Warlock Advanced Arena Guide

           This will cover each of the Warlocks unique looking spells and their pets. It will take you awhile to learn what you're looking at and what you're up against but it is very important that you do learn it.

Races That Can Play A Warlock on Horde:

Orc
Undead
Blood Elf

Races That Can Play A Warlock on Alliance:

Gnome
Human

Spells

           This section will cover each of the Warlocks casting animations, how to counter it, what type of spell it is and more basic information about the spell. If you see a spell that I'm forgetting, or misleading information because of a recent patch please email me at almarsguides@yahoo.com .. Thanks!

Shadow bolt

Shadow bolt looks like your normal "Channeling" stance, it is also the only spell a Warlock will channel, like this, that highlights their hands black. The only other spell they channel like this is Incinerate, which turns their hands orange.

Interruptable: Yes
Resist: Shadow
Cast Time: 3 seconds
Counter: Silence, Stun, Fear, Line of Site

Immolate

Immolate will use the "Quick Animation" cast if it is available to that race. If not it will use the channeled animation similar to Shadow bolt (above). Immolate is something you shouldn't worry about if a Warlock is using on you. Hell its typical to laugh at them if they are wasting time with it.

Interruptable: Yes
Resist: Fire
Cast Time: 1.5 seconds
Counter: Silence, Stun, Fear, Line of Site, Dispell the DoT effect

Drain Soul

Drain Soul is the easiest Channeled spell a Warlock has to reconize. It's the ONLY purple beam that comes out from them and it is also the only spell that will change the color of the warlock as well. If you see a Warlock using this in the arena be sure to hit that ROFL bomb macro you love so much. If you counterspell this spell, the Warlocks Shadow school will be locked down.

Interruptable: Yes
Resist: Shadow
Cast Time: 1.5 seconds
Counter: Silence, Stun, Fear, Dispell

Drain Life

Probably the most common channeled spell you will see a Warlock use, Drain Life. Drain Life steals the life from the Warlocks target and gives it to the Warlock. This is the only drain spell that appears green when cast. If you counterspell this spell, the Warlocks Shadow school will be locked down.

Interruptable: Yes
Resist: Shadow
Cast Time: 1.5 seconds
Counter: Silence, Stun, Fear, Line of Site (Sometimes), Dispell

Health Funnel

Health Funnel heals the Warlocks pet, using some of the Warlocks HP. It is the only Warlock spell that is channeled red and the only spell channeled directly at the pet. If you counterspell this spell, the Warlocks Shadow school will be locked down.

Interruptable: Yes
Resist: Shadow
Cast Time: 1.5 seconds
Counter: Silence, Stun, Fear

Drain Mana

Drain Mana is the only other drain spell available to the Warlock. This can only be used on players with mana (Go figure) and is the color blue. This spell doesn't deal any damage and can be line of sighted.

Interruptable: Yes
Resist: Shadow
Cast Time: 1.5 seconds
Counter: Silence, Stun, Fear, Line of Site (Sometimes)

Fear

Fear is one of the easiest spells to reconize. It uses the same universal symbol for every class, which is a skull shaking around inside of a set of chains. This is also one of the Warlocks most annoying spells. You can remove it with PvP trinket or a dispell.

Interruptable: Yes
Resist: Shadow
Cast Time: 1.5 seconds
Counter: Silence, Stun, Fear, Line of Site, Dispell

Fel Armor

Fel Armor is one of the two Armors the Warlock can apply on himself. Fel Armor will be the one most commonly used in the arena and the one you will see the most. It is Dispellable.

Interruptable: No
Resist: N/A
Cast Time: Instant
Counter: Dispell

Demon Armor

Demon Armor is the second armor available to Warlocks. This one isn't commonly used in the arena and it is dispellable.

Interruptable: No
Resist: N/A
Cast Time: Instant
Counter: Dispell

Hellfire

Hellfire is the second most commonly used Warlock AoE (Aside from Rain of Fire). This spell deals damage to the Warlock and everyone around him. Not advised to be used in the arena.

Interruptable: Yes
Resist: Fire
Cast Time: Channeled
Counter: Silence, Stun, Fear

Deathcoil

Deathcoil is a all in one fear-self healing shadow bolt. When hit by Deathcoil you will run in a random direction for 3 seconds. This ability shouldn't be confused with the Deathknights Deathcoil.

Interruptable: No
Resist: Shadow
Cast Time: Instant
Counter: Silence, Stun, Dispell or PvP trinket for the fear portion.

Seduce

Seduce is only able to be used when the Warlocks pet Succubus is out (see the Warlock pet section). Seduce will put your target to sleep for up to 8 seconds. The Succubus will channel this spell, so normal interrupts will work against her.

Interruptable: Yes
Resist: Shadow
Cast Time: 1.5 seconds
Counter: Silence, Stun, Fear Dispell or PvP trinket for the seduce.

Lifetap

Lifetap, belive it or not has a very unique animation as well. Notice the black/green smog around the Warlock? Thats how you can tell he has used Lifetap. Now you're prolly wondering... Well how does that effect me? Easy! The Warlock just convered LIFE to MANA. =)

Interruptable: No
Resist: N/A
Cast Time: Instant
Counter: N/A

Howl of Terror

Belive it or not, Howl of Terror has a very noteable animation. It uses a unique looking "Quick cast" animation for almost every race. It's also noteable because every race will look up in the air and "Howl". Except for gnomes, they look like they got a stick shoved up their ass.

Interruptable: Maybe
Resist: Shadow
Cast Time: 1.5 seconds or instant if affliction
Counter: Stun, Silence, Fear, Dispell or PvP Trinket the fear portion.

Demonic Empowerment

Very Unique looking ability on the Warlocks pet. This ability is only available to Demonology Warlocks. It will grant your pet a different buff depending on what pet you have out. To see a list of all of the buffs click here. http://www.wowhead.com/?spell=47193

Interruptable: No
Resist: N/A
Cast Time: Instant
Counter: Dispell

Metamorphosis

Metamorphosis is the most unique looking spell for the Warlock and also tells you what talent spec they are immediatly. When this ability is used the Warlock will transform into a demon, gain demonic abilities and have their armor increased, chance to be crit reduced and stun and snare effects last half their normal time on you.

Interruptable: No
Resist: N/A
Cast Time: Instant
Counter: Dispell

Warlock Pets

This section is dedicated to the Warlocks Pets. I will cover each of the pets abilities that you should know about and the general reason a Warlock will have that pet out in an arena. If you see anything missing, or that you would like to add please email me at almarsguides@yahoo.com .. Thanks!

Warlock Imp Pet

The Warlock Imp pet has two parts, one where he is Phase Shift and one where he isn't. When he is effected by Phase Shift he is unable to be damaged and cannot attack. The good thing about Phase Shift is he will still give his passive Blood Pack ability.

Average Health: 5000 at 80

Abilities you should know about:

Blood Pact: Increases your health and parties by 1330. 20 yard range.

Cooldown: None
Cast Time: Passive
Counter: Only way to get Blood Pact off of someone is to have the imp run out of range or to kill it.

Phase Shift: Makes the Imp invulnerable to attacks.

Cooldown: 10 seconds (Doesn't fade though)
Cast Time: Instant
Counter: Nothing. Only thing you can do is wait for the Imp to come out of Phase Shift and DoT him so he cannot go back in.

Warlock Succubus

The Warlocks Succubus has two different parts too. She has Lesser Invisibility that will make her invisible, but still vulnerable to damage. Then she has her regular self. The Warlock's Succubus is almost as squishy as the Warlock's Imp, but has a better purpose then Blood Pact.

Average Health: 5200

Abilities you should know about:

Seduce: Puts the target to sleep for 8 seconds. They cannot move, or do anything. Damage will break this effect.

Cooldown: Global
Cast Time: 1.5s
Counter: PvP Trinket, Dispell, Stun or silence the succubus. You can also stun, silence or kill the Succubus while your team mate is seducced to interrupt it.

Warlock Voidwalker

The Void Walker is a very uncommon pet to see in arenas. They will only usually be pulled out to be sacrificed. Their only ability worth mentioning is sacrifice which shields the Warlock in a protective aura that absorbes damage. Void Walkers are also the Warlocks most durable pet.

Average Health: 6500

Abilities you should know about:

Sacrifice: Uses a portion of the Void Walkers health and gives you a shield that absorbs damage

Cooldown: 1 minute
Cast Time: Instant
Counter: Kill the Voidwalker or burn through the shield. This ability has infinite range, so it cannot be countered that way.

Fel Hunter

Fel Hunters are the most common pet used in Arenas. With their ability to spell lock and devour magic they are the best choice against casters and melee. The only downside this pet has is he is very squishy and will go down very quick if your healer is not prepaired to heal him.

Average Health: 5600

Abilities you should know about:

Spell Lock: Silences an enemy for 3 seconds. If used while the target is casting a spell it will prevent them from casting any spell from that school of magic for 6 seconds.

Cooldown: 24 seconds
Cast Time: Instant
Counter: Kill the Fel Hunter, or don't cast abilities. There is also another counter to it, but it takes some intelligence and testing. A Warlock can have their pet on "Auto-cast" for this ability, most Warlock's don't... But some do. This means WHENEVER you use a spell, the Fel Hunter will pop Spell Lock, even on an instant cast spell. So if you want to trigger this ability, without getting a 6 second silence, toss an instant cast spell.

Devour Magic: Devour magic will consume a beneficial effect on an enemy target, or a harmful effect on a friendly target. If the Felhunter successfull eats a spell, he will be healed for 1150.

Cooldown: 8 seconds
Cast Time: Instant
Counter: Kill the Fel Hunter.

Fel Guard

Fel Guards are the only pet that requires a talent to get. Which, is a big give away on what talent spec the Warlock is. This is another very durable pet for the Warlock. The only noteable ability this pet has is Intercept.

Average Health: 6500

Abilities you should know about:

Intercept: Charges the target, deals damage and stuns the target for 3 seconds

Cooldown: 30 seconds
Cast Time: Instant
Counter: Nothing you can do besides run out of its range (30 yards) or get to close to it (7 yards or less). This stun is resistable.