Warlock/Guide

Support/Teamfight
Warlock is generally played as a position 3/4 support, due to his lack of nukes and the long cooldown on his ult. His main purpose is to counter-initiate with a --> --> combo, and to help push or split push with his golem. Support Warlock is a good and/or  carrier, due to his low mana pool and mechanism's ability to help both his team and his golem.

Ganker
In some games, Warlock can be a ganker capable of punishing enemy supports or even carries, with help from his team. His abilities can be utilized to prevent enemies from escaping from his golem and other team members assisting in the gank. Generally this is only possible when enemies do not have gap closing abilities or items. Players who go this route generally go -->, due to the long cooldown on the ult, and the need for mana.

Ability Builds

 * This build allows Warlock to attack enemy heroes on his own, though he helps less with damage in team fights due to the focus on Upheaval instead of Fatal Bonds.
 * However, he does prevent enemies from escaping due to the high movement speed debuff Upheaval provides.


 * This build allows Warlock to help with early team fights.
 * However, this build does not provide his team any escape, and he cannot prevent the enemy team from escaping, due to the lack of Upheaval.

General

 * Warlock is renowned as a strong teamfight hero whose spells can shift the tide of engagements against multiple foes. While he does not possess any immediate single-target hard disables or instant-damage nukes, his spells provide powerful area disable and crowd control, making him a dangerous foe in teamfights.
 * Despite being an intelligence caster, Warlock has very respectable strength growth, giving him strong survivability against magic and pure damage nukes. However, he also suffers from extremely poor base agility and agility growth, making him vulnerable to physical damage.
 * Because he relies mostly on casting spells in order to be effective, Warlock should build items that provide him with more mana, mana regen, and mobility. Having a sustainable source of mana allows Warlock to remain active on the map to support his team, and mobility allows Warlock to more easily position to cast his spells. Once he meets his minimum requirements, he can focus on building utility items to help his team, and survivability items to ensure that he does not die before getting his spells off.
 * Keep in mind that Warlock has a very long cast animation, 0.5 seconds on all but Fatal Bonds. This means that positioning and planning ahead are key to using the hero effectively, as his spells take more time to cast than most other heroes.
 * In general, Warlock should be played as a safe lane support hero rather than as a core farmer. Although he can scale better than most other supports due to the nature of his spells, he is more dependent on levels than on gold, so foregoing farm in favor of supporting can still allow him to contribute to his team.
 * When you play Warlock, awareness is key. He does not have a good escape, and can be easily caught by ganks if there is no vision.
 * Warlock can often turn the tide of teamfights due to his many teamfighting abilities, so always carry a and try to get to a team fight as soon as possible if you were not in it initially.


 * Fatal Bonds is a unit-targeted debuff that allows Warlock to link multiple enemies together to deal bonus damage to each one when one of their allies takes damage.
 * Fatal Bonds is a very powerful teamfight ability, as it can cause area-of-effect spells that hit all bonded units to deal more than twice its listed damage to each foe. While it should not be the first spell that you max out, it should still be a priority spell to level up, and cast as early as possible in a teamfight.
 * Because of its extremely long cast range and short cast animation, Fatal Bonds should be the first spell cast in a teamfight. However, be mindful that it will only bond enemies that are currently visible, so make sure to wait for the right moment in order to catch the maximum number of enemy heroes.
 * Fatal Bonds selects which units to bond based on proximity to the target. Keep this in mind when selecting an enemy to cast the spell on, and try to target it on an enemy in the center of a group of other enemy heroes to maximize the chances of bonding heroes rather than creeps.
 * When deciding at what time to skill Fatal Bonds, gauge how active your team will be in engaging the foe in major teamfights. If you do not expect to encounter 5-vs-5 teamfights early on, then it is safe to level up your other abilities first. However, if the enemy team is employing an early pushing strategy, threatening them with large amounts of shared damage that is magnified by area-of-effect nukes can give them pause.
 * Keep in mind that Fatal Bonds damage is reduced by each individual target's resistances, so dealing reduced damage to an enemy with high armor or magic resistance will not propagate that reduction to other shackled units. However, the reverse also applies, as dealing large amounts of damage to an enemy with little armor or magic resistance will not amplify the damage shared by an enemy that is more resilient.
 * Fatal bonds can be cast from 1000 units away, so Warlock does not need to get close to use this.
 * The shared damage is not reduced by the armor or resistance of the hero that initially took the damage, so it can kill off the enemy team if a high physical damage carry focuses on a high hp/armor enemy hero.
 * The damage has no maximum range, so it prevents enemy heroes from escaping from a fight on low hp if they are linked to a hero still in the fight.
 * Fatal bonds can stack, so you can apply another stack of fatal bonds and have each unit take 50% of the damage that any one of them takes.


 * Shadow Word is Warlock's most flexible spell, capable of healing allies or damaging enemies, is effective in disabling items like.
 * Shadow Word should be the first spell to max out in most situations, as it can serve as a powerful nuke or a life-saving heal at any point in a match.
 * Shadow Word costs 90 mana to heal/damage 180 HP at level 1, and will consume about a third of your mana pool to do so. Therefore, it is wise to avoid casting the spell at level 1 if at all possible, as it becomes much more efficient with additional levels.
 * Beware that although Shadow Word can heal a single ally by more than 500 HP, it takes time to do so. Therefore, it should be cast as early as possible when a situation arises, so that your ally is not put in a situation where they might not have enough HP to survive long enough to benefit from the healing buff.
 * Unlike certain healing spells, Shadow Word can be cast on spell immune allies. If an ally has activated their Black King Bar, Warlock can still target them with Shadow Word to heal them if they run into trouble.
 * Offensive shadow words are less effective in the mid-late game, due to the relatively low help it provides the team in comparison to Warlock's other abilities.
 * Shadow Word can help Warlock to stay longer in the lane and win the lane, by either casting offensive Shadow Words so that the enemy heroes are forced to stay back, or by allowing Warlock and his allies to remain at high health at all times.


 * Upheaval is a very large area slow with a very long cast range, capable of inflicting an increasingly powerful slow from up to 1850 range away.
 * Despite its long cast range and wide radius of effect, Upheaval's slow takes time to build up, and ramps up very slowly at early levels. Try to avoid channeling the spell unless it is at least level 2 or 3, as it is otherwise a waste of mana.
 * Keep in mind, Upheaval becomes stronger based on how long it is channeled, not how long an enemy was standing in it, and that the slow sticks on the target up to 3 seconds after leaving the area. Because of this, it is more effective to preemptively channel Upheaval where the enemy wants to pass through to give it time to build up, rather than casting the whirlpool on top of a foe's current location, since they can simply walk out of the whirlpool before they can be slowed too much.
 * Upheaval can be used as a ganking disable once it has at least two points put into it, and combined with a leading stun to give the slow time to build up. Provided that Warlock's teammates have enough damage output, slowing the enemy down can be much more beneficial than attacking with right-clicks.
 * Be sure to take advantage of Upheaval's long cast range whenever possible. The enemy will be sure to attempt to disable you to interrupt the channeling, however, you can make this much harder for them by forcing them to find you first. You can shield yourself behind teammates, from inside the treeline or on high ground, and even cast it from an unexpected direction so that they search in the wrong place.
 * Upheaval's primary use comes right after initiating or counter-initiating with Fatal Bonds and Chaotic Offering, as Warlock can use the slow to greatly hinder enemy heroes' ability to escape while the golem attacks them. The enemy may choose to expend one of their disables to interrupt the channeling or choose to try to focus down Warlock while he is vulnerable, so make sure to position appropriately. Self-casting Shadow Word prior to channeling can also aid in survivability during Upheaval.
 * In a pinch, Upheaval can be used to cover retreats, or for area denial. Casting the spell on an area that the enemy wants to traverse can give them pause, as walking into an active Upheaval will slow them down much more than if it was cast on top of them. This can be useful for giving teammates space to run away, or for preventing the enemy from entering an area that they wish to go (such as pushing up high ground into your base, or into/out of Roshan's pit).
 * Beware, Upheaval is a percent-based movement speed slow, and as such can be ignored by certain abilities such as, , , and so on. Be sure that you know what abilities the enemy has that can ignore Upheaval's debuff, and plan accordingly.
 * Upheaval gets stronger over time, so it can be used preemptively before a teamfight if you have a low level in it.


 * Chaotic Offering is Warlock's most powerful teamfight spell, as it will stun all enemies in the impact area, through spell immunity, and summon a golem to do his bidding.
 * Because of its wide area and long cast range, Chaotic Offering is best cast when the enemy is grouped up and trying to deal with Warlock's teammates. Interrupting the enemy's actions will give allies an opportunity to land further nukes and disables.
 * Fatal Bonds is a strong complement to Chaotic Offering, as both spells have similar cast ranges. Inflicting the enemy with Fatal Bonds can magnify the amount of damage the golem deals with Permanent Immolation and Flaming Fists due to the area-of-effect nature of both abilities.
 * It can be useful at times to cast Shadow Word on the golem, in order to heal it and prolong its lifespan. The longer the golem is alive, the more damage it can deal.
 * When chasing fleeing heroes with your golem, do not stop to attack them. Instead, keep it moving with them, so that the Permanent Immolation can do its damage.
 * Do not let the golem die needlessly to the enemy, since its gold bounty is quite high. If it is the last remaining unit for your team in a fight, have it flee unless you can ensure a kill. Having it die against creeps or towers is better than allowing an enemy hero to last-hit it.
 * Warlock's flexible nature allows him to build a variety of items as his team needs.
 * Be aware that Chaotic Offering has a very long cooldown, 165 seconds, so you may need to wait until a moment in a fight where an AoE stun is helpful.
 * Chaotic Offering can be used in conjunction with to both stun the enemy and prevent them from escaping afterwards. The stun also helps with upheaval by providing a little bit of time for it to grow stronger.
 * The golem has very high regen, so it can regenerate any damage it takes from heroes and be ready to help again if you take it out of the battle for a few seconds.
 * The regeneration can also be used to tank damage from towers, so if you are able to kill an enemy hero with the golem at level six, you can then immediately push the tower. A cast of shadow word can also add to the golem's already considerable hp regeneration.
 * When chasing enemy heroes, it is often best to not attack with the golem but just have it walk alongside the hero, since the golem's deals 30/40/50 dmg per second.
 * When used with and/or, Warlock can summon multiple golems.  is not reduced by the scepter, so ensure that the golems are near as many heroes as possible.
 * is not reduced by the scepter either, and it also does damage in a 300 radius.
 * The golem(s) can also be used to prevent escape in some places, like the stairs south of Roshan or inside the treeline.

Items
Starting items:
 * As noted earlier, Warlock should generally carry at least some of the support duties on his team. This means that, , , , and other support items such as and  should all take priority.
 * is generally required in most starting item builds, in order to allow players to stay in lane despite harass damage from the enemy. can replace the utility of  during the laning stage for replenishing small amounts of HP.
 * is recommended in order to take advantage of Warlock's powerful utility spells when they are needed. A Clarity can guarantee at least one more additional cast of Shadow Word or any of your other spells.
 * is helpful for protecting Warlock against enemy harass damage, and allows you to build a Ring of Basilius from the Side Lane Shop.
 * should be used to fill out the rest of your inventory, as they are cheap and the attributes they provide can be very useful in the early game. They can be used to complete a Magic Wand, or build Mekansm components.

Early game:
 * is recommended for most heroes. In Warlock's case, his low base strength means that he is relatively easy to kill in the early game, so having the ability to instantly heal yourself for 150 HP is very helpful. The 150 MP also allows you to cast at least one more spell in a teamfight if your mana is low.
 * are important on any support. In Warlock's case, the flexibility of Shadow Word means that positioning yourself quickly to cast it on an ally or enemy can help to secure a kill on the enemy or save an ally from death.
 * provides additional attributes and bonus strength to bulk up Warlock's small base health pool, greatly increasing his survivability in fights.
 * is useful for providing armor and mana regen during the laning stage, which aids in survivability and replenishing mana for casting Shadow Word, as well as pushing a lane if needed by turning the aura on. It is best disassembled and the components recycled for use in other items, however, as Warlock's high base intelligence as well as growth ensure that a Sage's Mask is more effective early on due to its percentage-based regen bonus.

Core items:
 * provides all the benefits of a Magic Stick, as well as additional stats to increase your survivability. Using stored charges can give Warlock enough mana to cast almost any spell in his arsenal, and can often be enough to cast your ultimate if you're low.
 * are important in aiding Warlock's ability to support his team, on top of replenishing his own mana pool so that he can continue using his spells. As he can already heal his teammates with Shadow Word, replenishing their mana as well as Warlock's ensures that your team is ready to fight at any time, or that your carry can continue farming without having to return to base as often.
 * should be considered a luxury item if playing a hard support role, but it is also one of the most powerful items that Warlock can purchase, especially when given farm priority. The ability to summon two golems with can inflict significantly more damage against the enemy as neither  or  have their effectiveness reduced.
 * Due to Warlock's flexible nature and powerful spells, a should always be on hand should it be needed. Warlock's ability to heal teammates in emergency situations and disrupt the enemy formation with his spells should never be discounted.

Situational items:
 * is a very powerful luxury item in that it allows Warlock to use his ultimate twice, whether it has been upgraded by Aghanim's Scepter or not, as well as double-stack Fatal Bonds since repeated casts will work independently rather than refresh its duration. While it provides immense mana regen to allow more frequent use of spells, priority should be given to increasing the size of Warlock's mana pool should this be purchased, as his ultimate and Refresher Orb's active can cost a total of up to 1175 mana, to say nothing of his other abilities.
 * gives Warlock a much larger mana pool as well as regeneration, and shores up his other stats as well. Its Hex ability allows Warlock to instantly disable an enemy from range, greatly increasing his teamfight potential.
 * gives Warlock immense survivability against physical attacks, and increases his intelligence dramatically as well, providing a much larger mana pool and more base damage. The auras allow him to contribute more in teamfights by reducing enemy attack and movement speed, giving him more crowd control, reducing enemies' attack speed, and giving him an additional slow on top of, which does not have to be channeled and can help his golem to chase opponents.
 * gives Warlock additional strength and intelligence, giving him HP and mana, as well as the ability to summon Necronomicon Warriors to a teamfight, synergizing well with Chaotic Offering. The minions greatly add to Warlock's teamfight contribution as they can be controlled while Warlock himself is channeling Upheaval.
 * can be easily upgraded from Bracer, and gives Warlock all-around additional stats. The aura gives Warlock more teamfight contribution, and the active can give his golem more mobility and damage output.
 * is a powerful support item that gives Warlock another tool with which to protect his teammates. The item's active ability can shield allies from magical damage for a short period of time, enough to blunt their initial wave of magic nukes.
 * is another powerful support item that synergizes well with Shadow Word, allowing Warlock to heal teammates and keep them in the fight. The all-around attributes and armor help make Warlock less squishy, and his high intelligence growth ensures that he can easily afford the mana cost of the active.
 * is a useful utility item that boosts Warlock's stats across the board, gives him a large amount of bonus intelligence, and gives him more armor. As already amplifies the power of area-of-effect magic nukes that hit multiple targets, increasing that further by reducing enemies' magic resistance can greatly increase the amount of damage dealt.
 * can be very strong on Warlock in the late game, as it can reduce the cooldown time on his spammable spells and allow him to have his ultimate available on a more regular basis. As well, Warlock can lifesteal from Fatal Bonds damage and an offensively cast Shadow Word, increasing his survivability in fights.
 * is a useful late-game upgrade to Mekansm and Arcane Boots, giving Warlock strong teamfight contribution as well as opening up an inventory slot. The self-dispel allows Warlock to remove debuffs from himself, such as silences that are preventing him from casting his spells.
 * synergizes well with Shadow Word, as it performs many of the same roles and augments Warlock's flexibility further. It is a strong utility item to build if you do not intend on buying a Bracer, as the strength and mana regen benefit Warlock greatly.
 * , and its upgrade, have a myriad of uses for Warlock. As a ranged support he can use it to assist his carry from a distance either by placing the debuff on an enemy or by placing the buff on an ally. The same can be applied to the golem, either to extend its survivability or weaken its target. Finally, it can be used on Roshan to help your team kill him faster.
 * is a good utility item on any support hero, and is no exception for Warlock. It can allow Warlock to get in position to cast his spells, and has utility in re-positioning teammates as well as displacing enemies, and can even be used on your golem to help it to chase fleeing enemies.
 * can be helpful if Warlock is constantly being focused down by the enemy's physical right-clickers. Using Ghost Scepter's active can shield Warlock from physical damage for some seconds, allowing him to cast his spells as needed.
 * is a useful mid-game utility item that provides a strong teamfight aura. The aura gives Warlock and his allies additional armor and passive HP regen, as well as increased damage and lifesteal. These bonuses benefit the golem as well, increasing its survivability to get more use out of your ultimate.
 * , built up from the Energy Booster component of Arcane Boots, greatly improves Warlock's ability to get off his spells in teamfights. The cast range increase further augments his already formidably long cast ranges, allowing him to cast his spells from complete safety behind his team, where the enemy will be unable to catch him.
 * can be useful to purchase if you intend on casting Upheaval frequently. As Warlock often has to channel the spell for at least a few seconds for it to reach full potency, hiding yourself from basic sight can increase your safety and keep the enemy guessing on your location, as the spell's cast range allows you to employ the spell from a fairly safe distance and an angle of your choosing.
 * Upgrading Shadow Amulet into a can give Warlock more utility at the cost of less effective cover while channeling Upheaval. As Warlock can channel Upheaval for up to 16 seconds, purchasing a Glimmer Cape prevents him from remaining invisible for the entire duration as it only lasts for 5 seconds. However, it provides utility in that it can be cast on allies to help them initiate, or protect an ally from magic nukes for a short period of time. It can also be cast on your golem to increase its survivability against any magic nukes the enemy may use to try to kill it.
 * is a useful utility caster item that is also cheap to build. It improves Warlock's mobility via increased movement speed, allowing him to more easily position to cast his spells, and provides intelligence and mana regen to improve his ability to cast his spells. The active can give him a hard-disable to use against enemies, or can be used on himself to provide temporary invulnerability while removing debuffs (such as silences that are preventing him from casting his spells).
 * is a strong item to purchase on Warlock. The increased health pool gives him more survivability, while the increased intelligence gives him additional base damage and a larger mana pool to work with. The active synergizes with his ability to cast his spells at extremely long range, slowing enemies from long distances and making them easy prey for his golem or pinning them down for Upheaval.
 * is a strong utility item that allows Warlock to use the enemies' targeted spells against them. The item provides HP and mana regen as well as armor, giving Warlock more survivability and keeping his HP and mana topped up. The active can be cast on Warlock himself or one of his team's carries, discouraging the enemy from using their targeted nukes and disables. It can also be cast on his golem, but it does not reflect spells.