Warlock
As the chief curator of the Hidden Archives, Demonic Lecter pursues forbidden knowledge without regard for personal safety, mastering dark arts to restore lost magical tomes and summon powerful demons to his aid.
At a Glance
Core Principles
“Knowledge is power, but shared knowledge is victory. Every bond connections not just our fate, but our collective strength.”
The Bond Creator
Fatal Bonds is your signature. Connect enemies, watch them fall together. One becomes many, many become one in destruction.
Chaos Architect
Your Golem reshapes battlefields. Position it decisively - it's more than a summon, it's terrain control and psychological warfare.
Proactive Control
Upheaval denies space before enemies enter. Cast where they will be, not where they are. Control their options, control their destiny.
Sustain Through Shadow
Shadow Word heals what you cannot prevent. Use it wisely - sometimes healing yourself beats damaging enemies.
Amplification Specialist
You exist to multiply damage. Your value grows with your team's damage output. Coordinate, communicate, convert.
The Final Calculus
With Refresher Orb, four Golems enter. Multiply chaos exponentially. One fight can decide the game - make it count.
Hero Overview
Warlock is a strategic support who excels at amplifying damage and controlling the battlefield through他的致命连接和强大的地狱火召唤。他的黑暗魔典提供了持续的团队效益，而暗言术则在对线期提供了出色的治疗和骚扰能力。
Warlock的核心玩法围绕着致命连接的伤害放大机制展开。先手致命连接，让单体技能变成AOE伤害，然后召唤地狱火改变地形并造成混乱控制。剧变作为区域限制技能，可以在关键位置封路，为队友创造输出空间。出色的对线能力和后期团战影响力使他成为一个全面的辅助英雄。
Pros
- Excellent damage amplification with Fatal Bonds
- Powerful teamfight control with Chaotic Offering
- Strong laning with Shadow Word healing
- Great area denial with Upheaval
- Versatile utility with Aghanim's Scepter and Refresher Orb
Cons
- Relatively immobile and vulnerable to ganks
- High mana costs on abilities
- Requires good positioning for effective play
- Golem can feed enemies gold if poorly positioned
- Dependent on team follow-up to maximize Fatal Bonds potential
Ability Analysis
Fatal Bonds
ActiveWarlock binds enemy units together, causing damage dealt to any bonded unit to be shared with the others.
Notes: Target search logic: finds nearest unit within 700 range, continues searching from each new unit. Shared damage applies the same damage type and calculates reductions independently. Can disable Blink Daggers and spreads full killing damage instances.
Shadow Word
Target UnitWarlock speaks a word of shadow, healing allies or damaging enemies over time.
Notes: Healing ignores magic resistance, making self-healing more efficient than damage. Can be dispelled. Use on yourself in lane and supplement with right-clicks for net advantage.
Upheaval
ActiveWarlock creates a vortex of chaos that slows enemies within it. The longer Warlock channels, the slower enemies become.
Notes: Proactive area denial - predict enemy movement. The 'Attack Speed on Allies' talent works on summons and creeps. Can spawn Imps with Aghanim's Shard for vision control from safe distance.
Chaotic Offering
ActiveWarlock summons a Golem from the elemental plane of chaos, dealing area damage and stunning enemies on arrival.
Notes: Stun pierces debuff immunity. Golem has 1800 vision and can be healed with Shadow Word. Don't feed it - drops substantial gold bounty. With 'Summon Golem on Death' talent, backpack Agh's Scepter before dying to control Golem type.
Upheaval (Shard Upgrade)
ActiveUpheaval periodically spawns an Imp that attacks nearby enemies. The Imp dies after a short duration, dealing area damage.
Notes: Use for vision control on cliffs or additional damage in teamfights. Imps spawn randomly but can provide crucial sight or dewarding opportunities when desperate.
Chaotic Offering (Aghanim's Scepter)
ActiveSummons two Golems with independent attack animations. The initial cast location determines the second Golem's landing point.
Notes: Doubles your teamfight presence. Position first Golem to group enemies, second Golem for additional stun and damage. Synergizes incredibly well with team AoE abilities.
Developer's Notes
Developer Insights
Warlock is a master of damage amplification and battlefield control. His Fatal Bonds transforms single target damage into devastating AoE destruction, while his Chaotic Offering summons one of the most powerful units in the game.
Key Insights:
- Fatal Bonds searches for targets systematically - learn the priority system
- Your Golem is both a tank and a damage dealer - position it wisely
- Upheaval is proactive area denial, not reactive slow
Warlock rewards strategic thinking and precise ability usage. A well-timed Fatal Bonds or perfectly placed Golem can win teamfights single-handedly!
Game Strategy
Early Game
Timeframe: 0-15 minutes Objective: Establish lane presence and secure core items Key: Use Shadow Word for healing and harassment; Position for safe Fatal Bonds on creep waves; Control creep equilibrium with careful trading; Stack camps for future farm acceleration Items: Arcane Boots (Mana sustain); Magic Wand (Burst heal); Tome of Knowledge (Level advantage) Tips: Heal yourself with Shadow Word more often than dealing damage; Use Fatal Bonds on creep waves to amplify right-click damage; Be cautious of ganks due to low mobility; Coordinate with carries for successful Fatal Bonds combos
Mid Game
Timeframe: 15-30 minutes Objective: Influence teamfights and control map objectives Key: Land game-changing Fatal Bonds in teamfights; Use Golem to initiate or control space; Position Upheaval to cut off enemy escape routes; Coordinate with team for optimal damage amplification Items: Blink Dagger (Positioning); Aghanim's Scepter (Double Golems); Black King Bar (Survivability) Tips: Wait for key enemy cooldowns before committing abilities; Golem is excellent for pushing towers after won fights; Use Upheaval proactively to deny areas before teamfights; Keep track of enemy dispels for optimal timing
Late Game
Timeframe: 30+ minutes Objective: Win crucial teamfights through damage amplification Key: Perfect Fatal Bonds execution for maximum damage; Manage multiple Golems effectively; Use Refresher Orb for quadruple Golem dominance; Control enemy positioning with Upheaval Items: Refresher Orb (Multiple Golems); Shiva's Guard (Armor and utility); Scythe of Vyse (Additional control) Tips: Fatal Bonds becomes more valuable with higher damage outputs; Position carefully - Golem deaths feed significant gold; Use Upheaval to protect high ground pushes; Coordinate with team for devastating damage combos
Tips & Strategies
Fatal Bonds Mastery
- Target search: finds nearest unit within 700 range, searches from each new target
- Shared damage applies same damage type with independent reduction calculations
- Overkill damage spreads fully - a Laguna Blade on 10HP creep spreads full damage
- Dispellable - be aware of enemy dispel timing
Golem Management
- Can be healed with Shadow Word, Urn, Salves, Bottle, or Clarity
- Stun pierces BKB - use against debuff immune enemies
- 1800 day/night vision - excellent for scouting
- Don't feed it carelessly - drops substantial gold bounty
Upheaval Strategy
- Proactive area denial - predict enemy movement patterns
- Channel time, not standing time, determines slow strength
- Use in chokepoints during Rosh attempts or high ground defense
- With talent, works on summons and creeps for attack speed bonus
Item Guide
Starting Items
Basic regeneration for laning sustain. Circlet provides early stats for survivability.
Tangos, Clarities, Circlet
Core Items
Aghanim's Scepter for double Golems, Blink for positioning, BKB for surviving while channeling Upheaval.
Aghanim's Scepter, Blink Dagger, Black King Bar
Situational
Counter Guide
Good With
Warlock excels with heroes who can capitalize on grouped enemies and provide follow-up damage. Earthshaker creates devastating combos with Echo Slam after Fatal Bonds groups enemies. Crystal Maiden benefits from Warlock's control to safely channel Freezing Field. Enigma can pair Black Hole with Fatal Bonds for massive AoE damage. Tiny withToss+Avalanche becomes incredibly lethal when enemies are bonded together. The synergy is clear - Fatal Bonds multiplies any AoE damage, making heroes with area abilities exceptionally powerful partners.
Bad Against
Warlock struggles against heroes who can disrupt his casting or negate his impact. Nyx Assassin with Impale and Mana Burn prevents ability usage and kills squishy Warlock quickly. Silencer and Puck can interrupt crucial spell casts and mobile heroes can escape Upheaval's slow. Anti-Mage burns mana, preventing any ability usage. Strong push heroes can threaten towers before Golem becomes available. Heroes with手掌 of dispel or magic immunity reductions can significantly impact Warlock's effectiveness.
Good Against
Warlock dominates heroes who bring multiple units to fights or rely on positioning. Illusion heroes like Phantom Lancer suffer immensely Fatal bonds spreads damage across all illusions. Summon-based heroes sees their armies become liabilities. Melee carries who must get close trigger multiple Golem attacks and stuns. Position-dependent heroes lose their advantage when suddenly grouped by Fatal Bonds. Dominates teamfight compositions that bring multiple units or heroes who cannot escape bonded damage sharing.