LogFAQs > #963175628

Well, about the most interesting thing about this next hero is that they updated his menu model to be "fuck you have the ult dwarf him in menus"

92.5 - Warlock (ranged Intelligence)
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/2/4/8/AAAACbAAC_tg.jpg
Basic Abilities: Fatal Bonds, Shadow Word, Upheaval, Chaotic Offering
Shard Ability: Upgrades Shadow Word to become an AoE targeted ability; affected units have a 10% movespeed buff (for allies) or debuff (for enemies.)
Scepter Ability: Upgrades Chaotic Offering to spawn two golems on cast with slightly lowered health, attack damage, and bounty on death. This does not affect the level 20 golem-on-death talent golem's stats.
Notable 7.31/7.31b changes: Manacost for Upheaval substantially reduced at all levels. Level 10 golem booties changed to a Shadow Word duration extension. Level 15 Shadow Word cooldown-lowering talent reduced slightly.

To sum up Warlock, he does one thing, and one thing *really well,* and that's area havoc whenever his ultimate is up. The rest is just window dressing, but let's go over this window dressing and why it makes him this low.

Plenty of heroes are defined by their ultimate alone, and to Warlock's credit, he's got more than that going for him. Fatal Bonds, while dispellable, can lead to some cross-map kills if more than one bound hero is getting struck and the primary bound target just so happens to be an Axe or a Bristleback that *wants* to be getting hit. Shadow Word is also versatile, providing a substantial but slow heal or DoT, or a circle of both if a shard is purchased. Last in his primary kit is Upheaval, what was once considered one of the worst spells in Dota; once the spell ramps up sufficiently, the Warlock creates a "don't run by the pool" zone so long as he remains channeling, and for three seconds after leaving it; allies will be blessed with a similar attack speed buff if he hit 15 and took that talent.

Unfortunately, his early game is very "kill and be killed." He has some impressive attack damage and range, but piss-poor armor and agility, and all three of his spells are underwhelming at level 1, so he'll need to be very particular on which one he's going to max out on first. When he hits 6, his enemy will suddenly have to worry about him dropping the rock and destroying everything in approximately a one mile radius (including trees, which can occasionally catch a Treant, Timbersaw, or a Monkey King with their pants down.)

I've really only got Warlock in the lower end of middle because of two things. First, is aesthetics: a doom-librarian could be so much more interesting than "just so happens to be one of the orc analogues" with the same voice actor (and same voice) of Slardar, Necrophos, and Beastmaster. Second, and more importantly, is that the current meta revolves more around burst damage/healing than over-time effects - if it was the latter, Warlock would be nearer the top-middle of the list, but having your non-ultimate kit revolve around three long duration low initial impact debuffs (that are all purgable, mind) while only having some decent ranged offense and no basic defenses to speak of makes life *kind* of difficult when you get dogpiled until you get the level 20 talent to spawn an on-death golem.

(At least Diffusal Blade doesn't instakill his ult anymore.)