Welcome to the Cataclysm 85 Demonology Warlock Leveling Build Guide updated for patch 4.0.6. This spec guide will provide you with leveling talent points from levels 1 through 85, glyphs and a spell rotation for you to use.
Demonology may not be the most popular spec for leveling, but if it fits your play-style, I say go for it.
These are the best leveling talents to level 85 to go along with the best leveling route guide: Zygor’s Leveling Guide.
Cataclysm 85 Demonology Warlock Leveling Build Guide
Level 85 Warlock (0/33/8) (Link)
Affliction (0 Points)
None
Demonology (33 Points)
Demonic Embrace – Rank 3/3
Increases your total Stamina by 10%.Dark Arts – Rank 3/3
Reduces the cast time of your Imp’s Firebolt spell by 0.75 sec, increases the damage done by your Felguard’s Legion Strike by 15%, and increases the damage done by your Felhunter’s Shadow Bite by 15%.Fel Synergy – Rank 2/2
You have a 100% chance to heal your pet for 15% of the amount of spell damage done by you.Demonic Rebirth – Rank 2/2
If your summoned demon dies, you gain the Demonic Rebirth effect reducing the cast time of your next summon demon spell by 100%. Lasts for 10 sec. This effect has a 2 min cooldown.Mana Feed – Rank 2/2
When your summoned demon critically hits with its Basic Attack, you instantly gain 4% total mana.When you gain mana from Life Tap spells, your summoned demon gains 60% of the mana you gain.
Demonic Aegis – Rank 2/2
Increases the amount of health generated through spells and effects granted by your Demon Armor by an additional 10%, and increases the amount of health returned by your Fel Armor by 100%.Impending Doom – Rank 3/3
Increases the chance for your Bane of Doom to summon a demon by 30% when it deals damage.Also grants your Shadow Bolt, Hand of Gul’dan, and Incinerate spells a 15% chance to reduce the cooldown of your Demon Form by 15 sec.
Demonic Empowerment – Rank 1/1
Grants the Warlock’s summoned demon Empowerment.Imp – Instantly heals the Imp for 30% of its total health.
Voidwalker – Increases the Voidwalker’s health by 20%, and its threat generated from spells and attacks by 20% for 20 sec.
Succubus – Instantly vanishes, causing the Succubus to go into an improved Invisibility state. The vanish effect removes all stuns, snares and movement impairing effects from the Succubus.
Felhunter – Dispels all magical effects from the Felhunter.
Felguard – Instantly removes all stun, snare and movement impairing effects from your Felguard and makes your Felguard immune to them for 15 sec.
Molten Core – Rank 3/3
You have a 6% chance to gain the Molten Core effect when your Immolate deals damage. The Molten Core effect empowers your next 3 Incinerate spells cast within 15 sec, increasing damage done by 18% and reduces cast time by 30%.Hand of Gul’dan – Rank 1/1
Summons a falling meteor down upon the enemy target, dealing 1406 to 1660 Shadow damage and erupts an aura of magic within 4 yards, causing all targets within it to have a 10% increased chance to be critically hit by any Warlock demons. The aura lasts for 15 sec.Aura of Foreboding – Rank 2/2
When your Hand of Gul’dan lands, all enemies within 4 yards will be rooted for 3 sec and stunned for the same duration if they are still within the Curse of Gul’dan aura 6 sec afterward.Ancient Grimoire – Rank 2/2
Increases the duration of your Infernal and Doomguard summons by 20 sec.Inferno – Rank 1/1
Enables you to channel Hellfire while moving, and increases the duration of your Immolate by (6)) sec.Decimation – Rank 2/2
When you Shadowbolt, Incinerate or Soul Fire a target that is at or below 25% health, the cast time of your Soul Fire spell is reduced by 40% for 10 sec.Cremation – Rank 2/2
Increases the damage done by your Hellfire by 30%, and your Hand of Gul’dan has a 100% chance to refresh the duration of your Immolate on the target.Demonic Pact – Rank 1/1
Increases your spell damage by 2%, and your summoned demon grants the Demonic Pact effect to all nearby friendly party and raid members.The Demonic Pact effect increases spell power by 10%.
Metamorphosis – Rank 1/1
You transform into a Demon for 30 sec. This form increases your armor by 600%, damage by 20%, reduces the chance you’ll be critically hit by melee attacks by 6% and reduces the duration of stun and snare effects by 50%. You gain some unique demon abilities in addition to your normal abilities. 3 minute cooldown.
Destruction (8 Points)
Bane – Rank 3/3
Reduces the casting time of your Shadow Bolt, Chaos Bolt and Immolate spells by 1 sec.Shadow and Flame – Rank 3/3
Increases the damage done by your Shadow Bolt and Incinerate spells by 12%, and your Shadow Bolt and Incinerate have a 100% chance to cause the Shadow and Flame effect to the target.The Shadow and Flame effect causes the target to be vulnerable to spell damage, increasing spell critical strike chance against that target by 5% for 30 sec.
Improved Immolate – Rank 2/2
Increases the damage done by your Immolate spell by 20%.
Glyphs
Glyph of Immolate (Prime Glyph)
Increases the periodic damage of your Immolate by 10%.Glyph of Metamorphosis (Prime Glyph)
Increases the duration of your Metamorphosis by 6 sec.Glyph of Felguard (Prime Glyph)
Increases the damage done by your Felguard’s Legion Strike by 5%.Glyph of Life Tap (Major Glyph)
Reduces the global cooldown of your Life Tap by .5 sec.Glyph of Soul Link (Major Glyph)
Increases the percentage of damage shared via your Soul Link by an additional 5%.Glyph of Shadow Bolt (Major Glyph)
Reduces the mana cost of your Shadow Bolt by 15%.Glyph of Drain Soul (Minor Glyph)
Your Drain Soul restores 10% of your total mana after you kill a target that yields experience or honor.Glyph of Unending Breath (Minor Glyph)
Increases the swim speed of targets affected by your Unending Breath spell by 20%.Glyph of Ritual of Souls (Minor Glyph)
Reduces the mana cost of your Ritual of Souls spell by 70%.
Do You Want To Level Faster Like The Pros?
If you are having trouble leveling or need to level faster in WoW Cataclysm I highly suggest you check out Zygor’s Leveling Guide. It has the perfect leveling path that gets you to 85 faster and easier than any other way. No matter what level you are, you load the guide and it points with an arrow to the direction of each monster, quest giver, trainer etc. Its pretty crazy. It also has an in game box that tells you exactly what to do, like kill 5 boars, run west 10 miles, etc. If you dont have this in game add on guide, honestly, you are missing out. You can find out more here or check out the Zygor Cataclysm Leveling Guide Review.
have used many of your suggestions on many of my lvl 80′s but you don’t discuss or offer builds for detruction warlocks. Is there anything you can suggest
That will be next guide! Thanks for your interest, should be up tonight.
what would be the rotation i dont know much about demonology since i have been using destruction and affliction
Metamorphosis
Immolate
Hand of Gul’dan
Bane of Doom
Corruption
Immolation Aura
Shadowflame
Incinerate (If molten core is up)
Soul Burn -> Soul Fire
Soul Fire (If Decimation is up)
Shadow Bolt
ur rotation suggest incinerate if molten core procc, but you dont have it on the build. and why choose life tap on affli and not something from desto, like imp sf ?
I think there is something wrong on this spec: for example why do i nave to put point on lofe tap and not in molten core? and why on the rotation there is to use incenerate of i dont have molten core talent?
I think we dont have to put any talent on master summoner just a point on life tap and put 3/3 on molten core.. I think thats the best way.. What do you think?
@ Celor: The reason for putting points into Lifetap when leveling up is because it will reduce the time you have to sit and drink mana, and the less time you will have to sit to eat something for your health. If you take the 2 points here and pair it with the glyph, you will go non-stop with your 100k health pool. The 3/3 in Molten Core is a bit pointless because the proc rate on it is a lot lower now then it used to be. Survivability is the key here, and as long as you can Life Tap your mana back to keep casting spells, that is far greater then waiting for a chance for MC to proc.
@Author: Something to think about since this is a leveling guide… I don’t really recommend putting points into Molten Core as the proc rate on that is low enough on adds that it is really worthless (see above).
Something like this would benefit the player better for longer survivability (which Demo is supposed to be for) yet at the same time give some good burst power at the beginning and end.
http://www.wowhead.com/talent#IMZIbrfRzrkdour:aVm
The rotation should also be:
Meta, SB + SF, Demon Soul, Immo, Hand, BoD, Corru, CoE, SB + SF, SB. Decimate proc, SF.
Shadowflame only if in melee
Immolate Aura (Meta) only if in melee
Thanks, ill add your suggestion to the guide!
You’ve not been updated for 4.06. There is no reason to start out the rotation with SB + SF anymore since Improved SF has been made Destro only. You’ll want to remove the points in Aftermath since that’s what took the place of iSB. I disagree with parsnup on the proc chance on MC. In leveling between 81 & 85, I found it proc’ed plenty and allowed me to solo a number of things that otherwise would’ve taken groups.
Guide has been updated
Demo spec is basicly garbage. pre 4.0.6 demo could take top dps *aoes* ez in or AV pvp, if u live through it
. sad to see frost mages out dps : Hellfire,Felstorm & Imm aura. On top of that dont bother doing pvp till 80 as a demo lock.
hey i was wondering what is the best spec to go with for a lvl 50 warlock… i have seen and herd that demonology is the best to go for leveling because of the felgaurd, but i also hear that destro is good to because it can go through anything quickly… i would like a secound opinion so if you guys could help out that would be great!
Most of these guides u see are from people that are doing 12-15k dps. While this is good for them, and might be for most of you. It isnt the most you can get from Destro/Demo. Hit>INT+Mastery+Haste for Demo. I have a guildie doing 20k deeps in BH with Demo and a Destro doin 19ish in BH. ALL DAY. Dont settle for low dps. Stack Mastery like stank on shit and ur dps will fuckin be the goats nuts my negroes.
we really need forums that show rotations that are not lvl 85. i am almost lvl 50 and i cant use half the lvl 85 rotation…..so i know it must be different to get max dps (demo,afl and destr). as well as other classes and specs. i am not one to just run around waiting to turn lvl 85. i care to be the best at any lvl. butno is posting lower lvl rotations. and blizzard has not put up lower lvl practice target5s for me to figure it out myself. THIS i truely do not understand from blizzard.