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MoP Classic Destruction Warlock — Guide (Phase 5)
by FourenPosted 9 minutes read views
viewsAbout the Spec
Destruction Warlock is a direct-damage specialization: 
Incinerate, 
Immolate and 
Conflagrate build up 
Burning Embers, which are then spent on 
Chaos Bolt and 
Shadowburn.
Fire and Brimstone turns single-target spells into AoE, while 
Havoc copies your damage onto a second target. In a raid this is the most bursty warlock and the best at cleave, with a simple priority and the usual utility toolkit.
Strengths
- Exceptionally high burst and single-target damage thanks to stored Chaos Bolt.
- Excellent cleave through Havoc and strong AoE damage through Fire and Brimstone.
- The simplest rotation among warlocks.
- Powerful execute: Shadowburn below 20% health.
- Less gear-dependent than the other two specializations.
- Full utility:
Curse of the Elements, 
Create Healthstone, 
Soulstone, 
Demonic Gateway.
Weaknesses
- Lots of hard-cast spells, so movement-heavy fights are tough.
- Poor Burning Embers management translates directly into lost damage.
- The cast time of Chaos Bolt gets in the way on fast target swaps.
- You have to watch your pet if you don't take
Grimoire of Sacrifice.
Stat Priority
Warlock Destruction Stats Priority
- 1Hit up to the 15% cap (5100 rating)
- 2Intellect
- 3Haste up to the +2 tick Immolate threshold (23.81%, 10124 rating)
- 4Mastery
- 5Critical Strike rating
- 6Haste beyond the threshold
Hit is mandatory and useless beyond the cap. Other Immolate thresholds: +1 tick at 2.04% (2021 rating); after that come 42.82% (18200 rating) and 61.92% (26318 rating). A caster doesn't need Mastery; gnomes and humans gain 1% hit from their racial ability.
Talents
Talents
Rotation (Ability Priority)
Opener
The opener is a set sequence of abilities you use as you engage an enemy. Memorising it helps initiate your rotation in the most optimal way possible.
- 1
Summon Felhunter - 2Curse of the Elements
- 3
Potion of the Jade Serpent - 4Incinerate
- 5Immolate
- 6
Rain of Fire - 7
Dark Soul: Instability - 8
Grimoire of Service - 9
Blood Fury - 10
Summon Doomguard - 11Conflagrate
- 12Conflagrate
- 13Chaos Bolt
Abilities Priority
- Immolate — keep it at nearly 100% uptime, refresh within the pandemic window
- Conflagrate — on cooldown, don't let the charges cap out
- Curse of the Elements — apply it if no one else can put the debuff up
- Shadowburn — spam below 20% of the target's health; on a kill the embers are refunded
- Chaos Bolt — spend Burning Embers, ideally under
Backdraft and Dark Soul: Instability - Havoc — apply it to a second target before Chaos Bolt for free cleave
- Incinerate — the main filler and generator of Burning Embers
Fel Flame — only when forced to move
Important Abilities
Important Abilities
the spec's main cooldown, a big critical strike buff for 2 minutes
a Burning Embers spender, always crits and scales with mastery
Burning Embers spender, always crits and scales with masteryan instant hit on two charges, grants Backdraft and generates Burning Embers
Backdraft and generates Burning Embersreduces the cast time of Incinerate and Chaos Bolt by 30% for the next three spells
Incinerate and Chaos Bolt by 30% for the next three spellsthe baseline DoT, its ticks are the main source of Burning Embers
Burning Embersthe main filler and generator of Burning Embers
Burning Embersan execute below 20% health, refunds embers when the target dies
a second target takes a copy of the damage you deal to the main one
persistent ground damage that also generates Burning Embers
Burning Embersa guardian on a long cooldown, scales dynamically
summons a second demon for 25 seconds
reduces damage taken by 40%
mastery: boosts Chaos damage
Best in Slot Gear (BiS)
Best in Slot Gear (BiS)Slot
Recommended Gear
Source
Head
Hood of the Horned Nightmare
Thok the Bloodthirsty (H) — Siege of Orgrimmar
Neck
Untainted Guardian's Chain
Norushen (H) — Siege of Orgrimmar
Shoulders
Mantle of the Horned Nightmare
Siegecrafter Blackfuse (H) — Siege of Orgrimmar
Back
Xing-Ho, Breath of Yu'lon
Legendary quest chain of the Black Prince
Chest
Mantid Vizier's Robes
Spoils of Pandaria (H) — Siege of Orgrimmar
Wrists
Avool's Ancestral Bracers
Spoils of Pandaria (H) — Siege of Orgrimmar
Hands
Gloves of the Horned Nightmare
General Nazgrim (H) — Siege of Orgrimmar
Waist
Belt of Ominous Trembles
The Iron Juggernaut (H) — Siege of Orgrimmar
Legs
Leggings of the Horned Nightmare
Spoils of Pandaria (H) — Siege of Orgrimmar
Feet
Bone-Inlaid Sandals
Galakras (H) — Siege of Orgrimmar
Ring 1
Signet of the Dinomancers
Thok the Bloodthirsty (H) — Siege of Orgrimmar
Ring 2
Iyyokuk's Hereditary Seal
Klaxxi Paragons (H) — Siege of Orgrimmar
Trinket 1
Purified Bindings of Immerseus
Immerseus (H) — Siege of Orgrimmar
Trinket 2
Black Blood of Y'Shaarj
Garrosh Hellscream (H) — Siege of Orgrimmar
Weapon
Hellscream's War Staff
Garrosh Hellscream (H) — Siege of Orgrimmar
Tier 16 Set — Robes of the Horned Nightmare
Tier 16 Set — Robes of the Horned NightmareSlot
Recommended Gear
Drops from
Head
Hood of the Horned Nightmare
Thok the Bloodthirsty (H) — Siege of Orgrimmar
Shoulders
Mantle of the Horned Nightmare
Siegecrafter Blackfuse (H) — Siege of Orgrimmar
Chest
Robes of the Horned Nightmare
Malkorok (H) — Siege of Orgrimmar
Hands
Gloves of the Horned Nightmare
General Nazgrim (H) — Siege of Orgrimmar
Legs
Leggings of the Horned Nightmare
Spoils of Pandaria (H) — Siege of Orgrimmar
Enchants, Gems, Consumables
EnchantsSlot
Recommended Gear
Comment
Shoulders
Greater Crane Wing Inscription
Back
Lightweave Embroidery
or
Enchant Cloak - Superior Intellect
Chest
Enchant Chest - Glorious Stats
Wrists
Enchant Bracer - Super Intellect
or
Fur Lining - Intellect
or
Socket Bracer
Hands
Synapse Springs
or
Enchant Gloves - Superior Mastery
Waist
Living Steel Belt Buckle
Legs
Greater Cerulean Spellthread
Feet
Enchant Boots - Pandaren's Step
if you're short on hit
or
Enchant Boots - Greater Precision
Weapon
Enchant Weapon - Jade Spirit
Rings
Enchant Ring - Greater Intellect
GemsSlot
Recommended Gear
Comment
Meta gem
Burning Primal Diamond
Sinister Primal Diamond
once you gather up critical strike
Red socket
Brilliant Primordial Ruby
or
Artful Vermilion Onyx
for the socket bonus
Yellow socket
Fractured Sun's Radiance
or
Artful Vermilion Onyx
Blue socket
Veiled Imperial Amethyst
or
Sensei's Wild Jade
For jewelcrafters — up to two
Brilliant Serpent's Eye
ConsumablesSlot
Recommended Gear
Comment
Flask
Flask of the Warm Sun
Potion
Potion of the Jade Serpent
Food
Mogu Fish Stew
if you're short on hit
or
Spicy Salmon
Feast
Great Pandaren Banquet
Bandages
Heavy Windwool Bandage
Races
Orc
A large on-demand spell power burst.
Increases pet damage.
Reduces the duration of stuns.
Troll
Gives 20% haste.
Gnome
And 
Expansive Mind — the gnome gives 1% hit and a mana pool, freeing up your gear budget.
Expansive Mind — the gnome gives 1% hit and a mana pool, freeing up your gear budget.Human
Gives 1% hit, and 
The Human Spirit — a bit of stats.
The Human Spirit — a bit of stats.Best Professions
Engineering
Synapse Springs gives 1920 intellect on a one-minute cooldown — the strongest profession bonus.
Tailoring
Lightweave Embroidery on the cloak is the largest passive intellect gain among cloak enchants.
Blacksmithing
Socket Bracer and 
Socket Gloves — two extra gems.
Jewelcrafting
Two 
Brilliant Serpent's Eye give more intellect than ordinary gems.
Author
Fouren
Fouren has been playing World of Warcraft for over 15 years. He is an active player with 12 Cutting Edge achievements under his belt, and has reached the top 1% and 0.1% multiple times on various classes. His main classes are healers, particularly Holy Paladin.
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