DPS Rankings
Tank Rankings

Affliction Warlockaffliction iconvsshadow iconShadow Priest

Debating whether to play a Shadow Priest or Affliction Warlock? Knowing which currently performs better DPS in PvE might help make a decision.

This page analyzes multiple simulations for both Shadow Priests and Affliction Warlocks using profiles and settings intended to achieve their maximum DPS. Multiple sim environments are used to test how they perform in various conditions. Is one the AoE king? Does one scale better with gear upgrades? Is one more bursty, and more reliant on big cooldowns? Below analyzes the data to find the strengths of each.

Simulation results were created with SimulationCraft
Using game data from Patch 10.2.7 • WoW Dragonflight •

  • Affliction Warlockaffliction icon
  • Best boss DPS (in perfect settings)

    Affliction Warlock achieved 1.26% more maximum boss DPS than Shadow Priest when there was no movement or lag.

  • Best gear scaling

    Affliction Warlock scaled better with increased item-levels, single-target DPS benefited 2.45% more from 446 ilvl to 488 compared to Shadow Priests.

  • Simplest Gameplay

    Affliction Warlock has fewer damaging abilities which could indicate a simpler rotation.

  • DPS less dependant on big cooldowns

    Affliction Warlock’s DPS is less bursty, meaning it had more consistent damage. With 23.83% less difference in lowest and peak DPS during a fight when compared to Shadow Priests.

  • shadow iconShadow Priest
  • Best boss DPS (in realistic settings)

    Shadow Priest achieved 1.47% more maximum boss DPS than Affliction Warlock when dealing with occasional movement, lag and crowd-control.

  • Best AoE DPS (in perfect settings)

    Shadow Priest achieved 25.44% more AoE DPS than Affliction Warlock when there was no movement or lag.

  • Least affected by movement (single-target)

    Shadow Priest’s single-target DPS was -32.93% less affected by increased movement compared to Affliction Warlocks.

While the above highlights the DPS advantages between Affliction Warlock and Shadow Priests, the DPS potential should not be the only factor in your decision. Ultimately, you should also consider the playstyle that you enjoy most while crushing it in Mythics+ and Raids!


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