Content Type: Gaming Guides
Welcome to the Demonology Warlock DPS guide for World of Warcraft Wrath of the Lich King 3.3.5a. In this guide, you will learn about playing a Demonology Warlock in a raid. The guide includes Talents, Glyphs, Gems, Enchantments, Add-ons, Gameplay & Skill rotation tips.
Talent Tree
This build will give a 5% crit chance on the target. Additional spell power bonus to the raid, which is a really nice amount. Considered to be the maximum DPS spec for Demonology Warlocks.
Glyphs
Major Glyphs
Gems
Gems are situational and depend on the build and equipment. They are used to reach the required stat caps.
Meta
Red
Yellow & Blue
If the socket bonus is more than 7 Spell Power:
Otherwise, use Red Gems
Enchants
- Head – Arcanum of Burning Mysteries
- Shoulder – Greater Inscription of the Storm
- Cloak – Enchant Cloak – Greater Speed
- Chest – Enchant Chest – Powerful Stats
- Bracers – Enchant Bracers – Superior Spellpower
- Gloves – Enchant Gloves – Exceptional Spellpower
- Waist – Eternal Belt Buckle
- Legs – Brilliant Spellthread
- Boots – Enchant Boots – Icewalker
Weapons
- Two-handed – Enchant Staff – Greater Spellpower
- One-handed – Enchant Weapon – Mighty Spellpower or Enchant Weapon – Black Magic
Rotation
Demonology Warlocks have a priority system, rather than a strict rotation of skills.
Main skills
- Life Tap – This spell triggers a buff of spell damage. It should be used all the time when the buff is about to wear off, or if you found yourself out of mana.
- Shadow Bolt – Is used when the target doesn’t have Improved Shadow Bolt on it or to fill the time between cooldowns.
- Immolate – Should be on the target all the time.
- Soul Fire – Use it when Molten Core and Decimation are active. If two procs won’t come up, use it with just Decimation
- Corruption – Should be on the target all the time
- Incinerate – If two procs won’t come up, use it with just Molten Core
Curses
- Curse of Doom – Is your primary curse while you have an Unholy Death Knight or a Moonkin in your raid.
- Curse of the Elements – Used in every other situation.
Other
- Metamorphosis – Use as often as possible. It is advisable, that you have it prepared when the Execution phase starts (that’s when the target’s health is 35%).
- Immolation Aura – Use it only when Metamorphosis is active. Worth using when some additional monsters start spawnin
- It’s better to combine Trinket cooldown with Metamorphosis.
- Demonic Empowerment – Is used on cooldown. To make it easier, I suggest making macros for pet-spells that you use. The macros below will use Demonic Empowerment every time your pet casts a spell.
#showtooltip
/cast [@pettarget,exists]Demonic Empowerment
/cast SPELL NAME
Stat Priority
Hit Rating -> Spell Power -> Haste -> Spirit / Critical strike rating
Spells require 17% to always hit the target. This number can be reduced by:
- Improved faerie fire (Moonkin) or Misery (Shadow Priest) – 3%
- Draenei racial aura – 1%
With either a Balance Druid or Shadow Priest in your group, you will require 14% (367 hit rating). It’s safe to assume that you will have either of these classes in raids, where the hit requirements are the highest. [1% Hit = 26.23 Hit Rating]
Spell Power is the primary stat for the build as it improves the efficiency and damage output of all spells. It also converts partly into Attack Power and Spell Power of your pets.
Haste increases the number of spells you can cast in a certain period. Haste also reduces the tick intervals for Corruption with the help of Glyph of Quick Decay. The soft cap for Haste is 50% (1640 haste rating) with raid buffs, which reduces the Global Cooldown to 1 second.
Spirit is a valuable stat for the Demonology spec, as it converts into Spell Power for the whole raid via the Demonic Pact talent. Fel Armor provides 39% of Spirit as Spell Power with the Demonic Aegis talent, and Life Tap (with Glyph of Life Tap) adds another 20%. All of the above-mentioned is affected by raid buffs, such as Blessing of Kings, Divine Spirit, and the Human Spirit passive.
Critical strike rating is a secondary stat that increases personal DPS. Transferring critical strike rating to your pet is possible only if you choose to spec into Improved Demonic Tactics.
Stack Haste and Crit if you want to increase your damage output. Consider stacking Spirit instead of Crits to maximize the Demonic Pact and bring maximum utility to the raid. The personal gains from stacking Crit are less than the value you can bring to your raid by maximizing on Demonic Pact.
Why do you take 3 in the crit share with your demon wrather than 5 in demonic pact?
Hi!
You can swap a point from Improved Demonic Tactics to Demonic Pact. The goal is to have the Demonic Pact buff active as much as possible, which requires the pet to crit constantly.
You’re gimping your raid by only placing one into DP since it’s only 8% instead of 10%. DP hass an internal cd of 20 seconds, and a duration of 45, meaning your pet only has to crit once every 25 seconds. The odds of that not happening is abysmal.
Hi, can you please share any PvP guide to demo warlock (preferably for arena 2v2 setup with another DPS in combo). Thx!
Hello,i do not understand where haste fits since the first only 2 dots will be immolate and corruption. Thanks for the guide.
Hello! Haste fits really well for demonology warlocks since you’ll have more chances to proc Molten Core because Corruption ticks faster and, of course, you’ll cast faster. Warlocks, specially affli and demo, are built around stacking more haste gear than crit gear, since some talents already increase your crit rate in some form, or some of your skills (like Drain Soul) can’t even crit. Crit rate is still appreciated, of course.
sorry im just starting the game is this guide like beginner friendly or should i search for other guides?
Hi!
This is guide is oriented for level 80 players, so you might want to find something else if you’re still leveling (like which locations to visit etc). That being said, Demonology is ok for leveling, and you can have a look at the Talents, Glyphs and Stat Priority to familiarize with the class. Rotation section can also be useful, just replace the curse with Curse of Agony.
Enchants & Gems section are useful once you get level 80 and start to properly gear up.
Good luck!
hi I was wondering if you have a bis gear list considering the t10 gear doesn’t have any spirit, making the lifetap glyph kind of useless
i don’t think so , you have Good spirit in Raid Even in full Gear . Life tap is a Good Glyph
Nice Guide … But the Demonic Pact must be 5/5 . and i think Nemesis talent is useless . in a Good Raid and High dps . You Cant use Metamorphosis 2 time …
17% hit rating is too much, im with 14% and didnt miss any spell, otherwise good guide man, nice work 🙂
good exept the talents less spell power to all raid.
Hello demo is in raids for spell power bonus to the raid
17% (including hit rating coming from certain talent) is the hard cap for every DPS caster. The most common thing is to get hit rating up to 14% (again, including hit rating coming from certain talents), which is the soft cap, and getting a Spriest or Boomkin in your raid group for the extra 3% hit rating, will you should get if you’ve got half a brain.