Best Warlock leveling build for WoW Forever (levels 1 to 20)
Level a WoW Forever Warlock as Affliction with a Voidwalker: Improved Corruption 5/5 first so Corruption is instant and 10% stronger, then Improved Drains, Improved Life Tap and Soul Harvesting so you never stop to drink. Bane of Agony, Corruption, wand, Drain Life, repeat.
Reported Six independent guides agree on Affliction with a Voidwalker and on Improved Corruption first; the next six points split four to two between sustain and damage, and this page takes sustain. Talent rows are cross-checked against three beta client datamines. Talent effects come from the beta client, so numbers can change with each build. Open the Warlock talent calculator.
Why Affliction (Voidwalker) for leveling a Warlock in WoW Forever
- Six guides agree on Affliction with a Voidwalker and all six on Improved Corruption 5/5 by 14. An instant Corruption you can cast while moving is the whole levelling loop.
- After that the guides split between sustain and damage. Four take sustain (Improved Drains, Improved Life Tap, Soul Harvesting), two take damage (Malediction, Pandemic). This build takes sustain, because a Warlock that never drinks levels faster than one that hits harder.
- Demonology is the alternative if you die a lot or pull several mobs: pets scale with your gear in Forever, so a talented Voidwalker holds far more.
- Nobody recommends Destruction under 30.
Alternative: Demonology, if you die a lot or pull multiples: Improved Corruption 5 first even here, then Demonic Embrace 5, Improved Voidwalker 3, Fel Vitality 3 and Unholy Power, aiming at Master Summoner and Fel Domination at 30. Slower to kill, much harder to die.
Warlock talent order, levels 10 to 20
| Level | Talent | Rank | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Improved Corruption | 1 | 0.4 seconds faster and 2% stronger per rank; instant at 5. |
| 11 | Improved Corruption | 2 | |
| 12 | Improved Corruption | 3 | |
| 13 | Improved Corruption | 4 | |
| 14 | Improved Corruption | 5 | |
| 15 | Improved Drains | 1 | New: Drain Life, Drain Soul and Wrack up to 20% stronger. |
| 16 | Improved Drains | 2 | |
| 17 | Improved Drains | 3 | |
| 18 | Improved Life Tap | 1 | 10% more mana per rank. |
| 19 | Improved Life Tap | 2 | |
| 20 | Soul Harvesting | 1 | Mana regeneration after a Drain Soul kill. Malediction and Pandemic are the damage variant. |
Levels 21 to 30: Fel Concentration 3/3 so drains are not interrupted, Amplify Curse at 21 points in Affliction if you want it, Nightfall 2/2 for instant Shadow Bolts, Malediction, and Siphon Life at 30 as the 21st point. Three guides agree on Siphon Life at 30 and differ on the route.
Warlock abilities to train, levels 1 to 20
| Level | Ability | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shadow Bolt, Immolate, Summon Imp, Demon Skin | Imp until 10. |
| 4 | Corruption, Curse of Weakness | Corruption every rank. Curse of Weakness is physical damage only now. |
| 6 | Life Tap | Life Tap now scales with Spirit. Every rank. |
| 8 | Bane of Agony, Fear | Curse of Agony is renamed Bane of Agony and is no longer a Curse, so it stacks with a real Curse. Fear's range is 20 yards in the beta. |
| 10 | Summon Voidwalker, Drain Soul, Create Healthstone | Voidwalker from here. Create Healthstone is one spell with ranks. |
| 12 | Health Funnel | Keep the Voidwalker alive on long fights. |
| 14 | Drain Life, Curse of Recklessness | Drain Life heals less than in Classic but is still your sustain. |
| 16 | Unending Breath | Plus Life Tap rank 2. |
| 18 | Searing Pain, Create Soulstone | Searing Pain is skippable on this route. |
| 20 | Summon Succubus, Summon Incubus, Rain of Fire, Demon Armor, Curse of the Elements, Ritual of Summoning | Incubus is a separate summon. Subjugate Demon (renamed from Enslave Demon) is 30. |
Warlock leveling rotation in WoW Forever
- Send the Voidwalker, then Bane of Agony and Corruption. Immolate on tough targets.
- Wand as filler rather than Shadow Bolt, so you do not pull aggro off the Voidwalker.
- Drain Life when hurt. Drain Soul to finish for a shard and the Soul Harvesting regeneration.
- Life Tap out of combat, then Drain Life the next mob. You should almost never drink.
- Fear is the panic button. Curse of Weakness or Recklessness on top of Bane of Agony since Banes are no longer Curses.
Best race for a leveling Warlock
| Faction | Race | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Alliance | Gnome | Expansive Mind for 5% mana, Eureka and Escape Artist. Two guides agree. |
| Alliance | Human | Will to Survive and the Spirit bonus, which Life Tap now scales with. |
| Horde | Undead | Cannibalize now restores mana as well as health, Touch of the Grave drains on hits and Will of the Forsaken breaks fear. Two guides pick it. |
| Horde | Troll (new combination) | Berserking for cast speed and Regeneration for downtime. One guide calls it the best solo pick. |
Every racial is on the WoW Forever racials page, and the class list per race on the race and class table.
Professions and camping for a Warlock
Tailoring and Enchanting for cloth, wands and enchants, plus First Aid early. For camping, the Tailor's Faction Banner gives Spirit, which now feeds Life Tap, and the Herbalist's Incense Candle gives Intellect. See how Camping works for every camp object.
Gear and stats under level 20
- Spell power and Intellect first, then Spirit for Life Tap and downtime, with hit and Stamina later.
- A wand upgrade every few levels matters more than any armour piece.
- Hall of Thanes and Ruins of Lordaeron both drop cloth and caster items; their stats are not published yet and boss lists still differ between sources.
Warlock leveling questions
Is Affliction or Demonology better for leveling a Warlock in WoW Forever?
Reported Affliction with a Voidwalker; six guides agree. Demonology is the safer choice if you die a lot, because pets scale with your gear in Forever.
What is Bane of Agony in WoW Forever?
Reported Curse of Agony renamed. It is no longer a Curse, so it stacks with Curse of Weakness or Curse of the Elements on the same target.
What pet should a Warlock use to level in WoW Forever?
Reported The Voidwalker from level 10. The Imp only for raw damage in groups, and the Succubus from 20 once you no longer need a tank.
What is the best race for a Warlock in WoW Forever?
Reported Gnome on Alliance. On Horde, Undead for Cannibalize and Touch of the Grave, or the new Troll Warlock for Berserking.
Sources
7 independent reports
Reported means independent guides and the beta client agree but Blizzard has not published the build. Class changes with sources are on Warlock in WoW Forever.
Other WoW Forever leveling builds
Priest (Shadow (wand leveling)), Shaman (Enhancement), Druid (Feral), Warrior (Fury (first 11 points)), Paladin (Retribution), Hunter (Beast Mastery), Rogue (Combat (swords)), Mage (Frost)