Home › Class comparisons › Hunter vs Warlock
Hunter or Warlock: Which Should You Play in WoW Forever?
Pick the Hunter if you want the easiest pet class to level and solo with. Pick the Warlock if you want stronger PvP and raid damage, and you don't mind more buttons.
Hunter vs Warlock verdict
3 Hunter 2 Warlock 1 even
For most players the Hunter is the better pet class. It levels faster, handles solo content more easily and farms gold well. It is also the simpler class to learn.
The Warlock wins in raids and PvP. Fear, drains and damage over time spells make it one of the strongest duelists, and Destruction and Affliction both bring strong raid damage. Dungeons are even.
Hunter vs Warlock: head-to-head comparison
| Category | Hunter | Warlock |
|---|---|---|
| Leveling speed | Winner The smoothest ride in WoW Forever: pet tanks, you shoot from range, almost no downtime. | Nearly as relentless with drain-tanking, but more juggling and fear-pull risk. |
| Solo play | Winner The best solo class; the pet holds aggro while Rapid Recuperation keeps mana flowing. | Voidwalker tanks while dots work, but a bad fear breaks your whole plan. |
| Dungeons | Even Reliable ranged damage, and the pet can grab loose adds; Trueshot Aura helps other ranged players. | Even Bane of Havoc splashes damage onto a second target; Demonic Pact ends the buff-versus-pet choice. |
| Raiding | Solid ranged damage and Trueshot Aura, but rarely the top of the meters. | Winner Destruction's Shadowburn and Conflagrate plus Bane of Havoc splash put warlocks ahead. |
| PvP | Survival is built for PvP and the pet annoys everyone, but casters punish you up close. | Winner Fear and drain-tanking make the warlock excellent in 1v1. |
| Gold farming | Winner Pet tanks elite pulls while you loot safely; the lowest-risk farm. | Drain-tanks endlessly with no downtime, but fear breaks can cost you the pull. |
Playing Hunter in this matchup
The Hunter's pet tanks while you shoot, and you can kite or use Feign Death when needed. You only manage a few shots and your pet, so the class is easy to pick up.
At 60 Marksmanship is the raid spec, Beast Mastery keeps the pet strong, and Lone Wolf lets you drop the pet for 20% more damage.
Where the Hunter falls short
Raid spots are competitive for ranged damage, and you bring little utility beyond your damage.
Playing Warlock in this matchup
The Warlock levels as Affliction: damage over time spells, a Voidwalker to tank and Life Tap with Drain Life to keep going. You can grind for a long time without resting.
At 60 Affliction gains Pandemic, Wrack and Soul Siphon, Destruction gets Incinerate and Bane of Havoc, and Demonology keeps its Demonic Sacrifice buff with Demonic Pact.
Where the Warlock falls short
There are more spells and pets to manage, Soul Shards to farm, and Fear can pull extra mobs if you are careless.
How WoW Forever's talent changes shift this matchup
Hunters went into launch with higher damage on Aimed Shot, Sniper Shot, Arcane Shot and Serpent Sting, a stronger Trueshot Aura, and a shared 30 second cooldown for traps.
Warlocks had their bigger changes earlier in testing, including Pandemic, Wrack, Soul Siphon, Demonic Pact and Bane of Havoc, and got the general damage increase at launch. The Troll Warlock is new.
Which should you pick: Hunter or Warlock?
- Solo leveling is the whole plan and you want the smoothest version of it.
- You would rather loot than manage a spellbook full of dots.
- Your first character, and you want mistakes to be survivable.
- The Human hunter is new in WoW Forever and you like fresh combinations.
- You enjoy the pet-commander playstyle more than the dark-caster one.
- Safe, fast gold farming matters more to you than topping raid meters.
- You want to grind for hours with almost no downtime.
- Winning 1v1 PvP through fear and drain-tanking is the goal.
- Juggling demons, dots and curses sounds like fun, not work.
- A free mount in a new economy is worth more to you than portals.
- You like the Troll warlock, new to the class in WoW Forever.
- You prefer sustained damage and durability over burst and control.
Hunter and Warlock race options
Hunter has 8 race choices and Warlock has 5. Races marked new could not play the class in Classic Era. See the racials guide for what each race brings.
| Faction | Hunter | Warlock |
|---|---|---|
| Alliance | HumanNew, Dwarf, Night Elf, Skyborne High OrderNew | Human, Gnome |
| Horde | Orc, Tauren, Troll, Skyborne WindshaperNew | Orc, Undead, TrollNew |
Plan your Hunter or Warlock build
Plan your points before paying for a respec. Open the Hunter talent calculator or the Warlock talent calculator, or try a starter build for your preferred role. The class picking guide compares all nine classes if you are still undecided.
Hunter vs Warlock: common questions
Which pet class is better for a total beginner?
The Hunter. You manage one pet and a few shots. Warlocks juggle several demons, curses, drains and Soul Shards.
Do I even need the pet as a hunter? What is Lone Wolf?
For leveling, yes: the pet is your tank. Lone Wolf at 60 gives 20% more damage when you have no pet out, which can suit raids or PvP.
Which one wins in PvP?
Usually the Warlock. Fear, Death Coil and drains wear a Hunter down. A Hunter can win with good traps and range control.
Is the Troll warlock worth picking over Orc?
Both are good. Troll Berserking adds 10% attack and casting speed for 15 seconds. Orc Blood Fury adds Attack Power and Spell Power, and Command gives your demon 5% more damage.
Which races can play Hunter and Warlock in WoW Forever?
Hunter: Human, Dwarf, Night Elf and Skyborne High Order on the Alliance; Orc, Tauren, Troll and Skyborne Windshaper on the Horde. Warlock: Human and Gnome on the Alliance; Orc, Undead and Troll on the Horde.
What is the best leveling spec for Hunter and Warlock in WoW Forever?
For leveling from 1 to 60, play Beast Mastery Hunter or Affliction Warlock. Both are S tier on our leveling tier list. Each class leveling guide has a talent path from level 10 to 60.