Usage percentages: share of surveyed Affliction Warlocks equipping each item (n=346). Click a row to expand alternatives. Hover any item for its full tooltip.
Affliction Warlock stat priority (Phase 1 PvE)
- Spell Hit (16%)
- >Shadow Damage
- >Spell Crit
- >Haste
- >Intellect
Five dots plus Malediction's curse amplification means every point of shadow damage ticks a dozen times — hit cap first (a resisted Unstable Affliction is catastrophic), then pure spell damage forever.
Stat caps (raid)
| Stat | Cap | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Spell Hit | 202 rating | 16% cap for a raid boss (+3 levels). Draenei Heroic Presence, Shadow Priest's Misery, and hit talents lower how much you need on gear. |
- Spell Hit: 16% cap for a raid boss (+3 levels). Draenei Heroic Presence, Shadow Priest's Misery, and hit talents lower how much you need on gear.
What to buy first (raid)
- 1
Reach the spell hit cap
Hit-capped pieces first — a miss is 100% lost damage. Prioritize any upgrade that closes the gap to 16% (less with talents/Draenei).
- 2
Spell-power weapon + off-hand
Your largest single spell-power source after hit is handled.
- 3
Tier set bonuses (2pc / 4pc)
Caster set bonuses drive a big chunk of throughput this expansion.
- 4
Trinkets (spell-power / on-use)
Proc and on-use trinkets add burst during cooldown windows.
- 5
Remaining slots, then gems & enchants
Fill the rest, then socket for spell power once hit is satisfied.
Affliction Warlock PvE FAQ
Where does Affliction Warlock Phase 1 BiS come from?
From the gear worn by 346 top-ranked Affliction Warlock DPS parses on Warcraft Logs during Phase 1 (Karazhan, Gruul's Lair and Magtheridon), aggregated per slot — what high parsers actually equip, not a spreadsheet ideal.
What are the highest-consensus Affliction Warlock items in Phase 1?
Spellstrike Pants (85%), Frozen Shadoweave Boots (82%), Voidheart Crown (77%). When an item sits above ~70% among top parsers, treat it as the priority drop to chase.
Should I follow this list exactly for Phase 1?
Use it as a loot-priority guide, not a checklist — expand each slot's alternatives, because second-choice items are often within a few percent and drop from entirely different bosses in Karazhan, Gruul's Lair and Magtheridon.