I've been playing my Warlock main since forever. While some guildies have kept themselves busy by bring their fifth or sixth toon through Karazhan attunement, I've been content pottering around with my warlock, dipping into alts only when there aren't any groups or raids going on.
I've talked about leveling a Warlock, but haven't really looked at why people would pick this class in the first place. Or why some don't. So all the WoW rookies out there still sitting on the fence of class choices, or seasoned players considering yet another alt, consider this an expansion of the Warlock section in Elizabeth's excellent "Choose your class!" article.
For a while pre-BC, I was plagued with doubt over my class choice. I had my level 60 warlock at that time, but kept wondering where the class fit in the big scheme of WoW. In short, I was wondering, "Why take a Warlock, when you can have a Mage?" Both classes are cloth-wearing DPSers. Other than specific encounters where Banish or Enslave Demon were required, I couldn't think of much that set warlocks apart from mages.
Need AoE? Mages did it better. Need CC? Polymorph is more reliable. Need burst damage? Mages were faster. Need food and water? Ask the Mage. Debuffs and DoTs? Sorry, but warlocks took up too many of the eight debuff slots, pushing off those that people do need, like Sunder. Sure, warlocks were useful for summoning the occasional latecomer, but would you have really noticed the difference if the Warlock in your party or raid was replaced by a Mage?
Things have come a long way for warlocks since The Burning Crusade - maybe too long a way for some folks - let's look at some reason why you may enjoy the Warlock class:
Sustained DPS
If you like to blow things up, or watch them waste away over time, this is the class for you. With the debuff limit increased from a measly 8 to 16 and finally to a glorious 40 currently, warlocks can realize the full potential of their DoTs and debuffs in big group situations. Warlocks can also nuke like the best of them, especially if you're bent on Destruction.
The most important thing about our DPS potential is that it is sustainable over long fights through a combination of Life Tap and healing. Like warriors, rogues and feral druids, warlocks can deliver an almost inexhaustible supply of damage. And we're the only mana-based class that can do this. With some light healing, warlocks are a reliable source of damage for long fights.
Soloability and survivability
One of the Warlock's key stats is Stamina - which translates into our ability to soak some damage, even if we wear our pajamas(cloth) into battle. Warlocks also regenerate and heal themselves with drains and healthstones. Soloing warlocks have a number of tricks to survive encounters that turn ugly: soulstone, voidwalker sacrifice, and even deathcoil. Warlocks may have a relatively complex set of abilities, but they are really an ease and joy to level and solo. Thing is: we're never short of options; as a Warlock player, you only need to know these options and use them at the right time.
Viable talents
Unlike some classes where certain talent trees are more suited to some forms of gameplay, Warlock talents are all generally viable for PvE, PvP, soloing and everything in between. Optimizing the warlock build is really an exercise in splitting hairs and the talent tree you choose lies entirely with the play style you like. Warlocks certainly don't enjoy the versatility of druids, but within the confines of the DPS role, we have a wealth of options to make things go BOOM.
Lore and look
For roleplayers, the Warlock class offers a lore-rich option to be evil, power-hungry, or just plain eccentric. The look of the class just drips flavor: a bustier-wearing succubus, fiery class mounts, shadowy masks, shoulders with skulls impaled on spikes (probably gnome skulls), wings!! (see above). If you're a player who likes a dark fantasy avatar that looks foreboding and menacing, roll a lock.
Why not a lock?
So I spoke to some people on why they don't have a Warlock. Now some of these are experienced players who aren't new to leveling multiple characters. Many indicated "play style" as a reason.
Some players do not want to deal with pets at all, citing the popular notion that hunters and warlocks are "easy mode" classes that let their pets do the work for them. I prefer to see pets as physical extensions of our abilities, much like a Shaman's totems. Just because they can attack on their own does not mean that hunters and warlocks can sit back and watch the show. Incidentally, if a pet does all the work, the dead mob does not drop anything!
Some have indicated that DoTs are boring, and they prefer the exhilaration of nuking or hacking their targets down as quickly as possible. "I prefer the POW! of mages," a friend explained. At lower levels, warlocks do seem to playing a game of health management, of their own and their targets', rather than using any "shock and awe" abilities. While warlocks can whittle down multiple targets at the same time, our pace seems more deliberate and lacks the flash and dash of other DPS classes.
At later stages of the game, however, warlocks get more options in terms of nukes, both instant and those that take an eternity to cast. Destruction warlocks are the nuke monkeys of the class, with access to shadowburn, conflagrate and faster, fatter shadow bolts. So hold on to your trigger-happy fingers, young warlocks, your nuking days will come!
It's interesting to note that some players have an irrational dislike of warlocks, even when the option of rolling and understanding one is right at their fingertips. "There are too many bad warlocks", "Warlocks are OP!" are common reasons cited.
Lore-wise, warlocks aren't exactly well-liked either, consider that one of our kind, named Gul'dan, basically started this whole war. In fact, according to this great RP resource site, "role-playing a warlock is not recommended for those who are sensitive to mental or emotional abuse, as these characters will likely get insulted or harassed at some time during their career." Hmm.
Why did you roll a warlock? Why did you not roll one? Let's
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
2-20-2008 @ 11:15AM
Zardon said...
This is an honest question from a player who has a lvl 60 Warlock, and is somewhat familiar with the lore. Has there ever been a GOOD Warlock? I don't want a debate about good or evil, alliance or horde or anything like that. Just a simple question: has there ever, in the history of the WoW universe lore been a Warlock who was a good guy?
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2-20-2008 @ 12:24PM
disk2888mako said...
Just from what I know off-hand about the lore, the closest thing to a "good" warlock would be Drek'thar, the horde AV general. Currently he's a shaman, but at one time he willingly followed the path set forth by Gul'dan. He eventually renounced being a warlock, though, so I don't know if he really counts. But its hard to argue that he's one of the good guys.
2-20-2008 @ 7:43PM
Mel said...
No.
2-20-2008 @ 11:19AM
Poxus said...
For me, I played a Paladin at release...healing was boring. Then I went to a Hunter, yea the pet was cool but trying to get a group as a Hunter has to be the hardest thing in this game.
Then I went Warlock. I heard it was hard to master, needed to be played well to suceed and those qualities drew me in. Now I prefer my Warlock over everything else. Nothing comes close to the fun you have in game as a Warlock.
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2-20-2008 @ 11:23AM
Tech said...
I love playing my Lock. Like you said it is all about learning how to use all of our abilities properly. I regularly use over 20 spells/abilities and at first it was a bit overwhelming but now comes like second nature. Setting up key bindings and macros will help a lot with this also.
I just hope Blizzard stops beating us with there nerf bat like they did in every patch in 07'....maybe they will even show us some love in 08'.
/crosses fingers
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2-20-2008 @ 11:23AM
Sean said...
Warlock was the first Toon I rolled. I've played a lot of fantasy games over the years, and if I throw one more Fireball at something my head's going to come right off. ;-)
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2-20-2008 @ 11:25AM
Diaz said...
In all honesty I gave up my Lock because for me there was no challenge in it. The Lock just seems to have an answer for everything.
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2-20-2008 @ 11:49AM
Rich said...
I would have to disagree with the no challenge part. I love my Warlock because no matter the situation, there is always something he can pull out of his sleeve. I will admit it is one of the easiest classes to play, but one of the harder ones to master.
In instances, our tactics and spell selections really change depending on the pull and group make up. With SH, when there is a pally tank, my cast rotation is different then when its a bear druid or a warrior. Arc is a completely different set of tactics.
With my Mage, it seems no matter what I am facing its always Sheep, spam frostbolt until dead, move to next target. Occasionally, its throw up a frost nova or an ice block.
2-20-2008 @ 12:03PM
hpavc said...
And thus a lot of responsibility, you need to curse of recklessness the mobs just before they run. You need to soulstone the rezer, you need to searing pain mobs off squishes, you need to fear kite with skill, you need to dps and you need to crowd control, you need to watch your pets health.
All that is a little bit more than 'ez mode'
2-20-2008 @ 11:36AM
BillDoor said...
My main is a l70 feral raiding druid, but I've been leveling a Warlock lately, for fun. he's level 60 now, and ready to go into the outlands. It's a very different experience, and I sometimes marvel at how many things the warlock can get away with that the druid can't. I've come to the conclusion that a Warlock, much like a Hunter, can be an enjoyable character for just about anyone. The pet, and basic game mechanics behind both of those classes adds a bit more forgiveness than other classes have.
Having said that, to play a warlock or hunter at a high level, wether it's in PVE or PVP content, does require a lot of skill. It's impressive to watch someone who knows their class well destroy the opposition.
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2-20-2008 @ 11:54AM
Philo said...
That's funny, because I did the exact opposite: I raid with a Warlock, and I recently rerolled a Druid, and just got to 60 with it.
Interestingly enough, I also have the same comment as you, but for my Druid: I just seem to be able to get away with anything with a Druid. I can range DPS and melee DPS; I get in a tight spot? Why, I'm playing a healing class with a great little variety of spells; and those adds I just got by being careless? No worry, let's shift to Bear Form and outlive them!
I didn't find I had this flexibility with a Warlock, incidentally. Fear is nice, but it brings in more mobs unless you're comfortable with Fear-juggling them around. It's certainly not as easy.
2-20-2008 @ 1:00PM
EM said...
I'm another druid/warlock player. (Main is a feral druid, secondary is an aff/demon lock.)
Remember in the old Batman TV series, there was always some tool on the utility belt that got Batman out of any situation? Yeah, that's what playing a druid, a little less so a warlock, is like. Feral druids are easier to solo (stealth lets you solo a lot of group quests and if you get in over your head you can barkskin/regrowth or dash out).
Playing a warlock is a little like playing a puzzle game. I can drain life, give life to my pet, take mana from my pet, turn life to mana, gain mana when I kill a mob, fear a mob, unfear a mob, slow a mob... I get all these interLOCKing abilities (ha ha) and it's up to me to figure out how they all fit together.
2-20-2008 @ 11:37AM
Tiike said...
I've been playing a lock since about 6 months after WoW came out. I like a good challenge and the lock's ability to do a million things at once was just the ticket. I love dps'ing, managing my felguard, banishing, and fearing all at the same time....and doing it well. Being at the top of the dmg charts isnt bad either, lol.
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2-20-2008 @ 11:46AM
Lizardking63 said...
I'm working on my 5th 70 and it's a Warlock. So far, I love the ease at which they level. You can kill things as fast a mage, but with very little downtime. He is Affliction specced and doing the "Drain Tank" thing. He can kill multiple targets of equal level or higher and never have to stop to rest...very awesome.
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2-20-2008 @ 11:52AM
Benjamin Graven said...
I love my low level lock alt and can't wait to play her more often now that I just hit 70.
Oh, and: First WoWI post! I've fallen in love with this site!
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2-20-2008 @ 11:54AM
Mats said...
My lock is almost done with BT now, and I have played him more then I'd like to admit. The problem with the warlock is that he is to just another dps. I feel like I might as well be a mage, hunter or shadowpriest. Soloing is nice, lots of versitility there, but raiding/grouping I always prefer my warrior (alt-ing around as tank in SSC and TK).
I'm starting to feel like my lock might be left behind when Wrath comes out.
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2-20-2008 @ 11:55AM
Slayblaze said...
I like their clandestine nature... trainers are found in basements and back-alleys, never in the light of day. Draining the very SOUL from your enemy then storing it inside a crystal for later use - like reviving yourself from death itself to land that killing blow - is one of the best things in the game. Versatility of different demons based on the situation is another big plus.
Those who don't play Locks don't understand the many pains of Shard management, which of course every Lock gets used to over time so that it becomes second nature. Still, it is there...and no matter how we play we have all fallen victim to suddenly being low on shards and that sinking feeling you get when finally running out. Farming shards becomes a daily thing that must be done. Oh! And please do not offer to "help" a Lock farm shards if they say that's what they need to do - that just screws us up. We can do it on our own, it works better and faster that way.
Looking back, the Warlock-specific quests seemed a little bit of a chore at the time, but they really are some of the most memorable moments in the game for me. They are probably the best Class quests in the game in regards to length, difficulty, detail, and reward. The Warlock quests also continued up into the higher levels unlike some other classes whose end fairly early on. The Infernal questline and of course the epic mount quest were especially well-done.
I've also been playing long enough to remember when Locks were very UNDERpowered, and to see how far they've come does my heart good! Now that they have fallen a little more in line with other class's overall 'OP' level, they are a little less hated now too, although everyone still hates our Fear. It *is* a necessary evil though - we have NO defense skill at all and wear cloth: it is our only option and last resort in any situation where someone is beating on us. High STA and Soul Link aside, any cloth-wearer is very very squishy. the fact that many also use it as an offensive ability doesn't mean we need it any less!
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2-20-2008 @ 11:57AM
Meingaree said...
i could not agree with you more V, first char was a lock, made him over a year ago, and he still is my main.
I have dabbled with other classes, but cant get them past 20-30. I'm quite content playing my lock, Many people will complain about certain things, but i just love the diversity that my lock brings.
He is now in bt/hyjal, and there is no stopping him. Sure, you get nerferd everynow and then, but if you are truly playing the game for fun, they won't phase you [i] much [/i].
There is soo much to do, raid destro, have some fun in bg's. sl/sl for arena (although im not that good in arena, not easy to excell in both pve and pvp at the same time, im working on it tho), there is always something fun to do.
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2-20-2008 @ 12:00PM
Calybos said...
Warlocks are evil; I have no interest in playing (and roleplaying) an evil character.
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2-20-2008 @ 12:04PM
Xyndra said...
I started as a Mage and it wasn't until I really got bored of spamming slow casting frostbolts and constantly drinking that I looked to the lock. I now use my mage as an AH mule.
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