Beat Destruction Warlock

What they want to do

Havoc a second target, Fear the partner who could peel, then Chaos Bolt the kill. In Solo Shuffle they win if you stack and if Mortal Coil removes the only interrupt on the map.

Main danger

Chaos Bolt during Havoc — one bolt hits two people. Mortal Coil on whoever has the interrupt is how the round actually ends.

Interrupt priority

1. 1 Fear

   Kick Fear first. A free Fear is a Chaos Bolt into your healer. Do not spend the kick on a Chaos Bolt while Fear is being cast. Dispel Fear if it lands.

2. 1 Your own CC into Nether Ward

   Throw a cheap spell first to bait Nether Ward, then crowd-control. The first spell of the round is theirs. Same bait as Spell Reflection.

3. 2 Chaos Bolt

   If Fear is down, kick Chaos Bolt during Havoc. That bolt hitting two people is the kill. Interrupt, ground, or Spell Reflection if you cannot kick.

4. 2 Spell Lock (on you)

   Felhunter interrupt on you. Do not start a hard cast in Spell Lock range during Havoc. Crowd-control the pet or leave range before you cast.

Watch for

• Havoc on a partner right before the Chaos Bolts start — spread. If two of you are stacked, every bolt hits twice.
• Mortal Coil on the person with the interrupt — dispel the horror, or that is how the round ends.
• Nether Ward before your first crowd-control — bait it with a cheap spell, then the real stun.
• Demonic Gateway as both a peel and a re-engage — click the portal, do not chase both ends.

Offensive cooldowns

• Chaos Bolt. The kill cast. During Havoc it hits two targets. Interrupt it if Fear is down, or spread so the Havoc copy has no second body. Ground or reflect if you cannot kick.
• Havoc. Cleave window. Spread. If two of you are stacked, every Chaos Bolt is a wipe. Havoc on healer plus kill target is the setup — walk apart before the bolt.
• Conflagrate. Instant chip and haste for them. Do not ignore it as filler right before a Chaos Bolt — that haste is why the bolt finishes. Stun after Conflagrate, not during Fear.
• Shadowburn. Execute. Instant. They finish with this after the Chaos Bolts, not instead of them. Press a defensive at execute; you cannot interrupt Shadowburn.

Defensive cooldowns

• Unending Resolve. The wall. Stop offensive cooldowns. Swap or wait the duration. They are cloth without it.
• Dark Pact. Large absorb that spends their health. The bar dropping is the absorb, not a kill. Check for Dark Pact before you press offensive cooldowns.
• Demonic Gateway. Reset. Click the portal they just used; do not chase both ends. Keep a stun for the landing — Shadowfury is often still available.
• Nether Ward. Spell reflect. Bait it with a cheap instant, then the real crowd-control. First spell of the round is theirs.

Crowd control

• Fear
• Mortal Coil
• Shadowfury
• Howl of Terror
• Demonic Gateway

Dispels

• Fear and Howl of Terror are magic — dispel the partner who could peel, not a damage-over-time effect on the warlock.
• Mortal Coil is magic — dispel the horror on whoever has the interrupt, not the warlock.

Mobility

Demonic Gateway is the movement kit. They are cloth without it. Cut the gate; do not chase the landing if Shadowfury is still available. Root or stun the exit portal.

Kill windows

• After the Chaos Bolt dump, Unending Resolve down
• Nether Ward already baited and Dark Pact expired
• They gated into the open with no Fear

When to run

When Havoc is on you and a partner, you have no interrupt, and a Chaos Bolt is charging. Spread. Do not stay stacked to finish a cast.

When to attack

After the Chaos Bolt dump, when Unending Resolve is down. Best if Nether Ward is already baited and Dark Pact has expired. They gated into the open with no Fear.

Common tricks

• They Havoc the healer and the kill so every Chaos Bolt does double duty. Walk apart before the bolt, not after.
• Nether Ward is the first crowd-control of the round. Throw a cheap instant first, then Fear is yours to stop — or your stun is yours to land.
• Demonic Gateway is often placed in the open before they are dying. Look for the portals before their damage window, then click instead of chase.

Common mistakes against them

• Stacking for Havoc so every Chaos Bolt hits twice.
• Kicking Chaos Bolt while Fear is being cast.
• Dumping a go into Unending Resolve or Dark Pact.
• Chasing a Demonic Gateway instead of clicking it.