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Warlock · Ranged DPS

Warlock Hardcore guide

HardcoreData-drivenMediumPatch 1.15.9
6.5KUpdated

More Warlock guides

This guide is assembled by the site from match data and the game's own information — nobody wrote it by hand. Official and community guides appear alongside it when they exist.

Overview

The Warlock is a Classic Era class that can play ranged DPS. It is B tier on our ladder: 7.1% of the top players, average item level 70. In Hardcore realms death is permanent: every choice favors survival over speed.

Build cheat sheet

Pick the build that fits what you want to do this game.

Builds

Warlock · Hardcore

More damageHardcore
Open build

When to use it

What the 3 top Hardcore players we read are using. Average item level 51. Talent points 28/23.

Hardcore build

3 top profilesAverage item level 51Affliction 28 · Demonology 23

Talent trees

Affliction

30
3/55/5
0/333%2/25/5
33%5/50/1
2/22/20/2
1/10/10/4
5/5
33%

Demonology

25
2/20/35/5
0/23/32/5
0/31/15/5
2/25/5
0/533%0/2
33%
0/10/2

Destruction

0
0/50/5
0/50/5
0/20/20/50/1
0/20/20/5
0/20/50/1
0/5
0/1

Gold, what most of the top players take (with its rank); the rest shows the share of players who take it.

Secondary stat split

  1. 1. Spirit 100%

Gear by slot

  • Main hand

    • Zum'rah's Vexing Caneilvl 47 · 33%

    ✦ Intellect +3 (33%)

  • Ranged / relic

    • Dragon Fingerilvl 60 · 33%
    • Glowstar Rodilvl 57 · 33%

  • Trinket

    • Nifty Stopwatchilvl 50 · 67%
    • Shard of the Splithoovesilvl 57 · 67%
    • Carrot on a Stickilvl 50 · 33%

  • Head

    • Mystical Headwrapilvl 55 · 33%

  • Back

    • Cerise Drapeilvl 56 · 33%
    • Mystical Capeilvl 52 · 33%

  • Chest

    • Enchanted Gold Bloodrobeilvl 38 · 100%

    ✦ Reinforced Armor +32 (67%)

  • Wrists

    • Shizzle's Nozzle Wiperilvl 55 · 33%
    • Dreadmist Bracersilvl 57 · 33%

  • Waist

    • Magister's Beltilvl 58 · 33%

  • Legs

    • Night Watch Pantaloonsilvl 33 · 33%
    • Arcane Leggingsilvl 60 · 33%
    • Councillor's Pantsilvl 58 · 33%

    ✦ Reinforced Armor +40 (33%)

  • Feet

    • Wolfrunner Shoesilvl 59 · 33%

    ✦ Minor Speed Increase (33%)

  • Ring

    • Dalson Family Wedding Ringilvl 55 · 67%
    • Glowing Crystal Ringilvl 57 · 33%
    • Woodseed Hoopilvl 47 · 33%

Abilities

  • Dark PactDrains 150 of your pet's Mana, returning 100% to you.
  • Improved SpellstoneIncreases the amount of damage absorbed by your Spellstone by 30%.
  • ConflagrateIgnites a target that is already afflicted by Immolate, dealing 304 to 377 Fire damage and consuming the Immolate spell.

Strategy

1Surviving

Never pull more than you can kill, keep an escape and a healing potion ready and avoid elite quests without a group.

  • Playing safe means using your lower ranks to save mana and never passing the tank's threat.
  • Standing too far from the group and out of the healer's range.
  • Pulling threat off the tank: in Classic, threat is slow to build and a dead damage dealer deals no damage.
  • Running out of consumables: potions, flasks and food are part of the build in Classic raids.
  • Ignoring crowd control assignments: sheep, sap and fear the packs you are asked to, and don't break them.

2What the top Hardcore players wear

Secondary stat split of the top players: Spirit 100%.

  • Main hand: Zum'rah's Vexing Cane (33.3%) · Intellect +3
  • Ranged / relic: Dragon Finger (33.3%)
  • Trinket: Nifty Stopwatch (66.7%)
  • Head: Mystical Headwrap (33.3%)
  • Back: Cerise Drape (33.3%)
  • Chest: Enchanted Gold Bloodrobe (100%) · Reinforced Armor +32

Tips

  • Playing safe means using your lower ranks to save mana and never passing the tank's threat.
  • Reach the spell hit cap for your content before stacking spell power.
  • Spend your talent points in the order of this guide and only change the rows the content asks for.
  • Hit rating comes first until you reach the cap for your content: missed spells and swings are wasted damage.

Changelog

  1. Guide created for patch 1.15.9.

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