Overview
Where most heroes see only death in demonic power, Warlocks see a chance to rule. These spellcasters wear down foes with crippling afflictions and dark magic while they attack from range. Since they are physically weak and wear no heavy armor, they let their demon minions take the enemy's blows.
Warlocks wear cloth and use daggers, one-handed swords, staves and wands. Their spells deal fire and shadow damage, both instantly and over time, and many of their strongest spells cost Soul Shards, a secondary resource.
Specializations
| Specialization | Play style |
|---|---|
| Affliction | A shadow master of drains and damage over time, using curses and spells such as Agony and Corruption. |
| Demonology | A demon commander who summons a Felguard, Wild Imps and more, and turns the souls of its army into raw power. |
| Destruction | A master of chaos who rains fire on enemies with fast, heavy direct damage such as Chaos Bolt, Shadowburn and Havoc, fueled by Soul Shards. |
Demons and utility
Warlocks bind demons to their will to defend them or attack their enemies. At first they only command imps, and more demons join them as they grow in power. The permanent minions listed on the wiki are:
| Demon | Use |
|---|---|
| Imp | A small demon best used to support a group. |
| Voidwalker | Strong and tough, ideal for defense. |
| Sayaad | Uses mental powers to put weak-minded foes under its control. |
| Felhunter | Feeds on magic; strong against casters and healers. |
| Felguard | A Burning Legion soldier that serves Demonology Warlocks as a warrior. |
Warlocks also bring utility to a group: Ritual of Summoning brings latecomers to the party, Soulstone allows a resurrection in combat, Healthstones heal, and Demonic Gateway moves allies quickly. Fear and Banish are well-known control spells.
Hero talent trees
At high level every Warlock specialization chooses between two hero talent trees. Each tree is shared by two of the class's specializations:
| Hero tree | Shared by | Theme |
|---|---|---|
| Diabolist | Demonology, Destruction | Commands greater demons once thought impossible to control. |
| Hellcaller | Affliction, Destruction | Weaves shadow magic and fel fire together at the cost of its own soul. |
| Soul Harvester | Affliction, Demonology | Hosts demons and feeds them enemy souls in exchange for power. |
Races
The official class page lists every playable race of both factions for the Warlock, including the Pandaren, Dracthyr, Earthen and Haranir, which appear on the Alliance and Horde lists alike. See Playable Races and Allied Races for each race's traits.
Sources
Game pictures: © Blizzard Entertainment · worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com
