WoW Forever Warlock Destruction Build
Looking for the best WoW Forever Warlock build for PvE? This Destruction plan is a starting point for fire and shadow interaction. Compare its conditions and alternatives below; it is not a measured performance winner or a BiS gear list.
A pve planning route for Warlock Destruction, built around Incinerate, Conflagrate, Shadowburn, Shadow and Flame using the November 3 reviewed snapshot.
Editorial planning guide, grounded in the supplied beta talent descriptions. The allocation and point order have been checked for legal ranks and prerequisites. Combat performance has not been simulated or game-tested.
When to use this plan
Read the core effects below for weapon, target, form and cooldown requirements. The exact current tooltips are shown at the selected ranks. Test the interaction in your intended activity before committing to a respec.
What you give up
This allocation commits to Destruction with support from Affliction; it cannot also reach every other capstone. Compare alternative plans and equipment requirements for your activity.
Why these core choices?
Shadowburn
Instantly blasts the target for 65 to 74 Shadow damage. If a non-trivial target dies within 8 sec of being hit with Shadowburn, the caster gains a Soul Shard.
Selected rank 1 of 1.Conflagrate
Ignites a target that is already afflicted by your Immolate spell, dealing 88 to 111 Fire damage and consuming your Immolate effect.
Selected rank 1 of 1.Shadow and Flame
Hitting an enemy with Conflagrate increases all Shadow damage you deal by 20% for 20 sec, and hitting an enemy with Shadowburn increases all Fire damage you deal by 20% for 20 sec. In addition, Conflagrate has a 100% chance not to consume Immolate, and Shadowburn has a 100% chance to instantly refund a Soul Shard.
Selected rank 5 of 5.Incinerate
Deals 100 to 114 Fire damage to your target and an additional 25% damage if the target is afflicted by Immolate.
Selected rank 1 of 1. Requires Bane of Havoc.Complete allocation
All 17 selected talents are listed below. Expand any talent to see the exact supplied description at the rank used by this plan.
Affliction · 19 points
Improved Life Tap 2 / 2
Increases the amount of Mana awarded by your Life Tap spell by 20%.
Row 1. Read every rank →
Suppression 5 / 5
Improves your chance to hit by 5% and reduces all threat you generate by 20%.
Row 1. Read every rank →
Improved Corruption 5 / 5
Reduces the casting time of your Corruption spell by 2 sec and increases the damage it deals by 10%.
Row 1. Read every rank →
Soul Harvest 1 / 2
Killing a non-trivial target afflicted by your Drain Soul increases your Mana regeneration by 50% for 10 sec and allows 50% of normal Mana regeneration to continue while casting.
Row 2. Read every rank →
Improved Bane of Agony 2 / 2
Increases the damage done by your Bane of Agony by 10%.
Row 3. Read every rank →
Nightfall 2 / 2
Gives your Corruption, Drain Soul, Drain Life, and Wrack spells a 4% chance to cause you to enter a Shadow Trance after damaging the opponent. The Shadow Trance reduces the casting time of your next Shadow Bolt spell by 100%.
Row 4. Read every rank →
Destruction · 32 points
Improved Shadow Bolt 5 / 5
Your Shadow Bolt critical strikes increase Shadow damage taken by the target from your attacks by 20% for 12 sec.
Row 1. Read every rank →
Bane 5 / 5
Reduces the casting time of your Shadow Bolt, Immolate, and Incinerate spells by 0.5 sec and your Soul Fire spell by 2 sec.
Row 1. Read every rank →
Aftermath 5 / 5
Increases the initial damage of your Immolate spell by 50% and your Conflagrate spell has a 100% chance to Daze the target, reducing the target's movement speed by 50% for 5 sec.
Row 2. Read every rank →
Ruin 5 / 5
Increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Destruction spells by 100%.
Row 3. Read every rank →
Shadowburn 1 / 1 Core choice
Instantly blasts the target for 65 to 74 Shadow damage. If a non-trivial target dies within 8 sec of being hit with Shadowburn, the caster gains a Soul Shard.
105 Mana | 30 yd range | Instant | 15 sec cooldown
Row 3. Read every rank →
Conflagrate 1 / 1 Core choice
Ignites a target that is already afflicted by your Immolate spell, dealing 88 to 111 Fire damage and consuming your Immolate effect.
100 Mana | 30 yd range | Instant | 10 sec cooldown
Row 4. Read every rank →
Bane of Havoc 1 / 1
Afflicts the target for 5 min, causing 15% of all damage done by the Warlock to other targets to also be dealt to the cursed target. Bane of Havoc is limited to 1 target, and only one Bane per Warlock can be active on any one target.
5% of base mana | 30 yd range | Instant
Row 5. Read every rank →
Shadow and Flame 5 / 5 Core choice
Hitting an enemy with Conflagrate increases all Shadow damage you deal by 20% for 20 sec, and hitting an enemy with Shadowburn increases all Fire damage you deal by 20% for 20 sec. In addition, Conflagrate has a 100% chance not to consume Immolate, and Shadowburn has a 100% chance to instantly refund a Soul Shard.
Row 6. Read every rank →
Incinerate 1 / 1 Core choice
Deals 100 to 114 Fire damage to your target and an additional 25% damage if the target is afflicted by Immolate.
205 Mana | 30 yd range | 2.5 sec cast
Row 7 · Requires maximum Bane of Havoc. Read every rank →
Three valid adjustments
Each option below is a separate one-point change to the original plan. It preserves the point budget, row gates and prerequisites. Choose an effect you need; the options are not a damage ranking and should not be applied together without rechecking.
Ruin → Soul Harvest
Move one point: Ruin 5 → 4; Soul Harvest 1 → 2.
Effect after this change
Ruin: Increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Destruction spells by 80%.
Soul Harvest: Killing a non-trivial target afflicted by your Drain Soul increases your Mana regeneration by 100% for 10 sec and allows 100% of normal Mana regeneration to continue while casting.
Ruin → Improved Drains
Move one point: Ruin 5 → 4; Improved Drains 0 → 1.
Effect after this change
Ruin: Increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Destruction spells by 80%.
Improved Drains: Increases Health drained, damage done, or Mana drained by your Drain Life, Drain Soul, and Drain Mana spells by 7%.
Ruin → Fel Concentration
Move one point: Ruin 5 → 4; Fel Concentration 0 → 1.
Effect after this change
Ruin: Increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Destruction spells by 80%.
Fel Concentration: Gives your Drain Life, Drain Mana, Drain Soul, and Wrack spells a 23% chance to not lose casting time when you take damage.
Level-by-level point order
This route reaches the complete allocation without a respec. It follows this guide’s core choices and prerequisites, rather than claiming an optimal speed-leveling route. Talented changes the level when each point becomes available, not the 51-point limit.
First point at level 10; all 51 points at level 60.
Use a Talented rank your character has actually unlocked in the Legacy system. This control models its point timing, not the rest of your Legacy allocation.
Show all 51 steps
| Level | Add one point | New rank | Tree |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Bane | 1 / 5 | Destruction |
| 11 | Bane | 2 / 5 | Destruction |
| 12 | Bane | 3 / 5 | Destruction |
| 13 | Bane | 4 / 5 | Destruction |
| 14 | Bane | 5 / 5 | Destruction |
| 15 | Improved Shadow Bolt | 1 / 5 | Destruction |
| 16 | Improved Shadow Bolt | 2 / 5 | Destruction |
| 17 | Improved Shadow Bolt | 3 / 5 | Destruction |
| 18 | Improved Shadow Bolt | 4 / 5 | Destruction |
| 19 | Improved Shadow Bolt | 5 / 5 | Destruction |
| 20 | Shadowburn | 1 / 1 | Destruction |
| 21 | Cataclysm | 1 / 3 | Destruction |
| 22 | Cataclysm | 2 / 3 | Destruction |
| 23 | Cataclysm | 3 / 3 | Destruction |
| 24 | Aftermath | 1 / 5 | Destruction |
| 25 | Conflagrate | 1 / 1 | Destruction |
| 26 | Aftermath | 2 / 5 | Destruction |
| 27 | Aftermath | 3 / 5 | Destruction |
| 28 | Aftermath | 4 / 5 | Destruction |
| 29 | Aftermath | 5 / 5 | Destruction |
| 30 | Ruin | 1 / 5 | Destruction |
| 31 | Ruin | 2 / 5 | Destruction |
| 32 | Ruin | 3 / 5 | Destruction |
| 33 | Ruin | 4 / 5 | Destruction |
| 34 | Ruin | 5 / 5 | Destruction |
| 35 | Shadow and Flame | 1 / 5 | Destruction |
| 36 | Shadow and Flame | 2 / 5 | Destruction |
| 37 | Shadow and Flame | 3 / 5 | Destruction |
| 38 | Shadow and Flame | 4 / 5 | Destruction |
| 39 | Shadow and Flame | 5 / 5 | Destruction |
| 40 | Bane of Havoc | 1 / 1 | Destruction |
| 41 | Incinerate | 1 / 1 | Destruction |
| 42 | Suppression | 1 / 5 | Affliction |
| 43 | Suppression | 2 / 5 | Affliction |
| 44 | Suppression | 3 / 5 | Affliction |
| 45 | Suppression | 4 / 5 | Affliction |
| 46 | Suppression | 5 / 5 | Affliction |
| 47 | Improved Corruption | 1 / 5 | Affliction |
| 48 | Improved Corruption | 2 / 5 | Affliction |
| 49 | Improved Corruption | 3 / 5 | Affliction |
| 50 | Improved Corruption | 4 / 5 | Affliction |
| 51 | Improved Corruption | 5 / 5 | Affliction |
| 52 | Improved Life Tap | 1 / 2 | Affliction |
| 53 | Improved Life Tap | 2 / 2 | Affliction |
| 54 | Grim Reach | 1 / 2 | Affliction |
| 55 | Grim Reach | 2 / 2 | Affliction |
| 56 | Improved Bane of Agony | 1 / 2 | Affliction |
| 57 | Improved Bane of Agony | 2 / 2 | Affliction |
| 58 | Nightfall | 1 / 2 | Affliction |
| 59 | Nightfall | 2 / 2 | Affliction |
| 60 | Soul Harvest | 1 / 2 | Affliction |
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