The Art of Warcraft: Warlock

The Art of Warcraft
In order to be successful in pvp you must recognize each class's character animations and icons. Be on the lookout for spells relevant to your class and learn how to counter them. This guide updated for 5.3 mist of pandaria.

Know Your Enemy Class Guides
 Death Knight
 Druid
 Hunter for class pvp guide click here.
 Mage
 Monk
 Paladin
 Priest
 Rogue
 Shaman
 Warlock
 Warrior for class pvp guide click here.


Important Warlock Cooldowns
For the most part warlocks have three major defensive cooldowns, Unending Resolve is a baseline spell for all warlocks and the other two are chosen via talents. I have posted below the most common and need-to-know spells that warlocks use.

Unending Resolve

The Warlock hardens his skin, reducing all damage taken by 40% and preventing his spells from being interrupted or silenced for 8 sec. (3 minute cooldown)

. 

Warlocks can feel like tanks at times. But after they have blown their defensive cooldowns, they rely on CC and portals to stay alive. Unending Resolve is mostly used defensively but warlocks will sometimes use it to cast Chaos Bolt, summon a pet, or demonic portal.

Try not to pop offensive cooldowns while they have Unending Resolve because the warlock will probably not die, and don't waste interrupts during this cooldown.

The Art of Warcraft: Positioning in Arena

"The terrain is to be assessed in terms of distance, difficulty or ease of travel, dimension, and safety."

--Sun Tzu

When it comes to being new to arenas, knowing how a particular map works will help you strategize around it, in terms of LOS, avoiding CC, and knowing where your positioning is the strongest and when it is the weakest.

Distance 

The distance between your entrance doors can determine how the beginning of your match will play out.

This is quite true in the following circumstances:

Warlock Portals: Many warlocks like to summon a portal in the beginning. Usually, this can prove to be frustrating for melee when they are about to close in for a kill--the warlock teleports to the portal, and the melee is forced to either switch targets or chase the warlock (usually not a good idea if the distance is too big--you could end up running into the enemy and put your own teammates at risk as they have to move out into the open to heal or protect you).

So, what does this have to do with the distance of between your entrances? In certain arena maps, it IS possible to stop the portal summon, given the right circumstances. Usually, having a teammate with a ranged silence or stun is useful--hunters and DKs for example.

• Blade's Edge Arena - The best portals are cast from one side of the bridge to the other. These can be stopped if you go straight for their side of the bridge at the beginning (instead of going through the bridge).
  It's harder to stop a portal if they cast it on the bottom or closer to their entrance.
• Dalaran Arena - Usually possible to stop the portal here. 
• Nagrand Arena - Possible, if you go by mount. However, the entrance is so far that the teammates have a better chance of stopping you before you make it in time to silence/stun the warlock. 
• Ruins of Lordaeron - These are nearly impossible to stop, unless the warlock is slow.
• Tiger's Peak - The entrances here are relatively far from each other. If the warlock stays behind the pillar and casts the portal sideways, it can be hard to stop. Otherwise, it is possible if one of your teammates has a speed increase or if you go in by mount. 
• Tol'viron Arena - See Nagrand Arena.