Affliction Warlock leveling guide
Several enemies at once, healing yourself as you go. How the Affliction talents play from level 10 to 60.
On this page7 sections
At a glanceOur pickOpinion, not confirmed by BlizzardOur reading of the Affliction talent text, not a tested rotation.
- Build at level 60
- 49/2/0 (49 Affliction, 2 Demonology)
- 16-point milestone
- Curse of Exhaustion, level 25
- Last Affliction talent
- Drain Hope, level 40
- In a group
- Damage
- Our first choice for leveling a Warlock
- This tree
How Affliction plays
- Affliction kills with damage over time and drains. Corruption comes first: Improved Corruption takes 2 sec off its cast and adds 10% to its damage.
- Then you drain. Improved Drains adds 6% to Drain Life and Drain Soul for each of your other Affliction effects on the target, up to 18%, so the order is effects first, drain second.
- Mana and health look after themselves. Improved Life Tap adds 20% to the Mana that Life Tap awards, and Drain Life and later Siphon Life take health from the enemy.
- Soul Harvesting rewards a kill made under Drain Soul with 20 sec in which your Mana regenerates at full speed while you cast.
- Drain Hope, the last talent, deals Shadow damage every 1 sec for 6 sec and raises your other Shadow damage over time on that target by 10%.
What to press first
Most important first. Not a rotation.
- 1
Put Corruption on every enemy you fight
Improved Corruption shortens its cast and raises its damage.
- 2
Add Bane of Agony
Improved Bane of Agony raises its damage, and it is a second effect for Improved Drains to count.
- 3
Drain once your effects are on
Improved Drains makes Drain Life and Drain Soul stronger for each other Affliction effect on the target.
- 4
Switch to Drain Soul once the target is hurt
Improved Drains triples that bonus for Drain Soul against targets below 60% health, and a kill under Drain Soul starts Soul Harvesting.
- 5
Cast Shadow Bolt when Shadow Trance appears
Nightfall gives Corruption and your drains a small chance of a Shadow Trance, which cuts the casting time of your next Shadow Bolt.
- 6
Use Curse of Exhaustion on anything that runs
Curse of Exhaustion reduces the target's movement speed by 30% for 12 sec.
Talents that change how you play · 11
From Improved Corruption at level 10 to Drain Hope at 40.
The level is when our build first takes the talent.
- Levels 10–14
Corruption is quick to cast, so it goes on everything.
- Levels 15–16
Life Tap gives more Mana.
- Levels 17–19
Drains get stronger with every effect you have on the target, and Drain Life reaches further.
- Level 20
A button that makes your next Bane of Agony 50% stronger.
- Levels 21–23
Being hit interrupts your drains much less.
- Level 25
Curse of Exhaustion16-point milestone
A slow.
- Levels 26–27
Now and then a Shadow Bolt comes for nothing.
- Levels 28–29
Finishing an enemy with Drain Soul refills your Mana.
- Level 30
A third effect, and health every 3 sec for 30 sec.
- Levels 31–33
A trade: drains deal their damage 51% faster, and Drain Life heals you 30% less.
- Level 40
A short drain that strengthens your other Shadow damage over time on the target.
Gear to look for
What the talents reward on items.
- No Affliction talent in the build names a stat or a weapon. Every damage talent here is about Shadow or periodic damage, so that is what to look for.
- The two points left over at the end go into Demonic Embrace, for Stamina.
Groups and dungeons
In a group: damage. New group talents before 5 dungeons.
In a group these talents support damage.
- Suppression reduces all the threat you generate by 20% at five points, but this order takes it late, from level 46.
- Curse of Exhaustion slows one target by 30% for 12 sec.
- The build puts nothing into your demon. None of the Affliction talents it takes mentions one.
New group talents by the time each dungeon opens
Strengths and trade-offs
2 strengths, 2 trade-offs.
Strengths
- It keeps going. Health comes from the enemy and Mana from Life Tap and Soul Harvesting, so there is little sitting down.
- Several enemies at once suits it: Corruption is on one and you are already casting at the next.
Trade-offs
- It starts slowly. Drains are weak on a clean target and gain strength as your other effects go on.
- Soul Siphon cuts what Drain Life heals by 30%, in exchange for faster damage.
Compare this build
Keep reading
Sources and what isn't confirmed
Not announced
- Item names and stat weights
- A leveling talent order from Blizzard
Sources
- Beta 1.60.1 talent data: every claim on this page is read from the Affliction talent text. Nothing here is a published guide or a tested rotation
Updated . Talent data: beta 1.60.1. Details can change in any later build or patch.