Midnight S1
Ranged DPS

Warlock — Affliction

Affliction maintains Agony and Corruption or Wither, uses Dark Harvest for priority damage, and spends Soul Shards on Unstable Affliction or Seed of Corruption. Its damage peaks when shards, DoTs, trinkets, and Summon Darkglare align.

World of Warcraft: Midnight · Season 1

Guide contents
Spec briefing

How Affliction Warlock wins

Affliction maintains Agony and Corruption or Wither, uses Dark Harvest for priority damage, and spends Soul Shards on Unstable Affliction or Seed of Corruption. Its damage peaks when shards, DoTs, trinkets, and Summon Darkglare align.

Role
Ranged DPS
Stat lead
Item Level / Intellect then Single target: Critical Strike
Single target
Soul Harvester
Cleave / AoE
Soul Harvester
Patch 12.0.7Updated Aug 2, 2026

Strong when

  • Strong sustained, priority-target, and spread-cleave damage
  • Self-healing and utility (gateway, healthstones, curses)
  • Mobile damage with exceptional defensive and raid utility

Plan around

  • Damage falls off when targets die before DoTs can work
  • DoT maintenance across target swaps
  • Requires deliberate shard and cooldown planning
Character setup

Stat priority and consumables

Item level and effect strength still matter. Use this ordering to break close choices, then re-check it after major gear swaps.

  1. 1.Item Level / Intellect
  2. 2.Single target: Critical Strike
  3. 3.Single target: Haste = Mastery
  4. 4.AoE: Haste = Critical Strike
  5. 5.Versatility

On sustained single target, use Crit > Haste = Mastery > Versatility. In AoE and Mythic+, Haste rises to Haste = Crit > Mastery > Versatility because it accelerates DoT application, shard generation, and Seed of Corruption casts. There are no fixed caps; diminishing returns and your current gear make sims important for close items.

Consumables

Flasks, food, potions, weapon oils, and runes for this build.

5 rows
FoodRoyal RoastPrimary-stat food; Harandar Celebration is the equivalent alternative.FlaskFlask of the Shattered SunDefault damage flask.Combat PotionLight's PotentialUse in your Darkglare window.Weapon OilThalassian Phoenix OilCurrent caster weapon oil.Augment RuneVoid-Touched Augment RuneUse for raid progression and high keys.
Combat

Opener and priority

Use these as decision priorities, not a rigid cast sequence. Re-evaluate whenever targets, resources, procs, or mechanics change.

Core principles

  • Affliction is a fairly simple generator-to-spender rotation at its core, with a few short cooldowns and a small handful of rules to follow.
  • Don't overcap your Soul Shards: shards are capped at 5, overcapping is a damage loss, and they should not be pooled unless you are heading into a damage window.
  • React to procs: both Shard Instability and Nightfall proc often - stay aware of them to maximize damage and avoid overcapping the effects.
HellcallerReplaces Corruption with Wither and stacks Malevolence into the Darkglare window - Malevolence returns every minute, pairing back with Darkglare every two.

Single-target priority

  1. 1.Haunt
  2. 2.Agony
  3. 3.Wither
  4. 4.Dark Harvest
  5. 5.Summon Darkglare
  6. 6.Malevolence
  7. 7.Unstable Affliction - cast as many as possible
  8. 8.Malefic Grasp

AoE priority

  1. 1.Seed of Corruption
  2. 2.Haunt - on your priority target
  3. 3.Agony - on a handful of targets
  4. 4.Summon Darkglare
  5. 5.Malevolence
  6. 6.Dark Harvest
  7. 7.Seed of Corruption - as many times as possible
  8. 8.Malefic Grasp

Opener

  1. 1.Precast Haunt so it lands as the pull happens, with your racial and on-use trinket.
  2. 2.Cast Agony on pull, then Wither.
  3. 3.Cast Dark Harvest, then Summon Darkglare, then Malevolence.
  4. 4.Cast as many Unstable Affliction as possible, then Malefic Grasp.
  5. 5.Proceed onto the normal priority list.
Soul HarvesterThe shard engine: Shadow of Death grants 3 Soul Shards on every Dark Harvest cast, feeding chained Unstable Afflictions through the Darkglare window.

AoE priority

  1. 1.Seed of Corruption
  2. 2.Haunt - on your priority target
  3. 3.Agony - on a handful of targets
  4. 4.Summon Darkglare
  5. 5.Dark Harvest
  6. 6.Seed of Corruption - as many times as possible
  7. 7.Malefic Grasp

Opener

  1. 1.Precast Haunt so it lands as the pull happens, with your racial and on-use trinket.
  2. 2.Cast Agony on pull, then Corruption.
  3. 3.Cast Summon Darkglare, then 2-3 Unstable Affliction.
  4. 4.Cast Dark Harvest, then as many Unstable Affliction as possible, then Malefic Grasp.
  5. 5.Proceed onto the normal priority list.

Pre-combat checks

  • Get your food buff and weapon oil applied.
  • Summon your pet.
  • Drop Healthstones - cast Create Soulwell so every party or raid member gets one.
  • Place your portals: Summon Demonic Circle for yourself and Demonic Gateway for the group, in appropriate locations.
  • Double check your talents for the boss before the pull.

Major cooldowns

Summon Darkglare

  • Your major cooldown on a two-minute timer: it increases the damage of your active DoT effects by 20% while active.
  • Cast Darkglare BEFORE you begin chain-casting Unstable Affliction so the damage amp covers the entire duration of your Unstable Affliction effects.

Dark Harvest

  • A spec-tree talent that functions differently per hero tree, with cooldown reduction from Cull the Weak making it roughly a 40-second cooldown.
  • Hellcaller: simply press it when it is off cooldown for its damage value.
  • Soul Harvester: it is the capstone of the tree via Shadow of Death, granting 3 Soul Shards per cast - which vastly increases shard generation and also yields slightly more Cull the Weak cooldown reduction than Hellcaller gets.

Malevolence

  • The Hellcaller capstone on a one-minute cooldown - with Through the Felvine, pair it with every Darkglare cast: Malevolence every minute, lining back up with Darkglare every two minutes.
  • The effect grants a small Haste buff, increases the stack count of EACH active Wither by 6, and causes targets affected by Wither to take damage.

Advanced tips

Gameplay and pandemic

  • Cast Dark Harvest essentially on cooldown as long as you will not overcap Soul Shards - remember it only generates shards as Soul Harvester, not Hellcaller.
  • Maintain Unstable Affliction while passively pooling shards for your Summon Darkglare window, and sync Dark Harvest into the Darkglare window to regenerate shards once your pre-pooled ones are spent.
  • Refreshing DoTs slightly before the pandemic window is only a small loss, but it is still worth min-maxing. Pandemic ranges: Agony 4.5 seconds, Corruption 4.2 seconds, Unstable Affliction 6.3 seconds.
  • Refreshing DoTs on the move is a DPS gain over casting nothing - mobility is one of Affliction's main perks.
Build

Talents and hero trees

Use Soul Harvester for the single-target profile below and Soul Harvester when cleave or adds make its toolkit more valuable.

Recommended starting profiles

Single-target: Soul Harvester

Soul Harvester is the current default for single target and small-target cleave, amplifying Unstable Affliction builds.

  • Soul Harvester hero tree
  • Stat priority: Item Level / Intellect > Critical Strike
  • Interrupt: Spell Lock

Multi-target: Soul Harvester

Soul Harvester is also the current default Mythic+ build. Hellcaller is a strong alternative only for sustained spread cleave where Wither can keep working.

  • Soul Harvester hero tree
  • Prioritize AoE and add-swap talents
  • Interrupt: Spell Lock

Verified import strings

Start with the profile matching your content. Boss and dungeon tabs in the gear section show the exact loadout used for each ranked result.

Open talent calculator

Soul Harvester - Single Target

The current default single-target build. It uses Xavius' Gambit, Cascading Calamity, and Fatal Echoes to amplify Unstable Affliction.

Soul HarvesterXavius' GambitCascading CalamityFatal EchoesUnstable AfflictionSummon Darkglare
In-game import string
CkQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwMzMzoZjhZmZmlBAAYmZZ2mZmFzAAjttBGwAmhlADbDAAAzAAAYmZMjZGDDzYmZGDmZmBAYGYA
Open in talent calculator →Raid BiS equipment ↓

Soul Harvester - Mythic+

The recommended key build. Seeds of Destruction, Patient Zero, and Sow the Seeds turn Seed of Corruption into a reliable stacked-pack spender.

Soul HarvesterSeeds of DestructionPatient ZeroSow the SeedsSeed of CorruptionSummon Darkglare
In-game import string
CkQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwMjZGNbmxmZGzyAAAmZmlZzMz2YAgx22ADYCmhtADbDAAAGAAAzMjZMzsNzYGMzMzYYmZmBAMDMA
Open in talent calculator →Live Mythic+ gear →

Hellcaller - Spread Cleave

Use this alternative when multiple targets live long enough for Wither and Malevolence to do real work. It is not the default stacked Mythic+ build.

HellcallerWitherMalevolenceSeeds of Their DemiseUnstable AfflictionSummon Darkglare
In-game import string
CkQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwMzMzoZjBzMmlBAAYmZZWmZmlxAAWgBmFjGzAysAWGAAAMAAwMDmZGzMMGmZmZmZGMzMzAAmBG
Open in talent calculator →Raid BiS equipment ↓

Complete talent reference

Every class, specialization, and hero-tree talent from Blizzard game data. Active and choice talents stay open; passive nodes remain searchable and expand on demand.

Build a custom loadout
Talent type

Warlock class tree

Shared class talents, including throughput, control, defensives, and movement.

47 of 47 shown

Active and choice talents

Fel DominationActiveYour next Imp, Voidwalker, Incubus, Succubus, Felhunter, or Felguard Summon spell is free and has its casting time reduced by 90%. Burning RushActiveIncreases your movement speed by 50%, but also damages you for 4% of your maximum health every 1 sec. Movement impairing effects may not reduce you below 100% of normal movement speed. Lasts until canceled.NightmareChoiceIncreases the amount of damage required to break your fear effects by 60%.HorrifyChoiceYour Fear causes the target to tremble in place instead of fleeing in fear.BanishActiveBanishes an enemy Demon, Aberration, or Elemental, preventing any action for 30 sec. Limit 1. Casting Banish again on the target will cancel the effect.Curse of ExhaustionActiveReduces the target's movement speed by 50% for 12 sec. Curses: A warlock can only have one Curse active per target.Curse of TonguesActiveForces the target to speak in Demonic, increasing the casting time of all spells by 30% for 1 min. Curses: A warlock can only have one Curse active per target.Mortal CoilActiveHorrifies an enemy target into fleeing, incapacitating for 3 sec and healing you for 20% of maximum health.Demonic CircleActiveSummons a Demonic Circle for 15 min. Cast Demonic Circle: Teleport to teleport to its location and remove all movement slowing effects. You also learn: Demonic Circle: Teleport Teleports you to your Demonic Circle and removes all movement slowing effects.Dark PactActiveSacrifices 20% of your current health to shield you for 200% of the sacrificed health plus an additional 950 for 20 sec. Usable while suffering from control impairing effects.Ichor of DevilsChoiceDark Pact sacrifices only 5% of your current health for the same shield value.Frequent DonorChoiceReduces the cooldown of Dark Pact by 15 sec.Strength of WillChoiceUnending Resolve reduces damage taken by an additional 15%.Dark AccordChoiceReduces the cooldown of Unending Resolve by 45 sec.Demonic GatewayActiveCreates a demonic gateway between two locations. Activating the gateway transports the user to the other gateway. Each player can use a Demonic Gateway only once per 90 sec.Howl of TerrorChoiceLet loose a terrifying howl, causing 5 enemies within 10 yds to flee in fear, disorienting them for 20 sec. Damage may cancel the effect.ShadowfuryChoiceStuns all enemies within 8 yds for 3 sec.SoulburnActiveConsumes a Soul Shard, unlocking the hidden power of your spells. Demonic Circle: Teleport: Increases your movement speed by 50% and makes you immune to snares and roots for 6 sec. Demonic Gateway: Can be cast instantly. Drain Life: Gain an absorb shield equal to the amount of healing done for 30 sec. This shield cannot exceed 30% of your maximum health. Healthstone: Increases the healing of your Healthstone by 30% and increases your maximum health by 20% for 12 sec.Blight of WeaknessChoiceCall forth a cloud of cloying shadow mist that envelopes the target and all enemies within 10 yds, increasing the time between their attacks by 100% and reducing their critical strike chance by 10% for 12 sec. Curses: A warlock can only have one Curse or Blight active per target.Blight of TonguesChoiceCall forth a cloud of cloying shadow mist that envelopes the target and all enemies within 10 yds, increasing their casting time of all spells by 100% for 12 sec. Curses: A warlock can only have one Curse or Blight active per target.

Passive talents

Soul LeechPassiveAll single-target damage done by you and your minions grants you and your pet shadowy shields that absorb 3% of the damage dealt for 15 sec, up to 5% of maximum health.Fel PactPassiveReduces the cooldown of Fel Domination by 60 sec.Demon SkinPassive2 ranksYour Soul Leech absorption now passively recharges at a rate of 0.2% of maximum health every 1 sec, and may now absorb an additional 10% of maximum health. Increases your armor by 90%.Fel ArmorPassive2 ranksWhen Soul Leech absorbs damage, 10% of damage taken is absorbed and spread out over 5 sec. Reduces damage taken by 3.0%.Fiendish StridePassiveReduces the damage dealt by Burning Rush by 10%. Burning Rush increases your movement speed by an additional 20%.Demonic EmbracePassiveStamina increased by 10%.Demonic FortitudePassiveIncreases you and your pets' maximum health by 5%.Infernal BeneficiaryPassiveHealing done by Drain Life also heals your primary demon at 400% effectiveness.Pact of the AnnihilanPassiveIncreases your critical strike chance by 2%.Pact of the SatyrPassiveIncreases your haste by 2%.Improved Mortal CoilPassiveIncreases the range of Mortal Coil by 10 yds and Mortal Coil now heals for an additional 5% of maximum health.Foul MouthPassiveCasting Curse of Exhaustion, Curse of Tongues, or Curse of Weakness now curses all enemies within 10 yds of the target.Empowered HealthstonePassiveHealthstones heal you for an additional 5% additional health.Abyss WalkerPassiveUsing Demonic Circle: Teleport or your Demonic Gateway reduces all damage you take by 4% for 10 sec.Fortified SoulPassiveSoul Leech may now absorb an additional 5% of your maximum health.Teachings of the Black HarvestPassiveYour primary pets gain a bonus effect. Imp: Successful Singe Magic casts grant the target 4% damage reduction for 5 sec. Voidwalker: Reduces the cooldown of Shadow Bulwark by 30 sec. Felhunter: Reduces the cooldown of Devour Magic by 5 sec. Sayaad: Reduces the cooldown of Seduction by 10 sec and causes the target to walk faster towards the demon.Gorefiend's AvaricePassiveDrain Life now channels 100% faster and restores health 100% faster.Pact of the EredarPassiveIncreases your Intellect by 3%.Pact of the NathrezimPassiveIncreases your Leech by 2%.Demonic ResiliencePassiveReduces the chance you will be critically struck by 2%. All damage your primary demon takes is reduced by 8%.Empowered Drain LifePassiveDrain Life heals for an additional 200% of damage dealt and grants Soul Leech equal to 10% of damage dealt.Swift ArtificePassiveReduces the cast time of Soulstone and Create Healthstone by 50%.Soul LinkPassive2 ranks10% of all damage you take is taken by your demon pet instead. While Grimoire of Sacrifice is active, your Stamina is increased by 6%.Frequent TravelerPassiveReduces the cast time of Demonic Gateway by 0.5 sec and you can now use Demonic Gateways twice before triggering a cooldown.Fel SynergyPassive2 ranksSoul Leech also heals you for 15% and your pet for 50% of the absorption it grants.Oppressive DarknessPassiveReduces the cooldown of Shadowfury by 15 sec and increases its radius by 2 yds. Reduces the cooldown of Howl of Terror by 5 sec and it now fears 5 additional enemies.Pact of GluttonyPassiveHealthstones you conjure for yourself are now Demonic Healthstones and can be used multiple times in combat. Demonic Healthstones cannot be traded. Demonic Healthstone Instantly restores 25% health. 60 sec cooldown.

Affliction specialization tree

Every Affliction talent currently exposed by Blizzard game data.

40 of 40 shown

Active and choice talents

AgonyActiveInflicts increasing agony on the target, causing up to 2,379 Shadow damage over 18 sec. Damage starts low and increases over the duration. Refreshing Agony maintains its current damage level. Agony damage sometimes generates 1 Soul Shard.Unstable AfflictionActiveAfflicts the target with 1,287 Shadow damage over 8 sec. Multiple uses of this ability may overlap. If dispelled, deals 14,850 damage to the dispeller and silences them for 4 sec. This damage is increased by 15% per stack on the target. Generates 1 Soul Shard if the target dies while afflicted.Seed of CorruptionActiveEmbeds a demon seed in the enemy target that will explode after 10.7 sec, dealing 890 Shadow damage to all enemies within 10 yards and applying Corruption to them. Damage reduced beyond 8 targets. The seed will detonate early if the target is hit by other detonations, or takes 190 damage from your spells.HauntActiveA ghostly soul haunts a single target, dealing 2,692 Shadow damage and increasing your damage dealt to the target by 12% for 18 sec. If the target dies, Haunt's cooldown is reset.Improved Shadow BoltChoiceReduces the cast time of Shadow Bolt by 15% and increases its damage by 40%.Drain SoulChoiceReplaces Shadow Bolt. Drains the target's soul, causing 2,117 Shadow damage over 4.5 sec. Damage is increased by 100% against enemies below 20% health. Generates 1 Soul Shard if the target dies during this effect.Absolute CorruptionChoiceCorruption is now permanent and deals 15% increased damage. Duration reduced to 24 sec against players.Siphon LifeChoiceCorruption deals 30% increased damage and its periodic damage heals you for 5% of the damage dealt.Dark HarvestActiveConsume the life force of each target afflicted by your damaging periodic effects, dealing 12,764 Shadowflame damage over 2.7 sec. Damage dealt by Dark Harvest heals you for 50% of damage done.Summon DarkglareActiveSummons a Darkglare from the Twisting Nether that increases the damage of your Agony, Corruption, and Unstable Affliction by 20% while active. The Darkglare will serve you for 20 sec, blasting its target for 1,865 Shadow damage, increased by 10% for every damage over time effect you have active on their current target.Summoner's EmbraceChoiceIncreases the damage dealt by your spells and your demon by 3%.Grimoire of SacrificeChoiceSacrifices your demon pet for power, gaining its command demon ability, and causing your spells to sometimes also deal 141 additional Shadow damage. Lasts until canceled or until you summon a demon pet.Shadow of NathrezaActiveHaunt now calls upon a demonic soul from within the Twisting Nether to haunt your target. The soul is unstable and ravenous, dealing 2,474 Shadow damage to its host and 3 enemies within 10 yards suffering from your Corruption over its duration.

Passive talents

NightfallPassiveCorruption damage has a chance to cause your next Shadow Bolt or Malefic Grasp to deal 25% increased damage. Shadow Bolt is instant cast and Malefic Grasp channels 50% faster when affected.Shared AgonyPassiveIncreases Agony damage by 10% and Agony now hits another nearby enemy within 15 yds of the target.Improved HauntPassiveIncreases the damage of Haunt by 35% and reduces its cast time by 0.3 sec.Cunning CrueltyPassiveShadow Bolt and Drain Soul have a chance to trigger a Shadow Bolt Volley, dealing 494 Shadow damage to 5 enemies within 10 yards of your current target.Withering BoltPassive2 ranksShadow Bolt and Drain Soul deal 10% increased damage, up to 30%, per damage over time effect you have active on the target.Creeping DeathPassive2 ranksYour Agony, Corruption, and Unstable Affliction deal damage 20% faster.Practiced PestilencePassiveMastery increased by 2%.Cull the WeakPassiveCasting Unstable Affliction or Seed of Corruption reduces the cooldown of Dark Harvest by 1.5 sec.MaledictionPassiveIncreases the critical strike chance of Agony, Corruption, and Unstable Affliction by 5%.Sudden OnsetPassiveAgony damage is increased by 10% and starts at 3 stacks.Eye ContractPassiveIncreases the duration of Summon Darkglare by 5.0 sec.Malefic GraspPassiveWhile Darkglare is active, your Shadow Bolt becomes Malefic Grasp. Malefic Grasp Binds the target in twilight, dealing 4,003 Shadow damage over 3.6 sec. When Malefic Grasp deals damage, it causes all of your other periodic Affliction damage effects to instantly deal 30% of their normal periodic damage.Nether PlatingPassiveAdorns your Darkglare with armor forged from within Antorus, increasing their armor by 10%. Eye Beam now jumps to up to 4 additional targets within 10 yards and deals 10% increased damage.Sacrolash's Dark StrikePassiveCorruption damage is increased by 15%, and each time it deals damage any of your Curses active on the target are extended by 0.5 sec.ContagionPassiveIncreases critical strike damage dealt by Agony, Corruption, and Unstable Affliction by 15%.Shard InstabilityPassiveDamage dealt by Shadow Bolt has a 20% chance to make your next Unstable Affliction cost no Soul Shards and cast instantly.Niskaran MethodsPassiveIncreases damage dealt by Agony and Corruption by 10%.Potent Soul ShardsPassiveIncreases damage dealt by Unstable Affliction and Seed of Corruption by 5%.Nocturnal YieldPassiveIncreases Corruption damage by 10% and Nightfall additionally makes your next Seed of Corruption cost no Soul Shards and cast instantly.Xavius' GambitPassive2 ranksReduces the cast time of Unstable Affliction by 0.30 sec and increases its damage by 10%.Ravenous AfflictionsPassiveCritical strikes from your Agony, Corruption, and Unstable Affliction have a chance to grant Nightfall.Seeds of DestructionPassive2 ranksReduces the cast time of Seed of Corruption by 0.40 sec and increases its damage by 10%.Fatal EchoesPassiveWhen Unstable Affliction expires, it has a 10% chance to reapply itself. Cascading CalamityPassiveCasting Unstable Affliction on a target affected by your Unstable Affliction increases your Haste by 5% for 15 sec.Death's EmbracePassiveAgony, Corruption, Unstable Affliction, Seed of Corruption, and Shadow Bolt deal up to 40% increased damage on targets below 35% health. Damage increase is higher against lower health targets.Patient ZeroPassiveIncreases damage dealt by Seed of Corruption to its host by 50%.Sow the SeedsPassiveSeed of Corruption now embeds demon seeds into 2 additional nearby enemies at 50% effectiveness.

Soul Harvester

Soul Harvester hero talents, including every active, choice, and passive node exposed by Blizzard.

17 of 17 shown

Active and choice talents

Shared FateChoiceWhen you kill a target, its tortured soul is flung into a nearby enemy for 3 sec. This effect inflicts 192 Shadow damage to enemies within 10 yds every 0.9 sec. Deals reduced damage beyond 8 targets.Feast of SoulsChoiceWhen you kill a target, you have a chance to generate a Soul Shard that is guaranteed to be a Succulent Soul.Eternal ServitudeChoiceFel Domination cooldown is reduced by 90 sec.Gorefiend's ResolveChoiceTargets resurrected with Soulstone resurrect with 40% additional health and 80% additional mana.Gorebound FortitudeChoiceYou always gain the benefit of Soulburn when consuming a Healthstone, increasing its healing by 30% and increasing your maximum health by 20% for 12 sec.Friends In Dark PlacesChoiceDark Pact now shields you for an additional 50% of the sacrificed health.

Passive talents

Wicked ReapingPassiveDamage dealt by your demonic soul is increased by 10%. Consuming Demonic Core feeds the demonic entity within you, causing it to appear and deal 914 Shadow damage to your target.Necrolyte TeachingsPassiveShadow Bolt damage increased by 20%. Power Siphon increases the damage of Demonbolt by an additional 20%.Demoniac's FervorPassiveYour demonic soul deals 100% increased damage to the main target of Hand of Gul'dan.Sataiel's VolitionPassiveWild Imp damage increased by 35% and Wild Imps that are imploded have an additional 5% chance to grant a Demonic Core.QuietusPassiveSoul Anathema damage increased by 25% and is dealt 20% faster. Consuming Demonic Core activates Shared Fate or Feast of Souls.Soul AnathemaPassiveUnleashing your demonic soul bestows a fiendish entity unto the soul of its targets, dealing 488 Shadow damage over 10 sec. If this effect is reapplied, any remaining damage will be added to the new Soul Anathema.Demonic SoulPassiveA demonic entity now inhabits your soul, allowing you to detect if a Soul Shard has a Succulent Soul when it's generated. Consuming a Succulent Soul unleashes your demonic soul, dealing 1,342 Shadow damage to all enemies within 10 yds of the target. Damage reduced beyond 8 targets.Shadow of DeathPassiveYour Summon Demonic Tyrant spell is empowered by the demonic entity within you, causing it to grant 3 Soul Shards that each contain a Succulent Soul.Eternal HungerPassiveIncreases the duration of Manifested Avarice by 5 sec and increases the damage of Soul Swipe by 10%.Shared VesselPassiveIncreases your Mastery by 2%. This effect is doubled while the demonic entity is aiding you in combat.Manifested AvaricePassiveEach Succulent Soul consumed has an increasing chance to unleash the Demonic Soul within you, enabling it to assault your enemies for 9 sec. Soul Swipe Strikes nearby enemies with a malevolent claw, dealing 742 Shadow damage to its target and 495 Shadow damage to other enemies in 10 yds.

Hellcaller

Hellcaller hero talents, including every active, choice, and passive node exposed by Blizzard.

17 of 17 shown

Active and choice talents

Curse of the SatyrChoiceCurse of Weakness is empowered and transforms into Curse of the Satyr. Curse of the Satyr Increases the time between an enemy's attacks by 20% and the casting time of all spells by 30% for 2 min. Curses: A warlock can only have one Curse active per target.Aura of EnfeeblementChoiceWhile Unending Resolve is active, enemies within 30 yds are affected by Curse of Tongues and Curse of Weakness at 100% effectiveness.Zevrim's ResilienceChoiceDark Pact heals you for 625 every 1 sec while active.Illhoof's DesignChoiceSacrifice 10% of your maximum health. Soul Leech now absorbs an additional 15% of your maximum health.WitherActiveBestows a vile malediction upon the target, burning the sinew and muscle of its host, dealing 75 Shadowflame damage immediately and an additional 1,258 Shadowflame damage over 18 sec. Replaces Corruption.MalevolenceActiveDark magic erupts from you and corrupts your soul for 20 sec, causing enemies suffering from your Wither to take 4,808 Shadowflame damage and increase its stack count by 6. While corrupted your Haste is increased by 8% and spending Soul Shards on damaging spells grants 1 additional stack of Wither.Hatefury RitualsChoiceWither deals 30% increased periodic damage but its duration is 15% shorter.Bleakheart TacticsChoiceWither damage increased 20%. When Wither gains a stack from Blackened Soul, it has a chance to gain an additional stack.

Passive talents

Seeds of Their DemisePassiveAfter Wither reaches 8 stacks or when its host reaches 20% health, Wither deals 378 Shadowflame damage to its host every 1 sec until 1 stack remains. When Blackened Soul deals damage, you have a chance to gain Shard Instability.Mark of XaviusPassiveWither damage increased by 25%. Blackened Soul deals 2% increased damage per stack of Wither.Blackened SoulPassiveSpending Soul Shards on damaging spells will further corrupt enemies affected by your Wither, increasing its stack count by 1. Each time Wither gains a stack it has a chance to collapse, consuming a stack every 1 sec to deal 378 Shadowflame damage to its host until 1 stack remains.Mark of Peroth'arnPassiveCritical strike damage dealt by Wither is increased by 10%. Wither has a chance to gain a stack when it critically strikes. Stacks gained this way do not activate Blackened Soul.Xalan's CrueltyPassiveShadow damage dealt by your spells and abilities is increased by 6% and your Shadow spells gain 10% more critical strike chance from all sources.Xalan's FerocityPassiveFire damage dealt by your spells and abilities is increased by 6% and your Fire spells gain 10% more critical strike chance from all sources.Alzzin's IniquityPassiveMalevolence grants an additional 4% Haste and when cast increases the stack count of active Withers by an additional 2 stacks. Devil FruitPassivePeriodic damage dealt by Wither has a chance to grant Malevolence for 8 sec.Through the FelvinePassiveIncreases the damage of Chaos Bolt by 35% and Rain of Fire by 6%. This effect is doubled while Malevolence is active.

Diabolist

Diabolist hero talents, including every active, choice, and passive node exposed by Blizzard.

17 of 17 shown

Active and choice talents

Soul-Etched CirclesChoiceYou always gain the benefit of Soulburn when casting Demonic Circle: Teleport, increasing your movement speed by 50% and making you immune to snares and roots for 6 sec.Annihilan's BellowChoiceHowl of Terror cooldown is reduced by 10 sec and range is increased by 5 yds.Cruelty of KerxanChoiceSummon Infernal grants Diabolic Ritual and reduces its duration by 3 sec.Infernal MachineChoiceSpending Soul Shards on damaging spells while your Infernal is active decreases the duration of Diabolic Ritual by 1 additional sec.Infernal VitalityChoiceUnending Resolve heals you for 30% of your maximum health over 10 sec.Infernal BulwarkChoiceUnending Resolve grants Soul Leech equal to 10% of your maximum health and increases the maximum amount Soul Leech can absorb by 10% for 8 sec.

Passive talents

Secrets of the CovenPassiveMother of Chaos empowers your next Incinerate to become Infernal Bolt. Infernal Bolt Hurl a bolt enveloped in the infernal flames of the abyss, dealing 5,119 Fire damage to your enemy target and generating 3 Soul Shards.RuinationPassiveSummoning a Pit Lord causes your next Chaos Bolt to become Ruination. Ruination Call down a demon-infested meteor from the depths of the Twisting Nether, dealing 9,644 Chaos damage on impact to all enemies within 8 yds of the target and summoning 3 Wild Imps. Damage is reduced beyond 8 targets.Abyssal DominionPassiveSummon Infernal becomes empowered, dealing 40% increased damage. When your Summon Infernal ends, it fragments into two smaller Infernals at 50% effectiveness that lasts 10 sec.Flames of XorothPassiveFire damage increased by 4% and damage dealt by your demons is increased by 4%.Gloom of NathrezaPassiveEnemies marked by your Havoc take 7% increased damage from your single target spells.Cloven SoulsPassiveEnemies damaged by your Overlord have their souls cloven, increasing damage taken by you and your pets by 5% for 15 sec.Diabolic RitualPassiveCasting Chaos Bolt, Rain of Fire, or Shadowburn grants Diabolic Ritual for 20 sec. If Diabolic Ritual is already active, its duration is reduced by 1 sec instead. When Diabolic Ritual expires you gain Demonic Art, causing your next Chaos Bolt, Rain of Fire, or Shadowburn to summon an Overlord, Mother of Chaos, or Pit Lord that unleashes a devastating attack against your enemies.Touch of RancoraPassiveDemonic Art increases the damage of your next Chaos Bolt, Rain of Fire, or Shadowburn by 20% and reduces its cast time by 50%. Casting Chaos Bolt reduces the duration of Diabolic Ritual by 1 additional sec.Mind's EyesPassiveYour Diabolic Oculi observe the battlefield and collect information that is imparted to you upon being exploded, each Diabolic Oculi increasing your Intellect by 2% for 10 sec.Looks That KillPassiveYour Diabolic Oculi now cast Diabolic Gaze at your primary demon's target every 1 sec while active. Diabolic Gaze Fire a beam of destructive chaos magic at the target, dealing 304 Chaos damage. Damage is increased by 100% per Demonic Oculus active.Diabolic OculiPassiveYou summon a Diabolic Oculus, up to 3, each time the duration of Diabolic Ritual is reduced by one of your spells. Diabolic Oculi explode when consuming Demonic Art, dealing 891 Fire damage to all enemies within 10 yds of the target. Damage reduced beyond 8 targets.
Gear

Boss and dungeon loadouts

Switch between raid and Mythic+ to inspect the top player for every available encounter: exact talents, source link, item level, enchant and socket counts, and the player's gear.

Loading verified raid results

Pulling the top Warcraft Logs result, exact talents, and equipment for each boss.

Editorial acquisition targets

Use these slot targets when planning drops and crafted pieces. The encounter explorer above remains the source for the exact gear worn by each ranked player.

Raid acquisition targets

16 slots
Abyssal Immolator's Smoldering Flames
Head
298
TierEmpowered Rune of Avoidance
Lightblinded Vanguard
Ribbon of Coiled Malice
Neck
298
Crit / HastePowerful Eversong Diamond
Fallen-King Salhadaar
Echoing Void Mantle
Shoulder
298
Crit / MasteryAmirdrassil's Grace
Belo'ren, Child of Al'ar
Draconic Nullcape
Back
298
Crit / HasteArcanoweave Lining
Vaelgor & Ezzorak
Mycomancer's Rot Robes
Chest
298
TierMark of the Worldsoul
Rotmire / Catalyst
Voracious Wristwraps
Wrist
298
Crit / MasteryArcanoweave Lining
Vorasius
Abyssal Immolator's Grasps
Hands
298
Tier
Vorasius
Endless March Waistwrap
Waist
298
Crit / Haste
Imperator Averzian
Abyssal Immolator's Pillars
Legs
298
TierSunfire Silk Spellthread
Vaelgor & Ezzorak
Luxurious Loamstriders
Feet
298
Crit / MasteryLynx's Dexterity
Rotmire
Bond of Light
Finger
298
Crit / HasteNature's Wrath
Lightblinded Vanguard
Signet of the Starved Beast
Finger
298
Crit / MasteryNature's Wrath
Vorasius
Gaze of the Alnseer
Trinket
298
Best passive trinket
Chimaerus
Vaelgor's Final Stare
Trinket
298
Hold for Darkglare
Vaelgor & Ezzorak
Blade of the Blind Verdict
Weapon
298
Crit / HasteAcuity of the Ren'dorei
Lightblinded Vanguard
Grimoire of the Eternal Light
Off-Hand
298
Crit / Mastery
Vorasius

Mythic+ acquisition targets

9 slots
Abyssal Immolator's Smoldering Flames
Head
298
TierEmpowered Rune of Avoidance
Catalyst / Vault
Barbed Ymirheim Choker
Neck
298
Socketed neckPowerful Eversong Diamond
Catalyst / Vault
Mantle of Dark Devotion
Shoulder
298
Crit / HasteAmirdrassil's Grace
Windrunner Spire
Defiant Defender's Drape
Back
298
Haste / MasteryArcanoweave Lining
Magisters' Terrace
Abyssal Immolator's Dreadrobe
Chest
298
TierMark of the Worldsoul
Catalyst / Vault
Entropic Wristwraps
Wrist
298
Crit / HasteArcanoweave Lining
Seat of the Triumvirate
Emberwing Feather
Trinket
298
Two-minute on-use for Darkglare
Windrunner Spire
Heart of Wind
Trinket
298
Strong passive alternative
Windrunner Spire
Splitshroud Stinger
Weapon
298
Haste / CritAcuity of the Ren'dorei
Magisters' Terrace
Enhancements

Enchants

Choose enhancements after your equipment is settled. Secondary-stat enchant choices move with your current stat mix and the content you are preparing for.

Recommended enchants
8 recommendations
Empowered Rune of Avoidance+30 Avoidance - Outdoor kills in Midnight zones grant a burst of movement speedHelmAmirdrassil's GraceShouldersMark of the Worldsoul+50 Primary StatChestSunfire Silk Spellthread+41 Intellect - +115 StaminaLegs - Current cloth leg enhancement.TailoringLynx's Dexterity+19 Avoidance - +232 StaminaBootsNature's Wrath on both ringsRingsAcuity of the Ren'doreiWeapon enchant - +53 Primary Stat for 15 sec when Might of the Void triggersWeapon - Current caster weapon enchant.EnchantingNature's Wrath+2 Intellect - +2 AgilityRings - Use on both rings; replace only if your own sim or a secondary-stat breakpoint calls for it.Enchanting
Enhancements

Gems

Socket into the current stat priority, then re-check after major equipment swaps rather than treating a gem choice as permanent.

Recommended gems
5 recommendations
Powerful Eversong Diamond+23 Primary Stat - +0.15% critical strike effectiveness per unique Midnight gem colorUnique primary-stat gem that gains critical-strike effectiveness from distinct Midnight gem colors.JewelcraftingFlawless Deadly Peridot+16 Haste - +7 Critical StrikeOne of the four recommended distinct colors.JewelcraftingFlawless Deadly Amethyst+16 Mastery - +7 Critical StrikeOne of the four recommended distinct colors.JewelcraftingFlawless Masterful Garnet+16 Critical Strike - +7 MasteryOne of the four recommended distinct colors.JewelcraftingFlawless Deadly Lapis+16 Versatility - +7 Critical StrikeOne of the four recommended distinct colors.Jewelcrafting
Crafting

Embellishments

Crafted effects are capped at two equipped embellishments. Lock these in only after deciding which crafted slots survive your next raid or Mythic+ upgrades.

Recommended embellishments
3 recommendations
Use two throughput embellishments once your crafted slots are settled.Arcanoweave LiningWrist - Second copy for the current best long-term embellishment pair.TailoringDarkmoon Sigil: HuntEarly weapon - Strong early crafted-weapon embellishment before replacing it with the two Lining setup.Inscription
Survival and control

Utility, defensives, and movement

Your Warlock toolkit is part of the rotation whenever it prevents lost uptime, lethal damage, or an enemy cast.

Defensives

Utility & CC

Movement

Raid-wide Healthstones and a combat-rez Soulstone are unique Warlock utility.

Interrupt: Spell Lock - grab a focus-interrupt macro on the Affliction macros page.

Execution

Interface and macros

Use interface changes only when they expose a decision sooner: resources, procs, defensives, dispels, interrupts, and encounter assignments.

Better Blizzplates - cleaner, threat-colored nameplates with cast bars and cooldown text - the nameplate upgrade nearly every top player runs.
OmniCD - party and enemy defensive/utility cooldown tracking - the biggest information edge the base UI still does not show.
Mythic Dungeon Tools - build and follow pull-by-pull Mythic+ routes.
Details! (optional) - deep damage/healing breakdowns and Warcraft Logs uploads beyond Midnight's built-in meter.
Hekili - optional priority helper - great for learning a new spec's rotation.

Mouseover Agony

#showtooltip Agony
/cast [@mouseover,harm,nodead][] Agony

Mouseover Corruption

#showtooltip Corruption
/cast [@mouseover,harm,nodead][] Corruption

Focus Spell Lock

#showtooltip Spell Lock
/cast [@focus,harm,nodead][] Spell Lock

Cursor Demonic Gateway

#showtooltip Demonic Gateway
/cast [@cursor] Demonic Gateway

Soulburn Healthstone

#showtooltip Demonic Healthstone
/cast Soulburn
/use Demonic Healthstone
Full addon guide →Affliction macros →Keybind setups →
Execution review

What improves results

Self-review

Common mistakes

  • Using Malefic Rapture or Soul Rot - they are not part of the current Midnight core loop
  • Casting Darkglare without DoTs or shards prepared
  • Capping Soul Shards while waiting too long for a perfect cooldown window
  • Trying to full-DoT targets that will die before the investment pays off

FAQ

3 quick answers

Which hero tree should I play?

Soul Harvester is the current default for both single target and Mythic+. Choose Hellcaller only when sustained spread cleave lets Wither and Malevolence gain real value.

Which race is best?

Racial damage differences are small. Mag'har Orc and Mechagnome are the highest-simming choices in their factions, while Dwarf and Dark Iron Dwarf bring Stoneform for difficult debuffs. Choose a race for utility unless you are optimizing the final fraction of a percent.

Which Midnight raid fights favor Affliction?

Vaelgor & Ezzorak is the standout: two permanent bosses mean full DoT uptime on both targets. Vorasius and Lightblinded Vanguard also reward the spec, provided Seed of Corruption goes into adds that need to die - on Vorasius that means Blistercreeps at the walls, not in open floor.

Guide Updates

  1. Aug 2, 2026Corrected the filler: Midnight merged Shadow Bolt and Drain Soul into Malefic Grasp, so Affliction has one filler button and no shared slot.
  2. Aug 2, 2026Added the structured rotation section - Hellcaller and Soul Harvester priorities, openers, pre-combat checks, Darkglare, Dark Harvest, and Malevolence usage, and pandemic guidance - transcribed from the current Wowhead Midnight rotation guide.
  3. Jul 31, 2026Editorial completion: added Midnight Season 1 encounter decisions for Vorasius, Vaelgor & Ezzorak, Lightblinded Vanguard, Belo'ren, Crown of the Cosmos, Chimaerus, and Midnight Falls.
  4. Jul 31, 2026Source trail: ability references revalidated against the Midnight active-talent data, the spec playbook, and the corrected warlock keybinds - Demonic Circle is bound as Summon Demonic Circle plus Demonic Circle: Teleport alongside the warlock macro set.
  5. Jul 31, 2026Patch review: reconfirmed the 12.0.7 stat priority, the Soul Harvester default for single target and Mythic+, and Spell Lock as the interrupt assignment.
Arena Talent Planning

Talents by enemy class

Pick an opponent to see the pressure your PvP build must answer. The baseline comes from this spec's current arena build when one is published.

Open full matchup guide
Their pressure

Grip setups, anti-caster pressure, and sustained melee uptime.

Talent focus

Mobility, anti-slow, and physical or magic mitigation.

Game plan

Keep an answer for grip-based isolation and do not spend movement before the Death Knight commits their control chain.

No reviewed PvP baseline is published for this spec yet. Use the live tree to apply the matchup focus above rather than treating a PvE build as an arena answer.

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