Is there any value to a Destruction PvP build? Yeah, if you like the feel of that spec and you’re mostly running BGs. Keep in mind that you’ll probably get squished a lot, but you’ll do some good damage and rack up a few kills. Destruction in the arenas is very rare.

See our main Warlock PvP page for tips, the DPS page if you’d really rather raid, and our Warlock leveling page if you need to get a bit higher in the level department, first.

Stats, gems, etc. are below the builds.

Updated for Mists of Pandaria gems and Enchants.

Destruction Stats

• Primary: Int and Resilience
• Secondary: 6% Hit > PvP Power > Mastery
• Weak: Haste & Crit >> excess Hit

PvP Power is a straight up damage add, like Attack Power, but only in PvP (change your gear for raiding.) Point for point it’s probably about as good as Int. and PvP Power gems have twice the value of Int gems (320 Vs 160.)

Reforging:  Get your 6% Hit and reforge everything into Mastery and then Crit.

Destruction Gems and Enchants

Gems with secondary stats have twice the value of gems with primary stats, 160 Int Vs 320 Haste, for example. Because of this you should work towards matching socket bonuses and look into using hybid gems for Int and PvP Power.

If your gold stash is inadequate to allow purchasing of the occasionally very expensive gems and enchants you should take a look at Hayden’s guide.

Gem Priorities for Destruction Warlocks
Meta		Burning Primal Diamond: +216 Int & 3% Increased Crit Effect
Red		Brilliant Serpent’s Eye: 320 Int, self-only Jewelcrafting gem Brilliant Primordial Ruby: 160 Int
Yellow		Mystic Sun’s Radiance: 320 Resilience
Blue		Stormy River’s Heart: +320 PvP power
Orange		Willful Vermilion Onyx: +80 Int & +160 Resilience Potent Vermilion Onyx: +80 Int & +160 Crit Reckless Vermilion Onyx: 80 Int, 160 Haste
Green		Vivid Wild Jade: +160 Res, +160 PvP Power
Purple		Mysterious Imperial Amethyst: +80 Int, +160 PvP Power
Prismatic		Brilliant Primordial Ruby: 160 Int
Cogwheel		Fractured Tinker’s Gear: 600 Mastery - requires an engie helm, such as this. Quick Tinker’s Gear: 600 Haste Smooth Tinker’s Gear: 600 Crit

Destruction Enchantments

Some of the professions enchants are included. Head enchants are gone, all shoulder enchants come from the Inscription profession.

There are no higher level PvP Power enchants and the only resilience one is for the chest.

Short on gold? If you want to buy the best enchants, fund all of your alts, donate to the guild, etc., but don’t have the cash, then see what the Tycoon Addon can do about about fixing your poverty.

Professions for Destruction

All of the professions provide some benefit for any class/spec, though clearly some are better than others. Even the gathering professions have some value, though you might be better served by using those to build a larger gold stash. Check out Herbalism with its 2880 Haste boost (20 seconds.)

Most of the professions add an average of about 320 Int or so. Since gems with secondary stats are twice the value of those with primary stats (320 PvP Power Vs 160 Int, for example) Blacksmithing might be the most valuable profession if you’re just looking for the buffs. Jewelcrafting provides only 320 in any stat over non JC gems.

If you are looking to make your own gear then Tailoring is the clear choice, Engineering has a lot of useful widgets and the combination of these two profs will drive you to the poor house. Alchemy is very useful, but you can usually find the potions on the Auction House for about what it costs to make them.

Inscription can make the shoulder enchants, useful PvE staves, and glyphs for you and your entire family.

Destruction Warlock Races

Race choice is pretty simple, play what works for you. If you really want to be efficient then play an Orc or a Human, they both have abilities that make them a bit more effective in PvP. Gnomes, Undead, and Trolls are the next tier and the rest are, well, the rest.

Pandarens cannot become Warlocks. Neither can Tauren, Draenei, or Night elves.

Horde Races

• Orc
  • Blood Fury increases spell damage. Just the thing for those times when you’d really like a bit more burst. Stick this in a macro with your opener(s.)
  • The increased pet damage (on command) makes the Orc one of the better Warlock races.
  • The decreased stun duration is nice.
• Undead- What’s better for demon summoning and Affliction then being already dead?
  • Will of the Forsaken is a nice ability (anything that breaks Fear, etc is a nice PvP skill.)
  • Cannibalize is useful when you just have to rub it in to that other player you just killed. Maybe that’s good enough reason to go Undead.
  • Touch of the Grave drains life and heals you for the same amount. It replaces the old Underwater Breathing ability.
• Blood Elf – Can a magically addicted elf make a good Warlock?
  • Arcane Torrent is a nice spell interrupt with some PvP utility, but since it’s melee range and you don’t want to be in melee range. It does restore some mana, so it isn’t useless.
  • And ok, Blood Elves look good. A truly devastating Warlock Ability. Really.
  • Good with Enchanting.
• Troll
  • Hmmm… Increased casting speed, when Berserk, is very nice. Stick in a macro with your openers.
  • More damage vs beasts would be nice if Worgen were beasts. Since they’re not this ability has no PvP use.
  • Reduced duration of movement impairing effects is always nice.
  • Ranged Expertise is a pretty useful ability, since spells can be dodged.
• Goblin  - Souls for sale? A Goblin Warlock will give you a great “deal” on your soul. 
  • Goblins can Rocket Launch forward, or away, which is be a nice escape ability.
  • Increased Haste is one of your bests stats, so this is nice.
  • Improved Alchemy skills allow better effects from your own potions.

Alliance Races

• Human
  • The Human escape ability is a nice DPS skill as it allows you to use two DPS trinkets.
  • Go Human if you want to waste less time gaining faction.
• Gnome – Tech and Demons, together again? Why would a Gnome be a Warlock?
  • Escape artist is very nice for PvP, as is their small size. The latter makes it harder on those who click on their targets.
  • Gnomes get a slightly increased mana pool, especially nice since Int no longer factors into your Mana pool.
  • Good with engineering, which allows you to blow up opposing players in addition to draining their souls.
• Dwarf  - The Dwarves dug too deep… they found Warlocks.
  • Stone Form is a nice PvP talent in that it will wash away that bleed that the Rogue or Feral just put on you and reduce damage by 10%.
  • Ranged Expertise is a pretty useful ability, since spells can be dodged.
• Worgen  -“Destruction” just fits, somehow…
  • They can periodically move quickly, which has its uses,
  • Worgen have a reduced duration of curses and diseases (affecting them.)
  • Increased crit chance isn’t as valuable as the Goblins’ Haste, as it’s your weakest stat.
  • Good with skinning, but since other players can’t be skinned…

How to Get your Warlock to the Level Cap, ASAP

Paladin leveling is easy, regardless of spec. Holy can level in PvP or Dungeons, Prot in dungeons or questing (though a bit slowly,) and Ret crushes all opposition anywhere. And then you have those other alts you want to level though those 90 levels.

With the thousands of quests to 90 and a bazillion mobs to kill (not to mention other players, but they don’t count here) sorting out which quests are best and which series of quests will get you to 90 the fastest is important, which is why we highly recommend Zygor’s Guide.

Zygor’s is an in-game guide and it nearly automates the whole leveling process: you just pick your starting point, at any level, and the guide tracks which quest you’re on, tracks the quest objectives, and automatically advances and updates as you complete your tasks and quests. In addition, a waypoint arrow is set automatically, so you never have to wonder where to go. All of the important quest info is included in the guide so you never have to wonder what to do. You’ll find that it’s vastly superior to the in-game questing help.

Playing with Heirlooms and/or Recruit a friend? Gaining a few levels in the dungeons or in PvP? Zygor’s has your back. The guide knows what level you are and will correctly suggest where to go next and will let you dump all of your obsolete quests. You will probably never need to look at your quest log again.

Grab your copy here and get to 90 as fast as possible, or read our review, first.