The Ultimate Guide to Horde Warlock Races in Classic WoW

Choosing the right race for your Warlock in Classic WoW is a crucial decision that can impact your gameplay experience. While the differences between races might seem minor, they can provide noticeable advantages in both PvE and PvP scenarios. So, let’s cut to the chase:

The best Horde race for a Warlock in Classic WoW is generally considered to be Undead, with Orcs being a very close second. While both races offer compelling benefits, the Undead race provides the slight edge with its unique tools for different situations. Orc is exceptionally strong, but the overall package of Undead make them very strong for the class. Let’s explore why this is the case.

Undead: The Masters of Shadow

Will of the Forsaken

The cornerstone of why Undead Warlocks are so effective is their racial ability, Will of the Forsaken. This ability provides a temporary immunity to Charm, Fear, and Sleep effects, which are incredibly common and disruptive in both PvE and PvP. This ability is a lifesaver against many types of crowds control. In PvP, countering fear and charm is crucial, and Will of the Forsaken allows for more aggressive play. In PvE, while not always game-changing, it can completely negate some mechanics.

Cannibalize

Cannibalize allows Undead to regenerate health by eating the corpses of humanoid enemies. This is a practical ability that allows for health recovery after fights and reduces downtime. While not as powerful as Will of the Forsaken, this is a very valuable racial ability for questing and solo grinding.

Underwater Breathing

The Undead’s underwater breathing ability isn’t often game changing but can still be helpful.

Summary of Undead Warlock Benefits

• Strong PvP potential: The immunity provided by Will of the Forsaken is invaluable.
• Good solo play: Cannibalize helps in solo content.
• Situational benefits The Underwater breathing racial can prove useful in certain situations.

Orc: The Masters of Aggression

Blood Fury

Blood Fury is an active ability that increases melee attack power by 25% for 15 seconds while decreasing healing received by 50%. While the increased melee attack doesn’t benefit the spell-casting portion of a warlock, it does increase damage dealt by your warlock’s demons. When a demon is using their melee abilities, the 25% bonus is quite substantial and provides a good damage increase.

Hardiness

The Hardiness racial ability offers a 25% resistance to stuns, which is very helpful in both PvP and PvE. This makes Orc Warlocks less susceptible to crowd control.

Command

Orc Warlocks have a racial ability called Command, which increases the damage of pets by 5%. This directly boosts the effectiveness of Warlock demons, making it a great option for the class.

Summary of Orc Warlock Benefits

• Enhanced pet damage: Command provides a 5% boost to pet damage.
• Stun Resistance: The stun reduction is valuable in both PvP and PvE.
• Effective for multiple specs: Blood Fury and Command boost damage across all warlock builds.

Why Not Other Races?

While Undead and Orcs dominate the discussions for Warlock, you might wonder about other Horde races:

• Trolls: While Trolls have berserking, it is not as beneficial for Warlock’s than an Orc’s blood fury or an Undead’s Will of the Forsaken. In a pure DPS fight, they are very strong. However, a warlock’s effectiveness stems from more than just dps.
• Tauren: Tauren’s have a health bonus, but no abilities that are particularly good for a Warlock.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, the choice of race will depend on your playstyle and preferences. However, it is very clear that Undead and Orc are the two best races for Warlock. For overall versatility, Undead Warlocks often come out on top in Classic WoW due to the critical benefits of Will of the Forsaken. However, Orcs offer a very viable option with the damage bonuses of their racials.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the best Warlock spec for Classic WoW?

The most commonly used spec in Classic WoW for Warlocks, particularly in raiding, is Sac/Destro. This hybrid Destruction/Demonology build capitalizes on the 15% Shadow damage buff from sacrificing the Succubus, as well as the critical strike damage from the Ruin talent.

2. What are the main stats for a Warlock in Classic WoW?

The primary stats for a Warlock in Classic WoW are Intelligence, Hit, Crit, and Spell Damage. These stats enhance mana, spell accuracy, spell critical strike chance, and raw damage, respectively.

3. Can Warlocks solo in Classic WoW?

Yes, Warlocks are one of the best classes for soloing in Classic WoW. They use their demon pets as tanks and deal damage over time with various spells, making them highly efficient in solo questing.

4. Which race has the best racial for PvE Warlocks?

While both are good, Orcs are generally considered best for PvE Warlocks due to Command and Blood Fury, both of which boost their damage output.

5. Which race has the best racial for PvP Warlocks?

Undead are generally considered best for PvP Warlocks because of Will of the Forsaken, which provides temporary immunity to crowd control abilities like Fear, Charm, and Sleep.

6. What are the leveling spec options for Warlocks in Classic WoW?

For leveling, Affliction is generally considered the fastest leveling spec for Warlocks in Classic WoW. It allows for efficient DoT damage and includes healing with certain abilities.

7. Is a Warlock fun to play in Classic WoW?

Yes, Warlocks are considered fun to play due to their unique pet interactions, powerful spells, and class-specific quests that unlock special abilities and items.

8. Do Warlocks get a free mount in Classic WoW?

Yes, Warlocks are among the few classes in Classic WoW that get their level 40 mount for free, although their level 60 mount requires payment.

9. What weapons can Warlocks use in Classic WoW?

Warlocks in Classic WoW can use Wands, Staves, Daggers, Swords, and off-hand items.

10. Can any other races be Warlocks besides Orc and Undead?

In Classic WoW, Warlocks can also be Humans and Gnomes.

11. How do Warlocks fit in with the Horde lore in WoW?

The Horde allows Warlocks despite the controversial nature because they believe the Alliance’s corruption is a sign that they have not been dealt with and that the Alliance is just biding their time to strike again.

12. What is the best solo class for Warlocks in modern WoW?

In modern WoW, Demonology Warlock is generally considered the best for solo gameplay, due to its tanky demons and decent self-healing capabilities.

13. Are Blood Elves good for Warlocks in WoW?

Blood Elves are average for Warlocks, they are no better or worse than other races.

14. Are racials a significant factor when choosing a race in Classic WoW?

Yes, racials can play a significant role in both PvE and PvP scenarios. They provide various advantages that can be crucial in certain situations. While not game breaking, certain racials are always useful and should be considered.

15. Are there any non-Horde Warlock races in Classic WoW?

Yes, there are. Humans and Gnomes are the two races that have access to the Warlock class on the Alliance.