Warlock
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Demnok Lannik, the Warlock, is a ranged intelligence hero who possesses many powerful teamfight spells capable of inflicting chaos upon the enemy team. Shadow Word is a highly versatile spell, as it allows him to support allies by healing them or harass enemies by dealing damage over time, giving him strong lane presence. Beyond the early game, Warlock can turn any teamfight in his team's favor as his other spells are strong when unleashed against multiple enemies. Fatal Bonds causes all enemies linked together to take bonus damage when one of their number takes damage, magnifying the strength of area-of-effect spells, while Upheaval can allow him to greatly slow any enemies caught in the radius of the spell, making it harder for them to maneuver in fights or escape. His ultimate, Chaotic Offering, summons a Golem after stunning all enemies in a wide area, allowing him to throw them into disarray. While unassuming and weak by himself, Warlock is a dangerous threat in any teamfight as his spells allow him to turn the enemies' numbers against them and sow chaos amongst their ranks.
Contents
Bio[edit]
Abilities[edit]
Target Unit
Enemies

Notes:
- Fatal Bonds has no bounce delay, so all targets are bound at the same time.
- The binding prioritises units that do not have the Fatal Bonds debuff yet, and goes for the closest units.
- This means when cast multiple times, it goes for enemies which were not debuffed by the first cast, but can still stack on the same units if no unbound units are nearby.
- Can bind units inside the fog of war, but cannot bind invisible units.
- Cannot bind or be cast on Roshan.
- Shared damage is the same damage type as the source of the damage.
- This means physical damage is spread as physical damage, magical damage as magical and pure damage as pure.
- Because of that, the shared damage does interact with every on-damage effect like disabling Blink Dagger.
- This also means it is fully affected by damage manipulation, like Warlock's spell damage amplification.
- Fatal Bonds' damage has the no-reflection flag, preventing its damage from interacting with other sources of damage with the same flag.
- Spreads the damage before it is reduced or amplified in any way on the receiving target.
- When, for example, Abaddon gets damaged while under the effect of Borrowed Time, the bonds still spread the damage, before Borrowed Time turns it into heals.
- This also goes for illusions. When damaging a bonded illusion, the damage is spread before it gets amplified for the illusions.
- This also goes for finishing blows. When, for example, a unit at 10 health is hit by e.g. 1000 damage, the bonds still spread based on the 1000 damage.
- Does not spread damage flagged as HP Removal.
- The distance between the bonded units does not matter. Once bonded, they always spread or receive the spread damage.
- The spread damage is always sourced to Warlock. If a unit dies to the damage done by Fatal Bonds, Warlock is always credited.
- The damage caused by Fatal Bonds does not cause aggro. Bonded neutral creeps do not react on the damage.
- Increases the total damage output of every damage by 60%/80%/100%/120% (
75%/95%/115%/135%) when the maximum amount of units is bonded.
- Successive casts of Fatal Bonds fully stack and work independently from each other.

Cannot be cast on spell immune enemies. Attempts to damage if debuff was placed before spell immunity and when not dispelled.
Notes:
- Deals damage or heals in 1 second intervals, starting 1 second after cast, resulting in 12 instances.
- Can deal up to 180/300/420/540 damage to the target (before reductions), or heal for the same amount if cast on an ally.
- Successive casts of Shadow Word fully stack and work independently from each other.
- Can be cast on allied couriers.
- The first sound is played when the target is an ally, the second sound when it is an enemy.
- The talent turns Shadow Word into an area-targeted spell, so that it cannot directly target units anymore.
Enemies
Notes:
- The strength of the slow is based on the channel duration, not on how long a unit stands in the affected area.
- The slow percentage increases by 3.5%/7%/10.5%/14% in 0.5 second intervals, starting 0.5 seconds after spell cast.
- So it takes 12/6/4/3 seconds for the slow to reach the 84% slow cap.
- The slow debuff is applied or refreshed in the same intervals.
Target Area
Enemies
Notes:
- Golems are always summoned at the center of the targeted area.
- The golems are creep-heroes and ancient creeps, making them interact differently with several spells. For detailed interactions follow the two links.
- Aghanim's Scepter upgraded Chaotic Offering summons the second golem 0.4 seconds after the first golem.
- This effectively extends the total stun duration to 1.4 seconds.
- Upon spawning, the golems destroy all trees within a 600 radius around them.
- The visual effect and sounds during the effect delay are visible and audible to everyone.
- Also plays a sound effect during the cast time, which is audible to everyone as well.
- When the level 20
talent is chosen, one golem is summoned whenever Warlock dies, on his death location.
- This golem's stats are based on the current level of Chaotic Offering. The level 25 talents are applied as well, whichever is chosen.
- Aghanim's Scepter neither affects the golem's stats, nor does it make death summon 2 golems. It is always one golem.
- The golem is not summoned when Warlock dies while holding the Aegis of the Immortal.
- Unlike a regular cast, the golem is summoned instantly upon Warlock's death. The area stun of Chaotic Offering is also applied around Warlock.
Warlock Golem[edit]
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Ancient Creep-Hero | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Passive
Enemies
Aura
Enemies
Notes:
- Permanent Immolation is an aura. The debuff lingers for 0.5 seconds.
- Deals damage in 1 second intervals, starting 1 second after the debuff is placed.
- Can deal up to 1800/3000/4200 damage to a single unit (before reductions) when it stays within range for its whole duration.
- Permanent Immolation of multiple golems fully stacks with each other.
Talents[edit]
Hero Talents | ||
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80% Magic Resistance for Chaotic Offering Golems | 25 | +20 Chaotic Offering Golems Armor |
500 Shadow Word AoE | 20 | Summons a Golem on Death |
-5.5s Shadow Word Cooldown | 15 | +8 Armor |
+150 Cast Range | 10 | +3% Fatal Bonds Damage |
Recent Changes[edit]
- Added Aghanim's Shard upgrade for Warlock:
- Makes Shadow Word grant targeted allies 20% movement speed and slow targeted enemies' movement speed by 20%.
- Talents:
- Level 20 left talent: 300 AoE Shadow Word increased to 500 AoE.
- Increased Shadow Word cast range from 450/550/650/750 to 450/600/750/900.
- Talents:
- Level 10 left talent: +175 cast range reduced to +150.
- Level 10 right talent: +4% Fatal Bonds shared damage reduced to +3%.
- Level 15 left talent: -7s Shadow Word cooldown reduced to -5.5s.
- Level 15 right talent: +10 armor reduced to +8.
- Level 20 left talent: 375 AoE Shadow Word reduced to 300 AoE.
- Level 25 left talent: +100% Warlock Golem magic resistance reduced to +80%.
- Level 25 right talent: +25 Warlock Golem armor reduced to +20.
Recommended items[edit]
Starting items:
- Tango regenerates health to keep Warlock and allies in lane.
- Healing Salve also restores health.
- Clarity regenerates mana so Warlock can keep using Shadow Word at the beginning of the game.
- Iron Branch provides cheap attributes and builds into Magic Wand or Mekansm.
- Observer Ward gives vision that may spot incoming enemy ganks.
Early game:
- Magic Stick sustains Warlock with burst health and mana restoration so he can survive or use more abilities.
- Boots of Speed grants movement speed bonus so Warlock can get into position to use Shadow Word or Fatal Bonds to secure kills or save allies in time.
- Town Portal Scroll gets Warlock to the right place to gank or counter gank with his abilities to damage or save allies.
Mid game:
- Magic Wand also restores health and mana in burst, as well as giving some attributes.
- Arcane Boots replenishes Warlock's and allies' mana so they can stay on the map..
- Glimmer Cape grants invisibility and magic resistance to Warlock or allies so they can escape; the item also works when Warlock is channeling Upheaval.
Late game:
- Aghanim's Scepter allows Chaotic Offering to summon two Golems, boosting overall damage in teamfights as Permanent Immolation and Flaming Fists do not get their effectiveness reduced.
- Refresher Orb allows Warlock to use Fatal Bonds and Chaotic Offering twice, increasing the damage done on enemy targets. The item also boosts Warlock regeneration so he can keep using abilities without going back to base.
Situational items:
- Urn of Shadows grants attributes, mana regeneration, and ability to heal or damage as Warlock participates in ganks.
- Force Staff allows Warlock to get in position to use his spells, as well as having utility in positioning teammates and displacing enemies; it can even be used on Golem to help it to chase fleeing enemies.
- Ghost Scepter counters enemy physical attackers so Warlock can escape or use abilties without getting killed.
- Solar Crest buffs armor, attack speed, and movement speed of allies or Golems; it can also reduce armor of enemies and Roshan.
- Drum of Endurance gives Warlock additional attributes. The active increases movement and attack speed to aid allies and Golems in teamfights.
- Mekansm helps Warlock and teammates with heal, armor, and health regeneration so they can survive in teamfights.
- Eul's Scepter of Divinity improves Warlock's movement speed, allowing him to position in fights and ganks, and provides intelligence and mana regeneration so Warlock can use abilities liberally. The active gives him a disable to use against enemies, or can be used on himself to provide temporary invulnerability while removing debuffs, such as silences.
- Rod of Atos roots enemy target from great distance so Warlock's allies and Golems can focus their attacks. It also boosts attributes to make Warlock more survivable.
- Lotus Orb strengthens Warlock with armor and regeneration; the active dispels and gives an ally a shield that reflect target abilities, which may discourage enemies from focusing them.
- Shiva's Guard increases survivability with armor and attack speed reducing aura, as well as intelligence so Warlock can use all of his abilities with Refresher Orb. The active movement speed slow may also help keeping enemies within range of Upheaval and Golems.
- Scythe of Vyse gives Warlock a large boost to mana regeneration and attributes, especially intelligence. The Hex ability instantly disables an enemy from range, greatly reducing enemy teamfight potential.
- Octarine Core reduces the cooldown time on Warlock abilities and allows him to have Chaotic Offering available on a more regular basis. Additionally, Warlock can lifesteal from damage done by Fatal Bonds and Shadow Word, increasing his survivability in fights.
- Guardian Greaves, upgraded from Mekansm and Arcane Boots, gives 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.
Gameplay[edit]
Roles: | Support Initiator Disabler |
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Complexity: | ★☆☆ |
Playstyle: | In the endless pursuit of rare texts, Demnok Lannik found it necessary to learn the magicks that would help him reach the most inaccessible tomes. In short time, his obsessive study made him the most powerful Warlock in the academy. He whispers a versatile Shadow Word to heal fellow adventurers, or damage hostile creatures. Fatal Bonds link his enemies together, forcing each to suffer a share of the others' pains. Demnok Lannik brings a Chaotic Offering to every fight. Mired in a dimensional Upheaval, not even an army can hold out long against the Warlock's flaming Golem. |
Audio[edit]
History[edit]
Equipment[edit]
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Trivia[edit]
- In DotA, Warlock's ultimate is named Rain of Chaos and the summoned unit was called an Infernal, a hulking golem with green-colored flames. Both names were changed in the transition to Dota 2 to avoid copyright conflicts.
- Warlock is related to Disruptor and Axe, as he comes from the Oglodi tribe.
- Warlock's response ▶️ "Just for that, I'm unfiending you." when killed is probably a play on "Unfriending you" an action in the popular social network Facebook where a person removes another from their friend list.
- The response ▶️ "Bloodied but unbowed" when respawning is a reference to William Ernest Henley's poem "Invictus".[1]
- Fatal Bonds' sound effect is based on this ▶️ otherwise unused voice line.
- Upon respawning, one of Warlock lines is ▶️ "Dark interval", which is likely a reference to the song of the same name featured in the credits of Half-Life 2: Episode 2, another game by Valve.