Reign of the Warlock has completely flipped the script on Diablo 2: Resurrected‘s gameplay nearly 25 years after the original game released. The class has debuted in the series for the first time with the launch of Diablo 2: Resurrected‘s Reign of the Warlock DLC, and it has instantly become one of the best classes in the game. One particular Warlock build in D2R is insanely overpowered, with the potential to deal near-constant damage and get support from a powerful demon companion to destroy everything on the screen.
The claim to fame for Diablo 2: Resurrected‘s Warlock is its ability to summon and control demons as minions during combat. Summoning skills like Summon Goatman and Summon Defiler give the Warlock disposable companions to use as they wish, while Bind Demon essentially lets the Warlock capture and tame any demon in the game. Using this mechanic alongside the Warlock’s ability to both Hex their weapon and create duplicates of it allows the class to consistently spam high-DPS skills.
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Echoing Strike Warlock is a Force to Be Reckoned with in Diablo 2: Resurrected
The goal of this Diablo 2: Resurrected Warlock build is to combine the use of Echoing Strike and Hex: Purge, allowing the Warlock’s equipped weapon to deal ranged damage to enemies with ridiculous scaling potential. The way Diablo 2: Resurrected synergizes skills gives this Warlock build a fairly straightforward setup, with a few options for players to pick and choose from depending on their survivability needs. With the right combination of skills, D2R Warlocks shouldn’t have to worry too much about enemy immunities, since players will be utilizing both physical and magic damage on this build.
Balance the critic averages
Balance the critic averages
Easy (6)Medium (8)Hard (10)
Best Skills to Use for Echoing Strike Warlock
- Echoing Strike
- Hex: Purge
- Summon Goatman
- Bind Demon
- Consume
- Mirrored Blades
- Blade Warp
- Levitation Mastery
- Sigil: Lethargy or Psychic Ward
- Demonic Mastery
This Echoing Strike Warlock build really thrives in the late game due to the number of skill points needed to fully flesh it out. Diablo 2‘s skill tree system requires players to invest in certain skills first in order to gain access to others, meaning that some of the class’s best skills won’t be accessible until players hit a certain level. However, there are still some powerful skills to pick up early in the game to give the Warlock a smooth early-game grinding experience.
Summon Goatman and Levitation Mastery are great entry points for players working on this build since a Goatman companion can help deal with enemies in the very early stages of the game, while Levitation Mastery is a prerequisite for Echoing Strike and also allows the Warlock to wield heavier two-handed weapons in one hand. This will be important later in the game, since Echoing Strike and Blade Warp will scale with the Warlock’s equipped weapon.
Working through the Demon Skill Tree in Diablo 2: Resurrected is a priority so that players can access the Warlock’s Bind Demon skill, as well as Demonic Mastery to buff their summoned demons. Consume is also the goal with this skill tree, since it allows players to sacrifice their summoned demons to gain very helpful buffs, such as increased damage percentage from consuming a Goatman. The Warlock’s Chaos Skill Tree doesn’t need to be touched much, unless players want to use Sigil: Lethargy to debuff enemies and help their own survivability. However, Psychic Ward can also help with survivability, and players will already be investing in it on their way toward unlocking Mirrored Blades.
Mirrored Blades and Hex: Purge are the final crucial pieces of this build’s puzzle, and both take the build’s DPS output up a notch. Mirrored Blades requires some investment to access but allows the Warlock to summon duplicates of their weapon that can attack a single target at once for big damage, and it provides a synergy for Echoing Strike to build on. Hex: Purge is the twin to Echoing Strike that Warlock players will want to use on this build, as it buffs their weapon with the ability to warp enemies and creates a chance for them to erupt. It’s a good idea to cast this before beginning the Echoing Strike spam.
Best Demon to Bind for Echoing Strike Warlock
Ideally, Warlocks looking to maximize the damage output of this Echoing Strike build will want to bind Hephasto the Armorer. This Super Unique demon comes with the Cursed affix and Fanaticism aura, which can then be transferred to the Warlock. Cursed gives the monster a chance to cast Amplify Damage, and Fanaticism gives it increased Damage, Attack Speed, and Attack Rating, all of which can be applied to its allies. It won’t be possible to bind Hephasto until Diablo 2: Resurrected Act 4, so Ismail Vilehand in Act 3 can act as a solid earlier replacement.
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What Makes Diablo 2: Resurrected’s Echoing Strike Warlock So Powerful
The Warlock has a ton of tools in its kit that make it one of the strongest classes in Diablo 2: Resurrected, but Echoing Strike is by far the class’s best offensive skill. What makes it so dangerous is not only the pattern in which it fans out copies of the Warlock’s weapon that boomerang back to the player, but the fact that it can deal both magic and physical damage with the correct synergies. This essentially allows the Warlock to bypass most immunities while clearing hordes of enemies, drawing on buffs from consumed demons, and having a single-target attack like Mirrored Blades as an alternative for tackling Diablo 2‘s toughest bosses.
- Released
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September 23, 2021
- ESRB
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M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Publisher(s)
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Blizzard Entertainment
