. Some stats will never change and always stay prioritized no matter what Phase of the game you are going through. A clear example of this is Spell Hit.

Here is what Warlock stats you want to prioritize in what order:

1. Spell Hit;
2. Spell Power;
3. Crit Chance;
4. Intellect;
5. Stamina;
6. Spirit.

Spell Hit remains the paramount stat for Warlocks, as hitting the target directly influences damage output. Achieving the 16% hit cap poses a challenge, especially early in the game. Suppression, an Affliction talent, offers up to 10% hit, but only for Affliction spells, leaving Shadow Bolt unaffected.

Spell Power significantly amplifies damage dealt, encompassing Spell, Shadow, and Fire damage. While lower levels may limit access to substantial Spell Power, acquiring it whenever possible proves advantageous.

Crit Chance amplifies spell effects by 150%, enhancing damage output. Warlocks benefit greatly from critical hits, especially due to the Ruin talent in Destruction specialization.

Intellect augments Mana and boosts critical hit chances. It is vital for sustaining Mana but less critical due to Life Tap mechanics. Affliction Warlocks relying on DoT spells may not benefit from Intellect's crit chance for direct damage spells like Shadow Bolt.

Stamina provides 10 health points per point of Stamina. While crucial for surviving raid mechanics, gear usually provides adequate Stamina without requiring dedicated attention.

Spirit boosts out-of-combat health and Mana regeneration. During combat, Spirit's relevance is limited due to Life Tap mechanics, overshadowing its importance except for rare moments adhering to the 5-second rule in raids.

 

Best Warlock Runes Season of Discovery Phase 4

Continuing onward, it is crucial to delve into a pivotal and game-altering aspect featured in this patch. The upcoming section of this guide is dedicated entirely to the best Warlock runes Season of Discovery, providing invaluable insights into optimizing your builds:

1. Immolation Aura (Wrists) – Inflicts 32 damage every 2 seconds to nearby enemies and diminishes all magic damage taken by 10%. This effect persists until manually canceled.
2. Backdraft (Head) – Lets you receive a 30% increase in spellcasting Haste for 10 seconds upon casting Conflagrate.
3. Haunt (Gloves) – A ghostly soul rushes toward your enemy and starts dealing damage. This increases the target’s Shadow damage they take by 20%. Once the effect is over or dispelled, you are healed for the amount of damage dealt by this spell;
4. Lake of Fire (Chest) – Those foes affected by this ability take 40% increased Fire damage dealt by you and your demon pets;
5. Metamorphosis (Gloves) – Become a demon with 500% increased Armor stats. You are less likely to suffer from critical hits and have your Threat boosted by 50%. Your Life Tap ability will provide you 100% more Mana and you will get access to a whole new set of abilities;
6. Master Channeler (Chest) – You do not have to channel Drain Life anymore. However, it now costs 100% more Mana and heals you 50% more each time it deals damage;
7. Demonic Pact (Chest) – This rune can be especially useful in party activities since your pets’ critical hits increase spell damage and healing by 10% of your entire party.

Despite having this ready-to-go list, no one forbids you to experiment with the rest of the class-specific runes you have at your disposal. Having trouble getting the ones you like? Then, we offer you to Buy WoW Season of Discovery Runes Boost at SkyCoach. Our PROs will get you the desired rune in a blink of an eye for the most attractive price you can imagine. Trust this job to us and enjoy the game to the fullest with a set of runes you actually like. BLOG20

 

Best Warlock Builds Season of Discovery Phase 4

In the subsequent segment of our article, we detail the best Warlock builds Season of Discovery, catering to various specializations you might prioritize. Additionally, we are excited to introduce a novel Warlock Tank build – a newfound possibility in this season, owing to specific runes now available, expanding this class’s versatility.

Affliction Build

At the current level cap we have, there is some space to experiment with the build. We basically take the best Warlock SoD runes to strengthen an already powerful build you see in the screenshot above. Investing five points in anything but Improved Corruption would be a crime since you benefit a lot from this choice. The same also goes for Improved Shadow Bolt since you are going to use this ability quite often, meaning you want to power it up as much as possible.

With the start of Phase 4, you can diversify your build with a few talents from other trees. For instance, you now have Bane. It significantly boosts your DPS in the spells you cast.

Destruction Build

Similarly to the previous build we have described in our Warlock DPS guide Season of Discovery, you just need to take the best alternatives out of the ones available at this level threshold. Therefore, we highly recommend that you spend 5 points for Cataclysm and Bane. Unlike the previous setup, you do not focus on Improved Shadow Bolt here since you will not be using that too often. Finally, Devastation deserves five points as well since it greatly increases your crit chance.

Now, with the beginning of Phase 4, you get access to Destructive Reach, which is a big deal for you as a ranged DPS. At the same time, Improved Immolate, Ruin, and Emberstorm provide you with a good damage output increase you have been waiting for so long. At the same time, Improved Imp from the Demonology tree does not go away since you rely heavily on your pet's support. You also want to take Demonic Embrace, as well as Fel Intellect, from this tree.

Demonology Build

Moving on, the Demonology build is particularly powerful when it comes to WoW Season of Discovery Warlock PvE battle scenarios since you have a bunch of imps and demons fighting on your side. They are perfect for both dealing extra damage and soaking what’s coming to your side.

To maximize this setup’s efficiency, you also have to insert the Demonic Grace rune, as it will be your bread and butter in most fights and help you survive often. You also take talents like Improved Voidwalker, Fel Stamina, and Master Summoner to enhance your pets’ performance in battle as much as possible at this level cap.

As we enter into Phase 4, you cannot miss out on Unholy Power, which significantly boosts your pets' damage output. On top of that, Master Demonologist and Soul Link allow you to live much longer if used correctly.

Tank Warlock Build

This build has become a reality thanks to the Warlock class-specific runes only. In our case, we are particularly interested in Metamorphosis and Demonic Knowledge alternatives since they are the core of this setup. Speaking of the talent choice, we cannot miss out on Emberstorm since it significantly boosts your DPS, which is a big deal since you can damage a lot while also living forever. BLOG20

Warlock Leveling Guide WoW Season of Discovery

To ensure your path to the maximum level is as swift and smooth as possible, we have prepared a quick Warlock leveling guide WoW Season of Discovery for you to read here. Below, we will provide you with the consumables we consider must-haves for this class, as well as share a few vital leveling tips, and more.

Warlock Leveling Consumables:

1. Elixir of Shadow Power – Amplifies Shadow Damage output;
2. Greater Arcane Elixir – Enhances Spell Damage potential;
3. Flask of Supreme Power – Offers a substantial damage boost, ideal for progression kills or dominating performance on meters;
4. Major Mana Potion /Major Healing Potion – Usage requires caution; judiciously manage potion cooldowns for survival needs;
5. Rumsey Rum Black Label or Gordok Green Grog – Increases health for added survivability;
6. Heavy Runecloth Bandage – Ensures a self-healing option, a prudent choice for emergency situations.

Warlock Leveling Tips & Tricks:

• Manage Pet & Health: Keep your pet healthy and use it wisely. Use your Voidwalker for tanking and absorbing damage, ensuring your survivability during encounters. Manage its health by sacrificing it when necessary and summoning it back with full health;
• Embrace DoT Spells: Emphasize Damage over Time (DoT) spells like Corruption and Immolate. Apply these spells to enemies before engaging, allowing their damage to tick while you cast other spells or manage threats;
• Efficient Questing & Soul Shards: Complete quests in areas where you can gather Soul Shards from defeated enemies. Soul Shards are essential for summoning demons and using various Warlock abilities;
• Utilize Crowd Control: Exploit crowd control abilities like Fear and Banish to control enemies during encounters. This control allows for strategic spellcasting and ensures safer engagements, especially when facing multiple foes;
• Master Life Tap & Drain Life: Master the balance between Life Tap and Drain Life. Use Life Tap to convert health to mana when needed and regain health with Drain Life when enemies are weakened. This combination optimizes your sustainability during combat.

Warlock Best in Slot Gear WoW Season of Discovery Phase 4

The following section is devoted to Warlock best in slot gear, and it includes items from the brand-new Phase 4 raid called Molten Core.

Make sure to check out the table below to see what equipment you should strive for:

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Best Warlock Rotation

Below, we have prepared a separate WoW Warlock rotation Season of Discovery for each of the three specs you can currently choose from. Do keep in mind that the suggested rotations can change slightly or greatly depending on what runes you are using and what abilities are unlocked.

Affliction Warlock Build Rotation:

1. Keep your curse up as much as possible whether it is Corruption, Immolate, or Drain Life;
2. Fill the gaps with Shadow Bolt.
3. Repeat this while also staying at high HP if possible.
   
   

Destruction Warlock Build Rotation:

1. Keep your primary DoT, Immolate, always active;
2. Cast Chaos Bolt on cooldown as your main filler;
3. Do remember about Incinerate.
   
   

Demonology Warlock Build Rotation:

1. Start by casting Incinerate for the Fire damage boost buff from the beginning;
2. In case you have the Rain of Fire rune, use it to create Lake of Fire;
3. Keep Corruption up all the time;
4. Immolate can help destroy a solo target in a blink of an eye;
5. Keep Drain Life up all the time;
6. If you find yourself in melee range, spam Searing Pain;
7. Shadow Cleave on cooldown if you are in melee range;
8. If you have the Demonic Grace rune, use it on cooldown to stay alive longer.

Best Warlock Professions in WoW Season of Discovery

When choosing the best Warlock profession WoW Season of Discovery, look no further than Engineering. It stands out as the prime option due to its versatile utility and synergy with the class mechanics. The profession offers various gadgets, trinkets, and explosives aiding in crowd control, survivability, and damage augmentation. Warlocks benefit immensely from devices like the Goblin Sapper Charge for AoE damage and the Gnomish Death Ray for burst damage.

Moreover, Engineering grants access to unique items like Spellpower Goggles Xtreme, aligning perfectly with a Warlock's spellcasting prowess. The profession's diverse toolkit complements the Warlock's arsenal, making Engineering an indispensable choice for enhancing their abilities and strategic edge in battles.

Best Warlock Consumables

The last part of our guide is devoted to the best Warlock consumables WoW Season of Discovery you can use to enhance your performance and overall DPS. They will be extremely useful during any stage of the game, so make sure to craft or buy them if you have an opportunity for this:

• Free Action Potion – Nullifies stuns, crucial against boss and enemy abilities;
• Elixir of Fortitude – Fortifies health, enhancing overall durability;
• Mana Potion – Reduce reliance on Life Tap by restoring Mana reserves;
• Rumsey Rum Black Label – Boosts Stamina, bolstering overall resilience;
• Minor Wizard Oil – Grants +8 spell power, enhancing damage potential;
• Elixir of Firepower – Amplifies Fire damage by 10, perfect for boosting Incinerate damage.

Of course, this list is far from over and the mentioned items are just a small bit of the most powerful consumables you can get your hands on. Always free feel to experiment and see what elixir/potion helps you perform better.

Conclusion

As the mystical energies of the Season of Discovery continue to surge, this guide serves as a beacon for Warlocks, navigating the ever-shifting tides of arcane power. Delving deep into the realms of optimal builds, unlocking the secrets held within potent runes, and mastering the mesmerizing rhythm of rotations, this guide empowers Warlocks to command the very essence of chaos and darkness.

Embrace the shadows, harness the might of demonic forces, and invoke spells that weave devastation upon your adversaries. Whether amidst the chaotic battlegrounds of PvP, the treacherous depths of dungeons, or the epic challenges of raid encounters, this guide illuminates the path toward mastery. Step forth, intrepid Warlock, and unfurl the arcane mysteries that await in the Season of Discovery, wielding the powers that lie at the heart of your dark arts.

F.A.Q.