Warlock Tank Guide & Best Runes – Phase 4 Season of Discovery (SoD)

Welcome to the SoD Phase 4 Warlock Tank Guide!

This guide focuses exclusively on the Warlock Tank build, exploring key components such as Runes, Talent Trees, Stat Priorities, Rotations & Abilities, Best Professions, BiS (Best in Slot) items, and Race Choices. The new Rune System introduced in the Season of Discovery has finally made a long-forgotten dream of Warlocks come true. They are now able to fulfill the role of a Tank, being granted multiple iconic effects such as Metamorphosis, Immolation Aura, Shadow Cleave, and even an instant-cast version of Searing Pain!

Talents

• Demonology Variant
• Destruction Variant

Runes

• Helm: Pandemic/Vengeance
• Cloak: Infernal Armor
• Chest: Master Channeler/Demonic Tactics
• Wrist: Immolation Aura/Summon Felguard
• Hands: Metamorphosis
• Waist: Shadow and Flame
• Legs: Demonic Grace/Demonic Pact
• Feet: Dance of the Wicked/Mark of Chaos
• Ring: Shadow Specialization
• Ring: Fire Specialization

Stat Priority

1. Hit Chance
2. Spell Damage
3. Critical Strike Chance
4. Stamina
5. Intellect
6. Armor
7. Agility
8. Dodge Chance

Rotations & Abilities

Warlock Tanks have a variety of builds that they can use in Phase 4 of Season of Discovery. In this guide, we displayed the Demonology variant and the Destruction variant, with both builds having similar yet slightly different rotations. The Demonology build focuses on Summon Felguard and empowering the damage done by it as much as possible while the Destruction build focuses on empowering your damage, with an emphasis on increased Fire Damage.

NOTE: Demonic Pact will be your main rune for both builds in case there is no other Warlock that can provide it!

Single-Target Rotation

1. Maintain Fel Armor at all times
2. Cast Metamorphosis and maintain it at all times
3. if you play the Demonology Build, cast Summon Felguard and make sure it survives at all times
   • Cast Fel Domination in case your Summon Felguard dies to replace it
4. If you play the Destruction Build, Cast Immolation Aura and maintain it at all times
5. In case you select the Demonic Grace rune
   • Prioritize casting Demonic Grace for moments where you are about to receive heavy Burst Damage
6. In case you select the Vengeance rune
   • Prioritize casting Vengeance for moments where you are about to receive heavy Burst Damage
7. Prioritize casting Infernal Armor for moments when you are about to receive heavy Magic Damage
8. If you choose the Mark of Chaos rune
   • Prioritize casting Curse of Agony/Curse of Recklessness and maintaining either one of them
9. Prioritize casting Curse of the Elements if nobody else can provide it or a similar effect
10. Cast Shadow Cleave on cooldown to upkeep its Spell Damage Buff
11. If you choose the Master Channeler rune (Destruction Build Variant)
    • Cast Drain Life on cooldown
12. Cast Immolate and refresh its cooldown when it expires
13. If you play the Destruction Build Variant, cast Corruption and refresh it when its duration expires
14. Spam Searing Pain (Main Spell)
    • Spam Searing Pain at the beginning of an encounter to generate Threat
    • Spam Searing Pain whenever you don’t need to refresh one of your DoTs
15. Cast Menace if you need to taunt a target

AoE Rotation

1. Maintain Fel Armor at all times
2. Cast Metamorphosis and maintain it at all times
3. If you choose the Immolation Aura rune
   • Cast Immolation Aura and maintain it
4. Cast Shadow Cleave on cooldown
5. Spam Hellfire while Shadow Cleave is on cooldown
6. Cast Demonic Howl if you need to taunt a group of mobs

Best Professions

Tailoring

Tailoring is by far the best profession that a Warlock Tank can use as it not only allows you to craft the new Season of Discovery epic gear pieces but also provides you with a consistent way of generating gold. Furthermore, it pairs extraordinarily well with Enchanting.

Enchanting

Enchanting is another one of the best professions that a Warlock Tank can use, providing a powerful synergy with Tailoring, the ability to add beneficial stats to equipment, and even disenchant gear pieces into magical essences. Enchanting is also viewed as one of the best gold generation tools in the game besides the bonuses it offers and the access to the specific Season of Discovery enchanting sigils.

Engineering

Yet another one of the best professions a Warlock Tank can select, being known as one of the top professions in both PvE and PvP in the Classic Era, Engineering’s reputation remains true in the Season of Discovery as well. It grants access to powerful bombs, various gadgets, and even specially crafted equipment that can be used to enhance your overall performance.

Best Races

The best possible race for Alliance when it comes to Warlock Tank is Gnome thanks to Expansive Mind and Escape Artist while the best race for the Horde is Orc thanks to Command and Hardiness.

Human

• The Human Spirit, Sword Specialization, Mace Specialization, Perception, Diplomacy

Gnome

• Expansive Mind, Escape Artist, Engineering Specialization, Arcane Resistance

Orc

• Blood Fury, Command, Hardiness, Axe Specialization

Undead

• Will of the Forsaken, Shadow Resistance, Cannibalize, Underwater Breathing