Warlock 2H options

The new Warlock class can wield two-handed weapons while wearing a shield or another off-hand item. This offers many new possibilities and gives some previously unused items a new shine. However, this also raises concerns about potentially overpowered builds if the mechanic is not properly restricted or balanced. I'm curious which two-handed items you are using and what limitations exist when using this ability.

I'm currently using Arioc's Needle. Before i was using Insight in an ethereal Thresher. Echoing strikes is mana hungry so i had to get act 2 merc with the Insight for the Meditation aura. I think it works great despite the rest of my gear being shit. Heralds are not an issue. It should be said that i have not been playing on higher player counts.

I'm using an Ethereal Death Silver-Edged Axe, the mana leech is very useful for Echoing Strike.

mattmgs wrote: 5 months ago

I'm using an Ethereal Death Silver-Edged Axe, the mana leech is very useful for Echoing Strike.

What about something cheaper? that is not very cheap weapon :'D

A cheaper runeword yet very efficient is Oath, you're not gonna have all utilities (mana leech: deadly strike, etc) but raw damage output is already very good while only needing a Mal.
Even cheaper, Insight in an ethereal weapon is unbeatable i think.

Edit : i always forget it even though i use it a lot, Obedience is also cheap and very efficient

dejavue wrote: 5 months ago

[..] and what limitations exist when using this ability.

There are no limitations. It's just part of the general OPness of the Warlock.

If you're playing the Chaos or demon tree then things like Mang Song's Lesson, Obsession, Ondal's Wisdom become very useful

Fortitude and Breath of the Dying in an ethereal Thunder Maul should be great for Eldritch content. I have a superior ethereal Thunder Maul in my stash and wanted to make Fortitude yesterday. Unfortunately, I forgot that it’s unsocketed… but hey, no problem — there’s always good old BotD

Hurricanr wrote: 5 months ago

A cheaper runeword yet very efficient is Oath, you're not gonna have all utilities (mana leech: deadly strike, etc) but raw damage output is already very good while only needing a Mal.
Even cheaper, Insight in an ethereal weapon is unbeatable i think.

Edit : i always forget it even though i use it a lot, Obedience is also cheap and very efficient

Mal short but could be very useful if I can toss Insight to the merc instead and find a decent base for that one. Ty!
I didnt make Insight into ethereal as I have bad luck finding those as im not in a5 hell yet even. But I had polearm Insight which has served so far quite well (10k dmg with merc and hephasto)

My Warlock is sporting an ethereal Thunder Maul Breath of the Dying. Its ridiculous OP. Echoing Strike is doing 88k.

I like it.

I don't see any real use for this interaction, but I like how the Warlock can make use of Swordguard's shield bonuses. It was meant only for the Barbarian before.

As I'm more a melee player, I tried out my first Warlock as a Cleave Hex Purge Eldritch Blast Warlock. I quickly decided to go the route with an old Doombringer unique 2H sword that was rotting in my stash for quite a while. I paired that with another not so often used unique shield called Blackoak Shield. Both have either Weaken when struck or on striking. The weapon speed is okay and it sports an enormous HP boost on top with some LL% too. The immense dex on the shield + dex from WW Boots and Raven, paired with enormous Twitchthroe 25% enhanced block chance (hell yea) made me reach max block already. Additionally I'm currently using Horazon Gloves, some dual leech ring and highlords, IK Belt, Guillaume ... Cta in Double Axe + Spirit Monarch in 2nd slot. Quite solidly mastered hell difficulty.

Note that this current equipment, although it brings quite pleasure to play with it, is not yet my endgame gear as I neither even have the bucks to afford a Warlock Torch yet, nor am I certain about the Warlock's ias breakpoints when using Cleave as main attack factoring in all my ias items + skills like Hex Purge's ias and the weapon base I shall make an Eth botd in, let alone eventually pair it with a bound fana cursed demon in the calculation. Hmmmm. What botd base to use for the future? Good question. Maybe either some Eth Thunder Maul, etj Champion's Axe OR Eth Glorious Axe. All depends on reaching my brekapoints... But without a calculator, for example that one at planetdiablo, I'm too stupid to know what ias breakpoints to reach ^^... So I'm bit undecided yet, so I still keep the old equip for a while before I decide to reskill.

I was thinking of giving one of these a try on my next respect. The 33% chance to cast lvl 3 Amplify Damage alone makes it interesting.

I have mixed feelings about Dreadfang on a Warlock. The Amplify Damage chance is sweet, but it's not as if the Warlock has no other means of mass-inflicting the curse ( Bind Demon does everything...). It would be amazing with Echoing Strike, but that skill doesn't proc.

Perhaps it shines if it's used on a dedicated Mirrored Blades spec, but considering how the skill doesn't need (or rather benefit from) synergies, it doesn't feel like something to go for.

Like, I can't think of it as a bad weapon, but the intrigue it caused at first glance has faded away rather quickly.

Addendum: I tried giving it to my Bash Barb merc. I was so disappointed to find out that Amp Damage and Battle Cry overwrite each other constantly. Agh.

Since I made my first Acheron Spirit shield, my Warlock does not allow two handed weapons anymore. I'm basically specced out on a fire build with about 10 points in Echoing Strike and mirrorred bladed. PErhaps I need to put more points in mastery, before i was using a Rhyme Tome with an etherial Insight polearm. Since upgrading to an acherone elite Spirit shield I can't wield any two-hands weapons at the same time anymore.

So that might be a first limitation, or I simply have to put more points in mastery before that is allowed... unsure, I feel like I have to respect anyway because hell is kicking my butt at this time while nightmare is a walk in the park.

MestV wrote: 3 months ago

Since I made my first Acheron Spirit shield, my Warlock does not allow two handed weapons anymore. I'm basically specced out on a fire build with about 10 points in Echoing Strike and mirrorred bladed. PErhaps I need to put more points in mastery, before i was using a Rhyme Tome with an etherial Insight polearm. Since upgrading to an acherone elite Spirit shield I can't wield any two-hands weapons at the same time anymore.

So that might be a first limitation, or I simply have to put more points in mastery before that is allowed... unsure, I feel like I have to respect anyway because hell is kicking my butt at this time while nightmare is a walk in the park.

Patch 3.2 was released yesterday. One of the changes is that Warlock is no longer able to wield two-handed weapons and shields. It doesn't matter how many points you have in any skills, it's a hard limitation.

If you want to use a two-handed weapons, you need to have a book off-hand, not a shield.
If you want to use a shield, you need to use a one-handed weapon.
The days of wielding two-handed weapons and shields are over.

You can read the patch notes here:
https://news.blizzard.com/en-us/article ... oming-soon

yesterday i was be superman with 21k damage and today 4700 dmg sad story