TBC Classic Affliction Warlock Guide (Phase 3)

Affliction Warlock is a ranged caster in cloth armor. Its damage comes from periodic effects and curses. Every warlock has damage-over-time effects, but this tree amplifies them the most. The specialization performs well when there are multiple targets: the same effects are applied to all of them at once. Its main value for a raid comes from improved curses and weakening debuffs, so an Affliction Warlock is almost always brought along.

• Curse of the Elements — keep it on the target; if there is a second Affliction Warlock in the raid applying this curse, use Curse of Doom
• Unstable Affliction — if you took the talent
• Corruption
• Siphon Life
• Immolate — if there is a Fire Mage in the raid with the Improved Scorch debuff
• Shadow Bolt — filler
• Life Tap — mana restoration

The key for this specialization is keeping periodic effects on the target without a single gap. Set up an addon or WeakAura to track the timers.

Pet

Play Summon Imp — for the group-wide health buff.

• Life Tap — converts health into mana, so mana practically never runs out
• Drain Soul — cast it on a dying enemy to gain a Soul Shard
• Create Soulstone — lets the raid avoid a full wipe
• Ritual of Summoning — summoning players to the raid
• Fear and Banish — crowd control
• Drain Life — self-healing

Gnome

• Expansive Mind increases Intellect by 5%, and with it your mana pool and spell critical strike chance.
• Escape Artist instantly removes any immobilization and slowing effect. 2-minute cooldown.
• Engineering Specialization increases Engineering skill by 15.
• Arcane Resistance increases Arcane resistance by 10.

Human

• The Human Spirit increases Spirit by 10%.
• Perception sharply increases stealth detection for 20 seconds. 3-minute cooldown.
• Diplomacy increases reputation gains by 10%.

Orc

• Blood Fury increases spell power for 15 seconds, but healing received is reduced by 50% during that time. 2-minute cooldown.
• Command increases pet damage by 5%.
• Hardiness increases the chance to resist stun by 15%.
• Axe Specialization increases expertise rating by 5 when wielding an axe.

Undead

• Will of the Forsaken grants 5 seconds of immunity to Fear, Charm, and Sleep and removes effects already applied. 2-minute cooldown.
• Cannibalize restores 7% of health every 2 seconds for 10 seconds by eating a nearby corpse.
• Shadow Resistance increases Shadow resistance by 10.
• Touch of the Grave triples your time underwater.

Blood Elf

• Arcane Torrent restores mana and silences enemies within 8 yards for 2 seconds. 2-minute cooldown.
• Mana Tap steals mana from the target and applies an effect that stacks up to 3 times.
• Arcane Resistance increases all resistances by 5.
• Arcane Affinity increases Enchanting skill by 10.

Tailoring

A mandatory profession for a warlock: it provides very strong items, some of which hold up almost the entire expansion.

Enchanting

The second most useful: ring enchants grant a combined 24 spell power — your main stat.