Warlock specializationDPS

Destruction Warlock

Destruction is one of the three Warlock talent trees in WoW Forever. Its tree has 16 talents: 5 new, 4 changed and 7 moved. Forever removes 5 Classic talents from this tree. Our best-in-slot (BiS) list treats it as a DPS spec.

Class: Warlock
Talents: 16
New in Forever: 5
Abilities: 10

Destruction talents

The 16 talents of the Destruction tree in the beta, row by row. Each one opens its own page: what every rank does, its requirements and what changes from Classic.

Destructive ReachRow 1 · 2 ranksMoved
Improved Shadow BoltRow 1 · 5 ranksChanged
BaneRow 1 · 5 ranksMoved
Molten SkinRow 2 · 5 ranksNew
CataclysmRow 2 · 3 ranksMoved
AftermathRow 2 · 5 ranksChanged
RuinRow 3 · 5 ranksMoved
ShadowburnRow 3 · 1 rankMoved
IntensityRow 4 · 3 ranksChanged
Agonizing FlamesRow 4 · 3 ranksMoved
ConflagrateRow 4 · 1 rankMoved
PyroclasmRow 5 · 2 ranksChanged
Bane of HavocRow 5 · 1 rankNew
Fire and BrimstoneRow 5 · 3 ranksNew
Shadow and FlameRow 6 · 5 ranksNew
IncinerateRow 7 · 1 rankNew

Try Destruction in the calculator

What changes in Forever

What is new and changed for Destruction compared with Classic Era: our change list, its talent tree and its abilities.

In our change list

Our change list has nothing specific to Destruction yet. What the beta client changes in its tree and its abilities is right below.

Class-wide changes

They affect every Warlock, whatever tree they play:

New talents

Molten Skin
Reduces all damage taken by 10%.
Bane of Havoc
Afflicts the target for 5 min, causing 15% of all damage done by the Warlock to other targets to also be dealt to the cursed target. Bane of Havoc is limited to 1 target, and only one Bane per Warlock can be active on any one target.
Fire and Brimstone
Increases the critical strike chance of your Conflagrate spell by 25%.
Shadow and Flame
Hitting an enemy with Conflagrate increases all Shadow damage you deal by 10% for 20 sec, and hitting an enemy with Shadowburn increases all Fire damage you deal by 10% for 20 sec. In addition, Conflagrate has a 100% chance not to consume Immolate, and Shadowburn has a 100% chance to instantly refund a Soul Shard.
Incinerate
Deals 97 Fire damage to your target and an additional 25% damage if the target is afflicted by Immolate.

Changed or moved talents

Destructive ReachChanges: position, text.
Improved Shadow BoltChanges: text, numbers.
BaneChanges: position, text.
CataclysmChanges: position, ranks, text, numbers.
AftermathChanges: text, numbers.
RuinChanges: position, ranks, text, numbers.
ShadowburnChanges: position, text, numbers.
IntensityChanges: ranks, text, numbers.
Agonizing FlamesChanges: position, ranks, text, numbers, name.
ConflagrateChanges: position, text, numbers.
PyroclasmChanges: text, numbers.

Removed talents

New abilities

Changed abilities

ImmolateChanges: tooltip.
Shadow BoltChanges: tooltip.
Searing PainChanges: tooltip.
Rain of FireChanges: tooltip.
ShadowburnChanges: range, tooltip.
ConflagrateChanges: ranks, level, cost, tooltip.
HellfireChanges: tooltip.
Soul FireChanges: tooltip.

Destruction abilities

The 10 abilities the beta spellbook groups under Destruction, by the level they are learned at. Each one opens its own page with its ranks, cost and changes.

ImmolateLv. 1
Shadow BoltLv. 1
Searing PainLv. 18
Rain of FireLv. 20
ShadowburnTalentLv. 20
ConflagrateTalentLv. 25
Bane of HavocTalentLv. 30
HellfireLv. 30
IncinerateTalentLv. 40
Soul FireLv. 48

See Destruction in the spellbook →

Destruction best-in-slot (BiS) gear

The site’s suggestion, not an official list: we score the beta items with our stat weights for each level. The beta is capped at level 30.

Full list by levelLevel 20 Level 30beta Level 40 Level 50 Level 60

Top picks at level 60

Main hand
1. Wraith Bladeitem level 83 · Drops from Maexxna · Naxxramas (Classic data)
2. Brimstone Staffitem level 83 · Two-Hand · Drops from Loatheb · Naxxramas (Classic data)
Head
1. Plagueheart Circletitem level 88 · Quest: Plagueheart Circlet · Naxxramas (Classic data)
2. Doomcaller's Circletitem level 81 · Quest: Doomcaller's Circlet · Ahn'Qiraj (Classic data)
Chest
1. Plagueheart Robeitem level 92 · Quest: Plagueheart Robe · Naxxramas (Classic data)
2. Crystal Webbed Robeitem level 85 · Drops from Maexxna · Naxxramas (Classic data)

The two highest-scoring pieces in three slots. It is a forecast: until the beta reaches 60, items and their sources may change.

Full Destruction list at level 60 →

Why these weights

Destruction casts Shadow Bolt and Conflagrate: everything crits here (Ruin doubles crit damage), so 1% crit ≈ 10 spell power. Hit weighs as for any direct-damage caster: in Classic its cap against bosses was 16%, and Blizzard has not given Forever's now that hit is one shared stat.