The Realm of The Wicked (ROTW) mod has completely redefined the meta, and the Warlock is standing at the center of the chaos. If you are looking for a build that melts packs of demons with shadow damage while hiding behind an army of the undead, this Shadow Burst build is for you.

1. Skill Point Distribution (The "Soul Reaper" Setup)

In ROTW, the Warlock’s power comes from stacking Shadow synergy. Here is the recommended point allocation:

• Shadow Bolt (Max): Your primary single-target and early-game leveling skill.

• Shadow Burst (Max): The core of this build. Provides massive AoE shadow damage that chains between enemies.

• Curse of Frailty (10-15 Points): Essential for breaking enemy resistances and slowing down fast-moving mobs.

• Summon Abyss Guard (Max): These are your primary tanks. They scale with your shadow damage bonuses in ROTW.

• Dark Mastery (Remaining Points): Passive buff that increases all shadow damage and mana regeneration.

2. Best-in-Slot Gear & Stat Priority

The Warlock is a "Glass Cannon" by nature. You want to prioritize Faster Cast Rate (FCR) and +X to All Skills.

3. Vital Runewords for ROTW Warlocks

Runewords are the backbone of any ROTW build. Here are the three you should focus on crafting first:

[White] (Dol + Io)

• Placement: 2-Socket Wands.

• Why: If you find a wand with +3 to Shadow Burst, this runeword becomes an early-game monster, giving you +8 total to your main skill.

[Insight] (Ral + Tir + Tal + Sol)

• Placement: Polearms (for your Mercenary).

• Why: Warlocks burn through mana incredibly fast. The Meditation Aura from your mercenary is mandatory for sustained farming.

[Call to Arms] (Amn + Ral + Mal + Ist + Ohm)

• Placement: Flails (on Switch).

• Why: Gives you access to Battle Orders, doubling your Life and Mana pool.

4. Farming Strategy: Where to Shine?

The Shadow Burst Warlock excels in high-density areas. In ROTW, focus on:

• The Chaos Sanctuary: High mob density makes Shadow Burst chain indefinitely.

• Cow Level: Perfect for testing your AoE clear speed.

• ROTW New Zones: Use your Abyss Guards to face-tank the new "Wicked" elite mobs while you blast from afar.