An Introduction to Warlocks: Part I

From the World of Warcraft official class site:

In the face of demonic power, most heroes see death. Warlocks see only opportunity. 

Dominance is their aim, and they have found a path to it in the dark arts...

(Staples, 2013) ©2014 Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

Warlocks are cloth-armored, ranged spellcasters whose powers are derived from dark, fel energy. Arguably superior to the mage class (Note: we like making fun of mages), warlocks are similar with their reliability of mana as a main resource for their magic. Warlocks are also considered a pet class, since they use summoned demons to do their bidding, and often rely on them for protection.  

The class has a three-tiered specialization (spec) system that allows the player to customize their spells and gameplay style; the choices include Destruction, Demonology, and Affliction specs. Every fifteen levels, a warlock is allowed the choice of one talent from a selection of three, with the last talent choice unlocked at level 90.

The following is part one of two about the warlock's spellbook, focusing on the universal spells that are available to each spec. There are various other sites with factual, prioritized information about the warlock class, so it is recommended to use these posts as a sensible perspective for supplemental learning. 

For the novice player, introductions of oft-used acronyms (e.g., INT for "Intellect") are going to be an included feature throughout the rest of this blog, since communication and knowledge is vital while playing in a group.

Part I will be going through the first level until level 45. Part II of this series, as well as more information on the three class specs, talents, and details on the demon pets, will be covered in future blog posts.

The Spellbook

Level 1-15

Warlocks start out alongside their first summoned demon, the Imp. Making sure your demons are used properly and maintained will improve your role as a damage dealer, or DPS for short.

Shadow Bolt is your main damage spell in this tier.  Corruption is your supporting attack, since it is a damage over time (DoT) spell. DoTs are found regularly in the warlock spellbook, so be sure to familiarize yourself early with these type of spells. They will provide a steady stream of damage and should be utilized to maximize your effectiveness as DPS.

It is important to note that dealing damage is just as important as staying alive. A dead warlock deals no damage. Drain Life deals damage and heals you in return, although the usefulness of this spell decreases in the end-game levels. For this tier, though seldom used, taking advantage of the spell's healing will help you while waiting for your Healthstone cooldown (CD) to refresh.

Gaining Summon Voidwalker at level 8 considerably increases your ability for staying alive during questing, and is recommended until more potent defense spells are learned later in the game.

Even though the Voidwalker may be your personal bodyguard, it also has health points (HP) that needs attention. Health Funnel can be used to help keep your minion protecting you, but be mindful that you sacrifice a bit of your own HP in return.

It would be inappropriate if warlocks were unable to strike Fear into the hearts of their enemies. If you find yourself in a bit of trouble, using Fear for crowd control (CC) at the appropriate time can help save you and your group from eminent danger.

 

Level 16-30

At this tier, warlocks start seeing more utility spells introduced, starting with Life Tap, which restores part of your mana points (MP). Most of your spells are going to use up mana, so it is vital to keep your MP replenishing in the middle of battle.

Your first curse, Curse of Enfeeblement, is a spell that debuffs your enemy (helps you by hurting the opponent) by slowing their spell casting time and weakening their physical attack. Use it effectively against other spellcasters aiming at you, or the melee fighter on a beating path your way.

Soulstone comes in handy in both solo and group play. Cast it on yourself before any skirmish for an instant resurrection (rez) after death. It is also appropriate to cast it on a healer or a tank if needed.

Warlocks are one of the few classes that can summon their own mount without buying one from a vendor. You can summon a Felsteed as soon as you learn how to ride a mount.

You learn two other demons summons in this tier: the Succubus and the Felhunter. Although their full spell potential isn't available until later on, you will often use the Succubus during Player vs Player (PvP) encounters with melee classes. Felhunters are best utilized against other spellcasting classes.

The Eye of Kilrogg and Unending Breath are interesting in that they add some "fun" spells to the class, but their usage is limited for a few scenarios.  Use the Eye of Kilrogg to scout areas and spy on your enemies. Unending Breath is considered a buff (a temporary increase in ability), since it allows you to breath underwater for a set amount of time.

Howl of Terror adds another CC spell to your collection, but now it can affect up to 5 enemies simultaneous. Use it to help control the flow of battle in overcrowded situations.

Level 31-45

One of your most beneficial passive abilities is gained at level 38: Fel Armor. It gives you an overall boost in health and healing, which helps compensate the limitations of wearing cloth armor . Twilight Ward also provides a shield that absorbs damage, even though it only works against Shadow and Holy powers.

Enslave Demon does exactly what it says, allowing the warlock to control enemies as long as they are demonic in nature. Although this spell isn't regularly used in battle, it works wonders where clever use of the environment can be advantageous, such as a mountainous cliff side. Be cautious when using this spell, since it leaves your character vulnerable to attack.

If you are needing a simpler method of CCing enemies, Banish incapacitates not only demons, but also elemental and aberration-type enemies. This spell causes its target to become invulnerable to attack, so use it for quick damage mitigation when able.

Ritual of Summoning hints at what is to come with warlock utility spells in later levels. This spell teleports a group member to the caster's current location. Two other allies are needed to complete the ritual, so the ideal time for using this spell is outside of battle. 

Check out the continuation of this post later in Part II of An Introduction to Warlocks.

References

Staples, G. (2013). Gul'dan [Image]. Retrieved from http://us.battle.net/wow/en/media/artwork/wow-characters?view=artwork-guldan2&keywords=guldan

World of Warcraft. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://us.battle.net/wow/en/ 

Stickney, A. (2013, July 28). Know Your Lore: The Color of Magic. Retrieved from  http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/07/28/know-your-lore-the-color-of-magic/ 

 noxxic.com/wow (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.noxxic.com/wow

Icy Veins Class Guides. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.icy-veins.com/classes-wow

World of Warcraft Classes & Class Guides. (2014, March 28). Retrieved from http://www.wowhead.com/classes

Wowhead.com - Warlocks. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://wowhead.com/class=9 

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