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Shadow Cleave 5-man: Demonology Warlock Felhunter and Soul Link talents (levels 40–60)

TheorycraftUpdated Oct 24, 2026

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Published Sep 15, 2026 · 375 views

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Demonology Warlock build for shadow cleave dungeon leveling from 40 to 60: Demonic Sacrifice with Demonic Pact to keep a Felhunter out, Improved Felhunter Spell Lock, Soul Link and Master Demonologist.

Suggested group

Pick a group member to see their talents and when to learn each point.

Demonology Warlock talents

The build this guide is about. Warlock leveling

0 / 38 / 1351 of 51 points · level 60Open in calculator

Affliction0 pts

Hover or tap a talent to see what it does.

Talent order by level

One talent point per level, starting at level 10. Spend them in this order as you level.

  1. 1.Demonic Embrace1/5Lv 10
  2. 2.Demonic Embrace2/5Lv 11
  3. 3.Demonic Embrace3/5Lv 12
  4. 4.Demonic Embrace4/5Lv 13
  5. 5.Demonic Embrace5/5Lv 14
  6. 6.Fel Vitality1/3Lv 15
  7. 7.Fel Vitality2/3Lv 16
  8. 8.Fel Vitality3/3Lv 17
  9. 9.Demonic Aegis1/2Lv 18
  10. 10.Demonic Aegis2/2Lv 19
  11. 11.Master Summoner1/2Lv 20
  12. 12.Master Summoner2/2Lv 21
  13. 13.Demonic Sacrifice1/1Lv 22
  14. 14.Unholy Power1/5Lv 23
  15. 15.Unholy Power2/5Lv 24
  16. 16.Unholy Power3/5Lv 25
  17. 17.Unholy Power4/5Lv 26
  18. 18.Unholy Power5/5Lv 27
  19. 19.Fel Domination1/1Lv 28
  20. 20.Demonic Energies1/2Lv 29
  21. 21.Demonic Energies2/2Lv 30
  22. 22.Soul Link1/1Lv 31
  23. 23.Improved Felhunter1/3Lv 32
  24. 24.Improved Felhunter2/3Lv 33
  25. 25.Improved Felhunter3/3Lv 34
  26. 26.Demonic Knowledge1/3Lv 35
  27. 27.Demonic Knowledge2/3Lv 36
  28. 28.Demonic Knowledge3/3Lv 37
  29. 29.Master Demonologist1/5Lv 38
  30. 30.Master Demonologist2/5Lv 39
  31. 31.Master Demonologist3/5Lv 40
  32. 32.Master Demonologist4/5Lv 41
  33. 33.Master Demonologist5/5Lv 42
  34. 34.Demonic Pact1/1Lv 43
  35. 35.Decimation1/2Lv 44
  36. 36.Decimation2/2Lv 45
  37. 37.Improved Health Funnel1/2Lv 46
  38. 38.Improved Health Funnel2/2Lv 47
  39. 39.Improved Shadow Bolt1/5Lv 48
  40. 40.Improved Shadow Bolt2/5Lv 49
  41. 41.Improved Shadow Bolt3/5Lv 50
  42. 42.Improved Shadow Bolt4/5Lv 51
  43. 43.Improved Shadow Bolt5/5Lv 52
  44. 44.Bane1/5Lv 53
  45. 45.Bane2/5Lv 54
  46. 46.Bane3/5Lv 55
  47. 47.Bane4/5Lv 56
  48. 48.Bane5/5Lv 57
  49. 49.Cataclysm1/3Lv 58
  50. 50.Cataclysm2/3Lv 59
  51. 51.Cataclysm3/3Lv 60

Experience changes that affect this route

The beta changed the leveling maths twice in October, so advice written in September no longer holds. Each entry is what Blizzard wrote, with our reading of it marked separately. Last change .

  1. Dungeon kill experience was being paid at the group's highest level, fixed October 8Live in a build

    Aggrend confirmed that experience per kill inside a dungeon was calculated from the highest-level character in the group instead of your own. His example: a level 20 in the Deadmines with four other level 20s and one level 25 earns very little per kill. The October 8 build fixed it, so kill experience uses your own level against the mob's. A party member far above the mob's level still means no one gets experience.

    What it means for your route: Every XP-per-hour number testers posted from a mixed-level group before October 8 was measuring this bug as well as the nerf, so treat those older dungeon-speed claims as unusable.

    Source: Blizzard Entertainment · The bug and the fix

  2. Base kill experience in dungeons goes up about 20%Live in a build

    Shipped in the October 8 build alongside the bug fix. Blizzard says the two together should make dungeon runs feel better and more even.

    What it means for your route: Trash pulls pay more than they did, which favours full clears over quest-only runs that skip packs.

    Source: Blizzard Entertainment · The bug and the fix

  3. The target is parity with questing, not Classic Era dungeon speedAnnounced, not in a build yet

    Blizzard's stated aim: after these changes, perfect experience-per-hour dungeon play should land very close to, if not equal to, optimal questing. It also said dungeon experience will not return to Classic Era levels, because dungeon spam being the optimal path fails its design pillars.

    What it means for your route: Plan a mixed route. Dungeons are for the levels where an instance sits on your path and the group is close to your level; questing carries the levels in between. A pure dungeon run to 60 is being balanced out of the game on purpose.

    Source: Blizzard Entertainment (Aggrend) · Blizzard's reasoning

  4. Dungeon quests give 50% less bonus experienceLive in a build

    In the level 30 build Blizzard cut the extra experience dungeon quests award beyond normal quest values by half, and recalibrated some quest rewards. Normal quest experience and experience from killing things in a dungeon were not touched.

    What it means for your route: Chaining dungeon quests is still worth doing on the first run of an instance, but it no longer beats a good quest chain outside by the margin it did in September.

    Source: Blizzard Entertainment · What the level 30 build changed

Legacy Points while you level

Unconfirmed

Where to spend Warlock Legacy Points for dungeon leveling, in the order the points arrive. A character can spend 16, and an account can earn 65 at launch. Stop wherever your total is — the list is cumulative. Effects are quoted from the Beta client 1.60.1.70532 data.

  1. 1.

    Well Restedrank 1 · Adventure

    Your rested experience accumulates 4% faster and your rested experience cap is increased by 4%.

    Only one point here for now — it is the prerequisite for Talented, and rested experience is worth having while you are at it.

    1 point · 1/16
  2. 2.

    Talentedrank 5 · Adventure

    You gain talent points every level starting at level 5 instead of starting at level 10, but you still may not have more than 51 total talent points.

    The strongest leveling node in the tree: talent points from level 5 instead of 10, so you reach your first real build five levels sooner.

    5 points · 6/16
  3. 3.

    Reinforcerank 5 · Resourcefulness

    You take 40% less durability loss when you die.

    Wipes cost durability. This is the only node that makes dying cheaper.

    5 points · 11/16
  4. 4.

    The Quick and the Deadrank 2 · Resourcefulness

    Increases movement speed while dead by 10% and your helpful spells and abilities cost no resources for 2 min after being resurrected or until you enter combat.

    Faster corpse runs and free heals for two minutes after a resurrection — exactly the state you are in after a wipe.

    2 points · 13/16
  5. 5.

    Reagent Economyrank 1 · Resourcefulness

    Your class abilities no longer require reagents purchaseable from vendors.

    No vendor reagents for your class abilities.

    1 point · 14/16
  6. 6.

    Field Guiderank 1 · Adventure

    Reduces your cooldown on adding Camp features by 8%

    The leftover point: a shorter cooldown on adding camp features.

    1 point · 15/16
  7. 7.

    Gourmandrank 1 · Resourcefulness

    Increases the duration of beneficial effects from eating food by 33%.

    The last point. Longer food buffs are the only thing left that does anything between pulls.

    1 point · 16/16

What to skip, and why

  • Thrill of Adventure: The client says it is ineffective in dungeons, raids and battlegrounds — zero value in an instance.
  • Frequent Flier: Worth it if you fly between instances; skip it while the group finder is sending you straight in.
  • For Great Honor, Diplomat: PvP and reputation nodes, neither of which speeds up a dungeon run.

Variants

  • If you gather while you level, one or two points in Bountiful Harvest (20% more scarce materials per rank, Mining, Herbalism and Skinning) pay for your mounts; take them out of the last picks on this list.
  • Questing between runs? Thrill of Adventure works outdoors, so the solo plan on a solo leveling guide is the one to follow for those levels.

Legacy values are datamined from the beta client and can change. Plan your own spread in the Legacy planner, see where points come from inLegacy Points, or read the Legacy system guide. The order above is our recommendation; the effects are game data.

Contents
  1. The group at a glance
  2. How the shadow cleave plays
  3. Your job as Demonology Warlock
  4. Pull by pull
  5. Resources and cooldowns
  6. Mistakes that wipe the group
  7. Talent order by level
  8. Dungeons by level
  9. Where the group struggles for a Demonology Warlock

The group at a glance

Shadow Cleave for levels 40–60: a Feral Druid bear, a Shadow Priest, an Affliction Warlock, a Demonology Warlock and a Discipline Priest.

A 40–60 damage over time group for medium pulls: a bear holds three to five mobs while two Warlocks and a Shadow Priest dot everything, and Vampiric Embrace plus shields keep drinking short.

Role Spec Job in the pull
Tank Feral Combat Druid Swipes and holds three to five mobs
DPS Shadow Priest Shadow Word: Pain, Vampiric Embrace, Silence
DPS Affliction Warlock Corruption on every mob, Curse of Exhaustion
DPS Demonology Warlock Rain of Fire, Felhunter Spell Lock on casters
Healer Discipline Priest Shields on the bear, Penance, Power Infusion

Every spec in the table links to its own guide with talents for that slot.

How the shadow cleave plays

  1. Swipes first: the bear gathers three to five mobs and Swipes three times before any damage over time goes out.
  2. Dot everything: Corruption, Bane of Agony and Shadow Word: Pain on every mob, Rain of Fire on the bear.
  3. Control: Spell Lock and Silence stop casters, Devouring Plague jumps on death, shields cover whoever draws aggro.

Your job as Demonology Warlock

This Warlock brings the pet and the interrupt. Demonic Sacrifice on the Imp gives 15% Shadow damage for two hours, and Demonic Pact means summoning a Felhunter afterwards no longer cancels it, so you keep the damage and still have a demon out. That demon powers the rest of the build: Soul Link sends 30% of your damage taken to it, Demonic Knowledge adds spell damage while it lives, and Improved Felhunter brings Spell Lock back 6 sec sooner, often enough to stop a second caster in the same pack. Keep the Felhunter on passive and send it by hand at the first caster that starts casting; on aggressive it walks into the next pack. Your own damage is area first, single target second. Rain of Fire goes on the bear after the Affliction Warlock’s Corruptions are out, then Shadow Bolts on the kill target build Improved Shadow Bolt’s vulnerability.

Pull by pull

  • Once per run: summon the Imp, Demonic Sacrifice, summon the Felhunter, then Soul Link.
  • Pet on passive: send the Felhunter to Spell Lock the first caster that begins a cast.
  • Rain of Fire on the bear after the Corruptions are out and the bear holds everything.
  • Shadow Bolt the kill target; below 70% health Decimation makes your next Soul Fire fast and shard-free.
  • Felhunter dies: Fel Domination for a near-instant resummon, then Soul Link again.
  • Between pulls: Health Funnel the Felhunter back to full.

Resources and cooldowns

Your mana goes into Rain of Fire and Shadow Bolts, and Cataclysm makes both 9% cheaper. Life Tap between pulls; Demonic Energies hands the same mana to the Felhunter, so Spell Lock never runs dry. The pet is a resource too: Soul Link only works while it lives, so Health Funnel it after the pull, not during. Save Fel Domination for a Felhunter that dies mid-pull, and spend Decimation’s shard-free Soul Fires on the kill target.

Mistakes that wipe the group

  • Felhunter on aggressive: it runs into the next pack on its own.
  • Resummoning the Imp: that cancels Demonic Sacrifice, even with Demonic Pact.
  • Rain of Fire as the opener: it goes down after the bear has threat, never before.
  • Health Funnel mid-pull: your health drops exactly while the healer is busy with the bear.

Talent order by level

One point per level from level 10. The talent tree above shows the finished level 60 build; use the level slider to see it at any level.

  • Levels 10–14 · Demonic Embrace 5/5 — 15% Stamina up front, which Soul Link later stretches by moving damage onto the pet.
  • Levels 15–17 · Fel Vitality 3/3 — 15% more health and mana for the Felhunter and 15% more mana for you.
  • Levels 18–19 · Demonic Aegis 2/2 — 30% stronger Demon Armor for the caster who gets the healer’s attention last.
  • Levels 20–21 · Master Summoner 2/2 — Faster, 40% cheaper summons, which matters when you redo the sacrifice setup after a wipe.
  • Level 22 · Demonic Sacrifice 1/1 — The Imp becomes 15% Shadow damage for 2 hours; Demonic Pact later lets you keep it with a Felhunter out.
  • Levels 23–27 · Unholy Power 5/5 — 10% more Felhunter damage on the casters it interrupts.
  • Level 28 · Fel Domination 1/1 — A near-instant, half-cost resummon when the Felhunter dies mid-pull.
  • Levels 29–30 · Demonic Energies 2/2 — The pet heals from 15% of your spell damage and gets your Life Tap mana, so Spell Lock is always castable.
  • Level 31 · Soul Link 1/1 — 30% of your damage taken goes to the demon and both deal 3% more: why the Felhunter has to live.
  • Levels 32–34 · Improved Felhunter 3/3 — Spell Lock 6 sec sooner: two interrupts per pack instead of one.
  • Levels 35–37 · Demonic Knowledge 3/3 — Spell damage worth up to 100% of your level while a demon is out.
  • Levels 38–42 · Master Demonologist 5/5 — A bonus for you and the pet that depends on the demon, active as long as the Felhunter stays summoned.
  • Level 43 · Demonic Pact 1/1 — The pivot: summoning the Felhunter no longer cancels the Imp sacrifice.
  • Levels 44–45 · Decimation 2/2 — Shadow Bolt on a mob below 35% makes Soul Fire faster and shard-free, with a 90% shorter cooldown.
  • Levels 46–47 · Improved Health Funnel 2/2 — Cheaper Health Funnel with no threat, for topping up the Felhunter between pulls.
  • Levels 48–52 · Improved Shadow Bolt (Destruction) 5/5 — Shadow Bolt crits make the kill target take 20% more Shadow damage from you for 12 sec.
  • Levels 53–57 · Bane (Destruction) 5/5 — 0.5 sec faster Shadow Bolt and Immolate, and 2 sec off Soul Fire.
  • Levels 58–60 · Cataclysm (Destruction) 3/3 — 10% cheaper Destruction spells, taken last for Rain of Fire and Shadow Bolt mana.

Dungeons by level

Every WoW Forever dungeon that overlaps levels 40–60. Dungeons marked New were added in WoW Forever; the rest are the original Classic dungeons.

Levels Dungeon Notes
34–40 Scarlet Monastery Library Classic.
35–40 The Drowned City (New) Trolls, naga and pirates off the Stranglethorn coast.
37–43 Scarlet Monastery Armory Classic.
38–44 Razorfen Downs Classic.
39–45 Scarlet Monastery Cathedral Classic.
40–55 Krol’dok Stronghold (New) New in Forever.
44–50 Uldaman Classic.
45–51 Zul’Farrak Classic.
48–53 Alcaz Prison (New) New in Forever.
48–54 Maraudon Classic.
52–58 Sunken Temple Classic.
52–60 Blackrock Depths Classic.
55–60 Dire Maul East Classic.
55–60 Blackmaw Hold (New) New in Forever.
57–60 Lower Blackrock Spire Classic.
58–60 Dire Maul West Classic.
58–60 Scholomance Classic.
58–60 The Shapers Terrace (New) New in Forever.
59–60 Stratholme (Undead) Classic.
59–60 Stratholme (Live) Classic.
59–60 Dire Maul North Classic.

Krol’dok Stronghold and Uldaman from 40, Zul’Farrak, Alcaz Prison and Maraudon at 48–54, Blackrock Depths for its casters from 52. Check Shadow resistance of Scholomance and Stratholme undead in the beta.

Where the group struggles for a Demonology Warlock

  • Shadow-resistant mobs cut three players’ damage, but Rain of Fire is Fire. It becomes the group’s main damage, so keep it on the bear longer.
  • Several casters in one pack outpace a single Spell Lock. Send the Felhunter at the healer and call the second caster for the Shadow Priest’s Silence.
  • Short fights suit you better than the dotters: Shadow Bolt and Soul Fire need no time to tick, so take the kill target on weak trash.
  • Crowd control breaks under Rain of Fire. Place it only where no sheeped or sapped mob stands.

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More Demonology Warlock guides

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Feedback (2)

Notes badged Moderator or Admin come from the WoW Forever Builds team. They are editorial notes on the build, not reports from playing it.

  1. WFB_EditorModeratorSep 16, 2026

    The pet rules are the ones to memorise here. Felhunter on passive, sent manually at the first caster that starts casting, because on aggressive it walks into the next pack and this comp only pulls three to five mobs. Never resummon the Imp, since that cancels the sacrifice the whole build rests on. Health Funnel between pulls, not during them. And Rain of Fire goes down after the Affliction Warlock's Corruptions are out and after the bear has threat on everything, not as an opener.

  2. WFB_TheorycraftModeratorSep 16, 2026

    The pivot of this build is Demonic Pact: summoning the Felhunter no longer cancels the Imp sacrifice, so you keep 15% Shadow damage from Demonic Sacrifice and still have a demon out for Soul Link, Demonic Knowledge and Spell Lock. Every point before it, from Master Summoner*2 through Unholy Power*5, is on the way to that combination, which is why the order looks pet-heavy for a caster. Improved Felhunter*3 is the group utility pick: Spell Lock returning six seconds sooner is the difference between interrupting one caster per pack and two.

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