1.0 - Introduction
2.0 - Affliction Talents
3.0 - PvP
4.0 - PvE Gear

This guide is simply intended to provide a general overview of the class. For a more in-depth and highly detailed resource on this class, check out this guide here.

1.0 - The Destruction Warlock

2.0 - Talent Builds

0/21/40 Destruction Raid DPS

2.1 - Spell Rotation

Corruption - Curse of Agony - Immolate - Shadow Bolt

Shadowbolt until either of the applied DoT's requires re-application, try and keep them up at all times by monitoring the duration as oppposed to allowing them to drop before refreshing

2.2 - Leveling Warlock Build

0/21/40

10 - 14 Cataclysm
15 - 19 Bane
20 - Shadowburn
21 - 25 Devastation
26 - 27 Destructive Reach
28 - 29 Improved Searing Pain
30 - Ruin
31 - 35 Improved Immolate
36 - 39 Emberstorm (4/5)
40 - Conflagrate
41 - 43 Soul Leech
44 - Emberstorm (5/5)
45 - 49 Shadow and Flame
50+ Continue into the demonology tree for demonic sacrifice

3.0 - Demonology PvP Build

19/0/42 Destruction Arena Build

4.0 - Number Crunching

Spell Hit - 12.6 = 1%
Spell Critical - 22.1 = 1%
Spell Penetration - 1 = 1 Lost point of Resistance
Spell Haste - 15.7 = 1%/0.025 seconds off of Global Cooldown & Spell Cast Time

Spell Damage Coefficients:

Curse of Agony - 120%
Curse of Doom - 200%
Corruption - 93.6% OR 129.6% W/ Empowered Corruption
Immolate - 65%
Seed of Corruption - 150%
Siphon Life - 100%
Unstable Affliction - 120%
Shadow Bolt - 85.71% OR 105.71% W/ Shadow and Flame
Incinerate - 71.43% OR 91.43% W/ Shadow and Flame
Life Tap - 80%

Spell Hit Cap:

Spell Hit Cap = 202

4.1 - Spell Hit, Crit, etc.

The Numbers above detail the percentage to which each point of +Spell Damage actually effects any given spell. For instance, 1 point of spell damage does not automatically equal an increase of one damage, rather it will increase it to a percentage as listed above.

If the spell you're looking for isn't listed above then simply take the base casting time(without talents) and divide it by 3.5. However, a different formula will apply to AoE spells.

Defacto Priority:

Spell Hit(Until Capped) - Spell Damage - Spell Critical

What to shoot for when entering Karazhan & Heroics:

If you simply want to make certain you're good to begin attempting karazhan and heroics try aiming for the stats below as an absolute minimum, surpassing them however is recommended to make things overall quite easier.

Additionally, you can downgrade these stats somewhat for the easier heroic dungeons as Karazhan is definitely more challenging than most if not all of them.

Spell Hit: 10%
Spell Damage: 600
Spell Critical: 20%
Health: 8,000
Mana: 7,000

What to shoot for when heading into 25-Raids:

These numbers should cover you for passing Karazhan into the 25-man raiding content, statistics such as spell hit will be notably harder to achieve prior to gearing up in Karazhan & Heroics quie a bit. Otherwise if you have this or higher by the time you eclipse Karazhan you'll be fine.

Spell Hit: 10%+
Spell Damage: 900+
Spell Critical: 23%
Health: 9,000
Mana: 8,000

4.2 - Gems

[Runed Living Ruby]
[Great Dawnstone]
[Quick Dawnstone]
[Veiled Noble Topaz]
[Reckless Noble Topaz]
[Ember Skyfire Diamond]

4.3 Enchantments

Head: Glyph of Power
Shoulders: Aldor/Scryer Inscription
Back: Spell Penetration
Chest: Exceptional Mana
Wrist: Spellpower
Hands: Major Spellpower
Legs: Runic Spellthread
Weapon: Major Spellpower OR Soulfrost

4.4 - PvE Gear Guide

Note: As this is a PvE gear guide I'll only list the PvP rewards capable of being obtained via Honor, arena rewards are however viable alternatives to many pieces of gear.

Many pieces of gear will be equally useful to all warlocks, given that all builds utilize basic core abilities such as shadowbolt and thusly benefit from the same stats for the most part.

Head:

[Annihilator Holo-Gogs] - Crafted
[Spellstrike Hood] - Crafted
[Hood of Oblivion] - Arcatraz
[Battlecast Hood] - Crafted
[Gladiator's Felweave Cowl] - PvP Reward

Neck:

[Vindicator's Pendant of Subjugation] - PvP Reward
[Brooch of Heightened Potential] - Shadow Laybrinth
[Hydra-fang Necklace] - Heroic Underbog
[Natasha's Arcane Filament] - Quest Reward
[Torc of the Sethekk Prophet]- Quest Reward

Shoulders:

[Frozen Shadoweave Shoulders] - Crafted
[Fel-tinged Mantle] - Heroic Magister's Terrace
[Duskhallow Mantle] - Normal Magister's Terrace
[Gladiator's Dreadweave Mantle] - PvP Reward

Back:

[Cloak of the Betrayed] - Normal Magister's Terrace
[Cloak of Arcane Alacrity] - (60) Badges of Justice
[Sethekk Oracle Cloak] - Sethekk Halls
[Cloak of the Black Void] - Crafted

Chest:

[Shroud of the Lore`nial] - (100) Badges of Justice
[Scarlet Sin'dorei Robes] - Heroic Magister's Terrace
[Robe of the Crimson Order] - World Drop BoE
[Warp Infused Drape] - Botanica
[Gladiator's Felweave Raiment] - PvP Reward

Wrist:

[Bracers of Nimble Thought] - Crafted BoE
[Runed Spell-cuffs] - (35) Badges of Justice
[Bindings of Raging Fire] - Magister's Terrace
[Vindicator's Silk Cuffs] - PvP Reward

Hands:

[Gloves of Arcane Acuity] - Normal Magister's Terrace
[Studious Wraps] - (60) Badges of justice
[Manaspark Gloves] - Normal Underbog
[Gloves of the Deadwatcher] - Heroic Auchenai Crypts
[Gloves of Oblivion] - Shattered Halls

Belt:

[Belt of Blasting] - Crafted BoE
[Voodoo-woven Belt] - (60) Badges of Justice
[Girdle of Ruination] - Crafted BoE
[Vindicator's Silk Belt] - PvP Reward
[Vindicator's Dreadweave Belt] - PvP Reward

Legs:

[Spellstrike Pants] - Crafted
[Legwraps of Sweltering Flame] - (100) Badges of Justice
[Breeches of the Occultist] - Heroic Black Morass
[Battlecast Pants] - Crafted BoE

Boots:

[Boots of Incantations] - (75) Badges of Justice
[Frozen Shadoweave Boots] - Crafted
[Vindicator's Silk Footguards] - PvP Reward
[Sigil-Laced Boots] - Arcatraz
[Shattrath Jumpers] - Quest Reward

Rings:

[Fused Nethergon Band] - (60) Badges of Justice
[Ashyen's Gift] - Reputation Reward
[Sparking Arcanite Ring] - Heroic Old Hillsbrad
[Band of Arcane Alacrity] - Normal Magister's Terrace
[Seal of the Exorcist] - (50) Spirit Shards
[Seer's Signet] - Reputation Reward
[Band of Dominion] - BoE World Drop

Trinkets:

[Darkmoon Card: Crusade] - Darkmoon Card Deck
[Icon of the Silver Crescent] - (41) Badges of Justice
[Scryer's Bloodgem] - Reputation Reward
[Sorcerer's Alchemist Stone] - Crafted
[Arcanist's Stone] - Heroic Old Hillsbrad

Two-Handed Weapons:

[Gladiator's War Staff] - PvP Reward
[Terokk's Shadowstaff] - Heroic Sethekk Halls
[Sun-infused Focus Staff] - Normal Magister's Terrace

Main-Hand:

[Scryer's Blade of Focus] - (150) Badges of Justice
[Jaded Crystal Dagger] - Heroic Magister's Terrace
[Gladiator's Spellblade] - PvP Reward
[Blade of Wizardry] - BoE World Drop
[Blade of the Archmage] OR [Stormcaller] - Reputation Reward

Off-Hand:

[Fetish of the Primal Gods] - (35) Badges of Justice
[Orb of the Soul-Eater] - (25) Badges of Justice
[Lamp of Peaceful Radiance] - Arcatraz
[Star-Heart Lamp] - Black Morass

Wand:

[Carved Witch Doctor's Stick] - (25) Badges of Justice
[Nether Core's Control Rod] - Arcatraz
[Voidfire Wand] - Normal Mana-tombs
[Gladiator's Touch of Defeat] - PvP Reward