Diablo 2: Resurrected
Guides
The Top 5 PvE Warlock Builds
1. Apocalypse Warlock
The top pick goes to the Apocalypse Warlock. Apocalypse Warlocks have a percentage of their damage taken go to their summons making them very strong defensively. Their wide area of effect spell attack can clear full screens of enemies in the Chaos Sanctuary and The Secret Cow Level while also being great at key runs and they're powerful for single target damage.
Recommendation: Apocalypse Warlock
Stats: 156 Strength for equipment, enough Dexterity for equipment, all remaining points in Vitality, no Energy
Build:
20 Apocalypse
20 Flame Wave
20 Ring of Fire
20 Blood Oath (transfers a percentage of your damage taken to your summons)
10 Demonic Mastery (needs to be at least level 10 with plus skills for a second minion)
1 Bind Demon
1 Summon Defiler
1 Consume
1 Hex: Siphon
1 Levitation Mastery
1 Psychic Ward
All remaining points in Demonic Mastery which improves the damage of your minions.
Note: Apocalypse Warlocks have screen wide clear and once fully optimized they completely evaporate screens of enemies. They do well with Key of Hate, Key of Terror, and Key of Destruction farming and they're also one of the best builds for the Secret Cow Level. This build becomes the best PvE Warlock build once you have a sunder charm to break fire immunities and very high plus skills.
2. Echoing Strike Warlock
The second place spot goes to Echoing Strike Warlocks. Echoing Strike Warlocks deal the highest damage of the Warlock builds against nearby enemies and Echoing Strike can also spread in a wide area of effect cone in front of you for great AoE damage.
Recommendation: Echoing Strike Warlock
Stats: Enough Strength for your weapon, enough Dexterity for equipment, all remaining points in Vitality, no Energy
Build:
20 Echoing Strike
20 Mirrored Blades
20 Levitation Mastery
20 Blade Warp
10 Demonic Mastery (needs to be at least level 10 with plus skills for a second minion)
1 Hex: Bane
1 Consume
All remaining points in Blood Oath to improve your demon minions' survivability.
3. Abyss Warlock
Abyss Warlocks have high single target damage but Abyss doesn't have a huge area of effect. Instead, Abyss Warlocks use Sigil: Death to corpse explode enemies in a larger area effect for more AoE coverage. Abyss Warlocks are great on a budget because there are very few magic immune enemies in the game and their Bind Demon skill can be used to kill magic immune enemies.
Recommendation: Abyss Warlock
Stats: Enough Strength for gear, enough Dexterity for gear, all remaining points in Vitality, 0 Energy
Build:
20 Abyss
20 Miasma Chains
20 Miasma Bolt
10 Demonic Mastery (needs to be at least level 10 with plus skills for a second minion)
10 Blood Oath (around 10 points where you start seeing diminishing returns for improving minion survivability)
1 Sigil: Death
1 Levitation Mastery
1 Hex: Siphon
1 Bind Demon
All remaining points in Enhanced Entropy to increase the area of effect of your Abyss skill.
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4. Blood Boil Summoner Warlock
Blood Boil Summoner Warlocks use Blood Boil as their main attack which has a somewhat large area of effect that is hidden on the screen. Blood Boil Summoner Warlocks also have synergies to Blood Boil that improve your summons with every point spent.
Recommendation: Blood Boil Summoner Warlock
Stats: Enough strength for gear, enough Dexterity for equipment, all remaining points in Vitality, 0 Energy
Build:
20 Blood Boil
20 Blood Oath
20 Engorge
20 Bind Demon
10 Demonic Mastery (needs to be at least level 10 with plus skills for a second minion)
1 Levitation Mastery
1 Hex: Siphon
All remaining points in Demonic Mastery to improve the damage of your summons.
5. Summoner Mirrored Blades Warlock
The fifth place spot goes to the Summoner Warlock which is still one of the most capable builds available in Diablo 2. Summoning skills deal high damage and you can use a bow to gain Concentration as a secondary attack that buffs your minions.
Recommendation: Summoner Mirrored Blades Warlock
Stats: Enough Strength for gear, enough Dexterity for gear, all remaining points in Vitality, 0 Energy
Build:
20 Demonic Mastery
20 Bind Demon
10+ Blood Oath (enough points until you see diminishing returns on minions' defenses)
10 Levitation Mastery (enough points until you see diminishing returns on weapon critical strike)
1 Sigil: Death
1 Hex: Bane
1 Engorge (enough points until you have diminishing returns from plus skills)
1 Summon Defiler (one or more points if you don't have high plus skills)
1 Consume (one point increased with plus skills until there are diminishing returns)
All remaining points should go in Mirrored Blades for a secondary attack followed by more points in Levitation Mastery.
Gearing Guide
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Weapons:
1. Apocalypse Warlock - Obsession Runeword Staff (Zod Ist Lem Lum Io Nef) for high plus skill, resistances, and faster cast rate.
2. Echoing Strike - The high end option is an ethereal Breath of the Dying Thunder Maul for the highest damage.
3. Abyss Warlock - Obsession Staff (Zod Ist Lem Lum Io Nef) because it's well rounded while a Void dagger is just for pure damage.
4. Blood Boil Warlock - Obsession Staff (Zod Ist Lem Lum Io Nef) is great for plus skills, resistances, and faster cast rate.
5. Summoner Warlock - Mist Bow (Cham Shael Gul Thul Ith) for +3 to skills and the Concentration aura for you and your summons or Ethereal Zod'd Ribcracker for low requirements, high damage, and very high Crushing Blow if you plan on using a melee attack.
Offhands:
1. Apocalypse Warlock - Ars Al'Diabolos should be used for +Skills to Apocalypse along with high increased fire skill damage.
2. Echoing Strike - Phoenix Monarch (Vex Vex Lo Jah) for up to 400% enhanced damage and a free Redemption aura.
3. Abyss Warlock - Use Ars Dul'Mephistos for reduced enemy magic resistances, a Spirit Monarch (Tal Thul Ort Amn) for +2 skills, up to 35% faster cast rate, and resistances, or a Rhyme (Shael Eth) Warlock book with +3 to Abyss for magic finding.
4. Blood Boil Warlock - Ars Tor'Baalos should be used for +2 to Demon Skills, up to +4 to Blood Boil, up to +3 to multiple other helpful skills, up to 10% reduced physical damage taken, and high life per level.
5. Summoner Warlock - If you're using a melee attack use Ars Tor'Baalos for +2 to Demon Skills with great defensive modifiers but if you're using the Mist Runeword Bow (Cham Shael Gul Thul Ith) you'll need to equip arrows in this slot.
Amulets:
1. For melee or bow Warlock builds you should use the Metalgrid amulet for high attack rating and high all resistances.
2. For caster builds; A perfect Mara's Kaleidoscope amulet is recommended for +2 Skills, 5 to attributes, and all resistances +30%. You can also look for +2 to Skills amulets with high resistances, life, and faster cast rate if you need faster cast rate.
Rings:
1. Caster Warlocks - One Wisp Projector ring for lightning absorb, magic find, and Oak Sage which increases your life with a Stone of Jordan ring for +1 to all skills and increased mana. You can also optionally use two Stone of Jordans which helps a lot with mana.
2. Echoing Strike and Summoner Mirrored Blades - One duel leech ring and a Raven Frost ring for cannot be frozen.
Helms:
1. Harlequin Crest (aka: Shako) for +2 to all skills, physical damage reduction, 50% magic find, and high life and mana per level.
2. Warlock Circlet for +2 to Warlock skills, all resistances, faster cast rate, and if you can afford it two open sockets.
3. Flickering Flame (Nef Pul Vex) on PvE Apocalypse Warlocks for +3 Fire Skills, -15% enemy fire resistances, and a Resist Fire aura to counter the -70% fire resistance on the Renewed Flame Rift Grand Charm sunder charm.
Armors:
1. Fortitude (El Sol Dol Lo) for 200% enhanced damage, up to 30% to all resistances, and chance to gain Chilling Armor when hit.
2. Chains of Honor (Dol Um Ber Ist) for +2 to all skills, 8% physical damage taken reduction, and all resistances +65%.
3. Enigma (Jah Ith Ber) for +2 to all skills, very high strength, and most importantly the Teleport skill.
Belts:
1. String of Ears should be used for Warlock builds that benefit from life leech.
2. Verdungo's Hearty Coil if you meet its strength requirement when you don't need life leech.
3. Gheed's Wager or Arachnid's Mesh should be used for faster cast rate builds.
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Gloves:
1. Laying of Hands for 20% increased attack speed, 50% fire resistance, and high increased damage to demons.
2. Magefist or Trang-oul's Claws for caster Warlocks and Echoing Strike which has its attack speed increased by faster cast rate.
3. Chance Guards can be used for magic find for 40% increased magic find and 200% increased gold find.
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Boots:
1. Tri-res, 30% faster run walk, and 10% faster hit recovery boots.
2. War Traveler boots for more magic find.
3. Gore Rider or Goblin Toe can be used for damage with high Crushing Blow.
Mercenaries:
An Act 2 Might Mercenary is recommended for Warlocks in Softcore to increase the physical damage of your demon minions.
Weapon: Ethereal Infinity (Ber Mal Ber Ist) for the Conviction aura which lowers the resistances and defenses of enemies.
Armor: Ethereal Fortitude (El Sol Dol Lo) because of its 200% enhanced damage, high resistances, and Chilling Armor.
Helm: Andariel's Visage (Ral'd or a high fire resistance jewel with increased attack speed) - Gives +2 to all skills and high life leech.
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Top 5 Tips for Diablo 2: Resurrected
1. Enemies target the character or npc that is closest to them which also means if your mercenary can't survive a tough boss you can just move closer to the boss than your mercenary and the boss will target you instead.
2. Antidote Potions and Thawing Potions cure poison and chill, but they also have the added effect of raising your poison resistance and cold resistance by 50% and your maximum poison resistance and cold resistance by 10% for a duration. This works great for bosses like Andariel, Radament, Lilith, Duriel, Act 2 Baal's Minions, and PvP and it also works on your mercenary.
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3. If you become overwhelmed by Baal's Act 5 minions which have knockback, consider taking them to the poles on the side of the room to let a few through to single them out. This will also take you out of range of Baal's Decrepify curse which slows you.
4. Baal summons a copy of himself making him much more difficult to defeat in single player and/or if you aren't geared well but Baal's copy has a chance at disappearing when you use a town portal and return to the Worldstone Chamber.
5. Mephisto can be easily defeated without optimized gear by bringing him to the river and teleporting to the other side of the river. Mephisto will stand defenseless at the right range allowing you to easily unload your abilities on him without risk of dying.
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That's all for the Top 5 PvE Warlock Builds Guide. Thanks for reading and playing Diablo 2: Resurrected. Best of luck in Diablo 2.​
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