Dark and Darker – Optimal Warlock Builds

Guide to Warlock Builds

There are 3 primary caster warlock builds that are used by most players. Warlock is not currently super useful in trios, but is quite viable in solos/duos. So these builds are primarily from the perspective of a warlock in solos/duos.

Torture Mastery Build

Torture Mastery builds are meant to out-sustain an enemy mid-fight and win fights through battles of attrition. This revolves around putting your curses (Curse of Pain & Power of Sacrifice) on enemies in order to tick your healing through sustained fights.

Perks:

• Torture Mastery
• Vampirism
• Antimagic
• Flex perk (Choose any of these for 4th perk: Curse Mastery, Immortal Lament, Shadow Touch, Dark Reflection)

Needed Spells:

• Curse of Pain
• Power of Sacrifice

Recommended Spells:

• Flamewalker
• Hydra
• Hellfire
• Dark Bolt

For the skill you will choose either Phantomize or Blow of Corruption. Phantomize is highly recommended as it gives you unparalleled security as a panic button for bad situations allowing you to retreat and reset. Blow of Corruption is a good chunk of damage to help you finish a fight in melee range.

Hydrain Build

Hydrain builds are builds that completely forego torture mastery, using their cheaper spells and lack of requirement to build magical healing they can prioritize damage, knowledge more acutely than a torture mastery build could… and for cheaper! Hydrain kits revolve around using life-drain to ‘heal’ off of your own summoned hydra, rather than healing mid-fight off of curses.

Perks:

• Vampirism
• Antimagic
• Flex perk
• Flex perk (For last 2 perks, choose any from this list: Immortal Lament, Shadow Touch, Dark Reflection, Malice)

Needed Spells:

• Curse of Pain
• Lifedrain
• Hydra

Recommended Spells:

• Flamewalker
• Hellfire
• Dark Bolt

Same as the above build, it is highly recommended that you choose Phantomize, but either Phantomize or Blow of Corruption are skill options for this build.

Hybrid Build

Hybrid builds are a mix between a hydrain and a torture mastery build. They generally build less magical healing than a torture mastery build, and use lifedrain for their primary healing, while still having torture mastery available so that they can have the flexible healing that it provides mid-fight.

Perks:

• Torture Mastery
• Vampirism
• Antimagic
• Flex perk (Choose any of these for 4th perk: Curse Mastery, Immortal Lament, Shadow Touch, Dark Reflection)

Needed Spells:

• Curse of Pain
• Lifedrain
• Hydra

Recommended Spells:

• Flamewalker
• Hellfire
• Dark Bolt

Just as with the other two, your two skill options are Phantomize and Blow of Corruption with Phantomize being highly recommended.

Gear

For both torture mastery and hybrid builds you want to get a good amount of magical healing, less so on the hybrid build. That should be your first priority, beyond that that the following stats are good to prioritize: Additional/True Magic Damage, Knowledge, Movement speed (aim to hit 310 if possible), Magical power, Vigor/Health.

For a hydrain build, the same above applies but you just ignore the part about magical healing.

Note: When you are playing normals (White gear only and below) it may not be possible to hit the thresholds required to equip all the spells listed here, if that is the case prioritize them in the order which they appear, but still equip them! If you find knowledge gear in-raid it will allow you to use the spell once you hit the threshold