Broken.gg
Demonology is the Ranged DPS specialization of the Warlock in WoW: Forever. This page summarizes its talent tree as it appears in the game client (build 1.60.1.70753); the role is the one stated by the Icy Veins guide for the specialization.
In our level-60 simulation (180 seconds on a stationary boss, raid buffs, best known gear), Demonology Warlock ranks #14 of 20 DPS specs with 659 DPS. #1 is Affliction Warlock (907 DPS). A stationary boss does not tell everything: group utility and moving fights matter too.
Our simulator's build uses 51 points, split Demonology 28 / Destruction 23. The talents that weigh the most in the simulation: Bane, Improved Imp, Demonic Knowledge. Open this build in the talent calculator →
Without raid items, the best set the simulator finds gives 622 DPS, −5.5% against the set that includes raid items. Stat priority: Spell Power > Hit Chance > Critical Strike. Full gear and enchantments →
Opening: The Imp stays out: Firebolt continuously, boosted by Demonic Knowledge, Unholy Power and Master Demonologist ; Keep Immolate, Corruption and Bane of Agony up ; Shadowburn on cooldown. Full rotation →
The top race in our simulation: Orc. All races of the class →
The first talent point comes at level 10, then one per level up to 51 at level 60. The guide gives the talent order step by step (derived from the level-60 build, not tested while leveling), the dungeons of each level band and the spec's best item in each. See the leveling →
Our dungeon finder shows, for every dungeon, the best item for this spec according to the simulator's stat weights. Best dungeon items →
Our level-60 simulator build (51 points), the one used for the ranking: talents, gear and rotation are on the ranking page.
Gear, rotation and damage by ability for this level-60 build: Warlock Demonology →
The class's three trees, with the talents of the level-60 build (51 points) in colour and all the others in grey. The small number on the left of each row is the points you must have spent in the tree to reach it, and each talent's badge shows the points invested. This section is fixed: it does not move and does not depend on the calculator.
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Rank 2/2: Increases the amount of health transferred by your Health Funnel spell by 40%, reduces its health cost by 30%, and reduces all threat your Health Funnel generates by 100%. Allows Health Funnel to be used regardless of your demon's health.
Rank 3/3: Increases the damage of your Imp's Firebolt spell by 30% and the effect of its Fire Shield spell by 30%.
Rank 5/5: Increases your total Stamina by 15%.
Rank 5/5: Increases all damage done by your Imp, Voidwalker, Succubus, Incubus, and Felhunter pets by 10%.
Rank 2/2: Increases the effectiveness of your Demon Skin and Demon Armor spells by 30%.
Rank 3/3: Increases the maximum health and Mana of your Imp, Voidwalker, Succubus, Incubus, and Felhunter by 15%, and increases your maximum Mana by 15%.
Rank 2/2: Reduces the casting time of your Imp, Voidwalker, Succubus, Incubus, and Felhunter Summoning spells by 4 sec and the Mana cost by 40%.
Rank 3/3: Increases your spell damage and your Demon pet's spell damage by up to 100% of your level while you have a summoned Demon pet active.
Rank 3/5: Grants both the Warlock and the summoned demon an effect as long as that demon is active. Imp - Increases Fire damage done by 6%. Voidwalker - Reduces Physical damage taken by 6%. Succubus/Incubus - Increases Shadow damage done by 6%. Felhunter - Reduces Magic damage taken by 6%.
Rank 5/5: Your Shadow Bolt critical strikes increase Shadow damage taken by the target from your attacks by 20% for 12 sec.
Rank 5/5: Reduces the casting time of your Shadow Bolt, Immolate, and Incinerate spells by 0.5 sec and your Soul Fire spell by 2 sec.
Rank 3/3: Reduces the Mana cost of your Destruction spells by 10%.
Rank 5/5: Increases the initial damage of your Immolate spell by 50% and your Conflagrate spell has a 100% chance to Daze the target, reducing the target's movement speed by 50% for 5 sec.
Rank 1/5: Increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Destruction spells by 20%.
Rank 1/1: Instantly blasts the target for 66 Shadow damage. If a non-trivial target dies within 8 sec of being hit with Shadowburn, the caster gains a Soul Shard.
Rank 3/3: Increases the critical strike chance of your Searing Pain spell by 10% and the damage done by all your Destruction spells by 10%.
The ranking keeps the build that does the most DPS (658.7 DPS). Here is the same specialization with Conflagrate, on the same gear and the same 180-second simulation: 629.3 DPS, −29.4 DPS (−4.5%) compared with the ranked build.
2/23/35/55/52/233/32312/2213313/33/512552232313521135125/55/553/35/551/133/31/121351| Talent | Tier | Measured value |
|---|---|---|
| Improved Imp 3/3 DemonologyIncreases the damage of your Imp's Firebolt spell by 30% and the effect of its Fire Shield spell by 30%. | 1 | −37.8 DPS without it (6.0%) |
| Bane 5/5 DestructionReduces the casting time of your Shadow Bolt, Immolate, and Incinerate spells by 0.5 sec and your Soul Fire spell by 2 sec. | 1 | −34.5 DPS without it (5.5%) |
| Demonic Knowledge 3/3 DemonologyIncreases your spell damage and your Demon pet's spell damage by up to 100% of your level while you have a summoned Demon pet active. | 5 | −28.7 DPS without it (4.5%) |
| Agonizing Flames 3/3 DestructionIncreases the critical strike chance of your Searing Pain spell by 10% and the damage done by all your Destruction spells by 10%. | 4 | −26.7 DPS without it (4.2%) |
| Unholy Power 5/5 DemonologyIncreases all damage done by your Imp, Voidwalker, Succubus, Incubus, and Felhunter pets by 10%. | 1 | −14.9 DPS without it (2.4%) |
| Improved Shadow Bolt 5/5 DestructionYour Shadow Bolt critical strikes increase Shadow damage taken by the target from your attacks by 20% for 12 sec. | 1 | −12.6 DPS without it (2.0%) |
| Shadowburn 1/1 DestructionInstantly blasts the target for 66 Shadow damage. If a non-trivial target dies within 8 sec of being hit with Shadowburn, the caster gains a Soul Shard. | 3 | −10.3 DPS without it (1.6%) |
| Master Demonologist 3/5 DemonologyGrants both the Warlock and the summoned demon an effect as long as that demon is active. Imp - Increases Fire damage done by 6%. Voidwalker - Reduces Physical damage taken by 6%. Succubus/Incubus - Increases Shadow damage done by 6%. Felhunter - Reduces Magic damage taken by 6%. | 6 | −9.3 DPS without it (1.5%) |
| Cataclysm 3/3 DestructionReduces the Mana cost of your Destruction spells by 10%. | 2 | −8.4 DPS without it (1.3%) |
| Aftermath 5/5 DestructionIncreases the initial damage of your Immolate spell by 50% and your Conflagrate spell has a 100% chance to Daze the target, reducing the target's movement speed by 50% for 5 sec. | 2 | −8.4 DPS without it (1.3%) |
| Fel Vitality 3/3 DemonologyIncreases the maximum health and Mana of your Imp, Voidwalker, Succubus, Incubus, and Felhunter by 15%, and increases your maximum Mana by 15%. | 2 | −3.1 DPS without it (0.5%) |
| Demonic Embrace 5/5 DemonologyIncreases your total Stamina by 15%. | 1 | no simulated effect |
| Improved Health Funnel 2/2 DemonologyIncreases the amount of health transferred by your Health Funnel spell by 40%, reduces its health cost by 30%, and reduces all threat your Health Funnel generates by 100%. Allows Health Funnel to be used regardless of your demon's health. | 1 | no simulated effect |
| Demonic Aegis 2/2 DemonologyIncreases the effectiveness of your Demon Skin and Demon Armor spells by 30%. | 2 | no simulated effect |
| Master Summoner 2/2 DemonologyReduces the casting time of your Imp, Voidwalker, Succubus, Incubus, and Felhunter Summoning spells by 4 sec and the Mana cost by 40%. | 3 | no simulated effect |
| Conflagrate 1/1 DestructionIgnites a target that is already afflicted by your Immolate spell, dealing 95 Fire damage and consuming your Immolate effect. | 4 | negligible measured effect |
| Ability | DPS | Casts / min |
|---|---|---|
| Imp Firebolt | 163.9 | 30.0 |
| Shadow Bolt | 120.1 | 7.8 |
| Bane of Agony | 89.3 | 2.8 |
| Corruption | 79.4 | 3.7 |
| Immolate | 78.2 | 6.0 |
| Conflagrate | 50.5 | 4.9 |
| Shadowburn | 44.8 | 3.1 |
| Ignition | 1 | 0.9 |
The first talent point comes at level 10, then one per level: 1 point at level 10, 11 at level 20, 21 at level 30, 31 at level 40, 41 at level 50 and 51 at level 60. A row of a tree opens for every 5 points spent in that tree.
Derived order: we computed it from our simulator's level-60 build, following the tree rules (rows, prerequisites) and taking at each point the talent the simulation values most. It was not tested while leveling a character: it is a starting point, not a proven leveling build, to be revisited with the released game's data.
Levels 1 to 9: no talent point yet, the first one comes at level 10.
Take: Improved Imp. See the tree at this step →
Take: Improved Imp ×2, Bane ×5, Improved Shadow Bolt ×3. See the tree at this step →
Take: Improved Shadow Bolt ×2, Shadowburn, Ruin, Unholy Power ×5, Cataclysm. See the tree at this step →
Take: Cataclysm ×2, Agonizing Flames ×3, Aftermath ×5. See the tree at this step →
Take: Fel Vitality ×3, Improved Health Funnel ×2, Demonic Embrace ×5. See the tree at this step →
Take: Demonic Aegis ×2, Demonic Knowledge ×3, Master Summoner ×2, Master Demonologist ×3. See the tree at this step →
51 points: Demonology 28 / Destruction 23
The talents that weigh the most in the simulation: Bane, Improved Imp, Demonic Knowledge.
See the full tree →The best set the simulator finds among the known dungeon and profession items, raid excluded: 622 DPS, −5.5% against the set that includes raid items (659 DPS).
Full gear, enchantments included →
Figures come from our simulator, not from players: they move with patches.
| Stat | DPS gained | Relative value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spell power per point | 0.519 | 1.0 | |
| Hit per rating point | 0.478 | 0.92 | |
| Crit per rating point | 0.262 | 0.5 | |
| Haste per rating point | 0.22 | 0.42 | |
| Intellect per point | 0.095 | 0.18 | |
| Spirit per point | 0.092 | 0.18 | |
| Strength per point | 0.0 | no effect | |
| Agility per point | 0.0 | no effect |
Measured by the simulator on the character above: the DPS gained by one more point of each stat, with the same random draws on both sides. The relative value compares each stat with one point of spell power. Crit, hit and haste are counted per rating point, like Strength or Agility, so they compare directly; they respect the caps: hit at the cap adds nothing. A value near zero or negative is within the margin of error or tied to a limit (mana, cap).
DPS gained when points of each stat are added on top of the simulated gear. Click a stat (or its row in the table) to bring its curve forward; the ring marks the estimated cap, past which every point is worth less than 20% of what it gave at the start.
Our simulator's priority at level 60, set against what Icy Veins recommends. Their guides are written before launch, for level 30 and for leveling: we keep what everyone agrees on, adopt what the simulation confirmed at level 60 and say where the two differ.
Agreed: the Imp stays out with Demonic Knowledge and Unholy Power (sacrificing it loses about 80 DPS in the simulator), Immolate, Corruption and Bane of Agony (+12 DPS over Doom, measured).
Tailoring guide 
Enchanting guide 
First Aid guide 
Cooking guide The gear our optimizer picks for this specialization among the items known so far (dungeons, the few raid items already known and crafted gear, which can be bought or made for you: prices and materials are not taken into account), with item effects simulated. Nothing is hand-picked: it is the result of the ranking's computation, and it will change as new items are discovered.
Enchantments up to skill 300, valued by the simulator when they give flat stats or flat weapon damage. The character does not need the profession: they can be bought or applied by an enchanter; Leatherworking armor kits (chest, legs, feet, hands) and Engineering scopes are counted too. A kit and an enchantment share the same permanent slot: a piece carries one or the other, and the legs, which have no enchantment, get the kit; spell-proc enchants (Crusader, Fiery Weapon...) and school damage are not simulated. The client data has no ring enchantment up to skill 300.
Icy Veins guide dated 2026-11-03, read on September 21, 2026.
The three best of each category, measured by the simulator on the character above. Only one scroll and one elixir or flask can be worn at a time: each gain is the DPS this consumable brings alone, compared with an empty slot, the rest of the set unchanged. Gains in the same category therefore do not add up. The row marked with a dot is the one in the simulated set.
These are the deepest talents in the tree: they require 30 points already spent in the specialization. Official game text, at maximum rank.
Your Demonic Sacrifice effect is no longer cancelled by summoning a different Demon pet. Resummoning the sacrificed pet will still cancel the effect.
Open Warlock in the talent calculator
Spend your 51 points, compare the three specializations and share your build by link.
Talent data comes from the game client. The level-60 build, gear, stats and rotation come from our simulator and are validated by DPS measurements; the rotation is compared with the Icy Veins guides, written before launch for level 30. Healing is not simulated. This data will change with future patches.
