In WoW Dragonflight Patch 10.1, Destruction Warlock has emerged as the go-to specialization of choice for ranged DPS players looking to get ahead of the meta.
Although Warlocks struggled somewhat in Patch 10.0, the new patch is seeing the class rise to the top of the class leaderboard, with Destruction being the most popular option for certain players early on the new raid tier’s lifespan.
Destruction Warlock was the recipient of plenty of buffs coming into Patch 10.1, and as the meta has developed in both Aberrus and the new pool of Mythic+ dungeons, Destruction looks poised to stay at or near the top of the DPS rankings. Thanks to raw DPS increases, as well as a compelling tier set bonus, Destruction is performing well in both raids and Mythic+ dungeons.
If you’re looking to reroll and start playing a Destruction Warlock to take advantage of the most popular (and maybe flavor-of-the-month) spec, here’s what you need to know about talents, gems, gear, and the order in which to prioritize your secondary stats.
Destruction Warlock talents
The talent choices at the deepest end of their respective trees are Inquisitor’s Gaze and Avatar of Destruction, both of which cause demons to spawn from your spells. There are no extra mechanics needed on your part to spawn these demons, they proc via a random chance applied to your damage-dealing spells.
Another passive back-end talent that acts as a consistent DPS booster is Chaos Incarnate, which causes your Soul Shard spenders, Chaos Bolt and Rain of Fire, to always benefit from the maximum amount of your Mastery. You could sub out Chaos Incarnate for Dimensional Rift as an alternative, as you’ll receive an extra cooldown into your rotation if you do so.
Other must-have talents include Havoc, Roaring Blaze, Sargerei Technique, and Summon Infernal. You may choose to sub out the one point of Scalding Flames for a point of Inferno if you’re in a more multi-target-focused situation.
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Destruction Warlock stat priority
Destruction Warlocks will want to prioritize their stats in this order: Haste then Mastery then Critical Strike then Versatility.
Haste is particularly valuable for Destruction as its top secondary stat, as it quickens the speed your spells are cast at. With Chaos Bolt, your most effective spell, having a particularly long cast time, you’ll want to have as much Haste as possible to ensure you’re casting Chaos Bolt (and spending Soul Shards) as quickly as possible. Haste will help keep your Soul Shard economy rolling through combat; you never want to be “oversharding” as a Destruction Warlock—a process that sees you generating more Soul Shards than you can spend.
Related: What item level gear do Mythic+ dungeons drop in WoW Dragonflight?
Mastery is Destruction’s second-most important stat, as its unique effect for the spec is an overall increase to all damage by eight percent and a damage reduction by four percent. The raw increase to both your damage and durability makes Mastery valuable, especially at an increased clip when compared to similar stats like Versatility.
Best Destruction Warlock trinkets, rings, and weapons in Dragonflight season two
As is the case with most spellcasters in Patch 10.1, Erethos, the Empty Promise will be the best available weapon for Destruction Warlocks.
The weapon drops off Scalecommander Sarkareth, so it’ll be a higher item level than other weapons you can earn in the new season. Mythic Sarkareth drops Erethos at item level 450, the highest item level among all non-legendary items in Patch 10.1.
Trinkets are a massive part of your DPS loadout, and in Dragonflight season two, there are plenty of options available to your Destruction Warlock. The spec works well with many of the new trinkets, although certain ones will obviously be better than others.
Related: All Very Rare items in WoW Dragonflight’s new raid Aberrus
We recommend the Igneous Flowstone, which will provide a massive boost to your passive DPS, as well as the Ominous Chromatic Essence, which acts as a booster to a stat of your choice. Both of those trinkets drop off in Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible, off of Magmorax and the Forgotten Experiments, respectively. The Irideus Fragment, which gives passive Mastery and an active Intellect boost, is also a competitive and respectable option.
When targeting Rings, you should be going after anything that gives Haste and Mastery. Those options include the Loop of Vitriolic Intent (Neltharion’s Lair), the Loop of Pulsing Veins (the Underrot), and the Entropic Convergence Loop (Shadowflame Amalgamation).
Best gems, potions, and consumables for Destruction Warlock
Destruction Warlocks will always want to include one Fierce Illimited Diamond in their build, which gives both Intellect and Haste. From there, the rest of your empty gem slots should be filled with Keen Ysemerald.
You should always be using Elemental Potions of Ultimate Power while in combat, and a Phial of Static Empowerment before combat. You should be opting for a Grand Banquet of the Kalu’ak (or another comparable feast) as your food of choice.
