Destruction Warlock
vs
Fire Mage
Debating whether to play a Fire Mage or Destruction Warlock? Knowing which currently performs better DPS in PvE might help make a decision.
This page analyzes multiple simulations for both Fire Mages and Destruction 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 10.0.2 • WoW Dragonflight •
- Destruction Warlock
- Best boss DPS (in perfect settings)Destruction Warlock achieved 11.13% more maximum boss DPS than Fire Mage when there was no movement or lag.
- Best boss DPS (in realistic settings)Destruction Warlock achieved 25.95% more maximum boss DPS than Fire Mage when dealing with occasional movement, lag and crowd-control.
- Least affected by movement (single-target)Destruction Warlock’s single-target DPS was -67.71% less affected by increased movement compared to Fire Mages.
- Best gear scalingDestruction Warlock scaled better with increased item-levels, single-target DPS benefited 17.24% more from 372 ilvl to 422 compared to Fire Mages.
- Simplest GameplayDestruction Warlock has fewer damaging abilities which could indicate a simpler rotation.
Fire Mage- Best AoE DPS (in perfect settings)Fire Mage achieved 28.99% more AoE DPS than Destruction Warlock when there was no movement or lag.
- DPS less dependant on big cooldownsFire Mage’s DPS is less bursty, meaning it had more consistent damage. With 13.33% less difference in lowest and peak DPS during a fight when compared to Destruction Warlocks.
While the above highlights the DPS advantages between Destruction Warlock and Fire Mages, 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!
Resources
- Destruction Warlock
- DPS Rankings
- Destruction Warlock Class Guide
- Destruction Warlock Sim Details
More Spec Comparisons