Support Warlock guaranteed 4.5k+ MMR guide to ranked and pub

Why this guide matters

I've been playing DOTA since 2005 and played Warlock (WL) since it first appeared many years ago. I switched to DOTA2 around Dec 2012 and regularly played WL. I'm currently at 4500 4600 MMR at SEA server with 2324 games, of those games I played WL 592 times @ 59.12% win rate. I also climbed as high as 98th percentile in rankings with Warlock, but now with the Sniper/ Troll/ Jugg abuse with 6.83, times are very difficult for support players because no matter how good you are, when you're playing against broken heroes, it is very DIFFICULT to win.

This guide is for playing WL predominantly as support, I also play WL as mid from time to time but playing WL mid needs another guide.

Warlock in a nutshell

Role
Initiator/ Support

The Good

• Decent harassment capability with Shadow Word
  
• Decent last hit animation and range
  
• Decent movement speed for a support
  
• Decent starting stats and attack damage
  
• Doesn't need a lot of expensive items to become effective
  
• Excellent team fight initiation with Chaotic Offering with a very large AOE
  
• Great babysitting capability
  
• Tide-turning combo of spells that when done right will sway the game in your team's favor
  
• Very good healing with Shadow Word at lvl 4 at 495 HP in 11 seconds

The Bad

• Not really good in jungling
  
• Can't roam at all
  
• No escape mechanism
  
• Hard to gank with him if not using Chaotic Offering/ Golem
  
• Ultimate spell cooldown very long
  
• Ultimate spell easily countered by Diffusal Blade (pre-Agh)

When to use a support Warlock?

As we all know, heroes in DOTA can be compared to Rocks, Papers, and Scissors where specific heroes are good against others, while perform badly against others. Based on my experience, WL is a very decent hero, he can do his role even with basic items.

But if I were to enumerate the reasons

(Maybe) Pick WL if

• Enemy team has 3 or more melee heroes
  
• Enemy team has lots of burst damage that will harass your carry
  
• Your team's heroes has AOE spells/ team fight spells
  
• Your team's carry is very squishy and needs babysitting
  
• Your team needs a team fight initiator

(Maybe) Dont pick WL if

• You're not going to the safelane
  
• Enemy team has a gank oriented lineup like Spirit Breaker, Rikimaru, Bounty Hunter
  
• Your team already has 2 supports (though you can play WL as mid but that's another guide)

"Futa's way" Pro Warlock build

There is another Warlock guide that has been made because of the 6.84 changes. His guide is for pros only and my guide is nothing compared to his. You can access his WL guide by clicking here

Or watch it here

Or if you want play support Warlock, continue reading.

How to Play Support

Supporting
Most of the time, players are constrained that just by being a support simply means you ward and you buy a courier, which is no. As you climb the MMR ladder, the more you know how to properly support then the more chances that your team will win. If you have no idea what Supporting means in DOTA2 or would like to learn a new thing or two, kindly read Decstarr's Guide http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=282801741

Warding
A very good warding guide by (٩◔̯◔۶)_NeOn_GeNeSis_ツ
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=358789918

Supporting in a nutshell
You can also watch this Youtube video by RainJarGaming, this video discusses Soft and Hard Supports, Pulling, Stacking, and (Smoke) Ganking.

Item Build

Starting Items

This is pretty much your starting items, GG Branches[dota2.gamepedia.com] for some additional stats. Tangoes[dota2.gamepedia.com] for healing for you will use Shadow Word[dota2.gamepedia.com] either for harassment or for healing for your carry. You can give 1-2 tangos to your mid player, but anything more than that dont give anymore. Clarity[dota2.gamepedia.com] for some early game mana regen, you can exchange this for another GG branch. Get an Animal Courier[dota2.gamepedia.com] or an Observer Ward[dota2.gamepedia.com], the 2nd support gets the other one.

Early Game

You will convert the Ring of Protection[dota2.gamepedia.com] to a Ring Of Basilius[dota2.gamepedia.com], and you will get another Sage's Mask[dota2.gamepedia.com]. Get Power Treads[dota2.gamepedia.com] (Int mode) for some additional last hitting attack damage or HP via toggling.

Situational Items

• Get Stout Shield[dota2.gamepedia.com] against BroodMother[dota2.gamepedia.com], the damage block of stout shield it will give you some protection against Spiderlings[dota2.gamepedia.com]
  
• Get a Magic Stick[dota2.gamepedia.com] against Bristleback[dota2.gamepedia.com] or Phantom Assassin[dota2.gamepedia.com] http://dota2.gamepedia.com/Phantom_Assassin, these heroes tend to spam their spells giving you stick charges
  
• During late game, you will be a prime target because of your ultimate spell, when facing against DPS Agi carries, getting a Ghost Scepter[dota2.gamepedia.com] can be very good and can buy you some time to cast your spell or TP out
  
• When you're facing against Silencer[dota2.gamepedia.com], Global Silence[dota2.gamepedia.com] will prevent you from casting your spells, you can get a Black King Bar[dota2.gamepedia.com] to counter this
  
• When you're facing an enemy Doom[dota2.gamepedia.com] player, you will most likely be Blink initiated and doomed, you can get Linken's[dota2.gamepedia.com] to counter this

Treads vs Arcane Boots

Most of my games I default to treads because treads toggling will sometimes save you from death and that extra mana from toggling is definitely useful. Also, I like to zone out enemy offlaners and treads is a better choice when harassing. I pick up Arcane Boots[dota2.gamepedia.com] when our team is mana hungry and needs some additional mana during team fights to cast spells. In the end, it will boil down to you.

Support items

Depends if you're position 4 or 5, don't forget to get the necessary support items

Core Items

Aghanim's Scepter[dota2.gamepedia.com] is your core, if all goes well, you should be able get Aghs around the 15-25 min mark. Sometimes you may not be able to get all.

Order of Getting Aghanim's Components

Get the Point Booster[dota2.gamepedia.com] first, then Staff of Wizardry[dota2.gamepedia.com], then Ogre Club[dota2.gamepedia.com], then finally Blade of Alacrity[dota2.gamepedia.com].

Late Game/ Luxury Items

When the game drags on, if you can, get a Refresher Orb, then a Boots of Travel[dota2.gamepedia.com]. If the game still goes on, try getting an Eye of Skadi[dota2.gamepedia.com] or a Sheep Stick[dota2.gamepedia.com]. The last slot will be up to you.

6.84 Changes and Items

With the new patch, Warlock has been buffed a little. The changes are below.

• Fatal Bonds cast range increased from 900 to 1000
  
• Fatal Bonds cast time from 0.5 to 0.2
  
• Chaotic Offering Golem's health regeneration from 15/30/45 to 25/50/75

Indirect changes

• Refresher orb now requires to 2 x Persevance and a recipe, I somehow liked the old Refresher better because it uses Oblivion Staff before and adds attack damage, speed, and mana regen.
  
• Hero kills achieved by units under your control now provide XP credit to your hero (Affects things like Spirit Bear, Golems, Familiars, etc getting kills)

New Items

Except for the Enchanted Mango[dota2.gamepedia.com], I really can't think of any of the items above have any use for Warlock. Even though this meta now rewards positions 4 and 5 better than the previous versions but still you can't veer away from Aghanim's and Refresher. But if gold is overflowing and with a little theory crafting, Octarine Orb[dota2.gamepedia.com] is the best one for you for it will make you cast your spells faster with the reduced coodlown.

Ward Changes

Both Observer and Sentry wards can now be stacked with each other and will only use a single slot in your inventory.

Skill Build

I've been building Warlock this way for quite some time now. The stats at level 2, with 2 GG branches, will adds more stats for a larger mana pool, HP, and harassment capabilities. You can also take quite a few hits more.

Variation 1
You can actually take Fatal Bonds at level 2, but with a limited mana pool, you won't be able to cast as much.

Variation 2
You can take 2 levels of Upheaval before level 8, and max out Fatal Bonds last. This will give you a more potent upheaval in team fights and when chasing enemy heroes.

Advanced (Support) Game play

Zoning Out the enemy offlaner(s)
Zoning out simply means to harass the enemy offlaner(s) and denying them gold and exp by expelling the enemy hero from your carry's zone/ circle of interest by creep aggro and creep wave equilibrium manipulation in your team's favor.

By doing this, your team's carry will farm freely and will starve the enemy offlaner of gold and exp.

You can watch a good Zoning out tutorial here by FLUFF

Creep Equilibrium
As a safelane support, aside from zoning out the enemy offlaner, You MUST be able to keep the creep equilibrium and keep the creeps from both sides fighting near your tower, this way, zoning out the enemy offlaner is easier as well as the threat of ganking is very high making the enemy offlaner play very cautious. TURN OFF YOUR RING OF BASILIUS BECAUSE IT GIVES 2 ARMOR TO ALL YOUR CREEPS. The aura of your ring makes your creeps tankier thus pushing further.

Watch this video for more information

Creep Pulling
Simply means to draw or lure the neutral creep camp to clash with your incoming lane creeps. You do this in times when your creep wave is already pushing very close to the enemy tower and you want to bring the creep equilibrium or reset it back to your side. Or sometimes when you want to push with a double wave whenever the siege creep spawns every 7 waves.

Creep Stacking
Is when you draw or lure the neutral creep camp when the timer is near X:00 (usually X:53), there is an internal mechanism that was inherited from Warcraft 3's engine where the game engine checks all the creep camps at exactly X:00 and spawns a new creep camp if there is no existing creep camp in the designated area around spawn points. Based on my experience, I can't stack any more than 4-5x, the most amount I've seen was 7x. You do this so your carry or initiator can farm this stack and get the necessary items and levels ASAP.

Example: Axe[dota2.gamepedia.com] or Batrider[dota2.gamepedia.com] getting Blink Dagger[dota2.gamepedia.com]

Watch this for more information

How to know if you're doing good???

• The creep waves fight near your tower
  
• You can zone out the enemy offlaner
  
• Your carry can farm well
  
• The enemy creep wave doesn't touch your tower

Always carry a TP scroll

I made this section simply to reiterate that it is a MUST that you always have a TP in your inventory. As soon as you see the enemy team diving or charging in, never hesitate to TP in and counter-gank.

This video shows how an ally that TPs in turned things around.

Also, bringing a TP simply means that you are GOOD PLAYER

Warlock Wombo-Comboes

You only have a few comboes, which, when you successfully land on the enemy team, the chances of your team winning that battle (or even game) shoots up.

Without Refresher

You throw Chaotic Offering, you Fatal Bonds them, you channel Upheaval.

With Refresher

You throw Chaotic Offering, you Fatal Bonds them, you hit Refresher Orb, you summon your golems and cast Fatal Bonds again, then finally you channel Upheaval. IF you land this, it's over.

With Refresher Ensured Stun Lock

You throw Chaotic Offering, you hit Refresher Orb, you Golem again, cast Fatal Bonds, then finally you channel Upheaval. If you're still having problems with chaining his spells and with chances of them interrupting you or using BKB, you only do the Fatal Bonds after the 2nd Golem spell.

With Refresher and Item Usage

Depends on your skill level, muscle memory, and latency, but dont forget that your items can also be refreshed when you use the Refresher Orb.

Micro your golems

When you throw down your golem(s), most players simply forget the golems and have their golem(s) auto attack, left standing there, or be fed to the enemy team. One golem kill will give 100 gold so NEVER let the enemy team to kill your golems, if death is inevitable, have them killed by neutral creeps or by the enemy tower.


You can micro your golems by attacking neutral creep camps, intercept enemy creep waves, chase heroes, body block, etc, etc.

Watch the video below for a tutorial on how to micro units.

Here's me microng my golem and getting a Triple Kill.My hero died early in group battle but microing the golem is a must if you want to maximize them, and the golem's insane regen rate is displayed here

Mathcraft with Fatalbonds

Binds several enemy units together, causing 25% of the damage dealt to one of them to be felt by the others.

• Cast Time: 0.5+0
  
• Cast Range: 900
  
• Search Radius: 700
  
• Max Bonded Units: 3/4/5/6
  
• Damage Shared: 25%
  
• Bonds Duration: 25

Example 1
You were able to land a lvl 3 Fatal Bonds on all 5 heroes and all 5 heroes were hit by a lvl 3 Sonic Wave with Agh

Creates a gigantic wave of sound in front of Queen of Pain, dealing heavy damage to all enemy units in its wake.

• Cast Time: 0.452+0.9
  
• Cast Range: 700
  
• Starting Radius: 100
  
• Travel Distance: 900
  
• End Radius: 450
  
• Damage: 290/390/490 (325/450/575*)

Damage
* Sonic wave = 575 pure damage
* 575 x 0.25 = 143.74 ~~ 144 damage Fatal Bonds damage per hero connected
* 144 x 4 = 576 pure damage splashed by Fatal Bonds
Total: 575 + 576 = 1151 Pure damage in one spell

Example 2
You were able to land a lvl 4 Fatal Bonds on all 5 heroes + Lone Druid's Bear, then immediately cast lvl 3 Chaotic Offering with Agh, and your Golem #1's very 1st attack procs Flaming Fists[dota2.gamepedia.com]

Grants a chance to deal extra damage to nearby units when attacking.

• Proc Chance: 40%
  
• Radius: 300
  
• Damage: 80/115/150

Damage
* 94 physical damage to main target
* (94 x 0.25) x 5 = 23.5 ~~ 24 physical damage
* 24 * 5 = 120 bonus physical damage
* Main Target = 94 damage, bonded units = 24 physical

* 150 AOE pure damage centered around the target
* (150 x 0.25) x 5 = 190 bonus pure damage
* 190 + 150 damage = 340 pure damage to all 6 enemy units bonded

Total: Main target: 94 physical damage + 340 pure damage
Bonded Units: 24 Physical damage + 340 pure damage

For more Info, read here[dota2.gamepedia.com]

Other uses of Fatal Bonds

Fatal bonds[dota2.gamepedia.com] is a devastating team fight spell. If you throw this right before your allies throw their (AOE) spells, expect the Fatal Bonds to wreak havoc against the enemy team. You can check my Fatalbonds mathcraft section for the computations.

Fatal Bonds also has other uses...

Tracking the enemy
It can also be used to somehow "track" where the enemy heroes are after being hit by it because you will the see bonds' chains animation light up when you hit bonded enemy units.

Killing fleeing heroes
It can also kill low HP fleeing heroes that are bonded. An example would be is an enemy Sniper[dota2.gamepedia.com] gets hit by fatal bonds with some creeps and TPs away with 100 HP, your team's Lina[dota2.gamepedia.com] can use her lvl 3 Laguna Blade[dota2.gamepedia.com] with Agh on the creep he is bonded to, dealing (950 x 0.25) 238 pure damage to Sniper killing him before he can totally regen at the fountain.

With Refresher Orb you can have 2 Fatal Bonds
Yes, per instance of Fatal Bond will act independently with other instances. Remember that.

Rubick, the Grand Magus

Rubick[dota2.gamepedia.com] somehow deserves a section of his own, in a nutshell, his ultimate spell, Spell Steal[dota2.gamepedia.com] "borrows" an enemy hero's last cast spell and can be used against them. Warlock's ultimate spell is a prime target for this spell. Also, take note, this spell has a cast time of 0.1 (or 1/10th of a second), in comparison to Warlock's 0.5 second cast time spells meaning that once you cast Chaotic Offering, he can grab your spell after 0.1 seconds assuming that he didnt get stunned.

This is where shift queuing your spells is a must. Or just ensure that you cast another spell IMMEDIATELY after casting your ultimate spell, check the Warlock Specific Tactics and Wombo-Comboes section.

Shift Queuing

My Warlock Set and Stats

Here is my Warlock set

Here is my DOTABUFF
Click here[www.dotabuff.com]

Here is my Warlock DOTABUFF Ranked Matchmaking stats

Multimedia Section

Me playing as Warlock doing the full combo, up to you on how you will chain WL's spells, but this is how i do it.

I threw everything within 5 seconds, remember to take advantage of the 1 second stun window after your 1st ulti.

This is part of the combat log of the sequence above, note the amount of damage the full combo does

Note
I will add content here from time to time

Recommended replays to watch

From time to time I will post here commended matches that I personally played, win or lose.

Match 1460878100[www.dotabuff.com]

High level Ranked Match with average MMR of around 4700 between the 2 teams. Did very, very well as support here. Zoning out of enemy heroes, warding, pulling, healing, denying, etc etc. Enemy team had a Rubick and he never stole my Golem even once by chaining spells and good positioning when throwing down the hammer.

*************************************************************************************************
Match 1468134890[www.dotabuff.com]

Me playing as Warlock "(semi-)carrying" the game. You can also see see some Wombo-combo with Zues here with Wrath.

*************************************************************************************************
Match #1478313419[www.dotabuff.com]

Disastrous early game for me. Went 0-4 during the laning phase, but still kept my composure, still doing my support tasks. Slowly crept back then we won the game.

Parting Words

As for every hero, there are many builds out there and there are times that you have to adapt to that situation (ex: buying stick when versus Bristle or PA). I was able to refine this build by simply using Warlock and playing the same hero again and again over the years.

I regularly play at the SEA server @ 4500 MMR @ 12AM GMT +8 hours, if you play at the same server, at the same time, and around the same MMR range, then maybe we will bump into each other.

A somehow thanks to Reddit, if it wasnt for that (not-so-good) Warlock guide that got posted sometime ago, I wouldn't have made this. I will constantly update this guide as time goes by, and maybe, even create a middle lane Warlock guide. Anyway, I hope that you liked my guide and would be able to learn a thing or two with it.

And I appreciate it also if you give my guide a good rating and/ or leave some constructive feedback, this will inspire me to create more guides for heroes that I'm quite good with.

Update Log

[17-May-2015] 1.0.7- Removed outdated refresher references
[10-May-2015] 1.0.6- Added recommended replays to watch
[09-May-2015] 1.0.5- Added v.6.84 thoughts and changes
[30-Apr-2015] 1.0.5- Added micro units section
[28-Apr-2015]
1.0.4- Deleted Lore section to trim down on stuff that isnt really much important.
1.0.3- Added the advanced game mechanics section, added video of my Warlock set and stats, some minor grammatical corrections
[26-Apr-2015]
1.0.2- Added new stuff for the Multimedia section
1.0.1- Added new section "Other uses of fatal bonds", situational items, Rubick section
[21-Apr-2015]1.0.0- Initial Release

[POS 4 / 5 ONLY]

Luxury item, most likely you wont get there but in rare cases you can choose Skadi as one of your ultra-late game items

[Jeehee Δ]

Whats the skadi for? its almost impossible to get it and you have no slot

[POS 4 / 5 ONLY]

thanks, ill update the guide then :D

[FlatChestEnthusiast]

"Early Game" item build is outdated in saying Sage's Mask builds into Refresher Orb.

[POS 4 / 5 ONLY]

thanks everyone :D

[E N D E R]

Great stuff!

[Tagby]

This is the most concise guide I've ever read on Warlock! Thank you very much!

[[H]aters Gonna Hate]

Nice guide ..