Season of Discovery Affliction Warlock DPS Talents and Runes

Start by going into Affliction and pick up Improved Corruption to get your instant cast Corruption, then Suppression to get some Hit Rating. This will help you get down to Nightfall for the chance at instant Shadow Bolts and there's not really another solid option to choose from. On the way down pick up Improved Drain Life to make you gain more health when Drain Life, which you will be a lot since you'll be using the Master Channeler Rune. The two points in Improved Life Tap will help you gain more Mana whenever you Life Tap.

After that put 3 points into Improved Curse of Agony to buff your Curse of Agony and then one point into Amplify Curse in order to make that first Curse of Agony do 50% more damage. then put 2 points into both Grim Reach for the extra range, then 2 points into Nightfall to gain your chance at instant cast Shadow Bolts. Lastly put one point into Siphon Life and then five points into Shadow Mastery for the 10% increased Shadow damage.

The rest of your points will be placed into Destruction in order to get Improved Shadow Bolt to make you do more Shadow damage after your Shadow Bolt crits. Place five points into Bane to reduce the cast time of both your Shadow Bolt and Immolate, then put a point into Shadowburn so you can use it as a finisher or when you need to move during the encounter.

From here, put two points into Improved Lash of Pain to make your Succubus/Incubus do more damage, and two points into Destructive Reach to give you some more range on your Shadow Bolts. Finish off your last point into Ruin, increasing the crit damage of your Shadow Bolt by 100%.

• Head — Pandemic
• Bracers — Summon Felguard
• Gloves — Haunt
• Pants — Demonic Pact
• Chest — Demonic Tactics or Master Channeler
• Belt — Shadow and Flame
• Boot — Shadowflame
• Cloak — Soul Siphon
• Ring 1 — Fire Specialization
• Ring 2 — Shadow Specialization

There are a handful of different options for which Runes you can use as Affliction and none of them are terrible, however these are the best options for doing the most damage. Haunt is mandatory as this will not only significantly increase the damage done by all of your other DoT's besides Immolate, but will also heal you at the end.

Demonic Tactics is the best rune to use in your Chest slot, giving you and your Succubus 10% crit, resulting in you doing more damage. Master Channeler is viable and can be chosen if you feel like you need some passive healing, while still doing great damage. Master Channeler is slightly more damage until you obtain your Tier 2 6 piece set.

Shadowflame is the best and only viable option for your Boot Rune. This is a powerful damage over time spell that you'll aim to have up on the boss at all times.

The leg Rune you want to use is Demonic Pact. With the recent buff to this rune giving you 10% Fire and Shadow damage, this rune also significantly buffs your raid. All Warlock Specs will always use this rune. Everlasting Affliction is no longer worth it.

Shadow and Flame is the best option for the consistant 10% damage.

Summon Felguard is the best option for your Bracer rune since your T2 set bonus significantly buffs your Felguard.

Pandemic is a phenomenal rune that allows all of your DoT's to crit. This is also mandatory for Affliction if you can get it while leveling. Vengeance is a tanking Rune and Backdraft is for Destruction Warlocks.

Soul Siphon got severely reworked and is now pretty good for Affliction. This causes your Drain Soul to to deal damage 3 times faster and increases the amount drained by your Drain Life and Drain Soul spells by an additional 6% for each of your Warlock Shadow effects afflicting the target, up to a maximum of 18% additional effect. When Drain Soul is cast on a target below 20% health, it instead gains 50% per effect, up to a maximum of 150%. In addition, your Drain Soul can now trigger your Nightfall talent. Mark of Chaos is the best rune if you are a Support Warlock. There should ALWAYS be one Warlock using this Rune at all times.

Fire Specialization and Shadow Specialization are the new ring runes and both of these should be used at all times.

More Engravings are likely to come out as we reach higher level caps, so make sure to checkout our general Runes guide to get a better understanding of what all tools you have available to your Warlock.