Affliction Warlock
PvE guide, updated for Patch 12.1.5
Assisted Highlight Rotation
How to play Affliction Warlock in each rotation style: the full rotation SimulationCraft sims play by default, and the game’s Assisted Highlight and One Button rotations beside it.
Rotation style comparison
How Affliction Warlock’s DPS compares when using the game’s assisted modes instead of the full rotation, based on Single Target simulations.
- Full rotationBaseline
- Assisted Highlight-12.7%
- One Button-16.1%
Assisted Highlight is the game’s rotation help: it lights the next ability to press on your action bars. Its priority list is SimC’s copy of the game’s, with the cooldowns SimC presses beside it, read here for one build and one kind of fight.
Rotation
Beta12 abilities- 1Racial abilityPress yourselfWhen ready
- 2Summon DarkglarePress yourselfWhen ready
- 3Grimoire of Sacrifice
- 4Agony
- 5Wither
- 6Corruption
- 7Unstable AfflictionWhen ready
- 8Infernal BoltWhen ready
- 9Shadow BoltWhen ready
- 10HauntWhen ready
- 11MalevolenceWhen ready
- 12Dark HarvestWhen ready
Every step also needs the ability off cooldown and affordable. Range checks are left out. A blank Targets cell means any number of targets. Steps tagged Press yourself come from SimC’s cooldown list, which runs ahead of the game’s. The sim presses each as it comes ready, so its results assume you do too.
Before the pull
Things to do before entering combat.
- 1Summon Pet
- 2Haunt
- 3Unstable Affliction
Cooldowns
When each cooldown was used across the sample fight, so you can see how often each comes back and which ones line up.
Sample opener
One simulated fight from the start, played by the list above, the potion and trinkets it hides included. Procs and timing change the order from fight to fight, so use it to get a feel for the start rather than as a script.
The full priority list
simc@710c240Everything above is read from this SimulationCraft list, including the steps the page hides (the potion and on-use items) and the branches your build and fight leave out.
# Executed before combat begins. Accepts non-harmful actions only. actions.precombat=snapshot_stats actions.precombat+=/summon_pet actions.precombat+=/grimoire_of_sacrifice,if=talent.grimoire_of_sacrifice.enabled actions.precombat+=/haunt actions.precombat+=/unstable_affliction # Executed every time the actor is available. actions=call_action_list,name=cooldowns actions+=/call_action_list,name=assisted_combat # This is the default action priority list from the game's Assisted Combat system. actions.assisted_combat=grimoire_of_sacrifice,if=pet.any.active&buff.grimoire_of_sacrifice.down actions.assisted_combat+=/agony,if=dot.agony.remains<=4 actions.assisted_combat+=/seed_of_corruption,if=active_enemies>3&!dot.corruption.ticking&!talent.wither&!dot.seed_of_corruption.ticking&buff.seed_of_corruption_is_out_dnt.down actions.assisted_combat+=/seed_of_corruption,if=active_enemies>3&!dot.wither.ticking&talent.wither&!dot.seed_of_corruption.ticking&buff.seed_of_corruption_is_out_dnt.down actions.assisted_combat+=/wither,if=!dot.corruption.ticking&!talent.wither&!dot.seed_of_corruption.ticking&buff.seed_of_corruption_is_out_dnt.down actions.assisted_combat+=/corruption,if=!dot.corruption.ticking&!talent.wither&!dot.seed_of_corruption.ticking&buff.seed_of_corruption_is_out_dnt.down actions.assisted_combat+=/wither,if=!dot.wither.ticking&talent.wither&!dot.seed_of_corruption.ticking&buff.seed_of_corruption_is_out_dnt.down actions.assisted_combat+=/corruption,if=!dot.wither.ticking&talent.wither&!dot.seed_of_corruption.ticking&buff.seed_of_corruption_is_out_dnt.down actions.assisted_combat+=/agony,if=!dot.agony.ticking actions.assisted_combat+=/unstable_affliction,if=soul_shard>=5 actions.assisted_combat+=/infernal_bolt,if=buff.nightfall.stack>=2 actions.assisted_combat+=/shadow_bolt,if=buff.nightfall.stack>=2 actions.assisted_combat+=/infernal_bolt,if=buff.nightfall.up&buff.nightfall.remains<=3 actions.assisted_combat+=/shadow_bolt,if=buff.nightfall.up&buff.nightfall.remains<=3 actions.assisted_combat+=/haunt actions.assisted_combat+=/malevolence actions.assisted_combat+=/dark_harvest actions.assisted_combat+=/unstable_affliction,if=buff.shard_instability.up actions.assisted_combat+=/unstable_affliction,if=soul_shard>=2,cooldown_allow_casting_success=1 actions.assisted_combat+=/unstable_affliction # This is for Blizzard automation and is not included in the game's Assisted Combat system. actions.assisted_combat+=/summon_darkglare actions.assisted_combat+=/infernal_bolt,cooldown_allow_casting_success=1 actions.assisted_combat+=/shadow_bolt,cooldown_allow_casting_success=1 actions.assisted_combat+=/infernal_bolt actions.assisted_combat+=/shadow_bolt # Some cooldowns are not used by the Assisted Combat system. This simple default cooldown usage has been provided by simc. actions.cooldowns=potion actions.cooldowns+=/blood_fury actions.cooldowns+=/berserking actions.cooldowns+=/fireblood actions.cooldowns+=/ancestral_call actions.cooldowns+=/use_items actions.cooldowns+=/summon_darkglare
Turning on Assisted Highlight
In game, open Options > Gameplay > Gameplay Enhancements and check Assisted Highlight under Combat Assistant. Your next suggested ability glows on your action bars as you play.
Is this rotation built for your talents?
The rotation follows your talent build. Sim your highest-DPS build on your own gear, for the mode and rotation style you play.