Destruction Warlock

Talents by level

The Icy Veins order comes from its levelling calculator and ends at 6 Affliction, 11 Demonology and 34 Destruction. ForeverDB's build predates 16 October. ForeverDB also publishes a group build at 30 that puts all 21 points in Destruction, with Improved Shadow Bolt 5, Agonizing Flames, Conflagrate and Bane of Havoc. Wowhead's levelling guide spends the first 16 points in Destruction (Bane, Cataclysm, Aftermath, Shadowburn, Molten Skin, Conflagrate), then turns to Unholy Power, Demonic Energies and Affliction's drain talents for sustain. Its dungeon build goes deep for Incinerate instead.

Icy Veins' dungeon build at 30 takes Destructive Reach 2, Bane 5, Cataclysm 3, Ruin 5, Shadowburn, Agonizing Flames 3, Conflagrate and Bane of Havoc, then Fire and Brimstone with Legacy bonus points.

Level 60 builds (projections)

The earlier summary of Wowhead's talent builds page listed three raid candidates with Incinerate, Shadow and Flame, Conflagrate and Shadowburn. That page could not be reopened during this review, so their current ordering is not established:

• Sayaad build (candidate): keep the Succubus or Incubus out and spend the spare points in Affliction for hit, a faster Corruption, Pandemic and Improved Life Tap, plus 4 points of Unholy Power.
• Imp build (candidate): the Imp keeps casting from range and adds Blood Pact.
• Demonic Sacrifice build (candidate): for players who don't want to manage a demon.

For dungeons, Wowhead moves two points of Suppression into Improved Corruption for an instant Corruption. WoWSims' "Destro" build matches the Sayaad version at 18 Affliction and 33 Destruction, with a Succubus out (builds).

Rotation

Levelling and dungeons at 30 (Icy Veins):

1. Send your demon in and Curse the target.
2. Pre-cast Shadow Bolt and follow at once with Immolate, so both land together.
3. Fill with Shadow Bolt or your wand; Searing Pain for a quick cast, but mind its high threat.
4. Conflagrate near the end of Immolate, or to finish a mob.
5. Shadowburn to finish a mob and get the Soul Shard back, or on cooldown if your shards are full.
6. Drain Soul instead when you need more shards; Life Tap when safe.

Bane of Havoc: put it on the enemy you aren't attacking. It is a Bane, so Bane of Agony can't share that target, and 15% of your Hellfire damage also reaches it (Icy Veins). From level 39, with 5 points in Shadow and Flame, Conflagrate no longer consumes Immolate and Shadowburn always refunds its shard. Both then go on cooldown, keeping up Shadow and Flame's 10% Shadow and Fire damage bonuses; Incinerate becomes your main cast at 40 (Icy Veins levelling).

Simulators: ForeverDB's own simulator at 30 keeps Curse of the Elements, Bane of Agony, Corruption and Immolate up, casts Shadowburn on cooldown and fills with Shadow Bolt. It did 1.2% more damage without Conflagrate, against ForeverDB's guide card (ForeverDB PvE). WoWSims at 60:

1. Pre-cast Incinerate, send the pet in and Immolate.
2. Keep your Curse up; Bane of Doom on fights longer than a minute.
3. Bane of Havoc on a second target when there is one.
4. Amplify Curse into Bane of Agony when Doom isn't running.
5. Keep Immolate and Corruption up; Conflagrate whenever Immolate is on the target; Shadowburn on cooldown.
6. Life Tap under 30% mana; Incinerate filler.

The guides and the simulator agree on Immolate upkeep with both instants used freely once Shadow and Flame is maxed.

Gear and consumables

• Stats (Icy Veins): spell power first, but Fire damage won't help Shadow Bolt and Shadow damage won't help your Fire spells. Deep Destruction gets no hit from its own tree, but an Affliction dip can add Suppression. Check the selected build before valuing more hit. Haste speeds your casts but not DoTs, and crit gains a lot from Ruin.
• Key items at 30: Icy Veins' Warlock list (Shadow Circlet, Belt of Arugal, Gaze Dreamer Pants, Dark Horde Band, Hydrocane) and Staff of Soran'ruk, which tops ForeverDB's Destruction list at 30.
• Weapon stones: Firestone from 28 adds 1% spell crit and Fire damage (Icy Veins); at 60 Wowhead lists a Major Firestone with 2% crit.
• Races: Icy Veins notes that Troll Berserking suits Destruction best, because haste doesn't affect DoTs or channels.
• Consumables: the same elixirs and Lesser Spellblasting Potion as the other specs (Icy Veins); ForeverDB's simulator rates Lesser Arcane Elixir best at 30 (+5.2%).

Where the guides disagree or aren't sure

• Levelling speed: ForeverDB says Destruction has the most personal damage at 20; Wowhead calls it the slowest Warlock solo.
• Conflagrate at 30: the guides use it; ForeverDB's simulator found a small loss on one target.
• Early talents: Icy Veins takes Aftermath and Destructive Reach early; ForeverDB and Wowhead prefer Cataclysm and Molten Skin.