WoW WotLK Affliction Warlock The spec is definitely not smirking, as it is one of the strongest DPS classes in an MMORPG. If you want to dive into Northrend as one of those black magic bombs, we've got a rundown of the best PvE and PvP talents, glyphs, level rotation, and stat priorities right here.
If you're the head warlock of Affliction, you probably absolutely hate playing The Burning Crusade Classic as a support. Rejoice, heathens, because as we come to WotLK, we see these mysterious mages take on the role of DPS, enhancing the specialization's gameplay and allowing you to completely destroy your enemies.
However, in order to do so, you need to know which PvE and PvP talent builds are best, as well as the glyphs you'll be using to buff yourself, and the level rotation you'll need to get used to. Don't worry, inhabitants of darkness, we will provide you with the WoW WoTLK Affliction Warlock guide.
Best Race for Warlock WotLK Affliction
While we always recommend that you choose the race you interact with, some are built to wield the power of corruption a little better than others. On the Horde side, Orcs are the only real choice, while Humans are best suited to hook into the shadow realm for the Alliance.
These are the top two choices due to their racial abilities. The Orc team gives a serious damage buff to your demonic companion (which becomes a main part of the build in WotLK Classic), and the spell power provided by Bloodfury is pretty darn powerful.
On the human side, Will to Survive removes all movement impairing effects, perfect for fast CC in PvP, while Human Spirit pairs well with Fel Armor to increase spell power. It also interacts with the Sigil of Life Tap, which we will discuss in more detail below.
Best glyphs for WotLK Affliction Warlock
Glyphs are all new buffs that can be created using the Inscription skill. They actually give extra power to your character, but as usual, some are slightly better than others. For Affliction Warlock you will need:
- Glyph of Life Tap: Life Tap turns spirit into spell power, which is exactly what warlocks need to rain fire on their enemies. Of all the glyphs, this one is the most useful for the Affliction specialization.
- Rapid decomposition symbol: This means that the main spell Corruption now scales with Haste Rating like any other Spell Haste talents.
- Ghost symbol: Increases Haunt by XNUMX%.
There are three other secondary glyphs: Soul Drain, Infinite Breath, and Souls. Only the former has any real impact, as it increases the amount of shards dropped by Drain Soul. The last two simply allow you to swim faster and reduce the amount of mana needed to cast Soul Ritual accordingly.
Best PvE Talents for Affliction Warlock in WotLK
If you prefer to kill monsters rather than other players, then in WoW WotLK Classic there is only one real build for the Affliction Warlock. Your goal is to deal damage over time, not one-shot opponents, so make sure you're standing behind your tanks or far enough away from danger to sit back, relax, and watch those health bars deplete.
| Talent | Specification | To classify |
| Improved Curse of Agony | misfortune | 2 |
| suppression | misfortune | 3 |
| Improved Corruption | misfortune | 5 |
| Improved Shadow Arrow | Destruction | 5 |
| bane | Destruction | 5 |
| Soul Siphon | misfortune | 2 |
| Fel Concentration | misfortune | 3 |
| Devastation | Destruction | 5 |
| Twilight | misfortune | 2 |
| Increased corruption | misfortune | 3 |
| Intensity | Destruction | 1 |
| Embrace the shadow | misfortune | 5 |
| siphon life | misfortune | 1 |
| Improved Fel Hunter | misfortune | 2 |
| Shadow Mastery | misfortune | 5 |
| eradication | misfortune | 3 |
| Infection | misfortune | 5 |
| A curse | misfortune | 3 |
| Embrace of death | misfortune | 3 |
| Unstable Affliction | misfortune | 1 |
| Pandemic | misfortune | 1 |
| Eternal sorrow | misfortune | 5 |
| pursue | misfortune | 1 |
Best PvP Talents for Affliction Warlock in WotLK
While Affliction Warlocks are unlikely to hit heads in the Arena, they are the perfect duo to unleash enemies on their partner and unleash all sorts of curses on them. You will need the following talents, as well as Glyphs of Rapid Decay, Siphon Life, Shadowflame, Siphon Soul, and Curse of Exhaustion in that order.
| Talent | Specification | To classify |
| suppression | misfortune | 3 |
| Improved Corruption | misfortune | 5 |
| Improved Health Stone | Demonology | 2 |
| Demonic Embrace | Demonology | 3 |
| Fel Synergy | Demonology | 2 |
| Soul Siphon | misfortune | 2 |
| Fel Vitality | Demonology | 3 |
| Improved Fear | misfortune | 1 |
| Fel Concentration | misfortune | 3 |
| Empowered Curse | misfortune | 1 |
| Soul connection | Demonology | 1 |
| Fel Dominance | Demonology | 1 |
| Demonic Aegis | Demonology | 3 |
| Twilight | misfortune | 2 |
| Increased corruption | misfortune | 3 |
| Master Summoner | Demonology | 2 |
| Embrace the shadow | misfortune | 4 |
| siphon life | misfortune | 1 |
| Curse of Exhaustion | misfortune | 1 |
| Improved Fel Hunter | misfortune | 2 |
| Shadow Mastery | misfortune | 5 |
| eradication | misfortune | 3 |
| Infection | misfortune | 5 |
| Improved Howl of Terror | misfortune | 2 |
| A curse | misfortune | 3 |
| Unstable Affliction | misfortune | 1 |
| Pandemic | misfortune | 1 |
| Eternal sorrow | misfortune | 5 |
| pursue | misfortune | 1 |
Stat Priority for WotLK Affliction Warlock
Stats in WoW are pretty easy to overlook, but they are an integral part of every build and can really help you take your damage to the next level. For Affliction Warlocks, you will prioritize hit rating and then spell power. This is followed by Haste Rating and Critical Strike Rating, followed by Spirit and Intelligence.
The first three are your damage-dealing stats, so it won't be hard for you to make sure they're as buffed as possible.
Level rotation for WotLK Affliction Warlock
The level rotation for WoTLK is pretty intense and it will probably take a few tries to get it right. It centers around your corruption spell, which is the basis of all ailments. Start with a Life Tap (using the Glyph of Life Tap), then start firing Shadow Arrows to trigger the Shadow Mastery. You need to have Shadow Mastery active before you cast Corruption, as that 5% crit chance will be transferred to your poor victims. Make sure the Fel Armor is up as well.
It's time to unleash Corruption on your opponents, and then Unstable Affliction (which you must activate at all times). Then choose Curse of Agony then Ghost to increase the damage over time from Corruption, Curse of Agony, and Unstable Affliction. When all of your debuffs are up, deal out some Shadow Bolts or use Drain Soul if you're below 25% health because its damage is increased.
For big mobs you can use Seed of Corruption as it does more damage than more targets (max ten) - just make sure it doesn't overtake base corruption. Inferno can also deal passive AoE damage.
