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Warlock
From wow.incgamers.com
Background
Warlocks were Mages, Shamans and other magic users who were not satisfied with their powers, and turned to demons for more. They use demons to channel demonic powers and wreak havoc, and even summoning demons on our plane for whatever dark purposes they have in mind. While most Warlocks are in liege with the Burning Legion, a few of them resists the temptation to give in their souls for more power, and even uses the demoic powers against the minions of the Burning Legion. It is a narrow line to walk, damnation on either side, and just a blades edge to balance on. Even an "uncorrupted" Warlock might still be corrupt in the normal fashion, and his goals might just be the same as yours for the time being...
Introduction
Those players looking for a class that will require a bit of a learning curve, and a lot of nuance, should look no further than the Warlock. Similar to the Necromancer class in Diablo 2, a balance must be made between the many different spell types in the Warlock arsenal. With proper care, the Warlock can be formidable indeed.
Being adept at dark magic, the Warlock has a variety of sinister spells at his disposal. First and foremost are his many summon spells which call forth a magical creature to fight for you. To compliment these summons, the Warlock has a variety of damage dealing spells, including direct damage and damage over time. To cast many of their more powerful spells, the Warlock has to make use of mana as well as magical shards known as “Soul Shards.” These Soul Shards have uses outside of spell casting as well. For instance, they can be used to create powerful Healthstones that can be given to allies for resurrection and healing.
In a group setting, the Warlock can help in a variety of manners. Staying safely behind the lines, the Warlock can send his summons to take the brunt of monsters that are found. With such spells as Banish, the warlock can also help out with crowd control. Then of course you have the powerful damage spells that the Warlock can safely cast from a distance.
Combine these abilities with many more that aren’t mentioned, the Warlock can be quite a force to reckon with. Pairing class uniqueness with some very powerful abilities, the Warlock is certain to be a great class choice in World of Warcraft.
Available in which Races & their Racial Bonuses
Horde
Blood Elves
Arcane Affinity - passive
Enchanting skill increased by 10.
Arcane Torrent - active - (Hunters/Paladins/Mages/Priests/Warlocks only)
Silences all enemies within 8 yards for 2 sec. In addition, you gain 5 + 1/Level Mana restored per Mana Tap charge currently affecting you - Instant - 2 min cooldown.
Arcane Torrent - active - (Rogue only)
Silences all enemies within 8 yards for 2 sec. In addition, you gain 10 Energy for each Mana Tap charge currently affecting you - Instant - 2 min cooldown.
Magic Resistance - passive
All resistances increased by 5.
Mana Tap - active
Reduces target's mana by 51 and charges you with Arcane energy for 10 min. This effect stacks up to 3 times. Amount of mana reduced is 50 + 1/Level - 30 yd range - Instant - 30 sec cooldown.
Orc
Blood Fury - active
Increases base melee attack power by 25% for 15 sec and reduces healing effects on you 50% for 25 sec.
Hardiness - passive
25% resistance to stun and knockout effects.
Command - passive
Pet melee damage increased by 5%.
Axe Specialization - passive
Orcs get +5 to Axe and Two-Handed Axe Expertise.
Undead
Will of the Forsaken - active
Activate to become immune to Fear, Sleep, and Charm effects. Can also be used while already afflicted by Fear or Sleep - lasts 5 sec - 2 min cooldown
Cannibalize - active
Activate to regenerate 7% of total health every 2 sec. by consuming Humanoid or Undead corpses within 5 yds - lasts 10 sec - 2 min cooldown
Underwater Breathing - passive
Underwater breath lasts 300% longer than normal
Shadow Resistance - passive
All Undead get +10 Shadow Resistance
Alliance
Gnomes
Escape Artist - active
Escape the effects of any immobilization or movement speed reduction effect - 1 min cooldown
Expansive Mind - passive
Increase Intelligence by 5%
Arcane Resistance - passive
All Gnomes get +10 Arcane Resistance
Engineering Specialist - passive
15 skill bonus to Engineering
Humans
Perception - active
Activate to dramatically increase stealth detection - Lasts 20 sec - 3 min cooldown
The Human Spirit - passive
Increase Spirit by 5%
Diplomacy - passive
10% bonus to faction point gain
Sword Specialization - passive
Humans get +5 to Sword and Two-Handed Sword Expertise
Mace Specialization - passive
Humans get +5 to Maces and Two-Handed Maces Expertise
Resources
List of all the resources that Warlocks can use (some training at a Weapon Master might be required) and their primary stats.
| Category | Usability | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Resources | ||
| Health | Yes | |
| Energy | No | N/A |
| Mana | Yes | Mana is important to a Warlock |
| Rage | No | N/A |
| Primary statistics | ||
| Strength | Not Important | |
| Agility | Not Important | |
| Stamina | Important | Warlocks can convert their health points to mana, so more Stamina means more Mana if needed. |
| Intellect | Important | Magic constitutes most of a Warlock's attacks, so as much mana as possible is desirable. |
| Spirit | Important | Spirit helps regenerate Mana and Health over time quicker. However, the Warlock can regenerate his Mana faster by converting his Health points, and he can also steal life and Mana from enemies. |
| Other Bonuses | For Damage | Crit Rating, Attack Power, Spell Damage, Spell Crit |
| Other Bonuses | ||
| Other Bonuses | ||
| Armor Types | ||
| Cloth | Yes | The only armor Warlocks can wear. Often has Intellect and spirit bonuses. |
| Leather | No | N/A |
| No | N/A | |
| Plate | No | N/A |
| 1-Handed Melee Weapons | ||
| 1-Handed Axes | No | N/A |
| Daggers | Yes | |
| Fist Weapons | No | N/A |
| 1-Handed Maces | No | N/A |
| 1-Handed Swords | Yes | |
| 2-Handed Melee Weapons | ||
| 2-Handed Axes | No | N/A |
| 2-Handed Maces | No | N/A. |
| Polearms | No | N/A |
| Staves | Yes | |
| 2-Handed Swords | No | N/A |
| Offhand Equipment | ||
| Shields | No | N/A |
| Weapons | No | N/A |
| Ranged Weapons | ||
| Bows | No | N/A |
| Crossbows | No | N/A |
| Guns | No | N/A |
| Thrown | No | N/A |
| Wands | Yes | Probably the weapon most used by a Warlock |
| Class Specific | ||
| Idol | No | N/A |
| Libram | No | N/A |
| Totem | No | N/A |
Abilities
Warlock Trainers
To learn new warlock skills and proficiencies you will need to seek out a Warlock Trainer. New skills will become available for learning as your character increases in level. You can find a full list of all Warlock Trainers around the world here.
Soul Shards
What are Soul Shards?
Warlocks need more than just mana to cast many of their spells. In addition to mana, many of their spells require "Soul Shards." These are non-stackable items, so each one takes up a slot in your bags. This obviously restricts the number of them you can have on you at any one time.
How do I get Soul Shards?
Getting a soul shard can be kind of a tricky process. You must cast the spell "Drain Soul" on a monster just as he is dying Sounds simple doesn't it? Well the tricky part is that the spell itself will not kill them. While you are casting Drain Soul, you must have something else to finish off the monster. This can be done with a pet, or with a damage over time spell, to name two. Additionally, you can't move, attack, cast while casting Drain Soil, otherwise the casting will be interrupted and fail.
When to cast Drain Soul to get Soul Shard?
It only needs to be active the instant the monster dies. This means that under best circumstances, you should cast it just before the creature dies. It is therefore important to play very close attention to the creatures health and how quickly it is being killed.
Why must I use high lvl mobs to get Soul Shards?
Soul Shards can only be received from monsters that would also afford you experience from killing. This means that if the creature is too low-level to gain experience from any more, then it is also too low-level to gain soul shards from.
What can I do if I run out of Soul shards?
If you have run out completely don't fret. The Imp summonable, as well as damage over time (DOT) spells will be accessible to help you replenish your supply of soul shards.
Unconfirmed Spells and Talents in Wrath of the Lich King
Here is a list of spells and talents that are completely unconfirmed, but quoted from various sources on the net:
- Everlasting Affliction - Your Corruption, Siphon Life and Seed of Corruption spells gain an additional $s2% of your bonus spell damage effects, and your Drain Life and Shadow Bolt spells have a $h% chance to reset the duration of your Corruption spell on the target.
- Atrocity - "You devastate the area, causing Corruption (Rank 8) to all targets within 15 yards. In addition, your Corruption spell will do 434 Shadow damage to the target when it finishes its duration."
- Love Struck - "While the Succubus is active, physical attacks done to you or your Succubus have a chance to heal you or your Succubus instead of doing damage. The healing caused by Love Struck will not exceed 50% of the Warlock or Succubus' total health. This effect has a 6 second cooldown."
- Demonic Pact - Increases your Spirit by $s1% while your Demon is active. In addition, your pet attacks have a $s2% chance to increase your party's total Health and Damage by $48090s1%. Stacks up to 3 times. Lasts $48090d.
- Metamorphosis - "You transform into a Demon, with full health and mana. While in Demon Form, you gain Demonic abilities and your armor is increased to 360%, but your pet no longer is summoned."
- (Unknown Spell) - When leaving Demon Form, your health and mana is returned back to normal and your pet is re-summoned. Lasts $d.
- Eternal Flames - Your Searing Pain and Incinerate spells have a $h% chance to refresh the duration of your Immolate spell on the target, and increases the critical strike damage of your Destruction spells by an additional $s2%.
- Decimate - Your next Shadow or Fire spell is instant cast, and does damage in the form of Chaos damage, ignoring all resistances, absorption, and immunity mechanics. After the end of the Decimated cast, you become exhausted, disabling you from casting a spell of the same school for 3 sec.
- Haunt - You send a corrupted soul into the target, doing $s1 damage over 2 sec. Haunt will continue to travel between targets who suffer from your Corruption spell. After traveling from up to three targets, the corrupted soul will return to you, healing you for 50% of the total damage done."
- Empowered Imp - Increases the damage done by your Imp by $s1%, and all critical hits done by your Imp have a $h% chance to increase your spell critical hit chance by 100%. This effect lasts 8 sec.
- Molten Core - Your Shadow spells and damage over time effects have a $h% chance to increase the damage of your Fire spells by 10% for 6 sec.
- Backdraft - Increases the critical chance of your Conflagrate, Immolate and Shadowflame spells by $s1
- Torture - After you critically strike with a Shadow spell, your next Searing Pain or Immolate spells have a @% chance to become instant cast. This ability has a 20 second cooldown.
- Eradication - Your Corruption, Siphon Life, and Curse of Agony ticks have a $h% chance to increase your spell casting speed by $s1% for 8 sec. This effect has a 10 second cooldown.
- Fel Synergy - Your Summoned Demons share an additional $s1% of your Armor, Intellect and Stamina, and you have a $s2% chance to heal your pet for 15% of the amount of damage done by you.
- Demonic Empathy - When you or your pet is critically hit, the other has a $h% chance to have their casting or attack speed increased by $48069s1% for $48069d.
- Shadowflame - Targets in a cone in front of the caster take $47897s1 Shadow damage and an additional $47960o1 Fire damage over $47960d.
Specialisation
All three of the Warlock's Talent trees can be used for levelling, PvP, PvE and Raiding, and unlike other classes, the tree you choose doesn't change your role in a group.
Affliction
A Warlock might want to choose the Affliction tree whilst levelling, due to the bonuses to regeneration during fights. However, the lack of outright fire power means fights could take longer.
Demonology
Investing in Demonology whilst levelling is also very useful. A Warlock gains some important buffs for his pet in the Demonology tree, making the pet able to deal much more damage and last longer.
Destruction
The Destruction tree is for pure damage. Warlocks specialised in this will deal the most damage over the shortest amount of time, along with improved Crit chance.
Essential Quests
List of all Warlock Quests
Warlock Steeds
At level 40 Warlocks should visit a Warlock Trainer to receive a quest which sends you to Ratchet to speak with another NPC. Once there you will be awarded the Summon Felsteed skill. When cast it costs a little mana but has a short casting time. Apart from the mana cost it's managed in the same way as any other mount. Dismount and it disappears, hit the summon felsteed skill to resummon. It doesn't require stabling.
At level 60 you have the opportunity of getting an Epic mount, the Dreadsteed when the following quest line will open up to you.
- Jubahl Corpseseeker (A) or Kurgul (H) will give you the quest Mor'zul Bloodbringer which asks you to speak with Mor'zul Bloodbringer in the Burning Steppes.
- Mor'zul will give you the Rage of Blood quest which asks you to bring him 30 bottles of [Raging Beast's Blood] which can be collected in Winterspring.
- Mor'zul will create a [Case of Blood] for you and ask you to deliver it to Gorzeeki Wildeyes in the Burning Steppes in a quest entitled Wildeyes.
- Mor'zul Bloodbringer will now give you the Bell of Dethmoora quest to collect 10 x [Elixir of Shadow Power] and take them to Gorzeeki Wildeyes. These can only be made by an Alchemist (level 250) with 3 x [Ghost Mushroom] each. You can purchase the recipe from Algernon in the Undercity or Maria Lumere in Stormwind for 1.5 gold.
- Mor'zul Bloodbringer gives you Wheel of the Black March quest next which tasks you with collecting 6 x [Large Brilliant Shard] and 25 x [Unknown Item: Dark Iron Deposit] (ore) and taking them to Gorzeeki.
- Mor'zul Bloodbringer asks you now to collect 3 x [Black Dragonscale] for Gorzeeki in the quest Doomsday Candle.
- The last of these gathering quests is Arcanite from Mor'Zul who again asks you to collect for Gorzeeki. 3 x [Arcanite Bar] this time. These can only be obtained through a transmute performed by an Alchemist.
- Take the quest Lord Banehollow from Gorzeeki Wildeyes and then purchase 3 x [Shadowy Potion] for 6 gold. This will make you friendly to the denizens of Jaedenar for 20 minutes so you can make your way down the back of the cave to Jaedenar.
- Once you've spoken with Lord Banehollow he will give you Ulathek the Traitor which asks you to bring the heart of Ulathek to him. Find him and once you speak with him he will turn hostile. You will need to kill his four guards also and once you have his heart return it to Lord Banehollow.
- When you've returned the heart of Ulathek to Banehollow you can purchase [Xorothian Stardust] from Ur'dan in the quest Xorothian Stardust and take it to Gorzeeki Wildeyes. It's 150 gold.
- Gorzeeki Wildeyes will then give you an Imp Delivery quest and he'll give you an imp in a jar which you must take to the Alchemy Lab where Ras Frostwhisper is located in Scholomance. Once there, and you have cleared some of the mobs, release the Imp who will run around for a short while. Once he's finished return to Gorzeeki Wildeyes.
- Nearly there. You'll now be given the Dreadsteed of Xoroth quest by Mor'zul Bloodbringer. You will require three items for this that Gorzeeki will sell you. [J'eevee's Jar] 150 gold, [Black Lodestone] 50 gold and [Xorothian Glyphs] 50 gold. However, any Warlock can have them to summon the Dreadsteed.
- Head to Dire Maul, the west part. Make your way through it to Immol'thar and once he is dead activate J'eevee's Jar to release J'eevee who will begin the ritual of creating the Circle of Greater Summoning. This will take a while and you need to kill of any foe that spawn in the meantime. Once J'eevee has completed the ritual the mobs will disappear. You then activate the [Xorothian Glyphs] to open a portal and a Xorothian Dreadsteed will appear. Engage him and Lord Hel'nurath who will appear mid fight. Once they are both defeated the spirit of the Dreadsteed will appear. Talk to him and the Unknown spell: Summon Dreadsteed skill will appear in your spellbook and your riding skill will increase to 150.
Endgame Roles
Unlike other classes, all three of the Warlock's Talent Trees are viable for endgame specialisation. The Affliction tree provides very powerful DoTs and Curses, investing in the Demonology Tree increases the power and effectiveness of the warlock's summoned demons and stones, and the Destruction tree focusses on direct damage.
Starting Stats
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Further Warlock Reading & Resources
- Forum to talk with other Warlocks
- Warlock Skills
- Warlock Talents
- List of Warlock Trainers
- Quests for Warlocks
- Warlock Item Sets
- Warlock Guides
- Warlock Macros
- Warlock UIs/Mods
- Warlock Patch History
