SwagVault MMO Blog

LVL80 Warlock Specs for Arena/PVP

December 3, 2008 – 1:37 am
Posted by: Hallier

From: http://outofmana.blogspot.com/2008/12/lvl80-warlock-specs-for-arenapvp.html

There are 3 major builds that Locks will be running once Season 5 hits, and with the exception of any “EUREKA” moments, it doesn’t look too good for us. They are:

Haunt/Soul Link
Metamorphosis
Backdraft/Soul Link

As always, you must consider several things before you decide on a spec (granted you should try them all to know what you might expect when facing other Locks), namely what you actually do with PVP.

Do you plan on serious Arena? 2v2, 3v3, 5v5 or all brackets? What classes will be your partners? Do you just want to do BG’s and Wintergrasp? Do you do progression PVE on the side? I suggest you ask these questions before continuing any further.

–

1) Haunt/Soul Link or Haunt/SL (54/17/0)

Pros: Most familiar in feel to the age old SL/SL spec of TBC, you let your DOTs do the talking while staying mobile and acting as disruption.

Standard Haunt/Unstable Affliction messes with enemy dispel which might cover more important debuffs your team might provide. A snare after a Fear ends, instant AE Fear, and Curse of Exhaustion to screw up enemy positioning.

Cons: Burst damage is very reliant on Nightfall procs (paired with Corruption Glyph), bad (or unlucky) enemy dispel who snag UA, and the slot machines known as Eradication and Pandemic. Add that with the high burst environment of 3.0 and WOTLK healthpools (20K+), DOT damage alone will no longer carry you.

Your Felhunter will die if the other team wants it to die, I suggest never having it go off on its own to attack something unless absolutely neccessary (stop drinking, etc.), it will be dragged LOS and killed.

Oh, and Mages might be getting 50% reduction from DOTs with Mage Armor.. screw Mages.

Bottom Line: Good for Arena teams that are based on CC/disruption to get a target down, especially if your partners are magic based. Average for BG’s, DOT durations don’t cut it when you’re being bursted down much faster with no support.

–

2) Metamorphosis or Meta (3/51/17)

Pros: Meta is like Beast Mastery for Hunters, the key is knowing when to pop the form and when not to.

When to—escaping a non-Ret Pally based melee train. When you got Death Gripped by a DK who happens to be clumped with his team (yay Immolation Aura). When you know the Rogue already blew CLOS/Vanish/Prep (good Rogues will bounce and wait out the timer). When your team needs that extra DPS during a key CC moment.

When not to—a Ret Pally just popped his Wings and has Heroism. When you’re facing other Locks or Pallies that are uncontested (means they will Banish/Fear). When the other DPS on your team is being CC’d and the DPS bonus of Meta won’t be coordinated with theirs.

Learn when Meta is most optimal and you’ll do well.

Cons: Meta, while providing a situational boost against melee in terms of survivability, makes the Lock become very position based because most of your damage will be coming from your direct nukes and your Felguard, which makes you prone to LOS games.

Your Felguard especially, needs to be controlled well, it needs to keep hacking at something to keep its AP boost up (and crit for Demonic Pact), but don’t let it be dragged away and trained.

Bottom Line: Good for Arena teams that are based on offensive/high DPS strategies revolving around powerful cooldowns, helps if someone else is able to snare to keep targets in the open. Good for BG’s as you’ll see the Meta cooldown multiple times, unless the other side is made up of entirely Locks and Pallies (then LOLatU).

–

3) Backdraft/Soul Link or Backdraft/SL (3/17/51)

Pros: Very good burst as expected from the Destro tree, Corruption->Immolate->Incinerate->Conflag->Immolate is a standard rotation, throw in a Molten Core proc from that initial Corruption, a Pyroclasm stun from the Conflag, haste kicks in with Backdraft, etc.

Mobility is also surprising as Backlash will proc insta Shadow Bolts while you’re being harassed by melee, throw in a Corruption Glyph proc and a Shadowburn.

The other thing to note is that a phaseshifted Imp with Soul Link is the best way for Destro to keep going, not having your pet being focused on goes a long way. While Felhunter is nice, Destro spec Locks are there on the team for damage and not the usual disruption/tanking utility that most are used to from past seasons.

Cons: While Aftermath dazes and Conflag stuns are nice, Destro is still very position based requiring you to maintain LOS and range/casting times to really dish it out, or relying on your teammates to keep something pinned out in the open.

Sadly, our 51 talent point can be skipped to go a bit deeper into Demo for better Spellstones (yay Haste), or even better Life Taps (Destro is mana hungry)—Chaos Bolt has a hefty CD, a slow cast, and no longer goes through immunity effects like Bubble and Ice Block. Try it out, but it’s ho-hum IMO.

Bottom Line: Good for Arena teams that already have a good amount of CC, allowing the Lock to focus on the burst rotations of Destro. Good for BG’s, your burst is not tied to long cooldowns like Demo, and chances are something will always be flailing on you and feeding your Backlash.