What professions will help a Demonology Warlock?

Question

I am trying to phrase this question in a way that makes it not subjective. I am not looking for "the most fun" or "best" profession for a Warlock to practice in WoW. What I am looking for is to get more information on what profession will benefit a warlock the most in terms of content progression. Be it getting additional stats on armor or being able to create potions - what will help the Warlock the most if they invest their time in? I just recently hit level 85 and after reading about all of the professions, I am still not quite sure as to which will help me the most.

Asked by imaginative

Answer

The best profession, bar none, for content progression is Blacksmithing. The two additional sockets can be fitted with epic gems that provide a +100 stat point bonus to your Intellect, more than any other profession, and Intellect is the most important stat for a Warlock. That's because it was originally balanced around non-epic gems that only provided +40 Intellect each.

All of the other professions are balanced around providing ~80 stat points. If you compare the ring enchants (Enchanting), the upgraded Jewelcrafting gems, etc etc etc, you will find that the majority offer a selection of stats but all will total around ~80. For your second profession, to maximise your progression stats, you should pick a profession that will give you +80 Intellect. These are:

• Jewelcrafting (technically the second best, because it gives you three gems with +27 Intellect more than the normal equivalent, coming out to a +81 Intellect bonus)
• Enchanting (2x enchanting ring with +40 Intellect)
• Alchemy (Mixology used with Flask of the Draconic Mind gives +80 Intellect)
• Tailoring (a proc that averages out to +80 Intellect)
• Inscription (a shoulder enchant that has +80 Intellect more than the equivalent for non-Scribes)
• Leatherworking (a bracer enchant that has +80 Intellect more than the equivalent for non-LWers)
• Engineering (an on-use ability that averages out to +80 Intellect)

The worst to pick are the gathering professions because while Skinning (+80 Critical Strike Rating) and Herbalism (+480 Haste Rating for 20 seconds every two minutes, averaging out to +80 Haste Rating) give you DPS stats, they are not as beneficial as pure Intellect from Blacksmithing or Jewelcrafting, for example, and Mining (+120 Stamina) does not provide a DPS stat at all.

Answered by dlanod

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What is the best talent tree for a Warlock when I want high damage output?

Question

I just started getting back into WoW and I decided to play a Worgen Warlock.

It has been about a year since I last played so much has changed and I have the Cataclysm expansion also.

I was wondering if all of the changes the classes what the best talent tree would be if I want high damage output but also want to survive in long fights. Right now I am affliction spec. I like it but I wish I could hit a little harder because I tend to forget to refresh my curses and banes.

I was thinking demonology but I just wanted to get some input from people that might actually have a clue.

Also on side note, do I ever recapture Gilneas? Or once I fail in the level 1-15 time is it lost as a city forever?

Answer

Short answer: Destruction.

Long answer: Given your desire to hit harder and your problems with remembering to cast curses, I would argue that rules out both affliction and demonology. Destruction is going to give you the best DPS output generated from your toon in single hits, which seems to be for what you are yearning. With demonology, your DPS will be split between you and your pet.

If you're the kind of person who likes sheer numbers, you should check out this thread on Elitist Jerks. After running some simulations with SimulationCraft, the following was observed:

• Affliction currently puts out the most DPS, followed by Destruction, then Demonology. This is true for pre-raid or post-raid.
• Destruction outpaces affliction in fights with heavy movement.
• Taking into account the coming PTR changes, it looks like Destruction will outpace Affliction in Tier 11 gear overall.

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What is a good PvP Horde race for Warlocks in World of Warcraft?

Question

I would like to know the benefits each race would have to my warlock. I plan on doing a lot of pvp, so that's my first priority.

I don't yet own the full game, so I can only get to lvl 20 (if that matters). Thanks for any help!

Answer

Let's start by summarizing what each race will bring to the table, leaving out the racials that are irrelevant or largely useless to a PvP warlock:

• Orc: A minor spell power boost every 2 minutes, a 5% pet damage boost, and a 15% stun duration reduction.
• Troll: 15% snare duration reduction and a 20% haste boost every 3 minutes.
• Undead: Dispel charm/fear/sleep every 2 minutes.
• Blood Elf: Instant AoE silence and minor mana restore every 3 minutes. (Note: Only has an 8 yard range, so you probably won't be using it against enemy spellcasters.)
• Goblin (available if you buy the Cataclysm expansion): A rocket jump.

In PvP burst damage is king, so the standout abilities (on paper) are the Orc's spell power or the Troll's haste abilities. The Undead's ability to remove charm/fear/sleep is also very useful, but there are items you can easily obtain which can do the same thing.

I'd be less inclined to choose Blood Elf or Goblin because I don't really view their racials as useful in PvP (again, as a Warlock), but honestly, you can excel at PvP with any race. It largely comes down to flavor and personal choice.

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