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InWorld of Warcraf: Dragonflight,Destruction Warlockis the epitome of exponential damage. Staying true to its name, this specialized class excels in dishing out some of the biggest numbers in the game, and they’re able to apply several buffs to themselves to keep up the momentum.
Related:World Of Warcraft: Dragonflight - Arcane Mage PvP Guide
This is the exact reason that many people take Destruction into player-versus-player content. With their hard-hitting spells, reliable self-healing capabilities, and multiple types of magic available to them, Destruction often ranks among the best PvP classes. Here’s everything you need to know if you want to destroy the competition for yourself.
Overview
Unlike its sister specializations, Destruction Warlock doesn’t rely on summoning demons or pets but rathersources their strength from themselves. With every spell that they cast,they buff the next part of their rotationwith more percentile damage, thus making themselves stronger with the longer they remain in combat.
Due to wearing cloth armor, Destruction Warlock isoften considered a glass cannon, and it is credited to beingakin toFire Mage. But if you canremain in theback line of the battlefieldand continue firing off spells, your enemies won’t have a chance to get near you.
Racial Abilities
Human
Boosted secondary stats like Critical Strike and can break out of stuns.
Can take reduced damage and benefits more from critical strikes.
Ability to move faster and has increased Critical Strike Chance.
Resists stuns and can Enrage to boost damage.
Troll
Slowing debuffs don’t last as long and can Berserk to increase damage.
Nightborne
Boosted magical damage and can snare enemies.
Plenty of races are allowed to be Warlocks, but only a handful of them have thenecessary innate abilities to be compatible with Destruction. If you want to PvP at a high level, you may pair your Warlock with any of these races.
Stat Priority
Destruction Warlock is a spellcaster, which means that yourprimary stat is going to be Intellect. This is where thegrand majority of your damagewill come from, so be sure to look out for Intellect gear while on the Dragon Isles.
As for your secondary stats, however, you’ll want toprioritizeCritical Strike. This is usually a safe pick for most classes, as crits only serve to increase your damage, butmany of Destruction’s spells directly benefitfrom a larger Critical Strike stat, so raise it whenever you’re able to.
Your third stat to keep in mind isMastery. Because of Destruction’sChaotic Energiespassive, this stat offers two different percentile bonuses to your overall damage, which only makes Destruction that much more viable.
Gearing Up For PvP
After you’ve leveled your Destruction Warlock to the max, you should work onraising your Item Levelbefore jumping straight into arenas or battlegrounds. While it may seem like a daunting grind at first,you can boost it fairly quicklyusing several different methods.
The first method is to look out forWorld Quests and any optional storyline questthat you may have missed. Because of Dragonflight’s alt-friendly attitude, these are commonly used to gain better gear, andthey offer better rewards depending on your Item Level.
Another viable strategy is to pick up acrafting profession like Tailoring or Jewelcraftingor have other crafters make you specific gear. With the revamped profession system, several recipes can gear you in better equipment quickly.
Once you can stand a chance in PvP, you can begin to queue. As you play more matches, you’ll gain two types of currencies calledHonor and Conquest. These can be traded in toSeltherex and Calderax, located inGladiator’s Refuge in Valdrakken, forPvP-specific gearthat raises your Item Level in battlegrounds and arenas to410 and above.
You shouldstart off with buying some Honor gearfrom Seltherex first,then graduate to Conquest gearfrom Calderax later. Look out for specific pieces that grant moreCritical Strike and Mastery.
Gems And Enchants
Once you’re able to obtain your PvP set, considerenhancing them further with specific gems and enchantsthat grant more Intellect, Critical Strike, and Mastery to assure your success.
Related:World Of Warcraft: Dragonflight - Marksmanship Hunter PvP Guide
Destruction Warlock PvP Talents
Picking the right talents for PvP is crucial to win any match. While there is abit of room to customize the treeto your exact liking, you should generally focus on asingle-target build with plenty of utility.
For your Destruction tree, take talents thatdirectly boost the damageof your core rotation orprovide a rolling buff for your hardest-hitting spells. In addition, you should aim to takeSummon Infernal, as this grants you a long-lasting pet with a stun.
With your damage sorted, you shouldfocus your Warlock tree on utility, such as more healing withDrain Life and Healthstones, stunning spells likeShadowfury, and more survivability in the form of enhanced Stamina.
Destruction Warlock PvP Rotation
Although there aren’t many spellsthat are part of your core rotation, be aware thatit can change drasticallydepending on what kinds of buffs you have applied at any one time.
If you’re able to give multiple targets Immolate, useChannel Demonfireto randomly bombard your afflicted enemies withFire damage.
If you can tell that you’re beginning ateam fight, use Summon Infernal to call down a minion that canstun multiple peopleat once and attempt to useRain of Firefor several targets.
Utility Tips
Although damaging your opponent is important,survival is the key to PvP. Luckily, Destruction provides more than a fewutility toolsat any one time to turn the tide of battle.
