Introduction
Welcome to the Affliction Warlock DPS guide written by Wexi. I am one of Method’s new Warlocks, the first time I’ve played WoW was at the end of WotLK and started raiding and playing consistently since BfA. From playing in the top 200 world ranking guild to currently playing in Method in a span of 2 years, now hopefully I can help other new players to master the class.
Affliction is very strong on spread targets encounters and now also have very strong AoE but lack at ST damage. They also aren’t very punished by encounters with decently heavy movements.
What has changed
9.1.5 Affliction Warlock Changes
Impending Catastrophe width buffed by 60% and now deals a tick of its periodic damage on impact.
Decimating Bolt cast time is reduced to 2 seconds (was 2.5 seconds previously).
Scouring Tithe instant and periodic damage increased by 20%, and cast time reduced to 1.5 seconds (was 2 seconds).
Languishing Soul Detritus critical strike chance bonus was increased to 45% (was 40% previously) and now grants a 33% movement speed buff and a 15% critical strike chance increase when Scouring Tithe expires.
No major changes for affliction; everything stays as it was. Necro and kyrian got a bit better for single target scenarios and could be better than Night Fae in some cases. Venthyr is still very bad.
9.1 Changes
Corruption buffed by ~15%.
Agony buffed by ~11%.
Dark Pact buffed by ~46%.
Shadow Embrace now lasts 16 seconds (was 12 seconds) and may be applied to more than one target at a time, was also moved from baseline to a talent row.
Malefic Rapture nerfed by ~18%.
Seed of Corruption buffed by ~25%.
Dark Caller talent is now baseline.
Haunt and Shadow Embrace now also increase the damage of pets and guardians.
Sacrolash’s Dark Strike reworked. Now it increases corruption damage by 25% (was 15%) and each time it deals damage any of your Curses active on the target are extended by 2 sec.
Adaptive Armor Fragment is a new potency conduit. When you are healed by another player, increases your primary stat by 2% for 15 sec. Can occur once every 30 sec.
Withering Bolt - new conduit instead of Cold Embrace. Shadow Bolt deals x% increased damage per damage over time effect you have active on the target.
Focused Malignancy nerfed by ~54%.
Changes from BFA to Shadowlands
The biggest changes from BFA to Shadowlands for the spec; Affliction Warlocks damage shifted around a lot and has got a new shard dumper. Malefic Rapture is the new main damage. It's very strong for multiple targets and okay on single targets. Unstable Affliction is now capped to 1 and can be cast all the time.
Shadow Embrace has been added as a standard passive.
There have been a few talent changes in rows 1,5 & 6.
Row 1 Deathbolt has been removed and replaced by Inevitable Demise.
Row 5 Demonic Circle have been removed from from the talent tree and added as a base spell replaced by Howl of Terror
Row 6 Shadow Embrace have been added as a base passive and been replaced by Dark Caller