Destruction Warlock DPS Easy Mode — The War Within (11.0.5)
On this page, we explain how to easily play Destruction Warlock in World of Warcraft — The War Within (11.0.5), using the simplest rotation, talent tree, stat priority, gear setup, etc., without sacrificing performance.
Foreword
This section is intended for players who are new to the game or class, have no intentions of raiding Mythic difficulty or simply want a more straightforward way to play their specialization without being overwhelmed by the numerous priorities and active abilities that need to be taken into consideration for optimal play.
The Basics of a Destruction Warlock
Destruction is a flexible specialization that can provide a variety of damage types and pressure without much rotational complexity. In this section, we will be focusing on a setup that minimizes the number of buttons and reactivity necessary without unduly compromising overall damage output.
For newcomers, it is advisable to browse the Spell Summary page first in order to learn more about the abilities available and to familiarize yourself with.
Beginner's Guide to Destruction Warlock in The War Within
Beginner All-around Talents for Destruction Warlock
These choices are optimized for ease of use while offering a setup that works in any situation with no adjustments required. As a reminder, this is not the optimal choice in either single target or multitarget in terms of output but one that can help players become familiar with the specialisation at its core.
To import the build directly in-game, click on the export button at the bottom of the calculator
Beginner Destruction Warlock DPS Rotation
Single Target Rotation for Destruction Warlock
- Cast Summon Infernal on cooldown.
- Maintain Immolate at all times.
- Cast Chaos Bolt if you have 5 Soul Shards.
- Cast Conflagrate if you have 2 charges.
- Cast Cataclysm when available.
- Cast Conflagrate to generate Soul Shards.
- Cast Incinerate to generate Soul Shards.
Multiple Target Rotation for Destruction Warlock
Maintain Immolate on up to 3 targets. Rain of Fire should become your main Soul Shard-consuming spell with at least 3 targets stacked together. Keep in mind there will be situations where using Chaos Bolt will be more beneficial, such as targets constantly moving away from the Rain of Fire area.
For a more comprehensive explanation of the priority list, including openers, check out the rotation page.
If you are looking to maximize your output as Destruction Warlock instead of simplicity and ease of use, you can find a more in-depth analysis and rationale on our talent page as follows:
Gearing an Destruction Warlock
Stat Priority for Destruction Warlock
Currently, you will want to prioritize secondary stats as follows:
- Haste;
- Critical Strike;
- Mastery;
- Versatility.
While stats priority is a general guideline, there might be situations where the lists differ. If you are interested in a detailed explanation of Stats with the effects and implications each one of those provides, head to the page below.
If you are interested in finding out about the specific best-in-slot items from the current tier or want more information on how to gear, we suggest reading the full gearing page below.
Changelog
- 21 Oct. 2024: Reviewed for Patch 11.0.5.
- 09 Sep. 2024: Reviewed for The War Within Season 1.
- 21 Aug. 2024: Updated sections to account for Hero Talents.
- 23 Jul. 2024: Updated for The War Within pre-patch.
- 07 May 2024: Reviewed for 10.2.7.
- 22 Apr. 2024: Reviewed for Season 4.
- 19 Mar. 2024: Reviewed for 10.2.6.
- 15 Jan. 2024: Reviewed for Patch 10.2.5.
- 06 Nov. 2023: Updated talents for Patch 10.2.
- 04 Sep. 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
- 10 Jul. 2023: Updated talents for Patch 10.1.5.
- 01 May 2023: Reviewed for patch 10.1.
- 20 Mar. 2023: Updated talents for Patch 10.0.7.
- 24 Jan. 2023: Updated talent selection for patch 10.0.5.
- 11 Dec. 2022: Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 28 Nov. 2022: Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 25 Oct. 2022: Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
More Warlock Guides
Guides from Other Classes
This guide has been written by Motoko, Warlock main since The Burning Crusade, co-admin in the Warlock Discord, and theorycrafter and contributor for LockOneStopShop.
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