Warlock Build
WoW Forever Warlock Guide: Demons, Gear & Macros
Prepare a WoW Forever Warlock with role advice, Bane and Curse rules, early gear sources, consumables and demon macros, plus clearly archived talents.
Snapshot boundary: The beta is closed. The level-20/30 talent tables below are archived examples for fixed build 1.60.1.69876, not current level caps or verified level-60 builds. Role choices are editorial guidance; announced class mechanics have their own source.
Affliction is the practical Warlock leveling recommendation because instant damage-over-time spells and recovery tools support continuous outdoor pulls. Demonology invests more heavily in the demon, while Destruction trades efficiency for direct damage and burst choices.
Choose the activity before choosing gear
| Activity | Practical decision |
|---|---|
| Solo | the archived Affliction example emphasizes damage over time and recovery, not pulling every nearby enemy. |
| Dungeon | agree on demon, utility Curse and control target; do not Fear an enemy into an untouched pack. |
| PvP | choose damage, pet control and survival for the matchup rather than tapping Health without a recovery plan. |
For the rank and currency systems, see PvP rewards and reputation.
A Forever change worth checking
Blizzard changes Curse of Agony and Curse of Doom into Banes and lets only one Bane from a Warlock affect a target. That is distinct from utility Curses. Life Tap scales with Spirit and demons scale with their master's stats; do not treat every mana or pet interaction as unchanged Classic behavior. Blizzard — class deep dive, announced mechanics.
Level 20 Affliction build — 11 points
| Talent | Rank |
|---|---|
| Improved Life Tap | 2/2 |
| Suppression | 3/5 |
| Improved Corruption | 5/5 |
| Amplify Curse | 1/1 |
The plan improves Corruption, resource conversion and spell reliability while reaching the first milestone with 11 valid points.
Level 30 Affliction extension — 21 points
Use the complete 21-point plan:
| Talent | Rank |
|---|---|
| Improved Life Tap | 2/2 |
| Suppression | 3/5 |
| Improved Corruption | 5/5 |
| Malediction | 5/5 |
| Fel Concentration | 3/3 |
| Amplify Curse | 1/1 |
| Nightfall | 1/2 |
| Siphon Life | 1/1 |
The allocation passes the fixed snapshot's point, row and prerequisite checks.
Combat priority
- Let the appropriate demon establish control or threat.
- Apply Corruption and choose the appropriate Bane and utility Curse for the target; inspect the current spellbook rather than the old Curse names.
- Use direct casts or drains only while the damage and recovery justify their mana cost.
- Convert Health with Life Tap when it is safe, then recover through food, bandages, drains or group healing rather than forcing the healer to cover careless taps.
- Keep a Healthstone ready and use Fear only when the fleeing target will not reach another pack.
Gear direction
Spell damage, Intellect, Stamina and enough Spirit or recovery to maintain the pull rhythm are reasonable directions. Pet-focused Demonology may value survivability differently. No beta Best-in-Slot list is presented as final.
Use the Talent Calculator to compare Affliction, Demonology and Destruction.
Early gear sources and alternatives
These are lookup examples from the 42-item loot snapshot, reviewed September 24, not new October item testing or a BiS ranking. That dataset does not contain full attributes, class restrictions or confirmed boss attribution. Inspect the actual tooltip, trained weapon type and role before rolling; two items in the same slot are not automatically interchangeable upgrades.
| Slot / type | Beta lookup candidate | Source | Another candidate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two-Hand Staff | Golemheart Stave — requires level 13 | The Hall of Thanes | Segmented Spider Leg — requires level 15 |
| Chest Cloth | Leftover Abomination Skin — requires level 15 | Ruins of Lordaeron | Robes of the Disgraced Thane — requires level 13 |
| Legs Cloth | Wispcloth Leggings — requires level 17 | Ruins of Lordaeron | No second same-slot sample in this snapshot |
If the tooltip is unsuitable, compare an already-owned quest or crafted item instead of farming a name on this list. No drop rate or guaranteed upgrade is promised.
Enchants and consumables for this role
Compare spell damage and school restrictions, Intellect, Stamina and recovery instead of cloth armor alone. The official deep dive allows Firestone/Spellstone imbues alongside temporary effects such as Wizard Oil, but that is not a rule that all enhancements stack. Prepare a Healthstone, food, water and enough Soul Shards for the abilities you intend to use.
Use Enchanting for formulas, Merchant's Favor for vendor requirements and Camping for non-stacking class buffs. Check item level, slot restrictions and temporary-effect compatibility before paying.
A practical macro template
/petattack [nomod:alt,pet,harm,nodead]
/petfollow [mod:alt,pet]
Press without Alt to request an existing demon attack your living hostile target, or hold Alt to request follow. It does not choose the demon, trigger its interrupt, summon it or spend a Soul Shard.
This is English-client syntax, not an in-game Forever test. Replace spell names with the exact names from your own spellbook. Use the macro setup and troubleshooting guide for binding, target checks and limitations.
Data note and sources
The plan uses fixed snapshot 1.60.1.69876 and is an editorial leveling recommendation.