Thread: Mogrim's School For Warlocks

MOGRIM'S SCHOOL FOR WARLOCKS

Those who can’t do, teach. In this spirit, here is Mogrim’s School for Warlocks. Much of this material is information used and combined from prior guides, especially Syndarin’s guide and the useful information from Dakkota’s elaborate Wizard guide that applies to us as well. I filtered the information to make sure it is still relevant. I’ll do my best to keep this as up to date as possible. May Death's Grip be upon our enemies.

If you want to ask me about anything, PM me//send a tell to
Guk.Mogrim // Guk.Nikabrik // Guk.Croaksmore // Guk.Florencia

1) Warlock AA

Character Traits:
I personally take +INT, +Max Health and +Physical Mit
I see some people take +STA. I prefer +INT. It isn’t much. I don’t care what you do.
Absolution is the right spell to Grandmaster.

Mogrim’s AA Specs:

AA Spec Before Cast Speed/Reuse Trivialized
AA Spec Once Cast Speed/Reuse Trivialized (Mogrim's Spec)
AA Spec Once Cast Speed/Reuse Trivialized2

There is not much of an overall difference between the second two. The main thing is if you aren't in DoV1 Drunder gear or better and can't spare the cast/reuse speed, you need to be something like the top spec. If you are set for cast speed and reuse, you'll choose something like the last two specs. If you need that extra little bit of survivability to get you over the top, take 10 points in Magi's Shielding and drop the 5 in Vac field. I expect to see a few minor variations between Warlocks with these, but not much. Don't come to me arguing over a very minor one point difference. If you have a very slight difference that you prefer, go with it.

Reasoning:

The Sorcerer Tree is pretty clear for the most part. You can start with maxing crit/cast speed until you’re capped. Once you can cap, there are more benefits to keeping moving AA points from crit/cast speed into the INT tree. However, until your gear completely trivializes cast speed, don't spec out of the AGI tree. We don’t need Sagacity.

The Warlock Tree is also fairly obvious. The only variations are if you’re big into the melee proc for more DPS for the scout in your group or if you want to make the rare times that you cast Dark Nebula better. There is not a major difference between the two. Distortion isn't in our cast rotation anymore until we get a new one, so I removed all points from it.

The Shadows Tree is straightforward. The only real debate is where to put the last 4 points. I could see putting them in the transfer, foods, or the weak shield. I figure any extra transfer is a slightly better chance I don't pull aggro, so I went there.

The Heroic Tree is perhaps the most obvious of all of these. I haven’t really seen a Warlock with a difference spec. Solo Warlocks can use Chains instead of Sanguine, but this is not a Solo Warlocks thread.

The Prestige Tree is likely already determined. At this point, our points will be going... 3 into Void Retribution, 3 into Dark Reaction, 1 in Eternal Damnation, 2 in Focused Apocalypse, and Plaguelord. It is pretty clear cut in my opinion.
　
2) Optimizing Gear

General rules when selecting gear:

1.) Critical chance needs to be at 100 higher than a mob’s critical avoidance to critically hit 100% of the time. Priority is hitting 100+ the critical avoidance of the mobs your raid is fighting.
2.) Your cast haste should be capped or very close to the cap in raid with proper buffs. Check what you’re at in raid, and make sure you’re right above 100. Going way over 100 is meaningless. The benefits from extra cast speed converting to double-cast is too trivial to matter at this point.
3.) Potency and Crit Bonus are both good, so get as much as you can without breaking the first 2 rules. Potency is slightly better if you're using the Plaguelord endline on the Prestige page.
4.) Ability Reuse is the same as Spell Reuse, except it affects things like call to guild hall and stuff as well.
5.) Ability mod comes in big chunks, especially if you reforge meaningless spell weapon stats into it. I prefer moving SPW DPS because SPW Haste and SPW MA = extra hits = extra procs.
6.) Use Stat Mounts/Food&Drink/Potions&Scrolls whenever you go into a group/raid zone.
7.) Make sure whatever you do, that your set up is able to keep you alive sufficiently.
8.) Magnitudes, Onslaughts, and Destruction - There are several procs that do not stack with each other, even if their names are slightly different. Spell Weaver's Magnitude and Greater Magnitude do not stack. Overbearing Onslaught and Overbearing Storms do not stack. Both buffs can be up at the same time, but only the one the game considers better will be active. If the better one wears off before the lessor one, you'll switch from the better buff to the lessor buff immediately upon the better one expiring.
9.) Our gear thread is here.


3) Casting Order:

Prioritize certain spells. Curse of Void and Vacuum Field should always be on the mob. After that, you're going to want to focus on Dark Pyre and Acid, throwing your big hitters in between.
- Syndarin, Master Warlock

Here are some key points:

1) Get in a rhythm with your Illusionist and Troubadour with buffs, especially Time Warp.
2) Figure out if Time Warp will come early and plan your Focused Casting around it. Since TW is the whole group, it should probably come before your Focused Casting. However, if TW is down at the start of a pull, use your Focused Casting right away. Also get used to timing your Illy’s TW Macro and when the first spell of your TW rotation hits to happen as close to the time TW is active as possible. You want to maximize how much you get out of your spell double attack time.
3) Always have Upbeat Tempo. Make sure your Troub gets the Upbeat Tempo Focus or Old Red Adorn somehow for the +2. It is that big of a deal.
4) Never cast Dissolve, Distortion, or Master Strike in raids. Or Word of Force, Sunbolt, or Static Discharge.
5) Macro your Freehand Sorcery and Catalyst to go together. Also, prioritize them on your biggest hitters. I have Plaguebringer and Rift Macro’d to always use both Freehand and Catalyst if they’re available. My mentality is that if I’m casting Rift, it is a higher priority than PB at that moment anyhow. After these two, other possible spells to use the duo on are Dark Aggravation and Blast of Devastation. Last ditch option would Absolution, but only if you’re against a linked encounter.
6) Dots are affected by Spell Double Attack. Cherish it. The Warlocks that have gone before you fought like nuts to get this to be the case.
7) If all else fails, try Null Caress.
8) With your Myth on, Dark Siphoning and Apocalypse are 30% better than before. You're welcome.
9) When the raid has become fail and you're sick of raiding, cast Dark Infestation, Netherlord, and Acid Rain.

Nune's Efficiency Guide

Other things to keep in mind:

1) Acid can't be resisted, ever.
2) Thunderclap and Bewilderment can be cast while moving.
3) Spell Weapon Auto-Attack does not proc Grasp of Bert - Don't use it on yourself.
4) DA should be cast whenever it is up.
5) Keep track of time intervals on dot-wiping mobs. If they are about to wipe their dots, prioritize your non-dot spells if possible. Don’t waste a Focused Casting right before a dot wipe.

Here is an example of a ROUGH casting thought prodcess

Pre Cast:
Pre Cast Item(s)
Gift of Bertoxx
Eternal Damnation
Curse of Darkness

On incoming:
Curse of Void
Vacuum Field

Top Priority:
Dark Pyre
Acid

Big Single Target Hitters:
Plaguebringer
Dark Aggravation (whenever up)
Apocalypse (with Myth turned on)
Aura of Void
Thunderclap (very high priority when you can be close)
Dark Siphoning (with Myth turned on)
Bewilderment
**Flames of Velious
**Encase

**These both beat out distortion now due to upgrading and faster cast times. Flames is the better of the two.
If reuse gets debuffed in a fight, encase could be cast once in a while. I have completely dropped Distortion now.

Situationals:
Blast of Devastation (high priority when you can be close)
Rift (AOE fights)
Absolution (Linked Encounters and if nothing else is up Solo Target)
Concussive Blast (AOE fights)
Cataclysm (AOE fights)
Nullify (Large Linked Encounters while Curse and Eternal Damnation are up and your better greens are down)
Dark Nebula (Large Linked Encounters while Curse and Eternal Damnation are up and your better greens are down)


Thought Process:

Keep your Pyre/Acid going at all times, and cycle in your big hitters around prioritizing those.

Note: This list doesn’t take into account Time Warp/Focused Casting rotations. Focus on getting all of your best spells off in all 100% Spell Double Attack durations.


4) Useful ETC

Useful Mounts Include:
\aITEM -460236390 -302601080:Glacia, Dark Gryphon\/a - Thormax - Hall of Legends HM
\aITEM 1185596514 -862392973:Crysta, Velious Gryphon\/a - Thormax - Hall of Legends EM
\aITEM -538111242 -1294104078:Eashindor the Far-Seer\/a - Access Questline - Skyshrine
\aITEM -1555087665 -310493367:Bregolon the Burly\/a - Deynka Packlasher - Tower of Tactics
\aITEM -1215543465 -193895918:Quadror the Stout\/a - Vu'ul - Drunder X2
　
Useful Food and Drink:
\aITEM -2055520582 1820793597:Ambrosial Coffee\/a
\aITEM 376886281 408170775:Ambrosial Fruit\/a
　
Useful Potions and Scrolls:
\aITEM -917231504 -970790539:Specialist's Elixir of Intellect\/a
\aITEM -114798604 -1700521523:Expert's Elixir of Tactics\/a
\aITEM 1489842149 679491227:Quel'ule Arcane Destruction\/a
\aITEM 913396506 614788776:Quel'ule Scroll of Power\/a
\aITEM 1954196949 1359456968:Quel'ule Scroll of Combat\/a
\aITEM 684938096 -217585375:Quel'ule Cocktail\/a

Useful Pre-Cast/Situational Items

Pre Cast
\aITEM 1404480392 1404470735:Words of the Dread Exarch\/a
\aITEM -1297514009 -1607929519:Runed Guard of the Sel'Nok\/a
\aITEM -287751671 1889557559:Sash of the Volcanic Throne\/a

Heals (In Combat)
\aITEM -832957907 79789387:Bottled Breath\/a
\aITEM 224284379 1897019379:Bottled Intellect\/a
\aITEM 965301096 -930467165:Honor of Pantrilla\/a
\aITEM -650100703 -210637117:Max's Miracle Cure\/a

Heals (Out of Combat)
\aITEM 774642054 345606751:Sealed Book of Knowledge\/a
\aITEM 1405620718 1384197333:Empowered Sleeper Totem\/a
\aITEM -2121617625 -428926424:Unglued Alchemist's Amulet\/a

Misc
\aITEM -1602232641 1410454266:Trakanon's Gaze\/a

\aITEM 1591577922 -1831165990:Ring of Fate\/a
\aITEM 1390867252 -1031868024:Ill Will\/a
\aITEM 1165117653 -1450580793:Bogstrutter Walking Stick\/a
\aITEM 1742204660 -2090443436:Najena's Ring of Readiness\/a **
**Actually this sucks now but I’ll be bitter forever.

5) Adorns
　
White adorns for maximizing DPS:

Head: (+27 Int)

Cloak: (+4.6 Ability Casting Speed or +4.6 Critical Chance)

Chest: (+51 Ability Mod)

Shoulders: (+51 Ability Mod)

Forearms: (+27 Int)

Gloves: (+21 Magical Skill)

Legs: (+27 Int)

Feet: (+21 Magical Skill)

Neck: (+27 Int)

Earring: (+51 Ability Mod)

Ring: (+51 Ability Mod)

Wrist: (+21 Magical Skill)

Waist: (+27 Int)

Primary: (+2 Potency)

Secondary: (+2 Potency)

Charm: (+51 Ability Mod)


Red Adorns

Currently, there are 7 possible slots for Red Adorns. I'm only listing the best War Runes and buyable Reds. Only Armor seems to have Red slots on new gear...

**Rime Strike
\aITEM -83012187 -664045655:[Rime Strike]\/a
*Overbearing Onslaught I
\aITEM 1611012478 1336460441:Rune: Greater Overbearing Onslaught I\/a
*Magnitude I
\aITEM 1824963891 1376415137:Rune: Greater Magnitude I\/a
*Cognent I
\aITEM 685856646 -761709837:Rune: Greater Cognent I\/a
*Focused Destruction I
\aITEM -1763277009 -1217981315:Rune: Greater Focused Destruction I\/a
**Winds of the Tundra
\aITEM 495626562 433473712:[Winds of the Tundra]\/a
**Dain's Legacy
\aITEM 2102771362 1890063271:[Dain's Legacy]\/a
**Unleashed
\aITEM 2002136382 959714349:Unleashed\/a


Survivability Runes

**Benefaction (AOE Block)
\aITEM 28968694 1062240526:[Benefaction]\/a
**Velium Cipher (Stone Skin Proc)
\aITEM -2064689728 920302568:Velium Cipher\/a


*Buyable from Momo @ Thurg Docks
**Buyable only if looted as a War Rune from DoV1 Raids
***I have these in the best-to-worst order based on my opinion

Extra note: Winds, Dains, and Unleashed should be on the troub/chanter/summoner (for extra pet procs) - if they're slacking, use what you must.


6) Other Useful Info:

The Warlock WW Chat Channel is: butcherblock.warlockchannel

Level 85 Master 2 Choice: Absolution. Acid upgrades at level 92.

For a deity, really you just want Bertoxxulous. With all of the Spell Double Attack going right now, since spells don't hit 3x, we’ll have so many times where we’re getting our Time Warp/Focused Casting that the Anashti buff isn’t as good anymore. There is no other choice.

Blessing: Grim Aura (10min of 12.5 potency)
OR
Touch of Decay (10 minutes of 50 potency to disease spells) <-- My Pick
Miracle: Bertoxx's Curse (1min of 50 potency)

~Extra thanks to Nune, Seph, Cyan, Nuke, Hina, and Rav~

Prioritize PB and close range Thunderclap over everything else. A few of your white adorns should be +int instead of what you have. Acid for M2 choice. No linked encounters. Deal with it. A lot of assuming about GU 60, but that makes sense.

I think enhance UT is a focus now, not an adornment

Other than that, cool post bro

Oh and "Gear doesn’t seem to have much reuse"

Check again. Everything has reuse, in large chunks.

Originally Posted by EQ2Cyan

Absolution is terrible. You can come up with better things to cast in your rotation 9/10 times.

this ^

and also important to note, bertox rocks because of the pet's pure stagnate +27 intel or +54(?) if you have all 5 AA points in it. which hey, free intel

Amended: I actually intended to modify my statement about reuse after reviewing the gear and forgot to - thanks!
Cyan: Forgot that - I already have my spec updated in game, I was just linking my old Specs and forgot to grab new links.

Aye, its a nice solid thread. Im sure it helps any new warlock and helps them get caught up on the ins and outs. Great job Mogrim.

Originally Posted by Mogrim

7) If all else fails, try Null Caress.

And too often is it forgotten!

Great post Mogrim