Starting a warlock So , you ' re thinking of playing a Warlock ? This page is intended to give a short overview of what to do over the first 10 levels or so , just to get you started on the right path . If you ' re looking for more of an overview of the class ' s abilities , see the main Warlock page . For more advanced topics , see the Warlock Tactics . For even more info on Warlocks , see . For an in - depth guide on leveling a Warlock , see Leveling a Warlock . For a more general overview on starting out playing WoW , see the Newbie Guide Roles . The warlock will be expected to fill many different roles , depending on the situation and sometimes depending on individual fights within an instance . Warlocks are considered by many players to be one of the easier classes to play because of the minions available and crowd control abilities . A player may not necessarily need to master all aspects of the Warlock in order to succeed in the game , especially in PvE . However , a warlock played well can attain elite status and is a welcome addition to any party . Race selection . The following races can play as a warlock : All races except Tauren , Draenei , Pandaren , and Night Elves can be warlocks . Be sure to check each of the racial trait s . Some are very useful to warlocks , and others less so . However , each race " does " have something useful for you , so don ' t fret too much about it . Early leveling . The easiest way to progress through the early levels is to simply do any and all quests you can find . Not only will you breeze through the first 5 to 10 levels , but you ' ll get useful gear and precious money . Make sure you get all the spells you can from your trainer . It ' s important to keep up with your spell training , as quests become more and more situational in nature . Always keep your armor spell on . At these levels , this will be . It ' s a good idea befriend a Leatherworker to obtain armor kit s at the earliest opportunity ( or get them at an AH ) in order to upgrade your weak armor as you level . Attack Methods . In general , for PvE attacks , you want to start with your slowest cast first . Before the mob attacks , you will have all the time in the world to cast , but after it starts charging , most may reach you before you get the first shot off . Then you can follow with your instant cast spells . In most cases , should be used sparingly . When a mob runs around randomly while feared , it can pull other mobs to attack you as if it were asking for help . There is a glyph that will make the Feared target shiver in place instead of running around , but you can ' t activate that one until level 25 . ( Fear should almost never be used in Dungeon instances . ) By contrast , in PvP , you should generally want to open with either Fear or your instant casts , because you can never be sure if you ' ll have enough casting time to haul off a bolt or another fire spell . Soloing . The best way to solo is to send in your voidwalker pet ( often abbreviated as VW ) to tank and give it a couple of seconds to build aggro then DoT ( damage over time , these include Immolate , Corruption , and Bane of Agony ) . Wait for mob to die then repeat . If you get aggro simply cast shadow bolt until it dies . If you find yourself without a minion , summon one immediately using Soulburn . You have a soul shard ready , don ' t you ? Minions . Each pet has its own special benefits to you , your party , and those around you . Some may be good for PvP , while some may be useful for PvE . You may need to complete a quest to obtain the creature . Warlock soloing is equally about pet management as it is spell management . Grouping . The Warlock in a group must really be aware of which spell to use in any given situation . This is not always true for PvE , where it ' s relatively easy to get back on track if you choose the wrong spell . The transition of roles from PvE to PvP or raiding / instances can be jarring especially for the new player . Your strategy may change from straight damage - dealer , to crowd control , to kiting specialist , to supporting damage with DoT , and then back again . The sheer number and variety of spells in your arsenal can get overwhelming at times . But if you consider your warlock as the ultimate situational player , you will be able to fully grasp how to handle virtually any situation . It ' s important to consider the role your party will expect you to take . Essentially , you can become a master of pets , a crowd controller , or a straight damage - dealer . It ' s important to apply the proper curse or bane for a given situation . If you are grouped with friends who deal Nature - type damage , for example , apply as a debuff to targets , which increases their vulnerability to most schools of damage ( Except Holy and Physical ) . Be extremely careful with Fear while with a non - battleground party . Fear can by glyphed to make the target stay in place , which is extremely valuable in raids / instances . Unglyphed Fear is useful in very limited situations . But they are there , and include the following : At later levels you ' ll be required to . This is a form of Crowd Control that works on demons and elementals , making them invulnerable but unable to attack . Soul Shards . Soul Shard s are now a rune - type resource , much like the Death Knights Rune system . The soul shards no longer take up space in your bag and you may now only carry 4 of them at a time . You can , however , glyph in such a way that you can carry 5 . There used to be only one spell needing a soul shard : . For affliction warlocks however , there is a second spell that uses soul shards , being : . There are 2 current ways to gain soul shards . Using Drain Soul on an enemy whilst it dies is currently the most efficient way . You can also cast which will sometimes passively grant you a soul shard ; using this in conjunction with will allow you to gain Soul Shards with a bit of luck in the midst of a big fight . All Shard Bag s as of patch 4 . 0 have been converted into normal Bag s . Remember to use Soul Harvest often . The 30 second cooldown means it can be cast after almost every fight . And don ' t be afraid of using Soulburn either . The 45 second cooldown means that it can be used multiple times on many instance bosses and as an emergency way of regaining your minion if it dies . Useful professions . The warlock can benefit directly and indirectly from many of the professions available . Primary professions . Start your professions early ! It ' s usually not too expensive , and you want to ensure that the gear you create with your skills is applicable to your warlock ' s level . Secondary professions . Any or all four of the secondary professions are good for the warlock . With cooking , you can create yourself ( or party members ) various tasty treats for quick healing and mana regeneration . Fishing is good for getting fish to use in your recipes , or for catching random gear you can sell to vendors . First Aid is good for making bandages for quick healing after battle to recover your HP faster . First Aid works especially well for warlocks due to the spell Life Tap . Bandages can be used in battle , which allows for fast healing that translates into health that can be life tapped ; it ' s as effective as a mana potion in returning mana , but requires cast time for Life Tap . Life Tap can also be used to fill up your mana between fights , and then immediately bandage to restore the life you just converted to mana , reducing your downtime to a minimum . Also , since cooking offers many more health - restoring foods than mana - restoring foods and drinks , Life Tap can be used to turn stacks of cooked fish and meats into a poor - warlock ' s drinks . Long - term goals . Important long - term goals for the warlock include deciding how best to approach the soloing aspect to the game , your desired role in a party , and preparing yourself for late - game content ( PvP , dungeons and instances , Battlegrounds , etc . ) Specs . What spec should you go ? There are so many choices it can be hard to describe . You can see a high detail list at Warlock Talents . But you can get an overall idea right here .