The following compares the current state of Affliction Warlocks to Enhancement Shamans using the latest SimulationCraft data for end-game PvE in World of Warcraft The War Within patch 11.0.2.
Comparison
Category
Winner
Enhancement Shaman
+19.01%
When simulating boss fight encounters, Enhancement Shamans averaged 19.01% more DPS than Affliction Warlocks (+326K DPS).
Enhancement Shaman
+10.54%
When simulating AoE DPS, Enhancement Shamans averaged 10.54% more DPS than Affliction Warlocks (+103K DPS).
Affliction Warlock
+67.19%
Affliction Warlocks have higher spike damage potential, achieving +6.8M more DPS than Enhancement Shamans.
Spike damage is the peak DPS achieved in any given moment and is not sustained DPS.
Affliction Warlock
+2.82%
When upgrading the gear for both specs by +44 ilvl, Affliction Warlock DPS improved the most, +2.82% more than Enhancement Shaman. In total, Affliction Warlocks DPS increased by 67.88% and Enhancement Shamans by 65.06%.
Enhancement Shaman
+1.73%
+ Movement and latency lowered the DPS by 11.71% for Enhancement Shamans.
+ Movement and latency lowered the DPS by 13.44% for Affliction Warlocks.
When introducing occasional movement and real-world latency, Enhancement Shamans performed better, as Affliction Warlocks suffered a +1.73% DPS loss.
Affliction Warlock
When evaluating abilities used during boss encounters, Affliction Warlocks had fewer damaging abilities in total, indicating a potentially less complex rotation.
The comparisons above highlight some of the key differences between Affliction Warlock and Enhancement Shaman in the current meta, which can hopefully help you determine which spec to play or group up with.
Enhancement Shaman
Affliction Warlock