Destruction Warlock DPS Guide — The War Within (11.2)

Patch 11.2 brings a plethora of changes both to the Warlock and to the Destruction:

• Corruption as baseline is now instant cast, and deals the first tick of damage on application for all Warlock specialisations;
• Inferno has been removed;
• Incinerate damage increased by 50% in PvE;
• Conflagrate damage increased by 30% in PvE;
• Chaos Bolt damage increased by 32% in PvE;
• Wicked Cleave damage increased by 50% in PvE;
• Chaos Salvo damage increased by 50%;
• Felseeker damage increased by 50%;
• Ruination damage increased by 50% in PvE;
• Infernal Bolt damage increased by 55%;
• Flames of Xoroth demon and Fire damage increase from 2 to 4%.
• Wither periodic damage reduced by 6.5% in PvE;
• Blackened Soul damage increased by 14%;
• Xalan's Ferocity and Xalan's Cruelty values have been doubled to 8%;

Season 3 introduces for the first time tier set bonuses associated with Hero Trees, rather than specialisations. The result however ends up altering the balance with clear favour towards specific Hero Trees for all three Warlock specialisations.

Bonuses for this set offer passive main stat and damage bursts triggering from with Overlord, Mother of Chaos and Pit Lord summons. The result is an increase in burst potential within 2 gcds, especially in AoE where Eye Blast is quite potent, but no rotational changes.

• 2-piece set bonus: Warlock Diabolist 11.2 Class Set 2pc
• 4-piece set bonus: Warlock Diabolist 11.2 Class Set 4pc

Bonuses for this set are centered around Wither and Blackened Soul passive damage, and while the resulting damage profile changes, there are no meaningful changes in terms of gameplay, other than trying to maximise the Shard consumption during Malevolence and talenting into Bleakheart Tactics over Hatefury Rituals.

• 2-piece set bonus: Warlock Hellcaller 11.2 Class Set 2pc
• 4-piece set bonus: Warlock Hellcaller 11.2 Class Set 4pc

Season 3 introduces a Legendary Cloak for everyone, Reshii Wraps with different effects based on role. This best in slot item will be unlocked initially through the storyline and can be upgraded each week until reaching item level 730. The meta socket allows to slot various Fibers which will dictate the secondary stats allocated.

For more information on obtaining the new Reshii Wraps check out the post below.

Patch 11.1.7 contains no changes specific to Destruction Warlock, but introduces Durable Information Securing Container as an easily obtainable Best in Slot belt, and Combat Assistant with the aim of simplifying how a spec can be played.

For further insight and its impact on Destruction follow the link below:

Patch 11.1.5 did not bring directly changes to Destruction Warlock, however a live hotfix the 15th of April updated some of the tuning in regards to the relative strength of some spells and how are weighted in their application or intended scenarios:

• Cataclysm damage increased by 35%.
• Rain of Fire damage increased by 25%.