The following compares the current state of Arms Warriors to Destruction Warlocks using the latest SimulationCraft data for end-game PvE in World of Warcraft The War Within patch 11.0.2.
Comparison
Category
Winner
Arms Warrior
+13.51%
When simulating boss fight encounters, Arms Warriors averaged 13.51% more DPS than Destruction Warlocks (+204K DPS).
Arms Warrior
+39.71%
When simulating AoE DPS, Arms Warriors averaged 39.71% more DPS than Destruction Warlocks (+488K DPS).
Arms Warrior
+0.82%
Arms Warriors have higher spike damage potential, achieving +58.4K more DPS than Destruction Warlocks.
Spike damage is the peak DPS achieved in any given moment and is not sustained DPS.
Destruction Warlock
+0.41%
When upgrading the gear for both specs by +44 ilvl, Destruction Warlock DPS improved the most, +0.41% more than Arms Warrior. In total, Destruction Warlocks DPS increased by 67.53% and Arms Warriors by 67.12%.
Destruction Warlock
+3.04%
+ Movement and latency lowered the DPS by 4.96% for Destruction Warlocks.
+ Movement and latency lowered the DPS by 8% for Arms Warriors.
When introducing occasional movement and real-world latency, Destruction Warlocks performed better, as Arms Warriors suffered a +3.04% DPS loss.
Destruction Warlock
When evaluating abilities used during boss encounters, Destruction Warlocks had fewer damaging abilities in total, indicating a potentially less complex rotation.
The comparisons above highlight some of the key differences between Arms Warrior and Destruction Warlock in the current meta, which can hopefully help you determine which spec to play or group up with.
Arms Warrior
Destruction Warlock