A plan you can follow.
Use the point order below between runs, then use the skill priorities inside a run. Choose the checkpoint that matches your available talent points.
These are permanent talent points spent between runs, not levels reached inside a run.
No specific equipment, gear-star level, race bonus or teammate is assumed. Upgrade priorities depend on the cards actually offered.
Corruption chain
Nightfall bolts and spreading Shadow damage over time
Use Nightfall and Contagion to connect Shadow Bolt with Corruption, reach Seed of Corruption, then add a small bolt-and-companion support package.
Affliction 31 Demonology 9 Destruction 11
Point order, skills & alternatives
Before using this plan
- Seed of Corruption gives the Corruption opening at point 31. Before then, Corruption and Curse of Agony are draft priorities rather than guaranteed opening spells.
Permanent talent order
Each row adds to the row above. Open a checkpoint to see every allocated rank; spend only the points your character actually has.
- 10 pointsAdd points 1–10
- Shadow Embrace +5Rank 5/5
- Improved Curse of Agony +3Rank 3/3
- Improved Drain Life +2Rank 2/5
- 20 pointsAdd points 11–20
- Nightfall +1Rank 1/1
- Improved Drain Life +3Rank 5/5
- Suppression +1Rank 1/5
- Shadow Mastery +5Rank 5/5
- 30 pointsAdd points 21–30
- Contagion +1Rank 1/1
- Amplify Curse +3Rank 3/3
- Grim Reach +1Rank 1/1
- Siphon Life +1Rank 1/1
- Fel Concentration +3Rank 3/3
- Suppression +1Rank 2/5
- 40 pointsAdd points 31–40
- Seed of Corruption +1Rank 1/1
- Improved Shadow Bolt +5Rank 5/5
- Cataclysm +4Rank 4/5
- 51 pointsAdd points 41–51
- Cataclysm +1Rank 5/5
- Shadow Cleave +1Rank 1/1
- Demonic Familiar +5Rank 5/5
- Fel Stamina +3Rank 3/3
- Demonic Embrace +1Rank 1/5
Why these points come first
- Points 1–5: Begin with the general DoT bonus that supports the intended sustained-damage route.
- Points 6–8: Strengthen Curse of Agony when offered.
- Points 9–10: Begin a damage-based recovery option and open Nightfall.
- Points 11: Connect arriving Shadow Bolts and Corruption ticks.
- Points 12–14: Complete support for the recovery DoT.
- Points 15: Reach the next row with the client-defined luck bonus; no particular drop or card outcome is promised.
- Points 16–20: Improve the common school of Corruption, Curse of Agony, Drain Life and Shadow Bolt.
- Points 21: Add the explicit on-death transfer for Corruption and Curse of Agony.
- Points 22–24: Shorten ordinary Curse of Agony recovery.
- Points 25: Add a target to DoT spells and finish the next gate.
- Points 26: Add healing from DoT ticks.
- Points 27–29: Extend ongoing effects for targets that survive long enough.
- Points 30: Complete the capstone gate without adding the separate Death Coil/Drain Life consumption interaction.
- Points 31: At point 31, gain the Corruption opening and the conditional DoT death burst.
- Points 32–36: Strengthen the direct attack linked by Nightfall.
- Points 37–41: Add ordinary cooldown recovery while opening Shadow Cleave.
- Points 42: Let arriving Shadow Bolts fork to extra enemies.
- Points 43–47: Add and strengthen a permanent Imp as a secondary source, with optional Immolate interaction.
- Points 48–50: Use the accessible Demonology row for reduction rather than an incomplete summon milestone.
- Points 51: Finish with maximum health.
Skills to look for
Use this priority when the relevant choice is offered. A route does not guarantee a particular card.
- Corruption
Nightfall supplies the bolt link, Contagion transfers the effect after a death and Seed adds a separate death burst.
If it is missing: Shadow Bolt — Nightfall makes arriving bolts apply their own corruption effect; keep the current direct attack useful while waiting for a card.
- Curse of Agony
Its damage and ordinary cooldown are supported, and Contagion names it explicitly.
If it is missing: Drain Life — Use a supported Shadow DoT with damage-based healing if the second spreading curse is absent.
- Shadow Bolt
Improved Shadow Bolt and Shadow Cleave support the direct spell that Nightfall can trigger for free.
If it is missing: Death Coil — Choose its damage-based burst healing when immediate recovery matters more than another bolt upgrade.
- Drain Life
The early Affliction investment improves its damage and gives a recovery option while DoTs work.
If it is missing: Immolate — Late Demonic Familiar makes its permanent Imp hit Immolated targets as well; this remains an optional side interaction, not Contagion spread.
Inside the run
- Before the Corruption opening
- Develop the available Shadow attack and take a core DoT when it appears. Do not assume the full death-spread loop at ten permanent points.
- Nightfall and Contagion active
- Prioritize the ongoing effects that can finish ordinary targets and transfer. Preserve space for ticks rather than chasing every enemy individually.
- A lone boss remains
- Evaluate ordinary DoT damage, Shadow Bolt and recovery. Contagion and Seed cannot receive a stream of kills from a boss that is still alive.
Change one thing
- Curse of Agony is missing
- Use Corruption with the available Shadow attack or Drain Life; do not broaden into several unrelated Fire cards just to fill the bar.
- Recovery arrives too slowly
- Use an offered Death Coil or improve movement; gradual Drain Life healing depends on its damage and target lifetime.
- Immolate appears late
- It can support the small permanent-Imp package, but prioritize the established Shadow engine unless that extra interaction solves a specific gap.
- The final split is 31 Affliction, 11 Destruction and 9 Demonology. It does not contain Conflagrate, Legion Gate or a demon capstone.
- Spread and death bursts depend on kills; the plan has no measured superiority over direct-damage or demon routes.
The point order follows the checked 0.125.0 client requirements. Spell priorities and gameplay suggestions are editorial and have not been combat-tested. A legal allocation does not establish the strongest build or a proven clear rate.
Imp, Felhunter and Pit Lord
Lesser demons with DoT consumption and inherited spell upgrades
Keep lesser demons active, use Soul Devourer to turn an existing DoT into immediate damage, and reach Pact of the Annihilan for the Pit Lord.
Affliction 5 Demonology 32 Destruction 14
Point order, skills & alternatives
Before using this plan
- Demonic Familiar supplies an Imp from the first allocated rank. Soul Devourer is completed by point 13, Legion Gate appears at point 21 and the Pit Lord capstone at point 31.
- Demonic Supremacy is deliberately unselected because it prevents lesser-demon summoning. Soul Link and Butcher are also unselected; they are alternative choices, not additions to this plan.
- This demon allocation does not contain a talent that changes the starting attack. Searing Pain and Immolate remain card priorities when offered.
Permanent talent order
Each row adds to the row above. Open a checkpoint to see every allocated rank; spend only the points your character actually has.
- 10 pointsAdd points 1–10
- Demonic Familiar +5Rank 5/5
- Unholy Power +5Rank 5/5
- 20 pointsAdd points 11–20
- Soul Devourer +3Rank 3/3
- Demonic Echoes +3Rank 3/3
- Master Demonologist +3Rank 3/3
- Fel Stamina +1Rank 1/3
- 30 pointsAdd points 21–30
- Legion Gate +1Rank 1/1
- Fel Stamina +2Rank 3/3
- Demonic Embrace +2Rank 2/5
- Summon Doomguard +3Rank 3/3
- Summon Infernal +2Rank 2/3
- 40 pointsAdd points 31–40
- Pact of the Annihilan +1Rank 1/1
- Improved Shadow Bolt +5Rank 5/5
- Cataclysm +4Rank 4/5
- 51 pointsAdd points 41–51
- Cataclysm +1Rank 5/5
- Improved Searing Pain +3Rank 3/3
- Shadow Cleave +1Rank 1/1
- Shadow Embrace +5Rank 5/5
- Demonic Embrace +1Rank 3/5
Why these points come first
- Points 1–5: Acquire and strengthen the permanent Imp, including its explicit Immolate interaction.
- Points 6–10: Improve demon damage before adding another companion.
- Points 11–13: Choose the Felhunter and complete its DoT-consumption milestone, excluding Soul Link.
- Points 14–15: Begin the explicit demon echo source and open the next row.
- Points 16–18: Add general damage and demon critical chance as stated by the talent.
- Points 19: Complete the demon-specific echo investment.
- Points 20: Add reduction and finish the Legion Gate requirement.
- Points 21: At point 21, add periodic lesser demons after fully ranking the chosen prerequisite.
- Points 22–23: Complete the available reduction bonus.
- Points 24–25: Add maximum health while reaching the greater-summon row.
- Points 26–28: Add the temporary Doomguard whose bolts inherit Shadow Bolt upgrades.
- Points 29–30: Add the temporary Infernal without selecting the lesser-demon-suppressing Supremacy talent.
- Points 31: At point 31, choose the Pit Lord and its explicit Searing Pain inheritance.
- Points 32–36: Support the ordinary bolt and the Doomguard's named inheritance.
- Points 37–41: Add ordinary cooldown recovery while opening the next Destruction row.
- Points 42–44: Improve Searing Pain and Immolate, both central spell interactions in this route.
- Points 45: Add forks to ordinary arriving Shadow Bolts; do not assume every summon inherits every owner talent.
- Points 46–50: Improve the ongoing effects that the Felhunter can consume.
- Points 51: Use the final point for maximum health rather than changing to a conflicting summon mode.
Skills to look for
Use this priority when the relevant choice is offered. A route does not guarantee a particular card.
- Immolate
The Imp's Firebolts also hit Immolated enemies, and a maintained DoT gives Soul Devourer something to consume.
If it is missing: Corruption — Use an available DoT; Legion Gate specifically describes Succubi interacting with Corrupted enemies.
- Searing Pain
Pact of the Annihilan explicitly says the Pit Lord inherits its upgrades, making offered upgrades relevant beyond the ordinary random-target hit.
If it is missing: Shadow Bolt — Doomguard bolts inherit Shadow Bolt upgrades; keep this supported direct attack useful when Searing Pain is absent.
- Demonic Empowerment
The permanent Imp satisfies the demon-presence part of this spell's activation condition, so its demon damage buff has a concrete target.
If it is missing: Drain Life — Use an offered recovery DoT when survival is the limiting factor; it also gives the Felhunter an ongoing effect to consume.
- Shadow Bolt
It has explicit Destruction support and Doomguard inheritance in this allocation.
If it is missing: Death Coil — Use its damage-based healing as a recovery choice rather than pretending it summons a demon on every cast.
Inside the run
- Imp and first DoT
- Take a useful ongoing effect when offered and keep the actual starter functional. Immolate has a specific Imp interaction; a demon picture alone is not evidence of another spell link.
- Felhunter and Legion Gate
- Maintain an available DoT and allow the Felhunter to consume part of its remaining duration. Improve demon-specific effects rather than assuming all owner modifiers transfer.
- Pit Lord available
- Prioritize useful offered Searing Pain upgrades for the inherited attack and compare Shadow Bolt support for the Doomguard. Move independently of where a summon happens to attack.
Change one thing
- Searing Pain is not offered
- Keep the existing Imp/Felhunter package and supported Shadow Bolt working; the Pit Lord milestone still exists, but its inherited upgrade opportunity is limited.
- You want permanent Infernal and Doomguard instead
- Use a different allocation built around Demonic Supremacy. Selecting it here would suppress the lesser-demon package, not simply add more companions.
- You expected Soul Link shielding
- This plan chooses Soul Devourer, which rules out Soul Link. Use movement or an offered recovery effect rather than counting on Voidwalker shields.
- The final split is 32 Demonology, 14 Destruction and 5 Affliction. It selects Pact of the Annihilan rather than the mutually exclusive Butcher.
- The Felhunter consumes part of a DoT's remaining duration; that immediate damage is not a free addition that leaves the duration unchanged.
- Demonic Echoes is the stated echo source for demons. Owner critical or repeat-hit talents must not be assumed to apply identically to summons.
The point order follows the checked 0.125.0 client requirements. Spell priorities and gameplay suggestions are editorial and have not been combat-tested. A legal allocation does not establish the strongest build or a proven clear rate.
To compare attempts, keep version, class, zone, difficulty, permanent equipment and account bonuses fixed. Record your chosen skills and the point where the run failed. Use the run comparison checklist →
Recommended spell connections.
These are all the priority spells from the routes above. Their references also describe alternative talents; check your chosen point plan to see which connections are active. The complete class spellbook follows below.
Open the Warlock talent planner →
Build around ongoing effects, their Shadow Bolt interaction and the transfer of effects after an affected enemy dies.
Corruption
Shadow Bolt applies Corruption to its target, and Corruption ticks can trigger free Shadow Bolts. When an afflicted enemy dies, Corruption and Curse of Agony pass to a nearby enemy.
Nightfall / Contagion / Seed of Corruption
Curse of Agony
When an afflicted enemy dies, Corruption and Curse of Agony pass to a nearby enemy. Starts the run with Corruption and causes enemies dying under your damage-over-time effects to explode.
Contagion / Seed of Corruption / Improved Curse of Agony
Shadow Bolt
Shadow Bolt applies Corruption to its target, and Corruption ticks can trigger free Shadow Bolts. Each landed Shadow Bolt forks to additional enemies.
Nightfall / Shadow Cleave / Conflagrate
Drain Life
Death Coil immediately deals part of Drain Life's remaining damage on that target without consuming the ongoing effect. Increases Drain Life damage.
Soul Reaping / Improved Drain Life
Immolate
The permanent Imp's Firebolts also hit enemies carrying your Immolate. Starts the run with Immolate; Shadow Bolt and Searing Pain cause already Immolated targets to explode.
Demonic Familiar / Conflagrate
Searing Pain
Starts the run with Immolate; Shadow Bolt and Searing Pain cause already Immolated targets to explode. Increases Searing Pain and Immolate damage.
Conflagrate / Improved Searing Pain / Pact of the Annihilan
Demonic Empowerment
No spell-specific talent interaction is recorded in the current checked talent definitions.
No specific talent link recordedYour opening priorities.
Choose Corruption and Curse of Agony as the ongoing-damage focus. Inspect their selected support before branching into another spell family.
Read the Nightfall connection between Shadow Bolt and Corruption. A linked free cast is part of the route only when the relevant talent is selected.
Move through available space while effects work. Avoid waiting beside an affected enemy solely to watch it finish.
When the plan stalls.
Choose the row that describes your last attempt.
Several enemies are affected, but none dies soon enough.
Try this Compare stronger ongoing damage with Seal of the Damned’s tick-speed effect.
The transfer interaction needs an affected target to die. Applying more unfinished effects does not by itself start a chain.
Damage is working but health does not last.
Try this Compare recovery, including Blooddrinker’s Band, with another damage choice.
A heal-from-damage effect has a different condition from passive regeneration. Read the offer and match it to the damage your setup is producing.
The lone boss survives after ordinary enemies clear.
Try this Review ongoing-damage and Shadow Bolt support that works without a death nearby.
An on-death transfer cannot carry the same part of the damage plan when there is no next target.
Give your gear a purpose.
Compare tick-speed support with healing from damage, according to the actual item offered.
Seal of the Damned 
Blooddrinker’s Band 
Hand of Justice A trap to avoid.
Treating the time needed for ongoing damage as permission to stand still inside a closing crowd.
A damage-over-time plan needs time and safe space. Its result against a group can differ from a solitary boss.
All 12 Warlock spells.
Shadow BoltRanged Shadow pressureCorruptionSpreading Shadow routeImmolateFire damage over timeCurse of AgonyLonger Shadow pressure
Rain of FireRanged Fire ground damage
HellfireFrequent close Fire pulses
Death CoilDirect damage and healingSearing PainRandom-target Fire hitDrain LifeDamage-over-time healing
FearRanged fear control
SoulfireKill-fed Fire strikeDemonic EmpowermentDemon damage windowSources & scope
Talent allocations and named interactions use original-client snapshot v0.125.0. Every point order is checked against its rules. Build recommendations and skill priorities are editorial; no combat trial, clear-rate benchmark or optimal ranking is claimed.
Game client and version recordGameplay reference: original client v0.125.0, rechecked October 29, 2026. Live v0.127.0 was also observed that day; interface descriptions were compared, but talent execution rules and combat balance were not revalidated for the newer build.