Runes of Magic US / AU

It seems that on the two servers I play on, no one is really playing a Warlock as a main and taking it seriously. Everyone who has a warlock uses it as a secondary. My guess to the reason for this is due to the PSI feature. From what I gather, everyone thinks it is a lot of work to get to where they need to be to use the skills that require it. Though in reality, PSI is rather easy to manage. The original idea of the game population was the warlock class should be relegated to strictly a buff/support class, but that idea never occurred to me. This idea needs to stop right now, I saw it as a serious DPS beast, and that is exactly how it ended up playing out. This is the reason I am writing this guide, to maybe turn the tide of things, and possibly see an increase in warlocks running around.

I have played all the class combos for warlock. Here is what I have found to be some useful information on the Warlock class. (Have played all of them up to 60/50.)

Just some notes on each of the combos:

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Warlock/Champion and Warlock/Priest have the highest survivability of all the warlock combos. The Wl/P has healing spells available to it, while the Wl/C deals more damage.

Warlock/Mage and Warlock/Champion can deal the most damage during boss fights, with the Wl/C having more survivability overall. However, if you have a good priest in your group, you don't have to worry about too much extra survivability.

Warlock/Rogue has a good instant cast spell for leveling, but ultimately the best skill this combo has for dealing damage in endgame is broken.

Warlock/Warrior has the least to offer anyone looking to play a warlock. The skill that could really define this combo doesn't trigger often enough to make this combo worthwhile.

You will want to play a warlock much the same as you would a mage. Mage gear and stats will give the same bonuses to a warlock, which means if you already have a mage you are going to have the gear you will need for a warlock already on hand. You are one step ahead of those that do not. You will want to use the same weapons as well. (For clarification, you will be wanting stam/hp and int/mAtk, and either a staff or wand/talisman.)

Each warlock class combo plays a bit differently, but the main skills are all relatively the same. I will go over the basic skills all warlocks will want to use, and then a further breakdown into each combo. As a note, no normal warlock skill will give PSI if you are in either Willpower Blade/Construct.

Buff and Passive skills:

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Pure Soul: Increases Int.
Sublimation Weave Curse: Increases All Attributes.

Ill Will: Increases Dark Damage.

Opportune Strike: Increases damage caused by Heart Collection Strike/Puzzlement if the Target has the Weakened debuff.

Perception Extraction: Restores 2 Focus every 2 seconds for 26 seconds. (Also deals damage every second, but don't worry about leveling it until everything else is at least 50.) (No Cool-Down (CD).)

Willpower Blade (WPB): Allows the use of certain skills that are not useable until in this state. You need 6 PSI to activate this. (Not levelable.)

Interrupts:

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Saces' Scorn (CD 10 seconds.)

Perplexed (CD 10 sec.)

Soul Trauma: 2 second Stun. (CD 15 seconds.)

Damage Skills:

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Psychic Arrows: 2 second cast time. Deals damage, also gives 1 PSI. (No CD.)

Weakening Weave Curse: 1 second cast time. Hits up to 3 Targets that are near each other, and applies the Weakened debuff to them. (CD 4 seconds.)

Warp Charge: Instant cast. Gives a buff that increases Casting Speed. Damage is increased for this skill if the Target has the Weakened debuff. (CD 6 seconds.)

Surge of Malice: Instant cast. Hits up to 3 Targets that are near each other. Damage is increased for this skill if the Target has the Weakened debuff. (CD 6 seconds.)

Heart Collection Strike: Instant cast. Deals damage, and restores 50 focus. (CD 8 seconds.)

Beast's Roar: Powerful AoE skill that hits every second for 5 seconds, and adds a slow effect if the target lives. (CD 30 seconds.)

Defense Net: Instant cast. Reduces Magical Damage recieved to your Target (yourself or someone in party/raid), and removes Helpless/Root/Stun/Slow effects to the Target. Useful in PvP and certain bosses. (CD 1 minute 30 seconds.)

Puzzlement: 2 second cast time. Deals damage, also gives 2 PSI. (CD 25 seconds.)

**In the next section I will be going over the class combo elite skills, and highlight the points I feel makes it strong and weak. I will not be going over every single elite skill, just the ones that really "make" the combo. This is what helps make the decision to play a combo anyways.** (Click on each of the class combo names to go to an in-depth guide on how to play that particular combo.)



Warlock/Warrior:

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15 Elite - Psychic Slash: Passive. Bleed is now caused by any weapon. Slash is now based on mDmg and is ranged. This makes Slash a useful skill for the warlock class.

20 Elite - Mind-Body Unification: Passive. Damage for Psychic Arrows is increased, and earns rage.

25 Elite - Vigorous Maneuver: Passive. Berserk gives an increase in mAtk and casting speed, and Defensive Formation gives an increase in movement speed and casting speed.

30 Elite - Breathing Control: Passive. Enraged also recovers focus. Also casting Psychic Arrows, Warp Charge, and Weakening Weave Curse now carries a chance to reset the CD of Enraged. (Those are three of the most used skills for a warlock, and yet the chance to reset the Enraged CD barely ever gets triggered. Might be a 1 in 10 chance of triggering if you are really lucky. If this would trigger more often, the Wl/W would be a beast for DPS. However, with how little it happens, you really don't get to use Slash that often, rendering this class combo as one of the lowest DPS combos for a warlock.)

35 Elite - Mind Transference: Instant cast. Converts 35 Rage to 1 PSI. Can convert 70 Rage to 2 PSI if you have over 70 Rage. (CD 30 seconds.)

45 Elite - Consistent Heart Strike: Instant Cast. Must be in WPB to use this, and uses 2 PSI. Deals damage, and if the Target has the Weakened debuff the timer for the debuff will be reset. Additionally restores full Rage. (No CD.)

Warlock/Rogue:

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20 Elite - Soul Hit: Passive. Shadowstab can be used with any weapon, and the bleed is extended by 12 seconds. Shadowstab is now based on mDmg and is ranged. This makes Shadowstab a useful skill for the warlock class. (There is a highly increased risk of "miss"ing the target with Shadowstab as a warlock.)

25 Elite - Ready and Waiting: Increases Int while in WPB, making the skills used while in WPB hit harder.

45 Elite - End of Thought: Instant Cast. Must be in WPB to use this, and uses 3 PSI. Deals damage, and if the Target has less than 35% health you gain 1 PSI every second for 4 seconds. (CD 15 seconds.) (This is the ONLY skill that can be used to actually earn PSI while in WPB for any warlock combo.)

50 Elite - Crime and Punishment: Instant Cast. Must be in WPB to use this, and uses 2 PSI. Deals damage, and if the Target has the Perception Extraction, Soul Pain, or Soul Poisoned Fang debuff then each of these is supposed to increase this skills damage by 25% per debuff, however at current time this is not the case and the extra damage is not added in. This skill is broken, rendering this class combo to do far less DPS than it should be able to do. (CD 4 seconds.)

70 Elite - Shadowstab Guile: Passive. Shadowstab gives 1 PSI, and Shadow Step gives 3 PSI.

Warlock/Priest:

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15 Elite - Healing Fortune: Passive. When a Physic Arrow hits, there is a chance that the next Urgent Heal will be instant and cost no MP. Also increases the amount healed by Urgent Heal.

20 Elite - Protection Weave Curse: Passive. Regenerate also increases INT and WIS by 10%.

25 Elite - Ring of Comfort: Targetable AoE Heal. Instant Cast. Restores HP to up to 6 friendly targets in range. (CD 20 Seconds.)

30 Elite - Psychic Rising Tide: Passive. Makes Rising Tide instant with a 5 second CD. Carries a chance to trigger Healing Fortune.

45 Elite - Touch of Faith: 1 second cast time. Must be in WPB to use this, and uses 2 PSI. Places a DoT on the enemy mob that also carries a 50% chance of giving you the buff Intensified Psychic Arrows which makes Psychic Arrows instant cast with no cost as well as resetting the CD for Rising Tide. (No CD.)

Warlock/Mage:

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15 Elite - Psychic Flash: Passive. Psychic Arrows and Weakening Weave Curse now also cause Fire Damage.

20 Elite - Flaming Heart Strike: Instant Cast. Fire Damage. Gain 3 PSI with use. (CD 1 minute 5 seconds.)

25 Elite - Warp Flash: Passive. Warp Charge now also causes Fire Damage, and also gives an attack/casting speed boost to everyone near you (even those not in party, and even to plants/ore near you as well).

30 Elite - Focus Building: Instant cast. Stacks up to 10 times if you are standing still. Each stack increases intelligence. Drops to one stack when you move.

35 Elite - Soul Brand: When Soul Pain, Perception Extraction, or Heart Collection Strike hits, the Target gets the Soul Brnad debuff (stacks 4 times), which increases Dark and Fire Damage to the Target. (Good for bosses.)

45 Elite - Soul Brand Sting: 1 second cast time. Must be in WPB to use this, and uses 1 PSI. Deals Dark and Fire Damage, and resets the CD for Flaming Heart Strike. (While in WPB use this, then FHS, then this, then FHS, etc. until you are out of PSI.)

60 Elite - Blazing Barrier: Passive. Fire Ward now increases your Fire Damage as well, making this a buff you will want to actually use.

Warlock/Champion:

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15 Elite - Sace's Fury: Instant cast (this is a buff). When the next 5 crits happen, the critical damage will be increased by 50%.

20 Elite - Mind Rune: Instant cast (also a buff, lasts 15 minutes). At level 50 this increases health by 50% and INT by 400, and also gives 10 Rage every 2 seconds.

25 Elite - Electric Transferrence: Passive. Electrocution State extended by 10 seconds. Also increases Dark Damage on the Target, and Electrocution now gives 1 PSI.

35 Elite - Rune Energy Devotion: Instant cast. Reduces aggro, and increases Dark Attribute Magic Power for 20 seconds. Restores 35 Rage. (CD 60 seconds.)

45 Elite - Saces' Impulse: Instant Cast. Must be in WPB to use this, and uses 2 PSI. Recovers 4% health every second and increases INT for 60 seconds.

50 Elite - Psychic Extension: Passive. Electrocution and Energy Influx Strike are now based on mDmg and are ranged. This makes them useful skills for the warlock class. Reduces the CD of Electrocution by 2 seconds, and the CD of Energy Influx Strike by 3 seconds. (This elite with the 25 elite makes the Wl/C a very powerful DPS combo at all times, not just when in the WPB state.)

60 Elite - Rage Sublimation: Converts 100 Rage to 6 PSI, allowing you to instantly enter WPB. (CD 20 seconds.)

To play in a party/instances:
The way to play as a warlock to be the most effective DPS with it you can is to get into WPB as soon as you can. To do this, if you have an elite that gives PSI, use that along with Puzzlement and Psychic Arrows to get to the 6 psi you need to hit WPB. Once you have achieved WPB, use the skills that require this first and often, since they are essentially free to use for the time you have PSI. They take no focus to use, just the PSI you built up which you otherwise would not use. For example, lets use a Wl/M. To hit WPB as soon as possible, use Flaming Heart Strike (3 PSI), Puzzlement (2 PSI), and Psychic Arrows (1 PSI) and in three skills you have 6 PSI, which allows you to activate WPB and use Soul Brand Sting (SBS) > Flaming Heart Strike (FHS) (repeat this combo 6 times until you run out of PSI and go back to the normal rotation for 20 seconds while WPB is on CD, then back into WPB.

Solo play:
Just use the skills you find most effective to kill mobs. Each warlock combo offers different ways of doing this. Most will benefit from using Weakening Weak Curse > Warp Charge for a deadly two hit combo that kills most mobs (provided you have at least a little gear).

For now, that is all. Thank you for reading this, hope you learned something here.

Have fun out there in Taborea everyone,
~GW

Caveat 1: I get all my skills to level 50, and then selectively level them up from there. The reason for this is that magical damage skills scale linearly, where physical damage skills scale on a percentage curve. The difference this causes is rather huge... in early game this causes magic skills to do massive damage compared to physical skills, while in late game this is reversed with the percentage based physical skills causing far more damage than the magical counterparts. A magical skill at level 50 is sufficient to carry you to endgame. A physical skill does not do the same. While you may think the difference between a level 50 skill and a level 70 skill would be massive, if you are a magic caster, this is simply not the case. The difference may be as slight as 500 damage per hit, while the same level difference for a physical skill could mean 5k in damage per hit. In any regard, get your skills to level 50 as a warlock, and then build from there.

Caveat 2: This is all my opinion on the warlock class. Do not take what I say to be the end all, be all definitive word on warlocks. But I am pretty accurate, so it might be ok to do that anyways.

First, this isn't a guide on having a warlock as a secondary.

Second, please read the guide before posting any replies. Your reply (and how quickly it came) tells me you didn't even read it, and posted nonsense that has next to nothing to do with the topic of this thread.

You may well have an understanding of the Wl/M combo (I never said you didn't, I said you didn't read much of the post), but the 70 elite isn't paramount to playing it. It's a nice little bonus, but as you can see, I left out many of the little bonuses from all the combos. I stated I would be doing such

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In the next section I will be going over the class combo elite skills, and highlight the points I feel makes it strong and weak. I will not be going over every single elite skill, just the ones that really "make" the combo. This is what helps make the decision to play a combo anyways.

As I felt the 70 Wl/M elite didn't qualify as a skill that really "makes" the combo, I left it out.

Quoted from "Ziav;600347"

I honestly don't remember my rotations at this point.

I actually intentionally left out rotations in this one, as this was meant to be a general look at warlocks as a whole. I plan to do more posts, one for each combo with more information in those specific ones about rotations. When I do the Wl/M one, if you can add pointed information to that one, that would be great.

I have added the Wl/P section, and will soon be adding in a Wl/P guide to finish out all the warlock guides.

Quoted from "bleedingblak;601622"

good guide overall, but it should be noted that currently warlock's can't keep up in DPS at endgame levels.

I've seen one warlock making posts to claim otherwise.

@ BleedingBlak - I was referring to one magic dps keeping up with another magic dps. We all know rogues top every chart in all things Rogues of Melee. No one has ever disputed that much.

@camagic - Feel free to write up your own warlock guides if you feel mine is/are insufficient.

I wrote these up as a way to introduce people to the warlock class, interjecting my opinion as little as possible. This is meant to be as factual as possible without swaying people to one combo or another. People can read this, and based on the information contained herein choose which class combo they wish to try. This game is 23 hours a day of PvE to one hour a day PvP on most servers, so I felt no need to write up a guide on how to PvP as a warlock. People can figure that much out for themselves. As the author of DIYCE2, I didn't feel the need to include that in here anywhere. While yes, it is a great addon for the warlock to use, this was again a general guide to get people to understand a little more about the class.