Should My Free 90 be a Lock?

[mcbone 0]

I'm considering a new main for WoD. I'm a late Cata baby so I've only been playing a couple years. My main is a hunter and have a 90 blood DK, 85 Frost Mage, 82 Prot Pally, and 60 Resto/Ele Shammy.

But there's just something intriguing about a lock. I love RDPS and really like the idea of having some self healing and sustainability that I don't have with the hunter and mage. Although I know I may not have as much movement freedom as I'm used to.

I know this is a lock forum but am I crazy to switch? Locks have been great this xpac but am I late to the party? Any sense they take a big dive in WoD? I'm not a meter chaser but I like lighting up mobs as much as the next guy.

Any opinions or comments on why you're locks and their awesomeness or lack there of is appreciated. Thanks!

[Lockybalboa 618]

Go on the PTR and make a warlock. Test it for yourself.

 

'Nuff said.

[mcbone 0]

Great idea! I never really think about PTR as I'd rather spend the time I have in the normal game. But in this case that seems like solid advice thanks!

[PhilColins 9]

i think the real question is, "why don't you already have a 90 lock and should you make another 90?" the answer is yes.

[Sagnuts 1]

I think with the free 90 thing there are going to be alooooooooot of warlocks in WoD. They recieved alot of cool shit in MoP, but many ppl won't level one just for the sake of having to level. Remove that barrier, and prepare for the flood.

[mcbone 0]

Honestly, I don't mind leveling one. In fact that was the plan to level with a buddy who was gonna roll a tank to insta-queue. I even considered leveling one to 60 then use the free upgrade to get the professions as well.

[Zagam 1,982]

First off, the boost is likely going live in 3 weeks.  They've announced the end of the PvP season happening as soon as two weeks.  Two weeks ends, PvP season ends, one week of no PvP happens, then boom, 5.4.7.  So in 3 weeks, you'll be seeing a lot of new 90s who don't know their face from their rear end.  WoD will have no bearing on this as most people will already be back and have made their alts.

 

Second, you absolutely should make a Warlock.  I, however, would not waste the boost on him because Warlocks have a ton of utility, lots of pets, and neat mechanics for each spec.  They are, in my opinion, the most diversified of the pure DPS classes in regards to their different specializations.  With that in mind, instant-leveling to 90 if you're uncomfortable with Warlocks would overburden you with information.  You could sort it out, but Warlocks are also INCREDIBLY easy to level.  I would use my boost on a Rogue, Mage, or Priest...those were by far the worst to level for me.

 

Thirdly, Warlocks will remain monsters for the rest of this expansion which will last for 4-5 months.  You have plenty of time to get your Warlock up to speed.  They are a blast to play.  Each spec feels like its own class.  And of course, there's lots of information on how to play them here!

[Lockybalboa 618]

I would use my boost on a Rogue, Mage, or Priest...those were by far the worst to level for me.

 

 

Rogue 1-85 isn't bad at all, 85-90 is HELL ON AZEROTH!!!!

 

For skipping a really bad leveling exp, I'd roll rogue. 

[Kazistrasz 216]

I'm very much with Zag here.

 

There are a lot of classes out there that would be very easy to just power up with the 90 boost or RAF boost to 85, jump in, pick up, and win. There are a lot of specs you can pick up for the first time after hitting max level and become fairly proficient in a day.

 

That's not the case for warlocks.

 

We may not be feral druids (which honestly aren't even that bad), but we're still one of the more complex classes to play optimally. As said, our specs vary wildly. With other pure classes, you're still essentially doing the same thing in every spec - push the buttons in the right order, keep your important buff(s) up, don't kill yourself on resources, and more or less you win. We're so incredibly proc-based that it's just silly, but that's about it. We have one spec (Affliction) that's entirely about throwing DoTs around, waiting for procs to reapply DoTs, and then throwing them around. Then we have Destruction, where you spam everything to save up for Chaos Bolts that're just waiting to dump with procs, while avoiding capping out and cleaving to no end. Then, of course, there's everyone's favorite fun spec (Demonology), where you have one big nasty DoT to throw up, a two-charge DoT to try to always clip, big resource management, quickly popping into meta form to explode when procs happen, etc., but still making sure you don't drain yourself on resources before CDs.

 

As far as transitioning to a caster from a hunter goes, warlock is definitely the best class. You're already going to be used to managing terribad pet AI, and you've got a lot of mobility still as a warlock (one of our talents lets us cast our filler spell while moving). You're also more or less used to using a DoT and worrying about resources. But, having to stand still for stuff will be weird, and so will getting used to not necessarily using everything the moment you can to wait for procs.

 

I recommend leveling normally so that when you get to 90 you can quickly get used to the more advanced stuff since the basics will already be a thing, but if you want to boost make sure you read Zag's guides here. 

[Storm 426]

I was thinking of making my free 90 a Horde lock on Mal'Ganis, but then I realized that everyone and their brother is a horde lock on Mal'ganis, so now I'm leaning towards a monk or a rogue.

[Zagam 1,982]

All guilds are looking for Warlocks.  I've been propositioned more than a 1950's chick in New York's Red Light District.  I almost feel dirty logging in.

[SparkSovereign 61]

Leveling 1-10 is leveling 1-10.

Soloing Ragefire Chasm until you can dungeon finder is hilarious and awesome.

Around the level range for Gnomeregan you're going to get sick of dungeons because your AoE exists but is the most boring thing in the world.  At this point you're also going to discover questing is awful because you have 3 abilities, but you only need 1 to kill anything in one hit.  (The MM hunter problem, but instant cast.)  Soloing dungeons at this level is possible but they get boring very quickly.

 

And then you hit level 42.

 

From that point forward they're interesting and fun and have any mechanics whatsoever for the love of Thrall.  Getting there is going to suck unless you set silly pointless challenges for yourself (I am but a scant handful of achievements away from Loremaster, it's how I forced myself to level alts), but once you're there it's pretty cool.

 

So yeah, leveling sucks, be happy about the free 90s, but warlocks are less awful to level than most classes.  And you should definitely make a warlock.

 

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go level my warlock...

[Remiaphasia 1]

I decided I wanted a warlock for WoD, having my "main" as a mage since I began playing in late Wrath/pre-Cata, but I went ahead and levelled her. I had started my warlock in Cata, stopped playing for awhile, and then picked her back up, so she was already in her 60s. Leveling any class through Outland is insanely boring to me, so that was that. My warlock is 88 now, and I'm having great fun with her (I picked destro). 

 

Frankly, I'm probably in the minority, but the character I'm going to boost to 90 is going to be whichever one has the most annoying profession that I'm too lazy to level (my warrior, a lvl 30 engineer/blacksmith), since the boost will give any character over level 60 profession points to 600 as well.

[Lockybalboa 618]

Frankly, I'm probably in the minority, but the character I'm going to boost to 90 is going to be whichever one has the most annoying profession that I'm too lazy to level (my warrior, a lvl 30 engineer/blacksmith), since the boost will give any character over level 60 profession points to 600 as well.

 

Amen. JC and skinning for me. I'll pull my own tooth before I level JC ever again.

[Phizzeledout 0]

Locks are pretty easy to level honestly. If you can just grind through all of it with your pets, BOA, and some pickup dungeons it won't take you that long. 

 

I'm not a pro at all in leveling and my playtime before 90 was 4 days 11 hours 23 minutes. It's easy to level and the mechanics are pretty tough to learn with every spec having a different way to generate their speciality.

 

Warlock is a great class though. Definitely try it out!

 

PS

Don't be fooled into thinking they have super high survivability in PvP. PvE you wont ever die though.

[Lockybalboa 618]

PS

Don't be fooled into thinking they have super high survivability in PvP. PvE you wont ever die though.

 

You're pvping wrong.

[mcbone 0]

Awesome thanks everyone for all the great advice. Ya I'm not really worried about the complexity of the class or being overwhelmed. I actually find that interesting and exciting.

 

I'm still undecided on leveling or insta-90. Although, I talked to my buddy last night and he's ready to level his monk so we may just level together. So that's where I'm leaning.

 

I also logged in to the PTR and made like 6 locks LOL. Just checking out race animations and feel. I know troll and orc have the best racials but just not sure I can roll a male troll. Just feels so slow and sluggish haha. Anyway, i'm not doing heroics (yet) so i'm not that concerned. Still may go orc though TBD.

[Lockybalboa 618]

 I know troll and orc have the best racials but just not sure I can roll a male troll. 

 

Keep in mind this is changing with WoD and we don't know WHAT they are changing too. With the removal of snapshotting and the change in race buffs it will change a good deal what race is "best"

[mcbone 0]

Yes for sure good point. I'm just going to focus on learning the class. I can always change race.

[Errinkel 9]

Just checking out race animations and feel. I know troll and orc have the best racials but just not sure I can roll a male troll. Just feels so slow and sluggish haha.

I leveled a Horde warlock just to see the content from the other side, and after playing a gnome for 3 years, I couldn't deal; everything else just feels wrong with a caster, to me. I started as troll, switched to goblin, then back to troll. I did a faction change so she could come to my main guild and do some profession-leveling with the help of my other toons; when she goes back to Horde for WoD I have no clue what race to make her.