World Of Warcraft: Dragonflight - Demonology Warlock Complete Guide
Quick Links
- Why Demonology?
- The Demons
- Best Racial Traits
- Warlock Talent Trees
- Main Warlock Talent Tree
- The Demonology Raid Talent Tree
- The Mythic Plus Tree
- Spell Rotation
- Stat Priority
- Demonology Warlock Gear
The Warlock is a relative newcomer to RPGs, but World of Warcraft has had this class since the beginning. It's been almost two decades since the launch of the original MMO, and the class has gone through a lot of changes in that period.
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In the most recent WoW expansion, Dragonflight, the Warlock has returned. There have been a few tweaks and improvements since Shadowlands, along with some dramatic changes to spells, talent trees, and demonic abilities. It's still one of the best classes to level, which is a long and proud Warlock tradition, and those that choose the Demonology spec are some of the game's most effective endgame casting classes.
Why Demonology?
- It's all about the demons and not only the company they lend but the powers they grant. All Warlocks have some access to the demons as pets, but this is the Demonologist's specialty, and they can summon an array of demons to fight for them either as companions or as destructive spells.
- Using demons and their related abilities in the most efficient way possible is one of the greatest challenges of this specification. It's ideal for damaging single targets and has some decent area-of-effect abilities.
- The one downside is that the Demonology Warlock is highly dependent on their pets in most situations. It takes some time to build up your power with this spec, but it's brutal when you do, so cast early and cast often.
All Warlocks need Soul Shards, either to cast certain spells, use Soul Stones, or summon certain pets. The Demonology Warlock generates Soul Shards by casting Shadow Bolt.
They appear under your character name and health bar. You can have a maximum of five at a time.
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The Demons
All Warlocks have access to demons, and part of the whole point of being a Demonologist is being able to command a larger variety of demons that are also more powerful than those of your peers. Your demons will also have extra abilities from the Talent Tree that other specs do not.
Some of the demons, such as the Felguard and the Imp, can be summoned as both parts of a temporary spell and as a companion that also follows you.
These aren't the same demons, and you can have both of them active at the same time while in combat. Finding the best combination is the key to organizing your minions and the damage they deal.
Companions
The Demonologist has access to demons summoned as part of a spell and dismissed automatically after a set amount of time in addition to their companions. Some of these spells are part of the Warlock's common spellbook, while others are granted by spending talent points in the Demonology Talent Tree.
Demon
Signature Ability
Best Used For
Felhunter
Spell Lock
Ideal for fighting magic users.
Imp
Fire Bolt
Ranged DPS
Felguard
Felstorm
Melee damage, some tanking ability.
Sayad
Seduction
Crowd control when fighting humanoids.
Inquisitor's Eye
Shadowflame
AoE damage
Demonic Tyrant
Rune of Alacrity
Grants a Haste buff to all allies within the rune's AoE.
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Best Racial Traits
A total of 14 races have the Warlock class open to them, and some are better than others. The following suggestions have racial traits that are beneficial to Warlocks.
Race
Racial Passive Name
Racial Passive Effect
Undead
Will of The Forsaken
Instant cast. Provides immunity to Charm, Sleep, or Fear Spells.
Worgen
Viciousness
Increases your Critical Strike chance.
Blood Elf
Arcane Acuity
Increases Critical Strike chance.
Gnome
Expansive Mind
Increases Intelligence by 5%.
Troll
Berserking
Increases Haste for a short time.
Warlock Talent Trees
Main Warlock Tree
Main Warlock Tree
Row One
Fel Domination
Your next Summon spell costs no mana.
Demonic Circle
Summons a Demonic Circle that lasts for 15 minutes. Use with Teleport: Demonic Circle to remove impairing effects.
Row Two
Demon Skin
Increases the recharge rate of Soul Leech for health and mana.
Fel Armor
Increases the damage absorption rate of Soul Leech.
Row Three
Curses of Enfeeblement
Includes both Curse of Tongues and Curse of Exhaustion.
Abyss Walker
Using Teleport: Demonic Circle also reduces how much damage you take.
Row Four
Demonic Embrace
Increases your Stamina.
Demonic Inspiration
When you fill a soul shard, it increases the speed of your main pet.
Wrathful Minion
When you fill a soul shard, it increases the damage done by your main pet.
Row Five
Demonic Gateway
Creates a portal between two locations.
Dark Accord
Reduces the cooldown time of the Unending Resolve ability.
Row Six
Lifeblood
Using a Healthstone gives you the Leech ability for 20 seconds.
Demonology Talent Tree
Demonology Talent Tree
Row 1
Call Dreadstalkers
Summons two Dreadstalkers to attack the target for 12 seconds.
Row 2
Demonbolt
Causes Shadowflame damage and fills two Soul Shards.
Dreadlash
Dreadbite does more damage and has an AoE ability.
Annihilan Training
Felguard does more damage and has better armor.
Row 3
Demonic Knowledge
Hand of Gul'dan has a better chance to charge Demonic Core.
Summon Vilefiend
Summons a Vilefiend to attack the target for 15 seconds.
From The Shadows
Dreadbite increases shadow flame damage.
Row 3
Implosion
Any Wild Imps are sucked towards the target and explode with Shadowflame damage.
Carnivorous Stalkers
Dreadstalkers have a chance for an extra Dreadbite when attacking.
Inner Demons
A passive ability that has a chance to summon a Wild Imp for 12 seconds.
Row 4
Dread Calling
Shadowbolt and Demonbolt have an increased chance to make your next Call Dreadstalkers ability instant cast and cost fewer soul shards.
Grimoire: Felguard
Summons a Felguard that lasts for 12 seconds and does 45% more damage than the companion Felguard.
read moreAnother handy feature, especially for new or returning players, is the Starter Build option that can be found in the bottom left of your Talent Tree screen.
This suggests a basic, no-nonsense build, and recommends where to place your Talent Points every time you level. You can deviate from it at any time if you're feeling creative.
The new Talent Trees in WoW make customization a high priority, and there's a lot you can experiment with as you level. For those that are new to the process, this is a basic mid-level build that is equally effective in both dungeons and PvE as your character levels. It's focused on abilities that are specific to the Demonology build, and in this case, that means more demons.
Main Warlock Talent Tree
Wowhead Build Link
Main Warlock Talent Tree
Talent
Description
Row 3
Mortal Coil
Incapacitates the target for a few seconds and restores 20% of your total health.
Row 4
Demonic Fortitude
Increases the health of you and your pets.
Row 5
Sweet Souls
Healthstones you and other party members consume heal you for an increased amount.
Row 6
Dark Pact
Sacrifices a portion of your health to heal you for 200% of the same portion.
Shadowfury
Stuns all enemies within an 8-yard radius.
Row 7
Frequent Donor
Reduces the cooldown of Dark Pact.
Row 8
Fel Synergy
Soul Leech also heals both you and your pet.
Soul Link
Your pet absorbs 10% of the damage directed at you.
Teachings of the Black Harvest
A Passive ability that gives each of your pets an additional skill or spell.
Row 9
Grimoire of Synergy
Damage done by you or your pet has a chance to increase spell damage.
Soul Conduit
Each Soul Shard you use has a 5% chance to be restored.
Row 10
Inquisitor's Gaze
Summons an Inquisitor's Eye.
Soulburn
Removes the casting time for some abilities and makes others more powerful.
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There are core abilities that every Warlock needs to prioritize, along with some that are better for those of the Demonology persuasion.
The above tree is a standard example of how a completed Main Warlock Talent Tree will look once your Demonologist reaches level 80. This one is intended to optimize your effectiveness in high-level dungeons and raids. It builds on the previous leveling tree but with detailed additions.
The Demonology Raid Talent Tree
Wowhead Build Link
Demonology Raid Tree
Talent
Description
Row 5
Power Siphon
Sacrifice two Wild Imps to charge Demonic Core and increase spell damage.
Inner Demons
A passive ability that has a chance to summon a Wild Imp for 12 seconds.
Grimoire: Felguard
Summons a Felguard that lasts for 12 seconds and does 45% more damage than the companion Felguard.
Row 6
Dread Calling
Shadowbolt and Demonbolt have an increased chance to make your next Call Dreadstalkers ability instant cast and cost fewer soul shards.
Ripped Through the Portal
Calling a Dreadstalker has a chance to call a second Dreadstalker.
Imp Gang Boss
Summoning an Imp has a chance to summon and larger, more powerful Imp Gang Boss.
Row 7
Nether Portal
Opens a portal to the Twisting Nether, which allows demons to pass through and fight for you.
Summon Demonic Tyrant
Summons a demonic tyrant that damages the target and increases the damage done by your pets for 15 seconds.
Antoran Armaments
Your Felguard does more damage, and their Soul Strike has an AoE ability.
Row 8
Ner'zhul's Volition
A demon summoned via a portal has a chance to summon a second demon.
Soulbound Tyrant
Summoning your Demonic Tyrant fills three soul shards.
The Expendables
Other demons are inspired when your Imps die and do additional damage.
Row 9
Gul'dan's Ambition
A Pit Lord is summoned when a Nether Portal ends.
Grand Warlock's Design
Every soul shard used reduces the cooldown time of Summon: Demonic Tyrant.
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There are several interesting activities for Warlocks that have reached level 80, and you customize your Talent Tree based on those choices. Both of the examples use the basic Demonology leveling build as scaffolding and build from there.
This raid build is designed for max-level dungeons and raids and focuses on the damage the Demonologist Warlock can do with AoE damage and the Cleave ability. It focuses on the Felguard, which is the most powerful demon when it comes to melee damage.
The Mythic Plus Tree
Wowhead Build Link
Mythic Plus Tree
Talent
Description
Row 4
Fel Might
Reduces the cooldown of Felstorm.
Row 5
Grimoire: Felguard
Summons a Felguard that lasts for 12 seconds and does 45% more damage than the companion Felguard.
Row 6
Fel Sunder
When Felstorm deals damage, you and your pets get a buff to your damage output.
Demonic Meteor
Hand of Gul'dan does additional damage and has a chance to refund a soul shard.
Row 7
Ripped Through the Portal
Calling a Dreadstalker has a chance to call a second Dreadstalker.
Imp Gang Boss
Summoning an Imp has a chance to summon and larger, more powerful Imp Gang Boss.
Summon Demonic Tyrant
Summons a demonic tyrant that damages the target and increases the damage done by your pets for 15 seconds.
Antoran Armaments
Your Felguard does more damage and their Soul Strike has an AoE ability.
Row 8
Soulbound Tyrant
Summoning your Demonic Tyrant fills three soul shards.
Pact of the Imp Mother
Grants a small chance that your second cast of Hand of Gul'dan will be instant and cost no mana.
The Expendables
Other demons are inspired when your Imps die and do additional damage.
Row 9
Grand Warlock's Design
Every soul shard used reduces the cooldown time of Summon: Demonic Tyrant.
Infernal Command
Wild Imps and Dreadstalkers deal additional damage as long as the Felguard is up.
Guillotine
The Felguard throws his axe, which explodes into AoE damage over the target area and does 50% more damage in combat.
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Designed and intended for Demonology Warlocks that want to experience Mythic+ dungeons, this is known as the Guillotine M+ build. It's named after the fearsome special ability that's awarded at the very bottom of the tree. This build uses many of the same features and abilities as the AoE and Cleave build, but takes it to the next level for the increased difficulty level of Mythic+.
On the bottom center of your Specialization screen, next to the "Apply Changes" button, there's a red circle with a slash through it. Hover your mouse over this for the option to reset all of your specifications at any time. You can also change individual talents that have already been chosen by right-clicking on them.
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Spell Rotation
The most important spells to keep in mind when leveling are Corruption and Shadowbolt. The former is a damage-over-time (DoT) spell, and the latter is used to charge your Soul Shards, which you need to power your casting and summon demons.
Every Warlock has passive abilities like Soul Leech and Demonic Core. These abilities are inherent and don't appear in the Talent Trees, but you can find them in your Spell Book. They are the source of power for the Warlock's most devastating abilities.
Solo Leveling
The Voidwalker and the Felguard make the best companion demons for leveling, but bear in mind your demons have a myriad of abilities, and many are situational. This rotation assumes you're starting with five soul shards, are still in the process of leveling, and don't have access to certain demons or spells yet.
When your Demonic Core charges and you can cast Demonbolt instantly, always do so.
Sequence
Spell or Ability
Description
1.
Curse of Weakness
An instant cast that slows your enemy down.
2.
Corruption
Uses shadow to damage the target, lasts 13 seconds.
3.
Call Dreadstalkers
These will attack the target for 12 seconds, after which they will fade and charge Demonic Core.
4.
Hand of Gul'dan
Summons Wild Imps to your side for extra DPS.
5.
Shadow Bolt
Sends a bolt of Shadow damage at the enemy and charges your soul shards. Repeat until Curse of Weakness and Corruption tick down.
6.
Demon Bolt
Time permitting, to recharge your shards.
You can finish by using Implosion to send your imps into the fray and blowing them up if anything is still standing at this point.
Dungeons And Raids
That Voidwalker might be great when questing in the wilderness, but in a raid or dungeon, pulling aggro away from the tank is a bad idea. Corruption, used extensively in PvE, is much less important in dungeons for Demonology Warlocks.
Instead, your spell rotation focuses on getting as many demons on the battlefield at the same as possible. You'll coordinate with your fellow Warlocks and raid leaders as to what curse should be used and why.
Spell or Ability
Description
Hand of Gul'dan
Wild Imps for DPS and AoE damage, also can be sacrificed.
Power Siphon
Sacrifice Wild Imps for a power boost.
Grimoire: Felguard
Send this demon in for melee damage.
Guillotine
A ranged AoE ability your companion Felguard can use.
Nether Portal
Summons more demons and strengthens those you have.
Shadow Bolt
Recharges your soul shards.
Demon Bolt
Also recharges soul shards but can be powered by Demonic Core for the instant cast.
Summon Vilefiend
Another demon for AoE damage.
Call Dreadstalkers
Two more demons for more melee damage and to recharge Demonic Core.
Implosion
Send your Imps into the center of the fray for AoE damage.
Macros
As tradition seems to imply, the most popular Warlock macros focus on the use of Soulstones. Cut and paste the following command so you can cast a soulstone on a raid member just by moving your mouse over their portrait.
#showtooltip Soulstone
/cast [target=mouseover,exists] [] Soulstone
For a more Demonology-focused macro, this one casts Power Siphon to sacrifice an imp and cast another demon.
/use Power Siphon
/use Summon Petname
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Stat Priority
Intellect. Increases your spell power and damage.
Haste. Improves attack speed, including casting.
Mastery. Your demons do more damage the higher this stat.
Versatility. You avoid more damage and deal more damage.
Gems
Haste is important, so make sure you have at least one Fierce Illuminated Diamond, or more than one if you can afford it. Another ideal choice is the Quick Ysemerald.
There are a lot of choices for gems, and anything that improves Intellect should be your first choice, and the second choice would be anything that includes Mastery or spell power.
Enchants
A Seal of Critical Strike is a handy enchant for a ring that increases the power of your spells. It can be applied at any point during the leveling process.
Intellect is always important. An example of a weapon enchant is Machinists' Brilliance, an Enchantment from Zandalar, which increases the Intellect buff on a weapon by 18.
Demonology Warlock Gear
As you level, prioritize any gear that improves your Intellect or Haste. Tailors have a distinct advantage here, and most Warlocks take up said profession so they can craft their own gear.
If you're hoping to raid or experience Mythic+ dungeons, the following lists the ideal gear.
Gear Slot
Name
Location
Head
Organized Pontificator's Mask
Algeth'ar Academy
Neck
Ukhel Ancestry Beads
The Nokhud Offensive
Shoulder
Molten Magma Mantle
Neltharus
Back
Fireproof Drape
Ruby Life Pools
Chest
Robe of Plunging Depths
Halls of Infusion
Wrist
Animated Shackles
Uldaman
Hands
Warlord's Cindermitts
Neltharus
Staff
Final Grade
Algeth'ar Academy
Main Hand
Spellboon Saber
Algeth'ar Academy
Offhand
Rod of Perfect Order
Halls of Infusion
Waist
Sky Saddle Cord
Ruby Life Pools
Legs
Miner's Sturdy Trousers
Uldaman
Feet
Ancient Crosswrapped Sandals
Uldaman
Ring 1
Scalebane Signet
Neltharus
Ring 2
Unstable Arcane Loop
The Azure Vault
Trinket 1
Spoils of Neltharus
Neltharus
Trinket 2
Furious Ragefeather
The Nokhud Offensive
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