Home / Classes / Warlock
Class guide · Beginner

Warlock

A dark spellcaster with a demon at your side. Curse enemies so they slowly wither away, and drain their life to heal yourself.

Pre-launch · beta info Checked Oct 26, 2026 against Wowhead's Forever database and Icy Veins (updated Oct 21)

The 30-second version

  1. Send your demon in, then put your damage-over-time spells on the enemy.
  2. Let them tick. Shoot your wand while the enemy withers.
  3. Low on mana? Life Tap. It turns health into mana. Then Drain Life to heal back up.
  4. Do your demon quests at levels 10, 20, and 30.
At a glance

Is Warlock right for you?

Beginner-friendly3 / 5
Several spells to keep track of, but very forgiving.
Playing solo4 / 5
A demon to tank for you and lots of self-healing means little resting.
Wanted in groups3 / 5
Good damage, plus Healthstones and summoning players to the group.
RolesDamage only
Damage
Your job in groups is DPS. This guide levels you as Affliction.
The one Warlock idea to learn

Damage over time, and health for mana

Your main spells are DoTs: cast once, and they keep hurting the enemy for many seconds. While they tick, you're free to do other things, like heal yourself.

1. Apply your DoTsCorruption and Bane of Agony.
→
2. Wand while they tickFree damage, no mana.
→
3. Life TapTrade some health for mana.
→
4. Drain LifeSteal health back from the enemy.
Don't reapply DoTs too early

Bane of Agony hits hardest at the end of its duration. Recasting it early cuts off its best part. Also skip DoTs on enemies that are about to die; finish those with your wand.

What are Soul Shards?

Some Warlock spells, like summoning certain demons, need a Soul Shard. You get them by casting Drain Soul (level 10) on an enemy as it dies. Collect a few as you quest so you never run out.

Your companions

Your demons

Warlocks summon a demon pet to fight beside them. You unlock new ones with class quests.

Imp
Level 1

Throws fireballs from range.

Fine until you get the Voidwalker.
Voidwalker
Quest at level 10

Your best leveling friend. A tough demon that keeps enemies busy while you cast.

Succubus / Incubus
Quest at level 20

Hits hard up close, but is less tough. Same abilities; pick the look you like.

Felhunter
Quest at level 30

Great against spellcasters.

From 41, you'll sacrifice it for a big healing buff (see talents).
Your action bar

Where every button goes

Each key has the same job for every class, so you always know where to look. The level shows when you get each ability; nothing ever moves once it's placed. (Not sure how to set up your keys? Start Here covers it.)

Keep these on a second bar

Things you use between fights, not during:

Your core loop

How to fight one enemy

Repeat this for every mob.

Demon out? Demon Skin on?Summon your demon if it isn't with you
Send your demon Let it reach the enemy first
Corruption and Bane of Agony Skip Bane if the enemy will die quickly
Shoot your wand while the DoTs tickFrom 25: Shadow Bolt glowing? Cast it , it's instant
Is your health below half?
YES
Drain Life Heals you while your DoTs keep working
NO
Keep wandingSave your mana
Enemy defeatedLow mana? Life Tap , then heal back up before the next fight.

↺ A second enemy joins? Fear it away while you finish the first.

Leveling milestones

What changes as you level

Remember to visit your trainer every 2 levels to learn new spells. Demon abilities come from books sold by demon trainers.

Lv 4–8

Corruption, Life Tap, Fear, and Bane of Agony.

Lv 10

Voidwalker quest, Drain Soul, and your first talent point.

Lv 14

Drain Life: your main way to heal.

Lv 20

Succubus or Incubus quest, Demon Armor, Rain of Fire, and summoning players.

Lv 30

Felhunter quest, Siphon Life (talent), and Hellfire.

Lv 41

Demonic Sacrifice: a huge 2-hour healing buff.

Lv 60

Max level. Dungeons and raids.

Talents · from level 10

Which spec should you pick?

Warlocks have three talent trees. For leveling, go Affliction: strong DoTs and lots of self-healing.

Recommended for leveling

Affliction

Curses and drains. Let enemies wither while you heal yourself.

  • Best for: leveling solo
  • Wrack is new in Forever
Later

Demonology

Stronger demons that do more of the work.

  • Best for: players who love their pet
Later

Destruction

Big fire and shadow blasts.

  • Best for: damage in groups
Talents as you level

Where to put each point

You get 1 talent point every level from 10 to 60. Slide to your level to see where your next point goes. Points marked ★ give you a new button.

How do I spend a talent point?

Press N to open your talents. Click a talent to put a point in it. Trees unlock row by row: you need 5 points in a tree to open the next row. Made a mistake? Your class trainer can reset your talents for a small fee.

Build: 40 Affliction / 11 Demonology, from Icy Veins (updated Oct 21, 2026). Pre-launch; may change.

Gear

What to upgrade

When you get a new item, check it for these stats, in this order. Higher on the list matters more.

What armor can I wear?

Warlocks wear cloth. Tailoring is a natural profession for you: it uses the cloth enemies drop.

  1. Spell Damage (or Shadow Damage)Makes your DoTs and drains hit harder, and your wand too.
  2. StaminaMore health to trade for mana with Life Tap.
  3. SpiritLife Tap converts more health into mana, and you recover faster.
  4. IntellectA bigger mana pool.
Learn from others

Top 5 beginner mistakes

Recasting Bane of Agony early

Its strongest damage comes at the end.

Let it run out before you recast it.

DoTs on enemies that are nearly dead

Wasted mana; the enemy dies before the DoT finishes.

Finish nearly dead enemies with your wand.

Life Tapping into the next fight

You start a fight with low health.

After tapping, Drain Life or eat back up first.

Running out of Soul Shards

You can't summon some demons without one.

Drain Soul an enemy as it dies every now and then.

Summoning after Demonic Sacrifice

Summoning any demon removes your 2-hour healing buff.

From 41, only summon a demon when you really need it.

Want more detail?

Go deeper

Ready for advanced builds and min-maxing? These sites go into much more depth.

Icy Veins ↗ Method ↗ Wowhead ↗ Mobalytics ↗