I do not recommend playing Souls until you at least have access to T4 Dirk, as well as enough skill points to max both Soul Shaper and Soul Vortex. This Heroes of Hammerwatch 2 Warlock Build scales with your weapon and will feel bad early on.
This is not meta, but it is viable and strong. If you’re meta-chasing, play Chaos Warlock instead.
I strongly recommend keeping up with Sorcerer, Wizard, and Warrior levels. Warlock benefits immensely from their class titles, and this build works under the assumption that you’re leveling all classes.
Skill upgrade priority
MAX: Soul Shaper, Soul Vortex
MAX: Drain Essence and Aura of Atrophy equally
Leave Demon’s tail and Dark Ritual at lv1, if we ever get the ability to fully respec we will remove Demon’s Tail entirely
Stats
20 intelligence per 9 levels
5 focus per 9 levels
2 vitality per 9 levels
If you have extra attributes from accomplishments, you can choose to keep to this ratio, or invest more into vitality if you want better ehp.
NEW: With the addition of elixirs, we can keep up our requirements with less investment and as such can now switch back to a focus cape at no cost.
Equipment
Mainhand (dirk): Venomous | Corrosion
Offhand (any tome): Powerful | Corrosion
Helmet: Plague | Alacrity
Body: Hale | Celerity
Gloves: Plague | Corrosion
Boots: Hale | Protection
Cape: Stout | Protection
ALT
Gloves: Plague | Celerity
Body: Hale | Protection
Difference is 3x Corrosion, 2x Protection VS 2x Corrosion, 3x Protection
Chapel
Blessing of Protection
Magic Shop
I typically start with Leeching Ritual for consistency, however if you’re at a lower NG and don’t feel the need for sustain early you can start with Relentless Souls
Drinks
Sweet Pancakes
The Impetous Apprentice
The Ambitious Adept
Dark Desire
Sudden Death does not work with souls
Orb Upgrades
Priority is as follows, top to bottom
1 level: Leeching Ritual
MAX: Relentless Souls
MAX: Soul Cleave / Vortex Shroud / Agony
Any levels: Life Siphon / Essence Harvester
1 level if needed: Mana Siphon
All other upgrades are not useful. DO NOT PICK Blood Ritual, it will block you from finding Leeching Ritual.
Trinkets
Attune anything related to weapon speed, spell damage / crit, spell utility (stun, confuse..), or defensive
Mastery
The only one that works with Souls is All Spells, don’t bother investing in the others. Poison does work with Soul Vortex, but Soul Shaper is the majority of your damage as you climb to higher NGs. Luckily, weapon-based “spell” build, mana is not an issue whatsoever.
Playstyle
Warlock is not a tank. You will have high hp and sustain, but you cannot take multiple big hits in quick succession. You can afford to take damage, but do not intentionally try to tank high damage enemies such as archers’ shotgun arrows.
This build plays at close to mid-range and can easily abuse corners to deal with dangerous enemy groups. Souls travel somewhat slowly, so expect ranged enemies to have time to fire their projectiles at you.
Clear speed will feel lackluster until you find Relentless Souls upgrades, they are very important.
Arrista is an actual boss on poison builds, and you will have to learn the fight.
Constructs have high poison resistance and will take a while to kill, but it shouldn’t really be a problem.
Misc
Weapon Power does not affect Souls, nor does weapon mastery. Souls inherit your weapon’s damage values and type before any increase to their damage.