Warlock.
Build around the action.

01 / THE FIRST EXPERIMENT

A starting build with one job.

Affliction is our suggested first periodic-damage experiment. Demonology is an alternative for players who enjoy a companion, while Destruction changes the question to direct-cast windows.

A starting experiment, not a guaranteed best-in-slot setup or a prescribed point allocation. Inspect the current normal builder and your realm’s tooltip before committing.

02 / CHOOSE THE ROLE FIRST

Three talent directions.

03 / DEFAULT CATALOG EXAMPLES

Read the trigger.
Then choose the effect.

These are real Warlock records from the default public Echo Builder, checked on 3 November. Availability and usefulness are different questions; this is a shortlist to investigate, not a promised draw.

Stonefist BarrageWarlock periodic damage has a chance+

A direct-cast or pet-only assumption is broader than the reviewed trigger. Test the actual periodic effect you plan to maintain.

Default catalog record 201040 · genuine icon / original explanation

Arcane BombardmentPeriodic Immolate, Corruption or Curse of Agony damage has a chance+

This card names three effects. Use those names when comparing a direct-damage plan with a periodic one.

Default catalog record 201180 · genuine icon / original explanation

Temporal PressureConflagrate, Shadowburn, Shadowflame or Shadowfury cooldowns+

The reviewed list is narrower than every Warlock spell. The card can be situational even on the correct class.

Default catalog record 201296 · genuine icon / original explanation

04 / FIX THE BOTTLENECK

A stat decision order.

Use this qualitative order to decide what to inspect next. It is not a set of simulated weights, universal caps or an instruction to ignore your active tree.

1. 01A clear direct-cast, periodic or demon-focused identity
2. 02Enough survival and resource continuity for the chosen cycle
3. 03Spell-oriented primary gearing for that cycle
4. 04Haste / critical value only where the exact effect can use it
5. 05Extra overlapping effects after the target-lifetime test works

If a target dies before the intended effect gets useful time, spreading more long-duration effects can be wasted work. If a target survives while you retreat, the same property can be helpful.

05 / THE LOOP

Make the next press useful.

Several reviewed Warlock examples care about periodic damage. That is a reason to inspect the actual dots in your plan, not proof that every Warlock effect or pet attack qualifies.

The mistake to catch early.

Reading a broad phrase like Warlock periodic damage as if it meant direct damage, pet damage and every status effect. Follow the narrower wording of the specific card.

When an interaction seems absent, read the precise trigger and class record first. An effect with the same name on another class can use a different condition. PTR examples can also differ from the default catalog.

One useful experiment.

Keep one chosen periodic plan on a durable but manageable enemy. Move when needed and observe whether the effect remains useful during movement. Compare that with spending the same opportunity on a short-lived target.

Keep the encounter, role and ordinary sequence as consistent as practical. Write down what changed and what remained awkward. Your own observation is more useful than pretending this guide measured a universal winner.