Warlocks in the Arena
by Mike Schramm 
Mar 20th 2009 at 3:00PM
There were a few interesting notes coming out of those early Arena rankings we saw the other day, but probably most interesting is that Warlocks have appeared to come back with a bit of a vengeance. They're not on super solid ground yet (the Death Knight seems to be the overwhelming force, and as long as you throw a Pally and a DPS in the same group with them, you can do alright), but they're definitely higher in those rankings than we've seen them before. And just in time for that little surge comes this great series from Yet Another Warlock Nerf about how to take your Warlock into the Wrath Arenas.He's got some excellent tips on talents and gear -- when you're a Warlock in the Arenas, most of your game is basically keeping DoTs up as much as possible, while also trying to protect yourself from a stealthed Rogue or angry Priest. As with most Arena battles, it's a game of timing -- you want your cooldowns to be up and ready at the exact second when the other team is at their weakest. If you can Spell Lock or Fear a healer at the exact moment when their partner is vulnerable to your own offensive cooldowns, then you'll rack up another win.
Interesting stuff. There's lots more to learn, and especially if you're an Arena veteran, there's probably lots more you already know. But things have changed quite a bit from the old BC Arenas, and especially if you're a Warlock, a guide like this is a good place to pick them up again.
Filed under: Warlock, Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, PvP, Wrath of the Lich King, Arena
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
ezmode Mar 20th 2009 3:07PM
Are warlocks useful in arena when not paired with a deathknight and a holy pally? Looking at the comps from the article yesterday it looks like that is the only comp that locks are in.
Jagoex Mar 20th 2009 3:35PM
I had a long discussion with some friends about these stats the other day, when they first started making rounds on the net. We basically came away with what I believe to be 3 very valid points:
1) Warlocks are amazing in PvP... as long as they can be kept alive.
2) A DK/Pally combo is so strong, that any other DPSer thrown into the mix will do fairly well -- but Warlocks complete the trio amazingly well due to DoT dmg and a spammable Fear.
3) Warlocks are fine... minimal changes are required at best (something I really believe to be true).
Shamans are the healers of choice for many Warlocks atm, btw. But really, a good Holy Pally is hard to beat.
Naix Mar 20th 2009 4:00PM
"3) Warlocks are fine... minimal changes are required at best (something I really believe to be true)."
Warlocks are fine? Fine as in every class can counter fear/spells/dots several different ways fine. Fear is not a form of escape AT ALL. The reverse blinks is a nice start but not what I would call an answer.
Kassu Mar 21st 2009 3:42AM
To Naix:
So the Warlocks are so "NOT FINE" that they are at their best spot in arena history and the 3rd piece of the high-win-concentration DK/Healadin/Lock comp?
QQ moar please.
jason Mar 21st 2009 9:25AM
That's because the healadin keeps them up while the DK wrecks havoc. This gives the warlock time for his, um, damage over time.
As was stated with those other classes warlocks don't do well at all.
Everyone can get out of fear. And if a warlock can't keep it's target away he's useless.
Pope Jamal Mar 21st 2009 12:45PM
Warlocks were scary
DoT, Death Coil, Fear took talent
It is best served cold
Devant Mar 20th 2009 3:29PM
Does the Arena Realm use the same build as the Live Realm? Warlocks are still doing Terrible (with a capital T even) on live servers. The only team comp with warlocks are 3v3. Warlocks and Warriors don't currently even belong in the level 80 brackets with the other classes.
http://www.realmhistory.net/arena-statistics/class-breakdown.html
Annika Mar 20th 2009 4:27PM
Actually if you really break the numbers down Druid is the worst arena team atm in 2v2. Feral has the lowest representation of any primary spec in the game in 2v2 right now. Restoration has the lowest representation of any healer and Moonkin have 0% representation overall.
The only reason druid looks even semi ok is because they have two viable specs when DPS generally only have 1. There are fewer Feral druids than Haunt Warlocks or Fury Warriors in 2000+ 2v2, there are fewer Resto druids than Haunt Warlocks or Fury Warriors too.
Druid is the bottom of the barrel in 2v2 atm.
breaklance Mar 20th 2009 3:53PM
Jagoex -
1) If anyone can be kept alive in Arena they will do amazing.
Playing on my resto shaman alt, whos badly geared, paired with a ret palladin(also badly geared but irl freind). The games we've won are directly retlated to the games I stayed alive.
I think it just took locks a while to really find out their new playstyle away from the long favored SL/SL spec.
Warriors are in dire need of pvp help imo. From what I've seen, playing a warrior main, we seem to remain the only class completely dependent on our teammates for everything.
And I think its kind of dumb to make an argument that locks pair nicely with DKs and holy pals. They are the most powerful class / spec in arena they pair nicely with anyone competant.
thebvp Mar 20th 2009 4:39PM
"1) Warlocks are amazing in PvP... as long as they can be kept alive."
Translation: Warlocks are amazing when they have a healer babysitting them. Otherwise, they're awful. Warlocks are dependent on other members of their group, specifically, healers.
2) A DK/Pally combo is so strong, that any other DPSer thrown into the mix will do fairly well -- but Warlocks complete the trio amazingly well due to DoT dmg and a spammable Fear.
Translation: The Warlock is filler. Any class will do well with a DK/Pally combo.
3) Warlocks are fine... minimal changes are required at best (something I really believe to be true).
Translation: Warlocks are dependent on healers and are filler at best, but are fine, really!
Warlocks are in the same boat as warriors. They're really only any good when they have a healer attached to the butt, babysitting them, and even at best, as you said it, they're just filler.
Sorry, I don't see how that translates to "Warlocks are just fine." It seems like they have a lot of other problems. What other classes other than warriors are completely dependent on their healers and are filler, at best?
Ueber Mar 20th 2009 4:51PM
There is obviously some reason that Warlocks are being successful in these tourney brackets. As much as you can say "Anyone paired with a DK and holy pally can succeed" there's clearly got to be some reason that warlocks are that third player and not . The thought I buy most into at this point is that they are the strongest counter class (or at least with some of the fewest vunerabilities) to some more popular comps and are able to rack points up.
Jagoex Mar 20th 2009 6:53PM
Ueber asked the best question to counter the statements that preceded his post. What is it about Warlocks that makes them the class of choice to complete the DK/Pally trio?
@breaklance: I'm not talking generalities. Yes, all classes do well when kept alive by their healer, but Warlocks have amazing tools that do multiple-target dmg and cc, while using pet abilities like Devour Magic and Spell Lock, etc. Very few other classes can do so much all at the same time--and that utility is obviously appreciated when looking at top-team comps in the tournament. Again, as Ueber suggested, there is a reason people are choosing Warlocks.
@thebvp: I'm not exactly sure what you are getting at. Are you saying that Warlocks should be free to run around without a check to their immense damage and cc potential? Do you remember how OP that was after they were buffed in Vanilla WoW? That was fun, but not a good thing for WoW PvP.
And as "fillers," as you say, 'locks are probably the most complimentary to the DK/Pally style--again, based upon what options they have at their disposal.
I think it's hilarious that we are seeing these arguments, btw. "I need a healer to live!" Tragic.
Guydebord Mar 20th 2009 7:30PM
One quick annotation to this somewhat worn argument about warlock PvP viability in Wrath (As quoted from the Yet Another Warlock Nerf post linked in the article):
"Warlocks are a very fragile class and in order to succeed wearing nearly full PvP gear is a must. .... Firstly, aim to get your resilience rating to around 800 (800-850 is the best range)."
So Im not totally sure, but I suspect that much of this argument is about everyone's differing *perception* based around resil [and teammates]. Both sides of the argument can be right at the same time in the current game environment.
i.e. A lock with a pair of pieces of badge PvP gear and a few Naxx 10 epics is likely to be crushed faster than a naked gnome in tauran stampede. While if you have arena-rated PvP gear in every slot you're probably sturdy enough to weather a few pokes from a rogue while your healer cues up a heal.
The same with teams: on a pug battleground, said warlocks in starting pvp gear might spontaneously explode when one of AV's wolves snarl while your only healer might be a smart-ass prot warrior with a bandage; yet in fantastic gear with some of the best Arena players in the world at your back, intricately peeling and healing and cc-ing and hitting the exact right buttons at the speed of light, might give you time DoT the living hell out of the opposing three players.
Now, all this leaves me with is that I don't want to be in Blizzard's shoes trying to make it so casuals (and semi-serious PvPers) don't feel like they can better spend their time Hellfire-ing themselves to death (which is how I feel not having any serious PvP gear for my lock), while not buffing the already overwhelming DoTs and CC the best lock players in the best gear can bring to top-end arena play.
Ryfor Mar 20th 2009 9:39PM
and this guy has nailed the biggest challenge right on the head.
the barrier to entry in Arena and Wrath in general (get to 80) is so unbelievably low, how do you tune it for the savants and the terminally poor players?
when's the last time you say anyone say 'they beat me/my dps is low because I'm just not that good'...
Keleron Mar 20th 2009 10:54PM
@Annika, I'm not sure what you are saying nor am I sure of the actual numbers, so you could be right, but you really can't break down by spec.
Regarding needing 800-850 res, how can a Warlock even get this now though? Arena ratings of some sort are needed for any worth while gear, but if you are getting beat so that you can't get the ratings need you can't get the gear needed. The rich get richer, the poor get poorer.
Also just because warlocks with DK and Pallys in 3s are doing well, doesn't mean Warlocks are fine. Its sort of like saying "boy X always (and only) gets good grades when he sits next to boy Y, so he must know the material."
Ueber Mar 20th 2009 11:28PM
@Kelerton-
800 res is not an insurpassable goal to pass. I'm a priest (shadow) and know all too well about exploding in PVP situations. Getting the res is a bit more of a committment than getting PVE gear, but arena is probably not the best way to get the gear.
Firstly, wintergrasp is an honor goldmine. This gets you the 3 available pieces of WG gear, plus honor for hateful ring, neck, cloak, belt and bracers. Then you can either get crafted gear, EOH or honor savage gladiator gear, or EOV hateful gladiator gear.
I went from my BC resiliance set (pretty sad) to over 800 resiliance in 3 weeks (plus time invested in pug naxes for emblems that I hadn't been using). Gearing up isn't trivial, and it sucks that some classes can just jump into arena and other cant, but that doesnt make it some impossible goal.
THJ Mar 23rd 2009 12:59AM
I haven't spent a single arena point and max out at 1047 resilience. Take away the 2 vault drops (213 chest, 200 gloves) and the 3 JC res gems, and I'm down to around 1k.
Again, no arena points spent, no rated honor gear either. (Gritz Eldre'Thalas)
DD Mar 20th 2009 11:38PM
Warlocks are doing well in 2v2 as well...
Reason being is primarily because they destroy holy paladins and holy/dps teams, such as the popular holy paladin/dk teams.
a nerf to these teams will likely make it much harder for lock/healers to get so high in 2v2
next season there will likely be less unholy/holy domination,
so... Bliz dont nerf lox...
counter comping the op team -> op ?
Keleron Mar 21st 2009 12:05AM
@Ueber I have all the hateful non-set peices and trinkets and helm from WG, but the savage gear would be such a drop from my t7s and t7.5 gear. Is it actually better to go for the savage blues over t7.5s? The only thing better would be the res, but is that going to make that much of a difference?
Para Mar 21st 2009 9:56AM
Eh depends on your class really and teams you come up against. If you find your the person being killed in arenas wear more resi no matter the cost. If your the dps ask your healer how much damage you take then decide from there, if your the healer resi is almost always the most important stat to avoid being an easy kill.