Destruction Warlock Beginner's Guide

This is intended to be a simple guide to the basic rotation and dynamics of the spec that gets you up and running without requiring more advanced optimization.

Information on hero talents will be coming soon, but in general know that overall they add a minor layer on top of how each spec plays, and most of what’s here should be applicable regardless.

Talent Build #

This is a simplified talent build designed to avoid complex interactions and skip unnecessary abilities. While not optimal in all cases, it should be a great way to get started learning the spec and should work reasonably well in world content, delves, dungeons, and raids. Abilities and talents not chosen in this build are not described here, and the rotation information assumes you’ll be using the build.

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Wowhead Link

Resources #

Soul Shards & Soul Fragments – Destruction Warlock’s primary resource. Soul Fragments are generated via minor damage abilities like Immolate and Incinerate. Fragments are essentially 1/10th fractions of a Soul Shard, which can be used on major damage abilities like Chaos Bolt and Rain of Fire. Most of your rotation will be focused on balancing the generation and spending of fragments and shards.

Mana – Destruction Warlocks have a mana bar, but practically never need to think about it.

Demons #

Warlocks have four directly-controlled demon pets they can choose from, each of which has situational benefits over the others. One of these should be active at all times.

Summon Imp – Does ranged single target damage to enemies, and offers Singe Magic to dispel debuffs from yourself or allies. A reasonable default choice if you don’t need any of the other demons.

Summon Voidwalker – Works like your own personal tank, being sturdier than other demons, having treat generation abilities, and doing AoE melee damage to enemies. Offers Shadow Bulwark to provide additional max health on a 2m cooldown. Great in solo content.

Summon Sayaad – A more CC-focused demon, does melee damage to enemies and will snare them. Offers Seduction as a fear-like disorient usable on humanoids on a 30s cooldown. Often used in PVP because of the humanoid-only limitation.

Summon Felhunter – An anti-caster demon, does melee damage to enemies and offers both Spell Lock as an interrupt on a 24s cooldown, and Devour Magic to remove dispellable buffs from enemies. A good choice in group content to have access to an interrupt.

Core Abilities #

Incinerate – Short cast to deal minor damage to the target and generate Soul Fragments. Does some AoE with Fire and Brimstone. Should be used when low on Soul Shards.

Conflagrate – Instant damage to the target with a short cooldown that will generate Soul Fragments. 2 charges. You should try to use this frequently enough that one is always recharging. Will give you a stack of Backdraft, which can be used to accelerate your next Chaos Bolt or Incinerate. Helpful when you need to keep damage up on the move.

Immolate – Short cast to apply a DoT to the target. As it deals damage it will generate Soul Fragments. You’ll want to keep this active continuously on single targets, and as much as you can on groups of enemies.

Cataclysm – Short cast to deal moderate damage and apply Immolate to enemies in a targeted area. Should be used in AoE to keep Immolate active.

Chaos Bolt – Long cast to spend Soul Shards and deal significant damage to the target. Try to have a stack of Backdraft from Conflagrate casts before using. Should be used as much as you can in single target but prioritize it if you’re full on Soul Shards.

Rain of Fire – Spends Soul Shards for instant, targeted, AoE damage. Use as much as you can in AoE but prioritize if you’re full on Soul Shards.

Cooldowns #

Dimensional Rift – 45s cooldown with 3 charges. Opens a portal that does significant damage to the target and generates Soul Fragments, and reduced damage to nearby enemies with Unstable Rifts. The multiple charges here means you can either use these all at once for a large burst of damage, or spread them out to help recover Soul Shards. Either way make sure at least one is always recharging.

Summon Infernal – 2m cooldown. Calls down an Infernal on the targeted area, dealing minor damage and stunning enemies for 2s. The Infernal will then attack enemies for 30s doing significant damage and generating Soul Fragments. Should be used strategically on high-health or dangerous enemies, but don’t hold it too long. With Rain of Chaos spending Soul Shards while the Infernal is active has a chance to summon additional Infernals, so make sure you keep your rotation up after using it to benefit from this.

Effects #

These are some of the more notable effects, interactions, and passive talents that you should be aware of. It’s not covering effects (even if they’re very strong) that provide flat bonuses or that don’t require much thought to use, and it only includes those used in our recommended build.

Mastery: Chaotic Energies – Adds a random boost of damage to all your spells that increases with more Mastery points. Gives the spec a distinctive “spikey” feel but shouldn’t require much active thought.

Mayhem – As you use single-target spells (including Immolate), you have a chance to apply a 5s version of Havoc to a random nearby enemy. Your AoE rotation should naturally use some amount of Incinerate and Conflagrate, so the extra damage from this should be somewhat automatic. This also means that against 2-3 targets using your single-target rotation against one of them can be more effective than switching to the full AoE rotation.

Ritual of Ruin – When you’ve built up to 15 Soul Shards spent, you’ll gain a buff that makes your next Chaos Bolt or Rain of Fire accelerated and free. Watch out for the buff and make sure to use your spenders to benefit from it. With Avatar of Destruction consuming the buff will also summon an Overfiend to deal damage and generate Soul Fragments.

Soul Leech - With associated talents will passively provides an absorb shield that replenishes as you and your demons do damage. Also provides healing as damage is absorbed. An important defensive effect but not one that requires much active thought.

Rotation Overview #

This is an overview of the core rotation. It’s not a strict priority order but rather an outline of how the different abilities interact and are used. It assumes you’re using the recommended talent build above.

Note - because of the effects of Mayhem - you should use the single-target rotation on groups of 2-3 enemies, and the full AoE rotation on 4 or more

Single Target:

• Keep Immolate active at all times
• Use Conflagrate to generate Soul Shards and gain Backdraft, especially if it’s full of charges
• Otherwise use Incinerate to generate Soul Shards
• Spend Soul Shards with Chaos Bolt, especially if you’re full of Shards. Try to have Backdraft, Ritual of Ruin, or both before using it.
• On targets that are expected to live for a while
  • Use Dimensional Rift charges all at once for burst damage, or spread out to help generate Soul Shards - but make sure one is always recharging
  • Use Summon Infernal when available

AoE:

• Use Cataclysm to apply Immolate to groups of enemies.
• Use Conflagrate to generate Soul Shards, especially if it’s full of charges
• Otherwise use Incinerate to generate Soul Shards
• Spend Soul Shards on Rain of Fire, especially if you’re full on Shards
• On groups that are expected to live for a while
  • Use Dimensional Rift charges all at once for burst damage, or spread out to help generate Soul Shards - but make sure one is always recharging
  • Use Summon Infernal when available

Defensives #

Unending Resolve – 8s of 25% damage reduction on a 2.3m cooldown. Also makes you immune to interrupt, silence, and pushback effects. Should be used whenever significant damage is expected or when you’re in danger of dying.

Dark Pact – Sacrifice 20% of your health to gain a significant 20s absorb shield. 45s cooldown. Should be used liberally as damage is occurring.

Curse of Weakness – Makes the target’s auto-attacks slower for 2m. Can be on multiple targets simultaneously. Try to use this on enemies that are doing melee damage whenever you can.

Sustain #

Drain Life – 4s channel that does minor damage to the target and restores your health while doing so. Helpful in a pinch if you need to top off your health.

Health Funnel – 4s channel that sacrifices some of your health to heal your current Demon. Mainly useful in solo content while your Demon is tanking for you.

Create Healthstone – Short cast that adds a Healthstone to your inventory with 3 charges that can be used to restore your health. Creating the stone has no cooldown but using it has a 1m cooldown. Have both Create Healthstone and the healthstone itself available on keybinds so it can be used easily. An important self-healing tool that should be used whenever you’re lower on health or at risk.

• Create Soulwell – 2m cooldown that places a soulwell on the ground that lets party and raid members acquire their own healthstones. Always put these down at the start of dungeons or before raid bosses to help your group out.

Mortal Coil – Instant cast to disorient the target for 3s and restore some of your health. 45s cooldown. Helpful both as a stop/interrupt and an emergency heal if your Healthstone isn’t available.

Crowd Control #

Fear – Short cast to force the target to flee for 20s, but damage will break the effect. Be aware that the enemy running around can pull other nearby enemies.

Curse of Tongues – Curse the target to increase cast times by 30% for 1m. Can be used on multiple enemies. Look out for enemies, including bosses, that have cast times and use this to reduce their damage.

Curse of Exhaustion – Curse the target to reduce movement speed by 50% for 12s. Can be used on multiple enemies. Helpful when kiting.

Shadowfury - Moderate cast to stun enemies in the targeted area for 3s. 45s cooldown so try to use this opportunistically.

Mobility #

Burning Rush – Significant movement speed boost you can toggle on or off, but drains your health while used. With relevant talents the health drain is very manageable so great for getting around out of combat. Also useful in-combat when movement is required but don’t use it more than needed and be sure to toggle it off when done.

Demonic Circle and Demonic Circle: Teleport – Places a marker on the ground that you can then teleport to on a 30s cooldown. Has a range of uses, but generally speaking during major fights try to place the circle in a safe location so you can get out of trouble quickly.

Utility #

Soulstone – Short cast with two related uses. If used on a living ally, including yourself, gives a 15m buff that allows resurrecting upon death. If used on a dead ally brings them back to life at 60% health, even while combat is ongoing. 10m cooldown regardless of how it’s used. Keep this active on yourself when doing solo content, but probably best to save for the in-combat resurrect while in groups.

Quality of Life #

Ritual of Summoning – 2m cooldown that lets your group, while out of combat, teleport members to your location from anywhere in the world. The details are fussy but you’ll be expected to know how this works in group content so bear with me…

• When cast you channel while creating an intractable glowing circle on the ground.
• While you’re channelling two other group members should then also interact with it, which will create a doorway-like portal at that location and end the channel.
• Then any group member can target a missing ally and interact with the portal, creating a new intractable glowing effect.
• Finally, when one additional group member also interacts with that glowing effect the missing ally will be summoned.

This can significantly simplify and speed up the process of assembling a group at the beginning of a dungeon so use it rather than making people travel.

Eye of Kilrogg – Niche ability that summons a stealthed, flying eye you can control to scout around. Very occasionally helpful to see areas you can’t safely reach.

Unending Breath – Buffs yourself or an ally to be able to breathe underwater and have increased swim speed for 10m. Usable on multiple allies.

Command Demon - This is a placeholder ability of sorts that will be replaced with your current Demon pet’s active ability. If you put it on a keybind you won’t need to separately bind each demon’s ability.

Not Used #

Subjugate Demon – Niche ability that lets you control the target demon for up to 10m. When used your pet Demon will be dismissed and you can control the subjugated one via your pet bar. Fun to play around with but not required or hugely impactful in most content.

Ritual of Doom – Extremely niche ability that starts a ritual allowing you and 4 other party members to summon a Doomguard on a massive 1 hour cooldown. You’ll practically never use this.