DOTAFire is a community that lives to help every Dota 2 player take their game to the next level by having open access to all our tools and resources. Please consider supporting us by whitelisting us in your ad blocker!
Want to support DOTAFire with an ad-free experience? You can support us ad-free for less than $1 a month!
Go Ad-Free
Tango
Healing SalveHealing Salve
ClarityClarity
Iron BranchIron BranchIron Branch
Tango
Healing Salve
Healing Salve
Ring of Basilius
Power Treads
Perseverance
Refresher Orb
Aghanim's Scepter
Bloodstone
Desolator
Orchid Malevolence
|
2 | 4 | 8 | 9 |  |
|
1 | 3 | 5 | 7 |  |
|
10 | 12 | 13 | 15 |  |
|
6 | 11 | 16 |  |
|
14 | 17 | 18 |
Guess who? That's right it's Dedish again bringing yet another guide, this time for Warlock.
Man I so love playing warlock, he is such a fun hero. He has just so much damage output potential and his Golems kick so much *** it's just silly. Sadly I see so many people playing him pure support and personally I think it is such a waste. Warlock is a pusher and damage dealer in my opinion and to play him in any other way is a crime against humanity. If you want to play a support then pick Omni or wisp.
That being said this is my guide for warlock *** kickery!
Disclaimer: I am adding this because no matter how many times I mention it in the comments, people seem to misinterpret this guide and it's purpose. This guide is only for HAVING FUN IN PUB GAMES!! and is not meant to be played in any sort of serious matches.
As Chief Curator and Head of Acquisitions for the Arcane Archives of the Ultimyr Academy, Demnok Lannik was tireless in his pursuit of lost, rare and forbidden tomes. No cursed temple was so foreboding, no cavern path so treacherous, that any concern for his own survival could dissuade him from entering if rumors hinted that some pamphlet of primordial lore might still survive in its depths. However, so often did his investigations trigger the wrath of protector entities, that he finally found it necessary to master the arts of magic. He bent himself to learning sorcery with the same thorough obsessiveness that marked his quest for incunabula, becoming the most powerful Warlock of the Academy in less time than most practitioners required to complete a course of undergraduate work. Almost as an afterthought, he carved a staff of Dreadwood and summoned into it a captive spirit from the Outer Hells. And anticipating the day when he will have recovered every last lost spellbook, he has commenced writing his own Black Grimoire. It will undoubtedly be instructive.
PROS:
Very flexible
Lots of Dots (damage over time)
Good initiator
Shadow Word Pain can also be used as a heal
Ult tears @#$% up!
Good at taking out towers with ult
Amazing harass
CONS:
More to micro manage
Can burn through mana easily
Squsihy
Q
CASTING METHOD: ACTIVE
TARGETTING METHOD: UNIT
ALLOWED TARGETS: ENEMY UNITS
Binds several enemy units together, causing 20% of the damage dealt to one of them to be felt by the others.
Cast Range: 800
Radius: 575
Duration: 25
Max Bonded Units: 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Percent Damage Shared: 20%
Mana Cost: 120 Cooldown Time: 25
Tips: I start putting points into this at level 2 and max it second after Shadow Word. It helps with farming and in team fights by spreading damage around and has awesome harass potential while laning.
W
CASTING METHOD: ACTIVE
TARGETTING METHOD: UNIT
ALLOWED TARGETS: ANY UNIT
Demnok whispers an incantation, healing a friendly unit or damaging an enemy unit over time.
Cast Range: 500
Duration: 9
Damage Caused/ Healed Per Second: 15/25/35/45
Mana Cost: 90 / 110 / 130 / 150 Cooldown Time: 16
Tips: Walocks bread and butter spell. This spell is so unbelievably good and can do a lot of damage or if in a pinch can be used as heal for yourself or a teammate. Always max this first.
E
CASTING METHOD: ACTIVE
TARGETTING METHOD: AREA
ALLOWED TARGETS: ANY UNIT
A powerful slowing current that grows stronger as it's channelled. Lasts up to 10 seconds, slowing enemies up to 84%. Enemies are slowed for 3 seconds after leaving the area or the spell ends.
Cast Range: 700
Radius: 700
Duration: 10
Slow per Second: 7% / 14% / 21% / 28% (max 84%)
Mana Cost: 100 / 110 / 120 / 130 Cooldown Time: 50
Tips: A decent spell for team fights that helps enemy heroes from escaping easily. I normally don't start putting points into this untill early mid game when team fights are breaking out more often.
R
CASTING METHOD: ACTIVE
TARGETTING METHOD: GROUND
ALLOWED TARGETS: N/A
Summons a Golem from the depths, dealing 100 damage and stunning enemies for one second. The Golem lives 60 seconds, takes reduced damage from spells, has Permanent Immolation and Flaming Fists on attack.
SCEPTER UPGRADABLE: Calls 2 Golems, HP and damage are decreased by 25%, and bounty by 50% per golem.
Cast Range: 1200
Radius: 600
Summon Duration: 60
Stun Duration: 1
Level 1: Summons 1 (2*) Golem(s) with average attack
Level 2: Summons 1 (2*) Golem(s) with powerful attack
Level 3: Summons 1 (2*) Golem(s) with deadly attack
Mana Cost: 200 / 250 / 300 Cooldown Time: 165
Tips: Warlocks ult and man is it good, These bad boys hit so bloody hard and can make short work of even the most tankiest of heroes, not to mention picking towers apart easily. Upgradable by scepter with a refresher orb tossed in and you now have 4 of these beast ripping up the battle field.
Ok lets move onto items. Now remember this is not a support build as I said earlier, being I don't play Warlock as a support. If you are one of those types who think just because a hero has support in the list of possible roles and like to complain then just keep your comments to yourself. Those suggested builds and hero roles are just that...suggestions and are not etched in stone. Lets continue shall we.
If you picked: Start with 1 Tango 2 Healing Salve 2 Clarity and 3 Iron Branch for the stats and to help with last hits and denying. I'm sure you noticed I do not have 
Magic Wand in my items and here is why. Yes it is a decent item early game but I find come late mid game it's usefulness starts to wane and you already have a heal with Shadow Word, but if you really want a Magic Wand then by all means buy one other wise just sell the Iron Branch's when you need to start making room for other stuff.
If you randomed: 1 Tango 2 Healing Salve and a
Ring of Basilius to give you some extra attack damage, a little armor, and some mana regen.
Early game:
Power Treads Simply put I feel these are the best boots for Warlock. On top of the move speed, you get some much needed attack speed and some stats. I usually keep them on strength early game to give me a little more hp since Warlock is a little squishy, changing it later to int.
Perseverance Some much needed hp and mana regen and +10 damage. When making this buy either 
Void Stone or 
Ring of Health on a what you need more basis.
Core:
Refresher Orb Ok I'm sure some people are going to be all like WTF?!? why
Refresher Orb first? My reasoning is this.. Yes Aghanim's Scepter gives you some stats and the double Golem, but I feel Refesher Orb is more useful early game. It give you some int, some hp regen, a butload of mana regen and 40 damage, plus you can still have your double Golems.
Aghanim's Scepter There now you have a scepter...happy now? Some stats and double Golems used with your Refresher Orb that makes 4 Golems to pwn fools with.
Late game:
Ok so here you have a vast variety of choices and are free to make whatever you want and in whatever order pleases you. I am just going to list what I like to buy personally.
Orchid Malevolence Everything you need, giving you some int, damage, another 150% mana regen plus 30 attack speed AND a activated 5 second silence.
Bloodstone One of my favorite items for any int based hero. More hp and mana regen, more health and bigger mana pool, plus shorted respawn times for when you die...gotta love it.
Desolator I like getting this item for Warlock, plus 60 damage and armor reduction.
So that is pretty much my guide for Warlock. He has so much damage output and can easily be played as a carry. Just remember to your Fatal Bonds to farm and as often as you can in team fights it really does help a lot.
I have some Warlock game footage but it is mixed in with some other game footage of me playing a few other heroes. Sadly I did not keep each separate video for each hero in the video, but I am going to share it here if you would like to see some Warlock action. I believe there are a few scenes where a get some triple kills or better.
Please don't criticize the video to much I'm not the best at making them and only do it for fun.
Warlock scenes @ 0:13, 2:13, and 3:56. Was a fast game so never got to finish my normal build :(
Also since so many people are saying it can't be done here are a few pics of the end game score board. There are more but I'm to lazy to look through 1000+ games and quite honestly have lost interest in trying to prove otherwise.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj231/thaneos2004/2013-03-04_00002_zps240a48fc.jpg
and
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj231/thaneos2004/2013-03-04_00001_zps768ff415.jpg
DOTAFire is the place to find the perfect build guide to take your game to the next level. Learn how to play a new hero, or fine tune your favorite DotA hero’s build and strategy.
Copyright © 2019 DOTAFire | All Rights Reserved
Quick Comment (36) View Comments
You need to log in before commenting.