best build for melee warlock

[awar1234]

Best build for MELEE LOCK?

Stop it, there isn't one.

Go either full on CHARISMA/DC LOCK with hurl (fiend), finger of death, circle of death, tentacles, crushing despair.

Or go full on CONSTITUTION. TS for fienged health, staunch & ES for brilliance, shining through, then burster behind tower shield.... slower DPS but you will not die...

And always take the +75% wand and scroll mastery for healing in reaper.

[Pnumbra]

While most of here agree that there is no "True" viable melee warlock build; I want to remind those of us who still like the option not to forsake gear enhancements. Certain weapons actually enhance the effort. I have been on a two life adventure to gather longswords that are complimentary to the role of melee warlock. The best "end-game" longsword IMOP is Fellblade. This weapon and those like it found in general loot contribute considerably to the overall DPS of the melee action.

I still advocate for removing the aura of ES and turning it into a weapon attack process.

[KoobTheProud]

Two ways to redo E Aura to be more melee-centric:

1. Have it be a damage shield that both prevents and does damage, albeit at a significantly lower level for each than the current aura. Maybe does half-Eldritch Blast damage when struck and prevents a quarter of Eldritch Blast damage level, both scaling with melee power not spell damage.

2. Have it be a passive cleave that does non-active damage (auto attacks and twitch attacks) to every mob in melee range in a 360 radius around the Warlock. Have the range be determined by the weapon(s) in hand - so a Greatsword, Maul or Staff has maximum range and Swords, Axes, Maces, etc, have medium range, and Shortswords, Daggers and Handwraps have lowest range.

Now throw in Eldritch Burst and Spirit Blast as 360 cleaves with the same range requirements and you have a melee-centric Enlightened Spirit unlikely to be exploitable via TWF or Monk split.

[Pnumbra]

Two ways to redo E Aura to be more melee-centric:

1. Have it be a damage shield that both prevents and does damage, albeit at a significantly lower level for each than the current aura. Maybe does half-Eldritch Blast damage when struck and prevents a quarter of Eldritch Blast damage level, both scaling with melee power not spell damage.

2. Have it be a passive cleave that does non-active damage (auto attacks and twitch attacks) to every mob in melee range in a 360 radius around the Warlock. Have the range be determined by the weapon(s) in hand - so a Greatsword, Maul or Staff has maximum range and Swords, Axes, Maces, etc, have medium range, and Shortswords, Daggers and Handwraps have lowest range.

Now throw in Eldritch Burst and Spirit Blast as 360 cleaves with the same range requirements and you have a melee-centric Enlightened Spirit unlikely to be exploitable via TWF or Monk split.

These options are just variations of the original aura which doesn't solve the issue. People will still complain. The melee change should not have a 360 degree attack. We already have two cleave attacks in the tree.

[Steve_Howe]

melee in the traditionally weapon swinging sense does not exist for a warlock. I tried several builds (staff, sword and board, twf, and swf with an orb.) overall the devs were quick to correct themselves and say enlightened spirit wasn't designed to outright melee. Even with proper gear, past lives, etc. A melee warlock as a pure is not worth the attempt/investment.

rofl!

[elvesunited]

I had considered a enlightened dwarf fighter ( level 6 Warlock, level 14 Fighter, Con maxed )

COmbination of:

Kensei ( 33 - 35 AP )
Enlightened ( 24 - 26 AP )
Dwarf ( 18 AP ) for Throw your weight around
Stalwart( 0 - 5 AP )

But I couldn't get the numbers to work. Though with racial AP now a thing, I think that if I had it in me to grind out 30 racial lives for 10 AP, ( I don't ) this might be more viable.