Wow Classic Highest Dmg Spell

  1. Classic Wow Spell Id
Complete guide for the Mage Class for WoW Classic with two alternative Talent options included

You can find all our Pocket Guides for other WoW Classic Classes builds right here: Best WoW Classic Builds

May 26, 2018  Show some Incredible Things in World of Warcraft Classic include Spell dmg Rogue. Best of Asmongold 1,229,740 views. Classic Thunderfury Spellpower Melee Hunter PvP. Spell Damage/Shadow Damage - Increases your Damage done with Spells. The damage bonus from Spell Damage is calculated differently for different Spells and their Ranks, but in general, this is the best statistic for Warlocks. Spell Critical Chance - Gives you a chance to do additional (Critical) Damage with your offensive Spells. This statistic.

If you have just started leveling your Mage, you may want to check out our Mage leveling Guide first

Aug 26, 2019  This page contains information on World of Warcraft Classic's Leveling Guide for the Warlock class, from level 1 to level 60. Because these stats determine spell damage. Best Classic WoW.

Overview

Mage is one of the most well-rounded Classes in WoW Classic. He supports great utility and survivability toolkits and packs a solid punch. Spells, like Polymorph, Cone of Cold, Blizzard, and Frost Nova, make him great at controlling and kiting adds during encounters, which makes him a must-have asset in any group. Tools, like Blink and Ice Block, allow him to escape danger and avoid death in situations where most other Classes would simply perish. On top of that, Mage deals solid damage right from the start. Arcane Power Mages put out very solid DPS numbers during early phases, thanks to some amazing Talents that boost their Damage and Sustain, while Fire Mages scale very well into late phases, easily overtaking all other ranged damage dealers in Naxxramas.

If all this does not sound good enough, Mage also comes with some amazing tools of convenience. He is able to conjure food and drinks for himself and his group, which turns him into a vending machine in Raids, which allows him to save up a lot of Gold and make some friends. Moreover, he can teleport and create portals to major cities, which saves him a lot of time and effort while traveling and can be used to make some additional profit (lazy people just love to buy portals).

Time for some cons.. as a magic-user, Mage wears light Cloth armor and has a very low Health pool. This means that mistakes made during encounters can easily end his life, especially if his survivability tools are already on Cooldown. Moreover, despite some good mana efficiency-related Talents, Mage is one of the most mana-hungry Classes in the game. Proper resource management is paramount for a Raiding Mage and frequent mana breaks are unavoidable during leveling.

Pros Cons
Great utility Very squishy, especially when taken by surprise or after making a mistake
Regarded as the best Ranged DPS in Classic Has mana efficiency problems
One of the most well-rounded Classes; has answers for almost anything the game can throw at him One of the most popular Classes; finding a solid Guild might be a problem because of the strong competition
Free food and drink People will constantly ask for free food and drink..
Ability to teleport between major cities End-Game rotations are rather dull (but this is rather common in Classic)
High skill ceiling


The Best Race Choice

Note: Here, we will point you only towards the best PvE DPS Mage Race. If you'd like to know more about other race picks, please check our WoW Classic Beginners Guide, where we dive deep into all available Mage's race choices for both factions.


Alliance

Gnome is a clear winner on the Alliance side. His Intellect Racial is very strong as it provides additional Mana and Spell Critical Strike Chance. Escape Artist, while regarded as a PvP Racial, finds surprisingly many uses in the PvE environment as well. On top of that, Engineering Specialization is better than you might think because Engi is your go-to End-Game PvE profession. If you can't stand Gnomes for some reason, pick a Human, the difference is not that big; you will still be competitive (and much taller).


Horde		When it comes to Horde, Troll is the only Race that has magic DPS-boosting Racial. His Berserking gives him a Haste buff that directly increases DPS for a short time, making him the best at bursting down Targets (but the difference is rather negligible unless you are aiming for the very top). Beast Slaying comes in handy during some encounters, but it is very situational. Overall, Troll is the best for PvE, but If you fancy some PvP in addition to your regular Raid nights, you might want to pick Undead instead, as his racials are great for PvP.

The Best Professions Choice

There are two professions that make a real impact in Raids and they are Engineering and Tailoring (Alchemy is also a decent option, but you can buy Flasks, Elixirs, and Potions from other players, which makes it much less impactful). Engineering gives you access to powerful explosives that increase your AoE and Single-Target DPS. Moreover, Engi gadgets come in handy in many back-to-the-wall situations. The fact that Engineering is also considered the best PvP profession is an added benefit to its power in the PvE environment. Tailoring, a seemingly mediocre PvE profession, gives you access to a powerful Bind on Pickup Robe - Robe of the Archmage which is Best in Slot for the whole Phase 1 and stays competitive until AQ. Getting it will definitely raise the power level of your character during the first few Phases of Classic.

At the start, you should pick Mining to supplement your Engineering Skill, you should also stock up on Cloths instead of vendoring/selling them. After you max out Engi, you should switch Mining to Tailo, as it can be easily (and cheaply) leveled without a supporting profession.

Note: If you want to know more about all available professions and secondary skills, please check our detailed WoW Classic Professions Guide.

Statistics Priority

  1. Spell Hit Chance - Increases your chance to hit with all your offensive Spells. You need a total of 16% Hit Rating and you already get some of it from Talents. Getting Hit-Capped should be your top priority.
  1. Spell Critical Chance - Gives you a chance to do additional (Critical) Damage with your offensive Spells. This statistic has more value for Fire Mages, but Arcane Power Mages benefit from it as well.
  1. Spell Damage - Increases your Damage done with Spells. The damage bonus from Spell Damage is calculated differently for different Spells and their Ranks, but in general, this stat is one of the best for Mages.
  1. Intellect - Increases your total Mana Pool and provides you with additional Spell Critical Chance (59,5 Int = 1% Spell Critical Strike Chance).
  1. Spirit - Increases your Health and Mana regeneration rate. Your Mana will regenerate in combat if you don't cast any spells for 5 seconds (the 5-second rule). Arcane Meditation Talent increases the value of Spirit by a tiny bit. Mage's Sustain is rather good and various consumables can be used to regenerate Mana, so Spirit should no be your priority.

Statistic Priority for different Mage Builds:

  • Arcane Power Mage:Spell Hit Cap⇒Spell Damage ⇒Crit Chance⇒Intellect⇒Spirit
  • Fire Mage: Spell Hit Cap⇒Crit Chance ⇒Spell Damage⇒Intellect⇒ Spirit

The Best Talent Builds

Proper Talent allocation is essential for maximizing Damage output. Here, we will describe the most optimal spec and lead you through the Talent Trees level-by-level to explain some choices.

There are two paths to choose - Arcane Power Build that is the best at the start, and Fire Build that becomes viable after Blackwing Lair as there are very many Fireproof Bosses in Molten Core, BWL and Onyxia's Lair. Moreover, Fire build strongly synergizes with Critical Strike Chance, which makes it scale with gear better than the Arcane Power variant.

Arcane Power Mage PvE DPS Build

Arcane Tree:

  • 2/2Arcane Subtlety - Resistances are very powerful in Classic and Talents that reduce them even more so.
  • 3/5Arcane Focus - 3/5 is enough to achieve Arcane Spell Hit cap against enemies two levels higher than you (level 63 Boss has a 17% chance to resist your spells, so putting more points here is counterproductive).
  • 4/5Magic Absorption - Resistances are needed in many Classic Boss encounters, which makes this Talent much better than it looks. Also, there is no better place to put your points up to this point.
  • 5/5Arcane Concentration - Clearcasting is one of the most powerful effects in Classic and this Talent gives you a 10% chance to get it after you damage an enemy with your spell.
  • 3/3 Improved Arcane Explosion - Fun fact: Arcane Explosion spam is the strongest AoE DPS rotation in Classic (but it drains Mage's mana very quickly).
  • 1/1 Arcane Resilience - This is underwhelming and will not save your life, but it is also necessary if you want Arcane Mind, and you do.
  • 3/3 Arcane Meditation - Helps with your Sustain by quite a bit.
  • 1/1 Presence of Mind - Part of the infamous 3-Minute-Mage Instant Pyroblast Combo, also solid in PvE.
  • 5/5 Arcane Mind.
  • 3/3 Arcane Instability
  • 1/1 Arcane Power - Very powerful Cooldown that gives you great Burst Damage potential when combined with Clear Casting procs and Presence of Mind.

Frost Tree:

  • 5/5Improved Frostbolt
  • 3/3Elemental Precision- This gives you 6% Frost Spell Hit Chance, which is enough aginst enemies 2 levels higher than you.
  • 5/5Ice Shards - Very strong offensive Talent that also greatly increases the value of Critical Chance statistic.
  • 3/3Piercing Ice - Flat Damage increase for all your Frost spells.
  • 1/2 Arctic Reach - Extra Range comes in handy during many encounters as it gives you some freedom of movement.
  • 3/3 Frost Channeling - Helps with both Sustain and Aggro management; it doesn't get better than that.

Fire Mage PvE DPS Build

Arcane Tree:

  • 2/2Arcane Subtlety
  • 3/5Arcane Focus
  • 5/5Magic Absorption
  • 5/5Arcane Concentration

Fire Tree:

  • 5/5Improved Fireball
  • 5/5Ignite - The reason why Fire Mage overtakes other Mage Builds when better gear becomes available. This Talent greatly increases Mage's DPS and is definitely one of the best in the entire game. On top of that, its effect resets and grows after each Fire Spell Critical Strike made by a Mage that has this Talent, which makes it just insane (the more Fire Mages in a Raid, the crazier this Talent becomes).
  • 2/2Flame Throwing - Additional 6 yards range on all your Fire Spells. This generally reduces your downtime by a bit when you are forced to move.
  • 2/2Incinerate - 4% extra Critical Chance with your Fire Blast and Scorch. Speaking of Ignite synergy..
  • 2/2 Burning Soul - The Threat Reduction part makes this Talent a must-have for PvE.
  • 3/3 Improved Scorch - With this Talent, your Scorch also applies a stackable debuff that increases Fire Damage taken by your Target by 15% (if stacked 5 times).
  • 3/3Master of Elements - This helps with your sustain and synergizes with your Spell Critical Chance, which is convenient.
  • 3/3Critical Mass - More Crit = even better Ignite synergy.
  • 5/5Fire Power
  • 1/1 Combustion - Very strong Burst Damage Cooldown, irreplaceable during enrage phases of Boss fights. And it also synergizes with Ignite.

Frost Tree:

  • 3/3Elemental Precision

Where to get Pre-Raid/Raid BiS Gear

Classic Wow Spell Id

In order to maximize your DPS, you should aim to assemble the best possible Gear. This applies to both Pre-Raid and each of the Raid Tiers/Phases.

Note1: The list will be updated with new items concurrently with the introduction of new Raids/Phases, so remember to visit this page after a new Raid opens for an update on what current best Mage items in each lot are.

The Best Mage Items
Main Hand
  • Pre-Raid - Demon Blade (BoE World Drop; can be purchased on AH)
  • Phase 1 - Azuresong Mageblade (drop from Golemagg the Incinerator, Molten Core)
  • Phase 2 - TBA
  • Phase 3 - TBA
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Off-Hand
  • Pre-Raid - Drakestone of Frozen Wrath (Drop from Weaver, Dreamscythe, and Hazzas, Sunken Temple; note: The item has a Random Enchantment)
  • Phase 1 - Drakestone of Frozen Wrath
  • Phase 2 - TBA
  • Phase 3 - TBA
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Ranged
  • Pre-Raid - Lunar Wand of Frozen Wrath (BoE World Drop; can be purchased on AH; note: The item has a Random Enchantment)
  • Phase 1 - Lunar Wand
  • Phase 2 - TBA
  • Phase 3 - TBA
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Trinket 1
  • Pre-Raid - Briarwood Reed (Drop from Jed Runewatcher, Upper Blackrock Spire)
  • Phase 1 - Briarwood Reed
  • Phase 2 - TBA
  • Phase 3 - TBA
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Trinket 2
  • Pre-Raid - Eye of the Beast (Quest Reward from 'For the Horde!' / 'General Drakkisath's Demise', Upper Blackrock Spire)
  • Phase 1 - Talisman of Ephemeral Power (drop from Baron Geddon, Gaar, Golemagg the Incinerator, and Magmadar, Molten Core)
  • Phase 2 - TBA
  • Phase 3 - TBA
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Neck
  • Pre-Raid - Star of Mystaria (Drop from Balnazzar, Stratcholme)
  • Phase 1 - Choker of the Fire Lord (drop from Ragnaros, Molten Core)
  • Phase 2 - TBA
  • Phase 3 - TBA
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Ring 1
  • Pre-Raid - Freezing Band (BoE World Drop; can be purchased on AH) / Songstone of Ironforge (Quest Reward from 'The Princess's Surprise', Blackrock Depths)
  • Phase 1 - Ring of Spell Power (drop from Shazzrah, Lucifron, Gehennas, and Sulfuron Harbinger, Molten Core)
  • Phase 2 - TBA
  • Phase 3 - TBA
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Ring 2
  • Pre-Raid - Freezing Band / Maiden's Circle (BoE World Drop; can be purchased on AH)
  • Phase 1 - Ring of Spell Power (drop from Shazzrah, Lucifron, Gehennas, and Sulfuron Harbinger, Molten Core)
  • Phase 2 - TBA
  • Phase 3 - TBA
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Head
  • Pre-Raid - Master's Hat of Frozen Wrath (BoE World Drop; can be purchased on AH; note: The item has a Random Enchantment) / Crimson Felt Hat (Drop from Magistrate Barthilas, Stratcholme)
  • Phase 1 - Arcanist Crown (drop from Garr, Molten Core)
  • Phase 2 - TBA
  • Phase 3 - TBA
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Chest
  • Pre-Raid - Robe of the Archmage (Tailoring Recipe that drops from Firebrand Pyromancer, Lower Blackrock Spire; note: the robe is Bind on Pickup, which means that you have to craft it yourself. It does not require Tailoring Skill to use, however) / Freezing Lich Robes (drop from Ras Frostwhisper, Scholomance)
  • Phase 1 - Robe of the Archmage / Robe of Volatile Power (drop from Lucifron, Shazzrah, Sulfuron Harbinger, and Gehennas, Molten Core)
  • Phase 2 - TBA
  • Phase 3 - TBA
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Legs
  • Pre-Raid - Skyshroud Leggings (drop from Highlord Omokk, Lower Blackrock Spire)
  • Phase 1 - Netherwind Pants (drop from Ragnaros, Molten Core) / Arcanist Leggins ( drop from Magmadar, Molten Core)
  • Phase 2 - TBA
  • Phase 3 - TBA
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Gloves
  • Pre-Raid - Hands of Power (drop from Quartermaster Zigris, Lower Blackrock Spire)
  • Phase 1 - Hands of Power
  • Phase 2 - TBA
  • Phase 3 - TBA
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Boots
  • Pre-Raid - Master's Boots of Frozen Wrath (BoE World Drop; can be purchased on AH; note: The item has a Random Enchantment) / Omnicast Boots (drop from Golem Lord Ardelmach, Blackrock Depths)
  • Phase 1 - Arcanist Boots (drop from Lucifron, Molten Core)
  • Phase 2 - TBA
  • Phase 3 - TBA
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Shoulders
  • Pre-Raid - Boreal Mantle (drop from Warder Stilgis, Blackrock Depths)
  • Phase 1 - Boreal Mantle
  • Phase 2 - TBA
  • Phase 3 - TBA
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Wrists
  • Pre-Raid - Flameweave Cuffs of Frozen Wrath (drop from Lord Incendius, Blackrock Depths; note: The item has a Random Enchantment)
  • Phase 1 - Arcanist Bindings (BoE Epic Drop, Trash Mobs in Molten Core)
  • Phase 2 - TBA
  • Phase 3 - TBA
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Belt
  • Pre-Raid - Ban'thok Sash (drop from Ok'thor the Breaker, Blackrock Depths)
  • Phase 1 - Mana Igniting Cord (drop from Golemagg the Incinerator, Garr, Baron Geddon, and Magmadar, Molten Core)
  • Phase 2 - TBA
  • Phase 3 - TBA
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Back
  • Pre-Raid - Archivist Cape of Frozen Wrath (drop from Archivist Galford, Stratcholme; note: The item has a Random Enchantment) / Spritecaster Cape (drop from High Interrogator Gerstahn, Blackrock Depths)
  • Phase 1 - Archivist Cape of Frozen Wrath / Sapphiron Drape (drop from Onyxia, Onyxia's Lair)
  • Phase 2 - TBA
  • Phase 3 - TBA
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA

The Best Enchants and Consumables

Proper enchants and consumables will greatly increase your Damage output. While getting enchants is a one-time-deal, farming consumables might be a real chore, but it is still worth it as numbers clearly show.

The Best Enchants
Weapon (1H)Enchant Weapon - Spell Power (+ 30 Spell Damage)
Weapon (TH)Enchant Weapon - Spell Power (+ 30 Spell Damage)
HeadLesser Arcanum of Voracity (+8 Intellect, available from Libram of Voracity Quest in Burning Steppes)
ChestEnchant Chest - Greater Stats (+4 to all stats)
LegsLesser Arcanum of Voracity (+8 Intellect, available from Libram of Voracity Quest in Burning Steppes)
HandsEnchant Gloves - Riding Skill (Minor Raiding Speed Increase)
FeetEnchant Boots - Minor Speed (+8% Run Speed)
ShouldersChromatic Mantle of the Dawn (+5 to all Resistances)
WristsEnchant Bracer - Greater Intellect (+7 Intellect)
BackEnchant Cloak - Greater Resistance(+5 to all Resistances)

The Best Consumables

Major Mana Potion		Restores 1350 to 2250 Mana. Created by Alchemy. Recipe drops from various high-level mobs, elites, and Bosses.

Greater Arcane Elixir		+35 Spell Damage for 1 hour. Created by Alchemy. The recipe can be dropped from Fireguard Destroyers in Blackrock Depths and Scareshield Raiders in Blackrock Spire.

Flask of Supreme Power		+150 Spell Power for 2 hours; effect persists through death. Created by Alchemy. The recipe can be dropped from Ras Frostwhisper, Scholomance.

Elixir of Frost Power		+15 Frost Spell Damage for 30 minutes. Created by Alchemy.

Elixir of Greater Firepower		+40 Fire Spell Damage for 30 minutes. Created by Alchemy.

Cerebral Cortex Compound		+25 Intellect for 1 hour. Obtained from 'Infallible Mind' repeatable Quest, Blasted Lands

Nightfin Soup		It provides 8 mana per 5 seconds for 10 minutes. Created by Cooking.

Demonic Rune		Restores 1356 mana at the cost of 862 life. Drop from Demons in Azshara, Felwood, and Blasted Lands (Satyrs and Fel Guards).

Rotations

In Classic, Mage follows more of a priority list than a strict rotation. This means that if you have multiple spells available for casting, you should always choose the one that is higher on the list (if specified requirements are met).

Wow Classic Highest Dmg Spell

Note: most of the time, you'll want to use your Cooldowns at the start of combat, so that you'll get a second (and a third in long encounters) charge before the fight ends.

Please use the following Priority List for sustained Single-Target Damage output:

  1. Fireblast during burn phases to maximize DPS at the cost of mana efficiency (use this to finish of enemies)
  1. Arcane Explosion during burn phases to maximize DPS at the cost of mana efficiency (use this to finish of enemies)
  1. Maintain Winter's Chill (if Frost) / Improved Scorch (if Fire) stacks on primary Target (after the effect runs out, stack it back to 5)
/
  1. Frostbolt (if Frost) / Fireball (if Fire) as a main Damage source
/
Please use the following Sequence while in the Multi-Target Engagement:
Arcane Power Frost:
  1. Arcane Explosion to finish of enemies
  1. Cone of Cold if Targets are in range
  1. Blizzard
Fire:
  1. Arcane Explosion to finish of enemies
  1. Blast Wave on Cooldown
  1. Maintain Flamestrike's ground effect

Tips and Tricks for aspiring Mage Raiders

  1. If you want to deal more Damage and stand out from your Raid competition, Stack Consumables. Spending some additional Gold or a few extra hours grinding might secure you a spot in a Raid, as Raid leaders prefer dedicated and well-prepared players.
  1. Proper Mana management is paramount for your success in Raids. Learn to judge how long a fight will be and try to time the end of it with you running out of resources (if fight is about to end and you have spare mana, maximize your DPS with cost-ineffective but heavily-damaging spells, like Arcane Explosion). If you tend to run out of mana before combat ends, obey the 5-second rule and regenerate some of your resources by not casting for a while (use your Wand instead - you will lose out on DPS, but the net loss will be much lower than if you just tried to spam your spells as soon as you regen enough mana for a single cast). You can (and should) also use mana-regenerating consumables mentioned in the 'the best consumables' section.
  1. Taking advantage of your defensive abilities is the key to your survival in Raids. As a mage, you don't have armor or health that will protect you. Use Blink, Ice Block and everything else in your toolkit to avoid being hit as getting hit often results in instant death.
  1. Always try to improve. Get an addon that tracks your performance and try to optimize your equipment and rotation.

END NOTE

This Guide should help you to prepare yourself for that legendary Vanilla Raiding Experience and allow you to progress through Raid Tiers efficiently and with a good amount of fun.

We hope that you have found this guide useful and informative. If we have missed a piece of information that is important to you, please let us know!

Please do note that this is an early version of our guide, and we will be happy to receive constructive criticism, that will help us improve it, so leave your suggestions in the comments section below.

Pictures used in this article are the intellectual property of Blizzard Entertainment Inc.

In-depth guide on becoming a DPS Warlock in WoW Classic

You can find all our Pocket Guides for other WoW Classic Classes builds right here: Best WoW Classic Builds

If you have just started leveling your Warlock, you may want to check out our Warlock leveling Guide first

Overview

In WoW lore, Warlocks derive pleasure from cursing and hurting their enemies. They are masters of the Shadow and Destructive magic and can bind powerful demons to their will. In WoW Classic, they are versatile Damage Dealers who suffer a bit from limited debuff slots. Despite that limitation, they are still very popular as a Class thanks to their grim flavor, great utility spells, and the ability to humiliate inexperienced enemies in PvP. Their second main limitation - the fact that pets take 100% damage from AoE abilities, is countered by the most popular Warlock DPS build, that sacrifices a pet in exchange for increased Shadow Damage.

When in a Raid or a Dungeon group, Warlocks provide Soulstones that allow an in-Combat resurrection of a pre-designated party member, Healthstones that work like Health Potions, and the Ritual of Summoning that makes assembling a Raid much, much easier. Contrary to what their lore background might suggest, Warlocks are best friends of any Player that likes to run through any kind of group content. They also provide various powerful debuffs that come in handy in a multitude of situations. Moreover, they don't have any Sustain problems, thanks to their Life Tap ability which allows them to perform at the highest level even during long encounters.

Bracers of archery 5e cost. Bracers of Archery; Bracers of Defense; Brazier of Commanding Fire Elementals; Brooch of Shielding; Broom of Flying; Candle of Invocation; Cape of the Mountebank; Carpet of Flying; Censer of Controlling Air Elementals; Chime of Opening; Circlet of Blasting; Cloak of Arachnida; Cloak of Displacement; Cloak of Elvenkind; Cloak of Protection. Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) Fifth Edition (5e) Magic Item - Bracers of Archery - While wearing these bracers, you have proficiency with the longbow and s. Bracers of Archery Source: 5th Edition SRD ↓ Attributes. Bracers of Archery Edit Page Content. Requires Attunement While wearing these bracers, you have proficiency with the Longbow and Shortbow, and you gain a +2 bonus to Damage Rolls on Ranged Attacks made with such Weapons. Show Attribute List.

Pros Cons
Great Sustain Below average mobility
Good Single-Target and AoE DPS (for a caster, at least) Soul Shard mechanic forces you to grind more than other Classes have to.
Great Raid/Group Utility Managing Threat as a Warlock is challenging
Strong Debuffs Pets tend to die from AoE Damage during encounters (this will not matter if you pick a proper build, however)
Good survivability (that, however, is somewhat Build-dependant) Competition for Cloth Caster Gear tends to be very high

x
The Best Race Choice

Note: Here, we will point you only towards the best PvE DPS Warlock Race. If you'd like to know more about other race picks, please check our WoW Classic Beginners Guide, where we dive deep into all available Mage's race choices for both factions.


Alliance

Human racials do not boost Warlock's PvE capabilities at all. This makes Gnome the best choice if you want to capitalize on every minor advantage available. His Intellect Racial is very strong as it provides additional Mana and Spell Critical Strike Chance. Engineering Specialization is surprisingly valuable because Engi is a go-to PvE profession, and Escape Artist will allow you to escape death from AoE damage from time to time.


Horde		Both Horde Races that can choose the path of a Warlock are pretty much equally good for PvE, so the choice is purely up to one's preference. If you want to have some more utility in a form of Cannibalize and Will of the Forsaken, go for Undead. If you want to pursue DPS at all costs, Orc will be the best choice for you, thanks to his Pet Damage increasing Racial (this will not matter if you pick the DS/Ruin Build, however).

The Best Professions Choice

There are two professions that make a real impact in Raids and they are Engineering and Tailoring (Alchemy is also a decent option, but you can buy Flasks, Elixirs, and Potions from other players, which makes it much less impactful). Engineering gives you access to powerful explosives that increase your AoE and Single-Target DPS. Moreover, Engi gadgets come in handy in many back-to-the-wall situations. The fact that Engineering is also considered the best PvP profession is an added benefit to its power in PvE environment. Tailoring, a seemingly mediocre PvE profession, gives you access to a powerful Bind on Pickup Robe - Robe of the Void which is a pre-Raid BiS that is great during phase Phase 1 and stays competitive in Phase 2. Getting it will definitely raise the power level of your character during the first few Phases of Classic.

At the start, you should pick Mining to supplement your Engineering Skill, you should also stock up on Cloths instead of vendoring/selling them. After you max out Engi, you should switch Mining to Tailo, as it can be easily (and rather cheaply) leveled without a supporting profession.

Note: If you want to know more about all available professions and secondary skills, please check our detailed WoW Classic Professions Guide.

Statistics Priority

  1. Spell Damage/Shadow Damage - Increases your Damage done with Spells. The damage bonus from Spell Damage is calculated differently for different Spells and their Ranks, but in general, this is the best statistic for Warlocks.
  1. Spell Critical Chance - Gives you a chance to do additional (Critical) Damage with your offensive Spells. This statistic has a lot of value for Warlocks thanks to Talents, like Improved Shadow Bolt and Ruin, which are staples of competitive Warlock builds.
  1. Spell Hit Chance - Increases your chance to hit with all your offensive Spells. You need a total of 16% Hit Rating. Getting Hit-Capped should be your one of your priorities while gearing up for Raids.
  1. Spell Penetration - Allows your spells to bypass some of the Target's Spell Resistance. This statistic allows you to deal more damage against Shadow-resistant Bosses.
  1. Intellect - Increases your total Mana Pool and provides you with additional Spell Critical Chance (59,5 Int = 1% Spell Critical Strike Chance).

Statistic Priority for a Warlock:

Spell Damage/Shadow Damage⇒Spell Critical Chance ⇒Spell Hit Cap⇒Spell Penetration⇒Intellect

Note: Because of the Life Tap ability and the Demonic Embrace Talent, Stamina is more valuable than Spirit, but these stats should not be prioritized.

The Best Talent Builds

Proper Talent allocation is essential for maximizing Damage output. Here, we will describe the most optimal spec and lead you through the Talent Trees level-by-level to explain some choices.

There are two competitive Warlock DPS Builds to choose from if you are DPS-oriented:

  • Demonic Sacrifice + Ruin Build (DS/Ruin) - By far the most popular build. It utilizes the Demonic Sacrifice Talent from Demonology Tree to provide +15% Increased Shadow Damage at the cost of sacrificing a pet. Despite the fact that all Demonology Talents up to DM are rather mediocre (and some are straight-up useless because they boost Warlock's pet that gets sacrificed anyway), the build is considered as the best when it comes to raw DPS numbers. The fact that Demo Talents other than DS are not that useful allows you to tinker with the build and adjust it to your liking. We feature a version that gives you an additional defensive option, thanks to Fel Domination, Improved Voidwalker and Master Summoner Talents (the idea is that, in a case of emergency, you quickly summon your Voidwalker and sacrifice it immediately to shield yourself from incoming damage).
  • Shadow Mastery + Ruin Build (SM/Ruin) - The less popular, but still competitive build that doesn't force you to sacrifice your pet. The build provides 5% less bonus Shadow Damage than the DS/Ruin variant, but it lets you take advantage of your pet's buffs. You can be sure than at least one Warlock will be forced to run this build in the Raid environment to provide Tanks with Imp's Blood Pact Stamina buff. Your Damage output with this build will rise considerably if you meet two conditions. Firstly, you have to be allowed to cast Corruption (to take advantage of the Nightfall Talent), and secondly, you have to keep your Imp alive. If you manage to meet these two conditions, you might even deal more DPS than DS/Ruin Warlocks.

DS/Ruin Warlock PvE DPS Build

Affliction Tree:

  • 2/5Suppression - Provides you with 4% additional Affliction Spell Hit Chance. Ideally, you'd want 6%, but other Talents are more important.
  • 5/5Improved Corruption - This makes your Corruption instant-to-cast. Even if you won't be allowed to cast Corruption on bosses, this Talent will make your AoE/trash mob rotations smoother.
  • 2/2Improved Life Tap - This is a must-have Talent as Life Tap is your main Sustain source. Note: Just remember that Healers don't like it when you use Life Tap too liberally (during an AoE damage-heavy phase, for example..)

Demonology Tree:

  • 2/2Improved Healthstone - 20% extra Health from a Healthstone can save your life. Pretty much every Raid member will want an Improved Healthstone, so be prepared.
  • 5/5Demonic Embrace - Extra Health at the cost of decreased regeneration. Worth it as it allows you to use Life Tap more.
  • 3/3Improved Voidwalker - As previously mentioned, we take this to make Sacrifice shield stronger.
  • 1/1Fel Domination - A component of DS/Ruin Warlock's defensive shield combo.
  • 5/5 Fel Stamina - Treat these 5 points liberally.
  • 2/2 Master Summoner - Another component of DS/Ruin Warlock's defensive shield combo.
  • 2/5 Unholy Power - Another 2 points that can be placed liberally. Putting them here is good if you farm/grind solo from time to time.
  • 1/1Demonic Sacrifice - The only reason you go this far up the Demonology tree. It allows you to sacrifice your demonic pet to gain a pet-specific buff. You will want to sacrifice a Succubus to receive a 15% Increase in Shadow Damage dealt.

Destruction Tree:

  • 5/5 Improved Shadow Bolt - Your rotation consists of, well.. only a Shadow Bolt and this Talent makes it better.
  • 2/5 Cataclysm - Makes your Destruction spells more efficient. You might consider putting 4 points here (at the cost of Suppression), but Life Tap should be enough to sustain you without that.
  • 5/5 Bane - Faster Shadow Bolt casts = more DPS.
  • 5/5 Devastation.
  • 1/1 Shadowburn - Gives you an Instant-cast damaging Spell that can be used when you are relocating to optimize your DPS by minimizing downtime.
  • 2/2 Destructive Reach - More range on your Shadow Bolt will provide you with additional room for maneuvers.
  • 1/1 Ruin - Makes your Destruction Spell Critical Strikes deal 200% instead of standard 150% Damage.

SM/Ruin Warlock PvE DPS Build

Affliction Tree:

  • 5/5Suppression.
  • 5/5Improved Corruption.
  • 2/2Improved Drain Soul - treat these two points liberally; you can allocate them to Improved Curse of Weakness if needed.
  • 2/2Improved Life Tap.
  • 3/3Improved Curse of Agony - good Talent if you are allowed to use CoA.
  • 1/5Fel Concentration - treat this Talent point liberally. You can transfer it to the Improved Curse of Weakness Talent if needed.
  • 1/1Amplify Curse - a handy tool that improves your next Curse cast. This will definitely find a lot of uses in a Raid.
  • 2/2Grim Reach - additional range on your spells is always welcome.
  • 2/2Nightfall - this Talent will visibly increase your DPS if you are allowed to use Corruption, that is.
  • 1/1Siphon Life - Solid damage over time effect that also heals you. It increases the build's PvP viability by a lot.
  • 1/1Curse of Exhaustion - useful for kiting adds, especially when combined with Amplify Curse, but there are must stronger slow effects out there.
  • 5/5Shadow Mastery - Increases damage dealt by your Shadow spells by 10%; 5% less than Demonic Sacrifice, but you are allowed to keep your Pet.

Destruction Tree:

  • 5/5 Improved Shadow Bolt.
  • 5/5 Bane
  • 2/2 Improved Firebolt - Increases your Imp's DPS; if you manage to keep it alive which is quite a feat in some engagements.
  • 5/5 Devastation.
  • 1/1 Shadowburn.
  • 2/2 Destructive Reach.
  • 1/1 Ruin.

Where to get Pre-Raid/Raid BiS Gear

In order to maximize your DPS, you should aim to assemble the best possible Gear. This applies to both Pre-Raid and each of the Raid Tiers/Phases.

Note1: The list will be updated with new items concurrently with the introduction of new Raids/Phases, so remember to visit this page after a new Raid opens for an update on what current best Warlock items in each lot are.

The Best Warlock Items
Main Hand
  • Pre-Raid - Dire Nail of Shadow Wrath (Drop from Shade of Eranikus, Sunken Temple)
  • Phase 1 - Azuresong Mageblade (drop from Golemagg the Incinerator, Molten Core)
  • Phase 2 - TBA
  • Phase 3 - TBA
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Off-Hand
  • Pre-Raid - Drakestone of Shadow Wrath (Drop from Weaver, Dreamscythe, and Hazzas, Sunken Temple; note: The item has a Random Enchantment)
  • Phase 1 - Drakestone of Shadow Wrath
  • Phase 2 - TBA
  • Phase 3 - TBA
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Ranged
  • Pre-Raid - Lunar Wand of Shadow Wrath (BoE World Drop; can be purchased on AH; note: The item has a Random Enchantment)
  • Phase 1 - Lunar Wand of Shadow Wrath
  • Phase 2 - TBA
  • Phase 3 - TBA
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Trinket 1
  • Pre-Raid - Eye of the Beast (Quest Reward from 'For the Horde!' / 'General Drakkisath's Demise', Upper Blackrock Spire)
  • Phase 1 - Eye of the Beast
  • Phase 2 - TBA
  • Phase 3 - TBA
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Trinket 2
  • Pre-Raid - Briarwood Reed (Drop from Jed Runewatcher, Upper Blackrock Spire)
  • Phase 1 - Talisman of Ephemeral Power (drop from Baron Geddon, Gaar, Golemagg the Incinerator, and Magmadar, Molten Core)
  • Phase 2 - TBA
  • Phase 3 - TBA
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Neck
  • Pre-Raid - Star of Mystaria (Drop from Balnazzar, Stratcholme)
  • Phase 1 - Choker of the Fire Lord (drop from Ragnaros, Molten Core)
  • Phase 2 - TBA
  • Phase 3 - TBA
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Ring 1
  • Pre-Raid - Songstone of Ironforge (Quest Reward from 'The Princess's Surprise', Blackrock Depths) / Eye of Orgrimmar (Quest Reward from 'The Princess Saved?', Blackrock Depths)
  • Phase 1 - Ring of Spell Power (drop from Shazzrah, Lucifron, Gehennas, and Sulfuron Harbinger, Molten Core)
  • Phase 2 - TBA
  • Phase 3 - TBA
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Ring 2
  • Pre-Raid - Maiden's Circle (BoE World Drop; can be purchased on AH)
  • Phase 1 - Maiden's Circle
  • Phase 2 - TBA
  • Phase 3 - TBA
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Head
  • Pre-Raid - Crimson Felt Hat (Drop from Magistrate Barthilas, Stratcholme)
  • Phase 1 - Nemesis Skullcap (drop from Onyxia, Onyxia's Lair)
  • Phase 2 - TBA
  • Phase 3 - TBA
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Chest
  • Pre-Raid - Robe of the Archmage (Tailoring Recipe that drops from Darkmaster Gandling, Scholomance; note: the robe is Bind on Pickup, which means that you have to craft it yourself. It does not require Tailoring Skill to use, however)
  • Phase 1 - Robe of Volatile Power (drop from Lucifron, Shazzrah, Sulfuron Harbinger, and Gehennas, Molten Core)
  • Phase 2 - TBA
  • Phase 3 - TBA
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Legs
  • Pre-Raid - Skyshroud Leggings (drop from Highlord Omokk, Lower Blackrock Spire)
  • Phase 1 - Nemesis Leggings (drop from Ragnaros, Molten Core)
  • Phase 2 - TBA
  • Phase 3 - TBA
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Gloves
  • Pre-Raid - Hands of Power (drop from Quartermaster Zigris, Lower Blackrock Spire)
  • Phase 1 - Hands of Power
  • Phase 2 - TBA
  • Phase 3 - TBA
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Boots
  • Pre-Raid - Master's Boots of Shadow Wrath (BoE World Drop; can be purchased on AH; note: The item has a Random Enchantment) / Omnicast Boots (drop from Golem Lord Ardelmach, Blackrock Depths)
  • Phase 1 - Master's Boots of Shadow Wrath
  • Phase 2 - TBA
  • Phase 3 - TBA
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Shoulders
  • Pre-Raid - Eternal Spaulders of Shadow Wrath (BoE World Drop; can be purchased on AH; note: The item has a Random Enchantment)
  • Phase 1 - Eternal Spaulders of Shadow Wrath
  • Phase 2 - TBA
  • Phase 3 - TBA
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Wrists
  • Pre-Raid - Master's Bracers of Frozen Wrath (drop from Lord Incendius, Blackrock Depths; note: The item has a Random Enchantment)
  • Phase 1 - Master's Bracers of Frozen Wrath
  • Phase 2 - TBA
  • Phase 3 - TBA
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Belt
  • Pre-Raid - Ban'thok Sash (drop from Ok'thor the Breaker, Blackrock Depths)
  • Phase 1 - Mana Igniting Cord (drop from Golemagg the Incinerator, Garr, Baron Geddon, and Magmadar, Molten Core)
  • Phase 2 - TBA
  • Phase 3 - TBA
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA
Back
  • Pre-Raid - Archivist Cape of Shadow Wrath (drop from Archivist Galford, Stratcholme; note: The item has a Random Enchantment) /Master's Cloak of Shadow Wrath (BoE World Drop; can be purchased on AH; note: The item has a Random Enchantment)
  • Phase 1 - Master's Cloak of Shadow Wrath / Sapphiron Drape (drop from Onyxia, Onyxia's Lair)
  • Phase 2 - TBA
  • Phase 3 - TBA
  • Phase 4 - TBA
  • Phase 5 - TBA
  • Phase 6 - TBA

The Best Enchants and Consumables

Proper enchants and consumables will greatly increase your Damage output. While getting enchants is a one-time-deal, farming consumables might be a real chore, but it is still worth it as numbers clearly show.

The Best Enchants
Weapon (1H)Enchant Weapon - Spell Power (+ 30 Spell Damage)
Weapon (TH)Enchant Weapon - Spell Power (+ 30 Spell Damage)
HeadLesser Arcanum of Voracity (+8 Intellect, available from Libram of Voracity Quest in Burning Steppes)
ChestEnchant Chest - Greater Stats (+4 to all stats)
LegsLesser Arcanum of Voracity (+8 Intellect, available from Libram of Voracity Quest in Burning Steppes)
HandsEnchant Gloves - Riding Skill (Minor Raiding Speed Increase)
FeetEnchant Boots - Minor Speed (+8% Run Speed)
ShouldersChromatic Mantle of the Dawn (+5 to all Resistances)
WristsEnchant Bracer - Greater Intellect (+7 Intellect)
BackEnchant Cloak - Greater Resistance(+5 to all Resistances)

The Best Consumables

Flask of Supreme Power		+150 Spell Power for 2 hours; effect persists through death. Created by Alchemy. The recipe can be dropped from Ras Frostwhisper, Scholomance.

Major Mana Potion		Restores 1350 to 2250 Mana. Created by Alchemy. Recipe drops from various high-level mobs, elites, and Bosses.

Greater Arcane Elixir		+35 Spell Damage for 1 hour. Created by Alchemy. The recipe can be dropped from Fireguard Destroyers in Blackrock Depths and Scareshield Raiders in Blackrock Spire.

Demonic Rune		Restores 1356 mana at the cost of 862 life. Drop from Demons in Azshara, Felwood, and Blasted Lands (Satyrs and Fel Guards).

Major Healthstone		Instantly restores 1200 Health. Created by Warlocks.

Cerebral Cortex Compound		+25 Intellect for 1 hour. Obtained from 'Infallible Mind' repeatable Quest, Blasted Lands

Nightfin Soup		It provides 8 mana per 5 seconds for 10 minutes. Created by Cooking.

Wizard Oil		+24 Spell Damage. Created by Enchanting. This is applied to a Weapon.

Rotations

In Classic, Warlock follows more of a priority list than a strict rotation. This means that if you have multiple spells available for casting, you should always choose the one that is higher on the list.

Note: most of the time, you'll want to use your Cooldowns at the start of combat, so that you'll get a second (and a third in long encounters) charge before the fight ends.

Note2: You might not be allowed to cast your DoTs (Corruption/Curse of Agony) and/or tasked with maintaining a specific Curse on a Target.

Please use the following Priority List for sustained Single-Target Damage output:

  1. Maintain Curse Debuff (if designated for it)
/ / /
  1. Maintain Corruption (if you were allowed to use it)
  1. Shadowburn while relocating to minimize downtime
  1. Spam Shadow Bolt as your main Damage source
Please use the following Sequence while in the Multi-Target Engagement:
  1. Use Hellfire / Rain of Fire (if getting into melee is dangerous) if dealing with adds is a priority
+
  1. Cast Corruption and Siphon Life (if applicable) on all Targets
/
  1. Resume your Single-Target Rotation

Tips and Tricks for aspiring Warlock Raiders

  1. If you want to deal more Damage and stand out from your Raid competition, Stack Consumables. Spending some additional Gold or a few extra hours grinding might secure you a spot in a Raid, as Raid leaders prefer dedicated and well-prepared players.
  1. Make sure that you have enough Soul Shards before a Raid. This will allow you to avoid awkward situations. In other words: always remember about the basics of your Class!
  1. If you plan on using the SM/Ruin Build, learn how to micromanage your pet effectively. Keeping your Imp alive will increase your overall DPS by about 10%.
  1. Always try to improve. Get an addon that tracks your performance and try to optimize your equipment and rotation.

END NOTEDoes mountain drake deal dmg to baron 3.

This Guide should help you to prepare yourself for that legendary Vanilla Raiding Experience and allow you to progress through Raid Tiers efficiently and with a good amount of fun.

We hope that you have found this guide useful and informative. If we have missed a piece of information that is important to you, please let us know!

Please do note that this is an early version of our guide, and we will be happy to receive constructive criticism, that will help us improve it, so leave your suggestions in the comments section below.

Hindi

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