Updated Nov 4, 2026

Affliction Warlock

PvE guide, updated for Patch 12.1.5

DPS Rotation & Cooldowns

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-12.6%
  • One Button-16.1%
Compare in rankings

The full rotation is the one SimulationCraft’s sims play by default. Its priority list is SimC’s own for the spec, read here for one build and one kind of fight.

Rotation

Beta11 abilities
Beta. This view is new. Some specs’ steps still read as long chains of conditions, and we’re working on making them simpler to follow.
  1. 1Unstable Affliction
  2. 2Drain SoulWhen ready
  3. 3Shadow BoltWhen ready
  4. 4Racial ability
  5. 5HauntWhen ready
  6. 6Agony
  7. 7Wither
  8. 8Dark Harvest
  9. 9MalevolenceWhen ready
  10. 10Summon Darkglare
  11. 11Malefic Grasp

Every step also needs the ability off cooldown and affordable. Range checks are left out. A blank Targets cell means any number of targets.

Before the pull

Things to do before entering combat.

  1. 1Summon Pet
  2. 2Haunt

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 this list on the profile in the Gear section with the guide’s Single target build, whichever build the list above is read for. 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.

Time
Ability
New
Gone
Up
Pre-pull
0:00.000
Summon Sayaad
0:00.000
Haunt
0:00.000
Liquid Luster
Pull
0:00.000
Agony
0:01.128
Wither
0:01.997
Dark Harvest
0:03.963
Stormbound Emblem of Dazar
0:06.272
Malevolence

The full priority list

simc@ff0d07f

Everything 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.

warlock_affliction.simc, 127 lines

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.