Season of Discovery Demonology Warlock DPS Rotation, Cooldowns, and Abilities

Last updated on Apr 04, 2024 at 00:00 by Crix 3 comments

On this page, you will learn how to optimize the rotation of your Demonology Warlock, in WoW Classic - Season of Discovery. We also have advanced sections about cooldowns, procs, and others in order to minmax your damage efficiency.

1.

DPS Rotation

You have a plethora of spells and abilities you can use as a Warlock. Your main priority is to keep your assigned curse up at all times, keep your damage over time spells (Corruption Icon Corruption, Immolate Icon Immolate and Drain Life Icon Drain Life) on the target and then fill with Shadow Bolt Icon Shadow Bolt.

  1. Precast Incinerate Icon Incinerate.
  2. Make sure your Succubus/Incubus is attacking.
  3. Apply Curse of Recklessness Icon Curse of Recklessness, unless there is a Priest in the raid using Homunculi Icon Homunculi. If they are, then you can apply Curse of the Elements Icon Curse of the Elements. Elements is more damage than Curse of Agony Icon Curse of Agony and it also buffs anyone else using Frost of Fire spells.
  4. Make sure your Imp is attacking.
  5. Cast Chaos Bolt Icon Chaos Bolt and make sure to keep it on cooldown at all times. Make sure that you have your Incinerate Icon Incinerate buff before you cast this.
  6. Keep Immolate Icon Immolate on the boss at all times.
  7. Cast Incinerate Icon Incinerate as your filler.
  8. Cast Shadowburn Icon Shadowburn to finish the boss off. This ability costs a Soul Shard, so make sure you have one.
1.1.

AoE Rotation

There are three AoE spells that Warlocks can use; Rain of Fire Icon Rain of Fire, Hellfire Icon Hellfire and the Rune Shadow Bolt Volley Icon Shadow Bolt Volley. The best option for Demonology Warlocks is Hellfire Icon Hellfire with the Rune Lake of Fire Icon Lake of Fire. It may be worth it to keep an extra chest piece on you so that you can put Lake of Fire Icon Lake of Fire on one of them and Demonic Tactics Icon Demonic Tactics on the other one. This allows you to quickly swap between the two between AoE and single target.

  1. Cast one Incinerate Icon Incinerate to get the 25% Fire damage buff.
  2. Put down a Lake of Fire Icon Lake of Fire via Rain of Fire Icon Rain of Fire. You can use Rank 1 Rain of Fire Icon Rain of Fire to save mana as it's much cheaper. You also don't need to channel the entire Rain of Fire Icon Rain of Fire, you can stop casting it as soon as it's casted.
  3. Throw a Solid Dynamite if you are Engineering.
  4. Run close to the mobs and cast Hellfire Icon Hellfire. Be ready to use a Healthstone to heal up as Hellfire Icon Hellfire does damage to you.
1.2.

Spells

Below is a list of all spells you will find yourself using in Season of Discovery in order of what level you learn them. If you don't see a spell listed, then you won't need to use it.

  • Incinerate Icon Incinerate — Your main filler spell. Will shoot out five projectiles if you use the Rune Shadow Bolt Volley Icon Shadow Bolt Volley.
  • Corruption Icon Corruption — Your main DoT. Keep this up as much as you can. Also can proc Nightfall Icon Nightfall.
  • Immolate Icon Immolate — An ability that does Fire damage up front, then the rest is left over as a DoT. Keep this up as much as you can.
  • Drain Life Icon Drain Life — A channeled spell that transfers health from the enemy to you. Becomes a DoT if you use the Rune Master Channeler Icon Master Channeler.
  • Searing Pain Icon Searing Pain — A very short cast that deals Fire damage and causes high threat. Becomes instant cast if you use Rune Metamorphosis Icon Metamorphosis.
  • Shadowburn Icon Shadowburn — Used as a finisher or when moving during the boss encounter. Costs a Soul Shard.
  • Rain of Fire Icon Rain of Fire — An AoE ability that deals Fire damage to an area, used to put down Lake of Fire Icon Lake of Fire.
1.3.

Curses

Applying Curses are the main priority for Warlocks. Raids will typically have a few Warlocks and each will have one of the main debuff curses; Curse of Recklessness Icon Curse of Recklessness, Curse of the Elements Icon Curse of the Elements, Curse of Shadow Icon Curse of Shadow and Curse of Agony Icon Curse of Agony. Only one Curse can be on the target per Warlock. Curse of Recklessness Icon Curse of Recklessness is the most important Curse as this significantly buffs all physical DPS in your raid. Curse of the Elements Icon Curse of the Elements should be applied by a second Warlock if in the raid. Curse of Shadow Icon Curse of Shadow is to be used if you have a third Warlock and only if there is an Affliction Warlock or Shadow Priest in your raid as it only benefits them. Curse of Agony Icon Curse of Agony is to be used if you have a third Warlock and there is no Shadow Priest or Affliction Warlock, otherwise this is to be used if you have a fourth Warlock in the raid. Below is a list of all the Curses you will find yourself using in Season of Discovery in order of what level you learn them.

  • Curse of Agony Icon Curse of Agony — A DoT that last 24 seconds and ramps up, dealing most damage towards the end. Use this for damage if you don't have to put one of the main debuff curses up.
  • Curse of Recklessness Icon Curse of Recklessness — Puts a debuff on the target, increases its attack power, but also reducing its armor. Should be maintained on the boss with full uptime, and has top priority in your list of curses.
  • Curse of Weakness Icon Curse of Weakness — Puts a debuff on the target that reduces the damage it does.
  • Curse of the Elements Icon Curse of the Elements — This makes the target take 6% increased Fire and Frost dmaage, as well as reduces their Fire and Frost resistances by 75.
  • Curse of Shadow Icon Curse of Shadow — When applied, the target takes 8% more Shadow and Arcane damage.
1.4.

Utility

Below is a list of all utility spells you will find yourself using in Season of Discovery in order of what level you learn them. If you don't see a spell listed, then you won't need to use it.

  • Demon Skin Icon Demon Skin — Puts a buff on you that increases your armor and gives you health every 5 seconds. Keep this on you at all times.
  • Demon Armor Icon Demon Armor — Same thing as Demon Skin, but stronger. Use this once you get it over Demon Skin.
  • Death Coil Icon Death Coil — An instant cast spell that will cause your target to be horrified, and also heal you for the damage dealt.
  • Life Tap Icon Life Tap — Turns your health into Mana. You will be using this a lot. You cannot kill yourself with this.
  • Fear Icon Fear — Crowd control. Causes the target to run around in Fear. Used frequently while leveling, in dungeons and PvP.
  • Drain Soul Icon Drain Soul — Drains the targets soul for very little damage, but if you're draining the target and it dies, you gain a Soul Shard. This is the only way to get Soul Shards.
  • Create Healthstone Icon Create Healthstone — Creates a stone that heals you.
  • Health Funnel Icon Health Funnel — A channeled spell that takes some of your health and transfers it to your demon
  • Unending Breath Icon Unending Breath — A buff that allows your friendly target to breathe underwater.
  • Ritual of Summoning Icon Ritual of Summoning — Allows you, with the help of two others, to summon your party or raid members to your location.
  • Drain Mana Icon Drain Mana — A channeled spell that drains the targets Mana. Largely used in PvP.
1.5.

Demons

Warlocks are one of two classes that can use pets. Demons are an integral part of being a Warlock and have many uses. Most of the time you will use the Imp to supply your party with Blood Pact IconBlood Pact, but there are niche times when you will use the other ones. A popular build uses a talent called Demonic Sacrifice Icon Demonic Sacrifice, which sacrifices your pet in return for a powerful buff depending on which demon you sacrificed.

  • Imp — Your main pet. It casts Firebolt IconFirebolt and applies Blood Pact IconBlood Pact to your party, giving them Stamina. Also has Fire Shield IconFire Shield and can Phase Shift IconPhase Shift so it doesn't die while in combat.
  • Felguard — A Tanky Demon that charges and Cleaves. Does great damage, but loses out slightly to your Imp.
  • VoidWalker — A tanky demon that will allow you to Sacrifice IconSacrifice for a big absorb shield. Also has a taunt Torment IconTorment and an AoE taunt Suffering IconSuffering.
  • Succubus/Incubus — A squishy melee pet that has the ability to charm targets with Seduction IconSeduction.
  • Felhunter — A felhound able to purge enemies and friendlies. Also able to interrupt spell casting.
2.

Changelog

  • 15 Dec. 2023: Guide updated.
Show more
Show less